Friday 4th February LOCAL NEWS: (Kouga) Eastern Cape Dwarf Chameleon Research –There is a group of researchers affiliated with the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) who is collecting data on the Eastern Cape Dwarf Chameleon in the Kouga region. They need help to spot chameleons. Photo Of The Day – It is a pretty radical 9-image sequence, of Jordy Smith. Surf Report For The St Francis Bay Area – Light offshore, nice swell, early waves going to be pumping. JBay looks good. Weather Report – Most of the rain that was forecast seems to have disappeared, evaporated. Hold onto your water. Not much rain around for a long time, apart from a few drops tomorrow. REGIONAL NEWS: (East Cape, Port Elizabeth & Southern Coast) SA’s 10-yearly census kicks off — here’s how to get counted – Stats SA’s latest census has officially kicked off, after it was postponed in October last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. ST FRANCIS PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION: SFPO Association Projects & Services – The St Francis Property Owners Association is actively involved in many projects and offer several services. SA & AFRICA NEWS: Nestlé recalls some Kit Kat bars, could contain glass – Nestlé South Africa is recalling some of its Kit Kat chocolate bars due to the possibility that they may contain glass pieces. Cape Town makes plans to move off Eskom’s grid – As load shedding ‘powers’ into action yet again, Cape Town’s Municipality has announced plans to move off Eskom’s grid and away from the devastating economic effects of load shedding. POLITICS, GOVERNMENT & PARLIAMENT: Zondo brings time of reckoning closer to Malusi Gigaba and Lynne Brown -Former public enterprises ministers Malusi Gigaba and Lynne Brown’s borrowed time has just been cut short by the State Capture commission’s report. CORRUPTION WATCH: State Capture: …
Property News You Can Use
The Property Practitioners Act Is Passed Some significant changes are set to kick in on 1 February 2022 when the Property Practitioners Act regulations commence. This is a positive step for the industry and promotes transparency and accountability. The actual documentation around the Property Practitioners Act is quite long and obfuscated, so Marsha from Harcourts found all the essential elements. A Long Time Coming The Property Practitioners Act was finally passed (after about 4 years in the making) and will come into effect from 1 February. There is a lot to be happy about for all in the estate agency industry. Practical Regulations The Regulations are just to provide some of the practical ways that the Act will be implemented. Several aspects of the Act are not expanded on in the Regulations. This is either because they don’t need to be or maybe will not be implemented. Story continues below… St Francis Bay and Cape St Francis summer catalogue Fidelity Fund Certificates All estate agents will be required to present their own current FFC (Fidelity Fund Certificate) and the business/company they are employed at. These must be submitted to the conveyancing attorney at the time of Deed of Sale. No transaction may register, and commission paid out unless the agent and agency have current FFC’s. The Code Of Conduct The Code of Conduct is a set of rules all Agents and Estate Agencies have to conform to. Although they have been in play for a while, the rules relating to mandates and disclosures have been expanded. In short, no agent may advertise, canvass or undertake or offer to canvass a purchaser for the property without a signed mandate from the seller. All sellers have to complete a declaration to disclose any defects to the property at the time of listing. This disclosure needs to be updated and re-signed at the time of the offer if it is older than 3 months. Marsha, …
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Big Wave Surfing: Nic von Rupp And Nazaré At Full Tilt
Nic von Rupp And Nazaré At Full Tilt It does become hard to ascertain just how big the waves get at Nazaré. Although globally recognised as the biggest of the big wave spots, it is still a challenge to put a size number to waves out there. Portugal's big wave charger Nic von Rupp was out there on 8 January. A day that has been described by many as the biggest of all time. Still, instead of labelling the wave sizes, Nic just put out a video, another in his Von Froth series, and lets the viewer make the call on wave size. Von Rupp is also clear that his mission is not to relentlessly search for the tallest waves but to get rides under the belt and have an amazing time doing it. "It's more channelling my energy and focus into catching as many good waves as I can,' the Monster Energy rider said in a recent interview on the WSL website. Nic and partner Pedro Scooby also competed recently in the TUDOR Nazaré Tow Surfing Challenge presented by Jogos Santa Casa. Again, they performed well as a team despite not taking top honours. In his interview, Von Rupp also describes just how much of a