President Ramaphosa announced in his address of 25 July 2022 that in order to end loadshedding it was urgently necessary to add more capacity to the grid. This would be achieved by accelerating greater private investment in generation capacity. In 2021 the licencing threshold was increased to 100MW. Following the success of this reform and the enthusiasm shown by the private sector Ramaphosa announced that he would be removing the licencing threshold for embedded generation completely. All new generation projects would not require licences but would still have to be registered with the Regulator and comply with the technical requirements for grid connection and environmental legislation. It was recognised that the State needed to act decisively and speedily, and that special legislation would be tabled on an expedited basis to address the legal and regulatory obstacles to new generation capacity. As an interim measure certain regulatory requirements would be waived or streamlined where possible and within existing legislation. The first leg to this process was the publication, in the Government Gazette of 2 September 2022, of draft regulations. Comment on the draft regulations should have been submitted within 30 days, that is by 2 October 2022. Section 7 of the Electricity Regulation Act of 2006 (the Electricity Act) states that a person may not operate a generation transmission or distribution facility, import or export electricity or be involved in the trading of electricity without a licence, unless the activity is exempt from a licence in accordance with Schedule II. The draft regulations propose to amend Schedule II. Schedule II sets out which activities are exempt from the obligation to apply for and hold a licence. The activities exempt from licencing are no different from the activities set out in the notice which previously applied. It is still not necessary to obtain a licence to generate electricity if the facility is not connected to the grid. What is new is the list of activities which do not require a licence where there is a connection to the grid. New identified activities do not require a licence but must comply with the code and be registered. The code is the distribution code, the transmission code, or any other code approved by the Electricity Regulator. The limit of 100MW has been lifted completely. This means that there is no limit on the operation of a generation facility where: a) the generation facility is operated to supply electricity to one or more customers and there is no wheeling of that electricity; b) the generation facility is operated to supply electricity to one or more customers by wheeling, and the generator has entered into a connection agreement with the holder of the transmission or distribution licence in respect of the power system over which the electricity is to be wheeled; provided that the generation facility has a connection point but does not export nor import any electricity onto or from the transmission or distribution power system. The term “connection point” is not defined (either in terms of the old regulations or the proposed new regulation), but we assume it is meant to be a reference to “point of connection” which refers to being connected to the distribution or transmission system. Whilst the need for licencing as contained in the draft regulations has fallen away, the special legislation contemplated by President Ramaphosa to expedite the legal and regulatory obstacles has not yet been introduced. It is already more than two months since the address to the nation. Loadshedding continues and is recognised as the major obstacle to future economic growth. The commitments made by President Ramaphosa in his address to the nation of 25 July 2022 need to be implemented. T: +27 (0)31 536 8512 E: mjackson@coxyeats.co.za W: www.coxyeats.co.za

Since 1998, the Competition Act (the Act) has regulated merger activity. Large mergers need to be assessed and approved by the Competition Commission (the Commission) before they can be implemented. Until February 2019, mergers were assessed only on their impact on competition. This all changed in February 2019 when the Act was amended to state that the commission must also assess whether the merger can or cannot be justified on substantial public interest grounds. The public interest factors have been set out in the Act and these include the effect of the merger on a particular industrial sector or region, employment, the ability of small and medium firms or firms controlled by historically disadvantaged persons (HDPs) to effectively enter into, participate in or expand within the market, the ability national industries to compete on international markets, and finally, the promotion of a greater spread of ownership in particular, by HDPs and workers in firms. On 8 October, the Commission published amended guidelines on how it will assess public interest factors. The guidelines are critical to understanding the approach that the Commission will adopt in evaluating a merger. Comment is sought on the guidelines which must be submitted by 6 November 2023. The Commission has now clarified that that competition factors have equal importance to public interest factors. The Commission is therefore no longer a body assessing mergers based on pure competition. Of course, what can be in the public interest, is a subjective process and the structuring of merger transaction documents now becomes much more difficult. The first four public interest criteria are dealt with in the guidelines and it would be relatively easy to comply with them. The last criteria is the promotion of a spread of ownership by HDPs and workers. Complying with this requirement could be more difficult. This is because the Commission stipulates that, unlike the other public interest factors, this factor confers a “positive obligation” on merging parties to promote a spread of ownership and/or workers in the economy. The Commission states: “Considering this, the Commission’s point of departure will be that all mergers are required to promote a greater spread of ownership.” It would therefore appear that this is the most important criteria in the assessment of a merger transaction. The transaction is likely to fail, if this criteria is not met. The Commission states that even if the merger promotes ownership by HDPs, this does not preclude the obligation to consider increased ownership by workers, and vice versa. The Commission will consider a number of factors including the number of shares or interest held, the value of the