KAT-7 is a pathfinder of the Square Kilometer Array precursor MeerKAT, which is under construction. Its short baselines and low system temperature make it sensitive to large scale, low surface brightness emission. This makes it an ideal instrument to use in searches for faint extended radio emission and low surface density extraplanar gas. We present an update on the progress of several such ongoing KAT-7 science verification projects. These include a large scale radio continuum and polarization survey of the Galactic Center, deep HI observations (100+ hours) of nearby disk galaxies (e.g. M83, NGC253, and NGC3109), and targeted searches for HI tidal tails in galaxy groups (e.g. IC1459, HGC 44). A brief status update for MeerKAT will also be presented if time permits.