challenge it is at Nazaré and just how scary it can get at times. Nazare is so gnarly," he said. "You are constantly readying yourself for the worst-case scenario. You are expecting someone to die, and that feeling never stops all day." Von Rupp was watching when Justine Dupont fell on one of the biggest waves of the day and got pushed onto the rocks. However, she was eventually grabbed to safety by one of the safety teams. Nevertheless, von Rupp reckons that it was a very unsettling part of the day at Nazaré. As soon as the Red Alert was declared over via the radio channel, it was back to the business of catching the biggest waves in the world. That day Nic caught 20 such waves, which is a very successful inning. Video: Big Wave Surfing: Nic von Rupp And Nazaré At Full Tilt https://youtu.be/0Gl7O4vmHac CLICK HERE to submit …
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The West Wind Digital Lifestyle Magazine Issue 13 Is Live
The West Wind Digital Lifestyle Magazine Issue 13 Is Live The West Wind digital lifestyle magazine is an extremely popular e-mag covering the greater St Francis Bay area. Issue 13 is once again crammed with cool stories, events, happenings, reviews, and other exciting bits of news and information from the beautiful St Francis Bay zone. In issue 13, you will find a photographer showcase featuring the stunning work of Sharon Welman. Her work focuses on nature and animals and is a joy to behold. Features include a review of the delightful Nevermind Restaurant in Cape St Francis, nestled under the Seal Point lighthouse. Wonderful food, an awesome vibe, excellent service and flavours that beg you to eat more. Professor Cowling writes about clearing bush in urban plots and urban spaces and explains in great detail what this means for biodiversity. There has been lively debate on this topic recently in the hood, and Prof Cowling quickly cuts to the chase. We also run through Fresh The Laundry and why it is better to use this service instead of using your own water at home. Jim Fletcher has developed an awesome service and there has been nothing but good words and reviews of his brainchild Fresh. Click on the app, and they will come and pick up. Matt Davis has started the Sport For Youth Soccer Academy, and we have a good look at the start-up and see what it's all about. Matt is setting it up as an NGO and is looking for some help with funding and with equipment. It's an awesome idea and we wish him all the best. Finally, we examine how R20million of cocaine washed up at Supers in JBay, and if there might be more out there. A second parcel washed up later at Oyster Bay, so there just might be a few more of them floating around in the deep. The big question is, if you find a parcel on the beach, what would you do? If you would like to advertise in …
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Monster Energy Triple Threat – Online Dirt Bike Competition Finalists and Results
Monster Energy Triple Threat – Online Dirt Bike Competition Finalists and Results Matthew de Bruin and Scotty Billett Emerge Victorious at the Monster Energy Triple Threat Online Dirtbike Competition The Monster Energy Triple Threat online Dirt Bike Competition, in association with Yamaha South Africa, Liqui Moly SA, Leatt and Playstation / Spercross 4 was an enormous success. This groundbreaking online dirt bike competition had a total of 233 video entries over the three months "call to enter" period. Ryan Van Der Spuy from LW Magazine hands over the R20k cheque to Scotty Billet © Supafly Media Judging: All submissions were uploaded to the Monster Energy Triple Threat website for fans to enjoy. Following the submission period (1 September to 30 November 2021), the Top 10 Pro entries and Top 10 Amateur entries were selected to go into the final voting phase. The public voting phase of 10 Days, running from 3 December to 13 December 2021. Public voting contributed to 50% of the final decision. The remaining 50% of the decision was deliberated by the Monster Energy Triple Threat head judges. The Top 10 Pro and Top 10 Amateur entries were uploaded to the LW Mag Facebook Page - We counted Likes and Shares as the public voting. Taking the public voting into account, it was narrowed it down to the Top 5 in each category: Amateur: Tasmin Kluge, Matty Austen, Matthew de Bruin, Justin Boniface and Bianca Prout-Jones. Pro: Dallan Goldman, Tyron Cameron, Matt van Galen, Scotty Billett and Jarren van Vuuren. After the judges' votes were tallied, the final winners were: Amateur: Matthew de Bruin Pro: Scotty Billett Prizes: Amateur: Head-to-toe Leatt MX Gear Pro: R20 000 cash. In the Liqui Moly Epic Fails segment, the Top 3 monthly winners were pitted against each other, with public voting counting only. It was Ian Rall who claimed the overall win and the R10 000 Liqui Moly voucher. His ride can be seen below. The …
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Monster Energy Triple Threat: Top 10 Amateur and Pro videos announced For The Online Dirt Bike Video Competition