shares or interest, whether the shares or interest owned confer additional rights such as board representation, whether the shares or interest pertain to productive or passive assets and whether any increase in shares / interest held confer control. The inclusion of workers in an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) owning shares in a company is of course something relatively new to South African practice. Employee ownership schemes are seen by the Government as vital to broad based transformation and re-igniting the South African economy. As the support for worker schemes intensifies, this will become more and more an issue to consider. The guidelines deal with ESOPs as a potential remedy to the issue of worker inclusion. It would seem that the Commission is looking for the worker inclusion to be at about 5% of the merged entity. The ESOP may be a trust or the allocation of shares for workers in a registry maintained by the company secretary. Workers should not be required to participate in an ESOP. Expenses incurred in the ESOP should be paid by the company. The board of trustees needs to be independent with at least one trustee appointed by workers and one independent trustee. In the ESOP, all current and future workers should be eligible and maternity leave should not have an adverse effect on qualifying criteria. On the funding of the ESOP, the merged entity should provide some vendor finance which should be interest free. A dividend policy should be introduced to provide for a trickle dividend in the ratio of at least 35:65 meaning that at least 35% of any dividends declared must flow to beneficiaries and at most, 65% may be utilised to service the vendor financing. The draft guidelines are far reaching. They represent a significant intrusion on the private sector’s ability to manage their own affairs. Many of the provisions or insertions appear to be arbitrary and to satisfy a particular political agenda. The guideline are published under Section 79 of the Act. This section states that the Commission must publish a draft and invite comment within a reasonable period. Once adopted, the guideline is not binding but any person interpreting or applying the Act must take it into account. The merger approval process is becoming more complex and subjective. Should you require advice or assistance, please contact Michael Jackson on: T: +27 (0)31 536 8512 E: mjackson@coxyeats.co.za W: www.coxyeats.co.za

The prestigious Minara Chamber of Commerce Business Awards and Gala Dinner 2023 took centre stage in Durban on Friday 27 October, leaving an indelible mark on the local business community. The event, a celebration of excellence, was broadcast live via Hilaal TV, one of the chamber’s esteemed media partners, to ensure that everyone, regardless of their location, could partake in this remarkable occasion. Minara’s President, Solly Suleman delivered an insightful address on the Chamber’s pivotal role in fostering business development. His speech emphasized the importance of collaboration in bolstering our nation’s economy and the need for unity to confront current crises and global challenges. He also took the opportunity to extend his heartfelt congratulations to every finalist, expressing his hope that they will continue their extraordinary business and community efforts, while working in close partnership with the chamber to nurture the next generation of entrepreneurs. The winners in various award categories included: Business Entity of the Year Award - Large Category: Ezulwini Construction was awarded the winner in this category with Supertech Group and Royal Travel as the other two finalists in this category. Business Entity of the Year Award - Medium Category: Ahmed Al Kadi Private Hospital was awarded the winner in this category with Escape to the Cape and Monate Dairy the two finalists. Business Entity of the Year Award - Start-up Category: was awarded to Cape Town based Astronoc and promising start ups in this category included Khweza Environmental Consulting and Super Burger. The evening shone a spotlight on the extraordinary achievements of women, with three exceptional female finalists: Sumaya Suliman, Shafieqa Ismail, and Amina Sooliman. Amina Sooliman CEO of Milnex was honoured with the title of Businesswoman of the Year 2023. The Professional Achiever 2023 title was bestowed upon the acclaimed author, Shafinaaz Hassim, who triumphed over strong contenders, including media professional Ashraf Garda and Shoukat A. Mukadam from Cape Town. Minara Chamber of Commerce also expresses its deep appreciation for the community builders who selflessly dedicate their efforts to support South African and global communities. The Community Builder of 2023 was awarded to Shahnaaz Paruk of Penny Appeal. Ahmed Osman of Human Aid SA and Imraan Seedat of Lenasia were amongst the finalists this year. Minara Chamber of Commerce extends its warmest congratulations to all the winners and finalists of the 2023 Business Awards. They look forward to forging meaningful collaborations in the post-event phase, cultivating the leaders of tomorrow, and setting an exemplary standard for generations to come. Their sincere gratitude goes out to their major partners, Standard Bank and Amka Group, as well as numerous other corporate and institutional supporters, for their invaluable contributions to the success of this event. W: www.minara.org.za

This award is for businesses earning less than R100M turn over per annum, and that bank with Standard Bank. The finalists are: Triplo4 Sustainable Solutions Sky Tents Black City Records Triplo4 Sustainable Solutions Triplo4 Sustainable Solutions is a small enterprise that was established by Hantie Plomp in 2011 in Ballito. The company promotes and facilitates sustainable solutions within private and public enterprises as well as communities and society as a whole. Sky Tents Isaac Mbatha’s strong entrepreneurial spirit led him to establish Sky Tents in 2015. His entry into the tent business began with washing and mending tents as well as acting as a middleman in the tent hire business. The company now manufactures a range of state-of-the-art stretch tents, frame tents and dome tents and other catering products. Sky Tents operates in nine locations in South Africa as well as internationally. Black City Records Black City Records is a Durban based independent record label. The company exists to protect and develop artists who create world class, socially impactful music for local and international audiences, and who make a positive cultural impact.

