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Learnerships are recognised as one of the key vehicles to create work-ready skills for South Africa’s unemployed youth but EduPower Skills Academy is taking this a step further. The training provider is creating permanent job opportunities for its learners and during March, it could offer full-time employment to 20 of its graduates. “In 2019 the writing was on the wall that South Africa’s unemployment rate was going to skyrocket, and we decided to do something about it,” explains Rajan Naidoo, EduPower’s Managing Director. “The result is a powerful absorption model where we recruit, train, provide work experience and offer permanent job opportunities to our learners when they complete their learnerships.” EduPower piloted the model last year and during 2020, it absorbed three of its graduate learners. This proved so successful that it has resulted in the recent, much larger intake. “By 2022, we intend on creating job opportunities for more than 100 learners and we will continue to grow this number in subsequent years. The fact that more than half of these individuals are people with disabilities further confirms the strength of the model in creating life-changing employment opportunities,” Rajan adds. Some of the 20 graduates have been absorbed into the EduPower team and as a consequence, from April 2021, 70% of the Academy’s staff complement will be made up of its graduate learners. The majority of the employment opportunities being created by EduPower are, however, in entrepreneurship and the staff requirement to operate these small businesses. “We have successfully built our absorption model by working in collaboration with our sponsor clients, many of which are South African Blue Chip corporates,” says Rajan. “For B-BBEE Skills Development purposes, these companies sponsor the recruitment and training as well as provide partial funding for the absorption model. EduPower’s high-quality training and tried and tested model does the rest.” Rajan says that the Academy’s model is based on the philosophy and value system of training with a purpose – training is a means to an end goal and not the goal itself. Rajan explains this by saying that too many graduates with a post school qualification never get the opportunity to start their careers. Despite being talented, the only option for many of them will be to join the unemployment queue. This is partly due to the fact that businesses are reluctant to offer graduates their first job as they lack work history and references. In addition, few companies can fund the net loss that a graduate incurs in the first 12 months relative to their remuneration as they become job-ready. “EduPower’s model is designed to produce job-ready graduates who we are confident in offering jobs,” says Rajan. “Certification of graduates is important but to really shift the future for these individuals, they need employment opportunities where they can apply the knowledge they have acquired,” Rajan adds. “By creating jobs where these individuals can thrive, they can start generating sustained economic activity and become valued members of our core middle income group, the foundation upon which our developing nation rests.” Rajan believes that the best and most flexible training instruments to build this middle-income group is learnerships. The combination of theory and workplace experience offers individuals with or without Grade 12 an opportunity to develop the work-readiness they need to become economically active upon graduation. Through learnerships, unemployed candidates can also earn while they learn. Rajan concludes: “Learnerships really are life-changing for many people and through our absorption model, they are now also helping small businesses to flourish. That’s what makes the model so powerful – everyone in the model wins. The SME gets the kick-start it needs to grow and employ even more people, our learners secure long-term employment and our clients benefit because they unlock five bonus points on their B-BBEE scorecard for absorption.” Press release disseminated on Behalf of: Rajan Naidoo Managing Director of EduPower Skills Academy Disseminated by: Tayla Gibson Account Manager Say Watt

We are pleased to announce The Playhouse Company’s latest production The Broadway Revue, a deliciously off-beat mix of some of Broadway’s most popular showstoppers. The bright lights of Broadway are coming to The Playhouse Company this March in a high-energy musical performance: The Broadway Revue. The Broadway Revue is a deliciously off-beat mix of some of Broadway’s most popular showstoppers featuring a line up of KZN’s best musical talent including Haylea Heyns, Rory Booth, Thabile Mtshali, Lisa Bobbert, Aaron McIlroy, Marion Loudon, Lyle Buxton and Tshepo Ngcocoane. Devised and directed by Ralph Lawson, the show is a humorous ‘behind-the-scenes’ peak at the lives of the characters and the actors who perform them in some of the best-known and well-loved productions that have made Broadway history, including Dear Evan Hansen, Chicago, Wicked, The Lion King, Les Misérables and Phantom Of The Opera, to name a few. This performance will take place in the Playhouse Drama Theatre on the 31st of March at 19:00 and promises to provide an amazing spectacle that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Due to social distancing requirements, seats are limited. Tickets cost R100 and can be purchased online via WebTickets or via The Playhouse Box-Office — Phone (031) 3699 596/40. For press enquiries & images, contact Darnelle Fortune, Digital Marketing & Communications Coordinator. Telephone: (031) 369 9464. Email: marketingco-orddigit@playhousecompany.com

