Isabella Schmidt is a Cape Town journalist who chronicles the city’s evolving food culture, from Bo-Kaap spice merchants to Khayelitsha microbreweries. Raised hiking the trails that link Table Mountain to the Cape Flats, she brings the flavours and voices of her hometown to global readers with equal parts rigour and heart.
Step into Cape Town’s Two Oceans Aquarium and dive into an amazing underwater world! Imagine penguins doing acrobatics and funny rockhoppers marching in a parade. You’ll see huge sharks gliding above you and tiny creatures dancing in jewellike tanks. It’s like a grand show where every animal plays a special part, all powered by hidden machines keeping the magic alive. Get ready for six hours of wonder, where the ocean’s heart beats right before your eyes!
Four brave turtles, Nori, Stella, Pebbles, and Cinnamon, who were once very sick, are now back in the big, blue Indian Ocean! Many caring people helped them get strong again. They traveled safely in special cars and were carefully put into the water. Now, little trackers on their shells send messages, showing everyone how these amazing turtles swim free, helping us learn how to protect them and their ocean home.
{“summary”: “Children in the Western Cape are facing a scary immunity gap, meaning many are not getting their important vaccines. This problem started because of tough lockdowns, fears about sickness, and even fake news online. Now, serious diseases like measles and diphtheria are making a comeback, putting tiny lives in danger. Doctors and nurses are working super hard to catch up, using new ways to reach families and make sure every child gets their vital shots. They are fighting to protect the little ones, making sure they grow up strong and healthy.”}
The Western Cape is getting ready for summer 2025/26 with a big plan to keep everyone safe. They’re watching out for fires, water accidents, and big crowds. This means using special planes for fires, working together with different groups, and telling people about dangers early. Their goal is to stop problems before they start, protecting nature, money, and most importantly, people’s lives.
Cape Town is changing how cities grow. They’re turning 11 hectares of land in Woodstock into a cool new neighborhood. This project will make affordable homes, create jobs, and build sustainable city stuff. They want to make sure local people benefit and don’t get pushed out. It’s like a new recipe for city building in Africa!
Cape Town is getting tough on road safety this holiday season! They’re setting up mobile checkpoints with fancy tech to quickly check cars for bad tires or shaky brakes. If your car isn’t safe, you’ll have to fix it before you can go on your vacation. This new plan is all about making sure everyone gets to their destination safely, rather than risking a dangerous breakdown on a long, dark road.
Two terrible fires ripped through Langa, leaving a trail of ash and sorrow. The first blaze erupted in Siyahlala in the dead of night, swallowing fifteen homes and cruelly taking four lives, including a mother and her three young children. Just hours later, another fire struck Joe Slovo, destroying ten more shacks. Now, people are left heartbroken and homeless, wondering if these disasters were accidents or something worse, while they try to pick up the pieces, hoping for help and a safer tomorrow.
South African cheesemakers dazzled at the 2025 World Cheese Awards in Switzerland! They won many shiny medals, including two top Super Gold awards for Klein River Cheese’s Babylonstoren Parmesan and Dalewood Fromage’s Boland cheese. Nellie Fischer was even named the Best Female Cheesemaker. This big win makes South Africa super proud and shows their amazing cheese is now famous all over the world!
Mozambique and South Africa just held their 4th big meeting, the BiNational Commission, in Maputo. Their leaders, Presidents Ramaphosa and Chapo, met to make their countries even closer friends. They talked about important things like making their economies stronger, keeping everyone safe, and helping people thrive. This meeting helps them work together on many projects, from big gas plants to fighting sickness, making life better for everyone in both countries.
Cape Town’s “Identikidz” is a super cool beach safety plan! When families visit the beach, kids get special wristbands with a secret number. If a child gets lost, friendly staff use the number to quickly find their parents. This helps families enjoy sunny beach days without worries, making sure every child stays safe and sound.
Cape Town celebrates its amazing volunteers who help during emergencies. These special awards thank people and groups for keeping the city safe. They get training in things like first aid and fire safety. The awards also inspire new people to join and protect their communities, making Cape Town stronger for everyone.
South Africa’s Parliament is working hard to keep its members safe from growing threats. They have strong security rules and work with the police. They also have special security teams and look into new technology to help. This way, lawmakers can do their important jobs without fear, which keeps our democracy strong and healthy.
The story of 49 Afrikaner farmers fasttracked as refugees to the U.S. under the Trump administration reveals a sharp divide between politics and true humanitarian aid. While officials claimed these farmers faced racial persecution in South Africa, critics saw this as selective compassion, since many other groups fleeing violence, like Uyghurs or Black South Africans, were not given the same chance. The debate exposed deeper questions about who really deserves refuge and highlighted how political motives can shape who gets protection. In the end, this case shines a spotlight on the complicated, often unfair nature of global refugee policies.
Starlink’s rumored arrival in South Africa has sparked fierce debate, mainly because the EFF fears it might bypass important laws meant to empower Black South Africans and protect the nation’s independence. While Starlink promises fast internet, especially for rural areas hungry for better connections, critics worry it could bring foreign control and damage South Africa’s hardwon social justice. The EFF accuses the government of rushing deals that favor global companies over the people’s rights. This clash reveals a deeper struggle: how South Africa balances new technology with its history and fight for true equality.
Cape Town is buzzing with excitement as it prepares for the festive season, ensuring a safe and joyful experience for everyone. With over 680 lifeguards stationed at beaches and pools, and a special program that tagged 130,000 children for added safety, families can relax while enjoying the sun and sand. The city is also on a mission to keep the environment clean, with fun initiatives like Bingo, the antilitter mascot, spreading the word. As visitors flock to this stunning coastal city, Cape Town is ready to celebrate with safety, cleanliness, and a warm, welcoming spirit!
Cape Town’s Bree Street Safe Passage pilot is changing how people cycle in the city by creating protected bike lanes with easytomove barriers. This makes cycling safer and encourages more people to ride bikes, helping reduce traffic problems and support local shops. The project is flexible and can be adjusted based on what works best, showing the city’s smart, peoplefirst approach to making streets greener and friendlier. With this new setup, Bree Street is becoming a lively, safer place where cyclists, drivers, and pedestrians can share the road happily.