Google has today – Tuesday 27 April 2021 – published one of its famous doodles to celebrate South Africa’s Freedom Day. This year the search engine giant has selected the country’s national flower – the King Protea. “On this day in 1994, South Africa held its first post-apartheid elections, which granted citizens—regardless of their race—an […]

It was a fabulous Friday (23 April) for Big Bay Events in Hout Bay, South Africa, as a super pod of dolphins swam spectacularly and swiftly into view. With South Africa’s magnificent ocean grabbing some of the Oscar spotlight last night, thanks to My Octopus Teacher’s Academy Award win, here’s even more reason to celebrate […]

South Africa’s President and the country’s Arts and Culture Minister, along with thousands of other South Africans have welcomed the big SA win at the Oscars last night – Best Documentary Feature Academy Award for ‘My Octopus Teacher’. Here’s just some of the praise heaped on the spectacular underwater film: President Cyril Ramaphosa: Congratulations once […]

On Letsoala street, just metres away from where the 1976 Soweto Uprising took place, is the only weightlifting club in Soweto. Operating out of the front yard of defending SA Weightlifting Champion Khati Mabuya’s mother’s house, Lifting Dreams Soweto offers free weightlifting training for children aged nine to 17. Mabuya started the club in 2019 with his […]

The South African Police Service (SAPS) in Mpumalanga province say they have launched a “frantic manhunt” after the “heartless” and “sad incident” in which a mother and son were murdered on Saturday, during a robbery on a farm outside Nelspruit. Fifty-six-year-old Anna-Marie Botha and her 34-year-old son Ruan Britz (named as Rohn Britz by SAPS) […]

In recent years Constitution Hill has steadily become a home for arts and culture in Joburg. In addition to its excellent museums, what was once a prison and a colonial fort is now the venue for the annual Afropunk and Bashu Uhuru music festivals, where global stars have beamed music and light into what was […]

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has welcomed the arrest of Michael Lomas by the United Kingdom authorities in connection with Eskom’s R745 million Kusile power station corruption case. The businessman’s arrest in London earlier this month brings to five the number of people arrested in relation to the alleged crimes. He was granted a R1.7-million […]

Refuoe Mokuoane lives in an informal settlement but spends his days collecting waste in Johannesburg’s wealthiest suburbs, Sandton and other surrounding suburbs. Asked what that’s like, he told GroundUp: “We are dreaming of living like that one day”. Mokuoane, 39, is from Lesotho. He and Douglas Mali, 47, from the Eastern Cape, are among the […]

My Octopus Teacher has WON the Oscar! A huge win for South Africa’s tiny octopus. Whoop whoop! The mesmerising underwater doc, which was filmed in the Cape Peninsula waters, emerged as the winner of the Best Documentary Feature category at the 93rd Academy Awards last night. The film charts the special relationship a man develops […]

As Elon Musk’s SpaceX sent more astronauts into orbit this week, his family have rallied to congratulate him for the historic achievement – using a ‘recycled capsule and rocket’. As Endeavour arrived at the Space Station today, SpaceX confirmed the safe docking and said “second time at the space station for this Dragon”. NASA said […]

Smuts Hall university residence has saluted some of the unsung heroes at the University of Cape Town who went “beyond the call of duty” and put their own lives at risk during the horrific fire that swept across Table Mountain last week. A video by Siya Ntuntwana captures their heroics (watch below). Naming the heroes, […]

SA Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa’s decision to invoke his ministerial powers and strip Cricket SA of national recognition is a “devastating blow” to South African cricket, says DA Shadow Minister of Sport, Tsepo Mhlongo. “This decision will be devastating for South African cricket as the future of the game in our country now hangs in […]

A woman who was the victim of a gang rape almost 40 years ago, is seeking to change the law of prescription in civil matters, in order to sue those she says are responsible. In South Africa civil claims for sexual offences must be brought within three years unless the victim can show they were […]

It’s a tuk-tuk (a three-wheeled motor vehicle), but it is also a mobile library. On Thursday, the VUSA Academy Programme launched its mobile library initiative in Langa. Lungile Moferi drives the library slowly around the streets of Langa, and makes his first stop at an early childhood development centre called Dalukhanyo Pre-School. He is greeted […]

Lightning tonight struck the Satara Rest Camp in South Africa’s famous Kruger National Park, setting fire to a cottage chalet and burning it to the ground. Fortunately nobody was injured, although one or more guests’ vital chronic medication was destroyed and they have had to immediately leave the park. The South African National Parks (SANParks) […]

South Africa is literally drowning in potholes. This year’s summer of heatwaves and rain poured the perfect cocktail, cracking up the country’s tar roads. SA’s Pothole Pandemic Dodging dongas has become the new normal rendering trips to work, school, or hospital treacherous and often deadly. A social media call-out for viewer testimonies yielded over 400 […]

In a year when we’re all holding thumbs that My Octopus Teacher wins an Oscar, we’ve got good news for South Africans on where you can watch the 93rd Academy Awards live. Where can you watch the Academy Awards / Oscars in South Africa? You can be a part of one of the world’s most […]

A well known farmer in the Karkloof area, near Howick, in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Midlands has died after being stabbed during a farm attack in the early hours of this morning. Trevor Murphy unfortunately succumbed to his injuries on the way to hospital. According to security reports, three armed suspects gained entry to his premises […]

Brilliant South African author Deon Meyer has received France’s top cultural award – the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (Knight in the Order of Arts and Letters) – at a ceremony in Stellenbosch. Meyer, whose Afrikaans books are translated into French and numerous other languages, received the award on Tuesday, 20 April 2021. It […]

South Africa’s beloved former Public Protector Thulisile (Thuli) Madonsela, has had the French knighthood officially bestowed upon her in a beautiful ceremony in Stellenbosch this week. Writing on Twitter, Madonsela said she was “immensely overwhelmed with gratitude”. Prof Madonsela was appointed as Knight of the Legion of Honour by France’s President Emmanual Macron in November […]

The Snail and the Whale, directed by Max Lang and South Africa’s Daniel Snaddon, has won the Annie Award in Los Angeles for Best Special Production, which recognises excellence in animation. Animated in Cape Town by Triggerfish and produced by Magic Light Pictures, The Snail and the Whale (which is currently streaming on Showmax across most […]

African National Congress (ANC) veteran and businessman Tokyo Sexwale addresses the media, about his claims that billions (or trillions) of rand have been stolen from the WSB (White Spiritual Boy) Heritage Fund after being deposited at the central bank. The SA government refuted Tokyo’s claims. Watch video below. The National Treasury and South African Reserve […]

The SA Cabinet has welcomed the recommendation by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority to lift the suspension of the Johnson and Johnson (J&J) Sisonke Vaccination Programme. The suspension in SA followed the suspension of the J&J vaccination rollout programme in the USA after six people, who received the J&J vaccine, developed a rare type […]

After reaching out to schools across South Africa with his coding project, Prof Jean Greyling from Nelson Mandela University has grave concerns regarding the new Coding and Robotics Curricula in the country. Prof Greyling has consequently written this open letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa… Dear President Ramaphosa I am inspired and emboldened to write you […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa has tonight, Wednesday 21 April, announced 27 October 2021 as the date on which local government elections will take place. In a statement on the Presidency, it said this will be the sixth time under South Africa’s democratic dispensation that voters will elect leadership and public representatives at metropolitan, district and local […]