Johannesburg: Businesses continue to invest in Advanced Excel training courses, yet many employees still spend unnecessary hours preparing management reports, reconciling spreadsheets, correcting formulas and consolidating information. The problem is not always a lack of training. Often, employees have been taught Excel functions without learning how to apply them effectively to the business processes they manage every day. For CEOs, Finance Directors, Operations Managers and business owners, this raises an important question: Are employees developing the Excel skills the business actually needs, or simply attending another training course? CAG Executive Question of the Week If your employees have already attended Excel training, why are so many routine reports, reconciliations and spreadsheet processes still taking longer than necessary? The answer may lie in how organisations identify training requirements. The Problem: One Excel Course Does Not Fit Every Department Excel is used throughout organisations, but its applications vary considerably. Finance departments use spreadsheets for budgeting, financial analysis, reconciliations and management reporting. Operations teams monitor performance, consolidate data and identify operational problems. Project managers use Excel to track expenditure, analyse resources and prepare forecasts, while sales managers examine revenue, margins and performance against targets. These employees may all be classified as intermediate or advanced Excel users, yet their workplace requirements are very different. Sending everyone on the same Advanced Excel course may improve their general knowledge without resolving the specific problems affecting productivity. A finance manager struggling with financial modelling does not necessarily need the same training as an operations manager who spends hours manually consolidating monthly reports. The business requirement should determine the training, not the course …
Matin Myers on the Show Business of Entertainment On Thursday Night 9PM
On Thursday, 15 October 2026, at 9pm, Myers joins Barry Mare on CapeTalk’s The Business of Entertainment for a conversation about his journey through the entertainment economy. Usually the interviewer, Myers steps into the guest’s chair to unpack the relationships, lessons and defining moments behind four decades in artist management, publicity, broadcasting and live events. From his longstanding working relationships to creating platforms for emerging talent, the conversation explores what it takes to build a career and help others build theirs. It also sets the scene for MEX26 on Saturday, 31 October, at the Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! Cape Town. Hosted by DJ Eazy, the conference brings together an extensive line-up of local and international speakers, led by SAMRO’s senior leadership. Contributors include Dr A’Ion Holiday, Antos Stella, Kwelagobe Sekele, Gabisile Shabangu, Nick Matzukis, Nikilitha Mantungwa, Eric Kiafouka, ByLwansta, Lauren Bright and Paris Toon, alongside international perspectives from Jeremy Marsh, Marc Marot and Yonas Aregai. Now in its 16th year, Music Exchange connects creative ambition with practical knowledge about royalties, publishing, artist management, sync, technology and sustainable careers. Tune in to hear the journey. Attend MEX26 to help shape your own. Tickets: R150 via Quicket.Information: www.musicexchange.org.za Images: Video: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAOzHlpuIA2fLj6hNMVOr7A Matin Myers will on the show Business of Entertainment on Thursday night 9pm Links: Boilerplate and Editor's Notes. More Info on Matin Myers will on the show Business of Entertainment on Thursday night 9pm here: X: https://twitter.com/musicexchange LinkedIn: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/musicexchangesa/ CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za. …
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The Cape 1000 Shortlisted for Prestigious International Historic Motoring Awards
The Cape 1000, the 1,000-mile grand touring rally through some of the Western Cape’s most spectacular scenery, has been shortlisted in the Rally or Tour of the Year category at the 2026 International Historic Motoring Awards. The shortlisting recognises the event’s distinctive grand touring regularity format, its carefully curated field of rare and collectible vehicles, and the way it places exceptional historic and classic machinery on some of the Western Cape’s finest roads while raising meaningful funds for charity. About the awards Widely regarded as the most prestigious accolades in classic and historic motoring, the International Historic Motoring Awards celebrate excellence, innovation and dedication across the global historic motoring community. The awards shine a spotlight on the individuals, clubs, organisations and events that preserve, promote and enrich shared motoring heritage. This year’s nominees reflect the passion, expertise and creativity that continue to drive the historic motoring sector forward. The winners will be announced at a glittering ceremony on 13 November 2026 at The Peninsula London, where leading figures from the international motoring world will gather to celebrate outstanding contributions to the preservation and enjoyment of motoring history. About The Cape 1000 Founded in 2022 and presented by Private Clients by Old Mutual, The Cape 1000 is a five-day, 1,000-mile grand touring regularity rally that has grown into one of South Africa’s premier automotive and lifestyle experiences. It returns from 20 to 25 March 2027 with a field of approximately 70 cars across the Classic, Modern Classic, Sports Cars and Specials/Recreation categories. For the first time, the event will begin on a Saturday, with a public Show & Shine at Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront followed by a Sunday morning send-off. From there, the field heads for Franschhoek and the Overberg before finishing at the Silo Precinct. Participants enjoy five …
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Are You Washing Your Hands Properly?
