We must apologise to all our readers for the trouble we have been experiencing with the SA Times website, which has been down for the past few days. Our host 1and1, decided to block our database without warning for no apparent reason, citing “increased activity” (we secretly hope it’s all you readers out that there, but in all honesty, we haven’t been able to find any proof of the massive increase of demand they are referring to!). 1and1 refuses to deal with the problem over the phone - not that speaking to some clueless person reading off a script in the Phillippines is much use anyway - and can provide no constructive solution on their tardy emails. Nonetheless, we are doing everything in our power to resolve the issue as speedily as we can. (Perhaps some of you out there have your own frustrations with 1and1 you would like to vent here.)

The good news is that we are moving to a new web server and will soon be launching a new look website! So please stick with us and accept our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience.

South Africa magazine is inviting everyone out there to contribute their favourite photos of South Africa’s beaches for publication in our December issue. We are looking for images that capture South Africa’s beautiful beach scenery or fun, relaxing or adventurous beach life. We want to show off South Africa’s coastal treasures to the world!

Add your images at http://www.flickr.com/groups/southafricamag/

It is with great sadness that we learned that South African actor Patrick Mynhardt passed away yesterday due to natural causes. Mynhardt was in London with his one-man autobiographical show Boy from Bethulie at the Jermyn Street Theatre in the West End

SA Times had the honour of meeting this wonderful theatre icon and helped promote his play in the UK. One of our journalists, Lamese Abrahams, was the last to ever have the opportunity to interview this great actor. Read her article here.

Please pay your tributes to Patrick by commenting on this article.

This letter from our inbox:

Dear Editor

En route back from Stade de France this weekend we were amazed to see that ‘The French Roadsign Department’ are really on the ball. We duly captured the moment and thought it might look good in print.

Thanks for your continuing wonderful news coverage.

Regards

Jonathan Beames and Richard McCarthy

Sasol is cashing in on Bok fever ahead of the World Cup final with a viral ad that is zoomig around the world.

Watch it and let the Pommies weep!

We’ve been real quiet here at SA Life as we’ve all been working hard on getting two of our publications to press:

The second issue of South Africa magazine is rolling off the press right now and will soon be in a Borders or WHSmith store near you. If you can’t wait, register at www.southafricamag.com where you can view the digital version of the magazine.

We’ve been overwhelmed by the response to the first issue - hearing from British and American tourists who shared their travel stories, to South Africans who gained new insight into their home country. The second issue is jam-packed with adventure, including an article on South Africa’s top 10 adrenaline adventures, a thrill-filled drive down the Garden Route and an in-depth look at wildlife filmmaking in South Africa.

The second publication is our annual Going Home Guide, which we have rebranded Smooth Landing South Africa. It will be of interest to anyone intending on relocating to South Africa - whether you are a South African taking the big decision to return home, or a foreigner investigating emigrating. Smooth Landing South Africa will be launched at the Homecoming Revolution expo to be held in London at Kensington Olympia on 13 and 14 October. If you’re investigating job opportunities in South Africa or interested in buying property there, don’t miss it!

SA Times has just secured two tickets to watch South Africa play England in the Rugby World Cup in France on Friday. We are offering these tickets to one lucky winner in Wednesday’s edition of SA Times - don’t miss it and keep an eye on the SA Times website for details on how to enter!

An SA Times reader brought the following article in the Times to our attention - a South African woman asking her British boyfriend to “just get on with it”. So what do you think - how do South African men and women compare to the British (and other nationalities) when it comes to the love game? Let us know!

SA Times is the first to break the news: Nelson Mandela will be in London next week!

Mandela will be attending the unveilling of a statue of himself in Parliament Square on Wednesday, on the invitation of the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone. He will be joined by his wife Graca Machel.

The statue is finally being erected after seven years of campaigning by the Nelson Mandela Statue Fund. Initially it was hoped that the 9 foot bronze sculpture would stand on Trafalgar Square, but city planners refused permission. The Fund founders and Livingstone were adament that the statue should stand in a prominent spot. Now it will finally do so and Madiba himself will be there to witness it!

We will let you know the time - South Africans are sure to turn out in full force!

SA Times now has it’s own brand new cartoon. It’s called Braai Hard and is the creation of two South Africans living in London - Riaan van Wyk and Galen Wainwright. It stars Johann, Brett, Malloy and Sonja, four typical South Africans who live in a houseshare in - you guessed it - Wimbledon. There’s also the occasional guest appearance by Mrs H.S. Ball, everyone’s favourite braai pal. You can read more about the characters here.

Click here to read more about the cartoon, pick up SA Times to follow the series or click here to see the first cartoon.