South Africa

Wind And Sun Come To The Rescue In Power-Short South Africa

4:34pm December 11, 2015

by Don Boroughs

Is renewable energy worth the cost? This is a question being debated in Paris this week. Though there's no simple answer, in South Africa the verdict is in.

Reporters (left) interview the Aspen fellows during the session.

So You Like Bananas? Me Too! Our Speed Date With Global Activists

5:16pm November 11, 2015

by Jason Beaubien

It was a chance to meet — briefly — the new Aspen fellows, who are out to fix the world. We tried a light question to break the ice.

Zanele Themba (on the left with the pink backpack strap) admires American teens because they "know what they want and go for it." She's posing with classmates from the Sapphire Secondary School who participated in a model U.N. in Johannesburg.

South African Teens Share Their Dreams And Their Slang: #15Girls

5:19pm October 29, 2015

by Shoks Mnisi Mzolo

We found out when we talked to some of the 500 high schoolers who came to Johannesburg for a model U.N. We also learned a few of their favorite phrases.

The Libromat, which combines laundry and literature, results in brighter brights and brighter kids.

Rinse, Spin, Read To Kids: It's A Mashup Of Laundromat and Library

5:37pm October 27, 2015

by Andrew Boryga

Go to the laundromat, wash the clothes, get lessons on how to do a great job reading books to your kids. Crazy idea? But it's really happening!

Patrick Sitwayi, 57, lives in Upper Mcambalala and has silicosis from working in the gold mines for 22 years. Photographer Thom Pierce has been covering the miners.

Gold Miners Breathe The Dust, Fall Ill: 'They Did Not Give Me Nothing'

2:26pm October 22, 2015

by jennifer schmidt

Tens of thousands of South African miners are suffering from an incurable lung disease. Now they hope to file a class-action suit to gain compensation.

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Oscar Pistorius was found guilty of culpable homicide, which is equivalent to manslaughter, in the 2013 shooting death of his girlfriend. After less than a year in jail, he was released to house arrest.

Oscar Pistorius Released From Jail

8:13pm October 19, 2015

by Laura Wagner

South Africa's paralympian sprinter has been released from prison following his "culpable homicide" conviction in the 2013 shooting death of his girlfriend. He is under house arrest.

South African athlete Oscar Pistorius (right) is escorted to a police vehicle following his sentencing at the High Court in Pretoria, South Africa, on Oct. 21, 2014.

Oscar Pistorius Will Be Released On Parole Next Week

4:17pm October 15, 2015

by Jim Zarroli

The South African double-amputee sprinter nicknamed the "Blade Runner" was convicted of killing his girlfriend in their home in 2013. He will be under house arrest.

Elephants are an option for the first quiz question. These pachyderms are walking on a path at the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy at the foot of Mount Kenya, approximately 185 miles north of Nairobi.

Quiz: Are You Smarter Than A South African High School Student?

11:09am September 20, 2015

by NPR Staff

So you think you know a lot about world affairs? Like, um, what kind of animal did that American dentist shoot? See how you do on the annual Interschool quiz for South Africa's youth.

The night before the NBA exhibition game, two South African teams faced off in Johannesburg. Hoops aren't exactly a huge draw in the soccer-loving country. Attendance was about 1,000.

Basketball (And The NBA) Try To Find Fans In South Africa

4:21pm August 03, 2015

by Don Boroughs

Soccer is the national sport. But this was a big weekend for hoops in Johannesburg. Two top local teams faced off and the NBA played its first African exhibition game.

Australian surfer Mick Fanning narrowly escapes a shark attack.

WATCH: Surfer In South Africa Narrowly Escapes Shark

3:47pm July 19, 2015

by Scott Neuman

During a World Surf League competition in Jeffreys Bay that was broadcast live on television, Australian surfer Mick Fanning has a heart-stopping moment.