International Press Release Submissions

JAC Motors South Africa in attendance at this year’s NAMPO Harvest Day

South Africa's premier agricultural show, the NAMPO Harvest Day, provides the perfect platform to showcase the latest trends, products, innovations and networking opportunities within the farming industry. JAC Motors South Africa will be in attendance at this year's expo in Bothaville that is taking place from 16 to 20 May. The public is invited to visit them at stand number 7a to learn more about the company and its product range. "This year, JAC Motors will be in the country for five years. Over the past year, our sales in the farming industry have increased substantially, making NAMPO the ideal platform for us to showcase our products to the public and the representatives of the agricultural sector," says Karl-Heinz Göbel, CEO of JAC Motors South Africa. The company will display its range-topper T8 2.0L CTI double-cab, tough X200 2.8L TDI forward-cab series and its N55 EV battery-electric truck. Trained instructors will put the T8 4x4 through its paces on the off-road track, where the public can join them for demonstrations at specific timeslots. The unique X200 2.8L TDI double-cab 1.3-tonne bakkie is a workhorse and people carrier. It can accommodate six people legally inside its cab, which is a good example of how JAC Motors' products offer valuable transportation solutions to the farming industry. The NAMPO Harvest Day sees the introduction of an extended Service Plan of 5-years/100 000 km on the T8 2.0L CTI and a 5% discount on all products purchased for the show's duration. "Our reliable product range offers excellent value for money and caters to various agricultural applications and body customisations. Farmers and agricultural practitioners can count on quality advice from our 65 dealers across the country, in Namibia, Lesotho and Eswatini," concludes Göbel. About Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corporation Ltd. (JAC Motors) JAC Motors may be a relative newcomer to the South African market; however, it has been a giant in the …


Source: MyPR International

Spectrum key to driving digital and economic transformation

As spectrum is released, opportunity and competition define the future of the sector in South Africa It has been more than a decade since the significant release of spectrum for mobile broadband services in South Africa. A limitation that has impacted the industry and citizens in measurable ways. It has constrained growth within the telecommunications market and reduced broadband penetration throughout the country. Spectrum is a relatively rare resource that requires careful allocation to ensure that it does ignite 4IR and drive innovation and economic development, but the delays that have inhibited its release have been frustrating. As Keoikantse Marungwana, Senior Research, and Consulting Manager, Telco & IoT Lead Sub-Saharan Africa, IDC, points out, spectrum is a key national resource that must be efficiently and effectively used to directly drive digital and economic transformation. “Over the years, the release of spectrum has been delayed by numerous legal challenges brought by market players who felt disadvantaged for various reasons, arguing issues related to the procedures, fairness, legality, competition issues and more,” he explains. “This is because access to spectrum, particularly High Demand Spectrum (HDS) is heavily contested due to the economic opportunities it provides.” Now many of the challenges that caused delays in spectrum release are resolved through policy certainty, regulatory interventions, court judgements, and consultations between the regulator and market players. This has allowed for improved access to spectrum for smaller players that will increase competition in the market and ultimately benefit the consumer. “ICASA used an innovative auction process that provides equitable access to spectrum for both smaller and larger network operators,” says Marungwana. “This has then allowed for more players to gain access to HDS across the low- and mid-bands and to accelerate their plans for rural broadband coverage using 4G and 5G …