Isaac Mbatha’s strong entrepreneurial spirit led him to establish Sky Tents in 2015. His entry into the tent business began with washing and mending tents as well as, on a small scale, acting as a middleman in the tent hire business. The establishment of the tent manufacturing business was in response to the many requests from people who had done business with him. Sky Tents was the name chosen for his business venture as he said the name would encourage him to push his business’s growth as much as possible. Isaac explained, “There is nothing above the sky – there are no limits on the road to growth and success.” Isaac faced many challenges in the first year of operation including opposition from his competitors. As his profit margins were slim, each tent he made relied on the 50% deposit paid by the customer in order to purchase material. He spent much time walking the streets and handing out flyers as well as sticking flyers on taxis windows in order to get his business off the ground. Isaac hit his biggest challenge in 2015/16, when he felt that everything was going wrong and he had a large amount of debt. At that time Isaac hit rock bottom and he struggled enormously with stress. He said, “I learnt that I had to be brave. There was only one way to get out of the predicament I was in and that was to pick myself up.” Isaac had always enjoyed listening to Ukhozi FM radio station and he saw a means to both help people to change their lives and to get his name in the tent business known. He approached the head of Ukhozi FM with a plan to be the first radio station to give away businesses to aspiring entrepreneurs, which was accepted by the station with much enthusiasm. During 2017, Sky Tents gave away 100 tents to entrepreneurs to create a business and an opportunity for their own success. Isaac said that helping people to change their lives was a highlight of his career. The business growth is evident in the Sky Tents’ number of employees. The company started tent manufacturing with only three employees. In 2017 this number grew from six to 13 employees with the company now employing 79 people. While Sky Tents started with pole tents, the range of products has grown to include stretch tents, frame tents and dome tents amongst other products, for a wide range of applications. In addition, Sky Tents services include the supply of tables and chairs, draping, mobile toilets, and mobile chillers. The company is now venturing into injection moulding. Sky Tents has branches in nine locations in South Africa and has international clients in Namibia, Botswana, Nigeria, Algeria, Swaziland, Uganda, Lesotho, the Seychelles, Zambia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Isaac says his business philosophy is based on his belief that consistency is key to success. “My head has been down and I have run my own race. Clients are not just about buying your products; they are about your services. As a company, our clients value our service and our opinions so they will even often ask us for business referrals for unrelated products.” For him one of the highlights of his journey to success has been being recognised by the Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 list in 2019. In 2022, he won the Standard Bank KZN Top Business Entrepreneur award for resilience and in 2023 the Standard Bank Client of the Year award in the SME category. www.skytentsa.co.za

Broker / Owner of RE/MAX Dolphin Realtors Kim Peacock’s journey is a tapestry woven with diverse talents, a commitment to excellence, and an unyielding passion for positive change. From her artistic roots to her pivotal role in real estate and community development, Kim’s story exemplifies the power of purpose-driven leadership. A mother of twin boys, Kim’s legacy is deeply personal. She is driven by the belief that even one person can make a lasting impact. Fundamentally different Kim’s journey has taken a unique and colourful path. She initially spent roughly 12 years in the film and television industry. However, her husband convinced her to join him as an agent at RE/MAX Dolphin Realtors. Together, they formed the ‘A-Team’ and had agents working alongside them. Kim explained that one of their primary goals was to acquire the franchise they were operating under. They pursued this objective relentlessly and successfully achieved it in 2015. Notable accomplishments include holding the largest market share, outperforming their second and third competitors combined in terms of sales, and boasting the most productive agents in the region. By August of this year, 30% of their agents had earned one million rand in commission, and they aim to increase that percentage by year-end. What sets RE/MAX apart is its fundamentally different business model compared to traditional real estate models. RE/MAX Dolphin has embraced this unique ethos and actively promotes an entrepreneurial mindset. The agency offers its agents an independent contractor’s platform, allowing them to effectively run their own businesses under the RE/MAX Dolphin Realtors banner. Personal achievement In terms of personal achievement, Kim highlights her success in mentoring some of their most accomplished agents, helping them transition from an employee mindset to an entrepreneurial one. She explains that their guiding principle is mutual benefit: “When you win, we win.” Kim is dedicated to enhancing their systems and providing comprehensive training, inspiration, and motivation to the agents under their banner. She underscores the culture of empowerment and diversity, which is the foundation of their business philosophy. The entire ethos and the RE/MAX model are intentionally designed to embrace diversity, encourage flexibility, and foster empowerment. Regardless of one’s familial roles, educational background, or personal circumstances, as long as someone can embrace an entrepreneurial mindset, they have the opportunity to shape their own destiny under their RE/MAX