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Welcome!

We hope that browsing through our website will be an exciting and insightful journey for you.  We have sought to package and provide information in the most user-friendly manner, spanning the political, economic, consular and immigration and tourism spheres.  You will also find links to other websites that cover a multitude of interesting topics about South Africa and the numerous offerings we provide. Continue reading. 

NB: Notice of Office Closures

Please be advised that our offices will be closed:

- on Friday, 16 December 2016 in observance of Day of Reconciliation, resuming normal operations on Monday, 18 December 2016, and

- from noontime on Friday, 23 December 2016, resuming normal operations on Tuesday, 3 January 2017.

Please plan your visit accordingly.

South African Airways (SAA), the national carrier of South Africa and Africa's most awarded airline, is offering special fares from the U.S. to destinations in Africa for travel in early 2017. The fares are offered from SAA's gateways at New York-JFK International Airport and Washington, DC-Dulles International Airport to Johannesburg, South Africa; Accra, Ghana and Dakar, Senegal starting at just $660.00* (restrictions apply) round-trip.  Travel on these fares is applicable for an extended period between January 15 and May 31, 2017, with tickets purchased by December 26, 2016.

These special holiday fares are available for 7-days only, so travelers must hurry to unwrap this gift and purchase tickets by visiting www.flysaa.com or calling SAA reservations at 1 (800) 722-9675.

Reception in Celebration of the Life of Nelson Rohlihlahla Mandela

Saturday, 10 December 2016
6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
at the South African Consulate General
333 East 38th Street, 9th Floor
New York, NY 10016

Space is limited. RSVP is required.
RSVP online at https://southafricacommunityreception2016.eventbrite.com/.

NB: This event is for South African nationals only.

NB: Notice of Office Closure

Please be advised that our offices will be closed from Friday, 23 December 2016 and will resume normal operations on Tuesday, 3 January 2017. Please plan your visit accordingly.

Joyous Celebration: Heal Our Land U.S. East Coast Tour

Free and open to the public. Check out the performance dates below.

05 December 2016, 5:00 pm
Duke Ellington Performing Arts School
2501 11th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001

06 December 2016, 7:30 pm
Bishop Hezekiah Walker of Love Fellowship Church
464 Liberty Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11207

07 December 2016, 7:00 pm
Salem Baptist Church of Jenkintown
610 Summit Avenue, Jenkintown, PA 19046

08 December 2016, 7:00 pm
Bishop George Searight of Abundant Life Family Worship Center
259 George Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

09 December 2016, 6:00 pm
Salvation Army Harlem Temple Corps
540 Lenox Avenue between 137th and 138th Streets
New York, NY 10037

The 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children is an international awareness-raising campaign. It takes place every year from 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to 10 December (International Human Rights Day). The period includes Universal Children’s Day and World AIDS Day.

South Africa adopted the campaign in 1998 as one of the intervention strategies towards creating a society free of violence. The campaign continues to raise awareness amongst South Africans about the negative impact of violence against women and children (VAW&C) on all members of the community. Read more.

World AIDS Day is commemorated each year on the 1st of December and is an opportunity for every community to unite in the fight against HIV, show support for people living with HIV and remember those who have died. Read more.

National Film and Video Foundation: Briefing and Presentation

21 November 2016

View more photographs on Facebook.

#IdolsSA: New energy, new levels and New York

By Amanda Maliba
7 November 2016

The fight to the finale, as Proverb put it, is much much closer and the Idols’ competition is still anyone’s game. With only four contestants left, and after losing Lucia last night, the remaining participants were awarded a trip to New York which they left for immediately after the show. View article.

NB: Notice of Office Closure

Kindly note that our offices will be closed on 24 and 25 November 2016. Normal operations will resume on Monday, 28 November 2016. Please plan your visit accordingly.

National Disability Rights Awareness Month

South Africa commemorates National Disability Rights Awareness Month annually between 3 November and 3 December. 3 December is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and is also commemorated as National Disability Rights Awareness Day.

This year's theme is: “Persons with disabilities – Equal participants in shaping a sustainable future.”

Disability is the consequence of an impairment that may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental, or some combination of these. A disability may be present from birth, or occur during a person's lifetime.

The Department of Social Development is responsible for driving the government’s equity, equality and empowerment agenda in terms of those living with disabilities.

