There is no doubt that the services of a professional real estate agent from a reputable brand can be an invaluable asset to any homeowner in today’s market who wants to sell their property for the best possible price in a timely manner. “However,” says Caron Leslie, Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Property Associates, “the crux of the matter is selecting the right agent for the job.” So what criteria should a seller use to determine whether they have selected the right agent? According to Leslie, the legislative changes within the real estate industry means that agents working within the market are required to have a certain level of qualification to practice their trade. “Essentially this means that homeowners are assured that today’s real estate professionals are exactly that – professional. Therefore the decision has more to do with if the agent is someone that the seller feels comfortable with and can trust. The majority of buyers and sellers usually look for the most visible estate agents in the area by way of boards, advertising, recent sales in the area, market share and of course the internet,” says Leslie. Adrian Goslett, CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa, says that while it is important to work with an agent with specific area experience, it is advisable that the agent is from a highly regarded and well-known brand. “The top real estate brands in the country made it to the top because they have a solid marketing strategy, resources and a strong network of professionals within the industry.” According to Leslie, while homeowners have become more aware of how essential it is to work with a professional agent, not many ask to see the agent credentials or qualifications. “The seller should interview the agent and ask for proof of their certificates before they make their final decision as to who they would want to work with. They should also confirm that the agent has knowledge of the current market conditions, area knowledge and an established sales track . . .
Finally – a positive magazine
Bad news sells, so they say-but the effects of negative news are catastrophic, according to new research by a renowned university in the United Kingdom. According to Dr. Graham C. L. Davey, an expert in anxiety and professor of psychology at the University of Sussex, UK, "...not only are negatively-valenced news broadcasts likely to make you sadder and more anxious, they are also likely to exacerbate your own personal worries and anxieties." In addition, studies published in the British Journal of Psychology in February 1997 show that negative news, both in print and television, contribute significantly to a reader or viewer's perception, not only introspectively, but also extrospectively - this means that a person's view of society can be altered by what is published. "It is because of these impacts on society," explains Brandon Lurie, Creative Director of the new locally-published online magazine, Ease Mag, "that we saw it as absolutely necessary to introduce a magazine in which only positive news is shared." Ease Mag, which has recently been introduced in South Africa, is the first of its kind in sharing relevant news that is positive. Consequently, as may be understood by Wendy Johnston's article in the same journal in 2011, entitled, "The psychological impact of negative TV news bulletins", negative stories may lead to personal anxiety, including misanthropy and, in special cases, paranoia. Dr. Davey explains that, "...bombarding people with 'sensationalised’ negativity does have genuine and real psychological effects." "There is good in the world," says Lurie, who adds, saying, "Ease Mag is a publication with the sole aim in changing the way people feel about the world - we are a proud team, dedicated to bringing good news to our readers." For more information about Ease Mag, visit: www.easemag.net or contact Brandon@easemag.net. Author: Claudio Milo from Private Copywriter. More Info link: . . .
Transnet Corporation’s Group Chief Supply Chain Officer to Speak at Supply Chain Summit in Africa
Transnet Corporation, the largest and most crucial part of the freight logistics chain that delivers goods to each and every South African is now supporting the Supply Chain Africa Summit. Organised by Fleming Gulf Conferences the summit will be held at Hyatt Regency Johannesburg, South Africa. Supported by Association of SADC Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASCCI), Eastern African Economic Chambers of Commerce, Supply Chain & Logistics Group, South African Shippers Council & Universal Freight Organisation the summit will be a unique opportunity for supply chain professionals from various organisations and government bodies to meet and discuss trade barriers, market entry and growth strategy across Pan-Africa. Presenting latest case study on MDS Procurement and supplier & enterprise developments, Group Chief Supply Chain Officer, Garry Pita during a pre summit interview elaborated on strategic advantage of supplier relation management. "Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) activities should be driven by the strategic positioning and importance of a commodity within any organisation. It is therefore recommended that commodity profiling be completed during the sourcing strategy development stage. Developing relationships with new suppliers is no longer a simple activity of selecting the best quality product or service at the most competitive price. Progressively adapting and competitive markets make understanding our supplier’s and their competitor’s market positioning, business process, strategies and economics increasingly important. Therefore, Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) requires focused activities by dedicated resources within the supply chain. Efficient delivery of this process will ultimately mitigate business risks, identify areas for cost saving opportunities and improvement. With Transnet’s mandate to develop the local South African market and economy, SRM will become more important as the local supplier base grows in . . .
