As South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma sends warm New Year wishes to the Chinese community in South Africa and around the world, here are some facts about this event and the Year of the Sheep/Goat (see Fact #2)! The South African President said the Chinese Year of the Sheep is a “symbol of peace, harmonious […]

Within the next 24 hours Cape Town swimmer, adventurer, inspirational author – and all-round passionate rescuer of the planet – Lewis Pugh will attempt the most southern swim in the world.  Lewis, who is the United Nations Patron of the Oceans, will be the first human ever to take on the freezing cold 1 km stretch around […]

Five South Africans have made it on to the shortlist of 100 candidates being considered for the Mars One space programme. Initally, more than 200 500 people applied to be trained as astronauts to stay on Mars. Mars One aims to establish a permanent human settlement on the Red Planet. Funding for the project has […]

With SONA on our minds I was thinking about the state of the nation, and it does not paint a pretty picture. However, I recently read another negative email about the state of the nation, just ranting on and not providing any solutions or options for us mere mortals to get things going. Our beloved […]

Even though actor Aaron Paul was exposed to a lot of surreal stuff during the filming of the popular TV series Breaking Bad, he was still blown away by some of the scenes South Africa had on offer during his recent holiday to the country. Speaking on the Jimmy Kimmel Live Show in December, Aaron discussed the lions he saw at […]

Sweets for my sweet, sugar for my honey. We walked into a Maccas (Mac Donalds) in Yanchep (a beautiful small coastal town about 15 minutes’ drive from Clarkson, where my family – the Venter Four – resides). The store manager (if I had to guess I would say he was Filipino) took my order, “What […]

Since their ignominious defeat in the 1999 Cricket World Cup final against Australia, the tag “chokers” has hung over the Proteas. But with a mix of formidable experience and exciting new talent, the squad that takes to the field this Sunday may have a chance to throw off the jinx.   South Africa begins their […]

In their opening World Cup match against Zimbabwe, the Proteas’ David Miller and JP Duminy made a couple of records in what Britain’s Ebony Rainford-Brent called “some of the best hitting I’ve ever seen”. It was an unbeaten partnership that rescued South Africa and will not be soon forgotten. Imran Tahir had career best figures […]

There’s a wonderful peaceful movement happening in South Africa, calling for all South Africans to take part in a “Peaceful, Silent, Powerful Protest Day for our Beloved South Africa”… It started with the disappointing and now infamous State of the Nation Address (SONA)…a debacle…which prompted citizens around the country to sit up and say #EnoughIsEnough. And it […]

Last night a group of talented photographers gathered at uShaka Pier in Durban to capture the spectacular scenes of ‘Orbs at Moyo’ (referring to a local restaurant). The collection on this page are from Peter de Groot (thank you!) who described the evening as an “awesome and fun event” and thanked organiser Robbie Aspeling and spinners Chas […]

Yoh! Just as I was coming to terms with the Stazi in Parliament and people in funny hats not being the 80s flashback I thought it was, on paying for my much cheaper diesel yesterday, I caught the lunchtime news. That chap Julius is a miracle worker. Seriously. Not only has he inadvertently united South […]

During the highs and lows of SONA2015, Twitter outdid itself, with tweeters inside Parliament suddenly becoming reporters (especially on those things the SATV cameras so obviously turned away from). An excellent and speedy video tweet from JacarandaFM’s @MornéJK actually crashed SAPeople.com for a while, so many people wanted to see the EFF being confronted by […]

Eish, Johnny Clegg is an inspiration on so many levels. Check how the legendary South African still unites, and dances with energy at the age of 61. The video was filmed by Marguerite Nokuthula de Villiers at the End of Year farewell dance outside Jeppe Hostel a couple of months ago, in December. In a previous interview […]

Canadian photographer Kristian Holmes fell in love with a South African…and ultimately with her country, or more specifically with the city she was born and raised in – Johannesburg. Kristian and AJ (who is now his wife, also a photographer), have put together a wonderful list of why they love Jozi. And we love it! […]

President Jacob Zuma, accompanied on this special occasion by Thobeka Zuma, has arrived on the steps of the National Assembly in Parliament, where the State of the Nation Address will get underway shortly. UPDATE: The speech is over now. Click here to read a full transcript of the President’s Address and here to view a video of the EFF […]

Daphne Mashile-Nkosi is the owner of a multimillion-rand manganese mine in the arid Northern Cape town of Hotazel and one of a handful of women in South Africa’s mining industry. Battle-hardened by her experiences in the struggle against apartheid, she’s not afraid to tackle those who stand in her way.   Hotazel, as its name […]

Yesterday marked the twenty-fifth anniversary since Nelson Mandela walked free – on 11 February 1990 – after 27 years in apartheid prison. It was an event that had been unthinkable to most South Africans, and the world, until only a few weeks before. Here is a fascinating look back at how South African newspapers reported on the […]

Last night here in Cradock, a bunch of us gathered at someone’s house and formed a wine club. Sounds like small potatoes, right? Maybe, but in this world you take your pleasures where you can find them. And so, when the load-shedding kicked in and the lights went out, the candles were lit and the […]

Evita Bezuidenhout is fed up (or is she?). Well ahead of Jacob Zuma’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday, she not only launched a Twitter campaign but also a video, both of them intent on getting South Africa back on track – or at least less bleak about the future. Satirist Pieter-Dirk Uys’s […]

As South Africa prepares for tomorrow’s State of the Nation Address, one passionate South African bares her soul on how she’s feeling right now in the New South Africa… Overcoming the Tsunami of Negativity…by Sanet Du Preez Viljoen Why did we come back to South Africa? And an even better question is…why do we stay? The obvious […]

South Africa’s favourite DIY queen, SuzelleDIY, has served up a fab tip on what to cook your loved one this Valentine’s Day (Saturday 14 February!). According to Suzelle it’s a great way to win the heart of someone you have a crush on…who may not even know you exist! (Although she does also say that the way to […]

The 2015 Gourmand World Cookbook Award judges have chosen “Durban Curry, So Much of Flavour,” by Erica Platter and Clinton Friedman (PawPaw Publishers) as their South African Book of the Year. “It is outstanding, vibrant with passion and culture,” commented the judges. “Durban Curry” is also the winner of the South African Heritage and Indian […]

I live in Australia and over the past two weeks I heard and read two unrelated comments, but during the last day or so, they became quite related. The first was a comment directed at myself. I took my son to his sport and drama class and had a conversation with one of the facilitators. […]

It’s a sad day when you wake up and realise you’re seriously considering leaving a place you’ve called home for the better part of 45 years. So it’s all the more poignant when you discover someone writing enthusiastically about what I believe could be a great city… In an article on Conde Nast Traveller – entitled […]

Capetonian Bruce Marais left South Africa in 2009 to pursue a career as a (self taught) chef. Since then he’s worked in chateaux in France, villas in Spain, super yachts in the Med and settled in New York two years ago…but wherever he roams, he always returns home in the festive season for his annual SA fix… The […]