Independent on Saturday

Mzansi’s podcasting scene is booming with more celebs jumping onto the trend. Unathi Nkayi is the latest personality to join the space. The former Idols SA judge is getting ready to drop her very own podcast called A Safe Space with Unathi, or A.S.

Actress Nomzamo Mbatha is a busy woman – just this past week she was in South Africa working with Levis and Neutrogena, while also hosting the Empowering HER Seminar. The Shaka iLembe actress is now in New York, but, before her venture, she announced

The Penguin knows it isn’t original. Showrunner Lauren LeFranc’s eight-episode miniseries about the Gotham City villain’s rise – from mafia chauffeur to mob boss – joins a robust line-up of Batman spinoffs so expansive there’s even a prequel about B

When South Africa became a democracy in 1994, a primary goal was to grant citizenship rights to all its people, in particular, to give the majority black South Africans rights they had been denied during colonialism and apartheid. This included the r

To understand why JD Vance could be the most consequential figure on either US presidential ticket this year, and why you should pay close attention to his debate with Tim Walz next week, consider what almost happened to Richard Nixon. In 1952, Dwigh

MARK Zuckerberg might have stolen the laughs of millions around the globe by blocking people from watching the music video Eating the Cats, a Donald Trump parody created by South African musician The Kiffness. On Thursday The Kiffness, real name Davi

The Springboks are well placed to add yet another cup to their groaning trophy cabinet when they host Argentina this evening at the Mbombela Stadium in what amounts to a final of the Rugby Championship. The Boks need one log point out of the game in

GASTRIC problems may have caused the unexpected death of Khethiwe, one of the most loved bottlenose dolphins at uShaka Sea World aquarium, on Thursday evening. At the time of her death, Khethiwe was surrounded by the five other female dolphins from h

THE Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) has expressed concern about the KwaZulu-Natal government’s lack of political will to promote the use of isiZulu as a language of official communication and teaching. The board said KwaZulu-Natal and Nort

The possible extinction of certain plant species because of over-harvesting has prompted forestry giant Sappi to embark on a campaign to save endangered trees. The Sappi Rare, Threatened and Endangered Species Stewardship Programme identified the tr

A Western Cape woman celebrated her 118th birthday yesterday – making her one of the oldest people in the world – with a small party at her care home. Margaret Maritz was born on September 27, 1906, according to a copy of her identity card shown to j

Oscar-winning British actor Maggie Smith, a star of stage and screen for more than seven decades, died at the age of 89 in hospital in London yesterday, her sons, actors Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, announced, prompting a flood of tributes. Smith

In the trailer for Ridley Scott’s hotly anticipated sequel to Gladiator (2000), a new gladiator (played by Paul Mescal) goes to battle in “the greatest temple Rome ever built – the Colosseum”. He comes up against naval warfare, a cutthroat promoter (

The once-thriving suburb of Scottsville in Pieter- maritzburg has undergone a facelift as part of Keep PMB Clean Action Group (KPCA Group) who mobilised the local community to help return the suburb to its former glory. Scottsville, which houses the

With or without the alcohol, Bloody Marys are made for lazy brunches, the most paramount factor to consider when weekends are involved. Dump the ingredients in a pitcher, give it a good stir, and you’re ready to rock. It gets better the longer it’s

Mamma Luciana’s Where: Kloof Country Club, 26 Victory Road, Kloof, South Africa Open: Daily noon to 10pm Call: 078 064 6822 I follow a chef on Instagram who goes under the user name @chefreactions. Chef Reactions is a trained chef who learnt as a boy

Six talented Durban chefs are preparing to dice the competition in the national finals of a culinary challenge. All studying at the 1 000 Hills Chef School in Botha’s Hill, they were among 60 competitors from across the country vying for the chance

Chatsworth wrestler Joshua “The Bull” Chetty is looking forward to bringing the heat in Pietermaritzburg next month. Chetty, 32, is the current World Association of Wrestling South Africa (WAWSA) Arnold’s Champion and gets in the ring in Pietermaritz

You can now buy the book about the founder of the Denis Hurley Centre (DHC), Paddy Kearney – A Prophet for our Times, by the centre’s director, Raymond Perrier. It has more than 320 pages with some fascinating historic photographs as well as links to

Sitting on a pillow in the middle of an orchestra rehearsal room, a tuxedo-wearing German shepherd mixed-breed dog peacefully closed his eyes to take in the live music around him. An increasingly popular champion of classical music on social media, t

Six months have passed since two cats were appointed as the stationmaster and deputy stationmaster of a train line in Hiroshima with the hope of attracting business. So far, it seems to have worked. JR Shiwaguchi Station is on the Geibi Line in Hiros

Fridgescaping – making the inside of your refrigerator worthy of a star spot on your Instagram or TikTok feed ‒– has been all over social media lately. Yes, it includes the obligatory colour-co-ordinated items stored in clear containers, and condime

DURBAN chef Gugu Wanda chose to ditch serving up justice – opting to serve great food instead. Four years into her law studies, Wanda faced facts: her heart longed to be in a kitchen, doing what she really loved. Born in uMlazi and now living in Durb

Young people have been encouraged to explore careers within the maritime field. The call for young blood to join this field comes after the celebration of World Maritime Day at the Durban Harbour’s N-shed on Thursday. Themed “Navigating the future: s

Leah Parry from Glenashley has become only the eighth person in 30 years to receive a White Blazer, the highest accolade awarded at Durban Girls’ College (DGC). This prestigious award is bestowed upon girls who have achieved Honours in three of four

