She’s 90 years old and thrashing runners half her age! Undefeated by lockdown or the pandemic, South Africa’s astonishing Deirdre Larkin kicked off her ninth decade with a gentle 10km run. This Sunday Carte Blanche meets the humble, humorous South African running legend, a national treasure who turned 90 on SA’s Heritage Day (24 September).  […]

You can watch Carte Blanche on Sunday 10 October in South Africa on DStv Now or stream it overseas in most countries from Tuesday 12 October if you live abroad (in most countries). Here are this week’s must-watch topics: The Mysterious Case of Dead African Penguins Penguins are an endangered species spending most of their […]

This Heritage Month, you can celebrate South African stories and talents in this collection of movies, comedy and documentaries that tell fascinating tales of the complicated, beautiful land we love. Most of these are also available to South Africans living abroad in many countries. Browse full collection  On Heritage Day (Friday 24 September) – settle […]

Teaching is a difficult profession, especially in some of South Africa’s poorest schools. But for many educators, it’s a rewarding calling. Now, despite the odds, a headmaster working in a remote village in Limpopo has won the Global Principals’ Award. This week, Carte Blanche meets the man who has been recognised for his excellence – […]

Rodwell Nkomazana’s face was mauled by a hyena near his home, while he was sleeping at a church gathering in Harare, Zimbabwe, in May. The future looked grim, but thanks to the kindness of strangers – from donors and supporters to medical experts in South Africa who’ve worked pro bono – the little boy, who […]

At least one registered South African remains in Afghanistan, while 35 have been evacuated, according to the SA Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO). This Sunday, SA current affairs show Carte Blanche follows the harrowing escape of one of those 35 South Africans. “Working in security, alongside thousands of westerners and Afghan civilians, South […]

Here’s what’s coming up on Carte Blanche this week – you can watch the show on Sunday 29 August in South Africa on DStv Now or stream it overseas in most countries on Showmax International from Tues 31 August if you’re abroad. INVESTIGATE Drivers’ Licence Jam As the grace period to renew drivers’ licences was […]

Up and down the coast of Cape Town, a growing number of people have taken to the extremely cold water every day throughout winter, extolling the healing magic of cold water swimming. For them, it’s been an unexpected reprieve from the ongoing pandemic, claiming the icy-cold waters helped them fight the loneliness of lockdown, boosted […]

It’s hard to believe that Tatjana Schoenmaker nearly gave up after failing to qualify for the Rio Olympics in 2016. But fortunately, she followed her own advice: to refocus and keep going! Celebrating Tatjana Schoenmaker   Tatjana’s gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics’ 200 metre breaststroke was the first individual swimming record to be broken […]

It is no secret that police officers in South Africa, who are implicated in violent crimes, are rarely held accountable. On a Friday evening in December 2013, 15-year-old Damian Ahrendse was shot and killed near his mother’s house in Wesbank, on the Cape Flats. Because of  the failure of the South African Police Service (SAPS) […]

The first Showmax Original true-crime series, Devilsdorp, launched on Thursday, 29 July 2021 to five-star reviews, topping Showmax’s SA Top 20 and setting a new record for the most hours watched in its first four days of launch of any film or series ever on Showmax – outperforming the likes of Game of Thrones, The […]

From gang-infested Bonteheuwel on the Cape Flats, South Africa, where drug wars and random killings limit the choices and futures of young people, comes a story of inspiration and beating overwhelming odds to realise a virtually impossible dream. At the age of eight, Tamika van As has become the 2021 Juvenile South African National Figure […]

You can watch Carte Blanche on Sunday 25 July in South Africa on DStv Now or stream it overseas in most countries from Tues 27 July on Showmax International. This is what’s coming up this week: Vigilantes Amid the Violence As Durban emerges from the smoke and ashes of looting and unrest, deep-seated divisions – […]

If you sign up for Showmax Pro before 31 August 2021, you’ll receive two months of access for the price of one.  After more than a year’s wait, the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 kicks off today – 23 July – until 8 August. And whilst the Tokyo 2020 event will be unlike any other Olympic […]

Tonight’s episode of Carte Blanche is packed with must-watch items – from the violent protests of the past week to the impact of the Delta variant, an uplifting story of hope with another South African medical breakthrough… and the plight of KZN’s vervet monkeys. You can watch the show on Sunday 18 July in South […]

South African sailors Alex Burger and Benji Daniel have set sail for Tokyo under the expert guidance of their coach, double Olympian Asenathi Jim. Theirs is a uniquely South African story – athletes from vastly different backgrounds united through a common passion behind one goal – Olympic gold. TOKYO 2021 – Sailing for Olympic Gold While […]

Jacob Zuma today, Friday 2 July, made a last-minute attempt for freedom as Sunday rapidly approaches, by which time he has to hand himself in to Nkandla Police Station to serve a 15-month prison sentence. Don’t miss Carte Blanche this Sunday at 7pm (or Showmax on Tuesday if you’re abroad) as the current affairs show […]

The incidents of hunting with dogs is escalating across South Africa, particularly in rural KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). This week, Carte Blanche investigates to find out: is it an innocent traditional pastime fuelled by poverty… or a brutal, self-serving gambler’s game? Hunting with Dogs In a controversial practice that is increasing across the country, participants in so-called […]

For the first time in history, the entire country of South Africa may soon be lit up. Eskom has never been able to provide power to 100% of the population. And while the state-owned enterprise has battled to keep existing lights on, it has been unable to spend the time and energy needed to resurrect […]

On Johannesburg’s West Rand, over 1700 hectares of waste piles and open pits have been left behind after the 2018 liquidation of the Australian company Mintails Mining South Africa. Click here if you’re looking for the latest update on what’s coming up on Carte Blanche this Sunday. With an ongoing legal battle relating to a […]

Here are the highlights of the hot new series, movies, doccies – and of course, one special that’s big, big news – and streaming on Showmax in June. Don’t be left out in the cold – watch Friends: The Reunion and more of the most-talked-about shows streaming right now, from Kate Winslet’s bleak, brilliant Mare […]

It’s been three and a half years since the epic crash of retailing giant Steinhoff – the biggest corporate scandal in South Africa’s history… which wiped more than R200 billion off the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. The company has admitted unlawful conduct, yet there have been no charges and no prosecutions. Currently, Steinhoff faces about 90 […]

“The idea of a woman marrying more than one man has been the subject of heated debates over the last few weeks (in South Africa),” says Carte Blanche presenter Claire Mawisa. There have also been memes and video jokes posted with many men finding the idea “preposterous” and women joking that who would want to […]

At least 400,000 South Africans have been arrested over the past year for breaking COVID-19 lockdown regulations like not wearing a mask… and many are now left with life-damaging criminal records. Last year, Carte Blanche reported on allegations of unwarranted brutality and violence when police arrested people for breaking these lockdown regulations. This week, the […]

It has been just over a month since gentle KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) farmer, Neil McKay, was tied up in his wheelchair and strangled to death. There have still been no arrests, according to the McKay family’s spokesperson. It is not surprising to discover that farming communities in the South African province – which have suffered at […]