Bafana Bafana suffered a 2-0 defeat against co-hosts Mexico in their Fifa World Cup 2026 opener at Estadio Azteca. The match, played on June 11, 2026, was controversial, featuring three red cards and leaving South African fans frustrated.

Something has changed in how South Africans spend money online. Whether they are signing up to a streaming service, choosing a bank app, or picking an online casino to play at, the question is no longer just whether a platform works. The question is ...

Three days after the historic Soweto Uprising in 1976, the Market Theatre opened its doors in Johannesburg, becoming a vital space for artistic expression and resistance against apartheid. Nearly 50 years on, it continues to reflect and shape South A...

Running at the Market Theatre, 'Rise '76: The Story of June 16th' explores the profound impact of the Soweto Uprising through the lens of playwright Tiisetso Mashifane wa Noni. The production challenges conventional narratives, focusing on individual...

Every June 16th, South Africa celebrates Youth Day with music and speeches, often reposting the iconic image of Hector Pieterson. But historian Noor Nieftagodien argues these celebrations obscure the true causes and character of the 1976 Soweto Upris...

This extract delves into the enduring mystery surrounding the death of Tsietsi Mashinini, a prominent leader of the 1976 Soweto uprising. After years in exile grappling with political isolation and personal struggles, his death in Guinea in 1990 rema...

Discover the latest in South African arts and culture, featuring the launch of Moët & Chandon Ice Impérial by Pharrell Williams, Laj Beats' new single 'Sebenza' tackling men's struggles, and Louise Carver's behind-the-scenes music video for 'My Lov...

Five decades after the watershed 1976 youth uprisings, the country is still pondering ways of repaying the huge debt of gratitude it owes the brave learners who took on the might of apartheid — unarmed but unafraid. At 50, the struggle has matured...

In 1968, Walt Disney released The Love Bug, starring Herbie, a sentient, pearl-white 1963 Volkswagen Beetle. The film became a massive global box-office success, transforming the vehicle into an international symbol of pure joy, innocence and care-...

Young people gathered in Soweto last week Friday, not only to commemorate the past but to argue about its present meaning. From Avalon Cemetery to Morris Isaacson High School, the launch of the #YouthLivesMatter campaign unfolded as a moving proces...

Nearly 50 years after students took to the streets of Soweto (https://mg.co.za/tag/soweto-uprising/) demanding a voice in their own future, young South Africans say they are still fighting to be heard. But while the generation of 1976 rallied agains...

The 50th anniversary of the 16 June 1976 student uprising raises questions about the relevance of celebrating Youth Day amid damning revelations at the Madlanga commission. An estimated four out of 10 young people are classified as not in employment...

Every year on June 16, South Africa pauses to remember the students who marched through the streets of Soweto in 1976 and challenged an education system designed to limit their futures. We remember the photographs that travelled around the world, t...

One of the commendable and often overlooked facts about the youth of 1976 and the Young Lions generation of the 1980s is that they did not wait for a Messiah to emerge from somewhere to free them from the yoke of apartheid. While advocating and push...

Professor Thuli Madonsela reflects on the profound debt owed to the children and young people who confronted the apartheid state on June 16, 1976. She explores whether their sacrifices have been fully honoured and the ongoing struggle for substantive...

Seth Mazibuko, the youngest member of the students' committee that led the peaceful protest in Soweto, shares his poignant memories of the June 16 Uprising, reflecting on its legacy 50 years on and its connection to South Africa's Constitution.

Sello Hatang, born just before the 1976 Soweto Uprising, reflects on the profound personal and national significance of June 16. He argues that Hector Pieterson's death is not just a historical event but a daily occurrence in the face of societal fai...

The 1976 generation fought against Bantu Education for liberation, but their grandchildren, born after 1994, navigate a different landscape. This article explores whether the struggle for education and self-determination truly won, or if the economic...

A veteran journalist from the Class of '76 reflects on the disillusionment and frustration felt after 1994, particularly concerning education, social services, and the re-emergence of Afrikaans as a compulsory language. The author highlights the ongo...

The battle over the ANC’s mayoral candidacy (https://mg.co.za/politics/2026-06-08-exclusive-masuku-advances-morero-misses-out-as-anc-considers-nhlanhla-lux-frank-chikane-chichi-maponya-and-jabu-moleketi-for-johannesburg-mayor/) in Johannesburg app...

As South Africa moves to tighten immigration controls amid growing concern over undocumented migration, Kenya’s (https://www.facebook.com/MailGuardian/posts/in-this-weeks-mail-guardian-south-africa-and-kenya-cement-relations-get-your-cop/1457192696...

From the political stagnation of 1944 to the economic exclusion of today, every generation of young South Africans has faced unique challenges. This article explores their evolving missions, from the fight against Bantu education to the ongoing strug...

Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka reflects on the 50th anniversary of the Soweto Uprising, connecting the struggles of 1976 to contemporary challenges in South Africa, including education inequality, maladministration, and gender-based violence, empha...