Briefing for Visiting MBA Students from the University of the Witswatersrand

2 November 2016

Briefing for the Visiting Delegation of Gauteng Department of Education

17 October 2016

 

Courtesy Call by the Mayor of Cape Town, Ms. Patricia de Lille

11 October 2016

Left to right: Mr. Justin Barnett from South African Tourism, Consul Bernard Legodi, Consul General Mathula Nkosi, Cape Town Mayor Ms. Patricia de Lille, Ms. Judy Pillay from South African Tourism and Consul Gavin du Preez.

Courtesy Call by Litha Soyizwapi

6 October 2016

Litha Soyizwapi (second from left) is a Johannesburg-based graphic designer, iOS independent developer and public speaker. He created the GauRider app which includes features such as fare information, bus and train timetables and mapping, as well as the ability to use it offline. GauRider has charted at No.1 in the iPhone travel category for both Top Paid and Top Grossing in the South African AppStore.

Litha Soyizwapi will be presenting at the renowned tech conference, Release Notes, at the end of the October 2016 in Indianapolis, IN.

Left to right: Consul Dion van Tonder, Litha Soyizwapi, Consul Gavin Du Preez, Consul General Mathula Nkosi and Consul Bernard Legodi.

Briefing by Consul General Mathula Nkosi for Visiting Delegation of the Gordon Institute of Business Science

3 October 2016

View on Facebook.

South African Airways Vacations® Introduces Its 2017 Collection Brochure

Expanded brochure features a portfolio of over 70 vacation packages to Africa

Fort Lauderdale, FL (September 29, 2016) – For 2017, SAA Vacations® is offering over 70 affordable packages that feature a multitude of experiences throughout Africa including, adventure, culture, wildlife, culinary & wine tour, honeymoon and family safaris.  All SAA Vacations® packages include round-trip air transportation on award-winning South African Airways, with origins from over 100 cities in the U.S., as well as hotel accommodations, airport transfers, sightseeing and a safari experience on selected packages. Read more.

Miriam Makeba: Mama Afrika

Monday, 3 October 2016, 7:30 pm
NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts
566 LaGuardia Place
New York, NY 10012

Presented by the New York University Institute for African American Affairs and University of Missouri

The production tells the story of activist and Grammy award-winning musician Miriam Makeba, outlining her role in bringing down apartheid, her varied musical career, betrayals, failed marriages and death of her only daughter while in exile. Set in Africa, the USA and Belgium, this musical is an inspirational and universal story that will appeal to multi-generational audiences worldwide.

For more information and to buy tickets, please visit NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts.

Kurios: Cabinet of Curiosities
A Special Evening With Cirque Du Soleil

Tuesday, 4 October 2016, 8:00 pm
Under the Big Top at Randall’s Island Park
New York, NY 10035

Proceeds from tickets sales will support Zip Zap Circus outreach and training programs for young people in the USA and South Africa.

For more information and to buy tickets, please go to https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/usa/new-york/kurios/buy-tickets.

Loyiso Gola Live In New York/Comedy Show & Live Taping

Wednesday, 28 September 2016,
Doors: 7:00 pm Show: 7:30 pm
House of Yes
2 Wyckoff Avenue, Brooklyn, New York City
Tickets: $10

Two-time Emmy-nominated comedian, Loyiso Gola, brings his frank and outspoken comedy to the U.S. from South Africa, where he has been breaking taboos, with no fear of controversy, for over a decade.  Star of the hit political satire show, Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola, and winner of South Africa’s Comics' Choice Awards, Loyiso’s no-holds-bar comedic style comes to New York for the taping of his first-ever U.S. comedy special, a Vimeo original.  

Winner of numerous accolades, Loyiso’s credits include appearances on Comedy Central Africa, BBC’s Mock the Week and Australia’s The Weekly with Charlie Pickering, among many others, and he has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, as well as at top international comedy festivals, including Just for Laughs and a smash hit run at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.  As Men’s Health put it, “[Loyiso is] a genuine thinker masquerading as a fool and the reluctant voice of a cynical generation."

Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door.  You must be 21 or older to attend. Doors will open at 7:00 pm, and the show will begin at 7:30 pm, ending at 9:00 pm.  House of Yes is located at 2 Wyckoff Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11237.  You can purchase tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/loyiso-gola-live-in-new-york-comedy-show-live-taping-tickets-27580372637.