Dolphin brand. Whether an agent wants to build a business within the business or seeks guidance as a newcomer, RE/MAX Dolphin offers the support and resources needed for growth. Kim’s core motivation revolves around nurturing individuals to achieve the lives they desire by providing the business vehicle for that. Juggling all the balls Kim’s most significant challenge isn’t within her professional career but rather lies in striking a balance between her personal and professional life. Managing her roles as a business owner, the head of training at RE/MAX Dolphin, the KZN regional representative for RE/MAX headquarters, a devoted mother of twins, a dedicated spouse, and an active participant in the daily operations of RE/MAX Dolphin has been an ongoing struggle for her. In her quest for equilibrium, Kim implemented a daily discipline; she wakes up at 4:30 a.m. every day to embark on a 10km run. For her, this routine transcends mere exercise; it serves as a form of meditation and solace. Kim’s adventurous and challenge-seeking spirit has driven her to accomplish four Comrades marathons, five Two Oceans marathons, a demanding 100km trail run, and she has even made two attempts at completing a 100-mile race. Keeping the growth Her future goals encompass not only expanding the franchise and consistently surpassing targets but also fulfilling the fundamental aspirations within the business. She places a higher emphasis on nurturing and empowering individuals within their agency, motivating and inspiring them to step outside their comfort zones, and exceed their own expectations. Kim believes that an establishment with these values naturally attracts people. Consequently, she underscores the importance of concentrating on the existing attributes of her business and fostering internal growth, rather than primarily seeking external expansion. Have grit Kim imparts a resounding message to young individuals walking the path she once trod: “Have grit. Don’t surrender.” She emphasizes that success isn’t a fixed destination; it’s an ever-evolving journey, a continuous process. Kim dispels the notion that achieving or failing to reach a single goal defines success. To her, even setbacks and failures can serve as powerful teachers, illuminating new opportunities along the way. Success, in her eyes, is an ongoing expedition. Reflecting on her nomination as a KZN Top Business Woman, Kim candidly admits that the unexpected recognition left her profoundly moved. She concludes with pride, “I’m immensely honored to be a part of the KZN Top Business Women. It’s a genuine privilege to stand among accomplished and inspirational women, and I cherish this acknowledgment.”

Ceo and Founder the Unlearners Zanele Njapha, the ‘unlearning lady’ is the CEO and founder of the organisation The Unlearners. The business helps corporate organisations and their leaders build cultures where instead of frustrated and overwhelmed - people are EXCITED about change. “What we do is help them to unlearn and relearn, helping them to move through the process of who they used to be and into who they now want to become,” explained Zanele. As Zanele has a passion for children, her career started as a primary school teacher. However, she said, “I knew that there was a call for something bigger. I see myself still as an educator or facilitator but making a different kind of impact.” Initially, Zanele worked with a company focused on strategic thinking and the future of work before deciding to form her own. She explains that she believed the world was ready to have the conversation about letting go and grabbing hold and that’s what motivated her to start The Unlearners. Zanele’s late grandmother is a key motivator in her journey. “She didn’t complete any profound level of formal schooling and never held formal employment. I believe that if she had the opportunities that I have access to today, I can’t even think what she would have done with them. Even in her circumstances - she was resilient, adaptable, flexible, creative, loving, and empathetic. All these are skills that I help organisations to build today; I didn’t learn them from someone with a college education, but someone who didn’t have one.” Great achievements There have been some great achievements along her journey, of which Zanele is really proud. The main one, is the founding of The UnLearning Children Foundation. An organisation that is focused on supporting adolescent youth to build key mental health skills with the aim of lowering Africa’s high suicide rate. As someone who herself attempted suicide in her youth, Zanele has a deep appreciation for the role that unlearning the heavy expectations of society can have on young people. This comes with having the tools to support one’s mental health through life’s trickiest challenges– especially as a highly influenced young person today! One of those skills is being open and willing to change one’s mind about what we thought was true. 'Our key values in our organisation are; learn, change, and grow. Every intervention is about the process of learning, changing, and growing. When we see that in our clients, that’s always so exciting and an achievement.” Zanele has some phenomenal stories that have been shared by her clients about their successes. Zanele says that she has experienced her fair share of challenges; one of them was being taken seriously as a 20-something year old female in the consulting industry. “I would sit in briefing calls with a client who, once they saw me or they engaged with me, would say we might want to work with someone else before we’d even discussed content and my expertise. When you experience something like that, the concept of ageism starts to feel very real. But you start to understand how it’s OK for you not to be for everyone. Although initially it hurt,” she explained. Zanele commented that it’s really important to firstly understand who your ideal customer is and serve those individuals, as you