Meet the winner and finalists in the September Independent on Saturday’s Pet of the Month competition, with Mia snatching the title and winning a R500 voucher from Petzone. The dog’s owner said: “Meet Mia, our adorable 18-month-old Biewer Terrier wit

This week’s Then and Now takes in one of Durban’s “Green Lungs”, Mitchell Park, which as photographer Shelley Kjonstad captured early this spring month is showing off with its beautiful gardens. Named after Sir Charles Bullen Hugh Mitchell, the Morni

Packed with Ford DNA, the second- generation Volkswagen Amarok also offers a somewhat wider range than before, stretching from a single cab workhorse through to the powerful V6 Aventura. The subject of our most recent test drive, the 125kW 2.0 TDI do

A bitingly cold wind coming off the Drakensberg snow did little to chill the energy and action that marked the entry of the Jetour brand to South Africa, with dancers and light shows providing a suitable build-up to the actual arrival of the Dashing

The semi-finalists in the 13 categories of the eighth cars.co.za awards have been made and it promises to be another tight contest. All cars on sale on 1 September 2024 were considered for semi-finalist (top 5) selection and not only cars launched in

Have YOU EVER had an insurance claim declined? I am sure it is one of the most frustrating occurrences. There are ways to prevent your claim from being spurned. According to the National Financial Ombud Scheme South Africa (NFO), one of the reasons

EARLIER this month, Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, Acting Judge WJ du Plessis made a painful decision over the customary law definition of marriage and how this affected where someone, who died without a will, would be buried. Dying intestate gen

THE EIGHTH wonder of the world is compound interest (attributed to Albert Einstein). Lifelong learning falls in the same category and once it has become a habit it will change one’s life and finances for the better. Lifelong learning is important for

You MIGHT be blessed in having a trusted financial adviser or planner who ensures that you and your family have all the right elements in place for complete financial peace of mind. But whether you have an adviser or are managing your finances withou

If a week is a long time in politics, a year in rugby is an eternity. Ask Sharks coach John Plumtree and he will be happy to tell you. This time last year, far from hitting the ground running in his second tenure as coach, it was with a resounding sp

THE name ‘Miguel Inacio’ was not among those declared as marquee signings of the recently closed transfer window. It should have been. In the Angolan international, Kaizer Chiefs have secured a quality player who is going to make a massively positive

EMBATTLED Springbok fly-half Manie Libbok will be under the spotlight this evening at the Mbombela Stadium, but captain Siya Kolisi says his teammates feel he is the “most important player” on the field. Libbok infamously missed a sitter last week to

Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick says the Boks will draw on their great performance against the All Blacks in Mbombela when they host the Pumas at the same venue this evening. In 2022, the Boks demolished the New Zealanders 26-10 and it shou

IRE: 171/8 (Curtis Campher 49, Neil Rock 37, Patrick Kruger 4/27) SA: 174/2 (Ryan Rickelton 76, Reeza Hendricks 51, Craig Young 1/25) South Africa got off to a winning start in Abu Dhabi as they beat Ireland by eight wickets in the first match at th

Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany yesterday laughed off suggestions that today’s match with Bayer Leverkusen was a personal showdown with visiting opposite number Xabi Alonso. Speaking ahead of today’s top-of-the-table game, Kompany said taking on

Manchester City must prove they can cope without influential midfielder Rodri as the Premier League champions head to Newcastle. Erik ten Hag will be under pressure to get Manchester United back on track against Tottenham, while Arne Slot has an emba

South Africa have yet another shot at the elusive ICC Cricket World Cup trophy when the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup gets under way next week with captain Laura Wolvaardt and her Proteas Women’s teammates set to give it a crack one more time. Many migh

THERE will be a full round of Premiership matches this weekend and three teams will be looking for their first wins of the season. TS Galaxy, AmaZulu and Marumo Gallants have yet to score log points after successive defeats. Of the three, Gallants we

They were far from their best, but when it mattered most, the Springbok Women rolled up their sleeves and got the job done to edge out Japan 31-24 in the WXV 2 opener at the Cape Town Stadium yesterday. The match was in the balance until the end desp

CIAN Oldknow has come a long way since she stormed to an unexpected victory in last year’s Hollywoodbets Durban 10km race. Back then an up and coming athlete, she stunned everyone with her win in the race organised by her club, Hollywood Athletics Cl

In the world of travel and hospitality, the standard maximum rating a hotel can achieve is 5 stars. However, in the quest to push the envelope in luxury travel, some hotels offer 7-star experiences. These bespoke experiences provide the ultimate

All visitors to Zanzibar must have mandatory Inbound Travel Insurance from Zanzibar Insurance Corporation, effective from October 1. “This insurance ensures your peace of mind during your stay, offering comprehensive coverage for emergencies such as

The newly-opened Radisson Safari Hotel Hoedspruit has announced the launch of its Amani Spa & Wellness in the Kruger region of Mpumalanga. According to the hotel, the spa, with views of the surrounding Lowveld, provides a world of well-being and a

BUYING travel insurance is likely on your to-do list if you’re planning to travel, especially out of the country. One aspect often overlooked is that timing is critical when it comes to getting the full benefits of potential coverage, and new data r

In an era when the journey is becoming as important as the destination, travellers are increasingly seeking experiences that go beyond the ordinary. South Africans are no different and being naturally adventurous and generous, it makes sense that th