Over 200 Australians have been safely repatriated from Johannesburg, South Africa to Australia. The 256 Australians who were repatriated from SA on Wednesday, all had to undergo a health assessment when they landed in Perth, according to 7News. The new arrivals will have to spend two weeks in mandatory quarantine, although the Western Australian government […]

The consequences of the COVID-19 lockdown are yet to be fully determined and understood. But one thing we can be fairly certain of – in South Africa its impact will be shaped by the country’s inequalities. Our study reveals that half of the adult population survives with near-zero savings, while 3,500 individuals own 15% of […]

South Africa’s prudent decision to institute a countrywide lockdown has circumvented an exponential explosion of cases of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic within the borders of the country, the Department of Health said on Tuesday. The Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize, said while the lockdown will not spell the end of new infections, it has, […]

If the Springboks’ 2019 Rugby World Cup triumph was a heroic tale, the story behind the famous win is even more remarkable It’s an adventure that will be given life in the coming months with SuperSport and SA Rugby’s six-part documentary, “Chasing the Sun”, deep in production ahead of release, planned for August. A SuperSport […]

Multi-talented classic South African tenor Etienne van der Nest has been bringing Berlin to a stop each evening, as he sings magnificently from his balcony. As word has grown in the German city about Etienne’s performances, crowds have gathered to watch, to listen, to record, to applaud and to appreciate. To feel connected and in […]

Many journalists, including us, are finding the quantity of science reports on Covid-19 overwhelming. The aim of this occasional column, which we’re calling Covid-19 Report, will be to alert reporters in South Africa (and anyone else who is interested) to the best and most important science, and also clear up misconceptions. What’s our methodology? We […]

An abundance of snow fell again last night in southern Africa, turning mountain slopes in Lesotho into a winter wonderland. Check out the gorgeous photos and videos below by Martin Schultz at Afriski Mountain Resort. Afriski Director, Peter Peyper, said “we have received more snow during April this year than we did in the past […]

Wildlife campaigners from 339 organisations from around the world, including the Lion Coalition, Humane Society International, Blood Lions and Born Free Foundation, are calling on the World Health Organisation to release a formal position statement in support of a global ban on wildlife markets selling wild animals or products, in light of the risk to […]

Evidence is building around the world that elderly people are the most vulnerable group in the COVID-19 pandemic. They are more likely to develop severe symptoms and to die from this viral disease, especially if they have other medical conditions like heart disease or high blood pressure. Globally, the death rate from COVID-19 increases most […]

If you’re a South African living abroad, and can spare just £20… that could help feed 200 kids back home with sandwiches and fruit for a week! Gordon’s Bay resident Inge Andrea Meischke Elliott, who herself was a former expat living in the USA, is calling on expats worldwide to please help (if you can) […]

Twelve rangers, their driver, and four civilians were killed near the famous Virunga National Park headquarters on Friday (24 April) in what Game Rangers Association of Africa described as a “horrific roadside ambush”. Four other rangers were severely wounded, of which one remains in a critical condition, according to Virunga National Park. Two other civilians […]

In celebration of Freedom Day 2020, which was yesterday 27 April, a Nelson Mandela quote was emblazoned proudly across a building in New York city. The SA Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) posted a photo, saying “this amazing wrap is displayed in all its glory in Time Square, New York.” The quote used […]

Severe restrictions on travel and economic activity have been imposed in many parts of the world. For the poor, recessions have always meant starvation, lack of medical support for diseases including HIV treatment programmes, and in particular the deaths of infants and children vulnerable to malnutrition and childhood disease. What do the restrictions mean for […]

About 1.5 million more South Africans will from 1 May return to work as government begins to lift a fraction of COVID-19 lockdown regulations. This comes as government gradually eases the economy back into activity as announced this week by President Cyril Ramaphosa. The regulations were introduced last month as government sought to counter the […]

South Africans “celebrate” Freedom Day through gritted teeth, with a wry smile and an acute sense of irony, this year. Many, if not most, will be lamenting the loss of freedom due to the COVID-19 lockdown. For most professionals, there will be no public holiday, since days slide seamlessly into one another, punctuated only by […]

The South African flag has today been projected onto the world’s tallest building – the Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai – in honour of Freedom Day, 27 April 2020. This comes just days after the SA flag was projected onto the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps. On Monday, the Burj Khalifa page said: “Burj Khalifa […]

No one knows what is going on. So many versions of Level Four have circulated that we all have whiplash, and if you didn’t have an anxiety disorder before, you sure as shit have it now… writes Kim Nicola Stephens. Runners got their shoes all ready and prepped and then someone said NO JOGGING and […]

As South Africa went into Covid-19 lockdown in late March, over 50 performers encouraged the nation to do something powerful –  “to reflect on the lyrics of our anthem, as a source of inspiration and optimism, and to bravely sing it out loud.” Yesterday the man behind the concept – James Bassingthwaighte – announced: “1000+ […]

Here follows the message by President Cyril Ramaphosa on the occasion of Freedom Day in South Africa, during Lockdown, 27 April 2020… in full: Fellow South Africans, Sanibonani. Dumelang. Inhlekani. Molweni. Lotjhani. Ndi masiari. Goeie dag. Good afternoon. On this day twenty-six years ago, a new nation was born in Africa. On the 27th of […]

2020 was going to be a great year for everyone… writes Ari Seirlis, an advisor to the President on disability matters and strategy. I remember reading many friends’ Facebook comments about how this new decade was going to be groundbreaking – vast opportunities, wealth, health and relationships were all going to flourish. A Black Swan […]

South Africans who are stuck in Australia, Indonesia and New Zealand – and who would like to be repatriated home – are urged to submit an online form to book a seat on a private Australian charter plane this coming Friday 1 May 2020. According to Julia Kerr Henkel, who has been stuck in Indonesia for […]

A delegation of 217 Cuban Medical specialists arrived in South Africa in the early hours of Monday, just after midnight. The Cuban Medical brigade includes infectious diseases specialists, and has come to South Africa to support the country in its efforts to deal with #Covid_19, said the National Department of Health South Africa. The group […]

Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Freedom Day celebrations in South Africa will be marked using online platforms, says the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture. “Freedom Day, as South Africans know it, is very different this year… The COVID-19… pandemic has changed things… [from] the norm,” said the department ahead of Freedom Day […]

South Africa’s Police Minister Bheki Cele has issued an apology to the Muslim community for blasphemous remarks during the arrest of worshippers at a Mosque on Saturday. The video of the arrest, where a police officer can be heard making the remarks during the arrest in Masibekela, Mpumalanga, has been doing the rounds on social […]

South Africa has confirmed a total of 4 546 COVID-19 cases, with 87 deaths. “We regrettably report another COVID-19 related death in the Western Cape, which increases the total number of deaths to 87. “We convey condolences to the family and appreciate our frontline workers who treated this patient,” the Minister of Health, Dr Zwelini […]