At the start of the Covid-19 lockdown last year, 27-year-old Lindokuhle Msomi was among millions of people who lost their income due to the imposed restrictions. Lindokuhle Msomi from Durban was able to use the R350 Covid-19 grant he received for nine months to support his family and start a fast food stall. Due to […]

The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NatJOINTS) on Sunday enhanced operational capacity in KwaZulu-Natal amid “flagrant disregard” for COVID-19 Adjusted Alert Level 4 regulations. “This is in response to incidents in which people are seen to be undermining the authority of the State, including the flouting of the Disaster Management Act Regulations,” NatJOINTS spokesperson […]

In Secrets from the Cockpit, Robert Schapiro offers a rare insider’s view on life as an international pilot. Schapiro, who was a pilot for the South African Airlines in the 1980s before flying internationally, describes near misses and emergency landings… but also explains how pilots kept rowdy travellers in check. Enjoy this excerpt from the […]

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has urged taxpayers to carefully consider working from home expenses before submitting claims to the revenue collector. SARS recently published an update on its website in relation to home office expenses. In a statement on Thursday, the revenue collector provided additional clarity for individual taxpayers who may be considering […]

Jacob Zuma today, Friday 2 July, made a last-minute attempt for freedom as Sunday rapidly approaches, by which time he has to hand himself in to Nkandla Police Station to serve a 15-month prison sentence. Don’t miss Carte Blanche this Sunday at 7pm (or Showmax on Tuesday if you’re abroad) as the current affairs show […]

The Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Regional Hospital in Bizana, Eastern Cape is currently the only Covid-19 vaccination site in the Winnie Madikizela Mandela Municipality. Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Regional Hospital in Bizana, Eastern Cape is the only vaccination site in Winnie Madikizela Mandela Municipality. Villagers from Nyavini travel up to 70 kilometres on treacherous roads […]

In a crushing turn of events, professional surfer and Red Bull athlete Jordy Smith has made the difficult decision to pull out of the upcoming Summer Olympic Games at the last minute. The news comes in the wake of a nagging knee injury the Durban-born surfer has been dealing with since the Australian leg of […]

South Africa recorded 21 584 COVID-19 cases on Thursday, according to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD). The Gauteng province accounts for the majority of new cases (59%), followed by the Western Cape (11%) and North West (7%) provinces. Gauteng reported 12 806 cases while the Western Cape reported 2 447. This as South Africa battles […]

A terrible rainstorm in Cape Town, South Africa, this week flooded shacks in Kraaifontein. Five days of continuous rain caused flooding across the region.

Robert Schapiro always wanted to fly, so much so that he had to rise above the challenge of anti-Semitic bullying, mockery and fierce rivalry to realise his dream… but rise he did. In a new book – ‘Secrets from the Cockpit’ – Schapiro reveals everything about international pilots behaving badly, and other flying stories. Schapiro […]

Talk of a so-called “pensions crisis” is prevalent across the globe, with Schroders Global Investor Study (GIS) suggesting that 41% of investors were concerned that they wouldn’t have sufficient savings to fund their retirement in 2020. The situation is even worse in developing economies throughout the world, with as many as 50% of South Africans […]

Following South Africa’s move to Adjusted Level Four with effect from today, Monday, 28 June 2021, the South African National Parks (SANParks) has informed guests of the following key changes to its hospitality and tourism services in its various national parks. “SANParks, in complying with government regulations, has made the requisite amendments… particularly for travellers […]

Bhekizizwe Peterson was one of South Africa’s foremost humanities scholars. Internationally renowned as an award-winning film writer and producer, he was a leading practitioner of community theatre, a literary and cultural critic and a public intellectual. His work straddled the academy and the community, foregrounding the knowledge of ordinary people. In a round table discussion […]

South Africa’s COVID-19 cases continue to rise, with 16 078 new infections reported on Thursday, according to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD). Gauteng remains the epicentre, accounting for the majority of 9 521 new cases (59%), followed by 1 912 in the Western Cape (12%). According to the public health institution, this surge […]

Red Bull surfing athlete, Jordy Smith has been officially confirmed as part of the team that will travel to Tokyo, Japan for the upcoming Summer Olympics, kicking off next month as surfing makes its debut in the Games. Smith has said that this opportunity wasn’t even on the radar for him as he never thought […]

Who doesn’t love something for nothing? A freebie is always a good thing, although some people might be sceptical when it comes to whether something for free is really free? That’s a whole other discussion! If you’re into enjoying online casinos, or you want to try one for the time then getting the best slot […]

The incidents of hunting with dogs is escalating across South Africa, particularly in rural KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). This week, Carte Blanche investigates to find out: is it an innocent traditional pastime fuelled by poverty… or a brutal, self-serving gambler’s game? Hunting with Dogs In a controversial practice that is increasing across the country, participants in so-called […]

Nicci Lombard and her family are hoping for a miracle within the next 24 hours so they can return home to South Africa from Vietnam, or they will face a heavy fine which they can’t afford when their visa runs out on 2 July. Like many SA expats in Asia, their dreams came tumbling down […]

A female tourist tragically fell and died in the Tsitsikamma National Park on Wednesday. The woman, believed to be in her 50s, fell on a trail leading to the suspension bridge in the park, according to the South African National Parks (SANParks). “The Park Rangers and National Sea Rescue Institute successfully retrieved the body of […]

The daily Covid-19 case numbers in Gauteng, South Africa, are exceeding those seen during the previous two waves as the province suffers a ‘tsunami’ of Covid-19 cases in this third wave. The Premier has announced that from next week those between the ages of 50 and 59 will also be able to be vaccinated (the […]

Nine-year-old Romario Valentine is a pint-sized planet warrior and artist from Umhlanga, Durban. He has dedicated the last 4 years of his young life to protecting our planet… and has big planet-saving dreams for his tenth birthday. Fully focused on his passions, namely bird and marine conservation, climate change, and deforestation, Romario has remarkably already […]

A year ago, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we predicted that school closures in South Africa would result in learning losses. A loss of contact learning time would lead to lower educational outcomes, and the losses would be higher in no-fee schools (serving children from low income families) than in fee-paying schools. Now […]

The COVID-19 crisis has revived discussions on localising vaccine manufacturing to the African region to reduce the dependence on imports. The fact that Africa is lagging so far behind on the COVID-19 vaccination compared with Europe and North America has highlighted the importance of the issue. Most African countries depend on the WHO-sponsored COVAX scheme, […]

South Africa has reported 9 160 new COVID-19 cases, said the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD). There were 36 858 COVID-19 tests conducted on Monday. This translated to a 24.9% positivity rate, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 1 832 479. Of the latest infections, the majority were found in Gauteng (6 […]

With Lockdown restrictions eased since last year, the rhino poaching war has certainly heated up in South Africa. The last seven days have been hectic – a suspected rhino poaching kingpin gunned down just before appearing in court, three suspected poachers arrested in separate incidents (with tourists helping report them), and at least 21 poaching […]