Articles
`Habibi, come to South Africa!`: Dubai Bling`s Ebraheem confirms Forever Rose coming to SA
• Ebraheem Al Samadi, celebrated for his role on Dubai Bling, chose South Africa as his exquisite holiday destination.
• He praised the country`s stunning landscapes, rich history, and the warmth of its people, declaring it an ideal vacation destination.
• Al Samadi revealed plans to expand his Forever Rose café franchise to South Africa and teases what he describes as the ultimate season of Dubai Bling.
`My name is Ebraheem, and this is my tongue. Beware!` The Blooming Man says in Netflix`s Dubai Bling, an iconic line that cements his place as `the son of a king, and the son of a queen`.
Ebraheem Al Samadi is a polarising character on the show, but when we meet on a rainy day at Cape Town`s City Hall, the rather humble and respectful Ebraheem we often see caring for his mom on the show insists I don`t stand as I`m an expecting mom. Instead, he shakes my hand, laughing, as he tells me about his drive into town and a few interesting characters he`s met on the streets.
Ebraheem is on a holiday visit to the country organised by Globe Travel Tours, whom he praises for their professionalism, friendliness, and experience in selecting the right places to visit in SA.
`South Africa is beautiful,` he says. `The scenic views are absolutely priceless.`
`South Africa is hope`
Ebraheem gushes over South Africa, saying: `Every part I`ve seen of Cape Town is better than the last.`
Our interview takes place before his trip to Johannesburg, although he`s rather impressed with the warm welcome he`s received thus far in Cape Town.
`It`s as good or even better than the Middle East,` he says.
`People are very generous with snacks and food!` he laughs.
`I`ve been getting sweets ever since I arrived, and I literally have this `sweet corner` in the hotel room that I keep waking up to and getting different snacks from. It just goes to show the amount of kindness and generosity of South Africans.`
As for the South African food itself and the stops along the way - which have included taking the cable car to the top of Table Mountain, having high tea at the Mount Nelson Hotel, and driving through Hout Bay and along Chapman`s Peak - he says, `Everything is priceless.`
`Every single part [of South Africa] is historically beautiful,` he explains. `Even just entering this building [City Hall] and seeing the statue of Nelson Mandela, and knowing the power that it had at that time, there`s nowhere in the world that you would get the beauty, the history, the landscape, the kindness of the people. For me, South Africa is the ideal vacation spot, honestly, from my heart.`
And the food?
`I felt like my whole life, I haven`t been living!` he gushes about his Mariner`s Wharf fish and chips.
Ebraheem is also championing the Palestinian cause while he`s here. He has taken a Zumba class to raise awareness and hiked Newlands Forest, where he was seen on video carrying his mom on his back.
`My mom doesn`t mind hiking, but it`s hard for her to go up steps,` he explains. So he carried her.
`I wanted her to see the view at the top,` he tells me.
On the importance of highlighting the genocide happening in Gaza, he says: `One of the reasons why I chose South Africa, it was always on my list my bucket list, but, when I heard how vocal South Africans are about Palestine, I was like that`s where I want to be.`
He adds:
When you follow people who have humanity, you`re going to get everything else after it. You`re going to get the kindness, the welcome, you`re going to get the good food, because these are humans. These are actual people.
`South Africa has experienced what is currently happening, and they`re telling the world, `It is not the way to go. We`ve already tried that, it didn`t work. You cannot oppress an entire race`. If you harm one person, you have the whole entire community against you. What about killing 35 000 people, of which most are children?
`South Africa is saying, `Hello, Israel. This is not the way to do it. We`ve been through this, learn from our history. This happened to us. We had apartheid. We had walls in between communities. You cannot separate community`.`
He says South Africa has only experienced 30 years of democracy, but sometime in the future, the country could very well `be at the top of the world.`
`So hope starts here,` he says. `I say, South Africa is hope for the world.`
Bringing Forever Rose to SA and the `ultimate` season of Dubai Bling
Season two of Dubai Bling ended on a happier note, with Ebraheem mending fences with Zeina Khoury and Safa Siddiqui as he opened his Besties café with Danya `Diva Dee` Mohammed.
The Blooming Man also owns the very successful Forever Rose café, which he says he`ll soon be franchising. His inbox is flooded with openings in Joburg.
`So, is that confirmation?` I ask, all coy. “Can I break that story?`
`You can break that story,` he says.
While dates are not confirmed, he teases a location with `the most beautiful views of South Africa because [he`s] personally in love with it`.
`And I also want to bring a lot of the South African heritage to our designs. You know, everything we do with Forever Rose is black and white, so we want to have, like, a painting of Nelson Mandela in black and white; we want to have all these things to show pride. I don`t want to bring something from outside in. I want to highlight the South African flavour.`
It`s giving: `Habibi, come to South Africa!`
Ebraheem will hopefully make his way back to SA very soon then, as filming for season three of Dubai Bling has already wrapped after all.
