Tired of the same old Christmas ideas? Why not add some Portuguese flair to your festive celebrations? Portuguese people are particularly proud of their ability to enjoy themselves and their Christmas festivities are no different. In fact, the brightly coloured Barcelos rooster is considered to be the unofficial symbol of Portugal as it is seen to embody the renowned Portuguese love of life. Lusito Association spokesperson, Noemia Contente, who is part of the Lusito Land Festival organising committee, says the Portuguese community in South Africa in no different to their European counterparts. “I think this ‘joie de vivre’ is built into our DNA and while Christmas is also a time to attend midnight mass, a great deal of emphasis is placed on food over the festive period.” Most of the Portuguese festive celebrations occur on Christmas Eve and are largely a family affair. Supper or Consoada’ traditionally comprises bacalhau (codfish) with boiled potatoes and specially prepared cabbage, followed by mountains of mouth-watering, traditional desserts such as rice pudding or rabanadas (Portuguese French toast with a twist). After the meal, families attend the 'Missa do Galo' (midnight mass) where the nativity scene takes centre-stage. Contente says prior to leaving for the service, some parents secretly place baby Jesus into their nativity scenes at home, as well as gifts under the Christmas tree. “There is much excitement after mass, because we get to open our presents afterwards. Many people put one shoe of each child next to the fireplace or chimney instead of a Christmas stocking.” Christmas day is usually low-key. “People tend to sleep late and meet again later for another relaxed and delicious family meal,” adds Contente. For those tempted to add some Portuguese elements to their Christmas festivities, why not consider these fun stocking filler ideas: • Chouriço sausage • Little ceramic rooster • Portuguese wine • Olive oil • Pasteis de Nata . . .
Corner Bakery Grows Year-On-Year-On-Year
CORNER BAKERY is probably most well known in the Engen Quickshops, in forecourts across Southern Africa – as the most convenient and delicious place for a premium pie, healthy snacks and an invigorating cup of Equatorial Coffee. The brand has seen a steady year-on-year growth creating a landscape where South Africa’s largest bakery franchise group has decided to broaden its footprint to include standalone franchise stores as well. Franchises are owner operated and one owner can create a network of individual stores, with ease. As the 6th largest food franchise in terms of turnover and 2nd largest with regard to store count with over 430 outlets, CORNER BAKERY offers a solid investment opportunity with CORNER BAKERY having delivered double digit sales growth for the past eight years, making it a lucrative choice. CORNER BAKERY stores are in South Africa and extend into Botswana, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Reunion, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The established infrastructure of CORNER BAKERY anchors all franchises with the highest quality par-baked and pre-packed bakery products, made in a central production facility, to the highest standards and are distributed to stores with dependable logistics. Global trends see future bakeries meeting consumer demands for quality-baked goods through the use of technological advances in par-baked and pre-packed bakery products. Par-baked frozen products that are baked to perfection on site retain the opportunity to delight the consumer with wafts of delicious baked yumminess while saving time, space and money. Pre-packed speciality products that are produced at the central bakery facilities add product variety without adding any complexities to store operations and allow each franchise to order, trial and stock on-the-go meals and fast food options that are tailored to the store’s specific market. “Corner Bakery is renowned for making the nation’s favourite pies with the highest quality ingredients, an extensive range . . .