Source: MyPR International

Operation Vulindlela Is Opening The Path To Growth

Dear Fellow South African, The South African economy, like any other economy, cannot function, let alone grow, without efficient and competitive network industries. These industries – which include electricity, water, transport and telecommunications – are the arteries through which the oxygen of the economy runs. Structural problems in these areas have long been cited as some of the main constraints on South Africa’s economic growth. Inefficiency and the high cost of network services are an impediment to doing business in the country. A factory can only operate effectively with a reliable and affordable supply of electricity. A farm with irrigated farmlands can only produce food if its application for a water use license is processed timeously. A mine can only transport its minerals for export if the railways are functioning properly. And a small business cannot thrive if it lacks access to the internet or if the cost of data is too expensive. To address and overcome these challenges, we set up Operation Vulindlela in October 2020 as an initiative of the Presidency and National Treasury to accelerate structural reforms in these network industries. While the responsible government departments and entities drive these reforms, Operation Vulindlela monitors and identifies challenges and blockages. Where needed, it facilitates technical support to departments. Today, we are releasing an update report on the work of Operation Vulindlela for the first quarter of 2022. The quarterly report outlines the progress made by Operation Vulindlela and the departments responsible for these reforms. Across government, our focus is on reforms that are fundamental and transformative; that reshape the way our economy works. This includes the auction of high-demand spectrum for mobile telecommunications, which was delayed for more than 10 years and finally completed in March. The release of new spectrum will improve connectivity and bring down broadband costs. The establishment of the …


Source: MyPR International

FNB Retail customers saved over R5.5 billion by banking their change

09 May 2022 – FNB Retail customers have saved over R5.5 billion in the last three years by saving small amounts ranging from R2 to R50 through the Bank Your Change® feature linked to their FNB Savings Account. Over R2 billion in savings were accumulated in the last year from customers who have activated Bank Your Change®, and customers earn up to 3.8% per annum based on their savings balance. Bank Your Change® is a free feature that allows all FNB customers who have a transactional bank account to save a portion of their change each time they use their FNB debit card to buy goods or services. Customers who activate Bank Your Change® automatically save their 'change' when they swipe their FNB debit card. The functionality rounds up each debit card purchase to the nearest Rand value chosen at activation and sweeps the difference into their linked FNB Savings Account, helping customers save for an emergency. Raj Makanjee, CEO of FNB Retail, says, "This innovative feature has been instrumental in helping our customers save effortlessly and get access to cash reserves in case of emergencies or unforeseen expenses. We’re particularly excited to see that this savings instrument is popular across our entire Retail customer base, with percentages of users ranging between 30% and nearly 70% depending on the income segment. In addition, we encourage all our customers to use our free tools like nav>> Money on the FNB App to help them in their money management journey." According to Himal Parbhoo, CEO of Cash Investments for FNB Retail, FNB has been steadily expanding solutions to help customers save. "South Africa has consistently had a lower-than-average savings rate, which is largely due to our culture of consumption and limited use of formal savings instruments. We've made significant investments to change this by allowing customers to use our platform to save and track their short- and long-term savings goals," he says. "The most difficult challenge for many people is …


Source: MyPR International

Podium and pride for Suzuki at Simola

The Suzuki Swift Sport has slayed the mythical Simola Hill with unexpectedly fast times and a place on the class podium. The two Swift Sport models – a manual and an automatic – ended the class final race on Sunday afternoon with times of 54.913 seconds (Reuben van Niekerk, automatic) and 54.580 (Wesley Greybe, manual). The time set by Greybe was enough to earn him a spot on the class podium. And it was a mere six seconds slower than the class winner, Jared Yeo, in a Porsche Cayman 718 S. “We came to Simola to show that you don’t need to break the bank to have a truly competitive sports car, or great fun, on the hill climb. Wesley and Reuben did just that. “We knew that if our two racers set a time of less than one minute on the 1.9-kilometre track, we would have proved our point. Both drivers kept improving as the weekend progressed and surprised us ­– and the crowd – with final times below 55 seconds,” says Brendon Carpenter, Brand Marketing Manager of Suzuki Auto South Africa. Suzuki’s Simola campaign started with practice runs and the first qualifying drives on Saturday. Heavy rain during the night and an intermittent drizzle created slippery conditions on the twisty mountain road and kept several contenders in the pits. Both Suzuki drivers participated in every single run, regardless of the conditions. Van Niekerk put in a first practice time of 1:06.135, while Greybe logged 1:01.811 up the hill. After each run, as the drivers became more familiar with their cars, they started shaving off second after second. By the end of Saturday’s racing, Greybe was on a top time of 55.709 seconds and Van Niekerk breathing down his neck with a time of 55.901 seconds. “It is testament to the quality of the car’s suspension and transmission that the manual and auto versions of the Swift Sport can run so close to each other,” says Van Niekerk. “It is also very impressive to see how both cars could line up for a competitive run, time after time, …


