Search Results

Higher education institutions have long been considered to be the repositories of knowledge and learning and the structures through which knowledge is produced and disseminated. They have survived sweeping societal changes created by technology – the moveable-type printing press, previous industrial revolutions, information and communication technologies, electronic media and computers. Today, however, higher education institutions appear to be susceptible to technology disruption as much as other information-centric industries such as the news media, magazines and journals, encyclopaedias, music, movies and TV. This can be reflected in the fact that the transmission of knowledge does not have to be tethered to a fixed location or campus. The technical affordability of cloud-based computing, Artificial Intelligence based learning platforms, massive open online courses, high-quality streaming video, and ‘just-intime’ information gathering have pushed vast amounts of knowledge to the ‘placeless’ World Wide Web. This has sparked a re-examination of the role of contemporary higher education institutions within society. Developments including the globalisation of services work, the increasing value of domain expertise, rapid developments in educational technology and the rise of online open courses are creating both challenges and opportunities for incumbents as well as new entrants. The unbundling of research, educational delivery, content and block chain certification means that new business models and ways of engaging students will be at the heart of future higher education landscape. With the world in a state of major transition, education in general, and higher education in particular, becomes critical in this seismic shift because the transitions being experienced are centred on two essential elements – knowledge and skills. In addition, the pace of the decay of knowledge has increased significantly. In the past, a university student would enrol for a degree, graduate, and live off the knowledge obtained for at least 10 years. Today, by the time a qualification is achieved, the knowledge and competencies need to be refreshed. Without world-class expertise in our domain, we are reduced to being commodities. As these pools of deep knowledge around the world are connected, the phenomenon of collective intelligence is beginning to emerge. While this idea is not new, it is only in the last decade that we have become so richly connected through technology that collective intelligence is moving from a dream to reality. This is a major shift in who we are, our human identity, and in how we learn. The advent of and necessity for continual re-skilling will impact most on the graduate professional education segment, which has traditionally been structured around one- and two-year masters’ degree programmes. A widely held view is that such graduates will consume this lifelong learning in short spurts when they need it, rather than in relatively lengthier blocks of time as is the case presently. Equally, there appear to be many trends, pressures, and concerns that society through its political and economic leadership is imposing on higher education institutions. In today’s job market there is an increasing need for training and retraining of individuals. Thus, a focus on job-oriented education and on economic participation is driving an emphasis on relevance or on what can be called vocationalism – and thus changing the demand structure for higher education with profound effects on the support of, demand for, and appropriate preparation of participants for a rapidly changing job market that requires 21st century skills and competencies. The trend in economies is to turn from manufacturing to service, in which most new jobs do not require advanced education. Rather, human skill in creativity, imagination and problem-solving will become key differentiators in a hybrid workforce that involves collaboration between human talent and technology in the form of smart machines and robots. Finally, in conceding that education in general and higher education in particular are on the brink of huge disruptions, two questions have become paramount. What should young people be learning? And what credentials will indicate that they would be ready for the workforce? We believe that in order to remain relevant, higher education will have to fundamentally reorganise its current (post-industrial) model and engage in deep curriculum reform in order to match the skills revolution required for a complex and uncertain future. www.regent.ac.za

Standard Bank KZN and KZN Top Business are delighted to announce that the second Standard Bank KZN Top Business Women initiative will be held in the last quarter of 2021. This initiative provides a multimedia platform to showcase the achievements of women in the province through webinars, print, social media, and a hybrid achievement recognition event. In affirming the bank’s support for the Standard Bank KZN Top Business Women initiative, KwaZulu-Natal Standard Bank Head Consumer Client Coverage, Imraan Noorbhai said, “This sponsorship is aligned to the bank’s women empowerment efforts that aspire to provide genuine support to women in business. The Standard Bank Group’s support for inclusive economic empowerment and growth well demonstrates the bank’s long-term commitment to Africa.” Economic empowerment is central to bridging the gap on gender equality and enabling women to improve their wellbeing. When women achieve their economic goals of growing their businesses, improving their homes or investing in training or education, they become more resilient and are more able to provide for themselves and their families. KwaZulu-Natal Standard Bank Head Business Client Coverage, Hameed Noormahomed said, “As a bank we are passionate about driving gender empowerment as well as showcasing the successes that women have achieved. The Standard Bank KZN Top Business Women initiative is aligned with the bank’s brand position of ‘It Can Be’ which is a promise of hope, change and optimism. Standard Bank believes that dreams matter because they fuel our growth.” “Our vision is that this initiative will also empower other women to achieve more in their own endeavours. This vision ranges