Monster Energy Triple Threat: Top 10 Amateur and Pro videos announced For The Online Dirt Bike Video Competition The Monster Energy Triple Threat online Dirt Bike video competition, in association with Yamaha South Africa, Liqui Moly SA, Leatt and PlayStation/ Supercross 4, has come to the final stages. Top 10 Amateur and Pro videos have been announced. All riders have been informed, and this Top 10 phase of the competition includes public voting (counting as 50%) and judging (counting as the other 50%). So jump in and get voting for your favourites. This phase will run until 13 December, and the winners announced on 15 December. To check out the top ten amateur entries - Amateur Top 10. To check out the top ten pros and vote - Pro Top 10. Videos can also be viewed on the home page. Every entry stands a chance of winning the Grand Prize of the all-new 2022 Yamaha YZ125 Motocross Bike. The Pro Division winner will take home R20 000 in cash. In addition, the Amateur Division winner (adult and junior) gets kitted out with Motocross gear from Leatt. Then there are the Epic Fails brought to you by Liqui Moly SA. These are prizes for crashes, failed attempts and bloopers. The overall winner will take home the R10,000.00 voucher to be redeemed on the Liqui Moly online store. All the Epic Fail entries can be found here: https://lwmag.co.za/triple-threat/epic-fails/ #MonsterEnergyTripleThreat #TripleThreat Video: Monster Energy Triple Threat: Top 10 Amateur and Pro videos announced For The Online Dirt Bike Video Competition More Info on Monster Energy Triple Threat: Top 10 Amateur and Pro videos announced For The Online Dirt Bike Video Competition here: Twitter: Facebook: CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za. …
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Rhythm & Smoke Documentary Starring DJ Maphorisa and Stacey-Lee May Available To View On YouTube
Rhythm & Smoke Documentary Starring DJ Maphorisa and Stacey-Lee May Available To View On YouTube Rhythm & Smoke - the documentary that hit the linear TV landscape by storm - has scaled up to excite the fans in the digital world. The documentary features top spinner Stacey-Lee May and DJ Maphorisa. From Eldorado Park, Stacey-Lee is a spinning legend known as the Queen Of Smoke. Her crazy car tricks and spinning performances have seen her recognised as one of South Africa's most well-known and popular car spinners. She has made appearances on shows like 'So You Think You Can Spin', 'Top Gear SA', and 'The Grand Tour'. She also received the Gauteng's Woman of Honour award. Stacey -Lee May Themba Sonnyboy Sekowe, popularly known as DJ Maphorisa, is a South African record producer, DJ and vocalist. As a record producer with a blend of house music and Afropop, he has worked with and has received production credits from several notable artists, including Wizkid, Kwesta, Uhuru, Drake, Black Coffee and Major Lazer. He also has a love and passion for spinning. "Growing up, I would always see people spinning in my hometown," said Maphorisa. "Spinning is definitely a Kasi thing. It looks and feels super cool to take part in and be a part of it all." DJ Maphorisa The duo had a great rapport during the filming of the doccie and had a lot of fun together. "Stacey-Lee is incredibly talented and super dope, and it was great to have some spinning experiences with her recently," said Maphorisa. "We had a lot of fun. We got to play around with our cars, and we got to see different techniques from each other, which was great. She's cool. Rhythm & Smoke is now live on DJ Maphorisa's 322,000 strong YouTube channel. Watch in your own time, on your device of choice, and enjoy the ride. Here's to the smell of burning rubber... Complimentary high-resolution images are available for media outlets on …
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Surfing: Action-Packed Final Day At The Alaïa Open Winter Cup in Switzerland
Surfing: Action-Packed Final Day At The Alaïa Open Winter Cup in Switzerland Pedro Menezes (Brazil) wins the Men’s Division in the inaugural Alaïa Open Winter Cup in Sion, Switzerland. Maud Le Car takes the Women’s Division. Men's Division winners © Alaïa Bay Sion, Switzerland – The snow and rain stayed away for most of the day for the final heats of the Alaïa Open Winter Cup. Not exactly balmy, it was still a beautiful and fresh day for the finals at the Alaïa Bay wavepool facility. It was the first event of this magnitude to be held at the wavepool, and probably the first surf tournament to be held while it snowed. It was top action all the way on finals day, as the surfers fought out some fierce battles to be in the cash and prizes. The finals day featured progressive surfing, some big aerial moves, and speed, power and flow scoring high from the judges. The surfers were in top form, and were not hindered at all by the cold conditions, paddling hard and surfing fast to advance through their heats. Action and excitement on the final day © Alaïa