Latest news:

The Ugly Noo Noo: Astounding cricket capers remain contemporary

There were probably few, if any, people who, when they stood up to give The Ugly Noo Noo a standing ovation in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, thought it could be even more relevant in distant 2024.

After all, when Andrew Buckland wrote and performed it in 1988 it was, disguised beneath the surreal humour and superb physical comedy, an essentially political play.… Read more

How to roll in a Corolla

The most appropriate way to introduce the Toyota Corolla – drum roll – is to remind readers that it is the world’s most successful car, with about 45 million having been sold since its launch in 1966.

Of course, many versions of this global favourite have been produced, and the Corolla accounts for one out of every five Toyotas’ sold.… Read more

New shelter for homeless people opens in Green Point

Matthew Hirsch/GroundUp

A new 300-bed shelter for homeless people in Green Point run by the City of Cape Town opened its doors on Monday.

This is one of five Safe Spaces for homeless people funded by the City.

The site for the shelter, at the municipal depot on Ebenezer Road, was approved by the City’s municipal planning tribunal in July last year following extensive public participation.… Read more

Give people a basic income grant, say churches

Providing a guaranteed minimum level of income frees people from vicious cycles of poverty, says Archbishop Thabo Makgoba

By Marecia Damons/GroudUp

Hundreds of churches have joined civil society’s call for the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant to be made permanent and become a universal basic income grant (UBIG).… Read more

August gig guide

Boo! is back, and some of the best shows from Makhanda (Grahamstown) Fringe are coming for a visit.

Music

Boo! Were the antidote to the Springbok Nude Girls in the 90s. As hard and loud as the Nudies rocked, Arno couldn’t help getting a bit adult contemporary at times.… Read more

​Shelters in Cape Town fill up as winter bites

​The Haven’s shelters are already 85% full

Ashraf Hendricks/GroundUp

Shelters for homeless people across Cape Town are filling up as winter bites. The Haven, which has 14 shelters and 1,300 beds, says the shelters are already 85% full.

While the weather is good, says Haven CEO Shaddie Valayadum, it is possible to make money on the streets.… Read more

​City fines PRASA for contravening zoning laws

​Temporary relocation of families occupying central line contravened municipal by-laws

By Sandiso Phaliso/GroundUp

The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has been fined R25,000 for contravening the City of Cape Town zoning laws when it relocated hundreds of families who had erected shacks on the central railway line tracks to a site in Philippi East.… Read more

Diesel on down the road

A diesel is dirty, smelly, powerful, and leaks oil when it puts a few hundered k’s on the clock. But the thing is they do put a few hundred k’s on the clock, and just keep clocking on.

While there’s undeniably a thrill to the acceleration and speed of the petrol racehorses that can weave in and out of traffic, a journey in an old diesel allows you to check out our incredible landscape, take a sho’t left off the beaten track, and get into the flow of the road.… Read more