Learnerships are recognised as one of the key vehicles to create work-ready skills for South Africa’s unemployed youth but EduPower Skills Academy is taking this a step further. The training provider is creating permanent job opportunities for its learners and during March, it could offer full-time employment to 20 of its graduates. “In 2019 the writing was on the wall that South Africa’s unemployment rate was going to skyrocket, and we decided to do something about it,” explains Rajan Naidoo, EduPower’s Managing Director. “The result is a powerful absorption model where we recruit, train, provide work experience and offer permanent job opportunities to our learners when they complete their learnerships.” EduPower piloted the model last year and during 2020, it absorbed three of its graduate learners. This proved so successful that it has resulted in the recent, much larger intake. “By 2022, we intend on creating job opportunities for more than 100 learners and we will continue to grow this number in subsequent years. The fact that more than half of these individuals are people with disabilities further confirms the strength of the model in creating life-changing employment opportunities,” Rajan adds. Some of the 20 graduates have been absorbed into the EduPower team and as a consequence, from April 2021, 70% of the Academy’s staff complement will be made up of its graduate learners. The majority of the employment opportunities being created by EduPower are, however, in entrepreneurship and the staff requirement to operate these small businesses. “We have successfully built our absorption model by working in collaboration with our sponsor clients, many of which are South African Blue Chip corporates,” says Rajan. “For B-BBEE Skills Development purposes, these companies sponsor the recruitment and training as well as provide partial funding for the absorption model. EduPower’s high-quality training and tried and tested model does the rest.” Rajan says that the Academy’s model is based on the philosophy and value system of training with a purpose - training is a means to an end goal and not the goal itself. Rajan explains this by saying that too many graduates with a post school qualification never get the opportunity to start their careers. Despite being talented, the only option for many of them will be to join the unemployment queue. This is partly due to the fact that businesses are reluctant to offer graduates their first job as they lack work history and references. In addition, few companies can fund the net loss that a graduate incurs in the first 12 months relative to their remuneration as they become job-ready. “EduPower’s model is designed to produce job-ready graduates who we are confident in offering jobs,” says Rajan. “Certification of graduates is important but to really shift the future for these individuals, they need employment opportunities where they can apply the knowledge they have acquired,” Rajan adds. “By creating jobs where these individuals can thrive, they can start generating sustained economic activity and become valued members of our core middle income group, the foundation upon which our developing nation rests.” Rajan believes that the best and most flexible training instruments to build this middle-income group is learnerships. The combination of theory and workplace experience offers individuals with or without Grade 12 an opportunity to develop the work-readiness they need to become economically active upon graduation. Through learnerships, unemployed candidates can also earn while they learn. Rajan concludes: “Learnerships really are life-changing for many people and through our absorption model, they are now also helping small businesses to flourish. That’s what makes the model so powerful – everyone in the model wins. The SME gets the kick-start it needs to grow and employ even more people, our learners secure long-term employment and our clients benefit because they unlock five bonus points on their B-BBEE scorecard for absorption.” Press release disseminated on Behalf of: Rajan Naidoo Managing Director of EduPower Skills Academy Disseminated by: Tayla Gibson Account Manager Say Watt