President Jacob Zuma arrives in New York City for the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly

17 September 2016

His Excellency President Jacob Zuma met with Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, at the UN Headquarters in New York City, ahead of the 71st United Nations General Aseembly. View more photographs.

September is Heritage Month

Heritage Month is celebrated annually from 1 to 30 September.

Heritage Month recognizes aspects of South African culture which are both tangible and intangible: creative expression such as music and performances, our historical inheritance, language, the food we eat as well as the popular memory.

NB: Notice of Office Closure

Kindly note that our offices will be closed on Monday, 5 September 2016 and will resume normal operations on Tuesday, 6 September 2016. Please plan your visit accordingly.

Rio Olympics 2016: Caster Semenya is South Africa's golden girl

by Michael Makungo
21 August 2016

Caster Semenya has given South Africa its second gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Semenya is the first South African woman in 64 years to win Olympic gold in athletics. Read more.

Rio Olympics 2016: Wayde van Niekerk breaks world record to win Olympic gold

15 August 2016

South Africa's Wayde van Niekerk broke Michael Johnson's 17-year-old 400m world record to sensationally win Olympic gold at Rio 2016. The 24-year-old finished in 43.03 seconds, 0.15 quicker than the time Johnson clocked in Seville in 1999. Read more.

The Empire State Building will light in honor of the athletes competing in Rio on Friday, 5 August 2016

The lights will be rotating through all the combinations of colors of the flags of participating countries beginning at sunset until 2:00 am.

South African Airways Celebrates First Anniversary of Service from Washington, DC to Accra, Ghana

August is Women's Month

South Africa commemorates Women’s Month in August as a tribute to the more than 20,000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956 in protest against the extension of Pass Laws to women. The Government of South Africa declared August women’s month and 9 August is celebrated annually as Women’s Day.

Obituary: Phyllis Ntantala-Jordan

17 July 2016

Phyllis Jordan left South Africa in September 1962 as a political refugee to escape Apartheid and emigrated to the United Kingdom (UK). In September 1963, travelling on a UK Passport, she emigrated to the USA with her late husband, Professor A.C. Jordan and settled in Madison, Wisconsin where her husband was employed as a professor in African Languages and Literature. She became a permanent resident of the USA in 1972.

Phyllis Jordan has written extensively on South African affairs since the 1950s. An essay depicting the lives of African women under apartheid, “Widows of the Reserves” was critically acclaimed and included in Langston Hughes’ “An African Treasury”(1963) and later re-issued as a pamphlet by the United Nations (1972). Her autobiography, “A Life’s Mosaic”, published by the University of California Press in 1991, was re-published in South Africa in 2005.

In 1996 she was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Philosophy by her alma mater, the University of Fort Hare, in recognition of her life’s work.

Phyllis Ntantala-Jordan passed away, aged 96, in Taylor, Michigan on 17 July 2016 and will be buried next to her late husband at the Forest Hill Cemetery in Madison on 30 July 2016. She is survived by her children Agatha Ninzi and Pallo, her grand-children Thuli, Samantha, Margaret, Nandipha and six great grandchildren.

The service will take place at the Cress Funeral Services, 3610 Speedway Road, Madison, Wisconsin.

Contact: zpjordan@mweb.co.za Tel: 313-908-4489.

The Peace Train Tour Across America: New York

Saturday, 9 July 2016, 8:00 pm
New York Society for Ethical Culture
2 West 64th Street
New York, NY 10023

Price: $20 in advance, $25 at the door.
Save $5 and buy tickets in advance at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2545699

Fore more inforation about Sharon Katz and the peace train, please visit www.sharonkatz.com.

Live Performance: Mandela

Friday, 8 July 2016, 7:00 p.m. / Sunday, 10 July 2016, 4:00 p.m.
The National Black Theater
2031 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10035

New York City Mayor David Dinkins to celebrate his birthday as well as Nelson Mandela's during his performance on July 8, 2016.

Director/Co-Writers and Co-Producers John Ruiz and Yolanda Brooks were inspired by Nelson Mandela and has brought together a cast of Actors led by Former NYC Mayor David Dinkins and Audelco Award Winner Lloyd Goodman who plays Nelson Mandela for this limited engagement of "Mandela".

