There’s some good news at CITES, the endangered species convention currently underway in Sandton, South Africa – the growth in numbers of the Cape Mountain Zebra population has enabled the species to move off CITES’ most endangered list. South Africa’s proposal to transfer the Cape mountain zebra (Equus zebra zebra) from Appendix I to Appendix II […]

A young Capetonian’s generosity of spirit has helped a grieving South African expat through one of the most heartbreaking moments of anyone’s life. Durbanite and photographer Paul Maartens – who has been living in Melbourne for the past 14 years (with regular trips back to SA) – recently flew to South Africa for a fortnight… to farewell his […]

South Africans living in London made sure to not miss out on celebrating SA’s Heritage Day on Saturday… with over 300 expats gathering in Wimbledon Park. “We had a fantastic day celebrating our South African heritage together,” says Francine Higham, one of the event organisers. The South African community had received special permission to gather […]

LONDON/BRUSSELS (Reuters) – SABMiller <SAB.L> shareholders overwhelmingly backed the brewer’s $100 billion-plus takeover by Anheuser-Busch InBev <ABI.BR> on Wednesday, clearing the last big hurdle for one of the largest corporate mergers in history. The combined group will sell more than a quarter of all beers sold worldwide and be the fifth largest consumer goods company. […]

Congratulations to 16-year-old South African teenager, Kiara Nirghin, who has won the Grand Prize at Google’s Science Fair for her innovation – Fighting Drought with Fruit – which could hold the solution to the country’s water woes… using just orange and avocado peels! The Awards were held at Google’s Headquarters in California yesterday. Kiara beat 15 […]

I’ve been based at Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP) since the massacre (of six rhino) which took place on World Rhino Day. On Monday I was reunited with my awesome friend, rising global artist Toya Delazy (see video below), born Zulu Princess Latoya Buthelezi. As we roamed this great land, memories of Toya’s childhood came flooding back to […]

Afrikaans feature film, Noem My Skollie, has been nominated as South Africa’s official entrant into the 89th Annual Academy Awards! The film, which was launched in South Africa earlier this month by Ster Kinekor Entertainment and is still on circuit, has been selected by a special jury – put together by the National Film and Video […]

Newly elected Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba has revealed that over the past three years, the previous (ANC) administration spent R190 million of public money on travel. In the last financial year alone, R73 million was spent on travel, according to the Democratic Alliance’s Mashaba! This revelation is just one of the latest from the DA, exposing […]

While South Africans around the country (and the world) celebrated Heritage Day – which was previously known as King Shaka Day – it was an extremely special occasion for the Zulu nation… their 200 year anniversary! Celebrations began with a parade in the city centre which led to Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium. South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma, himself […]

Who knew we could get lessons in parenting from the king (well queen) of the jungle?! Watch this lion demonstrate magical motherly love… when her little cub wakes her up in the middle of (we’re sure) a much-needed nap! And below is another mother lion disciplining her toddler for its own sake (and safety) without worrying […]

When we applied for Permanent Residency (PR) in Australia I had to write an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) test. Oh! Horror of horrors! I promptly informed them via email that I studied in English and worked at a company where I spoke mainly English. “Noooo,” they said, “we’ve heard every excuse in the book. […]

South Africa celebrated the 80th birthday of ‘Mama’ Winnie Madikizela-Mandela last night, with President Jacob Zuma conveying “good wishes and hearty congratulations” to Winnie on behalf of of Government and the nation. The President said: “You dedicated your adult life to the struggle for liberation and sacrificed life’s comforts, flying the flag for freedom and […]

South Africa’s launching its first ever Garden Day on 9 October 2016… and SuzelleDIY has chipped in to help locals get inspired, with her tips on how to make a pallet swing. South Africans are encouraged to Get Inspired (like visiting the local nursery and watching Suzelle), Share (invite friends and family into your garden) […]

Whilst locals in Port Elizabeth paddled out with their surfboards to celebrate Saturday’s Heritage Day and National Braai Day… a dive centre in Scottburgh found an even more unusual way to mark the occasion! Watch the video below for how KwaZulu-Natal dive center, Scubaxcursion, found a way for their scuba divers to enjoy a braai […]

A Johannesburg filling station has become quite a landmark in Gauteng with its daily #PetrolPumpWisdom – inspiring quotes and messages written on a chalkboard. Some motorists say they deliberately travel this route just to read the Hyde Park petrol pump messages which brighten their day. Here’s a selection: The lady behind this wonderful initiative at […]

Check out this little Jack Russell in South Africa, fiercely protecting his meal from any scavengers, even if they’re three larger lion cubs… proving the famous Dwight D. Eisenhower quote that “what counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight – it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” The video was […]

This is a shout out to all those police men and women who are doing such a fantastic job at the Sandton Convention Centre during #COP17… going that extra mile to welcome 3,500 delegates from around the world with a sunny SA smile and good old-fashioned South African hospitality – one officer was even overheard greeting Chinese […]

For different South Africans Heritage Day yesterday meant something different. For these surfer buddies in Port Elizabeth it meant mainly two things: surf and braai! So they combined the two and made this awesome video. Fernando Tallie told SAPeople: “Yesterday was a day that all South Africans united with a fire. My friend and I made this […]

South Africa has a new World Champion! In an emotional finish in Aragon, Spain today, motorcycle racer Brad Binder finished in second place… thereby scoring enough points to become World Champion in the Moto3 Championship. It’s been an incredible season of racing for 21-year-old Binder who began in 35th position on the grid… and raced his way determinedly […]

As former President Nelson Mandela said: “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” And this little two-year-old – JP Janse van Rensburg – sure knows how to talk to people’s hearts. A video […]

CAPE TOWN – Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said today that the situation in South Africa is like a snooze button on an alarm clock. “The country has to wake up. The sleep is over,” he said. Speaking at the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation Heritage Day banquet, Gordhan also joked – in response to a joke made by […]

KIMBERLEY – Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa says Heritage Day gives South Africans an opportunity to reflect on their history, their cultural heritage, their rituals and their languages. “It obliges us to pay attention to the values upon which we seek to build a united and prosperous nation,” he said on Saturday. Speaking at the national Heritage […]

South Africa’s glorious indigenous flowers are currently on display at the ‘Witness’ Garden Show in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. LORRAINE SCHOLFIELD captured these stunning photos at the show – the country’s largest – yesterday… The Mascor stand at the show, with strelitzias. Three different kinds of Proteas Different coloured clivias Yellow osteospermums Orange Lampranthus (vygie) Specially for those who celebrate ‘Braai […]

On Heritage Day last year, the following slight differences between myself and my neighbours became apparent. The neighbours were: young, Zulu and stone cold sober. Moreover, they had a sparkly blue pool and I did not. It was a very hot day, even in the shade of the mulberry tree. “Let’s ask the neigbours if […]

The world joined on 22 September to raise awareness for the rhino on World Rhino Day. It also awoke to the news that SIX more rhino had been killed overnight in the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park in South Africa… a stark reminder that this iconic animal, which has roamed the earth for over 40 million years, may be less than […]