from sharing stories and information, to discovering the confidence to become a voice of change, and to getting access to appropriate markets or finance,” says KZN Top Business CEO Grant Adlam. During the build up to the November event, the participating women will share aspects of their stories in three panel-based webinars, which will be streamed remotely. The first webinar will be held on the 2 September, the second on the 7 October and the third on the 28 October. The Standard Bank KZN Top Business Women will recognise the achievements of the participating women in a number of categories. These are: · The courage to realise a dream · Exceeding customer expectations and delivering brilliant experiences · Operating effectively and productively · Fostering a culture of empowerment and diversity · Making a difference in the business and community · Being a woman extraordinaire The impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to be felt in South Africa as such the event on the 18 November to be hosted at the Coastlands Hotel Umhlanga will be in a hybrid format. This format will accommodate both current legislation as well as attendees who may prefer not to attend a public event in person due to health concerns. The streamed component will also allow for a greater number of participants. For more information on participation in Standard Bank KZN Top Business Women please contact tracy@topbusiness.co.za or visit www.kzntopbusiness.com/kzntopbusinesswomen

Deciding which rental agreement is best for the income you want to earn on your property can be challenging for landlords. As with any successful business, your journey as a landlord should begin with a viable business plan of which your rental contract term is an essential part. In these difficult financial times, month-to-month leases should be considered as they provide landlords with flexibility, increased profit, and protection in an increasingly competitive market. However, understanding the law surrounding how rights and obligations in your lease can be mind-boggling at first glance. Globally, there may be a few variances, but the basic principle is that landlords have the right to claim their rent, demand unpaid monies, and cancel the lease. In South Africa, the entire legal process is regulated by the Rental Housing Act, and the rights and obligations derived from this act are also housed in the lease agreement. Historically, lease agreements have been signed for a 12-month period, during which rental is paid in advance monthly in 12 instalments. However, should tenants foresee that they will not be able to pay the rental amount as per the lease agreement, there is a provision for a tenant to cancel early. Similarly, a landlord also has a right to cancel the lease arrangement early – given specific circumstances such as needing to occupy the property themselves, or if they intend on selling the property. The negatives of these lease agreements are that for landlords it impacts the timing of the letter of demand and lease cancellation process. Ultimately, this results in landlords having to wait longer before cancelling the lease if the payment is not received. There are also implications for the property agent fees as the complete 12-months’ worth of fees would be payable even if the lease is cancelled early. Over time, the demand for choice and flexibility over set contracts means that more and more landlords and tenants are opting to give month-to-month leases a chance because of their ability to respond to non-payment by a tenant. That said, even in a “fixed” lease, each party has the right to cancel at any time. They are only bound to give the amount of cancellation notice stipulated in the contract. Fundamentally, the pros for a landlord of a month-to-month lease is that if a tenant cannot afford to pay their rent, the lease can be legally cancelled earlier, allowing the landlord to place a new tenant in their property and generate an income. A month-to-month lease only carries a 7-day letter of demand which is effective for landlords when instituting action should the tenant breach the rental contract. This form of lease provides landlords greater ability to take quicker action on non-payment. The landlord would certainly be able to act quicker on procuring another tenant given the short time-frames, taking a non-income generating or low-income generating asset and making it earn the profits the landlord has banked on. Also, in month-to-month leases, the liability on agent fees can be less onerous. The optimum lease agreement type is ultimately one that the tenant can live comfortably with and afford. As soon as affordability comes into question, a renegotiation between landlord and tenant should take place to revise the rental value and decide whether a new tenant is sought out. A month-to-month lease agreement provides the landlord and tenant with the ability to work quickly and make these changes with the least amount of time between each legal step. But a 12-month agreement allows a certain degree of perceived assurance regarding the property’s income over the year that follows. Our world is constantly changing. To maximise the wealth creation from rental properties with minimal emotional strain, property owners need to adapt their thinking from the traditional contracting ways and be open to adjusting from fixed-term contracts to month-to-month leases. In a competitive market, the sooner we can respond on behalf of landlords, the sooner we can follow legal process towards them finding another tenant and earn the money they banked on. W: www.rentmaster.co.za

Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) and community stakeholders have reached an agreement to support enhanced governance and controls of community trusts, together with greater transparency. This agreement signifies the parties’ commitment to working together towards modernising the community trusts and to ensuring that the trusts achieve their objective of delivering broad based benefits for members of the host communities. Following the signing of the agreement, RBM has released over R130 million to the community trusts established for each of the communities surrounding the mining and smelter operation. In 2009, as part of its BEE transaction, RBM established community trusts for its four host communities to receive dividend payments for the purpose of supporting broad-based community upliftment. RBM managing director, Werner Duvenhage said: “This is a major milestone. The contribution RBM makes to the communities through these funds will be put to achieving its intended purpose, which is to directly support local economic development in the communities. We are grateful for the support and collaboration of the Amakhosi, provincial and national governments, and other stakeholders. With this agreement, all parties have come together to commit to long-term modernisation of the trusts for the benefit of the host communities. “With the agreement in place, we believe that together with visible improvements on the safety and security front and support from the provincial and national governments and host communities, including reaching an earlier agreement with the Sokhulu Youth Forum, RBM has made good progress on the core issues that have kept our business closed over the past several weeks. Through it all, we remained committed to restarting once the safety situation improves, and we will now begin the process to restart operations.” RBM has now commenced the process of restarting operations and will reach full operational capacity as soon as possible. www.rbm.co.za

The widespread unrests and incidents of looting in KZN and Gauteng during July brought devastation on an economy already weakened by the impact of the Covid19 Pandemic. The Minara Chamber of Commerce has expressed it concerns on the resultant loss to economy and the impact the cost of living which will lead to a widening of the income inequality gap. Ebrahim Patel, Director of the Chamber said that while initial figures indicate that the total cost of the unrest on the country’s GDP was about R50 billion with the GDP loss at about R40 billion of which as much as R20 billion would be a loss to Durban’s GDP, the actual figures could be far higher. Estimates that damages to the retail industry alone amount to more than R5 billion with more than 200 malls targeted and over 800 stores looted and 100 completely burnt. Within Durban more than R1.5 billion was lost in stock with R15 billion in damages to property. However, Patel said that these figures reflect the formal economy and that the Minara Chamber was extremely concerned by the impact on informal traders, micro businesses, rural economy and the value chain. The figures also do not reflect the knock-on financial impact to creditors when businesses are unable to pay their suppliers or service debt. Larger and more formal businesses may have the resources and insurances to return and restart their businesses. These businesses require the confidence and assurance that the State will ensure protection against a recurrence of the unrest. The value chain is impacted by the losses in the retail industry. For instance, the closure of a supermarket affects the wholesaler, the distributor, the manufacturer, the packaging industry, the transport industry and even the farmer and could lead to job losses at all levels. With some businesses completely destroyed and the owners unable to meet their credit obligations, the suppliers are at risk as well. Smaller businesses and informal traders are finding it difficult to restart as they have limited resources and for most their businesses were their entire life savings. These are survival businesses whose daily takings put food on their tables. He warned that as many as 150 000 jobs are at risk and 1.5 million more homes could be without incomes. The Minara Chamber recently partnered with the Rebuilding for Hope and Prosperity Fund and the City of Durban to assist informal traders in the Isipingo Market to restart their businesses through a grant scheme. More than 100 traders are being assisted with stock to open their business and begin trading. Training in business management is also being provided to upskill and build capacity so that these businesses become more formalised. Patel hopes that some of the businesses could grow and become wholesalers and distributors themselves. While there has been much focus on the urban economy, research by agricultural union Kwanalu indicates that the unrest and looting has completely destroyed economic activities in more than 55% of rural towns in KZN with more than 80% of businesses in these towns having being severely damaged. 64% of rural towns are experiencing food shortages while the closure of agricultural suppliers, shortage of feed for animals, fertilizers and fuel will impact on the food security chain. The Chamber welcomes the Business Recovery Packages launched by the National Government and the Financial Relief Plans announced by the City of Durban to assist businesses affected by the unrest. The SEFA’s Business Recovery Support Packages are aimed at uninsured small businesses and informal traders. The Small Business Recovery Package offers a maximum of R2 Million in funding for working capital, stock, fixtures and fittings and delivery vehicles. The funding is a blended finance of a 60% Grant and 40% Loan that is repayable over 60 months with a 6 month moratorium on the initial payment. The Informal Traders Program will provide 8000 informal traders with a once of R3000 grant each. The NEF’s Economic Recovery Fund will provide bridging finance for businesses that have insurance or SASRIA cover and will support working capital, building improvements, fixtures and fittings, machinery, vehicles and stock replenishment. The funding is a maximum of R10 million per entity and payable over 60 months. The City of Durban has made provision for Rates Rebates for six months, suspension of utilities and services and the creation of a fast-track one-stop office for planning and approvals for buildings that were damaged. “It is in the nature of business to be resilient and overcome adversity. We urge all businesses that were affected to make use of the various financial support packages from Government to restart their business. It is imperative to the long term recovery of our country and economy that these businesses must be rebuilt and this will require the support of Government, the private sector, labour and civil society” said Patel.