For more information and to buy tickets, please visit http://mandela.brownpapertickets.com/

The 2016 Fascinating Africans Committed to Excellence (FACE) Awards

Saturday, 9 July 2016
ESPACE Ballroom
635 West 42nd Street New York, NY 10036

For more information and to purchase tickets, please go to http://facelist.face2faceafrica.com/.

The New South African Permanent Representative
to the United Nations Presents his Credentials
to the Secretary-General

Ambassador Jerry Matjila, the Permanent Representative of the Republic of South Africa to the United Nations, presented his credentials to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr Ban Ki-moon, on 5 July 2016 in New York.



Photo credit: Sherwin Bryce-Pease/SABC



Photo credit: Sherwin Bryce-Pease/SABC

Dear Friends and Partners of South Africa,

Each year on July 18, South Africa celebrates the birth of beloved former president Nelson Mandela. A humanitarian, politician and philanthropist, Mandela fought tirelessly for equality and a better life for all South Africans. In his honor, we celebrate Mandela Day with a global call to action for citizens of the world to follow in the footsteps of Madiba. The message behind the day is simple – each person has the ability and responsibility to change the world for the better. Read more.

July is Nelson Mandela Month

In July, South Africa celebrates former president Nelson Mandela's birthday. 18 July has been declared Nelson Mandela International Day, but as South Africans we embrace the chance to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s life for the whole of July. This gives everyone the opportunity to heed the call to action for people to recognize their individual power to make an imprint and change the world around them.

A global movement for positive change begins with small actions. As each person acts, they fuel momentum toward positive change, raising awareness and expanding the reach of Mr Mandela’s values – fighting injustice, helping people in need and practicing reconciliation. Read more.

The Meeting of the Minds:
South Africa's Enterprising Next Generation

Saturday, 25 June 2016, 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Farm Soho, 2nd Floor
447 Broadway
New York, NY 10013

Tickets: $35
Reception includes appetizers and wine.

Andile Dyalvane's First Solo Exhibition, Camagu, Opens in New York City

24 June 2016 to 19 August 2016
Friedman Benda
515 West 26th Street, Chelsea New York, NY 10001

Southern Guild is proud to celebrate Andile Dyalvane, and the extraordinary body of work in this groundbreaking solo exhibition, CAMAGU, presented by one of the world’s leading design galleries, Friedman Benda.

Camagu loosely translates from Xhosa to English as "I am grateful" and is a spiritual expression of gratitude from Dyalvane to his ancestors. For Andile, Camagu has come to be the mantra for his practice, stamping the phrase onto many of his works.

For more information on the exhibit, please visit Friedman Benda's website at http://www.friedmanbenda.com/…/curre…/andile-dyalvane-camagu.

South African Community to Host Informal Celebration Commemorating the 40th Year of South Africa's Youth Day

Saturday, 18 June 2016, from 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Riverside Park, located on the Hudson River, Lower Deck
between West 145th and West 158th Streets
Manhattan, New York

For inquiries regarding directions to the venue, please contact Isaac Johnson at (914) 391-9925 or zudo2003@hotmail.com.

 Click on the image below to view details.

UNISA Alumni Cocktail Function

16 June 2016, 18:00/18:30
The Westin New York Grand Central
212 East 42nd Street
New York, NY 10017

RSVP to :
Ms. Lynette van Niekerk
Tel: +2712 441 5830
E-mail: Vniekl1@unisa.ac.za

40th Anniversary of the Soweto Youth Uprising

Wednesday, 15 June 2016
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Reginald F. Lewis Museum
830 E. Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21202

The Maryland/KwaZulu-Natal Sister State Committee cordially invites you to a special evening commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Soweto Youth Uprising. Local and international activists and historians, including the Honorable Baleka Mbete, South African Speaker of Parliament and His Excellency Mninwa Mahlangu, South African Ambassador to the U.S., will reflect on the domestic and international significance of the Soweto uprising and the important role of women and youth in advancing social change.

For more information, please contact Dr. Jean Bailey, Chairperson, at (202) 421-5552 or jeanbaileyphd@aol.com.

40th Anniversary Production of Sarafina!