Wakaberry turns 3! (#WakaTurns3)
Today Wakaberry is celebrating their 3rd birthday. In three short years the brand has grown to encompass 35 stores in eight provinces, over 176 000 Facebook fans, 26 500 Twitter and 5100 Instagram followers. To celebrate their birthday Wakaberry is asking the people behind the brand to share their favourite Waka memory using the hashtag #WakaTurns3. “Our fans have always supported us online which has allowed us to continuously listen to them, talk to them and engage with them,” says Wakaberry’s co-founder and Managing Executive, Michele Fourie. “What better way to celebrate our third birthday than through our customers, our franchisees and our staff sharing their favourite memory of the brand online. We can’t wait to see what they come up with,” she adds. Fans can log onto Facebook (facebook.com/wakaberryfroyo), Twitter (@Wakaberry) or Instagram (@Wakaberry) to share their favourite Waka memory. Wakaberry opened their first store on Florida Road in Durban in May 2011. It wasn’t long before they opened their second store, this time in Durban North. From there the brand went national by opening their first Gauteng store in Lonehill Johannesburg and their first Western Cape store in Stellenbosch. Other brand highlights over the last three years include: • The first brand to introduce self-serve frozen yoghurt into South Africa. • One of a handful of self-serve frozen yoghurt brands that use traditionally fermented liquid yoghurt in their froyo. • The 3rd largest froyo brand on Facebook worldwide. • The 2nd largest froyo brand on Twitter worldwide. • The first frozen yoghurt brand outside of the USA to be recognized by the International Frozen Yogurt Association. • The joint venture partnership with Famous Brands. This weekend Wakaberry will be at Grand Designs Live in Johannesburg where they will be swirling a secret new flavour. Issued by Firestarter on behalf of Wakaberry. For more information please contact Genevieve Cutts on . . .
TOPS at SPAR Soweto Wine Festival Turning 10 in Style
Celebrating its 10th year, the 2014 TOPS at SPAR Soweto Wine & Lifestyle Festival, in association with the Food Network and the Travel Channel, taking place from 4-6 September 2014 at the University of Johannesburg in Soweto, is going to be ‘Stylin in Soweto’ like never before. Mnikelo Mangciphu, co-founder of the TOPS at SPAR Soweto Wine Festival, and owner of Soweto’s Morara Wine and Spirit Emporium says, “Those of you who thought 2013’s festival couldn’t be topped should think again. This year we are putting our hearts and souls into creating the biggest and best TOPS at SPAR Soweto Wine & Lifestyle Festival yet. Watch this space Soweto!” This 10-year celebration of the senses promises to charm and delight all who experience her. There will be a large variety of wine to taste, fashion fabulousness from Elle, decadent décor from Elle Décor incorporating Weylandts, mouth-watering food from Soweto’s top restaurants offering cuisine fit for a King, lifestyle brands with dazzle and glitz, and extraordinary wine lounges to excite the senses! Visitors to the 2014 event can embark on a taste adventure with Nederburg Wines and Robertson’s Spices, experiencing the flair of matching food and wine from sommeliers that will use opposing taste profiles such as sweet and sour to create perfect wine and food pairings. The festival now attracts more than 10 000 visitors over the 3 evenings with more than 100 exhibitors showcasing more than 900 different wines and food providing an exhilarating experience as visitors find their love of wine tasting top labels such as The Chocolate Box, JC Le Roux, Rupert & Rothschild, Nederburg, Meerlust, Olive Brook and 4th Street to name a handful of the pedigreed varieties to satisfy the most delicate of palates. Says Mark Robinson, TOPS Group Liquor Manager and headline sponsor, “TOPS at SPAR is immensely proud to once again be headline sponsor at the TOPS at SPAR Soweto Wine & Lifestyle Festival. This festival . . .