We are pleased to announce The Playhouse Company’s latest production The Broadway Revue, a deliciously off-beat mix of some of Broadway's most popular showstoppers. The bright lights of Broadway are coming to The Playhouse Company this March in a high-energy musical performance: The Broadway Revue. The Broadway Revue is a deliciously off-beat mix of some of Broadway's most popular showstoppers featuring a line up of KZN's best musical talent including Haylea Heyns, Rory Booth, Thabile Mtshali, Lisa Bobbert, Aaron McIlroy, Marion Loudon, Lyle Buxton and Tshepo Ngcocoane. Devised and directed by Ralph Lawson, the show is a humorous 'behind-the-scenes' peak at the lives of the characters and the actors who perform them in some of the best-known and well-loved productions that have made Broadway history, including Dear Evan Hansen, Chicago, Wicked, The Lion King, Les Misérables and Phantom Of The Opera, to name a few. This performance will take place in the Playhouse Drama Theatre on the 31st of March at 19:00 and promises to provide an amazing spectacle that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Due to social distancing requirements, seats are limited. Tickets cost R100 and can be purchased online via WebTickets or via The Playhouse Box-Office — Phone (031) 3699 596/40. For press enquiries & images, contact Darnelle Fortune, Digital Marketing & Communications Coordinator. Telephone: (031) 369 9464. Email: marketingco-orddigit@playhousecompany.com

Book now to qualify for this fantastic special and treat the family to a happy Easter. Live the Onomo Hotel pleasure experience were business and pleasure meet. Receive an exclusive discounted rate when you book through the Durban Chamber Business Benefits Programme for conference room bookings. ONOMO Hotel Durban 56 K.E Masinga Road CNR Sylvester Ntuli | Durban 4001, South Africa www.onomohotel.com https://bookings.signatureluxhotels.com/durban/book/dates

Book now to qualify for this fantastic special and treat the family to a happy Easter. ONOMO Hotel Durban 56 K.E Masinga Road CNR Sylvester Ntuli | Durban 4001, South Africa www.onomohotel.com https://bookings.signatureluxhotels.com/durban/book/dates

The new Standard Bank KZN Top Business Awards categories continue to spark excitement and many nominations and entries are flooding our emails. The new categories are: · Business Innovation · Entrepreneur Resilience · Digital/System Implementation · Employee Wellbeing · Small Business Start-up · Community and Social Responsibility · Family Business The coveted KZN Business Personality of the Year and the highly contested KZN Top Brand are still available. To qualify to enter companies need to contribute to the KZN economy and have a proactive business model that adheres to the principles of King IV. You must aspire to achieve four governance outcomes: • Ethical culture • Good performance and value creation • Adequate and effective control • Trust, good reputation, legitimacy Companies must then provide evidence as to why they should win the award in the category selected. In particular how Covid -19 shaped your company is of relevance. For more information on entering visit www.kzntopbusiness.com If you have any questions about the awards, entry process or event, please email gayle@mweb.co.za or telephone 031 2671977.

The new Standard Bank KZN Top Business Awards categories continue to spark excitement and many nominations and entries are flooding our emails. The new categories are: · Business Innovation · Entrepreneur Resilience · Digital/System Implementation · Employee Wellbeing · Small Business Start-up · Community and Social Responsibility · Family Business The coveted KZN Business Personality of the Year and the highly contested KZN Top Brand are still available. To qualify to enter companies need to contribute to the KZN economy and have a proactive business model that adheres to the principles of King IV. You must aspire to achieve four governance outcomes: • Ethical culture • Good performance and value creation • Adequate and effective control • Trust, good reputation, legitimacy Companies must then provide evidence as to why they should win the award in the category selected. In particular how Covid -19 shaped your company is of relevance. For more information on entering visit www.kzntopbusiness.com If you have any questions about the awards, entry process or event, please email gayle@mweb.co.za or telephone 031 2671977.