Cape Winemakers Guild swells its ranks with two new members
Cape Winemakers Guild swells its ranks with two new members The prestigious Cape Winemakers Guild has two new members with the induction of JD Pretorius and Samantha O’Keefe into this respected league of masters in the art of winemaking. Both accomplished winemakers in their own right, Pretorius has enjoyed a successful career at Steenberg Vineyards spanning 10 years, whilst O’Keefe is owner/winemaker of Lismore Estate Vineyards in Greyton. She is the 6th woman to be inducted into the Guild and brings the current membership of women to three, alongside Rianie Strydom and Andrea Mullineux. A pioneer to the core, O’Keefe founded her own wine enterprise in Greyton in 2003 and is responsible for establishing this new cool-climate region, previously unknown to grape growing, as a recognised wine appellation. Her wines are highly regarded across the globe and acclaimed by international commentators the likes of Jancis Robinson, Neal Martin and Tim Atkin with consistently high ratings across her entire wine range reaching top scores of 97/100. For the last 5 years her wines have been on many “Wines of the Year” lists both internationally and within South Africa and have been featured in leading international publications such as Decanter and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. With a BA degree in Political Science from the University of California at Berkeley, and extensive experience in business, marketing, and the television industry while working in Los Angeles, O’Keefe brings a diverse skill set to the Guild. Pretorius, who joins Warwick in Stellenbosch as cellar master after completing his last harvest at Steenberg in May 2019, has had a phenomenal year. In addition to his second Platter’s 5-Star wine, he bagged the Museum Class Sauvignon Blanc Trophy at the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show, and boasts a 94/100 rating from Tim Atkin for the 5th consecutive year for Steenberg’s Flagship Magna Carta, among his slew of awards. In 2014 Pretorius won the coveted title of . . .
“Model Citizen” – Gone Too Soon!
EThekwini Municipality’s Durban Fashion Fair (DFF) Sindi Shangase, who spear heads this annual event, would like to express on behalf of the DFF team their profound sorrow and heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Xola Ndlovu on his recent passing from pneumonia. Xola Ndlovu hailed from Eshowe, and relocated to Durban to join the Durban Fashion Fair “family” in 2015 as one of the 10 male new faces. He was selected to participate in the annual model bootcamp training programme for undiscovered talent within the greater eThekwini Municipality area. Since his graduation from the 2015 DFF model bootcamp, he was snapped up by leading modelling agency, Ice Models. Since then, not only has he graced the DFF catwalk every year, but he has also walked and modelled in the SA Menswear Week, Vodacom Durban July and the Durban University of Technology (DUT) fashion shows. Ndlovu not only awed on the catwalk but he also established himself as a leading catalogue model as well. This is something that not a lot of models can do, but it’s testament to his great talent and versatility. “Ndlovu will be remembered by the DFF team for his charm, ready smile, sense of humour, his engaging personality and the way in which he was always prepared to go the extra mile”, said Sindi Shangase. “May I extend, on behalf of the DFF team, our heartfelt condolences and deep sorrow to the bereaved family, and his friends, may his soul rest in peace”. THERE ARE MANY THNGS THAT ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO MAN BUT FOR GOD EVERY THING IS POSSIBLE – Quote from Xola Ndlovu’s facebook page. CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za. . . .
The SpaceStation’s viewability stats exceed market standard by 20%
Recent stats* released to The SpaceStation by Google Ad Manager show that their overall ad viewability sits at an impressive 71%, which is a much higher than the South African market standard, over the same period, of 51%. The same stats also showed an above-the-fold viewability of 82% compared to a market rate of 65% and a below-the-fold rate of 60% compared to 43% clocked by the market. Viewability is an essential metric in online advertising. It tracks impressions that can actually be seen by users and helps advertisers understand the Opportunity to See (OTS) performance of each ad placement – in essence it measures whether consumers are actually seeing ads. The IAB qualifies a display ad impression as viewable if 50% or more of the advert’s pixels appear in the viewable space of an in-focus browser tab for at least one second post render. “Viewability is one of the most logical of metrics, and one of the most important when it comes to campaign success” says Craig Nicholson, Regional Sales Director, Joburg at The SpaceStation. “There have been numerous studies done that have shown an inarguable link between viewability, CTRs and the material impact on offline store visits and conversions. While viewability is not a reflection of an ad’s effect or engagement, it is all about whether the consumer has been given the opportunity to see the ad – an essential factor in a campaign’s success.” The SpaceStation’s viewability rating can be credited to a number of things like the nature of the platforms the company offers as well as the innovation and scale found through their campaigns. Adds Gavin Ruiters, The SpaceStation’s Regional Sales Director in Cape Town, “At the end of the day, advertisers want to see campaign results that show tangible conversions, in other words they want their ads to lead to sales. Our ad viewability results are allowing that to happen.” *Date range: Q3 2018 For more information go to www.thespacestation.co.za or follow . . .