The executive producer of "The Trials of Winnie Mandela" reflects on the documentary series, arguing that history is existential and that the film aims to challenge comfortable, politically convenient narratives surrounding Winnie Mandela and South A...

As South Africa marks fifty years since the Soweto Uprising of 1976, this article reflects on the historical significance of June 16 and challenges the nation to move beyond commemoration to actively ensure today's youth are heard, included, equipped...

This article reflects on the legacy of the 1976 Soweto Uprising, arguing that we often mistake schoolchildren for 'youth,' and applies this lens to contemporary child protection issues in South Africa, including alarming statistics on statutory rape ...

The June 16 anniversary, commemorating the Soweto Uprising, has lost its significance, becoming a mere formality rather than a period of reflection and recommitment to the ideals of those who fought for liberation. The article questions the current s...

The 1976 Soweto Uprising, sparked by protests against Afrikaans as a medium of instruction, was a pivotal moment rooted in a long history of resistance. This article explores the continuous struggle against apartheid, from the Poqo Insurrection to th...

The 2026 World Cup, hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico, will feature an expanded 48 teams, significantly boosting Africa's representation. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has secured nine guaranteed places, with a possible tenth through...

The board of the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) has begun assessing allegations against chief executive Patrick Dlamini after receiving a whistleblower complaint that raises questions about governance, executive authority and conflicts of intere...

The South African Football Association (SAFA) today announces the official return of the 1996 Heritage Kit from Bafana Bafana’s most celebrated era, reinterpreted as an official premium knitted jersey for 2026. As the sole custodian and owner of th...

Climate change is increasing the likelihood that players will face heat conditions linked to reduced performance at nearly every match in the 2026 World Cup, according to new analyses by Climate Central and the World Weather Attribution group.

The day has finally arrived. The 2026 Fifa World Cup kicks off on Thursday, 11 June in Mexico City’s iconic Estadio Azteca. South Africa’s Bafana Bafana step onto the global stage for the first time since 2010, facing co-hosts Mexico in a remat...

When the University of South Africa, popularly known as the University of the Land, entered the second phase of its 2015-2030 strategy, it was motivated by the adage "Do not look to the ground for your next step; greatness lies with those who look to...

On Monday, 15 June, one of the smallest countries ever to qualify for the football World Cup walks onto the field in Atlanta to face one of the giants. Cape Verde is a cluster of islands off the west coast of Africa. It has a total population of jus...

FIFA President Gianni Infantino painted a picture of both immense excitement and logistical complexity surrounding the tournament in a wide-ranging address before the opening of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Speaking to an audience that included media rep...

The South African art market is in an interesting place. On the one hand, some of the country's most important art fairs continue to draw large crowds. FNB Art Joburg remains a fixture on the cultural calendar. Investec Cape Town Art Fair continues ...

An anonymous police officer attached to the South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau has told the Madlanga commission (https://mg.co.za/tag/madlanga-commission/) that his stay at a property belonging to businessman and alleged Big Five cartel leade...

The diplomatic effort follows Ramaphosa’s address to the nation on Sunday, in which he announced a raft of measures aimed at tackling illegal immigration, including immigration courts, intensified deportations, labour migration quotas and tighter b...

Narratives portraying South Africa as xenophobic are troubling. The claims ignore the reality of our daily interactions, our constitutional values and the extensive regional partnerships that underpin our development agenda

Crossing into private sessions through drones, hidden cameras or leaks violates the spirit of competition

In South Africa, conversations around pet cancer awareness rarely include the animals quietly sharing our homes and our lives. Yet cancer remains one of the leading health concerns affecting pets globally and according to the South African Animal Can...

Sport psychology also builds resilience and emotional skills that support long-term participation and enjoyment, says Dr Michelle Bach, lecturer and senior clinical psychologist at the NWU’s Centre for Health and Human Performance.

What is presented as connectivity is, in truth, a recalibration of power, one that risks subordinating the continent’s political destiny to the algorithms and profit motives of foreign corporations

Middle East tension has pushed up energy prices and boosted demand for South African coal, raising questions about climate commitments and exports

Gauteng experienced a notable 15% decrease in murders and a 9.9% drop in rape cases but kidnapping increased by 1.6% and sexual assault by 5.2%

Party insiders say concerns over compliance with ANC guidelines could result in the process being challenged or restarted, while similar disputes have emerged in other Gauteng metro regions

Two of the continent’s premier game reserves – Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve and South Africa’s Kruger National Park – stand on the frontlines of species loss, working tirelessly to protect wildlife under the shadow of rising extinct...

The Kenyan court’s decision should be read well beyond Kenya. Across Africa, governments will need to negotiate such arrangements with greater care, more transparency and a firmer sense of constitutional discipline and national interest

African music megastars Tyla and Rema are scheduled to perform at the World Cup’s opening ceremony in Los Angeles. But while African music and soccer are welcome at the tournament, many African fans and journalists, it would seem, are not.