South African rhino poaching documentary, STROOP, has been selected as the opening night screening for an international film festival in Germany, Europe. The elated producers called the invitation, to open the Wildlife Film Festival Rotterdam on 24 October, “unbelievable news”. “We feel really honoured as the festival director phoned us to tell us the good […]

The release of crime statistics in South Africa always triggers great angst among ordinary citizens, and obfuscation on the part of the South African authorities. This year was no exception. In their latest release of crime statistics, the South African Police Service seem to have tried to downplay crime rate increases (and exaggerate crime rate […]

With South African tourism often focused so closely on a few specific areas, there are entire regions that can escape notice. This is one country, however, where you can typically find extraordinary sights and interesting things to do almost regardless of your specific destination. Considering this it’s worth digging into some of those regions that […]

Farmworkers on the Nieuwe Sion farm in the Western Cape were recently delighted when the British owners of the farm – David and Elaine Potter – handed over not only the keys, but the title deeds too, to an awesome village containing 22 homes for them. The state-of-the-art village cost R30-million to create. It includes […]

In delivering today’s Crime Statistics for the 2017/2018 financial year, Police Minister Bheki Cele called the rate of murder “scary”. Fifty-seven people are murdered in South Africa every day, a statistic – he says – that requires more stringent action by the police. Sounding despondent, he said the stats are “nothing to write home about, […]

September is turning into a great month for South African comedians Tsitsi Chiumya and Phil De Lange. Not only did Tsitsi win Best Newcomer and Phil the Next Level prize at this weekend’s Comic Choice Awards, both comedians are featured in Trevor Noah presents NationWild, a 13-part comedy showcase coming to Showmax this Heritage Day, […]

The incredible water-conserving efforts of Capetonians, along with the rain and snow in the Western Cape, means that within a month Cape Town citizens will be rewarded with the luxury of perhaps flushing the loo, or languishing in a bath. Cape Town Deputy Mayor, Ian Nielson, announced an upcoming relaxation of the water restrictions which […]

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene said on Monday that there is a significant downside risk to revenue collection due to a recession and problems in tax collection by the revenue service. “There is now additional downside risk to the tax revenue projected at the beginning of the year because of the […]

This week’s episode of Carte Blanche reveals more on State Capture, patients taking control of Diabetes, the important first 1000 days of a child’s life, and a hitman ‘Hired to Kill’ by an accused murderer in jail. The show is available to South Africans abroad from Tuesday 11 September 2018 – if you subscribe to […]

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa authorised a new investigation into a water ministry contract with German software firm SAP on Thursday, citing allegations that public money was spent unlawfully. The investigation by South Africa’s Special Investigating Unit (SIU) comes after the country’s anti-graft agency said in March it was conducting its own […]

Forgive the political tone – I am trying to keep it in check, but I fail… writes South African musician Albert Combrink. Dear Friends, I love you dearly. But I just CAN’T with all this negativity about South Africa all the time. When I look at the quality of your lives, and the quality of […]

While it has been two decades since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission concluded, director Roland Joffé’s new film – The Forgiven – returns to that time to grapple with some terrible truths of apartheid and its legacy. The movie – which has Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s blessing – stars Forest Whitaker (as Tutu) and Eric Bana, […]

Carte Blanche looks into why the Democratic Alliance lost Nelson Mandela Bay and if this the beginning of the end for the rest of the DA-run municipalities? Also why Henri van Breda brutally attacked his family, the baboon killings in the Western Cape vineyards, and how Lewis Pugh swam a distance of 560kms in just 50 […]

A rich trove of cave paintings in South Africa going back perhaps 20,000 years is being erased. In caves along the Great Kei River and at the confluence of the White (Cacadu) and Black Kei rivers in the rural Eastern Cape, there is a wealth of rock art paintings. They are not well known and […]

Check out all the new additions that have come to the Showmax platform in the past week. Younger fans, block off two hours of your weekend to find out what happens with Charles and Liza in the final four episodes of the latest season! Series additions Younger, S5 – episodes 9 to 12 Episode 12, […]

PRETORIA (Reuters) – The International Monetary Fund gave its full backing to South Africa’s land reform plan on Thursday, as long as the highly contentious process is transparent and based on the constitution. The Fund’s senior resident representative in South Africa – Montfort Mlachila – told Reuters that the reform must not damage farm output […]

The tourism industry in Dubai is in full bloom at the moment and displays no sign of slowing down. The city is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world, and popular with South Africans flying via Dubai to other destinations or directly to Dubai to visit expat friends and family who have […]

In a brutal opening day first round match, South African Kevin Anderson came from behind to win a five-set thriller against American Ryan Harrison 7-6 (7/4) 5-7 4-6 6-3 6-4 to move into the second round of the US Open in New York late on Monday evening. But first-time US Open qualifier Lloyd Harris wasn’t […]

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s mainly white Solidarity union has given Sasol a 48-hour notice to strike over the energy giant’s plan to launch a share ownership scheme exclusively for black staff, the union said on Tuesday. Sasol plans to sell 25 % of its local operations to mainly qualifying black employees in a R21-billion […]

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – Britain supports South Africa’s land reform programme provided it is carried out legally, Prime Minister Theresa May said in Cape Town on Tuesday, adding that she would discuss the issue with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. “The UK has for some time now supported land reform. Land reform that is legal, […]

Final touches are being made to an all-women 50-day conservation adventure from South Africa into Southern Africa. The Journeys with Purpose: Rise of the Matriarch expedition brings together 12 women from around the world who will travel 9 000km across four countries to raise awareness about the contentious human-wildlife conflict. Headed by Carla Geyser, a […]

Catch the landmark 90-minute Carte Blanche 30th Birthday Broadcast on Sunday night in South Africa. Carte Blanche says it has given M-Net viewers the “right to see it all”; it has provided a voice to all South Africans; it has been a trustworthy authority on the state of affairs and a clear reflection of the world […]

Over half a million SA youth responded to the South African Police Service’s (SAPS’s) recruitment drive for the 2018/2019 Basic Police Learning Development Programme (BLDP) intake, which was launched in May this year. Applications closed on the 15th of June 2018… and by that date, 517 000 applications had been received from the 1 146 police […]

Agri SA announced on Thursday that organised agriculture will soon sign a declaration of intent on land reform in South Africa, which will help government to transform the sector. AgriSA President Dan Kriek said: “We are extending a hand of friendship… here to government, in saying we want to partner with you. We want to […]

Last night there was a rant by Trevor van Zijl in KwaZulu-Natal – about a piece of meat – that went viral. Thousands of people on SAPeople’s Facebook page loved the post, liked it, shared it and thanked Trevor for the laugh. (Read it below.) However there was a handful of people who complained because […]