COP24: Raising the bar on re-imagining a #resilient and #sustainable future
Africa is one of the fastest urbanising regions in the world – and it is widely accepted that the rapid urbanisation of its burgeoning big cities will play a vital role in the continent’s continued growth and development. But, are we thinking far enough ahead to plan for the resources that will be consumed, and the waste generated by this ongoing development as well as the rapidly growing populous of city dwellers? The short answer is no. The Katowice Climate Change Conference is currently underway in Katowice, Slaskie, Poland (2-14 December 2018). This event aims to elevate market awareness and attention - for desired actionable outcomes - on a host of critical priorities related to climate action but also aspirational Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) centred on; decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9), and responsible consumption and production (SDG 12). I believe these three SDGs are unendingly interdependent, particularly for rapidly emerging and urbanising economies in Africa, and here below I’ve shared my thoughts on how targeting these SDGs simultaneously – with a long-term strategic vision – will help nations in Africa re-imagine waste as an opportunity to meaningfully contribute towards a resilient and sustainable future. Imagining Africa’s growth to 2050 The UN has estimated that the global population will near 11.3 billion by 2060. Populations in Africa are expected to experience just as much exponential growth – and the collective count for the continent is predicted to reach over 2.5 billion by 2050, which remarkably will represent about 26% of the world's total population by that time. Of course, these figures present immense opportunities for investors and businesses – as it means that Africa currently hosts the fastest growing consumer market in the world. However, it also alludes to a very serious challenge that threatens the future resilience and sustainability of cities and urban . . .
New Media shines in New York
New Media continues to rake in the awards with a category clean-up at the Pearl Awards, which were held in New York last Friday. In the Best Print Experience (B2C) category, New Media won both the gold and silver awards with their publications for Sanlam and Woolworths. Taking gold, the Sanlam Centenary magazine was one of a series of publications produced for Sanlam to celebrate its 100th birthday in 2018. Woolworths TASTE magazine took the silver for the March 2018 edition of the incredibly successful monthly title. Elizka Ferreira, head of foods marketing for Woolworths says, “We are immensely proud of the experience that New Media creates for our customers in TASTE, and to have that recognised on the international stage is phenomenal.” Although primarily a digital content and strategy agency, New Media is thrilled to receive these awards for two printed products. The results reaffirm its belief in print as a powerful solution in the right circumstances. Both products illustrate how careful planning, a relentless focus on excellence and the very best talent can come together to create wonderful reader experiences in what is fast becoming the premium channel of print. New Media’s group creative director Crispian Brown adds: “Although very different in subject matter, audience and purpose, Centennial and TASTE share a basic DNA for creating great content: a good brief, a client who trusts and collaborates with you, a clear strategy and the best creatives focussing on their craft. A good print execution should pique interest irrespective of where people choose to start reading, and surprise and delight the more they explore.” Run by the Content Council in the USA, the Pearl Awards receive hundreds of entries and recognise the very best in content excellence around the world. The awards ceremony was hosted in New York at Hearst Tower on Friday and agencies from the USA, UK, Sweden, Canada, Australia and South Africa were recognised for their world-class . . .
Sishen Iron Ore Company-Community Development Trust (SIOC-cdt) invests in social impact research with a difference
In November 2018, the Sishen Iron Ore Company – Community Development Trust (SIOC-cdt) contracted Citizen Surveys to conduct a needs analysis within the five local municipalities in which it operates. This will assist the Trust to update its Community Development Strategy and ensure that it can have a meaningful impact on these Northern Cape and Limpopo communities. Established in 2006 by Kumba Iron Ore Limited to invest in the development of the communities in which the company operates, SIOC-cdt derives dividends from its shareholding in the Sishen Iron Ore Company (SIOC) and has spent over R1-billion so far in community development projects. These projects seek to strengthen the communities surrounding its mining activities and ensure that they are sustainable once these mines close. “SIOC-cdt aims to have a genuine and lasting impact on these communities as a result of its community development projects, rather than relying on metrics such as how much money it has spent or projects it has funded,” says Managing Director of Citizen Surveys, Washeelah Kapery. SIOC-cdt is active in five local municipalities. Four of these are in the Northern Cape and surround the Sishen Mine in Kathu and Kolomela Mine in Postmasburg. These are the Joe Morolong, Gasegonyana, Gamagara and Tsantsabane local municipalities. While the Thabazimbi Mine in Limpopo was recently sold to ArcellorMittal, SIOC-cdt has legacy projects and thus an obligation to communities within the Thabazimbi Local Municipality. “We specialise in large-scale national surveys that investigate the perceptions, needs and experiences of South Africans,” continues Kapery, “and we have invested into developing research systems that enable us to provide strategic insights and solutions.” “SIOC-cdt is in the process of updating its Community Development Strategy for the next five years and wants to ensure that its community development strategies and projects are based on sound research into the needs of . . .
