The books team at the Sunday Times has put together a list of the top South African books that they believe give readers insight into the country’s transition into a free and democratic nation. Here we highlight the past 20 years of winners of the Sunday Times Alan Paton Award, South Africa’s premier literary award. Named for […]

There’s something deeply adventurous about rootling around an old Karoo farm junkyard, clutching a camera and a very big stick. The camera is for when the morning light falls softly on the red rump of an ancient, pensioned-off Massey Ferguson tractor. The very big stick is for the Cape Cobra – the dreaded geelslang – […]

She may not be Jesus of Jerusalem, as former Police Commissioner Bheki Cele once reminded her, but Public Protector Thuli Madonsela is one of the 100 most influential people in the world for 2014, according to Time magazine. She is, as Lamido Sanusi, former governor of the Bank of Nigeria described in the biography he penned for […]

South African Jan Greeff is attempting to break the World Record for the longest consecutive barbecue session. He has already been braai-ing for one day and three hrs in the USA, with an official Guinness World Records® judge on site to witness the validity of the attempt. According to South African expat Tracy Martin-Immelman, who is […]

Paul Christie’s “A Poem for Returning South Africans from the UK” sparked a lot of feedback from expats around the world. Most loved his light-hearted teasing that they’ve “forgotten how to braai a tjop…or make a potjie stew”. Some were indignant. They’re better braai-ers now. Some, like Alan Clark in the UK uploaded photos proving […]

South African players received a favorable draw when the official draw procedures for the Airports Company South Africa Gauteng Open were concluded on Tuesday at the Gauteng East Tennis Complex in Benoni. Stephane Houdet of France tops the men’s seeds and is scheduled to meet arch rival Gordon Reid of Great Britain in the final. […]

Presley Chweneyagae of Tsotsi fame returns to the South African big screen on Thursday when crime thriller iNumber Number, the fourth film by award-winning director Donovan Marsh, opens in cinemas nationwide. Chweneyage stars opposite lead S’dumo Mtshali in an action-packed story about a pair of cops battling corrupt colleagues as well as a gang of armoured-car thieves. Sello […]

As South Africa celebrates 20 years of a vibrant and robust democracy, it commemorates a significant trial in the country’s turbulent history the 1963 to 1964 Rivonia Trial. The trial – named for the Johannesburg suburb in which members of the African National Congress’s (ANC) armed wing (Umkhonto We Sizwe, The Spear of the Nation) […]

Cape Town is the design capital of the world and in true, cutting edge form, South Africa’s first fashion film event will be hosted in the city. The lavish Mercedes-Benz Bokeh International Fashion Film Festival will run from 5 to 7 June. The Mother City, known for its beauty, vineyards and international jet setters who […]

A video of a very smart “Honey Badger Houdini” in South Africa has been viewed over 21.7 million times as of 10 March 2020. (When this article was first published in April 2014, it had been viewed 1.5 million times.) The four-minute video of Stoffel the Badger’s great escape attempts is an excerpt from a […]

A moving South African rendition of ‘Everybody Hurts’ has been uploaded to YouTube, featuring footage of many of the local children in the Port Elizabeth vicinity who will be helped by the album’s sales. The album is an initiative of Ocean Rock Entertainment which was started in 2011 to support the Eastern Cape music and […]

Following the controversial open letter which Jani Allan published on her blog last week (14 April 2014), the Pistorius Family – through Anneliese Burgess, Media Manager – has released a statement claiming that Allan’s suggestions that Oscar had “acting lessons” are devoid of all truth. The paralympian, who is on trial for the alleged murder […]

The virtual noise of digital media surrounding the Oscar Pistorius murder trial after 25 long days of testimony, has diminished since Judge Thokozile Masipa granted Advocate Gerrie Nel’s request for a postponement until May 5. Taking a break from proceedings, the legal teams have time to review what’s ensued to date and to regroup. Oscar’s […]

South Africans are everywhere…even in the deepest forests of the Amazon! We caught up with Michael Langford, a Capetonian who is currently living in Cusco, Peru where he promotes responsible travel to the nearby Peruvian Amazon. Here he shares some of his stunning photos from a recent rainforest trip (a 30-minute flight from where he […]

I placed my foot with sheer terror on what I perceived to be a shifting and sliding mass of gulping sinking sand…and to my utter surprise I found that I was not swallowed whole. I discovered that although this landscape was a totally new terrain, it was firm underfoot. I wasn’t sure where the path […]

For many of us, the mere thought of running a 56-km ultra-marathon is exhausting. For Eduline Mutize it’s a challenge she feels compelled to do…twice! Eduline plans to run today’s Two Oceans once for herself, and once for the millions of orphans in the country – to give them a voice. The 28-year-old  runner did […]

Well-known South African morning radio host and King of Pranksters, Darren ‘Whackhead’ Simpson, was heavily pranked this week in Johannesburg! Darren is notorious for his telephone pranks and gags, and is renowned for sometimes going over the top in his efforts to prank his team members at Highveld 94.7. On Wednesday they got him back. […]

A fabulous new South African romantic comedy opened in local movie theaters today…and is reportedly a must-see! The film’s called ‘Konfetti’ and is touted as a film for everyone, about a “wedding so mal, it’s perfect”. It’s based on Louw Venter’s play “The Best Man’s Speech”, and he will be at the Waterfront in person […]

South African columnist Jani Allan’s open letter to Oscar Pistorius has gone viral and brought the once famous Sunday Times  journalist back into the spotlight after a decade of silence. Jani’s letter to Pistorius references her infamous relationship (or non-relationship) with Eugene Terre’blanche…and compares the character of the late leader of the AWB with that of […]

The Proteas were recognised as the number one test team in the world yesterday when the Chief Executive Officer of Cricket South Africa (CSA), Haroon Lorgat, received the prestigious Reliance ICC Test Championship Mace on their behalf. The Proteas finished on top of the Reliance ICC Test Team Rankings table on the annual cut-off date […]

South African feel-good movie Felix has added to its long list of accolades by winning three more awards at international film festivals in March and April. The film won the youth jury prize for best film at the Reel 2 Real International Film Festival for Youth in Vancouver, Canada, the best film award at the Kikife International […]

It was a day of surprises on Tuesday in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria where the usual suspects were gathered for the Oscar Pistorius murder trial. Chief Prosecutor Gerrie Nel abruptly ended his cross-examination of the defendant, and Defence Advocate Barry Roux spent a mere nine minutes in re-examination. Nel had given nothing away at the start […]

To the tune of “How Great Thou Art” Dear Lord on High, I see the need and hunger That fill this land; on every face displayed I feel the pain, I see the fear and anger A people lost, their hopes and dreams betrayed Then cries my soul, My Saviour God to Thee How can […]

It’s most likely been a very long and lonely weekend for Oscar Pistorius without his defence team to reassure him and coach him. Legal process forbids him from consulting with his legal counsel about the trial for the duration of his swearing in for cross-examination. Likewise, it’s out of bounds even with his family. I […]

From an email doing the rounds… The following are the results from an OZ-words Competition where entrants were asked to take an Australian word, alter it by one letter only, and supply a witty definition. (Clearly, you need to be an Aussie – or a fan of their language – to understand…) Billabonk: to make […]