Recently a number of school boards and police services issued statements advising parents of an alleged cyberbullying threat called the Momo challenge. It’s unclear how many videos actually exist of the creepy-looking mask apparently telling children to harm themselves, or to what extent they have circulated, among children or elsewhere. While some experts suggest anxious […]

Rooibos is already popular in Europe and now it’s becoming a big deal in Japan – one of the largest tea-drinking nations in the world – with exports of our indigenous tea hitting record highs in 2018. More than 2 000 tons were shipped to Japan‘s shores last year – the largest consignment since Rooibos […]

South Africans abroad, who are registered to vote, have to submit the VEC10 form before the deadline of midnight (UTC +2:00) on Wednesday 13 March 2019… but so far tens of thousands who could vote, have not submitted the form! This is why…. 1. They don’t know about the VEC 10 Form! In order for […]

South African singer Selkii will be seen dazzling the judges of The Voice in America on Monday evening. As seen in a ‘sneak peek’ Blind Auditions 2019 video that The Voice released a few days ago, Selkii ‘stands out’ with her version of Macy Gray’s ‘I Try’. The sneak peek shows two judges turning around, […]

Research has shown that excess salt intake is harmful to people’s health. It can lead to high blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Globally salt reduction programmes are gaining traction, whether through awareness campaigns or through governmental interventions. This has been true in South Africa too. Three years ago it […]

South Africans – like millions of people across the world – are seriously susceptible to religious abuse. The local media has once again been abuzz with a litany of shocking stories about manipulation, abuse and fraud by pastors. The latest one, a fake “resurrection” made headlines around the world. A video of Pastor Alph Lukau […]

Once upon a time… in a beautiful forest on the magical Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains… writes Sheryn Nader who took these beautiful photographs of nature’s delight in South Africa’s newest world heritage site. Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains in Mpumalanga was officially declared a World Heritage Site in July 2018, becoming South Africa’s 10th World Heritage site, and the […]

Jane Goodall visited a chimpanzee sanctuary in Sierra Leone on Thursday that has taken on the veteran primatologist’s mission to protect the animals threatened by deforestation, disease and hunting. Goodall, 84, famous for her ground-breaking study of chimpanzees in East Africa in the 1960s, praised the work of her old friends, Bala Amarasekaran and his […]

Two Hawks senior executives from Maluti a Phofung Local Municipality in the Free State have been arrested for alleged fraud and corruption. The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) on Monday said the two — Chief Financial Officer Nrateng Khumalo and Expenditure Manager Diakanyo Khampepe — were arrested last Thursday and subsequently appeared in court on […]

South Africa and the World Bank have signed an agreement that will boost the local business environment while also helping to enhance foreign direct investment into the country. Signed on Monday in Johannesburg, the Advisory Services Agreement was signed between the Department of Trade and Industry (dti) and the World Bank Group. The partnership is […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa has, on behalf of the government and people of South Africa, expressed condolences to the families affected by the Sunday crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane which killed all 157 people on board. In a statement issued on Sunday, President Ramaphosa said the thoughts of the South African people are with the […]

Eskom has warned South Africans that there is a high risk of load shedding today. “There is a high risk of rotational load shedding today, but it will only be implemented if absolutely necessary. This is as a result of a shortage of capacity due to the loss of generating units at our power stations,” […]

On Carte Blanche this evening (Sunday 10 March) in South Africa, and available to stream from Tues 12 March for South Africans abroad. Please note this is a 90-minute extended broadcast. (14-day Free Trial): The Future From the Fourth Industrial Revolution to the human brain connecting directly to machines and the Cloud with instant access to […]

Two of the men involved in the murder of the former owner of Maroupi Wedding Venue near Umhlali were sentenced to life imprisonment at Mtunzini High Court last week. SAPS spokesman Lt Col Thulani Zwane said the two men – 26-year-old Aron “Poliane” Feijao Moiane and 35-year-old Jaulane Feijao Moiane – were found guilty on […]

Europe’s finest, most storied clubs face off in the last-16 round of the UEFA Champions League. These matches are live and free on DStv Now! Fans don’t need to be DStv subscribers, they only need to be using DStv Now online or on their devices. Which UEFA matches will be streamed on DStv Now? Paris […]

Teaching is tough in overcrowded schools with ill-disciplined sometimes violent learners. “If I could change careers I would… Teaching is not easy,” says a teacher who has spent 12 years at a high school in Khayelitsha. The teacher, who preferred to stay anonymous, told GroundUp: “We teach some very ill-disciplined children, and sometimes there is […]

At the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) this weekend, the debut Showmax Original, Tali’s Wedding Diary, won five awards – the most of any TV comedy. The brilliant SA mockumentary – inspired by the real-life wedding of Suzelle DIY actress Julia Anastasopoulos – also reached 1 million views this week! The 5 awards […]

AfriForum says it has appointed five experts and a senior advocate to compile reports in order to send a submission that disputes the recent Centurion land claim to the Land Claims Commission. The self-proclaimed civil rights organisation says it wants to prevent claimants from receiving any monetary compensation for this “baseless claim”. The claim – […]

The South African Police Service (SAPS) today called on singer and entertainer Bongekile Simelane – popularly known as Babes Wodumo – to register a case of assault at her nearest police station. This follows a video which emerged showing the gqom singer being beaten by her boyfriend. According to some reports, she has now pressed […]

South African consumers are in for a shock at the pumps as the price of petrol is set to increase by 74 cents a litre from Wednesday. The Department of Energy on Monday announced fuel hikes of 74 cents a litre for both grades of petrol 93 (ULP and LRP) and 95 (ULP and LRP). In […]

Don’t miss tonight’s episode of Carte Blanche for an in-depth look at South Africa’s current affairs. This episode is available to stream from Tues 5 March for South Africans living abroad. (14-day Free Trial): The Mad 4 Waves Atlantic Challenge Fewer people have rowed across the Atlantic than have reached the summit of Everest, journeyed to […]

Okay, so you know all those stereotypes in society? A lot of them are actually true. Like Afrikaans guys chooning “hoezit” and “kiff, boet”, with the odd “lekker” and “dop” thrown into the mix. What makes reality talkshow Die Radio Raps Show (2018-current, Seasons 1 and 2 are on Showmax) a must-see is that Rikus de […]

You love entertainment – that’s why you’re already a DStv Compact or Compact Plus subscriber. But now, for a limited period, enjoy even more top-notch entertainment with a huge saving on your Showmax subscription. DStv Compact and Compact Plus subscribers who add Showmax to their DStv bill before 7 April 2019* will receive a two-month-long […]

Government is set to launch a ground-breaking initiative that seeks to mobilize all South Africans to become more environmentally conscious. Dubbed the Good Green Deeds Campaign, it hopes to galvanize individuals in the private sector, labour, NGO’s, interfaith formations and society at large to clean South Africa. The campaign, which will be led by the […]

Soweto is the home of the first ever – multimedia centre for children with dyslexia in South Africa. The 22-seater multimedia centre, based at the Tlhokomelo Special School in Meadowlands, will close the gap between traditional teaching methods and children with learning styles that don’t fall within the parameters of these methods. Dyslexia, which affects […]