Cape Town, December, 7, 2017: Addiction and other self-destructive behaviours have a devastating effect on both the addict and their loved ones. Making the choice to book into a rehab facility and getting the necessary support and psychological help is paramount to long-term recovery and relapse prevention. But the treatment program chosen is just as important. Treatment for substance abuse and process-addictions is a complex matter that goes far beyond simply the abuse of drugs, alcohol, gambling and other vices. Treatment plans need to cater to the individual. There are countless rehab options available, so it is understandable to feel overwhelmed. Increasing there is a large group of professionals who support alternative recovery options to 12-Steps. When faced with the choice to opt for an alternative non-traditional program or traditional 12-Step program, what are the major benefits of opting for the newer, alternative treatment? The 12-Step Program and the Minnesota Model The 12-Step program was used in conjunction with the Minnesota Model which advocates complete abstinence from all mind-altering substances. 12-Step programs function more as peer support groups and self-help organisations. However, in a primary care facility, there are also a number of counsellors and other medical staff on hand to assist with detox and provide individualised care. Most rehabs and recovery centres use this model and for many people suffering from addiction the program has helped them enjoy a happy, productive, sober life. However, this program has had varying degrees of success, which has led to a number of patients seeking alternative treatments. One of the keystones vested in the 12-Step program postulates that alcoholism and addiction are a disease. 12-Step’s sees the dependence on drugs or alcohol as the ‘primary problem’. Non 12-Step programs sees recovery in a different light. Dependence certainly plays a major role in treating addiction but …
Art Exhibition in aid of Hearing Impaired
Well known South African artist Petra Stiglingh, will be hosting a brief art exhibition in Port Elizabeth in support of the recently established Joy of Hearing, a local non-profit company benefiting cochlear implant recipients and other hearing disabled in the Eastern Cape. The exhibition, which is being hosted at the Paxton Hotel includes works of Isabella Le Roux, Anton Pienaar, Natasha Barnes, Paul Munro, Rene Snyman, Frans Claerhout, Otto Klar and Este Mostert. A gala evening will take place on Thursday evening, from 6pm, with the artwork open to viewing for the general public on Friday, October 13. Stiglingh, who is now based in Jeffreys Bay, was born in Bloemfontein and studied art at Bloemfontein Teacher’s College, while at the same time also doing extra courses with Michael Edwards. She received further tutelage from the experienced Titia Ballot and George Boys. In her later years she attended various workshops with well-known artist-Dale Elliot and most recently she went to America to study under Master-artist, Daniel Gerhardz. Last year she again returned to America to do the advanced course with Gerhardz. Stiglingh’s work is a mixture of different art forms, but could mostly be described as “contemporary-impressionistic”. Over the past 31 years, Stiglingh has exhibited her work throughout South Africa, Namibia and Canada in numerous combined exhibitions as well as at various solo exhibitions including one in Johannesburg, at Alice Art Gallery, (1995) and twice in Birmingham – at the world trade show. Stiglingh also has a permanent exhibition at her Art Gallery in the Fountains Mall in Jeffreys Bay. For the past twelve years she has also offered art workshops all over the country, helping novice and professional artists alike in expanding their vision and techniques in oil- and acrylic painting. Proceeds from the sale of paintings will be donated to Joy of Hearing. One of Stighligh’s artworks will also be up for auction at the …
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More than 5,6m South Africans see Milk offers Hope for Change
Tetra Pak’s annual Milk for Change campaign to raise awareness of the nutritional benefits of long life milk and donate portions of long life milk to children in underprivileged communities in partnership with non-profit Feed SA has already exceeded expectations as the campaign heads into its final 10 days. Milk for Change has already reached an audience of 5,66 million South Africans and delivered 140 000 servings as the push via the SMS line (“Milk for Change” to 40380) and i-Pay (via milkforchange.co.za) reaches its climax. “We raised 35 000 litres of long life milk,” says Liesl Gruber, marketing director at Tetra Pak South Africa. “And this campaign has already shown me that South Africans are a can-do nation. While the world and our own country are beset by technology-driven business disruption and economic uncertainty, ordinary people are getting on with looking after one another where it matters. We’re proud to be playing a role in making a better future a reality for all South Africans, starting with the children.” Milk for Change announced its intermediate success at an event