The Latest Breaking News from South Africa

Siya Kolisi left out as South Africa reveal team for first New Zealand Test

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu starts at fly half for the Springboks

The Independent UK · Aug 20

HYROX Bangkok death: Leroy Saunders, South African fitness coach and CrossFit gym owner, dies after collapsing during gruelling race; family says 'we are still trying...'

South African-born fitness coach and CrossFit gym owner Leroy Saunders, 41, has died after collapsing during the HYROX Bangkok endurance competition. His family said, “we are still trying to fully understand” the reasons behind his death and urged people to avoid speculation as tributes pour in for the respected Bangkok-based…

The Economic Times · Aug 20

Ardie Savea returns to lead New Zealand as All Blacks make fly half decision for first Test against South Africa

Ruben Love will wear No 10 with Beauden Barrett and Richie Mo’unga left out

The Independent UK · Aug 20

Every day, 50,000 litres of polluted water flow from South Africa's Stiebeuel River into natural filter beds, where stones, sand and biochar clean it in 5 days, removing 99% of harmful bacteria and creating water for irrigation

Researchers in South Africa are using a nature-based filtration system to treat polluted water from the Stiebeuel River in Franschhoek. At the Water Hub, old wastewater treatment infrastructure has been adapted with stones, coarse sand, biochar, plants and naturally occurring microbes to remove pollutants. The system treats approximately 50,000 litres…

The Economic Times · Aug 18

India thrash South Africa 6-1 to register biggest-ever FIH Women's Hockey World Cup win

India secured a dominant 6-1 victory over South Africa in the Hockey World Cup. This commanding performance marked India's largest-ever win in the tournament's history. Navneet Kaur and Sushila Chanu extended India's early lead to three goals. Deepika Sehrawat, Lalremsiami, and Sakshi Rana added further goals in the second half.…

The Economic Times · Aug 18

South Africa’s wildlife corridor was broken for decades, but one female elephant is now helping reconnect a 400-km route through the forest

The Eden to Addo Corridor Initiative in South Africa spans 400 kilometers, linking protected areas to facilitate wildlife movement in fragmented ecosystems. This important program was born from the plight of the last Knysna forest elephant, known as Strangefoot. With the involvement of private landowners, the initiative aims to enhance…

The Times of India · Aug 18

What happened when a South African school switched from English to bilingual science tests

South African no-fee primary schools use African languages as well as English for teaching and testing. Before 2025, children started learning in their home language in the first three years and then switched to English in Grade 4 (aged 10 and 11). Now, bilingual education is extending gradually into the…

The Conversation · Aug 18

South Africa’s top court blocked Shell’s Wild Coast oil search: why it matters for climate justice

South Africa’s Constitutional Court – the country’s highest court – handed down a landmark judgment for climate change and environmental justice in mid-August 2026.

The Conversation · Aug 18

Virat Kohli's 18 years in international cricket: 18 lesser-known records held by batting icon

Virat Kohli's international cricket debut marked a significant career milestone. He has amassed over 28,000 runs and 85 centuries in his career. Kohli holds unique records, including most 150-plus scores by a non-opener. He is the only player with 20,000 international runs in a decade. Kohli also achieved a clean…

The Economic Times · Aug 18

Governments shouldn’t rely on AI to decide who gets a social grant: inside a South African court case

South Africa introduced a digital social assistance programme in 2020 to identify who was eligible for its Social Relief of Distress grant. The country’s High Court later found that the automated vetting system it relied on was unconstitutional and invalid.

The Conversation · Aug 18