On the upcoming season, he confirms Kris Fade and Lojain Omran will not be returning, while it will likely be released closer to the end of the year.
He teases:
This will be the ultimate season because we all felt tired afterwards. Us, the crew, everyone, because we did a lot.
`Season three goes really deep into our lives,` he says, `and when you open your life to the camera and to the world, it`s not easy because not everyone`s going to judge you according to the way you want to be judged.`
He explains that viewers don`t always get to see the larger-than-life stars in their entirety.
`But honestly, I don`t care what anyone thinks because I know who I am,` he says. `I am me. I believe in what I say. I stand very firm in what I say. However, I`m not perfect, and I don`t have an issue showing my faults.`
`A lot of people, not to mention names, pretend to be someone they`re not. With Ebraheem, what you see is what you get. Some people accept it, they love it, they appreciate it, and some people say, `No, he`s too much.` But you can`t make everyone happy.`
Flexing a new phrase he learnt during his stay and in practice for his Forever Rose establishment in SA, perhaps, he concludes in true Ebraheem style, with a bit of South African flair: `There are more than two billion people in the world. You`re not going to make everyone happy. So, I only care about the people who actually care about me... Everyone else can `fokof`.`
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27. Aug. 2024 Sowetan Live
Court rules in favour of traditional wife and nullifies civil marriage
Hilda Sedinjane turned to the Limpopo High Court in Polokwane for an order that she be recognised as the true wife of deceased Seabela Malatji. The parties concluded a customary marriage in 1988 as evidenced by a lobola certificate and four children were born of the marriage. V.5574
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26. Aug. 2024 Cape Times
‘Outdated systems expose Home Affairs’
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber on Tuesday said his department should urgently embrace technology, or South Africa’s national security would be under threat. Schreiber said the problems in the issuance of fraudulent visas pointed the department towards a solution that lay in embracing digital transformation in all its facets and across the department. V.5571
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26. Aug. 2024 Polity
Home Affairs committee wants inspectorate unit strengthened to track foreign nationals
The Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs pointed out that while the deportation of 95 Libyan nationals has been effected, the need to strengthen the inspectorate unit of the department is necessary and called for an enhanced monitoring tool to track foreign nationals in the country. Earlier this week, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) concluded its preparations to deport the 95 Libyan nationals, after they were arrested in White River, Mpumalanga, last month. V.5572
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23. Aug. 2024 Sowetan Live
Two more people caught over IDs-for-sale scam
Duo`s arrests follow that of home affairs office cleaner Office cleaner Rhandzu Chauke with family and lawyer outside the Pretoria magistrate’s court, this after appearing on the charge of theft of home affairs stamp. The arrest of two undocumented Mozambican nationals in connection with the selling of fake IDs has lifted a lid on an alleged documents-for-cash scheme believed to be happening at the home affairs office in Centurion. V.5562
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23. Aug. 2024 TIMES TRAVEL
How to apply for Greece tourist visa: A step-by-step guide
Synopsis Travelers planning to visit Greece need a Schengen visa. The process includes scheduling an appointment, filling out an application form, submitting required documents, attending an interview, and waiting for processing. Greece is a gorgeous European nation noted for its iconic island destinations such as Santorini and Mykonos, among others. Those planning a trip to Greece, applying for a tourist visa is a must. Because Greece is a European nation, you’ll need to apply for a Schenegen visa. However it’s an easy process if you are aware of all the necessary steps carefully. V.5564
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23. Aug. 2024 Daad
Austria Job Seeker VISA With Family VISA Application Process
Ever dreamt of swapping your daily grind for a life filled with stunning mountain views, world-class music, and enough pastries to make your heart sing? Well, Austria is ready to roll out the red carpet for you! One of the key pathways to entering Austria as a skilled worker is through the Austrian Job Seeker Visa (Category D). V.5566
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23. Aug. 2024 Daily Maverick
Deadly Marabastad stampede sheds light on struggles of undocumented migrants in SA
Police are investigating a stampede that took place at the Home Affairs offices in Marabastad in Pretoria in which one person died and 20 more were injured. The story of Chidimma Vanessa Adetshina and how she became a contestant in the Miss South Africa pageant has cast notions of nationality and access to documentation for foreign nationals living in South Africa into the spotlight. V.5568
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23. Aug. 2024 DW
New Zealand: Emigration soars amid economic woes
New Zealand`s population of 5.3 million grew by just 0.1% (7,000) in the second quarter of 2024 as the number of those leaving the country reached well over 100,000 in the first half of the year, official statistics showed on Monday. The practical stagnation in population growth comes despite record numbers of arrivals in recent years driven largely by the island nation`s reputation for high living and working standards and as a haven of security in an increasingly troubled world. V.5569
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23. Aug. 2024 DW
New Zealand: Emigration soars amid economic woes