don’t want to work with a client where there’s misalignment. Another of Zanele’s biggest challenges, as an introvert, has been building a team with herself at the helm of the organisation. However, she explains that as a strategic thinker, she has realised that she cannot fulfil all the roles in her company and must collaborate. Hairy goals Zanele has many goals both personally and for her business. She explained, “I’m big on goals - I set big, ambitious, hairy goals. With her business, Zanele’s biggest goal was to triple the company’s revenue and they are well on track. Together with the growth of the business, a future goal is to expand the business globally, especially the consulting leg, and to be a lot less tied down to being anywhere at any given time. “The business is building in that flexibility because we don’t have an office space. The intention was always to be a virtual business that can operate from wherever our clients are,” said Zanele. No doubt The key thing that Zanele would say to young women following her path, is to live from your strengths and not doubt them at all. “I love the quote of a mentor of mine, Michael Beckwith, who says that ‘if you don’t do you, you won’t be done’. That quote is so powerful because every person is unique. Sometimes we are so focused on trying to fit into the mould that we forget the tiny nuances that make us unique. And when we’re able to leverage those strengths and make the most of them, we grow, and we find that it’s easier to do business.” Zanele enjoys reading when she has timeout from her busy schedule. But she usually read books that will support her business or help her become a better leader. “I love to just sometimes switch off. On weekends I try to do absolutely nothing. I don’t give feedback on anything; I don’t sign off on anything. The only thing that I do on a Sunday is to set up for the rest of my week. I’ll sit there and just try to disengage because a lot of what we teach our clients is how our moments of insights, moments of creativity happen when we’re not working.” An impact to be made “Being part of the KZN Top Business Women gives us an opportunity to inspire, and to elevate some of the work that we do and leverage co-creation. When you have a platform, it really creates that beautiful momentum for us to make an even bigger impact and to do it together with other awesome people.”

Media Personality, podcaster, author, co-founder of www.ratingsforschools Carol Ofori’s easily recognisable voice resonates with warmth and influence. Whether on her daily show on East Coast Radio, her talk show for first time parents, Raising Babies on SABC 2, or the thought-provoking discussions on her Carol Ofori Podcast, Carol has made an impact on the African media landscape. “ “I’ve won the International Sovas (Society of Voice Arts and Sciences) Award for my voice work, which is literally the Oscars of the voice world,” says Carol. Her latest media adventure is playing a lead character in a Disney+ series called Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire, a beautiful African animated show available on Disney+ streaming worldwide. Unsurprisingly for Carol, her role showcases that girls can do anything they set their mind to – she plays Mkhuzi, a racing car driver. “It’s still wild to think that I’m a Disney character,” she says. Beyond broadcasting, Carol is a published author having written a series of six children’s books called “The African Adventures of Sena and Katlego” that have garnered international attention and available at all leading book shops and online. She is also an acclaimed master of ceremonies and recently ventured into comedy. “I think I’m an all-round cool chick. I’ve done so many incredible things that I think I don’t celebrate enough!” she commented with a smile. A pan-African narrative Married to an incredible Ghanaian man, Carol’s family is a beautiful blend of South African and Ghanaian cultures. “I wanted books that would depict Africa for my kids, and they just didn’t exist. So, I decided I was going to write them.” The African Adventures of Sena and his magical teddy bear Katlego are a six-book series that takes readers across Ghana, South Africa, Chad, Eswatini, Egypt, and Uganda. This pan-African union underscored the importance of providing their children with stories that span the continent. “I dreamed of something for my kids, and now these books are all over the world. And I’m proud. And like wow, is this really you?” After completing a BA in journalism, Carol began her career as an intern reporter at 947 and Talk Radio 702, focusing on news and then moving into magazine journalism. Carol also holds a Honours degree from VEGA university majoring in Brand Management and her journey in the media showcases her adaptability and commitment. “There are no templates in this business. You know, we’re freelancers – you find your own way with your own brand at your own time. I’m inspired by just wanting to succeed,” she reflects. Carol’s entrepreneurial spirit led to her co-founding an education information portal for parents with her husband. Their aim was to revolutionise the interaction between schools and parents and address a tangible need. www.RatingsForSchools.co.za helps one locate a school based on your budget, curriculum, special needs and more. “We had just moved to a new city and we needed a portal to find schools and it didn’t exist. So, we created it - www.ratingsforschools.co.za,” Carol states, emphasizing her ability to identify gaps in the market and create innovative solutions. “I definitely see ratingsforschools.co.za being a household name, it’s got such an exciting future. I cannot wait for where it’s going. And it’s something that we are both so proud of.” Navigating challenges Reflecting on her childhood, Carol commented that attending St Catherine’s convent, an hour and a half away from her home in Soweto, meant long days. This was a challenge as she and her sister would