Tuesday, 14 June 2016, 10:00 am
Mann Center for the Performing Arts
5201 Parkside Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19131

The Mann Center for the Performing Arts will present the musical Sarafina! to kick off the Mann's 2016 Young People's Concert Series on June 14. This special performance, presented by the Mann, Howard University's Department of Theater Arts and NEWorks Productions, is a musical inspired by the 1976 Soweto Student Uprising, when more than 10,000 South African youth boldly defended their right to an education that affirmed their cultural identity and heritage. Now, 40 years later, the inspiring story of these brave South African students comes to life on the Mann's main stage in this production by Howard University. Sarafina! is Directed by Eric Ruffin with choreography by Jakari Sherman, the book, music and lyrics are by Mbongeni Ngema and arranged by Mbongeni Ngema and Hugh Masekela.

The Honorable Speaker Baleka Mbete will be a special guest at this event.

More information at http:// www.broadwayworld.com/ philadelphia/article/ SARAFINA-Set-for-Manns-2016 -Young-Peoples-Concert-Ser ies-614-20160608

Briefing for University of Pretoria Graduate Students Participating at Fordham University's Emerging Markets Program

2 June 2016

Youth Month

1 to 30 June 2016

June is celebrated as Youth Month in South Africa, with a specific focus on 16 June, which is also known as Youth Day. Youth Month pays tribute to the school pupils who lost their lives during the 16 June 1976 uprising in Soweto.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Soweto uprisings. The theme for Youth Month is: “Youth Moving South Africa Forward.” Read more.

NB: Notice of Office Closure

Please note that our offices will be closed on Monday, 30 May 2016 and will resume normal operations on Tuesday, 31 May 2016.

Visit to New York by the Department of Higher Education and Training led by Minister Bonginkosi Emmanuel Nzimande

24 May 2016

South African Airways Launches "Sizzling Summer Sale" with fares to South Africa from $1,199*
(Restrictions Apply)

Fares So Hot They Must Be Purchased by June 1st

Just in time for the summer travel season, South African Airways (SAA), the national flag carrier of South Africa and Africa's most awarded airline, announces the "Sizzling Summer Sale" with its lowest fares of the season for travel from New York and Washington, DC to Johannesburg. Sale fares start at $1,199.00* (restrictions apply) round-trip from Washington, DC-Dulles to Johannesburg and $1,299.00* (restrictions apply) from New York-JFK to Johannesburg. These fares are available for purchase by June 1, 2016, for travel from June 1 – 30, 2016. Promo details.

Africa Month

South Africa recognizes itself as an integral part of the African continent. Therefore the country understands its national interest to be intrinsically linked to continental stability, unity and prosperity. Our national interest is therefore defined by the development and upliftment of all African people.

Africa Month seeks to increase appreciation and demand for arts and culture goods and services to stimulate competitive markets for Intra-Africa trade.

May: Energy Month

May is Energy Month in South Africa. Come on board and reduce energy consumption in your everyday life. Read more.

New York African Film Festival:
While You Weren't Looking

Friday, 6 May 2016, 2:00 pm
Sunday, 8 May 2016, 9:15 pm
Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center, Film Society Lincoln Center
144 West 65th Street, New York, NY 10023

Tickets available at http://www.filmlinc.org/films/while-you-werent-looking/.

Directed by Catherine Stewart, South Africa, 2015, 104m.

Synopsis: The changing landscape of post-Apartheid South African politics and lifestyles is portrayed through two central relationships: a successful black real estate woman who is cheating on her white wife, and their bohemian daughter dating a gender non-confirming woman in the Khayelitsha township.
***

New York African Film Festival: Cuckold

Thursday, 5 May 2016 at 8:30 pm
– followed by Q&A with Director Charlie Vundla
Tuesday, 10 May 10 2016 at 3:45pm
Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center, Film Society Lincoln Center
144 W 65th Street, New York, NY 10023

Directed by Charlie Vundla, South Africa, 2015, 95m.

Synopsis: The second feature by Charlie Vundla (director of How to Steal 2 Million, a selection of the 2012 New York African Film Festival), Cuckold tells the story of a young African-American professor in Johannesburg (played by Vundla) who falls apart after his wife leaves him for another man. While trying to drink himself into oblivion, he has a chance encounter with an old schoolmate who is now a homeless life coach. Together (with a little help from the drug trade), the two men prop each other up, and things soon ease back into normalcy… until the professor’s wife reappears sobbing at his doorstep. An unusual ménage à trois arrangement follows, one that seems destined to wreak havoc on the fragile state of affairs.
***

Tickets available at: http://www.filmlinc.org/films/cuckold/.

