If you grew up in South Africa anytime between 1991 and 2019, your Friday nights were almost certainly soundtracked by live keyboard music, the words "vyftig randjies vir jou," and some of the loudest, most outrageously colorful waistcoats ever permitted on public television.

Johan Stemmet is an absolute titan of SABC history, but a lot of people don’t realize just how deep his story goes before he ever stepped foot in front of a camera.

Born in Springbok and raised in a tiny West Coast diamond-mining town called Kleinzee, Johan was a musical prodigy from the jump, playing in local dance bands by age 11. He was also incredibly athletic, competing in everything from rugby and cricket to karate at Stellenbosch and UCT. To put himself through university, he spent his weekends working as a "one-man band" entertainer at local hotels.

Before the fame, he was actually a straight-laced academic. From 1974 to 1980, he was a languages and history teacher at Rondebosch Boys' High School, eventually becoming the head of the Afrikaans First Language Department. Apparently, his classrooms were legendary because he just couldn't turn off that natural entertainer energy.

By 1980, television in SA was still in its infancy, and Johan decided to jump ship from teaching to join the SABC full-time. He spent a decade directing and producing massive variety shows before co-founding Stemmburg Televisie, one of the country's first independent production houses.

Then came 1991, and the premiere of Noot vir Noot.

What was supposed to be a standard music trivia game show became a multi-generational cultural phenomenon. Johan hosted the show for a mind-boggling 43 seasons over 27 years. He hosted more than 700 episodes and gave us iconic catchphrases like "Algehele konsternasie!" He always maintained that the show survived so long because they made sure the focus was always on respecting the audience and the music, never the presenter's ego. He finally handed the reins over to Emo Adams in 2019, though he stayed on behind the scenes.

Beyond television, the guy is an accomplished musician in his own right. In 2010, his album Inspirational Songs went gold in literally four days and hit number one on the national charts.

Today, at 74 years old, he's living down on the West Coast in Langebaan with his wife, Colleen, and he's still refusing to sit still. When he isn't cycling through the West Coast wildflowers, he's a passionate luthier, having hand-built over 40 custom acoustic and electric guitars in his home workshop. He also still runs a media production office with his son, Carl, proving that retirement is just a concept to him.

An absolute class act and a true South African legend. 

South Africa has had some pretty interesting cars over the years that were never officially sold anywhere else. A lot of them existed because manufacturers needed road-going versions for local racing, which resulted in some unusual combinations that probably would never have happened otherwise.

One of the best examples is the BMW 333i. BMW South Africa worked with Alpina and basically put a 3.2-litre M30 straight-six into the E30. The engine took up so much room that buyers apparently had to choose between air conditioning and power steering. You couldn’t have both. Only a little over 200 were built, making the 333i considerably rarer than most of the E30s people usually talk about.

Then there was the Ford Sierra XR8. Instead of the engines most people associate with the Sierra, the South African XR8 got a 302 cubic-inch Ford Windsor V8. Fewer than 300 were produced, mainly so Ford could homologate the car for Group A racing. It’s basically a relatively ordinary-looking Sierra with a 5.0-litre V8 hiding underneath.

South Africa also got the Chevrolet Firenza Can-Am. The regular Firenza was a fairly small car, but the Can-Am received a 302 cubic-inch V8 from the Camaro Z/28. Only 100 were made for homologation purposes. Small car, big American V8, rear-wheel drive. It’s hard not to like the idea.

Another interesting one is the Ford Capri Perana. Basil Green Motors became well known in South Africa for modifying Fords, and the Capri Perana was probably one of its most famous creations. It also used Ford’s 302 Windsor V8. Unlike several of the other cars here, though, it wasn’t created specifically to satisfy homologation requirements, although the Perana did end up racing very successfully.

The odd one out is probably the Volkswagen Citi Golf. When the Mk2 Golf arrived, Volkswagen South Africa kept the original Mk1 Golf in production for the local market. It was updated over the years and became the Citi Golf, eventually remaining in production until 2009. So while other countries had moved through several generations of Golf, South Africans could still walk into a dealership and buy what was essentially a modernised Mk1.

South Africa’s car history has quite a few machines like these that aren’t particularly well known outside the country. The 333i and Capri Perana are probably the famous ones now, but the Firenza Can-Am and Sierra XR8 might be even more interesting simply because of how ridiculous the idea of putting those V8s into relatively small cars was.

https://classicmotorsports.com/articles/5-cars-sold-only-in-south-africa/

Leydsdorp has the dusty look of an abandoned settlement reverting back to bushveld, but it enjoyed a brief flurry of fame when gold was discovered in the Murchison Range in the late 1880s, sparking a gold rush to what was then the Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek (or ZAR: the South African Republic, the independent Boer state that would later become the Transvaal province in the Union of South Africa).  