get home late when most of the kids living nearby were forming friendships in the afternoons, and doing homework we would have to find the strength after the long bus trip home to do homework. And her parents weren’t always able to support her at school events and sports days. “I’m running, and I’m coming first, and I look into the crowd, and my parents are not there because they can’t get off work,” she recalls. As she puts it, “Challenges must never be the obstacle. They are the road and the path to greatness. I think that’s what propelled me to always want to work harder.” Carol’s work ethic and goal orientation was shaped by her mother’s relentless efforts to provide the best for their family. “I’ve done all these wonderful things. But I don’t come from a rich background. My mom worked very hard to put us through school. Much as I love my dad, I have to really give the credit where the credit is due and it, you know, it was my mom’s doing,” Carol shares candidly. Focused vision In giving advice, Carol is adamant you need a clear vision for the future. “I see a great future for ratingsforschools.co.za . I see a great future for me in the broadcasting and media space, and I see more books. “The most important advice I can give you is to always know your picture of where you’re going. Sometimes you’ll share your story with people who won’t see your vision. Take the advice, take the feedback, take the criticism, but don’t let it cloud your vision.” “Remember what you want and stay focused on where you are going,” she advises. “If I had listened to people telling me not to dream of publishing six books, these books would never have happened.” Carol has two small children so finding time to relax is rare. However, she does enjoy being pampered and loves eating out and trying different foods. I like nice things – shopping – I’m a typical girl. I’ll relax in all those spaces I’ve just mentioned – and enjoy a glass of red wine!” “Being part of KZN Top Business Women is important as the platform highlights women doing amazing things,” says Carol. “I think we get so clogged up in our roles and it is important other women get to see us celebrated as it encourages them to keep surging forward. Seeing different women from different walks of life, religions and schools of thought – encourages other women to take up the baton and run in their lane in their journey of life”.

To determine where you think you are in your business, you may have first identified at which stage you are at. Then, look at where your business should be based on the years you have been in business. First let us establish whether you are a lifestyle business or a sellable asset base business. A lifestyle business could be ascertained as a business that is owner run where the business is designed to support the owner who has other responsibilities e.g. a mother who is caring for children or other family members, or who has other responsibilities that make it more difficult to hold a full-time job. You may prefer to work from home, rather than traveling to an office. You may find that you can earn more working part time for yourself and prefer it to working for a boss or you have no other option. A lifestyle business definitely allows for flexibility of time but would require a very strong discipline. This type of business is heavily reliant on the business owner – no work no pay! On the other hand, a sellable asset-based business generally has employees. They often involve equipment and processes that allows your business to run whether you are present or not (a topic for another day for those superheroes). Typically, they operate from premises away from home and may be in multiple areas. A lifestyle business is a perfect opportunity to enable you to invest your profits outside of the business by way of investing in property portfolios, shares or any other wealth creation vehicles. However, the asset-based business is able to scale, enabling you to have the potential to sell it to someone else and walk away with not only the salary and profits earned (hopefully) over the years of running your business but also the money you banked that you received from the new buyer. To do that, however, you need to structure your business so that you’re not an essential part in the business, as you would be with a lifestyle business. Our definition of a business is a commercial profitable business that works without you! Now that you have hopefully identified what stage your business is at and you have seen our definition of a business, I’d like you to make a conscious decision. Do you want to continue to run a lifestyle business and work for yourself or run a sellable asset base business that can work for you whether you are present or not? To enable you to make this decision you should be very clear on why you are in business in the first place (Your Purpose and Why). You should know how much time and money is required to provide for you now and that will sustain your lifestyle for as long as you shall live. Once you have established that, then you will be very clear as to whether you would want to continue to run a lifestyle business (you are the business and the income generator) and have the *Freedom to Choose (dependant on time and money available) or a sellable asset base business that can provide you with the time and money to enable you to have the *Freedom of Choice (don’t need to sacrifice time or money). Need a sounding board? Click on the link below and set up a discovery call with me to help you find your true purpose of why you are in business. https://marlenepowell.actioncoach.com/discoverysession/ Feel free to join our next MemberSHIP Workshop (Third Tuesday monthly) to meet our clients who run both lifestyle and asset-based businesses and hear what they are doing. *Read my blog https://actioncoach.co.za/2021/04/01/f-r-e-e-d-o-m-its-a-choice/ Contact me on https://linkshare.co.za/marlenepowell or call +27 (0)83 479 4471.