The Playhouse Company presents Cape Town City Ballet Back On Stage from the 27th to the 28th of March 2021 in the Playhouse Opera Theatre. The production will feature of two works: MOON BEHIND THE CLOUDS and George Balanchine’s SERENADE. SERENADE is staged by Rebecca Metzger, performed to music by Tchaikovsky. MOON BEHIND THE CLOUDS is a collection of works developed during the pandemic by South African choreographers Veronica Paeper, Kirsten Isenberg, Yaseen Manuel, Lindy Raizenberg and Marlin Zoutman. It includes writings of Max Ehrmann which is narrated by acclaimed performer Marcel Meyer adapted by Nathalie Vijver with lighting design by Wilhelm Disbergen. The work also features sopranos Nozuko Teto and Hlengiwe Mkhwanazi in The Flower Duet taken from the Opera Lakme. These limited performances will feature the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra widely known as Africa’s premier orchestra. Tickets can be purchased at Webtickets at a cost of R100. Performance times are at 19h00 on the 27th of March and 14h00 on the 28th of March. Debbie Turner, CEO of Cape Town City Ballet said “We are delighted to be returning to Durban where we received such a warm response from audiences with our production of A Christmas Carol, We are grateful to our partners The Playhouse Company and the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra who have enabled us to bring the joy of these live performances to Durban after what has been a difficult year for many.” For press enquiries & images, contact Philile Ntimbane Marketing Co-ordinator Telephone: (031) 369 9409 Email: marketingco-ord2@playhousecompany.com

The Playhouse Company presents Cape Town City Ballet Back On Stage from the 27th to the 28th of March 2021 in the Playhouse Opera Theatre. The production will feature of two works: MOON BEHIND THE CLOUDS and George Balanchine’s SERENADE. SERENADE is staged by Rebecca Metzger, performed to music by Tchaikovsky. MOON BEHIND THE CLOUDS is a collection of works developed during the pandemic by South African choreographers Veronica Paeper, Kirsten Isenberg, Yaseen Manuel, Lindy Raizenberg and Marlin Zoutman. It includes writings of Max Ehrmann which is narrated by acclaimed performer Marcel Meyer adapted by Nathalie Vijver with lighting design by Wilhelm Disbergen. The work also features sopranos Nozuko Teto and Hlengiwe Mkhwanazi in The Flower Duet taken from the Opera Lakme. These limited performances will feature the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra widely known as Africa’s premier orchestra. Tickets can be purchased at Webtickets at a cost of R100. Performance times are at 19h00 on the 27th of March and 14h00 on the 28th of March. Debbie Turner, CEO of Cape Town City Ballet said “We are delighted to be returning to Durban where we received such a warm response from audiences with our production of A Christmas Carol, We are grateful to our partners The Playhouse Company and the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra who have enabled us to bring the joy of these live performances to Durban after what has been a difficult year for many.” For press enquiries & images, contact Philile Ntimbane Marketing Co-ordinator Telephone: (031) 369 9409 Email: marketingco-ord2@playhousecompany.com