KwaZulu-Natal’s businesspeople are very resilient and even in the face of numerous challenges are committed to keep going forward as the articles in this edition well illustrate. The KZN Top Business leader featured on the front page is Mzi Tyhokolo who describes himself as a typical South African. Mzi has had a long journey within the gas industry, which resulted in his appointment as Group CEO of SLG in 2020, a company that he believes has much potential for growth (page 3). Many people in KwaZulu-Natal continue to be negatively impacted by the unrest and looting which took place in July, which is well commented on in Ebrahim’s Patel’s article (see below). In response to the need to grow our economy, the South African Chamber of Commerce (United Kingdom) will launch its KZN Chapter in September (Page 4). Marlene Powell encourages businesses owners to ‘pick a lane and stick to it’. Richards Bay Minerals has shown its commitment to the province and the community within in operates and is restarting operations (Page 5). Johan van Deventer provides advice on the difficult subject of staff retrenchments while another difficult subject is lease agreements (Page 6). August is Women’s month, and we are delighted to launch Standard Bank KZN Top Business Women 2021 in a special feature in this edition of KZN Business Sense. Please see pages 7 -10 where we introduce some of these inspiring women. On the front of the special feature is Fatima Moolla, centre manager at SmartXchange Port Shepstone. Fatima is one of the South Coast’s leading businesswomen who developed her astute business etiquette and hard work from a very young age. Her dynamic leadership has produced amazing results at the Port Shepstone incubator (Page 10). We salute Clarissa Johnston and Laura Strugnell who have recently returned from the Toyoko Olympic games where they competed in the artistic swimming event (Page 11). Also on page 11, Dr Ahmed Shaikh comments on higher education and the need to ensure that curricula are relevant in the current world. From the health front, Dr Fareed Amod of Crown Dental Studio advises on the removal of wisdom teeth and VR Wend have found a solution to help people combat the mental health crisis (Page 13). FreeMe Wildlife is a trauma and rehabilitation facility located in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands requiring support (Page 14). On the back page David White provides some insight into the Professional Employer Organisation industry. Don’t forget to watch the videos through QR codes. Open the camera on your phone (or use a scanning app) and hover steadily for 2-3 seconds over the QR Code to see the video.

