In order to secure a larger slice of the booming global events industry, the South African government has launched a national conventions bureau

Some things are too good to be true — free open unsecured wifi in public spaces can be a trap for unsuspecting mobile workers

As the implementation date of the new Knowledge of Language and Life requirement for settlement in the UK looms closer, BIC are getting numerous queries about the issue from clients

London School of Business & Finance (LSBF) and the entrepreneurship initiative Mamba Mentors have come together to help a new wave of entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground

Become one with the terrified onlookers as a full-grown ndlovu takes offence at the presence of a LandRover full of park visitors. What happens next is none too rare in the Kruger (if you’re lucky), but keeping a rampaging pachyderm in camera frame until the last moment, is!

The Chinese people’s fight for national independence inspired South Africans – now the two countries are set to further improve bilateral ties. China has moved into direct investment in South African wine and now in recent weeks, there have been two significant Chinese investments in South Africa’s media.

In 1967, against the background of slowly improving prison conditions on Robben Island, Nelson Mandela’s first escape plan was foiled. He would be a long time still on the island

There is a rumour going around that if a South African citizen takes up a second nationality they need not apply for South African citizenship retention beforehand. BIC has confirmed with the South African Department of Home Affairs that this is NOT true.

British Labour Party politician Peter Hain will be addressing members and guests of the SA Chamber of Commerce on Wed 4 September.

South African High Commissioner to the UK Dr Zola Skweyiya’s term ends on 31 August and he will be retiring from public office. The South African government is yet to announce the name of Skweyiya’s successor but it is widely believed that the role will be given to a former mayor of Durban.

The topic for the panel discussion was Addressing the Gender Balance Agenda and its Impact on the Global Economy, with a beautiful panel that read like the ‘Who’s Who’ of British business.

Fundraising for Nelson Mandela’s Children’s Hospital, eight South Africans aged between 18 and 23 will compete in the race, and learn leadership skills too.

Elaborate methods are used by South African civil servants, politicians and even headteachers to extract public money into their own pockets. The latest incident of corruption saw Dina Pule, South Africa’s former Minister for Communications giving her boyfriend’s company a R6 million tender — yet her punishment consisted of being publicly reprimanded and fined one month’s salary. Even South Africa’s president has been accused of corruption — so how deep does the problem go and what is being done about it?

The still-young Mandela dealt with the crushing silence and isolation of Robben Island by teaching and learning from the other prisoners in the ‘University of Robben Island’

Leader of newly formed opposition party Agang, Mamphele Ramphele has made clear her party’s stance on corruption and calls upon South Africa’s leader, President Jacob Zuma, to declare his assets after persistent accusations of corruption and embezzlement of public funds.

The living wall is more than 21 metres high and covers one side of The Rubens at the Palace Hotel, directly above South African restaurant bbar, both part of the Red Carnation Hotel group.

White space internet provision is finally a reality with simultaneous trials now occurring in the US, Europe and even in South Africa, and the first commercial ventures in the arena have started too. But what are the benefits and limitations of the tech and where to next?

Increasingly, access to the Internet is being viewed not as a privilege of the rich or first world, but as a crucial means to global development and education, and critics are calling South Africa’s slow official response to opening the spectrum prohibitive. Pressure is mounting for the Department of Communication and new communications minister Yunus Carrim to open up additional spectrum for Internet provision. The message from frustrated Internet service providers is clear: Internet access is a crucial public resource that drives development of the sector and business as a whole.

Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe is on a roll after winning yet another presidential election and now being selected as the next chairperson of SADC.

Is this really what life has become? Are we prepared to choose typing over talking? The Stop Phubbing campaign to combat the scourge of phone snubbers prompted me to reflect on my own habits and opened my eyes to the invasive nature of technology in the 21st century.

Following a government proposal to make smacking children a criminal offence, a new survey has revealed that most young South Africans think it is acceptable for parents to use physical punishment. What do you think?