NB: Notice of Office Closure

Please note that in observance of Workers' Day, our offices will be closed on Monday, 2 May 2016 and will resume normal operations on Tuesday, 3 May 2016. Please plan your visit accordingly.

Come and celebrate Freedom Day with the South African Consulate General and the South African community in New York on Saturday, 30 April 2016. Bring your children, brothers, sisters, wives, husbands, and friends from Africa and the Diaspora. Everyone is welcome.

Please note that the State Park and the New York City Park are at the same location. Our event will be held at the New York City Park which is located at the lower deck of the State Park.

BRING YOUR OWN FOOD AND REFRESHMENTS

If you have a grill and charcoal, please bring them. Kindly note that smoking and drinking are prohibited at NYC parks.

DRESS CODE

You are encouraged to wear your favorite South African Gear: Springbok jersey, cap, South African flag, Bafana-Bafana t-shirt; whatever makes you a proud South African.

DIRECTIONS

Catch A, B, C,D or # 1 trains to 145 Street (Manhattan) and walk westward towards Broadway and Riverside Drive. If you are driving, enter the park from West 158th Street. There is parking and restrooms.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Ntabiseng (347) 264-6911, Sandra (201) 663-3574 or Isaac (914) 391-9925.

About Freedom Day

Freedom Day on 27 April is an annual celebration of South Africa's first non-racial democratic elections of 1994. It is significant because it marks the end of over three hundred years of colonialism, segregation and white minority rule and the establishment of a new democratic government led by Nelson Mandela and a new state subject to a new constitution. Read more.

Uhadi: All-Stars of Johannesburg Jazz

1-3 April 2016
Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola
Broadway and 60th Street, 5th Floor, New York City

Set Times*
7:30 & 9:30pm nightly
Late Night Session Tuesday-Saturday
Doors Open at 11:15pm
*unless otherwise noted

With Musical Director and saxophonist McCoy Mrubata, vocalist Jazzmeia Horn, trumpeter Feya Faku, pianist Paul Hanmer, bassist Herbie Tsoaeli, and drummer Justin Badenhorst

Uhadi, an all-star jazz band from Johannesburg, returns by extremely popular demand to set Dizzy’s alight with its joyful, high-energy brand of jazz. This time, the vocalist will be Jazzmeia Horn, winner of the 2016 Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Competition. The multi-talented Horn has recently led her own group at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola and performed before an awe-struck audience at New York’s historic Abyssinian Baptist Church. Now she further expands her artistry into this exciting new territory. Don’t miss this exciting collaboration. Buy tickets online.

Johnny Clegg

Johnny Clegg Band returns to North America in Spring 2016 for a headline tour of PACs, clubs, and universities.

Ridgefield Playhouse, Connecticut

Wednesday, 30 March 2016, 8:00 pm
The Ridgefield Playhouse
80 East Ridge, Ridgefield, CT 06877
Tel: (203) 438-5795, Fax: (203) 438-4543

VIP Party Pass available! Includes priority parking and open bar from 6:30 – 7:15 pm. Available for $25 by calling box office (203) 438-5795. More information available at http://ridgefieldplayhouse.org/events/johnny-clegg-band/.

The Box Office is open Monday - Friday: 9:00 am-5:30.pm
Saturday: 12 noon-4:00 pm and 1 hour prior to a live performance.

BB King Blues Club and Grill in New York City

31 March 2015 and , 1 April 2016
237 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036
Tel: (212) 997-4144
Showtime: 8:00 pm, Doors open at 6:00 pm
Tickets: $40 in advance, $45 day of show

Opening Act: Jesse Clegg

For more information and to buy tickets, please go to http://www.bbkingblues.com/bio.php?id=5416

Notice of March 2016 Office Closures

Before visiting our offices, please make note of the following closures.

The South African Consulate General will be closed on:

  • Monday, 21 March (Human Right Day),
  • Friday, 25 March (Good Friday), and
  • Monday, 28 March 2016 (Family Day).

