A young Spanish tourist, who so enjoyed his trip to SA, has reached out to help a South African tour operator through the tough times. Gilda Swanepoel from Eenblond Tours said she was blown away by an unexpected foreign payment she received last week of almost R4,000 from Alex Blanco. “Alex did five tours with […]

Tonight there’s something beautiful to brighten our locked down lives – 2020’s biggest, brightest Supermoon of the year is shining over South Africa. And regular SAPeople contributors Andrea Ben in Johannesburg and Ed Robbins and Andrew Gorman in Cape Town have captured it making its way across SA’s night sky. Andrea said it has been […]

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been moved Monday evening into the intensive care unit (ICU) at a hospital in London. A spokesperson for No. 10 Downing Street said: “Since Sunday evening, the Prime Minister has been under the care of doctors at St Thomas’ Hospital, in London, after being admitted with persistent symptoms of […]

As of today, Saturday 4 April 2020, South Africa has recorded 1,585 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and has nine confirmed fatalities. A public announcement has also been issued for former patients at St Augustine’s Hospital in Durban to get in touch with authorities. The Department of Health said: “We have received a report from KZN […]

The first planeload of foreign nationals being repatriated back to their homeland has taken off from South Africa, following Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula’s announcement yesterday that amendments would be made to the Lockdown regulations, allowing for the repatriation of foreigners back to their countries, and of South African citizens and residents abroad, back home on […]

South Africans stranded abroad will be allowed to fly home, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has confirmed at a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon. At the same briefing, DIRCO Minister Naledi Pandor asked those South Africans abroad who are not stranded or distressed to please consider rather remaining where they are. She said that data collected […]

For South Africans stranded abroad, and their distraught families back home, there is hope… as DIRCO, the DA and other organisations – including SAPeople – work together like never before in what is now “truly an SA Project”. In an exclusive interview on Tuesday morning, DA Shadow Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Darren Bergman, […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Monday, Day 4 of the unprecedented 21-day Lockdown in the country to fight the Coronavirus 19 COVID-pandemic. He reassured those South Africans abroad that he is aware of their plight, and told South Africans back home that a major new testing and screening drive is about to be […]

Could all South Africans stranded abroad who would like to get home please do the following: If you are in the UK: Please URGENTLY send your names and passport numbers to the SA Ambassador in London, Her Excellency Tembi Tambo: Tambon@dirco.gov.za Wherever you are: Send a short concise email explaining your location and predicament to: […]

The best of humanity – and South Africa – has been on show from a rooftop in Hout Bay! This weekend Just Jinger’s Ard Matthews entertained the folk in Hout Bay, Western Cape… and all those around South Africa and the world who watched the live streaming, or have seen the videos which are going […]

The South African High Commission in Sri Lanka has confirmed that plans being arranged by the SA Honorary Consul in the Maldives, for a chartered flight for stranded South Africans to be flown back home to South Africa, are legitimate. The SA High Commissioner’s Deputy Johannes van Niekerk confirmed that the SA’s Honorary Consul Mohamed […]

British performer Stephen Ridley – aka The Talented Mr Ridley – has produced a poignant video that is going viral around the world. It’s a cover of John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ – with some lines that touch close to home, in the time of coronavirus. The video is made even more moving by the fact that […]

Last night an entrepreneurial South African’s team in the UK delivered another 200 meals to St George’s Hospital Critical Care Nurses… feeding the nurses on the frontline of the UK’s fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19). South African entrepreneur James Durrant, co-founder and director of Blue Sky Publications and of London-based Mustard Foods, says he and […]

Roedean School in South Africa has created a unique and incredibly moving version of Leonard Cohen’s famous ‘Hallelujah’. The legendary song has been covered numerous times over the years, but this version by the South African school is unique. The choir have done it “together apart”… in these times of coronavirus. Roedean School said: “Apart […]

South Africans stranded abroad are encouraged to call DIRCO’s helpline and send a short email with their plight (details below), as the Department of International Relations and Cooperation weighs up the situation and what steps to take. Currently it is not looking that positive that the South Africans will be evacuated, as the country is […]

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for COVID-19, he confirmed in a tweet on Friday morning. The British PM said: “Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus. “I am now self-isolating, but I will continue to lead the government’s response via video-conference as we fight […]

Almost 50 South Africans were still stranded late Thursday night at Heathrow Airport after their connecting flights to South Africa were cancelled, whilst others have managed to find hotels and one large group is apparently being accommodated at the YMCA in London. When the South Africans (almost 150 in total originally) – mainly seasonal workers […]

Following SAPeople’s story earlier today about over 100 South Africans who were stranded in transit at Heathrow Airport in the UK, unable to get home to South Africa, the SA High Commissioner in London has partly come to the rescue. The South Africans – mainly seasonal workers – got stuck after President Ramaphosa yesterday announced […]

South Africa’s fast food chicken restaurant chain, Nando’s (which has branches around the world), has done it again! Always famous for their thought provoking adverts which usually poke fun at local politicians, this advert does the opposite – praising South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for his leadership during these difficult days of Corona virus. And […]

Several South Africans are stranded abroad – from Morocco to Mauritius, Ireland, Saudi Arabia to Peru and the UK – and are desperate to get home. The DA has called on the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), Naledi Pandor, to urgently intervene in bringing them home as a 21-day lockdown for South Africa […]

About 100 South Africans making their way home to South Africa have found themselves trapped in transit in Terminal 3 at Heathrow Airport in London. The South Africans, who are mainly seasonal workers who have flown in from different parts of the world, were on their way back to SA via London. But on landing […]

Now more than ever, South Africans (and people around the globe) need to look after each other. But sadly Pick ‘n Pay says some shoppers are still stockpiling unnecessarily, leaving empty shelves for others in need, and creating panic. Therefore the supermarket chain has produced this video with some of SA’s top musicians reminding locals […]

Prince Charles has tested positive for Corona Virus and is self-isolating with his wife Camilla at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, Clarence House disclosed in a statement Wednesday morning. The 71-year-old heir to the British throne is displaying only mild symptoms, according to a Clarence House spokesperson, and “otherwise remains in good health”. The Duchess of […]

The 2020 Olympics in Tokyo has been postponed for a year, the IOC President and the Prime Minister of Japan announced today, Tuesday 24 March 2020. In a joint statement, they said “in the present circumstances and based on the information provided by the WHO today, the IOC President and the Prime Minister of Japan […]

South Africa will officially go into lockdown at midnight on Thursday night, 26 March 2020, for 21 days, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced in a live streaming to the nation on Monday evening. He said that since his last address a week ago the global coronavirus crisis has deepened from 160,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases to 340,000… […]