Full service for Full Moon
One of Vuyani Dance Company’s 2014 dance experiences took the form of an “out-of-this-world” dance piece called Full Moon at the Mandela stage at the Joburg Theatre, Johannesburg. Inspired by the mysteries of the universe, this dreamlike piece claims to take audiences “on an epic journey into the celestial realm and back to earth, riding the mysterious carpet of the time-space continuum in a magical flight of the imagination.” Of course the visual possibilities for a show like this show proved irresistible for UK-based Lighting and Set Designer, Declan Randall, who returned to South Africa specifically to work on the project. He used the diverse services of local theatre equipment rental supplier Gearhouse Splitbeam to help bring the concept to life. “I have had a long and wonderfully collaborative relationship with VDC since the company began 15 years back, but since moving to the UK, I had not had the opportunity to work with Gregory Maqoma (founder and executive Director) much, so I took a chance and sent him an email. As it happened, my timing was spot-on; he needed assistance with Full Moon and we have been talking and planning and designing since December last year,” explains Declan. With lunar cycles as the kick off point for the design; the circle motif featured strongly across the overall design language for the show. The notion of incorporating a fairly complex, flown pendulum set piece, with which the dancers could interact, came early and remained unchanged. “The pendulum suggests movement and change, but also consistency – like the lunar cycle and seasons,” he says. “Although it was only used for one section, the pendulum’s impact on the piece was profound - it introduced a unique visual element that also imbued the scene with a sense of impending danger.” A 4m wide circular pendulum base also offered the opportunity to edge light for the different moon phases as well as a surface for additional lighting and audio visual effects. Design in . . .
Tax Freedom Day
Tax Freedom Day is the first day of the year that the nation as a whole has hypothetically earned enough money to cover its total tax bill for the year. By looking at what date Tax Freedom Day falls on every year, you can really put your taxes into perspective. For instance, you can get an idea of how much of your personal income is really yours to do with what you want, and how much belongs to the government. It also lets you easily see how much South Africans spend on tax compared to other countries. This year, Tax Freedom Day falls on 22 May 2014 [TvdH1] - the 142nd day of the year. In other words, it would take 141 days for the nation to pay its tax burden, assuming everyone worked every day and spent nothing. However, while analysts say that the later TFD date has arisen as a result of an "election budget", among other factors, research by financial services company Direct Axis shows that South Africans are still reasonably placed when compared with other nations. In Sweden, for example, tax freeedom day fell on July 4 last year, meaning that country's citizens worked almost half the year for the government. The UK (May 30), France (June 19) and Italy (June 7) also take longer to achieve their respective tax freedom days. The Direct Axis research shows that of this year's R1.25-trillion budget in South Africa, education will take the biggest slice (R253.8-billion). Author: John Harvey from 2Stroke Interactive. More Info link: http://www.directaxis.co.za Images: For high res version/s of None image/s please contact: 2Stroke Interactive. CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za. . . .