East Coast Radio (ECR) has partnered with business growth specialist Pavlo Phitidis on a campaign to highlight the vital importance that established businesses hold for KwaZulu-Natal’s growth and prosperity. Pavlo, together with Aurik’s co-operative-founder, has started, built, and sold 12 businesses in nine years and he continues to drive Aurik’s growth as CEO. Aurik works with established business owners to accelerate revenue growth and build value. Called The KZN Future50, the weekly radio feature takes the shape of a conversation between Pavlo and hosts Darren Maule and Sky Tshabalala featuring the KwaZulu-Natal business of the week. Why become a KZN Future50 business? The intention is to support the business community, so this comes at no cost (yes, really) to the business featured. Exposure to ECR’s 1,3 million listeners at 8.10 am, Tuesday morning peak traffic radio. Exposure on their website (600 000+ unique users) & Facebook (470k followers) Get the people of KZN focused on what your business needs to get to its next level. Be one of only fifty KZN business to watch. The conversation will be about your business, what it does, why that matters and a call out to the audience to get behind your success and growth. If your next level growth opportunity is, amongst others, more customers, a funder, a key supplier, a specialist employee, access to information, or a listing with a retailer, Pavlo will extract it from the listeners and bring it home to you. Companies that have been featured include Serco Industries, Airshot, FutureLife, Joekels Tea Packers, Stealth Kayaks, Ordev and Blinds Syndicate and Royal Tyres, amongst others. This opportunity is open to any KZN business to apply, the ECR team will choose who gets featured. To listen to some featured companies and to apply visit: www.ecr.co.za/KZN-Future-50

There are two methods in which one can do monthly payroll: manually, or automatically. Manually – is having to manually calculate your payroll. Automatically – is having a system calculate the payroll. There are always advantages and disadvantages to using any method, in this article I am going to comment on having a software system to assist with the payroll. As the information will come from varying departments/employees, it is essential that you consult with all the departments involved to inform them what your requirements are regarding the information required. The methods used to collate information must be effective, efficient, and consistent with organisational values, policies, and legal requirements. Resources must be developed and utilised efficiently and effectively for the retrieval of information on demand. In recent years, new forms of storage have emerged in the form of document management (DM) and Document Image Processing (DIP). The advantage of these systems is that computerised payroll data can be transferred into a DIP system and be cross-referenced to images of the prime documents where these have been ‘scanned in’. This type of storage forms part of an information technology system and involves the scanning of paper documents and converting them to digital images that are then stored on a CD/DVD. Scanning can be conducted through photocopiers, multifunction printers, document scanners, and computers output microfilm. Document imaging preserves documents and improves overall office efficiency. Large organisations with a constant flow of paper documents at several different locations can transfer all these documents into electronic form by scanning and simultaneously indexing the paper documents. Advantages of document imaging technology: Move towards a “paperless office” Eliminates storage space Increases efficiency Submission via various departments Electronic backups Disadvantages of document imaging technology: Set up is expensive Viruses can corrupt files Theft Incorrect filing and naming of documents Access to stored information Access to stored information must be controlled in accordance with organisational policies. It is necessary to make certain that all authorised staff know how data is stored and the procedures for the disposal of data and are fully aware of their responsibilities concerning data security (e.g., where appropriate they should know who are the authorised staff). Information must be recorded accurately, stored securely, in line with system requirements. The stored information must be maintained in accordance with organisational policies and legal requirements. The following are security fundamental to any computerised system: Security measures MUST include measures which prevent unauthorised access to or alteration/destruction of, hardware and software, including provisions to avoid accidental loss or destruction. This should, of course be covered by secure contingency/back-up procedures. Strict controls on personnel having access to computer equipment and systems e.g., authorisation controlled/approved by the computer/payroll manager and continually monitored regarding reliability and performance in exercising security measures. Full documentation of all hardware and software procedures. We all know how many specialist staff carry critical knowledge in their heads. Ensure that there is documentation and if necessary, insist on regular staff rotation to avoid being exposed to the “specialist