Home Affairs Section will be open to the public on Thursday, 24 March 2016 until 11:00 am only.

You can also check the full list of holidays the Consulate will observe for the year. Please plan your visit accordingly.

"Reflection"
A Tribute to Sara Baartman - The Staged Reading

Thursday, 24 March 2016, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Grinton I. Will Public Library ...
1500 Central Park Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10710

This ensemble performance piece will explore the life of Sara Baartman.

Sara, a South African woman of the Khoisian people was put on display by Europeans as a freak show attraction in the early 19th century. Fascinated with her body and body parts she was a spectacle; exploited and degraded for all to see. Through 'Reflection' we will share our empathy for Sara and find out how she came to be known as the Hottentot Venus.

Produced by Lyricsoulsproductions
Directed by Aixa Kendrick

For more information, please contact organizer Adrienne Lyric at (917) 721-5187 or email alyric1234a@gmail.com.

60th Anniversary of South African Women's March Of 1956: Sharing the Milestones of South African Women

Saturday, 19 March 2016, 5:30 pm
For My Sweet Garden and Event Space/Kalahari Gallery
1103 Fulton Street (at Claver Place), Brooklyn, NY 11238

Presentation by South Africa's Minister of Social Development, Ms. Bathabile Dlamini, with Executive Director of Ilitha Labantu S.A., Ms. Mandisa Monakali.

For more information, please call (917) 757-0170 or email aweusi@gmail.com.

Africa's Largest Solar Power Plant to be Switched On Today

17 March 2016

KIMBERLEY - The largest solar power plant in Africa will be switched on in the Northern Cape this morning. The facility which is based in De Aar, is expected to produce more than 175 megawatts of power. Read full news article.

The solar power plant in De Aar. Picture: deaarsolar.co.za.

Nicki Minaj in South Africa for Pinkprint Tour

17 March 2016

FILE: Nicki Minaj. Picture: Facebook.

American rapper Nicki Minaj has landed in Johannesburg for the first leg of her ‘PinkPrint’ Tour. Read full article.

Second Annual South African Craft Show

16 April 2016, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery
131 East 10th Street, New York NY 10001
Use 11th Street Entrance

SA-U.S. trade deal reaches beyond Agoa

By Mzwandile Masina
02 March 2016

The U.S. government through the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is currently seized developing a report on “Deepening and Broadening the Trade and Investment Relationship between Africa and the U.S.”.

Over the years, the U.S. has been one of South Africa’s key trading partners. Such relations were supported by a number of government-to-government platforms. Read full news.

Imagine Scholar Inc. Fundraiser

Tuesday, 22 March 2016, from 6:00 pm til close
Madiba Restaurant
195 Dekalb Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11205

Madiba Restaurant invites you to a dinner supporting education in South Africa through the charity, Imagine Scholar Inc.

Guests can look forward to an open bar cocktail hour, complimentary hor d'oeuvres, raffle prizes and a "Taste of South Africa" multi-course meal.

RSVP by confirming your dinner reservation with Madiba Restaurant at info@madibarestaurant.com. Dinner starts promptly at 8:00 p.m, and will cost $50 a person.

For more information, please visit www.ImagineScholar.org or contact Caitlin at graaf.caitlin@gmail.com.

Courtesy Call by South African Artist Lionel Smit

4 March 2016

Left to right: Consul Dion van Tonder, Lionel Smit, Monique Bredell, Consul Bernard Legodi and Cynthia Reeves.

Lionel Smit is considered one of South Africa’s most talented artists, best known for his contemporary portraiture executed through monumental canvases and sculptures. Perhaps more than anything else, Lionel Smit’s art is defined by a deeply rooted symbiotic relationship between sculpture and painting. Born in 1982 in Pretoria, South Africa, Smit was exposed to a world of sculpture through his father, renowned sculptor Anton Smit, who worked from his studio adjacent to the family home.

Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan presented the budget speech to the Parliament on Wednesday, 24 February 2015, at 2:00 p.m. South Africa time.

Visit to the New York Stock Exchange

18 February 2016

Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Mr. Mzwandile Collen Masina and South African Ambassador to the United States Mr. Mninwa Johannes Mahlangu visited the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday, 18 February 2016.

