South African Researcher
@saresearcher.bsky.social
Professional genealogist & writer of little remembered history. I’ve been tracing my roots, & those of clients, for over 40 years. I uncover the past, one ancestor at a time. https://southafricanresearcher.com/
The historic mission church, the Merensky fort, the Pakendorf, and the Merensky houses are landmarks that beg to be saved: www.citizen.co.za/middelburg-o...
Tragedy unfolding like a thriller | Middelburg Observer
South Africa’s voice is silent on this ticking time bomb that could destroy our heritage
www.citizen.co.za
January 30, 2026 at 1:04 PM
The historic mission church, the Merensky fort, the Pakendorf, and the Merensky houses are landmarks that beg to be saved: www.citizen.co.za/middelburg-o...
Carlton Hotel menu prices in 1963. #Johannesburg
January 30, 2026 at 1:03 PM
Carlton Hotel menu prices in 1963. #Johannesburg
Two #Kenyan women – Wanjiru Koinange and Angela Wachuka – set out in 2017 to do something both ordinary and radical: rebuild neglected #libraries in Nairobi. theconversation.com/two-kenyan-w...
Two Kenyan women rebuild libraries in a quietly powerful new documentary
The film suggests that building a library is not merely about a building or books; it is about dialogue and citizenship.
theconversation.com
January 27, 2026 at 12:35 PM
Two #Kenyan women – Wanjiru Koinange and Angela Wachuka – set out in 2017 to do something both ordinary and radical: rebuild neglected #libraries in Nairobi. theconversation.com/two-kenyan-w...
THE QUEEN OF #FADO: A memory surfaced this past week, of my parents going to see Amália RODRIGUES in concert in Johannesburg. I was curious to see when she was in Johannesburg, and ended up with a whole story: www.facebook.com/SouthAfrican...
South African Researcher - Family History & Heritage
THE QUEEN OF FADO
A memory surfaced this past week, of my parents going to see Amália RODRIGUES in concert in Johannesburg. I was curious to see when she was in Johannesburg, and ended up with a...
www.facebook.com
January 27, 2026 at 12:02 PM
THE QUEEN OF #FADO: A memory surfaced this past week, of my parents going to see Amália RODRIGUES in concert in Johannesburg. I was curious to see when she was in Johannesburg, and ended up with a whole story: www.facebook.com/SouthAfrican...
On 19 January 1958 at about 03:00, Johannes Jacobus (Hannes) LA GRANGE became the first #SouthAfrican to reach the #SouthPole. Born 13 Oct 1927, Ladismith - died 21 Apr 1999. Here's his story: www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023...
The man from the Little Karoo who led SA to South Pole
Hannes le Grange, from the Little Karoo, was the South African chosen to join the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition.
www.dailymaverick.co.za
January 27, 2026 at 12:00 PM
On 19 January 1958 at about 03:00, Johannes Jacobus (Hannes) LA GRANGE became the first #SouthAfrican to reach the #SouthPole. Born 13 Oct 1927, Ladismith - died 21 Apr 1999. Here's his story: www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023...
UCT’s Jagger #Library is still boarded up, five years after fire. The building is one of #SouthAfrica's most important research facilities, housed the university’s #archives, the African Studies Collection, and state-of-the-art reading room. www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026...
Why is UCT’s Jagger Library still boarded up? Varsity explains how its ‘reimagining’ process is going
Nearly five years after a devastating fire on the University of Cape Town (UCT) campus, the Jagger Library building is still boarded up.A “reimagining” process was completed in 2022, but the building’
www.dailymaverick.co.za
January 27, 2026 at 11:58 AM
UCT’s Jagger #Library is still boarded up, five years after fire. The building is one of #SouthAfrica's most important research facilities, housed the university’s #archives, the African Studies Collection, and state-of-the-art reading room. www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026...
She Waited 68 Years to Meet Her Brother… Then Fate Picked Up the Phone: www.goodthingsguy.com/people/she-w... #SouthAfrica
She Waited 68 Years to Meet Her Brother… Then Fate Stepped In
Life has a funny way of circling back when you least expect it. Lynley Clarke had spent most of her life knowing she had two half-brothers
www.goodthingsguy.com
January 20, 2026 at 12:32 PM
She Waited 68 Years to Meet Her Brother… Then Fate Picked Up the Phone: www.goodthingsguy.com/people/she-w... #SouthAfrica
By 1938, her family consisted of 278 children, grandchildren & great-grandchildren. Hester Cornelia VENTER was born 21 Jun 1846 in #SouthAfrica. Married on 07 Dec 1861 to Petrus VENTER. They had 17 children (8 sons, 9 daughters), of which 11 were alive in 1915: www.facebook.com/SouthAfrican...