The much-anticipated 9th Ugu Film Festival will run in Port Shepstone from 23 to 26 September 2021. The festival will feature dynamic local and international film screenings, talks and industry-driven workshops that give filmmakers and artists a platform to showcase their talent. “The KZN South Coast has long been a key destination for local and international film production companies in search of natural assets and a hospital work environment,” explained Phelisa Mangcu, CEO of Ugu South Coast Tourism (USCT). “We’re excited to, once again, play host to the Ugu Film Festival which brings the film industry’s best talent to the region, and highlights why this continues to be a leading location for production companies.” Hosted by Zindela Pictures and supported by the National Film and Video Foundation (The NFVF), Ugu South Coast Tourism (USCT), Saigon Cowboys Pictures, GS Bookings and Aroma Pictures, this year’s Ugu Film Festival will be a hybrid model with both a physical event and online version available. Organisers can accommodate a limited number of in-person attendees alongside its online format, in line with Covid-19 regulations. “We remain grateful for the support from both the festival audiences and our partner stakeholders that constantly ensure that every year we host a festival that not only entertains its audiences through the screening of films, but uplifts and educates its audiences,” said Senzo Zindela, CEO at Zindela Pictures. The festival will feature talks that include, among others, script-writing, film regulation, policy and law industry, film financing, film production and distribution, as well as the art of film development and film funding. These will be offered by industry professionals including NFVF representatives, internationally acclaimed directors and producers, as well as representatives from the local Ray Nkonyeni Municipality. There will also be some significant feature films screened, including: The Hell City directed by Tebogo Mmela and starring Patrick Shai (opening film) Besekgreti directed by Siyabonga Zulu (closing film) Anger Origin directed by Raphael Chilis Mhlongo Minenhle directed by Happiness Mpase uKhumbuzile directed by Sanele Ndlovu Illusion directed by Sylvain Boayaga (Cameron) Nyara directed by Ram Ally K, Cece Mlay (Tanzania) After the Night with Valerie directed by Alex Garnett (United States) Everything is False by JeanMarie Villeneuve (France) The KZN South Coast as a film destination In addition to the annual Ugu Film Festival, the KZN South Coast attracts leading production companies, among them international film crews that visit every year to film the planet’s greatest biomass migration, the Sardine Run. The KZN South Coast remains a leading film destination for a number of reasons: Ideal climate: Filming with year-round warm weather and sunshine. Diverse aquatic locations: Two Marine Protected Areas at Aliwal Shoal and Protea Banks, waterfalls, tidal pools, rivers, estuaries, lakes and dams. Unique cultural attractions: KwaXolo Caves, Isivivane seNkosi uShaka, the KwaNzimakwe Multi-Trails, and Ntelezi Msani Heritage Site; the world’s smallest desert–Red Desert; age-old lighthouses and a shipwreck site. Diverse landscape: Indigenous coastal forests, Blue Flag beaches, 11 golf courses, nature and game reserves, parks, cliffs, gorges and valleys. Wildlife: The Sardine Run and whale migration, bird and wildlife at game and nature reserves. Ease of operations: Filmfriendly municipal by-laws. Ease of accessibility: The on-site Margate Airport, King Shaka Airport in nearby Durban and direct access to the N2. Great accommodation: Everything from the budgetfriendly self-catering units through to five-star resorts. A proven track record: Filmmakers include Discovery, National Geographic and Nat Geo Wild, as well as feature filmmakers and television crews. To discover more about the KZN South Coast, download the free ‘Explore KZN South Coast’ app from Google Play and Apple stores, or visit www.visitkznsouthcoast.co.za .  Alternatively, visit the ‘South Coast Tourism’ Facebook page, or follow @infosouthcoast on Twitter.  To register and confirm attendance to the Ugu Film Festival, email to registrations@uguff.org and rsvp.uguff@uguff.org For more information, follow the ‘Ugu Film Festival’ Facebook or visit www.uguff.org #KZNbusinesssense

The Association for The Aged brings the end of Women’s Month to a momentous close as they celebrate their Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Femada Shamam, who has been short-listed for the 2021 Standard Bank KZN Top Business Women Initiative. The initiative recognizes some of the industrious and enterprising female entrepreneurs, employees and social change agents in the province of Kwa-Zulu Natal. It comprises a 3-month build-up to the main event, sharing the stories and showcasing the achievements of ten participating women in the province through webinars, print and social media. Tafta CEO, Femada Shamam, who has been instrumental in changing the lives of so many older people over the last two decades; has been profiled as one of the participating women in this initiative. Shamam began her career at Tafta in 1999 as a young newly qualified Social Worker and Service Centre Organizer at John Dunn House, having previously worked at Tongaat and Districts Child Welfare. She quickly propelled to the helm of Tafta’s social agency and team of social workers in 2003 when she was promoted to Head of Tafta’s Social Agency Department. She then continued with her studies, attaining a first-class pass for Business Management and completing her Bachelor of Commerce degree. Since then, she has assumed various management roles within the organisation until she was assigned as Chief Operations Officer in 2016. Soon after, Shamam was appointed as Tafta’s Chief Executive Officer in April 2017. Compassion and commitment to providing uncompromised care has seen Shamam dedicate 22 years to serving the elderly through her position at the Non-profit Organization and by serving on several local, provincial, national and international forums dedicated to lobbying for rights of the elderly. "My guiding belief has always been that a better life for the elderly is possible. The transition from working directly with the elders to managing the staff and the programme presented an opportunity to effect change in a different way. My inspiration is drawn by the successes of the staff whom I lead. Their joys, their achievements and their successes spur me on to be better and do better,” said Shamam. Shamam and 9 other phenomenal women participating in the Standard Bank KZN Top Business Women initiative, will share their stories and offer the insights gleaned from their individual experiences and journeys, through an interactive online webinar series. For an opportunity to learn from potential role models and gain valuable insights to help your personal, career or business growth, join in on the first webinar going live on Thursday, 2 September 2021 at 6:30 PM. Visit www.kzntopbusiness.com/webinar-registration to save your spot. For more information, you can visit the KZN Top Business Women Facebook page or contact Tafta’s Prevashni Naidu on 031 332 3721.