Woodford Bid Press Release A platform that lets the public auction their car to more than 1000 trusted dealers In an industry-first, Woodford Bid – an established auction platform for selling cars to a large database of trusted dealers – is now offering the public the chance to list their personal vehicles on the website. Woodford Bid has been selling vehicles via an innovative, online auction platform since 2018, with a great degree of success in matching stock with interested dealers. Primarily, the vehicles on offer have been from de-fleets by large corporates or rental companies, ensuring a certain standard in quality and variety of stock that dealers have come to expect from Woodford Bid. In addition, the auctions are run via a fast, slick interface with the latest in technology that allows for a range of functionality and features that makes buying stock a breeze. An Immediate Success Since beginning, Woodford Bid has sold more than 5000 vehicles to a database of more than 1200 registered dealers, with a sales success rate of more than 60% on average. Buyers have been left with the confidence that they are getting the best stock at good prices, with support and service provided by a seasoned and efficient Woodford Bid team. With an overwhelmingly positive response from dealers who then started asking if they could list their vehicles for sale, Woodford Bid decided to take the next step in the evolution of the platform into a fully-fledged marketplace. Driven by a focus on technology, further functionality and features were developed to launch a system that opened the platform to any person – including public seller – wanting to load and auction their vehicle. A Game-Changer Woodford Bid allows for sellers to load a vehicle in a few minutes – by inserting the VIN number, the systems will automatically populate all details and the user just needs to add photos, do a damage recon, and set their reserve price. It’s as easy as that. At the next Woodford Bid auction, dealers will bid on the vehicle and – if the reserve price is met – the sale will go through seamlessly and safely. The seller will also receive real-time notifications and updates, as the auction is happening and when the vehicle is sold. There are no hidden fees or commission charged, other than a listing fee of R50 and an admin charge only once the vehicle is sold. Apart from the easy and simple system, the real appeal is the trusted group of buyers that the individual is selling to. All buyers are vetted dealers, who are guaranteed not to waste the time of the seller or have any payment issues. The approach is a potential game-changer for people around the country wanted to sell their car without the hassle and admin associated with listing the vehicle in a public space. Since launching the feature, Woodford Bid has already seen a great uptake with vehicles listed from outside of Woodford. In the last two weeks, more than 50% of these vehicles have been sold, at more than 10% above retail value, on average. Woodford Bid will continue to update the platform and develop solutions that are aimed at providing the best experience and results for users. If you would like to auction your car on the Woodford Bid platform, all you need to do visit www.woodbid.co.za and select the “Sell Your Vehicle” tab. You can also contact Anton at Woodford Bid for further information: anton@woodford.co.za

In an industry-first, Woodford Bid – an established auction platform for selling cars to a large database of trusted dealers – is now offering the public the chance to list their personal vehicles on the website. Woodford Bid has been selling vehicles via an innovative, online auction platform since 2018, with a great degree of success in matching stock with interested dealers. Primarily, the vehicles on offer have been from de-fleets by large corporates or rental companies, ensuring a certain standard in quality and variety of stock that dealers have come to expect from Woodford Bid. In addition, the auctions are run via a fast, slick interface with the latest in technology that allows for a range of functionality and features that makes buying stock a breeze. An Immediate Success Since beginning, Woodford Bid has sold more than 5000 vehicles to a database of more than 1200 registered dealers, with a sales success rate of more than 60% on average. Buyers have been left with the confidence that they are getting the best stock at good prices, with support and service provided by a seasoned and efficient Woodford Bid team. With an overwhelmingly positive response from dealers who then started asking if they could list their vehicles for sale, Woodford Bid decided to take the next step in the evolution of the platform into a fully-fledged marketplace. Driven by a focus on technology, further functionality and features were developed to launch a system that opened the platform to any person – including public seller – wanting to load and auction their vehicle. A Game-Changer Woodford Bid allows for sellers to load a vehicle in a few minutes – by inserting the VIN number, the systems will automatically populate all details and the user just needs to add photos, do a damage recon, and set their reserve price. It’s as easy as that. At the next Woodford Bid auction, dealers will bid on the vehicle and – if the reserve price is met – the sale will go through seamlessly and safely. The seller will also receive real-time notifications and updates, as the auction is happening and when the vehicle is sold. There are no hidden fees or commission charged, other than a listing fee of R50 and an admin charge only once the vehicle is sold. Apart fro m the easy and simple system, the real appeal is the trusted group of buyers that the individual is selling to. All buyers are vetted dealers, who are guaranteed not to waste the time of the seller or have any payment issues. The approach is a potential game-changer for people around the country wanted to sell their car without the hassle and admin associated with listing the vehicle in a public space. Since launching the feature, Woodford Bid has already seen a great uptake with vehicles listed from outside of Woodford. In the last two weeks, more than 50% of these vehicles have been sold, at more than 10% above retail value, on average. Woodford Bid will continue to update the platform and develop solutions that are aimed at providing the best experience and results for users. If you would like to auction your car on the Woodford Bid platform, all you need to do visit www.woodbid.co.za and select the “Sell Your Vehicle” tab. You can also contact Anton at Woodford Bid for further information: anton@woodford.co.za