Passengers on flights to Asia are allegedly being targeted by thieves midair, and Hong Kong police say that as much as $4.5 million has been stolen from international passengers in less than a year, according to news reports. SAA is reportedly investigating claims by a passenger from Johannesburg to the Chinese city that he had R30,000 ($1 200 and £420) […]

The Congress of South African Trade Unions has strongly condemned President Jacob Zuma for signing into law amendments to the way pensions can be paid out, calling it “an outrageous and blatant act of provocation by the ANC-led government”. Zuma hit back at the unions on Thursday saying he had not acted unilaterally when signing […]

Many of us hanker after South African food when we are abroad – Mrs. Balls Chutney and biltong immediately come to mind. But there are loads of other foods too, some that make foreigners cringe, either because of the taste (Peppermint Crisp) or the name (pickled fish). Some are very hard to explain (waterblommetjie bredie, bobotie), while others foreigners get just as […]

The South African Parliament will discuss the possibility of regulating over-the-top forms of communication, which include services like WhatsApp and Skype, it was reported on Wednesday. OTT services allow users to send messages and make calls over data networks, often at lower costs than traditional telephone calls or SMS. They have been growing rapidly in the South Africa, […]

A British newspaper reported on Wednesday that Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe may have suffered a heart attack, although commentators say the rumour is an annual occurrence and should not be taken seriously. The Daily Star in Britain, referring to “reports in Africa” as its sources – which could have been the Zimbabwean news site Zim Eye – said […]

The number of people who died on South African roads in December to January rose 14 percent, up to 1,755, compared to the same period the previous year, according to preliminary figures released by the Department of Transport. The Minister of Transport Dipuo Peters told reporters on Tuesday that between 1 December and 11 January, there […]

JOHANNESBURG – South African Olympian Oscar Pistorius filed papers to appeal against his conviction for the murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, a family spokesperson told Reuters on Monday. The athlete, nicknamed “Blade Runner” because of the prosthetic legs he uses to race, has spent the last three months under house arrest at his uncle’s home […]

A day after President Jacob Zuma said that South Africa and markets overreacted to his sacking of finance minister Nhlanhla Nene, which caused economic havoc, the Democratic Alliance has been allowed to go ahead with a debate on a motion of no-confidence in Zuma. Leader of the DA Mmusi Maimane said on Monday that Speaker Baleka Mbete […]

For a town as small as Johannesburg, California – population 180 in 2010 – it has been getting a lot of news lately. Last month it was hit by a minor earthquake and now police have arrested a man for possessing a quantity of explosives. According to a TV news report, the bomb squad found […]

The Pretoria-born, U.S.-based business magnate and innovator Elon Musk is eyeing out the market for some of his products in South Africa, where he will open an office and possibly even a factory, according to a series of recent reports. Short on the heels of the local development comes news that Musk announced on the weekend that within two years some Tesla […]

Evita Bezuidenhout sums up the turbulent week that was, lots of conflict over racism, wrong pronunciation and the ANC’s 104th birthday bash in Rustenberg.

In sad and shocking news for the music world and millions who grew up loving David Bowie, the rocker who defied the odds to remain a superstar for decades has died at the age of 69. The news comes only days after he celebrated his birthday and shortly after he released his latest album, which […]

Right on the heels of a record heatwave in Gauteng, an area near Johannesburg was hit by a massive hailstorm on Saturday afternoon, leading to the evacuation of a shopping centre after its roof collapsed, according to the Weather Channel. The Key West Shopping center in Krugersdorp was hit by the storm at around 4pm. Pictures of severe damage were circulating soon […]

One of two new chimpanzees acquired by the Pretoria Zoo managed to escape on Saturday and was wandering around the streets of Pretoria before being caught and returned to his new home. The National Zoological Gardens of South Africa said in a statement that the chimp went on “a bit of a walkabout outside the […]

The ANC’s leader in the Western Cape, Marius Fransman, has been accused of sexually abusing a woman he had just hired as his personal assistant and then offered payment for her to keep quiet, according to news reports on Sunday. News of the allegations were reported at the start of the weekend, just as the African National […]

As Egyptian geese and other wild birds make their way into urban areas, numerous locals have kindly stepped in – and, in the case of one Johannesburg police offer, even stopped traffic – to help the families and young goslings to reach safety. In Johannesburg earlier this week, it was reported that the police aided an Egyptian goose crossing […]

In 1666 the Dutch East India Company began the construction of the Castle of Good Hope. Now, 350 years later, the star-shaped stone fort is becoming as much an image of colonial rule as an edifice promoting inclusion and reconciliation. On 2 January, the Kaapse Klopse parade for the Tweede Nuwe Jaar coincided with the birthday ceremony at the Castle, with […]

A news presenter for eNCA TV channel now probably regrets that he called out the Minister of Education Angie Motshekga on air for mispronouncing the word “epitome” in a speech this week – a week to remember when emotions seemed to be running particularly high on various fronts. Andrew Barnes has been suspended, according to eNCA, which […]

In a Mark Zuckerberg-like gesture of incredible kindness and philanthropy, the head of a Johannesburg-based fund manager controlling $35 billion has given his family’s controlling stake in the company to a charitable foundation, according to news reports and a statement by the company. Control of Allan Gray and its Bermunda-based partner Orbis Investment Management has been transferred to the […]

Cape Town has had one of the busiest-ever holiday seasons, according to early figures – and it’s not over yet – the Cape Town tourism authority has said. Two major attractions, Table Mountain Cableway (with 28 percent more visitors than December 2014) and Robben Island (with 43 percent more visitors, almost 47,000 in December), had record-breaking numbers, […]

PRETORIA – South Africa said on Thursday it had come to an agreement with the U.S. at the 11th hour over poultry imports that were threatening to sabotage the country’s preferential access to the U.S. for several agricultural products. “All outstanding issues on AGOA (the African Growth and Opportunity Act) have been agreed upon and finalised and negotiations have […]

The successful U.S. streaming entertainment company Netflix has broadened its global outreach to South Africa, where it launched this week and goes up against local streaming company ShowMax, which began in 2015. South Africa is one of 130 countries that will get Netflix from Wednesday. The latest move means that Netflix is now available in […]

Think you know Africa? Think again. Our continent holds a fascinating range of histories, languages, amazing people, and diverse and complex cultures. From Algeria to Zimbabwe, here’s a quick quiz to test how much of Africa you know. (Click on the answer you think is correct, and the right answer will appear below. You can Google, […]

Even if it is a few days after New Year, it’s well worth taking a look at the “Hip Hop 2015 News Wrap Up” by rapper Tswyza on the satirical news site ZANEWS. As the Limpopo-born rapper says, he covers everything “from Jozi to Nkandla, from Cape to Cairo”. Plus he makes it pretty entertaining. Watch the video […]

MIDRAND – While the number of grade 12 enrolments in 2015 was the highest in the history of South Africa’s basic education system, almost 800,000, the pass rate dropped more than five percent over the past year, according to the Minister of Education Angie Motshekga. At the same time it was announced that the top achiever […]