in Alexandra to hand over collected milk to Feed SA on August 8, 2017. Genevieve Nathan, director of FEED SA, says: “As a non-profit, we cannot survive without the help of communities and corporates that help us get the tens of thousands of rands per month we need to give our kids the most important meal of the day – breakfast. We know that children cannot achieve their full academic potential, the key to their future success, without a nutritional, balanced breakfast, the most important meal of the day, which is why #MilkForChange resonates so strongly with our own vision. It is not easy growing up in Alexandra or being one of the nine million South Africans who don’t get the food they need each day, but with the long life milk from the #MilkForChange campaign we can make sure it’s not quite so hard.” Tetra Pak South Africa MD, John Strömblad, says: “Milk for Change is …
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Vibescout – SA’s Largest Movie Aggregator Listing Movies on 688 Screens In 94 Cinemas
Vibescout, an innovative start-up that provides event listings and city guides, is now listing movies showing on 690 screens in 94 cinemas across South Africa. Vibescout is now officially the largest movie aggregator in South Africa and continues to take the country’s entertainment scene to new heights. Cape Town, South Africa, July 5, 2017 – Co-founded in 2015 by brothers’ Paul and Jonathan Myburgh, Vibescout’s vision is to provide an easy-to-use platform used to smartly curate the best things to do near you. This is done through event listings, comprehensive go-to guides and now, movie listings. The idea behind Vibescout was first born when Paul was travelling in Saigon, Vietnam in January 2014. After visiting all the regular tourist destinations, he scoured the hostel notice boards for more unique things to do and began to wonder how he could get better insight into truly local events and activities. After realizing there was definitely a void that needed to be filled in this space, Paul brought the idea back home to South Africa later that year and soon began work on Vibescout’s first version. Vibescout officially launched out of beta and started providing event listing in October 2016; by April 2017 they reached over 100 000 users for the month! As of 27 June 2017, Vibescout became the largest movie aggregator in South Africa, listing movies showing on 688 screens in 94 cinemas throughout the country. “It took roughly 6 weeks to get a MVP release and from it we have had amazing user feedback. We are currently getting nearly 10 000 users weekly using our movie section to find the latest movies and locate cinemas around them. We didn't realize it at the time and such a goal wasn't even on our radar, but we are now officially the largest movie aggregator in South Africa.” JONATHAN MYBURGH, CO-FOUNDER OF VIBESCOUT Connect with or contact with us: Jonathan Myburgh - …
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South Africa’s playground safety re-evaluated
Senior Landscape Architect, Lizelle Wolmarans at GIBB, one of South Africa’s leading black-owned engineering consulting firms, presented a paper on child safety in playgrounds at the three-day Congress for the Institute of World Urban Parks (WUP) and Environment and Recreation Management (IERM) in Cape Town last month. Leading parks professionals and parks agencies from around the world resolving to protect and enhance the world’s urban parks and green spaces in the face of looming global challenges was present at this Congress. The paper, titled Risky Play and Children’s Safety: Balancing Priorities for Optimal Child Development focused on the construction of playgrounds, safety and safety standards of equipment used in playgrounds as well as the influence it has on physical and mental child development. Play experts such as Environmental Psychologists, Child Development Specialists, Landscape Architects and Educators are advocating a re-assessment of the play environment. While the safety of children should never be neglected, Wolmarans explained the dangers of being over-protective as potentially detrimental to a child’s development. “Our environment is not without risk and therefore, we need to learn how to manage risk continuously as a survival skill. However, where risk is eliminated from playgrounds, challenge is eliminated leading to boredom where children may potentially feel the need to take excessive risk using equipment inappropriately that can cause unintentional injury,” said Wolmarans. South Africa has adopted the international playground safety standards, these standards are not legalised but serve as a guideline to prevent hazardous risks. Locally, our decisions need to be influenced by security, economy and future sustainability. In the case of security, it is a fact that children are living in dangerous environments in their homes and neighbourhoods. Some of the dangers are traffic, kidnapping, crime and drugs. Supervision and …
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Samsung Redefines the Consumer Experience at IFA 2016