South Africa has finally caught up with its more gung-ho neighbours in East Africa, where the existing lack of fixed-line infrastructure has meant that mobile technology was the default choice. However, in possessing an extensive network of fixed-line telephony, South Africa is alone among the major economies of sub-Saharan Africa in having the potential to develop low-cost fixed broadband

A number of clients approach BIC in order to find out whether they qualify for indefinite leave to remain, based on a very long stay in the UK, although often not on visas that can lead to permanent residence. Under the UK immigration rules, there is indeed provision under the Immigration Rules that allows one […]

There are murderers we instinctively greet as monsters. Reading of their exploits and seeking the damaged remnant of human mercy in them both entertains us, and reassures us that, say, the Modimolle Monster is not fundamentally the same as we and our loved ones are. Murderers, or those accused of murder, are entirely more troubling when they are people we emulated.

The Rand has continually weakened over the past week with a similarity to late-June lows of 15.81 GBP/ZAR this morning.

Oscar Pistorius is well-known for transcending difficult circumstances. Here are some of the South African Paralympian’s more memorable quotations.

Oscar Pistorius appeared in court on Monday 19 August, Reeva Steenkamp’s birthday, where his trial date was set for March 2014 and he will face charges of premeditated murder and illegal possession of ammunition.

Oscar Pistorius was licensed to have one gun when he shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp but had applied for licences for five more. Here are the guns he wished to own.

Renowned Chef Scott Hallsworth (ex Nobu and Wabi) is set to open his brand new London venue, Kurobuta, this autumn and requires staff to join the dynamic team.

One year on from South Africa’s most bloody act of state brutality since apartheid days, what has been the aftermath of the Marikana massacre, and have living and working conditions for mineworkers changed much since?

From Pretoria, Mandela and his co-accused, who had been incriminated by documents found in the Lilliesleaf raid, were transferred to the prison on Robben Island, remaining there for the next 18 years

Travel and tech start-up Tourism Radio is seeking funds via Kickstarter for a Google Glass-based tour guide

The nation’s capital has joined Cape Town and Stellenbosch in the race to roll out fast internet to the public, to the especial benefit of the poor, in a move that signals a newfound understanding of ‘digital rights’.

Watch the video clip of Bryan Habana running against the mighty A380 on a runway in England and help it to reach 2 million views, at which point British Airways will donate flights worth over R60,000 to FoodBank South Africa, which will be auctioned to raise funds.

The relief felt by many after the recent High Court judgment on the minimum income threshold currently required for spouse/partner visas may have been premature, as the Home Office has announced that it has filed an appeal against the judgement made on the 26th of July.

Local telecommunication behemoth Telkom announced plans this week to open their data network services to non-subscribers across all networks — in the form of 60 minutes free and “unlimited” internet access per person per day at Telkom Mobile hotspots.

The humble gem squash is still a taste of South Africa that is rare in UK supermarkets, but fear not, the wait is over…

Some of the newest innovations in the world are being pushed by South Africans such as Mark Shuttleworth and Elon Musk. Is Mzansi on its way to the forefront of technology?

Mozambican Modi Macia was tied to a police van and driven through the streets before he died in a police cell two hours later. The nine police officers accused of his murder have repeatedly had their bail applications rejected but magistrates say that ‘circumstances have changed.’

Nelson Mandela het ons uit Apartheid gelei, en Suid-Afrika het sodoende die ‘reënboognasie’ geword. Hier is ‘n lys van 10 ‘Madiba-oomblikke‘: tye wat hom die man wat hy is, en ons die nasie wat ons is, gemaak het.

The unnamed woman, believed to be in her fifties, was killed at the Lonmin platinum mine where on 16 August last year 34 miners were shot dead by police.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR | Why the sensationalisation of the media means they so often get it wrong

If the South African public and the diaspora have emphasised Reeva Steenkamp’s life as uniquely tragic, the ubiquity of the violence against women in this country was not lost on Steenkamp herself. She saw herself, prior to being personally victimised, as already deeply implicated in the common fate that awaits 1,095 South African women this year.

An inspirational personal account of Dr William Fowlds’s fight to save the mutilated survivors of rhino poaching, and how this is reshaping attitudes towards a conservation crisis.

Dedicated sexual offences courts and policing initiatives aim to reduce sexual and domestic violence in South Africa – but they face obstacles such as a lack of funding and societal attitudes.

The King Makhado Bravery Award, the highest accolade of the Vhavenda Kingdom, was conferred on Jacob Zuma on Thursday.

This year marks the 57th anniversary of the 1956 march, where 20,000 South African women marched on the Union Buildings to protest against apartheid pass laws.

