The regulations promulgated by the South African government relating to the lockdown Levels 3 and 4 under the Disaster Management Act have been declared unconstitutional and invalid, and the government has been given 14 days to rectify them. In the Gauteng High Court, Justice N Davis said the invalidity was suspended for 14 days, and […]

Comair is unlikely to start operating again before November this year, with a downsized fleet, despite the easing of restrictions on air travel as the airline requires a substantial cash injection, the company’s business rescue practitioners said today. Comair, which controls kulula and the local flights of British Airways, said it was in discussions with […]

In six months’ time the world’s gaze will be trained on what is gearing up to be a contentious and hotly contested presidential election in the US. Irrespective of who emerges victorious between the incumbent President Donald Trump and the Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, South Africa needs to start thinking about what it stands to […]

The body of a man who apparently fell while climbing Table Mountain above Kirstenbosch on the first day of Level 3 of the lockdown has been found, according to a spokesman for Wilderness Search and Rescue. WSAR’s Johan Marais was quoted on News24 saying that WSAR had responded to a call on Monday from someone […]

In welcome news for stranded expats who need to head back to their homes or jobs in the UK, or from London to South Africa, two potential flights have been announced for next week. The target timing of the flights is 11 and 12 June, but a minimum number of 450 passengers (in- and outbound) […]

The Democratic Alliance says its lawyers have written to the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, over the continuous ban on personal care services, such as hairdressers. In a press statement on Tuesday, Dean Macpherson – DA Shadow Minister of Trade and Industry, said: “The continued criminalisation of the personal […]

There were queues all over South Africa today, Monday 1 June, as residents lined up to purchase bottles of wine, beer and spirits after the nine-week ban on alcohol sales (due to Lockdown regulations). Tom Brown captured on film one of the longest queues in the country… at the liquor store at Macro in Cenurion. […]

With British newspapers calling it ‘The Crate Escape’, thieves in South Africa managed to tunnel into a Joburg bottle store and steal about R300,000 worth of alcohol, during the Lockdown. The incredible theft was only discovered a few days ago when the manageress entered the closed premises to start preparing for the liquor store to […]

Conservation groups from South Africa and around the globe have called on the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and their Global Tourism Crisis Committee to phase out close-contact wildlife encounters and entertainment practices in tourism to help build a more resilient and sustainable industry going forward…. writes environmental writer Louzel Lombard Steyn.  This as […]

Although liquor sales are allowed from today, the two-month ban on the sale of alcohol, combined with a ban on exports, has had a devastating impact on the wine industry. According to figures released by Vinpro last week, about 80 wineries and 350 producers have gone out of business, and 18,000 workers have lost their […]

KLM / Air France have announced more repatriation flights scheduled from South Africa to Europe! These flights will also be useful for the many South African expats, or those with work visas currently stuck in SA, to return to the UK. KLM says they have worked hard to get the flights displayed on their websites […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa has congratulated Pretoria-born global technology pioneer Elon Musk for his company SpaceX’s historic first commercial flight into space, saying he has made South Africa proud. Powered by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft carried NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley into space on Saturday, en route to docking […]

It has been 9 weeks since the ban on the purchase of alcohol was announced in South Africa as part of Lockdown regulations. Filmmaker and photographer Martin de Kock from MDKafrica was on the scene Monday morning to capture these photos of the long queues of South Africans as bottle stores re-opened for the first […]

A business rescue plan for South Africa Airways was leaked to the media before it could be commented on by stakeholders, such as the government and the airline’s creditors, according to the business rescue practitioners Siviwe Dongwana and Les Matuson. Reports in the media earlier today said the “leaked” report put forward a plan that […]

A total of 22 new COVID-19 related deaths – all in the Western Cape – have been recorded as the total number of positive cases in South Africa climbs to 34,357 on Monday. The 22 new deaths bring the total to 525 deaths in the Western Cape, increasing the national figure to 705. This means […]

South African Airways (SAA) has received approvals to operate several repatriation flights in June, including to and from destinations not on their usual routes. See list below. As SA’s national carrier, it was able to secure approvals to operate repatriation flights during Lockdown, despite the closure of borders. Since 3 April the airline has conducted […]

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has apologised ‘wholeheartedly’ for the inconvenience following the reopening of schools being postponed to 8 June 2020. On Sunday, the Minister announced a delay to the reopening of schools by a week, following a series of consultations, and the meeting of the Council of Education Ministers (CEM) on Saturday to […]

The Drakensberg Boys Chamber Choir have released a beautiful a cappella version of the classic ‘Smile’, by Charlie Chaplin, arranged by Ben Bram. This is the second song which was produced in its entirety during South Africa’s national lockdown with the boys at their homes. The Drakensberg  Boys Choir said: “We thought this song perfectly […]

The Dragon Endeavour, carrying two astronauts, has safely landed at the International Space Station (ISS). An elated NASA said this is the “first time in human history” that NASA astronauts have entered the ISS from a commercially-made spacecraft, referring to the Dragon Endeavour which was built by South African expat Elon Musk’s Space-X private company. […]

South African seafarers on board a cruise ship that was off the coast of the USA and is now on the North Atlantic, have sung – loudly and proudly – at news that they are finally heading home to SA. Watch below (and try not to cry!) as they sing In The Jungle… but with […]

A small Facebook page with a huge heart has made a big difference to thousands of people in Gauteng, South Africa, during Lockdown… delivering over 5,000 parcels, feeding thousands and creating three temporary shelters. The page is One Small Act of Kindness and is run by nursery school owner Kelly-Ann Van Der Meer… whose loved […]

As South Africans grapple with a cigarette ban, it’s World No-Tobacco Day today – Sunday 31 May – and here are the latest insights on Tobacco and Covid-19 from the World Health Organisation (WHO). As tobacco kills up to half of its users, the WHO has released a global campaign #TobaccoExposed to debunk myths and […]

Jackson Babi, a well-known Prophet, along with a police officer attached to the Very Important Persons Protection Directorate, was amongst seven suspects arrested on Monday in Namibia for poaching and trading in wildlife contraband… writes Niël Terblanché from Informante. Lightning quick investigative work by members of the Protected Resources Division of the Namibian Police saw […]

South African expat Elon Musk’s Space-X company has just made history with the first privately-owned and operated spacecraft launching two astronauts on a journey to the International Space Station. It’s also the first US launch in almost 10 years. And ten million people watched the live streaming! The launch was postponed from Thursday after weather […]

Hiking and self-drives in some of the country’s private and public national parks will be allowed from 1 June, the Minister of Tourism has announced. Hotels and guest houses will also be open, but not for leisure guests. Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said that as an integral part of the economy, the tourism sector needed to open […]