US President Donald Trump is donating his salary for this quarter to the US Health Department for COVID-19 research. White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, announced the news at a press conference on Friday. McEnany said: “The President, as you are all well aware, donates his salary to various initiatives… across the Federal Government, and […]

The United Nations (UN) in South Africa has shared a video, featuring SA, that launches a new initiative to help citizens of the word share accurate information about coronavirus. Watch below. The campaign – Verified, which features two ticks – is a UN initiative to encourage everyone to check the advice they share. On the […]

Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, says South Africa is moving forward with confidence, backed by science, with regards to the COVID-19 pandemic. He said government has taken the necessary bold steps needed to prevent the rapid spread of Coronavirus. “The numbers would have been extremely high and quickly overwhelmed the system, had we not taken […]

Before you read this article, pause for a moment and look at the nail on your little finger. That’s about the size of a new species of seahorse discovered in the waters of Sodwana Bay, South Africa, which falls within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a World Heritage Site, in KwaZulu-Natal province. Hippocampus nalu grows to […]

South Africa’s top swimmers are in desperate need to get back into the water so they can resume their training for next year’s Olympic Games. The past eight weeks of dryland training is starting to take its toll. The University of Pretoria’s Kaylene Corbett, who had qualified in the 200m breaststroke for the Tokyo Olympics, […]

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) announced today that it has facilitated the repatriation by air of 5,239 South Africans stranded abroad. According to DIRCO Minister Naledi Pandor, hundreds more have also returned through the country’s land borders. As several countries went into lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19, an initial 3 637 requested […]

In a victory for “invisible, undocumented children”, unwed fathers will soon be able to register the births of their children without the mother being present or giving consent. In a ruling this week, three judges of the Eastern Cape High Court, deemed the relevant provision of the Births and Death Registration Act, to be unconstitutional. […]

Some of South Africa’s greatest musicians from the last few decades are uniting to perform a unique ‘Lockdown Legends’ online concert that will raise much-needed funds for the SA music industry, and entertain South Africans at home with famous household names. The event – on 7 June 2020 – will feature many of the legendary […]

The Free State government has identified 25 quarantine facilities to accommodate people who have had contact with COVID-19 patients. “We have 10 quarantine facilities that are state-owned whilst 15 are privately-owned. The rest will be announced once ready for occupation,” Free State Premier Sisi Ntombela said. Addressing a media briefing on Tuesday, on the province’s […]

Wildlife is thriving off Simon’s Town during lockdown and “life’s a beach for these locals”, according to the City of Cape Town, South Africa. This beautiful Southern Elephant Seal was photographed early yesterday morning, Monday 18 May 2020, at the Simon’s Town harbour by Dave Hurwitz.  The seal was first sighted yesterday, according to the City, […]

The Class of 2020 at a South African school in KwaZulu-Natal – Felixton College near Empangeni – have put together a moving video message to President Cyril Ramaphosa. Watch below. “We are blown away by a few of the Felixton College (Felixton, Zululand) Grade 12 pupils who put together this message entitled ‘Hope is not […]

The country’s first public advocate for children and guardian of their rights will take up her post from 1 June, Western Cape Premer Alan Winde announced today. The Children’s Commissioner is Christina Nomdo. Winde said this was an incredibly important role, as the person was tasked with monitoring, researching, investigating, lobbying and reporting on children and […]

More than 15,000 small-scale farmers in South Africa have been approved for the COVID-19 Agricultural Disaster Fund, says Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister, Thoko Didiza. Didiza said that 55,155 applications were received from smallholder and communal farmers, with the highest number of applications received from the Eastern Cape Province, followed by the Northern […]

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa will today, Monday, 18 May 2020, address the virtual 73rd Session of the World Health Assembly (WHA), at the invitation of the Director- General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom. President Ramaphosa has been invited to participate as a guest alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who toured […]

A young 13-year-old in Cape Town is baking up a storm to help make sure that other kids don’t go starving. As of yesterday she has donated R7,200 to a soup kitchen in Langa. And her buns are so in demand that a friend has now joined the team to bake even more. Teenager Tam […]

South Africa’s ‘Zol’ song – making fun of Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s explanation about the smoking ban in SA – has not only gone viral, it’s also topped the Apple Music Charts in South Africa, made international news and become a Friends video meme. The BBC said – in a story titled “South African minister embraces […]

As many people around the world have discovered, quarantine can be an interesting time… especially if you find yourself totally alone, as happened recently to Mark Fay, an Australian tour guide who’s used to having people around him all the time… and never staying still in one place! His mom’s advice to him was to […]

Nursing staff at Karl Bremer Hospital in Belville, Cape Town, were captured on film doing the sweetest South African dance of celebration. South Africa’s Department of Health tweeted the video, saying: “Nursing staff at Karl Bremer Hospital in Belville, Cape Town, celebrate themselves and their hard work in fighting COVID-19.” The Health Dept said: “We […]

This Sunday Carte Blanche investigates how the lockdown is affecting the wine industry in the Cape Winelands, South Africa… and what it will take to recover. With around 600 wineries affected by lockdown, the iconic Cape winelands that earn R49 billion for the country annually are bleeding revenue, jobs and prospects. COVID-19 lockdown regulations saw […]

An Nguni bull has been sold for a record price of R310,000, far above the last record set in 2005, during an auction that was held on WhatsApp. The news was reported last week on the NetAuctions Facebook page. It said the record price was paid for an Nguni bull bred by the Nandi Nguni […]

In a developing story, it can now be confirmed that repatriation flights for South African citizens stuck in India will occur by the end of May from Delhi and Mumbai, with a set preliminary date of May 22nd. (Latest Update: flight delayed and will now depart on the 24th May). Tickets aboard the SAA flight […]

The six-week wait for South Africans stranded in India is seemingly nearing its end, following recently released information by the South African High Commission in Delhi and Consulate in Mumbai. (UPDATE: SA citizens in India to be repatriated on 22 May with SAA) In a letter, forwarded to the public (see below), RSA citizens in […]

The staff at a hotel in Sea Point have rallied together to help feed over 200 people currently housed at a designated safe space under Culemborg bridge in Cape Town, South Africa. The staff at Peninsula All-Suite Hotel launched their  ‘Culemborg Mission’, as they refer to it, last Friday (7 May). It entails a mass […]

“Let backyard food gardens mushroom! Let there be enough food for all to eat.” So says the Facebook profile picture of Food and Trees for Africa (FTFA) facilitator and Agroecologist Tim Abaa, who is fast becoming the poster boy for all those in South Africa who are keen to start growing their own; and whose […]

It’s day eleven seventy thousand, and the lockdown categories have changed. So a re-write is about as overdue as a presidential address, and your wax appointment… writes Kim Nicola Stephens (a Cape Town mom of three, and Sport & outdoor communication consultant). Middle class South Africa in Lockdown Level Four can now be categorised as […]