Phoenix, north of Durban, was hit by a heatwave in January, and while temperatures outside soared, tempers within the community flared up too. On private messaging apps and social media, residents called for protests against the collapse of basic services in the town. Residents of Phoenix in KwaZulu-Natal say garbage goes uncollected, water is rationed, […]

South Africans have been battered by power shortages for several years. These have worsened to the point that towards the end of 2022 the country’s electricity utility, Eskom, had only half of its power generation capacity operational. This has forced Eskom to escalate its rotational power cuts. By mid-January 2023, users were typically without electricity […]

Six South African activists and public interest lawyers have filed revised papers in their marathon legal battle against a collective R14.25-million “SLAPP” defamation case brought against them by Australian mining interests. Six South African activists and public interest lawyers have filed revised papers in their marathon legal battle against a collective R14.25-million “SLAPP” defamation suit. […]

An appeal court has increased the prison sentence of a rhino poacher from 11 to 15 years. An appeal court has increased the sentence of a man convicted of rhino poaching from 11 to 15 years. The initial sentence was far too lenient and not in line with the Limpopo Environmental Management Act, said the […]

The City of Cape Town is excited to embark on its Digital Internship Programme to help build much-needed skills in South Africa. The graduate programme has attracted applications from more than 790 graduates, which confirm the City is a sought-after employer. ‘The graduate programme has attracted more than 790 applicants from universities across the Western […]

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy has announced an increase in the price of petrol and 0.05% sulphur diesel from Wednesday. Updated prices for fuel, gas and paraffin will be as follows: Both 93 and 95 petrol will increase by 28c Diesel 0.05% sulphur increases marginally by 9c Diesel 0.005% sulphur will decrease slightly […]

Scheduled blackouts by Eskom started back in 2007. Yet 16 years later, the situation has grown worse and load shedding is expected to continue until 2027. With no end in sight, many businesses and residents have been turning to battery-powered lamps, gas stoves, inverters and domestic solar power. Loadshedding has cut business hours and production, reducing income. […]

Borrowing money, in whatever form, is part of people’s life. The key is to keep it under control and to analyze whether to take the “opportunities” or not. How are South Africans dealing with this? The connection that a person has with the different financial services offered in the market is usually influenced by the […]

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development has confirmed a new outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) on a farm in Gauteng. The department said the farm has been put under quarantine and the Provincial Veterinary Services instituted forward and back-tracing investigations to identify any properties that could have had direct or indirect […]

Here’s what’s coming up on Carte Blanche this week. You can watch the show on Sunday 29 January in South Africa on DStv Now OR stream it overseas in most countries on Showmax from Tuesday 31 January if you’re abroad. Tiger on the Loose She was an eight-year-old Bengal tiger named Sheba, hand-reared and loved. […]

South Africa and India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the re-introduction of Cheetah to the Asian country. “In terms of the agreement, an initial batch of 12 cheetahs are scheduled to be flown from South Africa to India in February 2023. The cats will join the eight cheetahs introduced to India […]

The repurchase rate (repo rate) in South Africa reached 7.25% after the SA Reserve Bank’s (SARB) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) agreed to a 25 basis points hike. The increase means that the repo rate will now be 7.25% per year from 27 January 2023, with prime now at 10.75%. SARB Governor Lesetja Kganyago made the […]

Taking credit or any kind of debt is not always a bad practice. Actually it can even be positive for our personal finances as it helps to achieve investment objectives or to acquire high-value goods. Even so, it is important to take care of indebtedness levels, so it doesn’t get out of hand. As with […]

Ever since Prince Harry released Spare, his 407-page tell-all exposé of life in the palace and the latest Windsor wars, we’ve been snuffling through the juiciest titbits like piglets at the royal trough. If the word “todger” now brings to mind frostbite, fancy face cream and The People’s Princess, we’ll be joining you at the […]

January 26 is a date that sparks mixed emotions in Australia. For some, it’s a day to celebrate all the good things about living in Australia. For others, it’s a painful reminder of the beginning of British colonisation and the dispossession of First Nations. Increasingly, January 26 is becoming a date that divides the nation […]

Gerhard van Niekerk, from Vleis Vryf in South Africa, has been officially invited to attend and compete in the Australian Barbecue Championships, held at the prestigious Meatstock Sydney from 5 to 7 May 2023 at the Sydney Showgrounds. This is Australia’s largest BBQ Festival, home to the country’s biggest barbecue competitions, where international teams from around the […]

Infants, the elderly, persons living with disabilities, pregnant women, outdoor workers, and those who are on chronic medications are the most vulnerable to death as a result of exposure to extreme heat, according to research conducted by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) and its partners. The research, according to the SAMRC, draws a correlation […]

Micheala Ohlson from Ocean View bagged a silver medal in the doubles event at the All Africa Under-19 Tournament in Mauritius in December. The 18-year-old has been playing badminton since she was ten years old. She currently lives in Lavender Hill. After being selected, Ohlson needed R30,000 to cover travel and accommodation costs. Following several fundraising […]

Invest Africa CEO Rob Hersov had the crowds chanting ‘Voetsek ANC, Voetsek Luthuli House’ today (Wed 25 Jan), as South Africans joined DA Leader John Steenhuisen in the Power to the People March to the ANC’s headquarters in Johannesburg. Steenhuisen said it was inspiring to see so many people who “still have the spirit for […]

“If we protect what we have, eventually generations to come will benefit from it,” says Ruben Saul, chairperson of the Doringbaai Development Trust. Doring Bay Abalone, a land-based aquaculture farm, produces about 60 tonnes of abalone per year and legally exports to China. This project stands apart from other abalone farms because it is partly […]

About 60 people marched from Church Square across Pretoria to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) and the Union Buildings on Friday. They were demanding an end to load-shedding and objecting to the recent electricity tariff hikes authorised by the regulator. Not In My Name (NIMN) in partnership with Mamelodi Nellmapius Eersterust Shareholders […]

Tens of millions of chickens, pigs, cows and fish are suffering in South Africa due to intermittent power outages, or load shedding, warns animal protection organization, Humane Society International/Africa. Local load shedding is being increased to level six, with rollouts of up to four and a half hours occurring continuously, vastly increasing the risk of […]

The government has urged South Africans to take extra caution as the heatwave persists in certain parts of the country. In a statement on Tuesday, GCIS Acting Director-General, Michael Currin, said: “We are concerned about the impact of the hot weather, parts of South Africa have been experiencing.” He said residents must drink water and […]

Following the sad news of the euthanasia of Sheba, the 8-year-old female tiger that escaped from Walkerville – injuring a human and killing several domestic animals – Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital (JWVH) has once again warned of the dangers of keeping wild, rather than domesticated, animals as pets. The recent case of Sheba the tiger […]

As media outlets around the world report on South Africa “openly siding with Russia” as the countries prepare for a maritime exercise together with China, SA’s Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor accused critics of having double-standards. Appearing to ignore Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine, Dr Pandor said “all countries conduct military exercises with friends worldwide”. She […]