On the 8th Jan 2016, I received the following letter from Dawn Lindberg, the Executive Director of the South African Naledi Theatre Awards: Dearest Gaynor, Congratulations on being chosen to be an ABSA ‘PROSPER‘ AMBASSADOR! The timing co-incides with our Executive Decision to give you a SPECIAL NALEDI THEATRE AWARD this year, at the 2016 Awards… […]

The wildly successful singer Prince died on Thursday, at age 57, according to news reports quoting his spokesperson. A massive outpouring of condolences and grief overwhelmed social media. Prince had many hits including “Purple Rain”, “Kiss”, “Diamonds and Pearls” and “When Doves Cry”. No cause of death was immediately given, although questions were raised earlier this month […]

If you’re in London, try get to the new Circa Gallery by the weekend to see the brilliant opening show full of South African artists that are increasingly drawing world attention. The successful Circa Gallery of Johannesburg, started in 2009 as a sister gallery to esteemed Everard Read, opened in March with an exhibition full […]

The Afrikaans folk song ‘De la Rey’ which became a hit in South Africa for Bok van Blerk in 2007, has been given a Zuma overhaul by a local singer in Langebaan. Charl van Heyningen uploaded the following video saying: “Donnie from Langebaan puts a new spin on this major Afrikaans hit, taking the mickey out […]

The SA movie industry is forging ahead with some great productions – from period pieces to cross-cultural love stories to tearjerkers and more. Have a look at the latest offerings. A group of soldiers in the Boer War find themselves sent to Saint Helena island in the Atlantic Ocean as prisoners of war in “Modder […]

Take a listen to this exquisite South African version of Adele’s ‘Hello’… sung in Zulu by Esperanca de Tavares. Richard van Schalkwyk, from Richard Henry Productions, who filmed Esperanca’s performance says “she did a great job translating the song and singing it virtually unrehearsed. Sound recorded in camera. No studio.” Watch Video: ‘Hello’ in Zulu Today Billboard.com announced that […]

The Brothers Streep have released a lighthearted fun song – “Let’s Go To London”… where they leave South Africa’s currently ‘bleak’ shores for the so-called greener pastures in London…but they don’t stay too long… The song ends with the words: “We made a mistake, South Africa’s great / It’s got problems, but it’s not too late […]

A day after President Jacob Zuma made his much-derided and much-criticised apology to the nation over Nkandla, one of his ministers was booed off the stage at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival. Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa came on stage before the performance of SA duo Mafikizolo on Saturday, but was quickly met with […]

You never know who’s going to join you in a South African swimming pool nowadays! Particularly if you’re in a game reserve or living anywhere near monkeys and baboons! Staff at the Ingwelala Nature Reserve in Limpopo were surprised 10 days ago when they arrived at work to find a rather large hippopotamus in their pool! […]

BBC Worldwide announced Tuesday that it has invested in South African production company Rapid Blue. Based in South Africa, Nigeria and Angola, Rapid Blue produces original productions and international television formats for South African, African and international audiences. Rapid Blue – headed by dynamo couple Kee-Leen and Duncan Irvine – has produced thousands of hours of […]

US comedian Kevin Hart, who is touring South Africa, said Cape Town blew him away from the moment he arrived in the city. He arrived in the country on Friday for his “Kevin Hart What Now?” tour, taking in Cape Town, Durban (Monday) and Johannesburg (Wednesday). The kinetic, very funny, hugely popular (27 million followers on Twitter), […]

So is Trevor Noah making the grade as host of “The Daily Show” or not? Six months after taking over from Jon Stewart, the jury, as they say in the US, is out. While a recent segment has got more than 600,000 views on Youtube in just over a week – about Donald Trump – a major […]

Musician/comedian Deep Fried Man has released a new  video called “Gupta Bling”, based on singer Drake’s mega-selling “Hotline Bling” and which riffs on the relationship between President Jacob Zuma and the Gupta family. “You used to call me on my cell phone, To discuss that nuclear deal,” starts Deep Fried Man, rather than Drake’s “You used to call me […]

Suzelle in her latest DIY video tackles a more serious subject – water restrictions and water usage – but it turns out to be funnier than many of her funny videos. And she’s ably helped by Western Cape leader Helen Zille. Suzelle and Zille offer lots of tips on how to save water – don’t […]

The popular BBC series “Call the Midwife” – which many are discovering and growing addicted to, now that “Downton Abbey” is over – will be shooting in South Africa in April, according to news reports. The series, loosely based on a true story by Jennifer Worth and set in London’s East End starting in the […]

Last month a new musical came to London’s West End – the much anticipated Broadway hit, Motown the Musical. And, in a starring role – as Marvin Gaye – is South Africa’s very own Sifiso Mazibuko. When the box office opened for the London debut of Motown the Musical last May, Shaftesbury Theatre in Covent Garden […]

South Africans have long known how fantastic DJ Black Coffee is…but this weekend the Durbanite got the ultimate ‘cool’ seal of approval – from American star P Diddy, who posted photos and videos of Black Coffee on various social media platforms. The 40-year-old SA house trailblazer – born Nkosinathi Maphumulo – was killing it yesterday from Arcadia Spider […]

Comedian and actor Eddie Izzard on Sunday completed his last marathon of 27 across South Africa in 27 days – running two marathons on the last day to achieve his goal, and carrying a South African flag all the way – all for the sake of charity. The Izzard marathon began on February 24 in […]

South African singer-songwriter and poet Sydney Stanley Kitchen was unique – he even said so himself, and called his style of music ‘Afro-Saxon’. His attitude to the music industry was uncompromising… and while it didn’t help him further his career, it did establish him as an iconic figure. His lyrics were tinged with socio-political messages… […]

For decades one of Rome’s biggest heartaches has been the Tiber – the gorgeous river snaking through its heart has been totally overlooked. Until now, that is – and renowned South African artist William Kentridge is creating lots of buzz with a mural bigger than the one in the Sistine Chapel. The largest public art work in […]

The Economic Freedom Fighters have released a house video based on the words that the EFF shouted as they exited parliament during President Jacob Zuma’s State of the Nation address – “Zupta Must Fall!” They aren’t the first to “musically” exploit Zuma and his relationship with the Gupta family as well as the scandals surrounding him, such as Nkandla […]

At a packed launch of the English book version of the compiled letters between literary royalty Andre Brink and Ingrid Jonker, Brink’s widow said Cape Town’s revered bookshop the Book Lounge was the perfect place to introduce the book to South Africa. “We came here a lot,” said Karina Brink. “We called it our lounge.” […]

South African-born, Los Angeles-based film director Gavin Hood, who made “Tsotsi” and the newly released thriller “Eye in the Sky” with Helen Mirren, said the entire movie was shot in South Africa, even though it “takes place” in Nairobi, London and Las Vegas. He said the movie, which is a tense drama starring Mirren, Alan Rickman […]

Anywhere in the world, the Labia Theatre would be a gem. The independent, quirky, fabulous, one-of-a-kind movehouse in Cape Town has to be seen and experienced to realise just how special it is. Recently turned 65 years old, the iconic four-screen cinema in the heart of the city  takes you back to the years when going to the […]

The new movie by “Tsotsi” director Gavin Hood opens in South Africa and the United States on Friday, and not only brings him back to Africa but it looks like it’s going to be a blockbuster and rank him with the world’s top action and suspense directors. “Eye in the Sky” has a brilliant cast – Helen […]