Affinity Health, a leading provider of high-quality health cover, is encouraging families to improve their handwashing habits this Global Handwashing Day (15 October). Handwashing may seem like a small everyday task, but it is one of the simplest ways to help prevent illness. Our hands touch taps, phones, door handles, money, shared desks, shopping trolleys, pets, food, and many other surfaces throughout the day. Germs can then enter the body when we touch our eyes, nose, or mouth. Unwashed hands can transfer germs to food, other people, and frequently touched objects. This can contribute to the spread of respiratory infections, stomach illnesses, food poisoning, and other infections. Handwashing is especially important in homes with babies, older people, or anyone whose immune system has been weakened by illness or medical treatment. How Soap and Water Remove Germs Washing with water alone is not enough. Many germs, dirt particles, and traces of grease can remain on the skin unless soap is used. Soap loosens dirt, grease, and germs from the hands. Rubbing the hands together helps lift them from the skin, while running water rinses them away. Drying is also important because germs can spread more easily from wet hands than from dry hands. Are You Washing Long Enough? A quick splash under the tap does not clean every part of the hands. Proper handwashing should take at least 20 seconds. Follow these steps: Wet your hands with clean, running water. Apply enough soap to cover both hands. Rub your palms together to create a lather. Clean the backs of your hands, between your fingers, around your thumbs, and under your fingernails. Do not forget your fingertips and wrists. Keep rubbing for at least 20 seconds. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water. Dry them with a clean towel or allow them to air-dry. When Should You Wash Your Hands? You do not need to wash your hands after touching every object. However, there …
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Coffee Journal Launches Community Wall and Bean Giveaway for South African Brewers
MEYERTON, Gauteng, South Africa — Coffee Journal, an independent South African specialty coffee publication, has opened a community wall that invites local coffee drinkers to publish their brewing setups, favourite roasters and café reviews, and has attached a bean giveaway to the first entries. The page, titled South Africa's coffee people, lets members list the machine or brewer they use, the method they brew with, the beans they keep returning to and their city, alongside a photograph of their own setup. The first 50 submissions that the editor approves and publishes each receive a 250-gram bag of whole coffee beans supplied by South African roasters including Pause Coffee and Bluebird Coffee Roastery. Entries close on Oct. 31, 2026, or earlier if all 50 places are filled. According to Coffee Journal, the wall addresses a gap in how coffee advice is shared. Most coffee guidance online assumes a commercial machine on a granite counter in a country where the power stays on, a setup that does not reflect what most South African enthusiasts actually brew with. The wall is intended to show real local kit, from a hand grinder beside a kettle to a second-hand machine on a kitchen shelf, so readers can calibrate their expectations against it. "Most coffee advice online does not look like a South African kitchen," said Bibi Burness, founder and editor of Coffee Journal. "This wall exists so people can see what the coffee community here actually brews with. If it looks small, that is because it is honest. It grows one real person at a time." Members can contribute in three ways: a favourite roaster or bean, a coffee-shop review, or a description of their coffee setup. Each submission requires at least one photo taken by the contributor. Coffee Journal said there is no application or vetting process and that membership is free. A free account also unlocks the private brew log, bean shelf and equipment tools. The publication said the beans a member names feed a …
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Designer Pool Covers Highlights Energy Savings From Covered Pools