South African Researcher - Family History & Heritage
Hester Cornelia VENTER was born on 21 June 1846 in the Hanover district, the eldest of 11 children of Jacobus Johannes VENTER and Lasija Susanna KOEKEMOER.
On 07 December 1861 she married Petrus...
www.facebook.com
January 19, 2026 at 12:54 PM
By 1938, her family consisted of 278 children, grandchildren & great-grandchildren. Hester Cornelia VENTER was born 21 Jun 1846 in #SouthAfrica. Married on 07 Dec 1861 to Petrus VENTER. They had 17 children (8 sons, 9 daughters), of which 11 were alive in 1915: www.facebook.com/SouthAfrican...
January 12, 2026 at 1:44 PM
#SouthAfrica only received #television in 1976. Here's the interesting South African connection to the inventor of television: southafricanresearcher.com/the-inventor...
The inventor of television and South Africa
South Africa's first television broadcast was on 05 January 1976 at 18:00, with five hours of broadcasting. In her apartment in Yeoville, Johannesburg, Mrs Margaret BAIRD was trying to watch – more th...
southafricanresearcher.com
January 11, 2026 at 6:35 PM
#SouthAfrica only received #television in 1976. Here's the interesting South African connection to the inventor of television: southafricanresearcher.com/the-inventor...
Rampant vandalism at an electricity substation left the 159-year-old St Augustine’s Cathedral in Prospect Hill, Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), without electricity for most of December: www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026...
Historic St Augustine’s Cathedral plunged into darkness amid ongoing vandalism in Gqeberha
St Augustine’s Cathedral in Gqeberha faced extensive power outages throughout December due to vandalism at a nearby substation, disrupting essential services and community events, with ongoing challen...
www.dailymaverick.co.za
January 5, 2026 at 9:11 AM
Rampant vandalism at an electricity substation left the 159-year-old St Augustine’s Cathedral in Prospect Hill, Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), without electricity for most of December: www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026...
Reposted by South African Researcher
There was a time when owning books was a privilege. People wrote rhymes in them warning against theft. Late C17th examples include 'Steal not this book for fear of shame. For in it you see the owner's name. And if I catch you by the tail. You must prepare for Newgate jail.'
December 30, 2025 at 5:50 PM
There was a time when owning books was a privilege. People wrote rhymes in them warning against theft. Late C17th examples include 'Steal not this book for fear of shame. For in it you see the owner's name. And if I catch you by the tail. You must prepare for Newgate jail.'
Researchers studying #SouthAfrica’s #military past face serious barriers when trying to access post-1970 Department of Defence (DoD) records — a situation academics warn is eroding the country’s collective military memory.
defenceweb.co.za/military-his...
defenceweb.co.za/military-his...
Access to defence archives still a battlefield for researchers - DefenceWeb
Researchers studying South Africa’s military past face serious barriers when trying to access post-1970 Department of Defence (DoD) records — a situation
defenceweb.co.za
December 31, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Researchers studying #SouthAfrica’s #military past face serious barriers when trying to access post-1970 Department of Defence (DoD) records — a situation academics warn is eroding the country’s collective military memory.
defenceweb.co.za/military-his...
defenceweb.co.za/military-his...
The War Museum launched a groundbreaking publication, Foreign Involvement in the South African War (1899–1902), accompanied by a YouTube documentary and the opening of a temporary exhibition, showcasing foreign involvement in the war: novanews.co.za/new-publicat...
New publications explores foreign involvement in Anglo Boer War
A book accompanied by a Youtube-video and temporary exhibition tells the story of foreign involvement in the Anglo Boer War.
novanews.co.za
December 27, 2025 at 11:32 AM
The War Museum launched a groundbreaking publication, Foreign Involvement in the South African War (1899–1902), accompanied by a YouTube documentary and the opening of a temporary exhibition, showcasing foreign involvement in the war: novanews.co.za/new-publicat...
Who was the real Sarie Marais? southafricanresearcher.com/the-history-...