Dominic Collett, the current President of the iLembe Chamber of Commerce, has been elected as the new Chairperson of the KwaZulu-Natal Business Chambers Council (KBCC). Dominic take over the reins from Akash Singh, the outgoing Chairperson who is also the immediate past President of the Durban Chamber of Commerce. Dominic Collett, the current President of the iLembe Chamber of Commerce, has been elected as the new Chairperson of the KwaZulu-Natal Business Chambers Council (KBCC). Dominic take over the reins from Akash Singh, the outgoing Chairperson who is also the immediate past President of the Durban Chamber of Commerce. Judith Nzimande (President of the Zululand Chamber of Commerce) was elected as Deputy Chairperson whilst Melanie Vaness, the CEO of the Pietermaritzburg Chamber, is the new Treasurer. The KBCC is the umbrella body for business associations in KwaZulu-Natal. Current members of the KBCC include the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Minara Chamber of Commerce, the Pietermaritzburg Chamber of Business, iLembe Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, the KZN Growth Coalition, the Zululand Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce, Kokstad Chamber of Commerce, the KZN Youth Chamber, FABCOS and NAFCOC. Dominic, a Civil Engineer by profession, is Principal and Market Segment Leader with Dutch engineering conglomerate Royal HaskoningDHV. Judith Nzimande, the first female President of the Zululand Chamber of Commerce, holds the role of General Manager: HR with Richards Bay Coal Terminal Proprietary Limited (RBCT) and leads the Human Resources and Corporate Affairs Department. Melanie Veness has been the CEO of the Pietermaritzburg Chamber of Business since February 2011. She chaired the Chamber CEO’s Forum at the South African Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SACCI), and served on the SACCI Board. She currently serves on the KZN Economic Council.

As part of its commitment to creating sustainable communities and to emphasise the importance of Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) in growing local economies and helping create jobs, Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) this week launched its flagship Supplier Development Programme (SDP). As part of the launch RBM also honoured the first cohort of beneficiaries of the Supplier Development Programme. The beneficiaries represent diverse businesses from manufacturing to purified water. All these suppliers went through the most vigour process of vetting and gap analysis identification and yet through it all they stood firm as they all displayed a hunger to learn and to better their businesses. The two-year-long programme helps deliver on this commitment through the development of technical skills, providing funding support and facilitating a broader access to markets for programme participants. At the launch, Werner Duvenhage, RBM`s Managing Director, said: “Our aim is to create an inclusive procurement process that will allow us to shift spend to local SMEs and transform our supply chain. It is imperative that our supplier development and procurement efforts are geared towards addressing unemployment and poverty alleviation, two of the most pressing challenges in our country, particularly in rural areas.” The company’s commitment to SME development is closely aligned to the regulatory requirement of the Mining Charter III, which seeks to improve the procurement of goods and services from historically disadvantaged persons (HDP). “Our mandate is to create an environment where suppliers from our host communities could compete in procurement opportunities whilst ensuring that they have the capacity and technical skills required to fulfil contractual obligations as they remain commercially viable and competitive” said Lebogang Kgomongwe, RBM Supplier Development Manager. A key success factor to supplier development is a holistic approach to the business development lifecycle which starts with the identification of preferential procurement opportunities in the business. “As an organisation we believe that if done right, supplier development can indeed empower our local suppliers and help to bring about strong supply chain that can help build sustainable businesses,” added Kgomongwe. Duvenhage added that the Supplier Development Programme has a deliberate focus on women and youth as the two groups usually are at the receiving end of unemployment and limited opportunities for growth and development.

