Hoedspruit resident Gillian Leigh Soames was feeling a little confused last week, when for the first time in her life she witnessed ‘Heat Lightning’… otherwise known as Silent Lightning or Summer Lightning. The phenomenon occurs – usually in summer after a heatwave or great humidity – when there is cloud-to-ground lightning and no audible sound […]

South Africa says it finds it “odd” that the US government has warned its citizens in South Africa to ensure that they have necessary medicine and 72 hours’ worth of supplies at home by stocking non-perishable food, three litres of water per person per day and first aid supplies. International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Dr […]

British pop icon Sir Elton John says he and partner David Furnish, were “thrilled” to meet so many young people in South Africa last week who are taking part in Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) programmes. The music legend was in SA to visit the Foundation’s and The US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief […]

Eskom says it expects to implement Stage 4 and 5 load shedding (electricity power cuts) until further notice, as a result of further breakdowns and delays in return to service of some generating units at power stations. Stage 4 began at 4pm today (Tuesday) and will continue until 4pm on Wednesday. Stage 5 loadshedding will […]

Teenager Kai Broom and Jarred van Alphen, aged 18 and 17, have come first in the two-man team category in the Expedition Africa-Mnweni Drakensberg 120 km Adventure Race which was held on Saturday! The Treverton College Matric students were also the youngest competitors in the 120 km event, which was held in rain and storms! […]

Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra CEO says it is not obliged to reveal details of operations and finances. By Daniel Steyn DA MPs in the Parliamentary Committee for Sports, Arts and Culture are concerned that public funds are being paid to Mzansi National Public Orchestra without sufficient oversight and transparency. The Auditor-General is investigating R41.5-million transferred […]

Only about a third of farm murder suspects in South Arica are arrested, according to AfriForum’s farm murder report for 2022. The annual report compares the number of farm murders with the number of suspects apprehended. AfriForum says farm attacks appear to have decreased in the past year from 415 attacks and 55 murders in […]

In our efforts to be the most resilient nation who always bounces back, makes a power joke or memes of it all whilst hitting send just before load shedding, I feel as South Africans we are at times numb… writes Samantha Jacobs. We have so much to feel that is mostly, largely, out of our […]

Kevin Hart, comedian and Hollywood box office powerhouse, recently surprised a bunch of school kids in South Africa when he secretly visited Masibambane College in Orange Farm, as a guest of Education Africa. Several schools from St John’s College (which partners with Education Africa to ensure high standards are maintained) to Leshata and Jabulile secondary […]

A South African mom’s heartbreaking poem, written on the plane as she left South Africa to move abroad – went viral last year… because Lindi-Mae Humphreys’ words about the pain of leaving behind everything she knew and loved struck a chord with every South African who has left their beloved country to seek a safer […]

“Toxic” levels of E. coli will require national government intervention, say water activists. By Lucas Nowicki Two organisations monitoring E. coli levels in Durban’s rivers have raised the alarm and are calling for a national intervention to fix eThekwini’s sewage infrastructure crisis. Water activists say the polluted rivers and beaches pose a serious risk to businesses […]

Tom Cruise has not only shared his love for South Africa with the world, but on Saturday night he also praised the philosophy of Ubuntu. Watch the video below. The Hollywood superstar was speaking at the 34th Producers Guild Awards in LA, USA, where he was the recipient of the David O. Selznick Achievement Award. […]

With the latest announcement of petrol price increases and ongoing power cuts (aka loadshedding), popular South African tiktokker Sami Hall says it may be time to start using donkey carts… or emigrate. BUT she admits (with a laugh and a snort!), she has Stockholm Syndrome and is in love with her captors… so she would […]

At least six elephants have been gunned down in less than five months in northern KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). And in January, a tourist viewing boat came under fire by armed gunmen in KZN. Elephant monitor, Suzette Boshoff, was on the boat that day. She says: “They came to Africa for a beautiful African experience, and they […]

Beàtha Groenewald, secretary of the North-West University’s (NWU) Potchefstroom Student Campus Council (SCC), has resigned after NWU’s alleged bully behaviour made her position unbearable. Groenewald was initially dismissed on 13 February after a decision was made that students from town residence would be excluded from the Puk’s welcoming function, based on their racial composition. She […]

South African National Parks (SANParks) announced today – Friday 24 Feb – that they are closely monitoring the path of cyclone Freddy and relying on updates from the South African Weather Service (SAWS), which has warned that parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga might be affected. All camps in the Kruger National Park (KNP) – with […]

British pop icon Elton John is the latest international musician to be blown away by South Africa’s Ndlovu Youth Choir. Just last month Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks asked the Limpopo band if she could join them. And this week, Elton John was so moved by the youth choir’s rendition of one of his songs that […]

With all eyes on André de Ruyter at the moment, South Africans around the world have the opportunity next week to join a zoom session live with the former group chief executive of Eskom. UPDATE: Unfortunately the event has been cancelled. Organisers said: “Given the developments over the past week, Andre de Ruyter is no longer […]

South Africa’s Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, announced on Thursday, the first death linked to the recent cases of cholera detected in South Africa, as the number of laboratory-confirmed cases rises to five. Earlier this month the department had announced three cases of cholera identified in South Africa. The first cases were reported at […]

She’s run seven marathons in seven days on seven continents and now Nontuthuko Mgabhi has set herself a new challenge: the 160km Ultra-Asia race from 6-9 March. For Mgabhi, it’s not about personal achievement or conquering the ultra-running world but rather a mission much closer to home – rural schoolchildren. So far, the Richards Bay […]

Beàtha Groenewald, who was allegedly “unfairly removed” from her position as secretary of the campus student council at North-West University’s Potchefstroom campus (Puk), has been re-appointed. Groenewald received a letter from the campus today announcing Puk’s decision to reverse her dismissal. This follows legal action taken by AfriForum Youth, who had stepped in to help […]

Watch below as 18-year-old Armand van der Walt, from Hoërskool (High School) Garsfontein ran a searing 10.20 100m sprint at the Curro Podium Schools Athletics Championship on Saturday. As Supersport Schools says: “Dont blink!! You might miss it!?” They added: “Schoolkids are getting faster and faster these days!” Dont blink!! You might miss it!😲 Armand […]

Australian neighbours, friends and colleagues have paid tribute to South African grandparents Linda (66) and Ernest Gielink (70) who tragically died in a suspected murder-suicide in Perth a few days ago. Their bodies were found on Sunday evening by their daughter at their Cooloongup home, after she battled to get hold of them for a […]

For South Africans abroad who are unable to view the Andre de Ruyter interview in our earlier article (because the video has been blocked to anyone outside SA), here’s a version you should be able to view in most countries. WATCH Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter’s explosive interview and shocking revelations about corruption in high […]

As South Africans reel from Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter’s explosive interview about corruption in high places (bringing SA to its knees with power cuts), it’s time to also pay tribute to those people and things that have lightened the loadshedding load. SA author, Cape Town mom, and outdoor communication consultant Kim Nicola Stephens pays […]