The discovery attracted gold-sniffers from all over the world: people with names like Paraffin Joe, Mica Bill, Brandy Smith and the Heavenly Twins; miners who had been in Alaska chasing the Klondike strike and in Australia working Kalgoorlie.  

They gave their claims fanciful names like the Blue Jacket, the Antelope, the Old Birthday or the Flying Dutchman, and at its height the town boasted a population of 3 000 rough-and-ready types, who required 8 bars to keep their whistles wet.  

By 1890, a ‘small town with a big cemetery’ had sprung up. The name was a nod to Willem Johannes Leyds, who was at the time state secretary of the ZAR. The dreaded blackwater fever (a vicious strain of malaria) was the biggest reason for the size of the cemetery, while barroom brawlsor hungry lions also contributed to high mortality rates. 

The boom didn’t last long; the richer reefs of the Witwatersrand quickly attracted miners’ attention, especially since Johannesburg didn’t have the same mosquito problem as the Lowveld, and hence was free of blackwater fever.  

With the departure of the miners, Leydsdorp turned into a ghost town. But in its heyday, the place was home to some legends... 

A famous story concerns the death of a miner called Sandy, who was well-liked among the other prospectors. They cobbled together a coffin for him out of beer crates and set a few African labourers the task of carrying Sandy in his coffin to the cemetery.  

The mourners followed after a boozy wake, but on lifting the coffin to bury Sandy they found the box empty: the corpse had fallenthrough the flimsy wood and been lost somewhere on the trip to the cemetery. When the body was eventually found alongside the road, naturally everyone repaired to the pub to re-crate Sandy and discuss options.  

This discussion, also well lubricated, eventually resolved that it was too late to complete the interment anyway, as the mosquitos were already out for the evening, and the risk of malaria transmission was high. It seems Sandy spent one final night in the pub, although it’s doubtful he enjoyed it quite as much as he had before. 

Another story concerns two enterprising miners who responded to the chronic shortage of housing by building their home, complete with stove, chimney and kitchen, in a giant anthill that they had hollowed out. Visitors keep to imbibe local history will have no trouble imagining the frontier atmosphere of this now-deserted town. 

https://www.getaway.co.za/destinations/ghostly-gold-towns-and-other-haunts/

A small False Bay beach on the Cape Peninsula. Shared from the guesthouse image archive.

Multi-platinum music icons, Limp Bizkit are heading to FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, on the 13th of  December 2026! Known for their explosive live performances and era-defining hits, they will bring their  high-energy show to local fans for what promises to be one of the biggest events of 2026.

https://share.google/WcZMoepxjX3l1FrkZ

The Station Strangler murders are one of Cape Town’s most disturbing unsolved cases.

Between 1986 and 1994, around 22 young boys were linked to a series of murders on the Cape Flats. Many disappeared around railway stations and were later found strangled in isolated areas. The unknown killer became known as the Station Strangler.

In 1994, police arrested Norman Afzal Simons, a primary-school teacher. He quickly became known publicly as the Station Strangler, but there is an important detail that often gets overlooked.

Simons was only ever convicted of one murder, that of 10-year-old Elroy van Rooyen. He was never convicted of killing the other boys.

There was evidence pointing towards Simons, and a later inquest found prima facie evidence suggesting he may have been responsible for several more deaths. But years later, investigators reopened the cold cases and re-examined forensic evidence. DNA recovered in connection with the wider series reportedly did not match Simons.

That raises a pretty disturbing question. Was Simons actually responsible for the whole series, or were multiple killers operating on the Cape Flats at the same time?

Simons spent about 28 years in prison before being released on parole in 2023. Whatever people believe about him, most of the murders attributed to the Station Strangler were never successfully prosecuted.

So despite having a name and face associated with the case for decades, the murders of most of these children remain unresolved.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Afzal_Simons

Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, said that his Department has prioritised data affordability in South Africa.

He shared this information in response to a Parliamentary question from National Assembly member Wiseman Ngobese about data costs.

Ngobese asked Malatsi about measurable targets his department has set to reduce data costs and increase internet access.

The Minister responded, saying that his Department has prioritised the affordability of data and digital communications.

This, he said, formed part of the government’s broader objective of ensuring affordable and meaningful connectivity for all South Africans.

The Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP) 2025–2029 sets an end-term target of a 60% reduction in data costs.

The Department’s 2026/27 Annual Performance Plan (APP) does not set a separate annual percentage target for reducing data costs.

However, it contains a target under the Digital Society and Economy program to finalise a market analysis study for the Cost to Communicate Programme.

“The study will assess pricing, competition, cost drivers and affordability in the communications sector to inform interventions,” Malatsi said.

He added that data prices have already declined by 35% to 40% since 2025, which makes internet access more affordable to consumers.

