Weather - Vox

Baby, It’s Cold Outside!

Posted on 27 June 202527 June 2025 by Vivienne Fouche

So snuggle up at home with your Vox Connectivity, and let the weather do its thing without you…

Winter in South Africa has officially arrived around the country (and if you don’t believe me, just ask our Vox Weather meteorologists). Or to put it another way: “Eish guys, it’s freezing!”

It’s raining, it’s pouring, it’s snowing, it’s windy and it’s just plain ‘NO MORE SUNNY SOUTH AFRICA!’ right now, almost everywhere.

So what’s a person to do in the quest to stay warm and dry and happy?

Here at Vox, we have some ideas.

Don’t Worry…

Grab your warm clothes and layer up against the weather. Beanies / scarves / gloves / rain jackets / warm socks, anyone? And as for leg warmers, let’s just call them retro cool; I mean, they can’t be a fashion faux pas any more when Shein and Temu are both bringing them back…
Grab a blanket! Grab two! Or a ‘shoulder blanket’, aka a shawl.
Close the doors, windows, curtains and blinds when the sun’s gone down. Conversely, open those curtains to catch some winter rays on sunny days when you wake up, to let any outside heat stream into your home and slowly warm it up. It’s a simple practice that doesn’t cost anything but it can make a difference.
Put on the heater or light the fire – but safely, please! – and never leave an open flame or fireplace unattended. If you have small children, be aware of any hazards to their safety.
Speaking of retro items, remember hot water bottles? The trick, apparently, is to avoid completely filling your bottle – instead, leave a little room for the hot air to expand so it doesn’t get a pressure build-up and burst. And cover your bottle with a towel if it didn’t come with a cover, to help keep the heat in and also not burn your skin.
And then there’s the non-water bottle – wheat bags that go into the microwave – which are also great for sprains or sore muscles as well as staying warmer. If you don’t have a wheat bag, you could make something similar by filling an old sock with rice, tying the opening closed, and heating up in the microwave for a short while. (Safety note: you probably shouldn’t do this in an air fryer 😊.)
Finally, warm your insides with a nice hot beverage. What’s your preference: coffee, hot chocolate, tea, Rooibos or herbal tea? And of course, wrapping your cold fingers around the hot mug helps as well.

… Be Happy

Right, now that we’ve sorted out some tips for keeping warm, let’s look at the positive side of the dropping thermometer, because cold weather is just made for home entertainment! And when all your connectivity options are covered by Vox, home entertainment is a breeze for the whole family.

Why not settle into a cold weather weekend of online-enhanced fun – here are some of your options to consider:

Streaming entertainment: Netflix, Showmax, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV+ are all available locally – just grab the popcorn and chocolate (and blanket) and get comfy.
For local content, we’ve got SABC+ especially for news hounds, eVOD with soapies galore, and Afriforum TV for Afrikaans series, podcasts, radio, reality shows and kids content.
For sports options, there’s DSTV Stream and F1TV Pro, as well as Tennis TV Premium for live grand slam tournaments (hey there, Wimbledon season!).
And don’t forget about your fix of YouTube, for the young and the young at heart.

Then there’s online gaming, of course, beloved by millions today around the world. Whether it’s World of Warcraft, Fortnite, Apex Legends, PUBG, Minecraft and so much more, there’s something for everyone, whether you’re a veteran or a curious newcomer, under 10 or a life-long teenager. You just need a keen imagination, fast fingers and faster connectivity. At Vox, we can’t do anything about your manual dexterity, but we can surely take care of your Internet speed!

Away from gaming, you might also want to stay in touch with friends and family with a long-overdue chat via WhatsApp or Vobi, and for those more introspective moments, the readers among us will reach out for a good book. Of course, you can always do it the old-fashioned paper-based way, but online books are also widely available – and often for far less cost.

And finally, let’s not forget about a fix of celebrity gossip – which high-profile million-dollar wedding is taking place for the international glitterati set? Who’s wearing what and who’s cosying up to who? (Looking at you here, Orlando Bloom!)

So really – who wants to leave home when “Baby, it’s cold outside!”

With Vox, the great news is that you don’t have to.