Samsung underlines its commitment to Europe and unveils new products and partnerships for the European home appliance, visual display and home entertainment markets JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – 1 September, 2016 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. used its IFA 2016 press conference today in Berlin to demonstrate how it is redefining the consumer experience, showcasing a range of new products and partnerships for the home appliance, visual display and home entertainment markets. “At IFA 2016, we want to show delegates how we are continually striving to revolutionise the Samsung experience for all our customers and partners - and across all our product lines, from television and home audio to home appliances. Everything Samsung creates is borne out of our determination to enrich peoples’ daily lives with innovative technology, based on a deep understanding of what consumers really want and need,” said Matthew Thackrah, Deputy Managing Director Samsung South Africa. Committed to Europe’s Potential During the press conference, held in the CityCube at Messe Berlin, Samsung reiterated its commitment to Europe, employing 14 000 people in 34 countries. Samsung’s products are infused with European flair, fashion, design and the finest traditions of manufacturing excellence. With Q2 revenue up five percent year on year, seven out of 10 European households owning a Samsung mobile phone, as well as one in three families watching their favorite shows and films on Samsung TVs, the company believes now is the right time to invest even further in Europe’s potential. In keeping with this commitment, Samsung announced a new partnership with MakerBot, the global leader in 3D printing, which will equip schools, colleges and museums in five European markets with 3D printers, as well as train teachers and students alike in the use of the technology. With more than 100 000 MakerBot printers around the world, it represents the world’s largest 3D printing community and an …
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Samsung 2016 UHD TVs Awarded Top UHD Standards Certification from Digital Europe
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – 31 August, 2016 – Samsung Electronics Co. recently announced that all of its 2016 UHD TV models have attained the Ultra High Definition (UHD) TV certification from Digital Europe (DE), a collaborative body of European IT and consumer electronics businesses. Comprised of 62 corporate members and 37 National Trade Associations, DE is one of the most influential organisations representing the digital technology industry in Europe. According to Matthew Thackrah, Deputy Managing Director and Head of Consumer Electronics at Samsung Electronics South Africa, Samsung TVs, ranging from the 2016 SUHD TV lineup to the Series 6 UHD TVs, have all met the strict standards set for UHD TV certification as specified by DE. “These products will now carry the European UHD TV certification logo, as well as the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) label. Both certification labels will be on display on Samsung UHD TVs at this year’s IFA exhibition,” he explains. For certification purposes, DE has specifically defined a ‘pixel’ as the minimum picture resolution element capable of rendering the same luminance scale as the entire display. The horizontal and vertical pixel count must be of the complete red, green and blue triple sub-pixel block, while not counting additional non-RGB sub-pixels. Additional criteria listed to earn the DE certification include: Minimum native resolution of the display (e.g. LCD, PDP, OLED) or display engine (e.g. DLP) is 3840 x 2160 in 16:9 aspect ratio. Minimum supported colorimetric is at BT.709 or above. The display-device has at least one end-to-end signal path available to the user that does not render a UHD input at a frame rate or resolution lower than that received over the UHD interface from the source. The display-device has at least one end-to-end signal path available to the user that does not reduce the resolution, nor reduce the frame rate of a UHD input during processing prior to …
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Kick Start your Summer with Samsung SA
Promotion offers Samsung consumers the chance to win a trip to the Maldives JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – 31 August, 2016 – The majority of South Africans are thankful to note that winter is finally coming to an end and that they can once again get ready to unpack their shorts and sandals. Samsung Electronics South Africa shares this sentiment and has therefore decided to offer consumers a chance to get into the spirit of summer. The company is launching its ‘Kick Start Your Summer’ competition on the 1st of September 2016. Scheduled to run until 30th September 2016; the initiative will see 15 lucky winners win the trip of a lifetime to the beautiful islands of the Maldives. “Entering the competition is quite easy”, says Michael McKechnie, Director of Digital Appliances Group at Samsung Electronics SA. “Consumers simply need to purchase any qualifying Samsung air conditioning product through a recognised retailer, send the unique product serial number to the competition hotline via SMS and