I had a great life in Canada. I was comfortable. My career was on the right path. We were close to family and friends. Then, I was talking to one of our senior VPs one day, and he brought up the possibility of me taking a position with the company in South Africa… One catch […]

As South Africa’s political climate goes from fractious to feverish, with protests mounting against the embattled president, Jacob Zuma, a former national leader and titan of the ANC has waded into the fray. Thabo Mbeki, who led South Africa between 1999 and 2008, recently wrote about the possibility of another no confidence motion against Zuma, […]

From early April I understand short-term commercial bank deposits to have shot up, indicative of a pullback by average SA businesses in their economic activity. Yesterday there were more impressions about activity levels in April in the SA economy. These are the first real readings after the Zuma reshuffle in late March shocked many senseless. […]

Every time a cell divides, there is a chance for a mutation (mistake) to occur in the DNA – the substance that carries genetic information in all living organisms. These mutations can lead to cancer. If all cells have a similar chance of developing cancer-causing mutations, then very large and long-lived animals with more cells […]

We can’t go on but we must go on… writes CHRIS WALDBURGER. A lot of white people are angry in South Africa. They are angry about being blamed for being privileged, for inequality, and for all the aftershocks of apartheid. They are angry about BEE, quotas in sport, and a terrible ANC leader. They are […]

Standing on the steep rocky shores of Lake Tanganyika at sunset, looking out at fishermen heading out for their nightly lamp-boat fishing trips, it’s easy to imagine this immense 32,900km2 body of water as serene and unchanging. Located in the western branch of the great African Rift Valley it’s divided among four countries; Tanzania, the […]

The language of Afrikaans remains a contested issue in South Africa. The controversy over the medium of instruction at traditionally Afrikaans universities such as Stellenbosch has brought this to the fore again. Should it be in Afrikaans, English, a combination, or a hybrid which will include other South African languages? The language of Afrikaans remains […]

​What is it about the Kruger National Park that just seems to get under your skin? Wildlife journalist Brian Jackman summed it up perfectly when he said “Everything in Africa bites, but the safari bug is worst of all.” For me, it wasn’t until my third time in the country that the bug truly set […]

NAIROBI (Reuters) – Like many guys using the Tinder dating app, Sudan loves the outdoors and travels widely. The catch: he’s the world’s last male white northern rhino and desperately needs to mate. “I don’t mean to be too forward, but the fate of my species literally depends on me,” reads his profile. “I perform […]

Some residents frantically run out in satin nighties determined to stop the truck so they can empty their bin for the week… Nontsingiselo Mfazwe and Phumeza Matshotyana are among the very few women working on the garbage trucks that service Khayelitsha, Nyanga, Crossroads, Gugulethu and Belhar – a job that requires you to be quick […]

When young African penguins leave their nests for the first time they do so alone, without any guidance from their parents. They need to use their instinct to follow cues in their environment to find food and stay alive in their first months at sea. Hard as that may have been in the past, today […]

Meet the woman who is uncovering the truth behind the illegal rhino horn trade, like you’ve never seen it before… Bonné de Bod, an award-winning television presenter and filmmaker shares what she has learned on her three-year long investigation unveiling the dark truths behind the rhino horn trade. Bonné shares her incredible story detailing the ups […]

PARIS (Reuters) – The man who shot dead a French policeman in an Islamist militant attack had served time for armed assaults on law enforcement officers, police sources said on Friday, as authorities sought a second suspect flagged by Belgian security services. The gunman, identified as Karim Cheurfi, opened fire on a police vehicle parked […]

PARIS (Reuters) – A French policeman was shot dead and two others were wounded in central Paris on Thursday night in an attack carried out days before presidential elections and quickly claimed by the Islamic State militant group. President Francois Hollande said he was convinced the “cowardly killing” on the Champs Elysees boulevard, in which […]

Immigration is not for the faint of heart. You have to really want to make it work and be willing to go to extreme lengths to do so, or else you will become one of the statistics of South Africans returning to their home country… writes guest contributor ADELE. According to statistics, almost half a […]

(Almost) Every South African is currently re-evaluating their situation and reconsidering their decision to stay in South Africa. And who can blame us? writes guest contributor ADELE. There are so many things happening right now like our newly acquired #junkstatus and the dismissal of our Finance Minister, that it leaves my head spinning just thinking about […]

Just over a month after a fire devastated Imizamo Yethu, another fire broke out in the township last night, killing one person, destroying about 100 homes and leaving about 400 people homeless, according to the City of Cape Town. The cause of the fire is not yet known. The name of the person who died has […]

Like many, this Easter I feel that the dream of South Africa feels more like a nightmare. Personal interests, corruption, private gain, entitlement, a vicious contempt for the poor and the common good, a culture of blatant lies and cronyism — and possibly worse — dominate our public landscape. This past week, the nightmare got […]

Siyabonga Duma, 28, wants to inspire other young people. The Port Elizabeth artist is making a living by turning beach sand into sculptures. The unemployed 28-year-old, who moved from Durban last year, displays his work at PE’s popular Hobie and Kings beaches. Every morning he and his 22-year-old brother Sizwe wake up early to collect sand […]

City’s water use still not down to target levels… The City of Cape Town may ban the topping up of swimming pools. Although hoses have been outlawed for watering gardens and washing cars, residents are still allowed to use hoses to fill up their swimming pools, provided they have pool covers. But with the dams […]

We may look back on the days in April 2017 when tens of thousands of South Africans marched demanding that President Jacob Zuma should fall as the beginning of something bigger. There’s been a wistful glint in the eyes of ageing activists as they gear up for action again, predicting a return to the 1980s. […]

KABUL (Reuters) – As many as 36 suspected Islamic State militants were killed in Afghanistan when the United States dropped “the mother of all bombs,” its largest non-nuclear device ever unleashed in combat, the Afghan Defence Ministry said on Friday. The claims have not been independently verified, but ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri said no civilians […]

The first few months of 2017 have been both exhilarating and concerning for many South Africans. We have witnessed some great moments and some terrifying ones… writes JUSTIN SULLIVAN. I tend to expose the hard truths of reality sometimes (with photographs from the Western Cape fires to children in townships), and even though it may […]

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Barclays’ plan to sell its African business and pull out of the continent are being hindered by South Africa’s political upheaval and credit-rating downgrades, according to banking sources and fund managers. The British bank gave itself 2-3 years to sell its controlling stake in Johannesburg-based Barclays Africa when it announced the plan […]

1. You look for tracks in the ground and markings on the trees when you go for a walk in your local park. 2. You don’t look at house cats the same way. I mean, they’re like tiny leopards, right? 3. David Attenborough has now made it onto your list of the three people you’d […]