New Zealand`s population of 5.3 million grew by just 0.1% (7,000) in the second quarter of 2024 as the number of those leaving the country reached well over 100,000 in the first half of the year, official statistics showed on Monday. The practical stagnation in population growth comes despite record numbers of arrivals in recent years driven largely by the island nation`s reputation for high living and working standards and as a haven of security in an increasingly troubled world. V.5570
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21. Aug. 2024 IOL
Visa backlog: Portfolio committee welcomes overtime approval for Home Affairs officials
The Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration has welcomed the approval of overtime for Home Affairs officials to reduce the visa backlog. This comes after Minister of Public Service and Administration, Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi and his department granted the overtime request from Homes Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber for the next three months to meet target and reduce the backlog. V.5560
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20. Aug. 2024 News 24
While Schreiber wants to bring dignity to Home Affairs, xenophobia rears its head in budget debate
• Several parties represented in Parliament blamed undocumented migrants for crime and draining social services during the debate on the Department of Home Affairs` budget. • Claims undocumented migrants are disproportionately responsible for crime or are depleting South African taxes without contributing, have previously been debunked. • New Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said he wanted to bring dignity back to the department`s work. V.5555
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20. Aug. 2024 Groundup
Judge slams law firm for misleading court with `cut-and-paste` applications targeting refugees
• Gauteng Judge President Dunstan Mlambo has slammed a firm of attorneys and an advocate for `cut-and-paste` work in cases involving refugees. • He ordered them to pay out of their own pockets for costs awarded in these cases. • Manamela MA Attorneys was running a `cottage industry`, preying on vulnerable refugees, Mlambo said. A firm of attorneys and an advocate have been ordered to pay the costs, from their own pockets, of six `cut-and-paste` applications involving refugees seeking asylum, GroundUp reports. V.5556
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20. Aug. 2024 My Broadband
How to get your new Smart ID at a bank
South Africans looking to upgrade their green ID booklet to a smart ID card can book an appointment to do so using the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) eHomeAffairs platform. Moreover, the system allows applicants to book appointments at DHA-supported bank branches across the country, meaning they never have to step foot in a Home Affairs office or face the associated queues. V.5557
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20. Aug. 2024 SowetanLive
How stolen home affairs stamp led to cleaner`s bust
A year and four months after a stamp used to authenticate documents was stolen at a home affairs office, a 24-year-old man presented a birth certificate bearing the same stamp to apply for an ID. The certificate, however, was found to be fake and was produced four months after the stamp was stolen. V.5559
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19. Aug. 2024 SABC 3
Spaza shop owners cry foul regarding Gauteng government funding
Local entrepreneurs and spaza shop owners have lashed out at the Gauteng Department of Economic Development for failing to deliver on their promises which were part of the R100 million “Kasi Mnotho Fund”. The fund was aimed at offering strategic loans and empowering businesses to secure trading stock, equipment, machinery and working capital. This initiative was promised to business owners in an attempt to foster entrepreneurship and propel economic growth in Gauteng’s townships. V.5552
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19. Aug. 2024 IOL
Identity fraud rockets in SA
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16. Aug. 2024 EWN (EYEWITNESS NEWS )
Father unable to register his son because he is not the mother
For the past eight years, Mqokeleli Sigwintshi has been trying to get a birth certificate from the Department of Home Affairs for his son, who is now nine years old. Sigwintshi said in 2015, his wife, with whom he had a traditional marriage, gave birth to their son at the Willowvale Health Centre. A year later, his wife visited her family in Mthatha. V.5550
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14. Aug. 2024 Reuters
People leave New Zealand in record numbers as economy bites
People are leaving New Zealand in record numbers as unemployment rises, interest rates remain high and economic growth is anaemic, government statistics show. Data released by Statistics New Zealand on Tuesday showed that 131 200 people departed New Zealand in the year ended June 2024, provisionally the highest on record for an annual period. Around a third of these were headed to Australia. While net migration, the number of those arriving minus those leaving, remains at high levels, economists also expect this to wane as the number of foreign nationals wanting to move to New Zealand falls due to the softer economy. The data showed of those departing 80 174 were citizens, which was almost double the numbers seen leaving prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. V.5548
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14. Aug. 2024 SABC3
De Lille calls for concerted efforts for tourism to grow SA economy
Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille has called for concerted efforts to ensure that the potential of the tourism sector to grow the economy is realised. The sector is one of the apex contributors to the economy. The country is seeking to attract 15 million tourists to South Africa by 2030 as the National Development Plan envisages. V.5549
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13. Aug. 2024 Zimoja News
Driven by a desire for a luxurious lifestyle
A Congolese national was sentenced to 12 years for corruption and other crimes. CRIMINAL SYNDICATES Congolese national Tiny Mtumba (36) was sentenced to 12 years and 3 months imprisonment for fraud, theft, and contravention of the Immigration Act by the Palm Ridge Commercial Court in the East Rand in Gauteng on Thursday. V.5547
