President Jacob Zuma made international headlines with his trip to Tripoli, Libya where he held talks with the Leader, Col Muammar Gaddafi on how to end the tragic and violent conflict in Libya.    The two leaders held lengthy discussions at the Libyan leader’s home in Tripoli, where President Zuma reiterated the African Union peace plan, […]

As the countdown begins to the Springboks’ first match in the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in September, South Africans have been called on to rally behind their team’s defence of the title – and there are plenty of ways in which to do so. The Springboks are the current rugby world champions, […]

South African grade nine pupil Luke Taylor has made it into the finals of the 2011 Google Science Fair competition, beating more than 7 500 entrants from over 90 countries with a computer program that enables a robot to act on instructions given in English. Taylor attends the German International School in Cape Town and is a […]

At just 16, Zimbabwean-born model Nyasha Matonhodze has been named as one of the faces of luxury label Louis Vuitton’s 2011 Autumn/Winter campaign. The news has made headlines around the world, turning the shy teenager into a household name overnight. Here are 10 things you should know about her: Legend has it that she was […]

TO THOSE WHO MAY REMEMBER THESE …(from an email doing the rounds)

International Nelson Mandela Day 2011 was recently launched in Johannesburg, with a panel of tertiary students at the event expressing their views on what the celebration means to them. The UN-recognised day was launched at the premises of the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Houghton, Johannesburg, on 23 May. Mandela Day was first introduced on 18 July 2009, […]

The Africa Institute of South Africa (Aisa) will host an Africa Expo and an international conference as part of its Africa Week programme. Aisa is a science council whose mission is to conduct socio-economic and political research on the continent. Although it first came into being as an NGO, today it’s a statutory body under […]

A passion for uplifting communities and providing housing for all, coupled with innovative technology, has resulted in an invitation to South African company Moladi to show its concept at the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum’s exhibition Design for the Other 90%: CITIES. The prestigious exhibition, sponsored by the philanthropic Rockefeller Foundation, takes place at the UN in New […]

South Africa is filled with personalities who have won prestigious awards for various achievements. Just think of Oscar winner Charlize Theron or Nobel laureates Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Sydney Brenner and Nadine Gordimer. Now the country can again count Helen Zille among that number. The award recognises the Democratic Alliance (DA) leader’s contribution to South Africa’s […]

South Africa’s space industry is thriving – this is the message relayed to the public by professionals in the sector at a recent media briefing in Cape Town. The event also commemorated humankind’s first foray into space 50 years ago, when Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin spent 108 minutes looking at a view of the earth […]

South African students Danielle Boer and Alessio Giuricich were awarded top prizes at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) held in California on 13 May 2011. The two received awards for their innovative, independent research on dealing with social challenges through science. The ISEF is the world’s largest international high school science competition, which […]

Trevor Manuel – South Africa’s former Minister of Finance – has been suggested as a potential candidate for the recently (and sensationally!) vacated position of head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Trevor would replace disgraced French minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn who resigned last night following his arrest and charges at the weekend that he raped […]

It’s not just South Africa’s men who are shining in the golfing world. South African professional golfer, Ashleigh Simon, won the Portugal Ladies Open this weekend! Ashleigh, who celebrated her 22nd birthday just last week, finished at 16-under 200 and won by three strokes over second-round leader Gwladys Nocera. This is Ashleigh’s second victory on […]

The Association of South African Women in Science and Engineering (SAWISE) and The Hope Network  invites              female students  entering their Honours level/ 4th year of study to apply for the above scholarship. CLOSING DATE: 28 NOVEMBER 2011 ELIGIBILITY: Female students entering their Honours degree/4th year of study with an academic average of over […]

  South African establishments took home three first prizes at the 2011 African Safari awards, which were held at Durban’s uShaka Marine World on 6 May 2011. Karkloof Spa was awarded Best Safari Spa in Africa, South African Airways (SAA) got the award for Best International Airline in Africa, and Ants Nest Riding Safaris received the award for Best Riding […]

    South African writer Lauren Beukes has made literary history by becoming the first local author to capture the prestigious Arthur C Clarke Award in its 25-year history. She received the honour for her second novel Zoo City at a glittering ceremony on 27 April 2011, held at London’s Apollo cinema in Piccadilly. The Arthur C […]

South African sporting great Ernie Els was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame on Monday. He joins the legendary Gary Player, who entered the Hall in 1974 and Bobby Locke, South Africa’s first international golf player, who entered in 1977. The other members of the 2011 Hall of Fame class were Jock Hutchison, Doug Ford, […]

The Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory is appealing to the public to assist in finding missing information to accompany the many photographs they have in their collection. Over the next few months, the Centre will be publishing many of these pics on their website…and would like members of the public to supply any information they […]

OK, there’s no real news here…except that the British tabloids published pictures of Charlize Theron chatting to Chelsy Davy’s on-off boyfriend  Prince Harry at a polo match this weekend. And judging by the smile on Prince Harry’s face, he finds it rather easy to get on with women from South Africa! The 26-year-old British Prince […]

from an email doing the rounds   Before I was a Mom, I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby. I didn’t worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunizations. Before I was a Mom, I had never been puked on. Pooped on. Chewed on. Peed on. […]

05 May 2011   South Africa’s Minister in The Presidency Trevor Manuel has been appointed as joint chairperson of the Green Climate Fund, which is tasked with designing a finance system to help developing countries adapt to climate change. Manuel, who is the head of South Africa’s National Planning Commission, will chair the Green Climate Fund together […]

05 May 2011   A water project supported by the UN-African Union peacekeeping force (Unamid) in eight villages of North Darfur will not only facilitate residents’ access to water, but will also help to reduce sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in the region, local residents and Unamid officials said. “For years we have been afraid […]

South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company has won a Tony Award for making life-size horse puppets for a successful West End and Broadway play. The Cape Town-based company has already accepted the honour for the 2011 Tony Awards taking place later this year. The award was an exclusive one, meaning that no other puppet-making companies were eligible for it. […]

Starfish, an international development charity aiming to bring life, hope and opportunity to children in South Africa who have been orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS, has places available in some fantastic races for 2011. So why not get fit whilst making a difference? Do you fancy running a 5K as a Superhero? Or how […]

Here’s everything you need to know (well, almost) about South African super-golfer Charl Schwartzel: He won the 2011 Masters Tournament in Augusta with a score of 274 (-14) – leaving Tiger Woods in the dust. Born in Jo’burg on 31 August 1984, Charl grew up on a chicken farm in Vereeniging and used to plough the […]