Philani Dladla’s story is well known to those who know him as the Pavement Bookworm and have bought books from him on Empire Road in Johannesburg, South Africa. But now he has added author to his résumé, with his newly published book titled, of course, “The Pavement Bookworm”. Dladla – whom we wrote about in […]

After a successful launch yesterday of Elon Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the rocket landed in one piece, as hoped…but then tumbled over and broke followed by a spectacular ball of fire. Watch video below. An epic failure some would think…but one which Musk is sure to say is […]

Even though the news from South Africa these past months has been alarming – the Rand having fallen to record lows, unemployment as high as ever, and the worst drought in years gripping the land – there is a silver lining: 2016 will possibly be the best year ever to travel to the country if […]

Watch South African entrepreneur Elon Musk’s SpaceX attempt to send a rocket in to orbit and then land it back safely on a barge in the sea…take off is at about 8.42 pm South African time. (See UPDATE below.) Watch the live webcast above or below. According to SpaceX: “With this mission, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will […]

Three years ago this weekend, small-town Mpumulanga schoolgirl Pretty Yende made her debut at the world-famous Metropolitan Opera House in New York. More astonishing than her voice was that it had been only a decade since Yende had learned what the word “opera” meant. This weekend Yende posted a message on Instagram from Paris, where she is soon to […]

While some of us are having Sunday breakfast, reading the papers and maybe enjoying a Sunday stroll…South African entrepreneur Elon Musk – founder of companies like PayPal, SpaceX and Tesla electric car – will be monitoring the progress of his Falcon 9 rocket, hoping engineers will be able to guide this one to land safely […]

Check out this awesome footage as South African professional kiteboarder Luke McGillewie takes to the air, and almost lands on the beach, in Cape Town yesterday. Fellow kitesurfer Jamie Farrell uploaded the video on Wednesday, saying: “They say the wind hit 51 knots (94 kilometers per hour ) today in Cape Town… And what happens in Cape […]

The following dramatic photos were taken yesterday by Hoopstad farmer Petrus Roux during a massive sandstorm (or stofstorm in Afrikaans) in the Freestate, South Africa…as it came closer… Local Welkom business Silostrat, which posted the photos, told SAPeople that Roux captured the incredible scenes of Mother Nature whilst planting maize outside of Hoopstad, an area renowned for its maize production. […]

Many of us hanker after South African food when we are abroad – Mrs. Balls Chutney and biltong immediately come to mind. But there are loads of other foods too, some that make foreigners cringe, either because of the taste (Peppermint Crisp) or the name (pickled fish). Some are very hard to explain (waterblommetjie bredie, bobotie), while others foreigners get just as […]

AB de Villiers has vowed to lead by example as he takes over the captaincy of the Proteas for the remainder of the Sunfoil Test series against England, after Hashim Amla stepped down last week. He also revealed that part of Test cricket is to make the opponents feel uncomfortable – “to remind them that they […]

Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa has paid tribute to late musician David Bowie for championing the struggle for equality. “He spoke out and pointed out uncomfortable truths to those around him about racism. In so doing, he was an agent of change and a trailblazer in many different ways,” Minister Mthethwa said. Bowie passed […]

South African musicians Don Clarke and Special Care have collaborated to release a song, named after the hashtag #ZumaMustFall. The video is being shared at the same time as a question now hangs over whether the debate of no-confidence in South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma – which had been welcomed by many – will take place […]

Days before hosting the Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles, Ricky Gervais teamed up with PDSA – the UK’s leading veterinary charity – to honour a special dog in South Africa with a PDSA Gold Medal, the highest honour a civilian animal can receive for bravery and devotion. (Update June 2020: The anti-poaching hero dog, […]

Award-winning American photographer Stephen Wilkes has captured an awesome composition of a watering hole he photographed – from day to night – in the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. Wilkes – who has produced similar compositions in Washington, Paris, London, Dubai and more – flew into Africa last year for his most ambitious ‘Day to Night’ project ever…right in the […]

South Africa experienced a rise in the number of travellers in and out of the Republic during the festive season and turned back “only 0.6%” of foreign minors, according to a statement by Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba at a media briefing in Johannesburg today. The minister convened the meeting to clarify the traveller figures […]

As kids head back to school this week, Suzelle gives some tips on how to hack your backpack:      

Breathtaking landscapes. Abundant wildlife. Vineyards. Ocean views. Mountains and more. It’s the video everyone’s sharing this week: “Incredible Drone Footage from South Africa”. It was uploaded by Unilad on Monday, and has already attracted over 3.9 million views. UPDATE 27 March 2017: It’s just over a year later and the video now has almost 8 […]

In South Africa we didn’t have the luxury of easing into the year – for us 2016 exploded into life, sparked by racist social media posts followed by a backlash that has us angry, confused, pained, despondent and some crying out for leadership. Leadership is a fascinating concept, a nebulous concept at times and at […]

Congratulations to Brandon Stone who won the South African Open on Sunday, securing the first European Tour trophy of the year. It was an emotional victory for the 22-year-old who confessed that he had to have “a little silent pep talk” with himself after not playing “the most convincing golf” of his life earlier on in the tournament. He turned it […]

As Egyptian geese and other wild birds make their way into urban areas, numerous locals have kindly stepped in – and, in the case of one Johannesburg police offer, even stopped traffic – to help the families and young goslings to reach safety. In Johannesburg earlier this week, it was reported that the police aided an Egyptian goose crossing […]

In 1666 the Dutch East India Company began the construction of the Castle of Good Hope. Now, 350 years later, the star-shaped stone fort is becoming as much an image of colonial rule as an edifice promoting inclusion and reconciliation. On 2 January, the Kaapse Klopse parade for the Tweede Nuwe Jaar coincided with the birthday ceremony at the Castle, with […]

Watch one of the best cover versions of Toto’s Africa ever performed… Using a unique intro – the kind that will make you want to rub your hands together! – the Angel City Chorale, from Los Angeles. recorded this video at least two years ago…but it has recently gone viral again on social media. If you haven’t […]

Hashim Amla’s cricket career has been impressive. In both Test and one-day international cricket matches over the past five years, the right-handed batter has excelled. In 2014, he was named as the Test captain, but he announced his resignation from the role on 6 January 2016. Amla said his resignation from the role was a […]

A news presenter for eNCA TV channel now probably regrets that he called out the Minister of Education Angie Motshekga on air for mispronouncing the word “epitome” in a speech this week – a week to remember when emotions seemed to be running particularly high on various fronts. Andrew Barnes has been suspended, according to eNCA, which […]

In a Mark Zuckerberg-like gesture of incredible kindness and philanthropy, the head of a Johannesburg-based fund manager controlling $35 billion has given his family’s controlling stake in the company to a charitable foundation, according to news reports and a statement by the company. Control of Allan Gray and its Bermunda-based partner Orbis Investment Management has been transferred to the […]