The Signature Collections Resorts are the pride and joy of The Holiday Club. Located in the most sought-after holiday destinations in South Africa, these family focussed resorts are regularly improved and maintained, in keeping with The Club’s promise to provide top quality holidays. The Holiday Club is part of The Beekman Group, backed by almost 50 years' experience, expertise and infrastructure to ensure that this promise is kept. High Quality Standards The Club has embarked on a massive standardisation project across all its Signature Collection Resorts to make sure that Club Members may expect consistent superior standards and experiences during their holidays. Holiday Club Leisure Benefits Club Members enjoy complimentary access to most on-site resort facilities and special discounts for facilities that are charged for as well as exclusive rates at selected nearby partner attractions. Where are the Signature Collection Resorts Located? BEACH RESORTS Umhlanga Cabanas, Umhlanga, KZN North Coast Dolphin View Cabanas, Umdloti, KZN, North Coast Boulder Bay, Ballito, KZN North Coast Illovo Beach Club, Illovo, KZN, South Coast Banana Beach Club, Melville, KZN South Coast Margate Beach Club, Margate, KZN South Coast The Aloes, Pumula, KZN South Coast Sea ‘n Sky, Uvongo, KZN South Coast Sunshine Bay Beach Resort, Jeffrey’s Bay, Eastern Cape Royal Wharf, St Francis Bay, Eastern Cape Placid Waters, Sedgefield, Garden Route Formosa Bay Resort, Plettenberg Bay, Garden Route Royal Atlantic, Sea Point, Western Cape Table View Cabanas, Bloubergstrand, Western Cape BUSH RESORTS Waterberg Game Park, Waterberg Region, Limpopo Hazyview Cabanas, Hazyview, Mpumalanga Falcon Glen Hot Springs Resort, Highveld, Mpumalanga Dikhololo, Brits, North West BERG RESORTS Kiara Lodge, Clarens, Northern Drakensberg Cayley Lodge, Central Drakensberg Qunu Falls Lodge, Southern Drakensberg BEYOND SA’S BORDERS Sandpiper Dunes, Erongo Region, Namibia To find out more about The Holiday Club, please click here.

In today's digital marketing landscape, it's common to hear the question, ‘Is print dead?’. The answer is a resounding ‘no’. Despite the digital revolution, traditional marketing has not gone bust. The world is full of digitally connected devices that are always on. Businesses send and receive marketing messages, alerts, and adverts via numerous platforms, apps, devices, and websites. However, recent trends reveal that a company that bases its marketing strategy only on consensus opinion, such as ‘print is dead’, is destined to fail. If you do exactly what your competitors are doing (i.e., moving exclusively to digital marketing), then by definition, you lose your competitive advantage. SO, IS PRINT STILL DEAD? It's 2021, and print is very much alive and presently facing a resurgence. Of note in South Africa some magazine titles that were shut down in 2020 have resumed printing and new titles have emerged. The future of print remains bright as long as there is a need to communicate and find novel ways of doing so. In addition, print can provide a welcome and much-needed screen break that seamlessly compliments and strengthens your digital campaigns. HOW PRINT FITS INTO B2B MARKETING TODAY Printing is now cheaper in some instances, and like most things in business, various factors affect its price. Which means you get what you pay for. When using print for B2B marketing, consider the following ideas: · Take your most popular content piece and create a print asset. Formerly, a brochure would do just fine. However, today's printing options are more flexible. · Print your most popular or universally applied eBook as leave-behind booklets for meetups and presentations. · Use print to support your online presence and digital marketing. · Collect your top performing digital pieces (e.g., blog posts) and edit them for print publications. · Reinforce your customer relationships using printed content. You can produce small batches of select printed content and send it to your valued customers. It will be a welcomed surprise when they find a high-quality magazine or book in their mailbox. · Physical branded assets, such as books or magazines, have an intrinsic value. For example, having your printed content sitting on the desk of some of your biggest clients is a form of promotion, especially when it acts as a conversation starter between decision-makers. THE BOTTOM LINE So, is print still dead? Far from it. It's presently enjoying a resurgence as one way for individuals to disconnect from a noisy online world. It's also a trusted and tangible medium that provides an emotional connection and longevity that you cannot replicate by screen. In fact, it's safe to say that print has the potential to disrupt other digital media channels. It can prove quite useful for B2B marketers. It's unique enough to command the attention of your target audience and compel them to explore something they otherwise might not have.