Bay Jamie Veselko was victorious in the super-competitive Kids Division, beating Alejo Valedi and Fransisco into minor positions. In the Junior Division, Kai Odrozola took the win from Hans Odriozola and Axel Domingues. The Ladies Division was dominated by an experienced Maud Le Car, who beat dynamic Nadja Erostarbe Beiser into second and Lucia Martino into third place. The Men’s Division saw the Brazilian contingent rise up for the win, with power surfer and big wave charger Pedro Menezes taking the win from fellow Brazilian Franklin Serpa. Justin Becret had a great day on the opening day at Alaïa Bay but had to settle for third place in the finals. The surfing was of a top-level over the two days © Alaïa Bay The Alaïa Open Winter Cup was deemed a huge success, and surfers were stoked to be involved and to be competing in a surf event in Switzerland. From all accounts, it was an incredible …
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Quick Facts – Alaïa Open Winter Cup Wavepool Surfing Event In Switzerland
Quick Facts - Alaïa Open Winter Cup Wavepool Surfing Event In Switzerland Day one of the Alaïa Open Winter Cup © Alaïa Bay / Wolf Mike Day one of the inaugural Alaïa Open Winter Cup has kicked off. Here are a few facts about the competition and the venue. What Is It? The Alaïa Open Winter Cup is the first large-scale surf tournament to take place at Alaïa Bay. With US$75k worth of prizes and cash, it has attracted a large field of entrants. When Is It Happening? This competition is taking place this weekend, 4/5 December. In a unique setting, with snow slopes in the background, there was light snow falling as the early heats hit the water. Some red-hot action already taking place in the early heats, though, with the fresh conditions doing nothing to dampen the excitement. Check out the webcam here - https://alaiabay.ch/webcam Action from one of the earlier heats, on the left. © Alaïa Bay/ Wolf Mike Where Is It Happening? Alaïa Bay is located in Sion, in the canton of Valais. It is known to be the sunniest place in the whole of Switzerland, with over 300 days of sun during an average year. It is central and easy to access by car or public transport, and the ski slopes are not far away. Why Is It Taking Place? The Alaïa Bay facility opened earlier this year and has been an enormous success, with thousands of Swiss and other visiting surfers flocking to the waves. This event will cement Alaïa Bay as one of the top wave pools in the world. Who Is Competing? Almost 150 surfers compete in this event, with men and women divisions. The divisions are: Open Men, Open Women, Swiss men, Swiss Women, Junior Boys, Junior Girls, Kid Boys, Kid Girls and Best Wipeout. Best view spot in town, at the Alaïa Open Winter Cup © Alaïa Bay/ Wolf Mike What Else? Tonight, Saturday 4 December, Alaïa Bay will host a Saturday Evening Party, and it looks to be a big one. Lunarts, the makers of WooMoon & …
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Don Your Steamer – Switzerland’s First Wave Pool Contest Gears Up!
There's always a first, as Switzerland's first pool event gears up. Sion, Switzerland – This weekend, 4/5 December, we will see the inaugural Alaïa Open Winter Cup wavepool surf event at Alaïa Bay. Yep, Switzerland's first pool event gears up. Omicron threatened to steal some of the thunder, but the crew at Alaïa Bay haven't come this far in their first year to be battered down by a miscreant variant. Although there are quite a few restrictions and quarantine hassles, some surfers have already figured out a few sneaky passages into Switzerland, and the contest looks like it will be a big one. To ensure that the Alaïa Open will be the place to be this winter, the organisers have also hired some of the best of Ibiza's DJ's for a 5-hour set into the night on Saturday. These DJ's from Lunarts include the likes of Landikhan, Jo.Ke (live) Raw Main, Manduta (live) and Angie O. Apparently, these guys rule the electronic scene, and if you're into this kind of music, these guys and gals are the real deal. Still, it is a surf event, with $75,000 US as prizes and cash. So there is some real interest in this event. It will be cold, but those guys who have experienced surfing this particular pool have said it's easily manageable. A good suit and lots of paddling, and all is warm as toast. It's pretty late in the day to get to Switzerland by the weekend, especially with the travel restrictions. However, at last count, there were a few slots still open in the event. So if you happen to be in the area or nearby, you could still get a slot and get a few sessions in the pool. Alaia Bay is a Wavegarden Cove model, but it is perfectly streamlined with a smaller beach area for the best in a high-performance wave pool arena. Less pool area means slightly bigger wave faces, more power and a rather fierce-looking Beast Mode. "We're very excited about the upcoming Alaïa Open," said Alaïa Bay founder Adam Bonvin. The 25-year-old Swiss surfer has been the …