JOHANNESBURG, Gauteng, South Africa — Designer Pool Covers, a South African supplier and installer of pool covers, is drawing attention to the running costs that a covered pool avoids, arguing that heat retention and reduced evaporation make a cover one of the more cost-effective investments a pool owner can make. An uncovered pool loses heat from its surface, drives up chemical and filtration demand and accelerates water loss through evaporation. The company states that a well-fitted cover can reduce evaporation by up to 95 percent, a figure it attributes to the barrier a cover places between the water surface and the air. The company said the saving is not limited to water. A covered pool holds its temperature for longer, which reduces the energy required to heat it and the volume of sanitising chemicals consumed to keep it clear. Designer Pool Covers said those smaller monthly costs compound over a season, particularly for pool owners running pumps and heaters through summer. The company positions the argument as part of a broader move toward treating pool ownership as an energy and water decision, not only an aesthetic one. "A pool is one of the few home assets that quietly bills you every month," said Willem De Wet, founder of Designer Pool Covers. "Heating, chemicals, filtration and evaporation all add up. A cover attacks those costs at the source, because heat and water stay where they belong instead of going into the atmosphere." Designer Pool Covers supplies four cover types: thermal blankets, a pet and child safety cover, PoolDeck Slatted Automatic Covers and Automatic Vinyl Safety Covers. The company said thermal blankets are designed to lock in heat and reduce energy costs, while its automatic pool covers add convenience and, because they are approved safety devices, a barrier against accidental entry. The company states that its Automatic Vinyl Safety Covers can open and close in less than 60 seconds. Cost is the other half of the equation. …
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Events Guys Expands Marquee and Tent Infrastructure for South Africa’s Event Season
RANDBURG, Gauteng, South Africa — Events Guys, a South African event management and infrastructure company, has expanded its marquee and tent division ahead of the country's peak outdoor event season, extending the range of temporary structures it supplies for corporate functions, festivals, exhibitions and private gatherings. The division now covers marquees, Bedouin and stretch tents, Snowpeak tents, flooring and ground covers, glass sides and entrance doors, custom exhibition stands and stage designs. The company said the expansion responds to rising demand for temporary venues that can be built on open land and removed without permanent construction, a model increasingly used by organisers across Gauteng and the Western Cape. Events Guys said the structures are supplied with the crews that install, supervise and dismantle them, so a single supplier handles design, delivery, build and on-site coordination. The company positions the service alongside its corporate events work and its event production offering, covering lighting, staging and technical support for the same site. The tent range is intended to serve events that need shelter, flooring and controlled entry points without a fixed venue. "Temporary structures give organisers a venue that did not exist the week before and will be gone the week after," said Wynand Lombard, director of Events Guys. "That flexibility is what corporate and festival clients are asking for. The work is in the engineering behind it, not the canvas on top." Events Guys is a South African event management and event hiring company with 15 years of experience, 150 satisfied clients and 250 completed projects, according to the company. It describes itself as an end-to-end events partner, covering setup, event management, lighting, audio-visual equipment, infrastructure, technical support, staffing and on-site coordination for both corporate and large-scale events. The company said its marquee and tent work sits within that …
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BurnesSEO Reports Client Ranking Gains in Push for Transparent SEO Reporting
MEYERTON, Gauteng, South Africa — BurnesSEO, a search engine optimization and AI marketing studio based in Highbury, Meyerton, has published a set of verified client campaign results and said it will release the measurement data behind them, a move the company describes as an effort to raise reporting standards among South African digital marketing agencies. A tracked local search term for a Randburg-based trades client climbed from position 47 to position 3 in Google results, while a second client account recorded 12,900 organic search clicks over a 90-day period. The figures are taken from client Google Analytics and Search Console accounts, which the company said its clients retain access to. The studio said it regards the publication of live campaign data as a test of accountability for an industry that too often reports performance only after an engagement ends. BurnesSEO said the campaigns were delivered through its Google Business Profile management service and its wider local SEO programme. The Randburg keyword movement was tracked across the regular, non-map Google results, while the 12,900 clicks were recorded on a client website over 90 days. The company said it does not guarantee rankings, because Google determines results on relevance, prominence and proximity, and said clients can verify every figure from their own analytics accounts. "Most agencies show a case study after the client has left and the numbers have been tidied up," said Bibi Burness, founder and chief executive officer of BurnesSEO. "Showing the numbers while the work is still running, with the client's own analytics as the receipt, is a different standard. It keeps the agency accountable and it keeps the client informed." The disclosure arrives as more South African service and shopping research moves online. DataReportal's Digital 2026 South Africa report puts the country at 79.6 percent internet penetration, or 51.7 million internet users. ResearchAndMarkets projects 15.1 …
