Government will next week brief the media on developments around the centenary of South Africa’s founding President Nelson Mandela. The Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC), appointed to manage the centenary, is scheduled to brief the nation on plans around the centenary on Tuesday. The year 2018 marks 100 years since the birth of Madiba and is commemorated […]

Last year the South African National Treasury proposed to double-tax SA expats living and working abroad for a period of longer than 183 days. The huge outcry that arose resulted in the National Treasury changing a certain aspect of the draft Taxation Laws Amendment Bill, making the first R1 million of foreign remuneration exempt for […]

Two South African women – Makoma Lekalakala and Liziwe Mcdaid – have won the most prestigious environmental award in the world… for taking on the State, and stopping a proposed nuclear deal in its tracks. The winners of the international Goldman Prize were announced on 23 April 2018. Tonight, current affairs programme Carte Blanche will profile […]

It’s just another day in paradise… in Scottburgh. Watch as one of the locals channels Phil Collins… in Afrikaans! Guy Chadwick – who has recently opened Scotty’s Collectors Den – captured the video this week and said: “Phil Collins at his best – Live at my shop – amazing!! Real Africa interpreted.” The new curiosity […]

St John’s Diocesan School for Girls in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, is known as “small school, big heart”… and they proved it with this fantastic video to celebrate Freedom Day, 27 April 2018. Everyone in the school – from the youngest learner to the oldest, and including all staff, took part in this wonderful […]

Thanks to a concerted effort by caring South Africans – both those who donated and those who collaborated in the field – a baby rhino… lost and alone in the wild, was tracked down and saved yesterday from certain death. The call for urgent donations to help search for the baby rhino went out yesterday […]

Earlier this month a brand new Afrikaans sitcom, MENSE MENSE, made its debut on kykNET (and is available for South African expats to watch on Showmax International). It includes not only a star-studded cast, but also boasts a beautiful theme song by popular South African singer and songwriter, Len Muller, which everyone is talking about! The song – […]

Heavy rainfall in the past month (and even some good rain over Cape Town last night) has brought relief in most parts of South Africa, according to the Department of Water and Sanitation. In its weekly report yesterday, the Department said that the average dam levels have increased from 80.6% last week to 81.8% this […]

Now this is unbeatable South African service! SA expat Kate Whalley-Hands experienced a unique and truly South African moment on board an international flight  this week, as she headed home. In a post on facebook Wednesday evening, Kate – who lives in Canada according to her facebook page – shared these glorious photos of South […]

Deputy President David Mabuza says the recent decision by ratings agency Moody’s to maintain South Africa’s investment grading, as well as changing the country’s outlook from negative to stable, will go a long way in restoring investor confidence. The Deputy President said this when he fielded oral questions in the National Assembly on Wednesday. This […]

Over 30,000 people have liked a post praising the exceptional service that a South African Police Service (SAPS) officer offered to a distraught passenger, on Sunday night at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. Gauteng resident Isma Theron-De Witt posted a grateful message and photo on Sunday night, asking her friends to “meet officer Vincent from […]

In true “Thuma Mina” (Send Me) style, British Airways – operated by Comair – gave President Cyril Ramaphosa an unofficial inauguration and welcome aboard a flight from Durban to Johannesburg earlier this week… with an added poetic bonus. BA honoured the President by sending first-time flyer and praise poet, Lutendo Evans Mugagadeli, known as “Vendaboy […]

The Nelson Mandela Foundation (NMF) said today that it is honoured to announce that former American President Barack Obama has accepted its invitation to be the speaker at this year’s The 16th Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture. The prestigious event will take place in Johannesburg on 17 July, ahead of Madiba’s birthday the following day (International […]

Global South African and Brand SA Ambassador Pumela Salela captured these awesome photos of South Africans at the 2018 London Marathon, held yesterday – Sunday 22 April – in the UK capital city. “I loved the #SpiritofSouthAfrica in the #SpiritofLondon #Marathon,” she said. The marathon was won by Kenyan long distance runner, Eliud Kipchoge, with Britain’s […]

Social media is going crazy for a hardworking lady in Durban, South Africa, who keeps the Blue Lagoon toilets sparkling… and has beautiful shiny principles to match. Edith’s awesome work was discovered by a Durban mom, Priscilla Doig, when she reluctantly had to take her son to the public toilets on Saturday. They were at the […]

The Duchess of Cambridge, aka Kate Middleton, has safely delivered a baby boy… and her husband Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, was present for the birth. The couple’s second son was born at 11h01 on Monday 23 April 2018. According to Buckingham Palace, the newborn baby weighs 8lbs 7oz. “The Queen, The Duke of […]

The National Arts Festival announced today that it will be welcoming acclaimed singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega to Grahamstown, South Africa, to present a series of ‘up close and personal’ concerts in July. “We know she has thousands of dedicated fans in South Africa and this is a rare opportunity for them to see her on our […]

Turns out there’s a beautiful Gaeilge version of Africa’s Toto. (We can’t even find an Afrikaans version!) As most South African expats in Ireland will know, Gaeilge (or Gaelic) is the Irish language, and is one of the EU’s official languages. Take a listen below to how it sounds when used to sing songs that […]

In a bid to cut down on snaking queues at Home Affairs offices, Minister Malusi Gigaba has set the process of implementing short term interventions to deal with long queues in motion through a War on Queues campaign. The campaign follows an assessment report conducted by the department, after being bombarded by queries from members […]

The Herero women of Namibia, and their Victorian-inspired fashion style, are getting worldwide attention thanks to an episode of Style Out There, which has been viewed on Facebook 4.9 million times since being posted a couple of months ago. Refinery29 Fashion Editor Connie Wang – who has attended fashion shows around the world – says […]

A Uitenhage gogo is dishing out tasty free meals for children and destitute elderly people every day. Sheila Isaacs, 68, who runs Mother’s Gift, says cooking is her passion. She and her five volunteers feed about 100 people daily in KwaNobuhle township in Uitenhage. She comes from Rosedale township to KwaNobuhle to put bread on […]

A couple who has allegedly ripped off many South Africans, by posing as a legitimate travel agency… but pocketing the money for themselves, has been exposed by Carte Blanche. This Sunday’s episode is packed with this story and more… available to South Africans abroad from Tuesday 24 April 2018 if you subscribe to Showmax. Travel Cons […]

Famous names from around the world have joined to sign an Open Letter to South Africa, calling on the Government to end rhino poaching. The international celebrities include entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, wildlife conservationist Dr Jane Goodall, famous American musician – and South African expat – Dave Matthews, and former Prime Minister of New Zealand, […]

On Monday, before leaving for CHOGM in London, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the appointment of his Special Envoys for Investment – tasked with “hunting down” potential investors in SA – and announced the appointment of Trudi Makhaya as his new Economic Advisor. For those who have never heard of Trudi before, Sanele Zondi […]

Brett Archibald, the South African who refused to give up hope when he fell overboard into shark-infested waters in Indonesia, today celebrated five years since his incredible rescue after surviving at sea for over 28 hours on his own. The picture above is the moment that Brett was pulled to safety by Australians aboard the […]