Source: MyPR International

Suzuki impresses on first day of the 2022 Simola Hillclimb

Suzuki Auto has proven that you do not need a big budget to have great fun and be competitive at the Simola Hillclimb. The two Suzuki Swift Sport models competing in Class A1 for unmodified turbo- and supercharged sports cars ended their first day on the hill with solid qualifying times and a strong position for tomorrow’s last runs and the final class shootout. “This is our first year as a competitor at the Simola Hillclimb and it has been a thrilling experience,” says Brendon Carpenter, Brand Marketing Manager at Suzuki Auto South Africa. “It is great fun to see our two drivers and their Swift Sport models improve their times on every run and beat a couple of more powerful machines. At the same time, we could show the spectators that you do not need a seven-figure budget and a large technical crew to be able to tame the Simola Hill.” Suzuki entered two standard production Swift Sport models in the 2022 Simola Hillclimb. The first – competitor #77 – is a six-speed manual version with precision driver and instructor Wesley Greybe behind the wheel. Greybe started well despite the very wet conditions in the morning and the additional burden of being the first competitor on the road. He set a time of 1:01.811 in the first practice run. By the third run, he had dipped below 1 minute on the twisty mountain road with a time of 59.925 seconds. He ended his campaign on the first day with a best time of 55.079 seconds, ahead of several German supercars. “My previous experience on the hill certainly helped me to put in good times from the start. The Swift Sport surprised me with its plucky nature and lack of turbo lag, which allowed me to shift less and keep my foot planted firmly through the sweeps,” says Greybe. Greybe previously piloted much larger supercars up the hill as one of the official display drivers, and he set very similar times with these, more powerful but much heavier cars. “The low weight of the Swift Sport is a real boon. You can be a lot more …


Source: MyPR International

Green light for Swift Sport at Simola

The stage is set for an exciting race between the manual and automatic Suzuki Swift Sport on the Simola Hill today. Suzuki Auto South Africa entered two standard production models of the Swift Sport in Class A1 of the King of the Hill race at the 2022 Simola Hill Climb. They will be piloted by journalist and car fanatic Reuben van Niekerk (automatic), and precision driver and Suzuki fan, Wesley Greybe (manual). Van Niekerk and Greybe delivered their Swift Sports at scrutineering today and received a clean bill of health to race tomorrow. Both vehicles have to be completely standard to compete in Class A1, which is reserved for turbo and supercharged sports cars. “I am very excited and a bit nervous about racing tomorrow,” says Van Niekerk. “There will be a lot of eyes on us, and I would love to bring out the best in the car. Fortunately, the Swift Sport is as forgiving as it is sharp, so I am sure I will be able to settle in quickly and start clocking good times up the hill.” In contrast to Van Niekerk, Greybe has plenty of experience of the Simola Hill. “I’ve been up the hill many times as a demonstration driver at previous events, but this will be my first time as a competitor. “It looks like we may get some rain tomorrow and it will be interesting to see how the Swift Sport handles on the wet track. In truth, I think the Swift’s light weight and direct steering will stand us in good stead against the heavier sports cars on the roster,” says Greybe. Suzuki Auto is a Tier One sponsor at the 2022 Simola Hillclimb, and they have exclusively branded the burnout zone at the start. “We are very excited about joining the action tomorrow,” says Brendon Carpenter, Brand Marketing Manager of Suzuki Auto. “We know that events such as this need sponsor support to become a reality, especially after the pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 event and regulations prevented spectators from joining the event last year.” Suzuki has also …


