The UK will introduce a ban on ivory sales, Environment Secretary Michael Gove confirmed yesterday as he set out the country’s plans to help protect elephants for future generations. The Government, he said, is publishing the response to its consultation on a UK ivory sales ban, and confirming robust measures that will be brought into […]

Team South Africa are in action across six sporting codes on Thursday (5 April) at the Commonwealth Games in Australia – badminton, bowls, cycling, hockey, swimming and triathlon. But first there’s the Opening Ceremony on the Gold Coast in Queensland this evening. If you’re in South Africa – watch the ceremony live on SuperSport Channel […]

South African property icon – Pam Golding – passed away peacefully yesterday, 03 April 2018, at her home Wittebomen in Constantia, Cape Town. She was 90-years-old. Pam launched her career in the male-dominated real estate industry in 1976, when she and her late husband Cecil were a “typical, young married couple with two small children. […]

It has been announced on Tuesday afternoon that former SABC 1 news anchor, Noxolo Grootboom, is set to make a return to South African TV screens… albeit briefly. The legendary Grootboom will cover the state funeral of the late Winnie Madikizela Mandela on 14 April 2018. Grootboom delighted her fans when she appeared briefly on […]

Freedom fighter Winnie Nomzamo Madikizela-Mandela will be laid to rest on 14 April 2018, during a state funeral. President Cyril Ramaphosa made the announcement on Monday night outside the home of the late struggle stalwart in Orlando, Soweto. He had earlier met with the Mandela family to offer his condolences and support. “At a national […]

With the death yesterday of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela at the age of 81, the reactions in South Africa were divided. Some praised a woman who kept Nelson Mandela’s name alive and sacrificed so much of her life for her country – even the opposition called her a “true freedom fighter and an iconic South African” (in the […]

Tributes have poured in for Winnie Mandela who passed away on Monday at the age of 81. Actor Idris Elba tweeted she “lived a full and important life contributing to the liberation of a nation by force and ACTUAL ACTIVISM”, and supermodel Naomi Campbell said “I cherish the times I spent with you, embracing me in […]

Efforts are underway to increase overseas voting stations for the 2019 National Elections. In 2014, many expats missed out on voting because their nearest voting station was a couple of expensive flights away. For instance, South Africans living – or on business – in Australia found themselves having to travel from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and […]

Winnie Mandela, ANC anti-apartheid activist and wife of former President Nelson Mandela, has passed away in Johannesburg, South Africa, at the age of 81. Her family said in a statement Monday: “It is with profound sadness that we inform the public that Mrs Winnie Madikizela-Mandela passed away at the Netcare Milpark Hospital, Johannesburg, South African […]

The 2018 Commonwealth Games here on the Gold Coast, Australia, sees just over 6,600 athletes from around the globe leave their homes and converge on a single site, writes MARK ETHERIDGE. That site is the Commonwealth Games Village and for roughly 10 days, depending on different athletes and their schedules, this becomes their home from […]

At least three trucks (some reports say five) were torched near Mooi River Plaza on Easter Monday in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, causing traffic chaos and blocking thousands of holiday makers returning from Durban to Johannesburg. UPDATE 30 APRIL 2018: 18 Trucks Torched, 35 Damaged, 54 Arrested in Mooi River Protests, South Africa The N3 was completely […]

Not everyone was amused by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s April Fool’s joke yesterday. The South African born and raised expat, who now lives in the USA, tweeted that his electric car company, Tesla, had gone bankrupt… “completely and totally bankrupt”. Musk tweeted: “Despite intense efforts to raise money, including a last-ditch mass sale of Easter […]

Not paying your e-tolls is not a traffic infringement in South Africa, but under the Administrative Adjunction of Road Traffic Offences Act (Aarto) it instead counts as disobeying a road sign. According to Fred Nel, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Roads and Transport, this means that when the demerit system does come into effect, drivers […]

South African comedian Trevor Noah had his fans back home guessing on 1 April 2018 whether his announcement about a show back home is an April Fool’s joke or not. It didn’t help that Trevor started the message with  the words (in capitals): “THIS IS NOT AN APRIL FOOL’S JOKE!” Trevor said: “I am surprising […]

Western Cape ANC MP Cameron Dugmore posted the most incredibly moving account of his Two Oceans Marathon experience yesterday in Cape Town, South Africa. Writing on Facebook Dugmore captioned his story “My Two Oceans” and said: “I had a tough but eventually awesome Two Oceans. I clearly did not train enough and was battling from […]

Twelve British tourists – including two children – were allegedly traumatised after being robbed in Mpumalanga, South Africa, on their way to Swaziland, on Thursday night. Update April 2020: British model Katie Price confirms she was attacked in carjacking incident in South Africa. According to the SABC three of the people were badly injured and […]

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa was spotted on board a flight this morning… happily smiling in economy class. Johannesburg resident Mlimandlela Ndamase posted the photo on Twitter on Good Friday. Ndamase tweeted that if President Ramaphosa could fly SafAir then the next time a client demands business class, you just need to “tell them you’re flying […]

Unknown to many, there is the most beautiful area to explore in KwaZulu-Natal from the East Coast, around Durban, and up to Hilton… but thanks to the efforts of  former South African expat, Cheryl LefevreMaid, who has returned for a while to the land she loves, more people will soon be enjoying this gorgeous region. Cheryl […]

Mmusi Maimane, Leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA), claims the EFF, ANC and UDM coalition have deliberately resorted to “disrupting and attempting to collapse” the Council meeting in Nelson Mandela Bay today… and says this is because “they know they will not win” the Motion of No Confidence against Mayor Athol Trollip. The Council meeting […]

Civil rights watchdog AfriForum has given Nosiviwe Noluthando Mapisa-Nqakula, Minister of Defence, 90 days to provide reasons for not acting against Maj. M.V. Mohlala of the South African National Defence Force’s (SANDF’s) Signal Formation at the Wonderboom Military Base in Pretoria. According to AfriForum, Mohlala published statements are “exceptionally offensive, racist and harmful, and fall […]

Steve Smith is the recently sacked captain of the world champion Australian cricket team… writes Alan Knott-Craig.  He’s also the top ranked Test batsman in the world. Smith was fired after admitting to asking one of his players, Cameron Bancroft, to tamper with the ball, which is tantamount to cheating. World reaction to his behaviour has been scathing. […]

Former real estate agent Vicki Momberg has been sentenced to a three-year imprisonment in South Africa, following her conviction on four counts of crimen injuria for racist remarks made towards a black police officer. Momberg was captured on video shouting racial insults and slurs at the police officer who was assisting her after she herself […]

The wife of a carjacking victim in Gauteng has praised the act of kindness and heroism displayed by off-duty South African policeman, Captain Maqabe, and credits him for her children still having a father. She said Maqabe will remain a hero forever for her, her husband and her children. “My two boys still have their […]

A Cape Town mother and her daughter were held hostage by ostriches in the Eastern Cape on Sunday! Amanda Stergianos told SAPeople: “I travelled up to Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape to visit my daughter who is a boarder there. “We decided to stay in accommodation on an estate called Fort Beaufort, 20 minutes from […]

“How do you get Australians to punt our South African beer? Simple. You go to Newlands and ask them.” That’s the premise of a new ad for Newlands Spring Beer. The catch of course is that the advertisers went to Newlands in Western Australia, where the Aussie tasters presumed they were drinking good ol’ Aussie brew… […]