An aerial photo taken by Stan Sanetra this morning in South Africa, flying over the Western Cape’s False Bay, had many people wondering just what caused the phenomenon of the ocean appearing to be split in half, displaying two distinct colours on either side of an invisible boundary line. We turned to an expert – […]

Tourists are still being encouraged to visit Cape Town, despite Day Zero looming (when taps will be turned off on 12 April 2018) and international headlines about South Africa’s Mother City running out of water. (Please see Tourists FAQ about the water crisis in Cape Town below.) Jayne Dickson, a British tourist, said she is […]

An American travel blogger and video maker, Drew Binsky, has created a fantastic video listing the ten ways you know you’re in South Africa. His list includes the usual suspects that are unique to South Africa like biltong and braais, but also has items like how we call chapstick or lip balm – ‘lip ice’. […]

South African expat Julian Miller has a message for South Africa and for fellow SA expats as he leaves SA “after five glorious weeks traveling from Johannesburg to Plett to Cape Town to Pilanesberg and back to Johannesburg…” “The South African people made our holiday… especially the banter we had with everyone on a daily […]

We’ve just returned to Canada after spending almost four weeks in South Africa… writes Daleen Loest. We spent some time in Gauteng and then toured the Western Cape and the West Coast. Man, what a breathtaking place South Africa is! We never felt unsafe, and people were friendly, helpful and just plain awesome all the way. […]

Elders, the best-selling Afrikaans book about the Camino pilgrimage in Spain by writer, journalist and TV presenter Erns Grundling, is the inspiration behind Elders: Die Camino, a documentary series launching on KykNET and Showmax this January (and available to South Africans abroad – subscribe here!). The book is based on Erns Grundling’s personal experience along the […]

Thousands visit Sea Point pool, one of the few municipal pools in Cape Town operating during the drought. Because it uses sea water, the Sea Point Pavilion has been one of the few municipal pools open during the summer school holidays. Barry Christianson photographed Capetonians enjoying this famous public space. Families from all over Cape […]

This year’s annual Tweede Nuwe Jaar (Second New Year) celebration – on Tuesday 02 January 2018 – was as brilliant as usual… providing a colourful display to the crowds, as over 13,000 dancers took to the streets of Cape Town to celebrate what’s known as the Kaapse Klopse Carnival. Oday Mtour captured these spectacular photographs… The Carnival’s […]

DURBAN – Ethekwini Municipality has requested that the parents of three children, left on Durban beaches during the New Year long weekend, urgently make contact with authorities to be reunited with their children. Beaches were packed on 01 January 2018 and parents had been urged to make sure they took their child to a Child […]

It may not have been the sunniest day in Durban today, but grey skies didn’t stop thousands of beach goers still flocking to the KwaZulu-Natal beachfront in what has become a famous New Year’s Day annual tradition… the one time of the year that most people are not working, and are able to travel to […]

An elderly couple from London sailed right into a bureaucratic nightmare when their ship docked in Cape Town last week, and – thanks to a bureaucratic error – they were banned from entering South Africa for five years. The couple – Joan (88) and Alexander Klein (93) – were on a Crystal Cruise, sailing from […]

A young 25-year-old Arab guy from Israel is doing more for Africa in a one-minute video than most of us combined. Watch here as Nuseir Yassin breaks some of the negative perceptions about Africa. Over 4.2 million have already watched it (update: now over 10 million!)… https://www.facebook.com/nasdaily/videos/935030406649112/ Nuseir (Nas) – who graduated from Harvard and […]

Cape Town is experiencing its worst drought ever and Day Zero is looming (when taps will be turned off and residents will have to queue for water). As the beautiful Mother City starts to welcome local and international tourists to its shores for the festive season, there are some concerns that visitors are not aware […]

An historic moment occurred last month when a Johannesburg City Heritage blue plaque, in honour of the legendary boxing trainer and promotor Theo Mthembu, was unveiled on the wall outside his home in Dube, Johannesburg. He moved into the house in 1955 and lived there for over 50 years. This is the first ever Heritage […]

If you’re not an early riser, here’s a chance to enjoy the spectacular Lion’s Head sunrise on an early morning hike up Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. (And maybe after watching this you may be tempted to get out of bed early in the morning, at least once, to enjoy this phenomenal experience.) […]

It’s official. Again! For the fifth year in a row, the greatest city in the world has been named as Cape Town! And that’s according to over 90,000 people so you can’t argue with that! The 2017 Telegraph Travel Awards are selected according to votes cast by 90,000 readers of the UK newspaper. The paper describes […]

Just over a month since winning the award for being Africa’s leading airport, Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) is greeting its tourists with the remnants of a month-old gang-related shooting scene. (17/11/17 – Please see update below.) The award was presented at the 2017 World Travel Africa Awards gala ceremony in Rwanda on 10 October […]

Pro paragliding pilot, editor and cinematagropher Jean-Baptiste Chandelier – together with collaborators – has created a beautiful video, Weightless, which features stunning scenes of Camp’s Bay in the Western Cape, South Africa. The footage was filmed above Sao Miguel & Corvo / Azores / Portugal; Briançon & Serre Chevalier / France; Canoa Quebrada / Brazil […]

BBC Travel has posted a video of South Africa’s legendary Chapman’s Peak Drive (aka Chappies), saying: “We were unaware that we were about to embark on the most scenic drive of our lives.” Unfortunately – as pointed out by many South Africans viewing the video – the footage of the 9km route doesn’t actually include […]

Volunteer tourism, or voluntourism, is an emerging trend of travel linked to “doing good”. Yet these efforts to help people and the environment have come under heavy criticism – I believe for good reason. Voluntourists’ ability to change systems, alleviate poverty or provide support for vulnerable children is limited. They simply don’t have the skills. […]

If you are visiting Johannesburg, then Soweto Township is a place to visit before leaving the city, to experience the vibrant street life and witness some historical sites offering a unique kasi sightseeing experience. As South Africa’s most famous township, Soweto has a rich history with significant historical sites, different lifestyles, cultures and fashion which […]

A team – including 200 South African volunteers – has mapped the best of the country’s wild landscapes – including its most prolific parks and the botanical wonders it offers – as part of an exciting launch with Google Street View called South Africa 360. (See awesome videos below.) The team of passionate South Africans […]

For those not already lucky enough to be living in South Africa, Lonely Planet has selected SA as one of the Top 10 countries travellers NEED to visit in 2018. Apart from South Africa’s beautiful beaches… majestic mountains, delicious wine, and wildly wild wildlife… Lonely Planet also gives a shout out to the country’s vibrant […]

Locals and visitors to South Africa, in search of delicious local produce and sun-ripened flavours, served in a glorious heritage environment, can enjoy a summer picnic at 317-year-old Vergelegen wine estate in Somerset West. Available from early November to end-April, the famous picnics are enjoyed in fine style. They are set up in a lush […]

South Africa’s streets may not be paved with gold… but the streets in Pretoria are currently paved with beautiful purple petals. As Ria Viljoen – who photographed the stunning pictures on this page – says, “I am again overwhelmed with the beauty of the purple display of blossoms and blessings in the streets of the […]