South African Delegation at the 2016 Wall Street Project: Economic Summit

18 February 2016

Investment Forum: The South Africa-U.S. Business to Business Forum
Riverside Ballroom, Sheraton New York Times Square

Left to right: Assistant United States Trade Representative for Africa, Ms. Florizelle B. Liser; Executive Chairperson of Community Investment Holdings, Dr. Anna Mokgokong; South African Ambassador to the United States, Mr. Mninwa Johannes Mahlangu; founder and president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr.; Deputy Minister of Trade & Industry, Mr. Mzwandile Collen Masina, and seated in front, Deputy Minister of Small Business Development, Ms.Elizabeth Thabethe.

President Jacob Zuma presented the State of the Nation Address (SoNA) to a joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament (National Assembly and National Council of Provinces) on 11 February 2016 at 19h00.

The 2016 theme was: “Following up on our commitments to the people”.

During his speech, the President talked about government’s achievements of the past year and looked to the future by presenting a programme for the coming year. This programme set out government’s plans to address various key government programmes. The President addressed the nation in his capacity as Head of State, not only as Head of Government.

Read full text of the statement.


The South Africa Yearbook 2015 gives a comprehensive account of the programmes and policies of our government as well as the current state of the South African nation. This publication is the official authoritative reference work on the Republic of South Africa and is updated annually.

Editor: Elias Tibane
Tel: 012 473 0069
Email: elias@gcis.gov.za

For older year books, please click here.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Friday, 19 February 2016, 8:00 pm
The Town Hall, 123 West 43rd Street
New York City

For over 50 years, South Africa’s Ladysmith Black Mambazo has warmed the hearts of audiences worldwide with their uplifiting vocal harmonies, signature dance moves and charming onstage banter. This year, the four-time Grammy Award winning group, is celebrating the 30th anniversary of their groundbreaking collaboration with Paul Simon on his seminal album, Graceland.

This concert is part of World Music Institute's Masters of African Music Series

Tickets are available through: bit.ly/ladysmithTIX or bit.ly/ladysmithTIXtm

Starfish USA Gala 2016

Dada Masilo's Swan Lake

2 - 7 February 2016
The Joyce Theater
175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street
New York, NY 10011
Joyce Charge: (212) 242-0800

Tuesday-Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday-Saturday at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday at 2:00 p.m
Curtain chat: Wednesday, 3 February

Combining classic and contemporary dance that is strongly influenced by her African heritage, Johannesburg-born dancer and choreographer Dada Masilo creates explosive, passionate work. Her reimagining of Swan Lake is no exception as the dancers are not only propelled by Tchaikovsky, but also by Steve Reich as they turn the classic Swan Lake on its head to tackle issues of gender and homophobia in a country ravaged by AIDS.

For tickets and more information, please go to Joyce Theater.

Underwriting support for The Joyce’s presentation of Dada Masilo’s Swan Lake provided by Kerry Clayton and Paige Royer, and Amit Wadhwaney of Moerus Capital Management LLC. Support for The Joyce’s presentation of international dance provided by the R. Britton Fisher and Family Gift for International Dance. Support for The Joyce’s community outreach and inclusive programming provided by The Robert Sterling Clark Foundation. The presentation of Dada Masilo’s Swan Lake was made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, with additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Special support provided by South Africa’s Department of Arts & Culture.

Fashion Roars

Thursday, 4 February 2016
7:00 p.m. to Midnight
Broad Street Ballroom
41 Broad Street
New York, NY 10004

Generation Ubuntu’s second annual Fashion Roars is a one-night only theatrical fashion show with a life-saving mission. It offers a full night of performance, live music, dancing, and chances to win luxury prizes. All proceeds will go toward providing care services for children and teens living with HIV in South Africa. Amy Freeze of WABC will emcee, and 40 professional dancers will be donating their talent to the runway show produced by Katy Parnello of the Telluride AIDS Benefit.

Host: Amy Freeze - Meteorologist for New York City's TV station WABC
Auctioneer: Paul O'Reilly Hyland - Co-Founder and CEO of OCP Capital LLC

For more information and tickets, please go to: http://www.genubuntu.org/fashionroars/.

Kindly note that the South African Consulate General will be closed from Thursday, 24 December 2015 and will resume normal operations on Monday, 4 January 2016. Please plan your visit accordingly.

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