As the world’s premier internet and software giants compete with local entrepreneurs to bring the internet to rural and urban Africans at meaningful speed – and as the immense creative energies of millions of people are optimised as a result – it is motivating to note that, while governments squat on telecoms monopolies, the message that the status quo is no longer acceptable has hit home at the grassroots.

Agang leader takes on the Economic Freedom Fighters over land expropriation

The raid on Liliesleaf Farm turned into an own goal for the Government as the trialists used the resulting publicity to highlight their political cause; one of Mandela’s speeches — inspired by Castro’s “History Will Absolve Me” speech — was widely reported in the press despite official censorship.

Dutch architecture firm releases designs for a proposed monument dedicated to Nelson Mandela on the side of Table Mountain – masterpiece or monstrosity?

African leaders’ “club of silence” – the refusal to criticise each other or intervene in times of crisis – has kept Robert Mugabe in power up to now. But how has South African president Jacob Zuma gained from support of Mugabe in the face of consistent criticism?

The Economic Freedom Fighters will advocate the ultimate integration of the African continent by eliminating national borders, according to its founding manifesto.

In a sign of defiance against his recent arrest Lunga Nono returns to St. George’s Mall in Cape Town to keep strumming his guitar, as an investigation into the case is launched

The South African Rand has shown its tendency to be one of the most volatile currencies starting the week just below R9.80 to the Dollar and getting as low as R14.92 to the British Pound.

Democratic Alliance condemns President Jacob Zuma for congratulating Robert Mugabe on winning last week’s Zimbabwean presidential election, while international pressure mounts to re-examine results of the ‘farcical’ poll

The transaction, which was completed for an undisclosed amount in July, marks the first occurrence of a Chinese multinational investing in South Africa’s vineyards.

With only weeks to go until the terms of the new Agoa are hammered out in Ethiopia, President Obama has committed himself to a ‘seamless renewal’ of the treaty that has tripled Africa’s trade with the world’s largest economy.

South Africans have a natural ability as far as listening and generally “being nice” goes. Whether you term it Ubuntu, or natural empathy, it communicates itself over the phone and makes a massive difference to a client across the phone line who when they tend to phone in are already often frustrated.

A slow internet in South Africa with low penetration rates is hindering the ability to create jobs in the country

It’s all hands on deck for a new family-run South African nail product company in London.

Unfortunately, the post-2012 rules for bringing your elderly relatives to the United Kingdom are far stricter than before

Murder accused Shrien Dewani could spend up to ten years fighting his extradition in UK courts, or by appealing to the European Court of Human Rights.

New plans to charge foreigners for using National Health Services in England, including a ‘health levy’, have divided opinion.

The UK Home Office is advised by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) as to which areas of the UK labour market are experiencing shortages. The occupations experiencing shortages of labour are then compiled in the Shortage Occupation List.

Upload your photos that capture the beauty of South Africa and stand a chance to win a pair of tickets from London to South Africa with SAA’s new competition.

South African inflation unexpectedly slowed in June as the Rand rebounded from a four-year low. The inflation rate declined to 5.5 percent in June from 5.6 percent in May. The Reserve Bank held the repurchase rate at 5 percent for the sixth time in a meeting last week.

119-year-old South African Johanna ‘Gogo’ Mazibuko could be the oldest person in the world, shifting Japan’s Misao Okawa from the Guinness World Record top spot.

International Paralympic Committee president claims Oscar Pistorius has been replaced by new stars such as Alan Oliveira, Richard Browne and Jonnie Peacock.

A South African chef who emigrated to New Zealand six years ago has been deemed ‘too fat’ to stay in the country due to the health risk he poses.

Atmosphere in Zimbabwe calm ahead of Wednesday’s elections in which more than six million Zimbabweans will go to the polls to choose a president, National Assembly members and local councillors.

Charlize Theron is recognised for her grassroots work focusing on social issues, particularly in South Africa, where she founded the Africa Outreach Project. It provides funding for a mobile health and computer clinic that visits high schools in rural communities affected by HIV/Aids.

Duduzile Zozo’s mother cannot come to terms with the brutal way in which her daughter’s life was snuffed out at the age of 26. Duduzile is one of the latest victims of what has come to be termed “corrective” rape. Her “sin”, in the eyes of her attacker(s), was being a lesbian.

