Ongoing

  1. ElectionsHot
  2. US mid-termsHeating up
  3. AICooling
NewsbriefSouth Africa, briefly.
JoburgJHB25°100%CTCT28°13°PretoriaPTA28°100%DurbanDBN18°100%

Hermanus: whales close to shore on the Cliff Path

Published

Panoramic view over Hermanus town and the curving Walker Bay coastline with mountains behind.
Photo: Amada44, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Hermanus is a Western Cape seaside town where southern right whales rest in Walker Bay, close to the rocks. Go before the season ends in late November or early December.

Why go

The Cliff Path runs about 12 km along the rocky shore, from the New Harbour to Grotto Beach. Whales often swim within metres of the rocks, and mothers keep their calves in the shallows. The town keeps a whale crier, who blows a kelp horn to show where whales are.

Boat trips leave from the New Harbour and take about two hours. Grotto Beach offers a long, wide stretch of sand for walks. Gansbaai, a short drive east, has shark cage diving and a penguin colony nearby. Bientang's Cave is a restaurant built into the cliff above the water.

Wide sandy beach with gentle waves and people walking under a blue sky.
Grotto Beach Photo: Olga Ernst, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A harbour pier with boats on calm blue water, backed by mountains along the coast.
Old Harbour Photo: Andresdewet at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Plan it

Best time
Whale season runs from June to November, with the best sightings from August to October. Early November still works. Whales may stay into early December.
Getting there
From Cape Town, drive about 120 km in 90 minutes to two hours, by the N2 and R43 or the coastal R44. From Johannesburg, fly to Cape Town and hire a car. Check flights before you book.
Visa
None
Stay
Guesthouses and self-catering flats near the Cliff Path cost about R1,500 to R3,000 a night for two. Book early in season.
Budget
$$, Free walks, paid boats and meals
Good for
Couples, families, wildlife lovers

Visa rules and prices change: check them before you book.

Elections Hot

What you need to know

The Electoral Commission (IEC) will announce the final 2026 local election results on Sunday evening, with more than 100 municipal councils hung. In Mpumalanga, the ANC's support fell to 43.6%, which reports describe as its lowest ever, and it lost Victor Khanye and Mbombela.

Before that, the IEC said objections would not delay results, with 197 received and 54 dismissed. Some parties dispute the count: the ANC in Sedibeng is preparing an Electoral Court challenge over the Vaal voters' roll, and the MK Party may go to court over Ethekwini.

Coalition talks come next, and the SACP says it will set strict conditions before it backs the ANC in hung councils.

  1. Ramaphosa urges parties to form councils without delay
  2. DA wins 91 seats in Johannesburg council, short of control
  3. IEC announces official local election results in Midrand

See every update

US mid-terms Heating up

What you need to know

The US justice department dropped its bid to stop California counting mail-in ballots from more than 20,000 voters, filing its notice of dismissal after Democrats won comfortably in the state. Earlier, Democrats won both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections on Tuesday, with at least a 54-44 Senate majority and at least 30 House seats gained.

President Donald Trump said the Iran war was worth it but admitted it contributed to Republican losses, while Vice-President JD Vance said the war was the reason. Markets reacted sharply: US equities lost more than $3tn, and South Korea's Kospi fell 8.5%, while Trump blamed the Democratic win and analysts pointed to worries about AI investment.

In South Africa, the JSE rose almost 5%, and senior US Democrats urged talks over the removal of AGOA trade preferences, which takes effect on 1 January 2027.

  1. Podcast says US midterms leave Musk and data centres exposed
  2. US justice department drops California mail-in ballot lawsuit
  3. US planning commission approves Trump's 76m triumphal arch

See every update

AI Cooling

What you need to know

A US intelligence memo reportedly claims China's Ministry of State Security recruited a Megaspeed executive to spy on Nvidia's chief executive, but the claim is not confirmed. Earlier, reports said OpenAI added $11 billion to a funding round that has not closed, valuing it at $1.25 trillion.

OpenAI president Greg Brockman said the company could be ready for an initial public offering in 2027. Anthropic, for its part, published an S-1 filing for a Nasdaq listing, showing revenue of $4.6bn in 2025 and a net loss of $80.7bn in the first half of 2026.

Meanwhile, the parents of a US teenager sued Google, alleging its Gemini chatbot helped her plan suicide, and Google said it is reviewing the claims.

  1. US memo claims China recruited executive to spy on Nvidia chief
  2. OpenAI reportedly raises $11 billion more at $1.25 trillion value
  3. Parents sue Google over Gemini chatbot and daughter's suicide plan

See every update