Payments Interoperability in the Southern African Development Community region
Brad Gillis and Rishi Pillay- BankServAfrica Cross-border payment, clearing and settlement systems in the SADC are paramount in enabling the safe and efficient circulation of money, thereby facilitating regional economic development. Sound SADC payment, clearing and settlement systems will enhance regional financial stability by providing, among other things, appropriate SADC payment system risk-reduction measures. The general consensus within the SADC is that the credit-push payment principle is the preferred payment method and electronic instruments are preferred to paper-based instruments. Cross-border remittance payments are defined as person-to-person payments from senders in one country to recipients in another. In the 2010 Remittance Prices Worldwide Database, the World Bank identified 29 countries as major remittance sending countries. South Africa is the major remittance sending country in the SADC. Through the proposed anti-moneylaundering and exchange control relaxation by the South African Financial Intelligence Centre and the South African Financial Surveillance Authority, remittances flowing through informal channels can be brought under formal regulatory oversight. To register, complete the registration form on the brochure or visit the TCI website and electronically complete it and submit, alternatively fax it to us on 086 582 2981, or email it to info@tci-sa.co.za. However, you could please contact Naison Chilenge, Project Manager at TCI on 011 803 1553 or alternatively email naison@tci-sa.co.za Exhibition and sponsoring opportunities are available. Please contact Linda Kruger linda@tci-sa.co.za Author: Sian Wirth from Trade Conferences International. More Info link: http://www.tci-sa.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Registration-form-crossborder.pdf CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za. . . .
Taking Safety in Mining a step ahead
Mining companies operate in a very risky environment and deal with hazardous materials on daily basis hence keeping people safe is a growing concern to overcome. Lack of awareness can not only cause million of dollars but many lives as well. Therefore, it is essential to raise HSE issues high up on your board agenda and integrate them with your company’s core values. The mining industry is consciously shifting its mind-set to focus on employee health, safety and emergency response. Mining leaders believe that that “zero harm” is not about making safety a core value, it is also about eliminating physical injuries and illnesses, taking control of one’s own health and safety, and consistently choosing safer behavior. In the realm of the current mining scenario where mining leaders are searching for best answers to the health and safety concerns pertaining to the nature of the workplace, 4th Global Health & Safety Forum in Mining will bring together the region's prominent names to collectively evaluate every possible solution to bring about a risk free, healthy and safe work culture. Over a period of three days, from 9th – 11th September 2014, this forum aims to elevate health & safety performances and for minimizing risks and urging this sector to optimize its potential. As the emphasis on safety has increased, operational best practices and risk-mitigation theories have been applied, resulting in significant improvements to ensure a less dangerous workplace. However, it seems that progress has reached a plateau and that new insight is required to achieve the next breakthrough. With the advancement of technology and system integrated operational safety models, miners today are more aware and alert for safety measure, thus positively contributing to develop a risk free mining culture. Eminent speakers and Industry peers will gather in Johannesburg – South Africa for this forum to brainstorm and uphold the health and safety standards in mining . . .
Is Africa ready for the Banking Revolution?
“Banking in Africa is still at a nascent stage as we are talking about a continent that still has around 70 - 80% of unbanked population and has tremendous potential to grow. The approach to retail banking in Africa is very different to what one can see in matured markets as the continent is vast and poses a real challenge to traditional distribution models based on branch networks. Technology and new distribution models are playing a vital role in how banking is being brought to the masses in Africa. Indirect distribution models relying on agency, retail and mobile networks seem to be more popular in driving penetration and reach across the 54 African states which are all very different to one another. While some mature markets are still debating these approaches, the actual results on the field in Africa is a tangible proof of their effectiveness in bridging the gap for the unbanked.” - Ashraf Esmael , Chief Executive Officer - Bramer Bank Ashraf Esmael was one of the key speakers for the 5th Annual Retail Banking Africa Forum, which was held in Johannesburg, last June. The success of the past edition reflected on the region's retail bankers to rethink their retail strategy in order to give a better customer experience, improved financial services and an alternate approach to boost consumer banking growth. According to the statistics, 70% of Africa's population is unbanked which means they don't have bank accounts and proper access to finance. In South Africa, retail banking specifically sees immense potential because of economic prosperity and the consequent increase in purchasing power, changing consumer demographics, increasing literacy levels, higher adaptability to technology, and growing consumerism. The retail banking services in Africa has gained pace in the recent years. Africa is determined as a destination with opportunities due to the large scale potential the region has, particularly in providing financial services to the mass population. . . .
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