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Early Signs of Arthritis You Should Not Ignore
Affinity Health, a leading provider of high-quality health cover, says that people should pay closer attention to ongoing joint pain, stiffness, and swelling on World Arthritis Day (12 October). It is easy to blame aching joints on age, hard work, exercise, or an old injury. However, arthritis can begin with small changes that are easy to dismiss. Arthritis is not one disease, but a broad term that covers many conditions affecting the joints and surrounding tissues. Common types include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis. Some types develop as the cartilage protecting a joint breaks down. Others are caused by inflammation or an immune system problem. Recognising the signs early matters because the right treatment can ease symptoms, protect the joints, and help prevent long-term disability. Joint Pain That Keeps Returning Pain is often one of the earliest signs of arthritis. It may feel like a dull ache, a sharp pain during movement, or discomfort that comes and goes. Osteoarthritis pain often becomes worse after walking, climbing stairs, carrying heavy items, or repeatedly using the joint. Inflammatory arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, may hurt most after rest or when you wake up. Occasional joint pain does not always mean arthritis. However, pain that lasts for several days, keeps returning, or begins interfering with normal activities should be checked. Morning Stiffness Pay attention to how your joints feel when you wake up. Short-lived stiffness can occur with osteoarthritis, especially in the knees, hips, hands, or spine. It often improves once you start moving. Stiffness lasting longer than 30 minutes may point to inflammatory arthritis, particularly when it affects several joints. You may struggle to make a fist, grip a toothbrush, bend your fingers, or walk comfortably when getting out of bed. Swelling, Warmth, or Redness A swollen joint may look larger than usual, …
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KFC Makes Not Sharing “Official” With the Mighty Bucket for One No Sharing Contract
The KFC bucket has always meant sharing. Today, KFC flips the script with a product built for one and a tongue-in-cheek contract designed to protect it. KEY POINTS KFC has officially unveiled its Mighty Bucket for One No Sharing Contract at a tongue-in-cheek press conference tackling one of South Africa’s most familiar food frustrations: unwanted food sharing. The press conference marks the PR launch of KFC’s Mighty Bucket for One campaign, flipping the brand’s long-standing bucket-sharing tradition with a meal designed for one person’s complete, uninterrupted enjoyment. The Mighty Bucket for One costs R79.90 and includes two pieces of Original Recipe chicken, two wings, two strips, chips and a drink. Every Mighty Bucket for One comes with a tongue-in-cheek No Sharing Contract, giving consumers a playful backing against the “just one piece” people. Consumers can buy the Mighty Bucket for One and sign the No Sharing Contract to unapologetically protect their meal from unwanted sharing. KFC has held an unusually serious press conference to address one of South Africa’s most persistent food-related offences: people helping themselves to somebody else’s KFC. Complete with a formal podium, official-looking contracts and straight-faced questions about everything from stolen wings to unauthorised bites, KFC used the briefing to formally announce its new No Sharing Contract; giving South Africans some much needed backing when they simply don’t want to share. The tongue-in-cheek press conference marks the official PR launch of KFC’s Mighty Bucket for One campaign, which flips one of the brand’s longest-standing traditions on its head. For decades, the KFC bucket has been synonymous with bringing people together and sharing. Now, KFC is acknowledging another equally familiar truth: sometimes you want your KFC entirely to yourself. The new Mighty Bucket for One, with two pieces of Original Recipe chicken, two wings, two strips, chips and a drink for …