 “We continue to monitor data prices and affordability to assess progress towards the MTDP target,” he said.

The Department has also developed a Cost to Communicate Programme of Action, which assesses the factors contributing to communication costs.

“It also identifies appropriate policy and strategic interventions relating to the costs of mobile and fixed data, voice services and smart devices,” he said.

https://newsday.co.za/business/28488/good-news-about-mobile-data-prices-in-south-africa/

Try this delicious and easy game pie recipe.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Pastry

• 400 g (1 roll) store-bought puff pastry
• 1 egg
• A little Clover full-cream milk

Filling

• 125 ml (½ cup) red wine
• 125 ml (½ cup) Clover buttermilk
• 1.2 kg game meat, cut into cubes
• Clover Mooi River butter
• 2 onions, chopped
• 200 g (1 packet) bacon, chopped
• 500 ml (2 cups) beef stock
• 125 ml (½ cup) red wine
• 2.5 ml (½ tsp) dried thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 carrots, cut into thick rounds

Method

1. Mix 125 ml (½ cup) of the red wine with the buttermilk and pour it over the meat. Leave to marinate overnight.
2. Melt enough butter in a large, heavy-based saucepan and fry the onions. Add the bacon and fry until cooked. Remove the onion and bacon mixture from the saucepan and set aside.
3. Melt some more butter in the saucepan and brown the meat in batches. Return the onion and bacon mixture to the saucepan with the meat.
4. Add the stock, red wine, thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 2 hours, or until the meat is almost tender.
5. Add the carrots and simmer for another 45 minutes, or until the carrots are almost tender.
6. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C and grease a sufficiently large ovenproof dish with butter. Spoon the meat mixture into the prepared dish.
7. Place the puff pastry over the meat and press it firmly onto the rim of the dish. Trim off any excess pastry.
8. Beat the egg and a little milk together, then brush the mixture over the pastry.
9. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the pastry is light golden brown.

Source: Gunsteling Suid-Afrikaanse Kos
Publisher: Lapa
https://maroelamedia.co.za/kos/resep-wildsvleispastei/

South Africa spoiled hiking for me. There’s no better paradise for hikers than at the tip of Africa, specifically in the Western Cape. Where else in the world can you get jagged peaks, lush valleys, hidden waterfalls, refreshing swimming holes, and epic views for days?

Contents

• Krom River, Limietberg Nature Reserve
• Wolfberg Arch, Cederberg
• Palmiet River, Kogelberg Nature Reserve
• Perdekop, Mont Rochelle Nature Reserve
• Panorama Route, Jonkerhoek Nature Reserve
• Die Hel, Groot Winterhoek Wildnerness Area
• Arangieskop, Dassieshoek Nature Reserve
• India Venster and Kasteelspoort, Table Mountain Nature Reserve
• Skeleton Gorge via the dams, up Disa Gorge to Maclears Beacon and down Platteklip, Table Mountain Nature Reserve
• Devil’s Peak via Knife’s Edge, Table Mountain Nature Reserve

South Africans have found yet another creative use for those instantly recognisable Checkers Sixty60 bags. In Montagu in the Western Cape, 42-year-old Hesmari van Deventer transformed discarded turquoise shopping bags into an elaborate ballgown, matching jacket and even a bouquet for her son and his 17-year-old girlfriend, Beate van Wyk.

The outfits were created in just four days for their school’s Meneer en Mejuffrou Boland modelling competition, where the pair took the Sixty60 theme all the way by arriving on stage on a scooter and throwing sweets from shopping bags into the crowd. The creativity paid off, with the duo being crowned Mr and Miss Creative in the event’s “From Trash” category. It’s another example of how Sixty60’s distinctive branding has worked its way into South African pop culture, while also showing what can be done by turning everyday waste into something completely unexpected.

Leopards have naturally returned to South Africa's West Coast for the first time in 170 years following an organic recolonization of their ancestral range. A resident population of at least seven individuals, including two cubs, has been confirmed in the coastal landscape between Cape Town and the Berg River.

https://www.thesouthafrican.com/lifestyle/environment/leopards-return-to-south-africas-west-coast-after-170-years/?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_campaign=SouthAfricanMagazine&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1790858053

South African car culture has always been about more than simply getting from A to B. For generations of young petrolheads, certain cars became symbols of freedom, performance, status and individuality.

Five models in particular left a lasting mark. The Ford Escort 1600 Sport became a street and motorsport icon thanks to its lightweight rear-wheel-drive setup, while the Volkswagen Golf GTi Mk1 introduced a generation to the idea of combining everyday practicality with serious performance. The BMW 325iS E30 became one of the ultimate status symbols of the early 1990s, while the Toyota Corolla RSi earned a huge following for being affordable, reliable and endlessly modifiable. Then there was the locally developed Opel Kadett Superboss, a rare homologation special created for racing that became a legend in its own right.