wait to see if they are one of the lucky names drawn at the end of the competition. Winners will be drawn on 14 October 2016 and proof of purchase, as well as the serial number will be required to validate wins” he explains. Once validated, the customer will receive an SMS with a winning pin code and the concierge service number to call to book their trips to the island. “The good news for customers is that this is just the first of a number of exciting promotions planned by Samsung over the course of the coming months,” McKechnie adds. “While a number of Samsung products qualify as entry to the competition, the start of the summer season is an ideal time to consider buying an air-conditioner. What better way to kick start your summer than by purchasing a product that could set you up with a dream ticket to the Indian Ocean paradise of the Maldives? So, if you are in the market for an air-conditioner this summer, then look no further than Samsung’s beautifully …
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Hulisani Ravele and Maps Maponyane return to host the 2016 ANN7 ‘SATY’ TV show
30 August 2016 - As a build up to the prestigious SATY Awards ceremony, 2014 host Hulisani Ravele and Maps Maponyane will once again take the lead to host the SATY Awards TV show ‘SATY’, to premiere on ANN7 channel 405 DStv on 12 Sep. 2016. The half an hour daily show, titled after the awards ceremony that will take place on 25 Nov. 2016; will feature over 60 episodes profiling South Africa’s leading music artists, TV and radio personalities, sportspersons, business leaders, conservationist and youth leaders. Former child star Hulisani Ravele, 28, is a TV/Radio presenter and Voiceover artist. A seasoned television host, her television career spans over 19 years. She started at the tender age of 9 on SABC 1 kiddies programme Pula and Friends and is well-known for her role as a former YOTV presenter, which she presented for 8 years. Maps Maponyane, 26, is one of South Africa’s favourite personalities. He is considered as one of SA’s most stylish and sexiest men and is a greatly admired media personality. Multi-talented as a tv presenter, model, actor, style icon, designer, businessman, and philanthropist, he makes waves both locally and internationally. Maps is loved and followed by his fans on social media platforms because of his down to earth, professional yet warm personality. He is known for his talent, fashion sense, charm, innovation, versatility and good looks and was awarded as You Magazine’s sexiest Man for 2016 for that exact reason. “I am excited to host this year’s SATY show with Hulisani. I think it is a great way to celebrate the year’s most innovative, inspiring and entertaining work by South Africans.,” said Maps. “Maps and I are excited that ANN7 has brought us back to host a show that promotes a narrative of positivity about South Africa. I had a great time in 2014 and I can’t wait for the viewers to see what we have in store for them this year”. SATY TV show is about showcasing extraordinary citizens making a difference in the …
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Samsung Electronics Transforms Air Conditioning with the New 360 Cassette’s Circular Design
Samsung Electronics South Africa announced the launch of the Digital Variable Multi (DVM S) Eco 14 HP, a new side discharge variable refrigerant flow (VRF) air conditioner that is engineered to deliver a single outdoor unit solution for apartments and office buildings. The improved performance of the Samsung DVM S Eco 14 HP ensures that it meets the increasing market need for a specialised single outdoor unit to reduce the cost of previous multiple loading and sub-duct installation in multi-room buildings. The innovative design of the DVM S Eco 14 HP features a robust Inverter Scroll Compressor and corrugate fin, which improves heating performance by 20 percent and increases air flow by 10 percent compared to standard side discharge VRF units. "Research and development (R&D), as well as design, play key roles in how we develop our products as we're always focused on delivering cutting-edge technology and ensuring the products we deliver are highly efficient," said Michael McKechnie, Director Digital Appliances Group at Samsung Electronics SA. "The DVM S Eco 14 HP delivers unbeatable performance among the side discharge VRF units and does so with the greatest energy efficiency, as well as the best use of space, with its unique compact design." Single Solution for Multi-room Buildings The increased horse power of the DVM S Eco (maximum 14 HP) means that only one single outdoor unit is needed to manage the air conditioning requirements for an apartment or office building, in place of multiple costly units. All areas of the building are covered as the new unit also provides an extended piping length of up to 160 meters and an installation height of up to 50 meters. The width of the new DVM S Eco 14 HP is less than one meter (940 mm), maximising capacity and using space more efficiently, while the four-way piping enables convenient installation. Greater Energy Efficiency The design of the Inverter Scroll Compressor in the DVM S Eco 14 HP has …