Is a Solar System the answer to Loadshedding? How much can you expect to pay?
One of the biggest salepersons around moved into South Africa recently. In Solar PV Systems we call that person; "Sir Eskom Loadshedding!" "Phone and web site enquiries have escalated somewhat since the start of loadshedding," says Alan Straton from Straton Solar. "Everyone wants to be free of Eskom and loadshedding and most are of the impression that Solar Power is the magic bullet to do that," explained Alan. The price of Solar Panels has plummeted over the last 8 years and the electricity price per unit (Kw) manufactured from a pure grid tie solar installation is now less than 70c per unit amortised over the 20 year expected life of an installation. On the other hand the price of batteries still needs to reach that tipping point before beginning to plummet. "Batteries are the next frontier in terms of lower price and higher storage capacity," says Straton. Solar PV comes in 3 'flavours: Grid Tie only (here you will still be affected by loadshedding) Grid Tie with Battery Backup, referred to as a Hybrid System (load shedding will not affect you - depending on the size of your batteries) Off Grid - Here you are on your own with no connection to the grid at all. Taking the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality as an example Straton said: A Grid Tie system for a single phase installation may only be a maximum of 5 KW in size. This is good enough for an annual average of 960 units of electricity each month (more in summer, less in winter). The pay back on such a system is around 6 to 7 years. IF the system is installed in a business then the payback is from the time of switching on as Section 12B of the Income Tax allows an immediate 100% depreciation allowance on renewable energy installation. If you do not have mission critical items then Grid Tie only is the way to go. A Hybrid System also operates under the same constraints as the Pure Grid Tie system above. In addition the conversation around batteries is that one must remember . . .
Climbing Kilimanjaro in Support of Education
Meet 30-year-old Cassandra Pireu-Pilossof on a quest to climb Kilimanjaro in March 2019 in an effort to raise both funds and awareness to build a library, inclusive of resources and librarian training for Qhobosheane Primary School in Soweto. Cassandra is one of the thirty volunteers who are part of the Adopt-a-School Foundation and Flight Centre Foundation #Kili4Kids campaign. According to education researcher, Nic Spaull, out of a group of 100 Grade 1 pupils, 50 will reach Grade 12. Of those, 36 will pass matric and twelve will enter university is what motivated Cassandra to be part of the team raising funds for the construction of a library at Qhobosheane Primary School, through Adopt-a-School Foundation. In preparation for the climb Cassandra has been part of regular fitness programmes such as Hiking, running, swimming and cycling. She has been part of the Telkom 947 Cycle Challenge, Redhub triathlon Soweto Marathon and Midmar Mile. With the expectation of a tough climb Cassandra will be taking with her only the essentials and a camera to ensure there is no excess baggage to prevent them in summiting for the children of Qhobosheane who are in need of a library and books. “I chose to be part of this campaign as working with the Flight Centre Foundation has been a wonderful experience, they have been deeply involved, passionate and committed to the improvement of Qhobosheane Primary School over the years. This initiative speaks to their ethos of engaging individuals to get involved and raise funds to help fast-track the implementation of projects that they have already committed to,” shares Cassandra. To support the #Kili4Kids campaign and help the challenges facing South African schools, people can attend a number of smaller events in an effort to raise funds. Please contact Diane Cleary: diane.cleary@flightcentre.co.za. CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za. . . .
- Newer Posts
- 1
- …
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- …
- 697
- Older Posts
