There have been numerous videos posted of wild animals taking advantage of lockdown in South Africa, but this has to be one of the strangest. Posted on Twitter today, a kudu was seen wandering through a street in Pretoria. There was no explanation of how it could have got there. We will update you if […]

At least three factories in the Western Cape have turned their focus away from their normal production of clothing and liquor to turn out much-needed face masks and hand sanitiser. The companies are KWay, Reliance Clothing and Distell in Paarl. Agriculture MEC Ivan Meyer said in a statement yesterday that he had visited two places […]

A helicopter apparently being used by private military contractors from South Africa who have been assisting the Mozambican army against Islamist insurgents in the north of the country had to make an emergency landing after the chopper was damaged, possibly by enemy fire, according to reports from the region. Numerous attacks by the rebels have […]

SINGAPORE – A South African man who was caught in Singapore trying to smuggle 11 pieces of rhino horn to Vietnam has been sentenced to 17 months in prison, the severest sentence yet for the crime. In a report in the Straits Times today, it said that 45-year-old Thurman Shiraazudin Aiden Matthews was in transit […]

Mary Oppenheimer-Slack, the daughter of former Anglo American chairman Harry Oppenheimer, and her daughters have contributed R1 billion to the Solidarity Fund created to fight the spread of the Coronavirus in South Africa. “We join all South Africans in expressing our profound hope that, together, we can overcome this grave challenge to South Africa and […]

As the number of fatalities from Coronavirus went up to 4, possibly 5, the increase in the number of positive cases rose only slightly on the previous day, by 46, according to the latest briefing on the pandemic by the Minister of Health, Zweli Mkhize. Despite the unexpectedly low rate of increase – 1,353 cases […]

Dear President Cyril Ramaphosa, We commend you and your government for the bold and decisive public health measures that you have taken in response to the crisis precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. We welcome measures to stem the spread of the virus. We are writing to you to suggest other measures that are urgently required […]

As social grant or SASSA payments were handed out today to the elderly and disabled at centres across the country, thousands of people gathered in line, sometimes in running crowds and without following rules of social distancing. Numerous posts on social media showed long lines of people, often standing shoulder to shoulder, waiting for their […]

Teams of cleaners from various departments in the city of Johannesburg have been unleashed on once crowded, trash-filled areas, especially taxi ranks, to clean up and sanitise them during the lockdown. MTN rank before and after, #lockDownSouthAfrica #COVID19 #WeserveJoburg^TK pic.twitter.com/s7dLBNcYYi — City of Joburg (@CityofJoburgZA) March 29, 2020 The mayor Geoff Makhubo said yesterday, “The […]

The group of 60 Germans travellers stranded in South Africa will be repatriated by their government next week, the Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula said yesterday. But the Germany Embassy in Pretoria said nothing was confirmed yet. Yesterday it was reported by News24 that members of the group were under quarantine in several locations in […]

With thousands evacuated from the nearby area, Johannesburg at 9am Sunday saw the demolition of the 31-storey former Bank of Lisbon building. Watch video below. WATCH VIDEO: Demolition of Joburg Building Bank of Lisbon, 24 Nov 2019 Before… During… After… About 2,000 people were evacuated from nearby buildings for the demolition. Read more about the […]

After months of speculation about who would take over the helm of stricken Eskom, it was announced today that the current chief of packaging company Nampak, Andre de Ruyter, would assume the post from 15 January 2020. The announcement was made by the Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan. The post has been empty since […]

JOHANNESBURG – The so-called M2 bridge or Kaserne Bridge, part of the flyover bypassing downtown Johannesburg, was reopened for traffic from today, after 8 months of reconstruction and traffic being rerouted through the city and a need to beef up security against crime against drivers. The road was closed by Mayor Herman Mashaba early this […]

Johannesburg runner Gerda Steyn today finished the New York City Marathon in a time of 2:27:48, just inside the Olympic qualifying time of 2:29:30. At the Comrades Marathon earlier this year, Steyn ran a time of 5:58:53, smashing the up run record by over 10 minutes faster than the 6:09:23 clocked by Iena Nurgalieva in […]

CAPE TOWN – South Africa’s national rugby coach Rassie Erasmus and his assistants are to spread out across the country’s four Super Rugby teams to offer support as they look to harmonise preparations for next year’s World Cup in Japan. The Springbok coach and his assistant coaches – Jacques Nienanber, Matt Proudfoot and Mzwandile Stick – […]

South African Under-20 flyhalf Damian Willemse is one of three uncapped players included in the Springbok squad for the Rugby Championship, with the Lions quartet of Malcolm Marx (hooker), Warren Whiteley (No 8), Ross Cronje (scrumhalf) and Lionel Mapoe (centre) also back in the Bok fold for the first time this season. Rassie Erasmus, SA […]

It’s that time of year again, the Christmas hols. Time to bundle the family (or just yourself) up and head for Hermanus or Hartebeespoort Dam or, if you have the money, the ski slopes of Switzerland. Whatever destination it is, it usually entails a bit – or lots – of travelling. In days gone by […]

On the centenary of Delville Wood, the battle where many South Africans paid the ultimate price and lost their lives in World War 1, the soldiers are to be remembered with a new memorial wall that will also include the names of black soldiers. The new memorial wall and Garden of Remembrance, dedicated to all South African soldiers […]

During his two-day trip to South Africa, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi retraced the steps and famous (or infamous) train trip taken by Mahatma Gandhi in 1893, where Gandhi was thrown off the train for not being white. Modi likened his trip to South Africa – where he travelled to Johannesburg and Durban – to […]

The first major showcase of Henri Matisse’s work in Africa opens this week in Johannesburg. The show, “Henri Matisse: Rhythm and Meaning”, will be at the Standard Bank Gallery until September. In a statement announcing the show, which opens on Wednesday, the gallery said, “At the end of the nineteenth century, Matisse was a young […]

South Africa’s delegation to the United Nations this week chose to abstain from a key vote in support of gay rights, a decision only compounded by the SA ambassador’s later comments that it was more important to stand in solidarity with Africa. The nonprofit UN Watch, which monitors votes in the UN, called South Africa’s stance on […]

And the answer is… Arles, France

A video remake of the Spice Girls’ hit “Wannabe” has been launched to encourage girls and women across the world to share their messages and dreams for women and includes singers, actors and dancers from South Africa, Indian, the UK and US. The video was made by Global Goals, which works to promote the United Nations’ […]

The SA Post Office, which has been attempting a massive turnaround after being crippled by debt and poor service, has raised a loan of R3.7 billion locally and has got the greenlight from the Reserve Bank to start a bank, according to a media conference on Friday, Minister of Telecommunications and Post Services Siyabonga CweleHe said the briefing was […]

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) staggers from one crisis to the next. It has been politically contested from apartheid days, used by ruling parties as a valuable “propaganda” tool since its formation in 1936. The broadcaster has been extremely contentious in recent years, especially because of the role its controversial Chief Operating Officer, Hlaudi […]