It was confirmed today that legendary singer and songwriter Rodriguez will be returning to South Africa early next year. This time he will be performing in Johannesburg and Cape Town again, as well as in Durban and Port Elizabeth. His last tour to the country was sold out within minutes of bookings being opened…so if you’re keen for […]

It was May, 1976…and as a lowly young reporter for the Pretoria News, I discovered that Siberia comes in many forms. Because I had disgraced myself and gotten a TV review horribly wrong, I was assigned a new position in life: Magistrates Court reporter. The position was seen as the grubby, greasy little bottom rung in the […]

Groot Marico, 1979 – It’s a lovely Saturday out here in the Bushveld…I’m sitting under a fever tree on a farm in the Western Transvaal (now Northwest Province) talking to a Marico family and drinking their mampoer very slowly and, if I may say so, quite thoughtfully. It’s all so very Herman Charles. [The late […]

Four South African adverts scooped prizes in the Film category of the 2015 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in the South of France. The awards ceremony was held in the south of France last night. South Africa won in the Silver and Bronze categories while the top Grand Prix prize went to the Leica Gallery ad from […]

An advert featuring Julia Anastasopoulos – better known as her beloved DIY character Suzelle – is one of the finalists in the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in the South of France. The advert – which features the artist and actress as an overwhelmed and busy South African mom – was aired in South Africa in January 2015. […]

Along with about 500 global words like photobomb, twerk and crowdfund, several South Africanisms have made it into the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) in its latest quarterly update. According to Katherine Connor Martin, Head of US Dictionaries, although the OED normally doesn’t add words that haven’t already been around for some time to establish themselves, times have changed […]

Congratulations to Ogilvy & Mather (O&M) Johannesburg for being awarded a Gold Radio Lion at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity last night. The award was for the ‘Night Before the Project’ radio advertisement for Suntory Lucozade South Africa. Mariana O’Kelly, co-ECD of O&M Johannesburg, said “Cannes this year has been incredibly tough so […]

Check out the compilation (above or below) of photos and video of Johnny Clegg performing at two recent concerts…including footage where he’s joined on stage by his old Juluka partner Sipho Mchunu. Earlier this month Clegg reminisced about the old Juluka days when “our music was banned or restricted on national radio, as well as shows being […]

A well-deserved congratulations to Cape Town photographer Eric Nathan whose shot of the Mother City at night has earned him the top prize at the International Earth & Sky Photo Contest. But, as exquisite as his photo is, it also highlights the effect light pollution has on our skies and the need to reclaim and reconnect […]

Check out the video below from Durban comedian Carvin H Goldstone tuning the “ou’s” and joking about the “chow”. The homegrown talent jokes about losing weight, KFC and the difference between various South African cultures. This skit comes from his latest one-man stand-up show “Coloured President”. Durban-based comedian, Carvin, is becoming one of the country’s most […]

Happy Father’s Day to all fathers out there, young and old – may you always be an inspiration to your kids! If there’s anyone who for any reason doesn’t see or call their dad as often as they might, I pray that this little poem will serve as a gentle reminder that time isn’t always […]

Hillbrow, Jo’burg’s inner city Tenderloin district, was never a nest of angels… In the late 1970s and 80s, it was the most cosmopolitan piece of real estate in South Africa. You had your excellent Hillbrow Records, your Mi-Vami shawarma place, Estoril Books, your globe-trotting tattoo artist down in the basement shopping area on Pretoria Street […]

An artisanal beer-making tsunami has hit South Africa in the last few years and resulted in 135 craft breweries that have popped up throughout the country (see infographic below). The below quote is the top definition of what constitutes a craft beer in the tongue-in-cheek Urban Dictionary. [quote_center]CRAFT BEER – “An explosion of art and science coming together to build […]

Many of us probably think of Hillbrow in Johannesburg as a no-go zone, but Nick Bauer and Mike Luptak are making a point of taking people to its very heart. And to Ponte City too. And beyond. Through their company, Dlala Nje, Bauer and Luptak offer two increasingly popular tours – This is Hillbrow and The Taste […]

KwaZulu-Natal’s Durban curry is on its way to global fame thanks to Erica Platter and Clinton Friedman whose book ‘Durban Curry: So Much of Flavour’ was placed second in the Best Book of the Year category in the prestigious Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2015. Proving that local is more than just lekker, ‘Durban Curry’ secured its top three […]

Freshlyground’s new music video showcases a kaleidoscope of South African faces and scenes (yes, there’s a braai) that will have you feeling emotional without quite knowing why. As images are flashed on screen, they tug at the heartstrings with faces that show the struggle, the pain, the pride, the play, the passion, the love…the people. […]

Latest South African comedy ‘Stone Cold Jane Austen’, which opens in SA movie theaters tomorrow, was presented at the Cannes Film Festival in the South of France this week. It’s a brilliant mockumentary about an English rock band from South Africa trying to break into the increasing profitable Afrikaans music market…without being able to speak the […]

South Africa has a strong connection to the latest Hollywood blockbuster, Avengers: Age of Ultron. A fight between The Hulk and Iron Man takes place in Joburg, which features a few times in the movie, and Cape Town visual effects studio BlackGinger had a hand in the film’s visual effects. Johannesburg’s city centre takes on […]

I’ve been meaning to do this for a long time, but at every time of sitting down to write, it’s the one subject that slips from my mind. A safari reading list. There are so many wonderful books on Africa and it is always such a wonderful part of safari campfire conversation. Yet we never […]

Remember the 1980s TV series “Ballade vir ’n Enkeling”? Well, it’s back, better than ever. The mystery, once again, is about a journalist’s quest for the truth behind the disappearance of a famous writer, Jacques Rynhard. Slowly she uncovers the secret past of a liberal loner in search of freedom. The film (and a simultaneously […]

You might remember him as the frontman of the band Fokoffpolisie and later Van Coke Kartel. Now Francois Van Coke is going solo, with his first 12-song album just released and titled after the singer himself. The first video, released on April 7 on YouTube – a lyrical ballad Toe Vind ek Jou which he sings […]

“Bits of songs and broken drums Are all he could recall, So he spoke to me In a bastard tongue Carried on the silence of the guns.”* Johnny Clegg is a multi-faceted character. He is often given the tagline “musician, academic, activist, icon, White Zulu”. This is not enough to fully illustrate his impact and […]

The Cannes Film Festival 2015 has announced that ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ has been officially selected to be screened Out of Competition at the famous film festival on the French Riviera. The film will be shown on Thursday 14th May at the Grand Théâtre Lumière (that’s the main movie theatre at the festival). It’s been 30 […]

During the summer months, South Africans gather every Sunday at sunset in Cape Town’s Kirstenbosch National Botanic Garden. The iconic gardens set the scene for performances by much loved local and international musicians. Food, friends, family and famous flora are all on the bill. The series of concerts promote local talent and provide a platform within […]

On the 28th of December 2014 mist like smoke rolled over Table Mountain. A human rainbow formed on the lawns facing the stage. The prospect of rain did not dampen the crowd’s spirit; instead, braais were ignited, South African flags were distributed and laughter was shared. Members of Hot Water and other contributing artists occupied […]