Despite health risks and widespread complications, one white teenage boy from East London decides to support his Xhosa friend all the way in the controversial rite of passage

The South African Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a panel discussion with high profile speakers in London on Women’s Day, Friday 9 August.

Monyetla’s ability to meets its goals of upskilling the young for the growing BPO industry is one of the ways the South African economy can solve unemployment, according to South Africa’s Department of Trade and Industry.

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, the film adaption of Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Robert Mugabe’s softer narrative is believed to be nothing more than a cunning attempt to soften SADC’s verdict on the upcoming ‘harmonised’ elections in Zimbabwe.

Durban’s welcome to investors is therefore a warm one, although there is currently no large agency exclusively focussed on bringing BPO investment to the city. However, the synergies available to those near the Tradeport will in themselves constitute a major attractor for foreign and domestic outsourcing business.

While 89% of the country’s freight continues to move by road, the fully-finished e-tolling gates over Gauteng highways remain shuttered and drivers wonder who will blink first.

We at TheSouthAfrican.com are looking for a Cape Town based experienced journalist with web writing and subbing skills.

The 42-year-old man was to have appeared in the Johannesburg High Court on Thursday on 122 charges relating to rape, kidnapping, murder, robbery and attempted murder because he allegedly raped his victims knowing he was HIV positive.

After excelling at the extremely demanding team sport of rowing at St Benedict’s College, Mischa decided to make a career of teamwork by signing up for the Royal Marines, which first meant passing what is arguably the working world’s toughest physical challenge.

The KZN staff join the company’s 2000 existing employees in Johannesburg in a company that has experienced 30% year-on-year growth in its five years in South Africa, with plans to expand in Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya as soon as adequate local partners could be found.

British businessman Shrien Dewani’s family said his lawyers would be lodging an appeal against today’s court ruling that he is to be extradited to South Africa to stand trial for orchestrating the murder of his wife Anni.

Part-time writers and photographers wanted to contribute articles and images to TheSouthAfrican.com

The Medical Schemes Act has a formula by which returning South Africans must, for the remainder of their lives, pay punitive premiums of between 5% and 75% to a medial aid because they did not belong to South African medical aid schemes while out of the country

Johannesburg-based genetic counsellor teams up with graphic artist to reveal how she thinks the newborn prince will look as a toddler and a teenager.

Die Wet op Mediese Skemas het ʼn formule waarvolgens terugkerende Suid-Afrikaners boetepremies vir die res van hulle lewens van tussen 5% en 75% by mediese fondse betaal omdat hulle nie aan Suid-Afrikaanse mediese fondse behoort het nie.

As presidential elections loom, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai accuses Israeli company of tampering with Zimbabwe’s voters’ roll in favour of Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party

According to new research in Cape Town, increased great white shark sightings are related to lunar phase and sea surface temperature.

The South African Rand was the top gainer this week among emerging-market currencies, as it caught up with gains seen in other asset classes earlier in the week. The Rand started the week at 9.98 to the US Dollar and 15.08 to the British pound, coming to rest at 9.86 and 15.06 respectively.

Police in Worcester are searching for the mother of a newborn baby boy abandoned inside a shopping bag bearing the distinctive logo of Woolworths South Africa.

South African expats have urged the Australian town of Cooma to update a flag on display from the apartheid era.

Volunteers from the South African embassy in London worked a symbolic 67 minutes at Richard House Children’s Hospice to represent the years Nelson Mandela spent serving his community, his country and the world.

The Brankens, a white family, has recently moved to Hillbrow, Joburg’s most feared suburb. What can we learn from them?

Nelson Mandela is spending his 95th birthday with his family at the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital, to which he was admitted on 8 June for a recurring lung infection. Share your birthday wishes for him here!

An extremely respected authority in the field of periodontics, Peter Galgut talks to us about his passion for dentistry, what he would change about the NHS, and whether it’s all true about ‘British teeth’

A stunning five-part series chronicling Madiba’s life story from rural beginnings to election as South Africa’s first democratic president and a documentary exposing the 13-year process, from 1977 to 1990, when South Africa’s apartheid government agonised over Mandela’s release.

A Wimbledon-based South African has invited other London South Africans to walk home from work on Mandela Day, Thursday 18 July, to honour Madiba’s long walk to freedom – why not join him?