More black South Africans live in homes which are fully paid for than any other race group in the country, according to a study by the SA Institute of Race Relations.

The number of people living in informal dwellings in South Africa has dropped, according to a Stats SA survey released on Thursday. This year's survey confirmed a number of continuing positive trends related to service delivery.

The world's largest passenger aircraft, Air France-KLM's A380, flight number AF995 successfully landed at OR Tambo International Airport on Thursday.

Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) said this is the second time the A380 has landed at the airport. The first time was in November 2006, when its manufacturer, Airbus Industries, was testing it.

Air France-KLM is the first airline to use the aircraft at the Johannesburg airport.

“I wish to put it plainly that the government has taken a firm decision to release Mr Mandela unconditionally. I am serious about bringing this matter to finality without delay.”

With those words, uttered on 2 February 1990, then-state president FW de Klerk set a remarkable chain of events in motion. An electorate that, to a large extent, was enjoying the right to vote for the first time in their lives, led to a democratic South Africa with one of the most progressive constitutions in the world.

South Africa will mark the 20th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from more than 27 years of imprisonment at the opening of Parliament on 11 February.

Two southern African states - South Africa and Lesotho - have leapt into top 10 ranking of countries where women face the least discrimination, the World Economic Forum said Tuesday.

Development indicators have showed strides in reducing poverty but economists warned that advances relied heavily on social grants that may be rendered unsustainable by the recession.

Research from the Bureau of Market Research (BMR) released today revealed that black households in the highest income group (R750 thousand plus) grew dramatically during the past decade.

Former president Nelson Mandela visited Freedom Park in Pretoria on Thursday, the Nelson Mandela Foundation said in a statement.

Madiba's visit to the park, his first, came 10 years after he uttered these words: "The day should not be far off when we shall have a people's shrine... a freedom park, where we shall honour with all the dignity they deserve, those who endured pain so we should experience the joy of freedom".

The park's chief executive, Dr Wally Serote "showed Madiba around the park and expressed his gratitude that Madiba had made time to come and visit since he served as the pioneer of the concept of Freedom Park", the foundation said.

Women’s representation in the South African national assembly has jumped to 45% since the country’s recent elections, giving South Africa a third place spot in the global women in parliament rankings. 

The latest statistics, which are based on political party candidate lists submitted to the IEC, show an 11% increase in the number of women in parliament. South Africa now sits just behind Rwanda and Sweden in the global rankings, who have 56% and 47% women’s representation in their respective parliaments. 

Almost a decade into the Zimbabwean crisis, South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs is introducing a permit that could regulate the status of thousands of undocumented migrants.

South Africa’s Internet population is expected to grow as much in the next five years as it has in the 15 years since the Internet became commercially available in South Africa.

The increased growth rate is expected to continue for the next five years, taking the Internet user population to the 9-million mark by 2014.

Among the factors driving this growth will be the arrival of undersea telecommunications cables, from as early as June this year.