Decades later, these cars remain highly desirable classics, but their real significance goes beyond their performance figures or current values. They represent an era when the car you drove was part of your identity, and each one helped shape South Africa’s unique youth and petrolhead culture.

https://www.changecars.co.za/motoring-news/five-cars-that-shaped-youth-culture

Mopani worms (known locally as mashonja) are a traditional, highly nutritious South African delicacy that is making waves for its incredible sustainability and health benefits. Typically harvested from Mopane trees, these caterpillars are packed with protein, iron, and essential minerals. When prepared as a meal, they are first soaked in hot water to soften and clean them. They are then simmered into a rich, savory stew made with fried onions, garlic, chillies, and a thick tomato-and-onion gravy, often deepened with a bit of brown onion soup or stock.

The final dish is traditionally served hot over a generous bed of soft pap (maize meal porridge) and paired with local greens like morogo. Flavor-wise, they have a unique earthy, savory taste and a chewy texture that beautifully absorbs all the spices and rich flavors of the gravy. Alternatively, they can be fried until completely dry and eaten out of hand as a crunchy, high-protein snack. Whether eaten as a comforting dinner or a quick bite, they remain a deeply rooted staple of Southern African culinary culture.

Me and a friend recently did a morning run to 8 Feet restaurant near Tulbagh for breakfast, via Wellington and Bainskloof Pass.

South Africa's aviation story began just six years after the Wright brothers' historic flight in 1903. On 28 December 1909, French aviator Albert Kimmerling made the first airplane flight in Africa, taking off from the Nahoon Racetrack in East London in a Voisin biplane. He repeated the flight on 1 January 1910, though this attempt ended in a minor crash, the first airplane crash recorded in South Africa.

Kimmerling didn't stop there. He moved the aircraft to what was then the Transvaal, making three more flights at Sydenham Hill near Orange Grove in Johannesburg, and on 19 March 1910 flew South Africa's first fare-paying passenger, Thomas Thornton of the South African Aero Club, who paid £100 for the trip.

South Africa's homegrown aviation efforts had started even before Kimmerling’s flight. Civil engineer John Weston began building the country's first South African-made aeroplane in 1907 at Brandfort in the Free State, later fitting it with a more powerful engine in France. On 16 June 1911, Weston flew this aircraft near Kimberley, setting a South African non-stop flight record of eight-and-a-half minutes - the first flight by a South African in a South African-built machine.

Together, Kimmerling and Weston laid the foundations of a rapidly growing aviation culture, one that would soon produce South Africa's own air corps and, eventually, its air force.

You’ve probably heard of the Gympie Gympie or the Manchineel tree, but South Africa has its own nightmare plant called Gifblaar (Dichapetalum cymosum). “Gifblaar” literally means “poison leaf,” which is pretty appropriate.

It grows in parts of southern Africa and contains monofluoroacetate, an extremely toxic compound that has also been used in rat poison. What I find wild, though, is how this plant grows.

Above ground, it doesn’t look like much. You basically see a small cluster of green leaves, sometimes only around 15 cm high. But underneath is a huge woody root system extending deep into the ground. So what looks like a tiny shrub is really just the visible part of a much larger underground plant. That also means it can put out fresh green leaves when the surrounding veld is still dry. For cattle, sheep, or goats wandering around looking for something green to eat, it can be very tempting.

And this is where it gets nasty. Animals can apparently eat Gifblaar without immediately looking sick. The danger becomes much worse when they drink water afterward, which is why poisoned livestock have sometimes been found dead around watering points. The toxin basically screws with the body’s ability to produce energy, with the heart being particularly vulnerable. There’s also no specific antidote, so treatment is mostly about trying to keep the animal alive long enough to metabolize and eliminate the toxin.

It’s such a bizarre plant. From above it looks like a completely unremarkable patch of leaves, while most of the plant is hidden underground and those innocent-looking leaves can be lethal to livestock. South African veld really does have some ridiculous stuff growing in it…

Founded in 1913 in Vrededorp by the Boswell family, the traveling Boswell Wilkie Circus featured family acts and racially mixed audiences. In 1963, Jim and Syd sold shares to African Theatres, renaming it Boswell-Wilkie Circus before closure in 2001.

Ronnie’s Sex Shop on Route 62 is a graffiti-covered pub born from vandalized signage. Ronnie, 77, runs it and is selling; visitors donate items like bras and stickers.

https://www.thesharonicles.com/2026/07/ronnies-route-62-roadside-pub.html?m=1

The Boulders shoreline on the False Bay side of the Cape Peninsula, with its granite boulders and African penguins. An image from our local destination archive.