THE HISTORY BEHIND THE SARIE MARAIS FOLK SONG
"Sarie Marais' is a traditional South African folk song, created during the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902). In 1901 or 1902, in a farmhouse near Vryheid or Utrecht, soldiers of General Louis BOTHA's comma...
southafricanresearcher.com
December 23, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Who was the real Sarie Marais? southafricanresearcher.com/the-history-...
22 December 1882 - advert for the first string of Christmas tree lights created by Thomas EDISON.
December 22, 2025 at 9:23 AM
22 December 1882 - advert for the first string of Christmas tree lights created by Thomas EDISON.
Jane Austen school librarian discovers family link: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Jane Austen school librarian in Reading discovers family link - BBC News
Joanne Wenman works at The Abbey School in Reading, which was named in memory of Austen.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 17, 2025 at 7:28 AM
Jane Austen school librarian discovers family link: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Holocaust escape story leads to global family reunion: www.sajr.co.za/holocaust-es...
Holocaust escape story leads to global family reunion
As a little girl born in Offenburg Germany, Renata Haberer, who later became known as Renee Krauss of Chicago, miraculously escaped the Holocaust with her sister as a result of their father’s ingenuit...
www.sajr.co.za
December 17, 2025 at 7:24 AM
Holocaust escape story leads to global family reunion: www.sajr.co.za/holocaust-es...
#SouthAfrica's first professional female #journalist was Maria Elizabeth HART. She was born on 03 April 1857 at Hartfield, Queenstown district, the daughter of Hester Isabella POHL (1834-1909) and William Adrian HART (1932-1888). #Genealogy #FamilyHistory
South African Researcher - Family History & Heritage
A COUPLE OF JOURNALISTS
South Africa's first professional female journalist was Maria Elizabeth HART. She was born on 03 April 1857 at Hartfield, Queenstown district, the daughter of Hester Isabella.....
www.facebook.com
December 13, 2025 at 6:25 PM
#SouthAfrica's first professional female #journalist was Maria Elizabeth HART. She was born on 03 April 1857 at Hartfield, Queenstown district, the daughter of Hester Isabella POHL (1834-1909) and William Adrian HART (1932-1888). #Genealogy #FamilyHistory
Take a trip down memory lane if you remember #roadhouses, highways and #aircraft on the roof: southafricanresearcher.com/memories-of-... #Aviation #Genealogy #Johannesburg
Memories of historical aircraft on the roof
Vic's Viking Garage In 1957, Trek Airways introduced Skymaster aircraft, and three of its Viking aircraft became redundant: ZS-DKH (c/n 121), ZS-DKI (c/n 124), named Louis Trichardt, and ZS-DNU (c/n 1...
southafricanresearcher.com
December 8, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Take a trip down memory lane if you remember #roadhouses, highways and #aircraft on the roof: southafricanresearcher.com/memories-of-... #Aviation #Genealogy #Johannesburg
Tourists stepping off cruise ships in Nelson Mandela Bay are being treated to a rare glimpse of the area’s history, visiting the historic Main Library, which has been closed to the public for more than a decade. Local residents are tagging along: www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/crui...
Cruise ships bring life back to Gothic library in Gqeberha | Daily Maverick
Tourists stepping off cruise ships in Nelson Mandela Bay are being treated to a rare glimpse of the area’s history, visiting the historic Main Library, which has been closed to the public for more tha...
www.dailymaverick.co.za
December 8, 2025 at 6:59 AM
Tourists stepping off cruise ships in Nelson Mandela Bay are being treated to a rare glimpse of the area’s history, visiting the historic Main Library, which has been closed to the public for more than a decade. Local residents are tagging along: www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/crui...
Solve a #mystery: Charlotte HENDERSON was born on 31 March 1936. In 1955, she left the Transvaal & boarded the Winchester Castle in Durban. She arrived in Southampton, England, on 18 March 1955. She gave her address as Queen's Secretarial College in Queensbury Park. #WRAF #Genealogy #FamilyHistory
December 7, 2025 at 5:48 AM
Solve a #mystery: Charlotte HENDERSON was born on 31 March 1936. In 1955, she left the Transvaal & boarded the Winchester Castle in Durban. She arrived in Southampton, England, on 18 March 1955. She gave her address as Queen's Secretarial College in Queensbury Park. #WRAF #Genealogy #FamilyHistory