After a long wait, commuters will, at last, be able to use a train from Nyanga to Cape Town on Monday, when the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) resumes service on part of the Central Line. Cape Town’s Central railway line, closed since 2019, is to partly re-open on Monday, says the Passenger […]

There’s a good reason why Amsterdam is a city on so many people’s travel bucket list. It has incredible architecture, beautiful canals, a bustling cultural scene and delicious food… which means that millions of tourists descend on the Dutch capital every year. Amsterdam has always been a popular tourist attraction with South Africans via a […]

The continent’s biggest and most important travel trade event, Africa Travel Week (ATW) returns to Cape Town from Monday, 3 April to Wednesday, 5 April 2023. The gathering will once again be packed with a selection of top exhibitors, conferences, and buyers from across the continent and the world. Since becoming the official host city of […]

Proudly South African is gearing up to host the #BuyLocalSummit2023, which will take place on 27 and 28 March at the Sandton Convention Centre. The theme is ‘Growing the Economy and Creating Jobs through Localisation’. The Summit and Expo, which enters its 11th iteration this year, promises to delight with a vast array of local […]

Landscape photographer Kyle Goetsch, who is based in Cape Town, has captured the most stunning photos of a rare phenomenon – the blooming of the lilies on Sandhof Farm in Namibia. Kyle told SAPeople the “lilies bloom in their millions only when enough rain water fills the 700 hectare pan at Sandhof Farm, Namibia.” And […]

The Cape Town Carnival, one of the Mother City’s most popular street festivals, returns to its classic format for the first time in four years. Join thousands in celebrating diversity, culture, the arts, and community at the extravaganza. More than 1 600 performers are set to take centre stage at the Cape Town Carnival’s first street […]

A lion stranded on a rock in the Crocodile River this morning got the fright of his life when angry hippos surrounded him and one aggressively attacked him. Safari guide Steyn Jacobsohn (30) said it was one of the most unique sightings he’s ever had. The incident took place at Mjejane Reserve. The trapped lion […]

Nontuthuko Mgabhi has only just touched down on South African soil after successfully completing the four-day Ultra Asia race… and she’s already planning her next challenge! It’s all with the aim of raising money to benefit rural schoolchildren in KwaZulu-Natal. So far the Richards Bay runner – who has run seven marathons in seven days […]

Urban agriculture as a global phenomenon is widely promoted as a sustainable land use practice. On small plots and in big projects, using sophisticated technology or simple solutions, city dwellers around the world are producing food. Growing food in a city can improve local food security and express local culture. Little information is available, though, […]

The National Lotteries Commission (NLC) awarded a grant of more than R10-million to a non-profit entity to stage a South African Youth Awards ceremony – but the company had nothing to do with the event and not a cent of the grant was spent on it. A non-profit company which was paid more than R10-million to host […]

Leading luxury travel buyers will be heading to Cape Town at the end of the month for the ILTM (International Luxury Travel Market) Africa 2023. Impressively, 88% are new buyers with representation from Brazil, Canada, Finland, Israel, Nigeria, Singapore, Spain the United Arab Emirates and more. At least 52 leading luxury buyers from across the […]

While the Western Cape’s two advanced surgery robots have only been in operation for a short time (acquired in October 2021), they have already demonstrated their value to surgeons at the province’s largest hospitals and the project may to be expanded. The Da Vinci Xi surgical systems have participated in 260 surgeries at Tygerberg and […]

A length of rope, a bag on a stick, a couple of shipping containers combined with many late nights and a massive dose of patience are some of the ingredients required to rehabilitate and release three orphaned hippos in South Africa. The intricacies of rehabilitating, capturing and releasing one of Africa’s most dangerous animals is […]

If you’re a South African in the US, don’t miss Ladysmith Black Mambazo, performing on Sunday (19 March) at Sanders Theatre at Harvard University in Cambridge in Massachusetts. Global Arts Live says: “With the power of gospel and the precision of Broadway, Ladysmith Black Mambazo is the undisputed king of mbube, South African a cappella singing. […]

Considering that South Africa is one of the highest per capita meat-consuming countries in Africa, one might be surprised to discover that there are 14 fully vegan restaurants in Cape Town alone. Humane Society International/Africa and ProVeg South Africa have partnered to create a My Plant-Based City map of Cape Town to highlight these restaurants, as well […]

South African born and raised winger Duhan van der Merwe (27) has opened up to World Rugby about just how much playing for Scotland means to him. In an emotional interview, Duhan also speaks about his childhood in rugby-mad SA and how much his brother, Springbok Akker van der Merwe, means to him. Watch below. […]

South African actor and producer, Stelio Savante, has been enjoying a thriving career in Los Angeles for years. At this year’s European Film Market (EFM), during the Berlinale, he was represented in not just one, but three films. Here, the South African born and US-based multilingual American Movie award winner (plus SAG and the Berlinale’s […]

Some lighter, brighter news for South Africans this weekend as Eskom has announced that load shedding will be reduced from Stage 4 to Stage 3… with Stage 1 (whoopee!) expected on Sunday morning! In a statement on Friday, the power utility said: “Stage 4 load shedding will continue to be implemented until 05:00 tomorrow. Thereafter, Stage […]

American YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast, has given 20,000 kids in South Africa their first shoes ever, to walk to school in more comfort. The 24-year-old philanthropist has over 137-million subscribers on his MrBeast channel, making it the fourth-most subscribed YouTube channel… and fortunately for South Africans, he appears to have a soft spot for […]

South African National Parks (SANParks) has announced that Marakele National Park in Limpopo now offers a brand new swimming pool. The official opening took place on 4 March, after the 2023 Powerade Marakele Marathon. The sparkling blue pool was welcomed by enthusiastic campers, families and runners! As a relatively young park – with a fabulous […]

It’s one of the most unforgiving long-distance triathlons in the world: the IRONMAN Championship comprises an exhausting 3.8km swim, a gruelling 180km cycle, and an intense 42km marathon. Undertaken after years of training by only the world’s toughest athletes, IRONMAN tests the physical, mental and emotional fortitude of every contender. But for Carte Blanche’s resident […]

Here’s what’s coming up on Carte Blanche this week. You can watch the show on Sunday 12 March in South Africa on DStv Now OR stream it overseas in most countries on Showmax from Tuesday 14 March if you’re abroad. Mark Pilgrim: A Celebration He lit up every room he entered. Easy-going, approachable and generous with his […]

The inaugural Islamic Arts Biennale is underway in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Biennales are large and prestigious international art exhibitions held every two years.) This important new event for the Muslim world features numerous African artists. The biennale’s artistic director is Sumayya Vally, a South African architecture professor and principal of Counterspace design studio. A rising […]

A pedestrian crossing where vehicles almost never stop. Bicycle lanes obstructed by parked cars. An informal market that is starting to use bicycles to deliver their product. These are some of the issues raised during a walkabout or “talking streets” event in Langa about the future of transport in the township. Organised by the Langa […]

News about the Hawks investigation into South Africa Post Office boss, Nomkhitha Mona, has created concern amongst some social grants beneficiaries who are worried they won’t receive their grants… writes Godfrey Sigwela. The fears followed their excitement after the budget speech in which they were promised they would receive increments. But this led to worry […]