Here’s a summary of the arguments… By GroundUp Staff Trust the South African cricket team to be at the centre of a political controversy. The Proteas “took the knee” in support of Black Lives Matter before their T20 World Cup game against the West Indies on Tuesday. But Quinton de Kock, perhaps the team’s leading […]

Pieter Coetzé announced himself on the FINA World Cup stage in style, claiming a clean sweep of the backstroke events at the third leg in Doha over the weekend. First up was the 200m backstroke. Coetzé claimed victory in 1:52.09 before doing the same a day later in the 50m event, winning in 23.13. The […]

South African National Parks (SANParks) says the award recently bestowed on Table Mountain as a Leading Tourist Attraction in Africa for 2021, together with a nomination of the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company (TMACC) as the World’s Leading Cable Car… “brings much-needed hope to the ailing tourism sector hugely affected by the novel coronavirus”. Dr […]

South African dancer Johannes Radebe, who is currently starring in the UK on ‘Strictly Come Dancing‘ says he is stopped “all the time” by British police, and has subsequently tried to change the way he dresses. The ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ professional dancer, 34, has opened up about how crucial it is to consider location and […]

Eskom has announced that “regretfully Stage 4 loadshedding will be implemented from 12:00 on Wednesday until 05:00 on Friday”, but that it’s no cause for alarm (although it’s certainly alarming for businesses and matric learners who need to study online). Stage 2 loadshedding will continue from Friday at 05:00 until 05:00 on Saturday. South Africa’s […]

PARKTOWN – The alleged leader of the Boko Haram gang in Mamelodi (which is different to the terrorist group in Nigeria) was killed in a “hail of bullets” on the N4 Highway near Diamond Hill Toll Plaza in Gauteng today. The incident led to ‘John Wick’ trending at number one on South African Twitter as […]

The Pretoria Boys High School has produced a fantastic combined performance of The Lion Sleeps Tonight that is possibly a world first – Big Band, Pipe Band and Gumboot Dancers! Watch below. As their version of Solomon Linda‘s global hit is delighting South Africans worldwide, the school says it is proud to have a Cultural […]

South Africa rose to an eight-wicket victory at the Dubai International Stadium on Tuesday against defending champions, the West Indies, in their second Super 12 match of the ICC T20 (Twenty20) World Cup. The victory came following an upset to the team when wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock allegedly refused to obey a team directive to […]

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – A South African judge on Tuesday dismissed an application by former president Jacob Zuma to have the prosecutor in his arms deal corruption trial removed. Zuma, ousted by the governing African National Congress in 2018, had argued that the prosecutor was biased against him and submitted a “special plea” to the Pietermaritzburg […]

The Drakensberg Boys Choir in South Africa has dropped its latest single – their version of Imagine Dragon’s ‘Follow You’ – and the joy is contagious! As the school’s English teacher Pamela Couzyn told SAPeople: “So much energy and happiness from our boys now that we are performing to larger audiences again.” The enthusiasm and […]

Gift Matjila admits that with tears in his eyes, releasing his very first single is a dream come true. For South Africans hearing the new track – ‘Ek Staan By Jou‘ (I Stand By You) – it’s bringing tears to their eyes too, and giving them goosebumps. With lyrics like “Ek staan by jou soos […]

New Miss South Africa Lalela Mswane, will be officially welcomed as an ambassador of Brand South Africa by Deputy Minister in The Presidency, Thembi Siweya, on Wednesday. “Mswane joins over 200 distinguished South Africans who have been recognised and endorsed as ambassadors in the promotion of the nation brand. “The Brand South Africa Ambassador concept […]

The 2021 Cape Epic finale today was made even more special by the fact that it was won by a South African, Matthew (Matt) Beers, with his French partner Jordan Sarrou. He becomes only the second South African to ever win the race. Matt said today: “Wow what a week! It’s not often you win […]

Nando’s, South Africa’s fast food chicken outlet, has terminated its sponsorship of Gareth Cliff’s ‘The Burning Platform’, after an excerpt from the show went viral and caused outrage nationwide. The offending video included two minutes of footage from an almost hour-long debate on 21 October in the lead up to SA’s local elections on 1 […]

Nando’s has responded to the Gareth Cliff / Burning Platform viral video that has caused outrage across South Africa, posting a statement on social media about an hour before midnight on Friday evening. (UPDATE: Nando’s terminates sponsorship of Gareth Cliff’s The Burning Platform) The offending video includes just over two minutes of footage from an […]

South African wildlife conservationist Dewet du Toit has become the first person to swim to Dyer Island in the Western Cape, South Africa, and back… an incredible feat he accomplished on Wednesday (20 October) on behalf of the Great White Shark. The 7.7km swim to and from Dyer Island has never been done before because […]

American actor Alec Baldwin has accidentally killed a cinematographer and wounded a film director with a prop gun on the set of indie film, Rust, which is currently being filmed in New Mexico, USA. Please see Update at bottom of article with Alec Baldwin’s tweets on Friday evening (SA time). The local Sheriff’s department said […]

(Reuters) – Seven times Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton on Thursday welcomed the sport’s expansion in the United States… but called also for a return to South Africa. Formula One last raced at the Kyalami circuit, north of Johannesburg, in 1993 but there have been talks about a return. Chloe Targett-Adams, the sport’s head […]

Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has responded to frustrated citizens who are queueing outside Home Affairs’ offices long before dawn, and even then they might not be served. The need for IDs as the local government elections loom and also the school holidays has added demand. Meanwhile the department has been reducing active staff due to Covid […]

South African author and publisher Joanne Fedler, who lives in Australia, recently returned home to SA to be at her beloved mother’s bedside as she sadly passed away. Yesterday, Joanne penned this poignant post from SA as she contemplates her return to Australia, her other home, filled with the ‘glad sad’ emotions that live in […]

As a South African expat living in Australia, and travelling around the world on tour, comedian Kevin Fraser clearly knows what it’s like to be asked about your accent… and then to try explain that South Africa… Is… A… Country! Kevin posted the following video on Facebook less than 4 hours ago, saying “THAT ONE […]

Viewfinder analyses 47,000 cases of police brutality, and the results are horrifying. By Daneel Knoetze… On average, police in South Africa kill someone every day. Viewfinder has now published the police watchdog’s database on these killings, along with other complaints of police brutality and corruption: more than 47,000 cases registered between 2012 and 2020. The […]

Government Communication and Information Systems (GCIS) Director General Phumla Williams and former South African Airways (SAA) Group Treasurer Cynthia Stimpel are expected to share their whistleblower experiences during a webinar this Sunday, October 24. The webinar – titled The Lives and Trials of Whistelblowers in South Africa – is the second of a five part […]

Sixty thousands books that were meant to be distributed to libraries across the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province in South Africa, have instead been sitting gathering dust at the Head Office for Library Services… since 2019, according to the DA. There are also concerns that there has been a misuse of funds by the KZN Department of […]

Some scientists argue it will reduce transmission, but the South African regulator is worried. By James Stent and Gareth Kantor Is South Africa overlooking a vital tool for cutting down Covid infection rates? In April this year, the UK government announced that it would provide free kits for rapid antigen testing to all. People are […]