Enjoy!

PS: Just for an added bonus, here’s a link to a revamped version of the classic song, performed by John Legend and Kelly Clarkson (click on the image).

Braaivleis, Rugby, Sunny Skies and Weather News

Posted on 9 December 20248 January 2025 by Vivienne Fouche

Vox Weather is transforming weather monitoring – for everyone

“Rain, rain, go away, come again another day…”

We’re probably around nursery school age when we first realise the everyday importance of the weather in our lives. Sun, wind, rain, snow: the weather affects many personal aspects, including our health and moods, safe travels, our social lives and energy consumption, and of course planning which clothes to wear.

Let’s also not forget the ice-breaking conversational advantages of talking about the weather during awkward social occasions, like first dates.

Basically, the weather and its daily impact on our lives is always a big deal – which is why Vox was so pleased to launch its weather channel online in 2021, in partnership with presenter-meteorologist Annette Botha. Vox Weather, with almost 400,000 followers currently, is now incredibly excited to begin launching some amazing products to its loyal fans.

Here’s a look at the first Vox Weather offering that’s geared to help amateur weather enthusiasts everywhere with their daily and weekly planning: the ‘Tornado Twister’ weather station.

Storm Chasing at Home

Tracking the weather is fascinating (just ask practically everyone who lives in the UK).

With a Tornado Twister weather station in your home, you can accurately monitor the weather, and be in the know about factors like temperature, humidity, rainfall, windspeed, solar radiation, the UV index and air pressure around your home environment – over and above your daily tuning into Vox Weather for the rest of your province and the country, of course.

With access to their own personal weather stations, homeowners receive real-time weather updates and can predict changes in weather patterns. Having access to accurate weather data at your fingertips lets you plan your day – and your week – accordingly.

You can get alerts about sudden storms, heavy rainfall or even extreme temperatures, allowing you to take necessary precautions. This type of information is obviously also excellent for farmers and anyone else whose work would be badly affected by storms or heavy snowfall – time to bring in the sheep and cattle, or close the cable car station?

Sports Fans, Athletes and Concerts

We don’t say ‘Sunny South Africa’ for nothing! SA is famous for our sunshiny climate and with this comes our national love of the outdoors: what’s summer without planning regular braais and picnics, not to mention attending rugby, football and cricket matches, and concerts in the park? And for those who are do-ers and not only spectators, it’s important to know about the UV index for that pre-Comrades qualifying marathon.

Knowing the weather conditions in advance helps us to make informed decisions about taking part in sports activities and other fun outdoors, to make sure everyone can have the best time possible – including singing in the rain, if necessary, but at least protected by a raincoat or umbrella.

Calling All Gardeners

Weather obviously plays a vital role in maintaining a thriving garden. Different plants have specific requirements when it comes to sunlight, temperatures and moisture. With a weather station, you can monitor these factors and adjust your gardening plans to help your plants stay healthy and happy. Monitoring humidity levels also helps to prevent plant diseases.

Getting Started

The Tornado Twister is very easy to install and set up on your own, or if you prefer, an on-site installation option is available with a Vox engineer for a small fee (you can contact Vox on 087 500 0530 to inquire).

In addition, it comes with a general warranty (subject to terms and conditions): each unit is guaranteed for up to 12 months from the date of purchase and Vox Weather will replace any components at no charge if they should become faulty.

A quick note: it’s important to keep your Tornado Twister free of insects and spiders that might want to make their home in it. We know that you’ll follow a gentle re-homing policy and place them somewhere else in your garden to carry on playing their part in your mini ecosystem.

Transform Your Weather Monitoring

With accurate weather monitoring and forecasting capabilities zoned into your particular property, the Tornado Twister helps you plan your daily activities effectively and take necessary precautions against unpredictable weather conditions.

Whether it’s optimising your gardening, maximising your energy efficiencies or planning your best social life, the personalised weather data adds an extra layer of convenience to your planning.

Enhance your daily life by bringing the technology of weather intelligence right into your home – not forgetting to join the Vox Weather community online for your daily national forecasts, of course!

Click here to find out more.

Available in your area