In a small, dusty town in Argentina lives a community who loves to sokkie jol and braai. They are the descendants of Afrikaners who fled South Africa over 115 years ago during the Anglo-Boer War. The language and culture struggle to survive, but the town still exists today and the boere that stay there long […]

The ANC has responded to reports of Mangosuthu Buthelezi’s comments – made at his 90th birthday celebrations in Durban yesterday – where he allegedly indicated that he wishes his membership of the ANC could finally be renewed before he dies. The ANC said it acknowledges Buthelezi’s participation amongst the founding members of the ANC Youth […]

South Africa’s police watchdog has opened two cases of attempted murder following the disappearance of a Hout Bay fisherman during an anti-poaching operation on Saturday 11 August. Durick van Blerk, 26, was returning from illegally catching crayfish near Cape Point when police intercepted his boat, shooting out the engine. Van Blerk went missing, while his […]

Every day, Ranger units encounter suspected poachers in the Kruger National Parks with up to three incursions with poachers taking place in the park daily. The SANParks rangers, have a huge responsibility on their shoulders and work tirelessly and risk their lives to safeguard our rhinos. Just last month, field ranger Respect Mathebula paid the […]

Centurion in Gauteng, South Africa, is quite literally sinking. In the past year a whopping 30 sinkholes have appeared in the area, situated between Pretoria and Midrand. According to current affairs show Carte Blanche, Centurion has been built on permeable dolomite… and now “urbanisation, bad drainage and infrastructure have led to 30 sinkholes appearing in this […]

This week’s episode of Carte Blanche investigates the sabotage of Metrorail, the crime wave hitting Stellenbosch and more. The show is available to South Africans abroad from today – Tuesday 14 August 2018 – if you subscribe to Showmax. Metrorail Sabotage With 39 train carriages set alight and destroyed in just the last four months, […]

Every once in a while, there comes a TV show that quickly becomes a phenomenon. That’s exactly what The Queen has become in South Africa. We just cannot get enough of it. Seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming on Showmax. And yes, it starts from the very first episode. The Mzansi Magic telenovela, created by […]

International actress Pearl Thusi and Humane Society International/Africa are exposing the ugly truth behind the “Snuggle Scam”. South African actress and wildlife advocate Pearl Thusi is collaborating with Humane Society International/Africa to warn residents – and especially travellers to South Africa – not to visit tourist attractions that offer lion cub petting and lion walks. […]

Hell hath no fury like a vested interest threatened… writes Magnus Heystek. It’s a common lament that when an investment scheme collapses the victims always try to find someone to blame. How often have we heard the mournful cry of thousands of investors, now badly out of pocket and in some cases penniless, that “someone should […]

Ever-dominant Caster Semenya was the highlight of the South African action on the final day of the African Championships in Asaba, Nigeria on Sunday. Semenya added to her 400m gold that she won earlier in the competition, and broke the 800m Africa record as she clipped 0.30 seconds off Mozambican Maria Mutola’s 1993 African 800m […]

The South African medical field continues to perform pioneering surgeries… with this week’s Carte Blanche highlighting a brain surgery technique that’s changing lives. This week’s episode also looks at how South Africans are facing a challenging year! The programme investigated the knock-on effects of the core increases in our tough economy… with buying power slashed […]

If you have a travel bucket list, it should probably include at least two – if not all six – of South Africa’s neighbouring countries. And judging by the breathtaking photos on this page – taken by British traveller Deborah Mathews – Botswana and Namibia should feature high on that list! (The other four of course […]

This week Carte Blanche investigates what’s really behind the mystery facing officials in Durban with regard to the spate of bomb scares. (This episode is available for South Africans abroad to watch from Tuesday 31 July 2018 if you subscribe to Showmax.) Durban Bombs It’s the biggest mystery currently facing officials in Durban – ten explosive […]

Why do batteries die? And, why can they only be recharged so many times before they won’t hold a useful amount of charge? My young son asked me about that years ago when his battery-powered toy car stopped moving, wondering about what he called an “everlasting battery.” And this same question has probably crossed the […]

South African sex work activist Duduzile ‘Dudu’ Dlamini is to be honoured at the  22nd International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, with a prize named after the late trailblazer Prudence Mabele, who was the first Black woman to reveal her HIV status in South Africa. Dlamini – a long-time advocate for the rights and […]

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s Prince Harry – who has long had a concern for children living with HIV in southern Africa – and music star Elton John are joining forces to launch a “global coalition” focused on treating HIV infections in men, the singer’s AIDS charity said on Thursday. The Elton John AIDS Foundation did […]

Are you planning a 4×4 adventure through Botswana? Keen to organise an overland trip through some of Southern Africa’s most beautiful and wild parks? Annie DuPre-Reynolds has all the best travel tips for you… There are quite a few things to take in mind for a trip like this. Having recently gone through the process, I’d […]

This week Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa – the man who rose to power in a military coup – is in the hot seat, as Carte Blanche goes one-on-one with the country’s leader. (Available for South Africans abroad to watch from Tuesday 24 July 2018 if you subscribe to Showmax.) One-on-one with President Emmerson Mnangagwa Free and fair elections […]

We have analysed the data, and can now answer this question. Much has been argued about the causes of the 2017 Cape Town water crisis. Is it the drought? Is it climate change? Is it population growth? Is it lack of foresight by national government or local government? Is it the rich? Is it the […]

Here are the latest topics due for broadcast on Carte Blanche this Sunday,and all available for South Africans living abroad from Tuesday 17 July 2018, if you subscribe to Showmax. Home Hijacking In an upwardly mobile residential complex on Gauteng’s East Rand, suburban bliss has turned to living hell as cunning building hijackers have systematically muscled […]

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to visit South Africa for a summit of BRICS countries on July 26-27, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said on Friday. The BRICS group of emerging economies comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. (Reporting by Denis Pinchuk; Writing by Maria Tsvetkova; editing by David Stamp)

The penultimate series of Game of Thrones has topped this year’s list of Emmy nominees which were announced yesterday. The multi-award winning series – which is available to South Africans on Showmax – scooped 22 nominations, including Best Drama Series. Showmax shows featured high in this year’s nominations, with two other popular Drama series – […]

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – A month after Cyril Ramaphosa took the helm of South Africa‘s ruling African National Congress (ANC) in December, he called an urgent meeting with then-President Jacob Zuma and senior ministers to save state power firm Eskom. Ramaphosa understood sweeping changes were needed at the struggling utility company. He persuaded Zuma to replace Eskom’s board and […]

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South African insurer Old Mutual has appointed Deloitte as joint auditor alongside scandal-hit KPMG, it said on Thursday, an unusual move reflecting what it said were unresolved challenges related to its sole auditor for nearly two decades. KPMG’s South African unit is battling to restore its reputation after becoming entangled in a corruption scandal involving the […]

LONDON (Reuters) – For Kevin Anderson it was a day of firsts on Monday… and today he’s relaxing with his family before the big match tomorrow. Yesterday Anderson beat Frenchman Gael Monfils for the first time in six attempts and in doing so reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time – at his 10th […]