Source: MyPR International

Impact of fuel prices in South Africa

By Renzi Thirumalai, Head of Investments at FNB Wealth and Investments South Africa’s fuel prices increased again for diesel inland, between 88c/l and 94c/l for diesel at the coast, while the price of petrol decreased by 12 cents a litre on 04 May 2022. The latest fuel price announcement is based on the shortage of diesel supply due to lower exports from Russia as major exporter of distillate fuel. This is despite an intervention by National Treasury to reduce the cost of fuel by cutting the general fuel levy (GFL) by more than R1 per litre. While this would have brought relief there is little government can do beyond cutting the GFL. The South African fuel price is determined mainly by 1) International oil prices and 2) The Rand-Dollar exchange rate. The Rand’s recent strength against the dollar has prevented further price increases. Geopolitical tensions and looming oil sanctions against Russia have resulted in expectations of a decrease in the future supply of oil, and the price of Brent Crude Oil has increased as a result.  How fuel prices are calculated The fuel price in South Africa is comprised of four main elements: Basic Fuel Price: The basic fuel price makes up roughly 42% of the total price of fuel. The Basic Fuel Price is made up of the purchase price of fuel (in US dollars) as well as freight costs, insurance, storage, and financing. In South Africa the fuel price is adjusted on the first Wednesday of every month and is determined by two main factors: The Rand/US Dollar exchange rate (how fuel is purchased), and international petroleum prices (how much the fuel costs to purchase). Wholesale and retail margins as well as distribution and transport costs: The final contributors to the gross petrol price are those costs associated with transport and storage, custom and excise duties and retail margins for fuel station owners and makes up roughly 22% of the total fuel price. The GFL: The general fuel levy, which makes up roughly 23% of the total price of …


Source: MyPR International

Creating special moments this Mother’s Day – By Grace Stevens 

Wistful recollections of our childhood usually centre around food and baking. Nothing conjures up feelings of nostalgia better than the image of a little child, nose-pressed-to-the-oven door on a cold Sunday afternoon. With nostrils giddy with the scent of melted chocolate and eyes bigger than dinner plates, their delicate hands’ are poised, ready to grab a freshly baked cookie as soon as mom carefully plates them. Grace Stevens, award-winning TV chef, confectionery connoisseur, and fellow mum, shares some delectable ways to ensure this Mother’s Day is the most special one yet. Here Are Her Top 3 Tips: Give the gift of food   Food shared with loved ones always creates memorable moments. There is something wonderfully unforgettable about making and gifting special edible treats for those we love, and more so for our mums, as they do it all the time for us. Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to treat mum to treasured cakes and bakes passed down from previous generations, over a steaming pot of fresh tea or coffee. Bring the family together  It is so special when Moms can be celebrated by spending quality time with their families, catching up, and sharing fond memories. A delightful alternative to taking mum out for a meal is to recreate her favourite restaurant dinner at home, with all the family. We absolutely love making homemade pizza together. It’s a lovely way of getting the whole family involved. From kneading the dough to roasting the tomato paste, grating the cheese, and chopping up toppings to scatter over, there is something every member of the family can do, irrespective of their age. Make mum the focus  Mother’s Day is all about spending quality time with your mom and making her feel special. Set aside time to just hang out with your mom and do something that she enjoys. Doing a craft class, helping with some gardening, or going on an outing together is a great way to spend precious time together. If you have more than one sibling, divide up the …


Source: MyPR International

Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Meetings with South African Minister Pandor and Deputy Minister Botes

May 4, 2022: Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman had warm and productive meetings with South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor and Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Alvin Botes today in Pretoria. Deputy Secretary Sherman and Minister Pandor discussed the importance of the U.S.-South Africa partnership and shared priorities including health, climate, and regional and global peace and security. Deputy Secretary Sherman and Deputy Minister Botes, who was joined by Economic Advisor to President Ramaphosa Trudi Makhaya, discussed the growing partnership on mutual areas of interest, including trade, investment, and infrastructure. Deputy Secretary Sherman also expressed condolences on the loss of life and destruction as a result of the weather disaster in KwaZulu-Natal in April. CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za International/. Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Meetings with South African Minister Pandor and Deputy Minister Botes Submission Details Author: Africa Media from The Africa Regional Media Hub. More Info link: Images: For a high res version of THIS image please contact The Africa Regional Media Hub Facebook: Twitter: …


Source: MyPR International