South African musician and expat Johan de Cock is currently presenting an online piano concert via YouTube in the UK. Watch below… “I’ll be playing some works by Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin and Gershwin. If you fancy some beautiful, relaxing classical music, please join us. “The great thing about an online concert is that you don’t […]

South African media outlet News24 has apologised for publishing a false news story that claimed American philanthropist and Microsoft founder Bill Gates wants to test a vaccine in Africa. News24 admitted in a tweet on Sunday evening: “On Saturday, we published a story about philanthropist Bill Gates’ support for SA with Covid-19. We wrongly reported […]

Western Cape amateur film maker Gershwin Williams has captured haunting footage of Cape Town under lockdown, during South Africa’s 21-day Lockdown. Gershwin says: “A dose of my experiences in and around Cape Town, South Africa.” Gershwin was able to capture the scenes of desolation because “I have an essential services permit, so I took my […]

Check out this new song performed by the award-winning Drakensberg Boys Choir called Ubuhle Bendalo which means The Beauty of Nature in Zulu. The music and lyrics are by composer and conductor  Sivuyile Scott; and has been adapted by Bernard Krüger and Tobias Stückelberger. (See lyrics beneath the video.) Grade 9 learner Samkelo Mdakane delivers […]

Two more elderly people have sadly passed away in KwaZulu-Natal, where South Africa’s coronavirus mortality is at its highest, according to a Covid-19 update by Health Minister Zweli Mkhize. The Minister said a gentleman aged 80 passed away on 1 April, and an 81-year-old female on 2 April. “Both didn’t have a history of travelling […]

A singing doctor in America is taking the world by storm, and in a way his inspiration to help people all started with a trip to South Africa a few years ago… which left him feeling “unstoppable”. Dr Elvis Francois (his name really is Elvis!) posted a video a couple of weeks ago from Rochester […]

Ministers representing the Coronavirus National Command Council updated the nation on revisions to some of the Lockdown regulations on Thursday evening. (It’s still ongoing – watch below.) Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said clarifications and the strengthening and relaxing of some regulations would be ongoing as the government learnt from […]

American singer Chris Mann’s brilliant Adele parody of Hello – his version being “Hello (from the Inside)” – has now been viewed by OVER 6 million people on YouTube since he posted it on 26 March. The reason it’s been so popular worldwide is that everyone can relate! The song begins: “Hello, it’s me, I’m […]

What a wonderful world it is… as people all over the planet join together separately to create videos like this. John Foreman’s Aussie Pops Orchestra posted this video on YouTube and said: “While we’re all staying at home, the talented musicians of the Aussie Pops Orchestra, together with some amazing Australian artists, have phoned in […]

The short dragon movie “Zog,” animated by Cape Town’s Triggerfish and voiced by famous actors of film and TV like “Game of Thrones” Kit Harington, has won the International Emmy for Best Kids Animation. The 27-minute short film, produced by Magic Light Pictures and co-directed by South African Daniel Snaddon (“Stick Man”) and two-time Oscar […]

Shenzhen has passed a groundbreaking law to ban the consumption and production of dog and cat meat, the first city in China to do so. The ban – which also addresses the wildlife trade – has been welcomed by longtime anti-dog meat trade campaigners Humane Society International as a watershed moment in efforts to ban […]

Lockdown has hit informal sector workers hard… Shamir Arendse busks for a living, playing his trombone at what is usually a busy intersection in Cape Town. WATCH VIDEO: COVID-19: A busker without an audience in Cape Town Published originally on GroundUp © 2020 GroundUp.

President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the nation on the measures currently being undertaken to contain the coronavirus pandemic. The address by the President follows a meeting of the National Command Council on Sunday, 29 March 2020, which assessed the efficacy of the national lockdown which came into effect on Thursday 26 March 2020. WATCH VIDEO: Coronavirus […]

Watch South Africa’s beloved Springbok Captain Siya Kolisi appeal to South Africans around the country to fight this Coronavirus COVID-19 together. Kolisi says this is not the time for jokes. This is serious. We need to fight the virus together. He asks those South Africans who are teasing soldiers and provoking them to stop. There […]

The best of humanity – and South Africa – has been on show from a rooftop in Hout Bay! This weekend Just Jinger’s Ard Matthews entertained the folk in Hout Bay, Western Cape… and all those around South Africa and the world who watched the live streaming, or have seen the videos which are going […]

British performer Stephen Ridley – aka The Talented Mr Ridley – has produced a poignant video that is going viral around the world. It’s a cover of John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ – with some lines that touch close to home, in the time of coronavirus. The video is made even more moving by the fact that […]

Roedean School in South Africa has created a unique and incredibly moving version of Leonard Cohen’s famous ‘Hallelujah’. The legendary song has been covered numerous times over the years, but this version by the South African school is unique. The choir have done it “together apart”… in these times of coronavirus. Roedean School said: “Apart […]

As South Africa enters its first day of a 21-day national lockdown, this performance by the award-winning Ndlovu Youth Choir is so welcomed… by a nation that is pulling together (separately, with social distancing!) in these tough times. The choir posted the video on the eve of lockdown saying: “God bless our nation. Our spirit […]

South Africa’s fast food chicken restaurant chain, Nando’s (which has branches around the world), has done it again! Always famous for their thought provoking adverts which usually poke fun at local politicians, this advert does the opposite – praising South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for his leadership during these difficult days of Corona virus. And […]

The Kiffness has been keeping South African informed about Coronavirus… and entertained. David Scott’s COVID-19 version of Toto’s Africa went hugely viral, and his latest is sure to be just as popular. This time he’s done a Bohemian Rhapsody Parody… called the Lockdown Rhapsody… The lyrics, as usual, are spot on! “This is the real […]

Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town may be closed to prevent the spread of coronavirus in South Africa, but the penguins are having a blast… and lifting the spirits of all those, preparing for lockdown, who have watched videos of the happy penguins not only going walk-about… but running and hopping too! A few days […]

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa will be addressing the nation on the outcome of a meeting with business and political party leaders on ways to fight the Covid-19 pandemic in SA. WATCH VIDEO: Live streaming – President Ramahosa Addresses the Nation on Coronavirus

South Africa’s The Kiffness has created an awesome version of Toto’s Africa that’s going viral faster than a virus! The Kiffness’ David Scott posted the brilliant video on Sunday, saying: “Please stay home South Africa #FlattenTheCurve” (For more info on flattening the curve, see below the video.) He calls the video “Toto – Africa (COVID-19 […]

Check out this adorable three-year-old South African child – Ibanathi Mpungose – teaching the nation how to prevent Coronavirus, in her very passionate manner. South Africans are loving her! The video, shared by her father, has gone viral – watched by over 36,000 people on Instagram; and shared on Twitter by the likes of DJ […]

Here’s another great video from Steve Hall, the man who gave us the greatest Springboks poem ever… ‘Siyabonga Springboks‘ after South Africa won the Rugby World Cup in Japan in November 2019. Steve discusses how to explain the current “crazy times” to children and how to “keep your feet on the grass” and lead with […]