staff leaving” problem. Basic measures covering all payroll departments (computerised or manual): Lock doors, cupboards, files, etc. if authorised users are not in attendance. Ensure that only authorised users have access to personal information. This can be a problem where employees in the same office ask for personal information – BE CONSISTENT – if the person is not authorised, say NO! A review of the records capture system ensures that system quality records are in accordance with the organisation’s record keeping procedures or industry best practices, organisational quality control procedures, and customer service satisfaction. The statutory requirements to store and retain payroll data include: Data stored for the employer (Assist in audits) Data stored for the employee (Queries) Data stored for other external agencies (SARS, UIF/ Manpower) In all the above we shall consider the reasons for storage and the likely duration of retention. Records of long-term value are identified at creation stage and are maintained according to long-term preservation and retrieval requirements. The two principal government departments with the statutory authority to require all employers to retain specific payroll data for specified lengths of time are: Revenue Service Department of Labour (Manpower) Both departments require the specified information to be retained for the last four years of entry (i.e., five full tax year). It should be remembered, however that this is only the minimum retention period, and the S.A. Revenue Service has powers to go back with no limitation under the Income Tax Act number 58 of 1962 (as Amended) in serious cases such as suspected malpractice or fraud. External agency data requirements Trade unions – not only the contributions may be held, but also any membership number Courts – details of court orders are held Local authorities – details of levies are held Banks – an employer may operate a saving scheme, but only send details to the bank periodically Charities Medical Aid schemes – some employers take over the administration of a scheme and so enable their employees to benefit from preferential rates. External Pension Fund - Managers including AVC schemes other than Employer Occupational Pension Scheme. Insurance schemes administered on be behalf of employees. T: +27 (0)31 266 6570 C: +27 (0)82 786 7480 E: johanvd@labournet.com W: www.labournet.com

Innovate Durban and the U.S. Consulate Durban signed into effect their MoU on Tuesday, October 24 thereby recognising the space at the Innovate Durban Co-Lab in Cato Manor as an official American Corner, one of only two in Kwa-Zulu Natal and eight across South Africa. American Corners are open-access learning and gathering places around the world that promote interaction – both in-person and virtual – among local audiences and the United States. American Corners deliver compelling programs and activities on a wide range of U.S.-focused themes and topics. These activities include discussion groups, workshops and seminars, meetings with U.S. and local specialists and Digital Video Conferencing events (DVC’s). They also act as a local repository for the use of American-themed literature, internet access, and educational materials. These spaces can be used by communities to connect, exchange ideas, learn 21st century skills, create and innovate together. The MoU signing ceremony took place at Innovate Durban’s Co-Lab and was attended by the U.S. Consulate Durban staff led by the Consul General Josie Ratcliffe, delegates from the eThekwini Municipality, as well as partners of Innovate Durban such as the Durban Chamber of Commerce & Industry and FNB KwaZulu-Natal. In her address, Aurelia Albert, CEO of Innovate Durban, spoke of how the relationship with the U.S. Consulate began immediately in the aftermath of the devastating riots and civil unrest that took place in Kwa-Zulu Natal in July 2021. She spoke of the magnanimous donation by the Consulate towards the rebuilding and refitting of the Innovate Durban Co-Lab, which was completely destroyed in the looting and how this served as a catalyst for further collaboration between the two organizations. “The relationship that began after those dark days has ultimately culminated in this coveted recognition as an official American Corner,” she said. The recently appointed Consul General Josie Ratcliffe reiterated the U.S. government’s commitment to continued fostering of the relationship between the U.S. Mission South Africa and the communities they serve. She especially referred to the current and future projects that the Consulate are working on together with Innovate Durban in furthering skills development and training programs for the citizens of the metro. The public is urged to follow the social media profiles of Innovate Durban and the US Mission South Africa (@USEmbassySA) to stay updated with future news and events due to take place. Innovate Durban Social Media Handles: Web https://www.innovate.durban/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/innovatedurban Instagram https://www.instagram.com/innovatedurban/ LinkedIn Innovate Durban For more information on The Innovation Festival, including partnerships or exhibitions contact: Preston Moodley Partnership Lead– Innovate Durban Tel: 087 365 3131 | Email: preston@innovate.durban