Search Results

This is my new discovery for 2021 We're all trying to save money in every possible way and through this prepaid offer, you and your business can obtain discounts on diesel for your vehicles. With this baby you register online at BT CORP FUEL MANAGEMENT Fill in your business details and your car/s details and create an account. After you have completed this quick approval process and deposited some funds, you determine where you want to pick up your discs from. In my case, I collected my disc from my local Clicks store which was there in three days. I stuck the disc on to my vehicle’s windscreen and I was good to go, saving 70 cents off each litre of diesel purchased at a participating service station. The cash back accumulated each month is credited to your account. What a win. This deal is brilliant for us in what we would call the Bakkie Brigade . Its the first real deal for the SMMEs But there is no reason why you shouldn't cash in if you have a bigger fleet. mail the office tracy@topbusiness.co.za Grant Adlam

The COVID Day Care Facility set up at Ahmed Al Kadi Hospital in Durban, erected over this past weekend, has proven to be a success, filling the gap for those patients requiring care but not overnight hospitalisation. Patients can access the care and treatment required in a hospital setting with the relevant specialist onsite and available, to properly assess and manage them. This allows for beds to free up in the main hospital facility for those patients who require urgent hospitalisation. The Covid Day Care Facility, which was a first of its kind facility in the country, was set up as a matter of urgency, by several NGOs and humanitarians led by Muslims for Humanity (MfH) and including Natal Memon Jamaat (NMJ), Islamic Medical Association (IMA), Caring Sisters Network (CSN), Al Imdaad Foundation, Darul Ihsan Humanitarian Centre and Jamiatul Ulema KZN. Whilst initially a 20 bed facility, the capacity has since its opening over the past weekend increased to a 36 bed facility. “It is a triage centre as well as a facility offering day outpatient support and services to COVID patients by ensuring proper assessment and outpatient management in a bid to prevent hospitalization. Examples of such services include IV therapy and oxygen therapy. We will try to prevent the serious onset of symptoms with a routine outpatient visitation schedule including radiology and pathology studies, for patients to be properly managed in a hospital setting to prevent the serious onset of COVID symptoms”, commented Ebrahim Asmal the Hospital General Manager at Ahmed Al Kadi Hospital. In addition, it is important to note that this is a joint CSI project partnership with several NGOs and humanitarians, with a commitment that “no patient will be turned away due to lack of funds” Asmal, further stated. This facility was set up in a short space of time to support the hospital during this second wave of this national disaster. Due to demand for similar facilities, the group of NGO’s and humanitarians have since set up similar facilities at Midlands Medical Centre in Pietermaritzburg, Daymed Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, Hibiscus Hospital in Port Shepstone and Hibiscus Cato Ridge Hospital. “These 4 additional facilities will be fully operational between tomorrow (Monday, 11 January 2020) and Tuesday, 12 January 2020. This will bring the total number of facilities set up to five,” commented Imraan Jooma the Project Coordinator and NMJ representative in this joint relief initiative. Jooma further commented that since the opening of the first facility at Ahmed Al Kadi Hospital, there have since been requests from all over the country to set up similar facilities due to the unfortunate rising need. At this moment, the group is assessing how quickly it can set up the other facilities and whilst there is no shortage of funding and equipment to set up these facilities, the biggest challenge is finding the necessary skills and resources to man these facilities. These sentiments were further echoed, by Dr Yakub Essack, National President of the IMA who stated that frontline workers especially doctors, nurses and paramedics were physically and emotionally drained with their efforts over the past few weeks. Commented Essack, “The second wave is putting a strain on the medical staff, many of whom are also being inflicted with the Covid virus and unfortunately some of them are succumbing to this pandemic. This is of course not only reducing the availability of human resources at medical facilities but also posing an emotional drain on frontline workers. However, we are constantly adapting and quickly finding solutions to assist in setting up these facilities”. MfH further stated that in times of need and crisis it was heartfelt to see volunteers, donors and humanitarians contributing whatever skills and resources they had available at such short notice. The skills that each of these NGOs bring to this initiative are complementary to one another and it was due to the cooperation and willingness of these NGOs to work together as well as the support of the various hospitals and their management that these facilities were set up within hours from planning. We are working in equal partnership with all the NGOs as well with the private hospitals in a public/private partnership. Our humanitarian groups jointly sets up each facility, with each of us contributing whatever resources we have and thereafter the private hospitals manages and runs the facility. Once operational, our group continues to provide support services include counselling and other assistance required to each hospital, its team members and especially the patients. Currently, discussions are underway with provincial health authorities to extend such facilities to the state hospitals that are also in need of similar assistance. In the interim, and as part of the ongoing relief efforts of the group, R 500,000 worth of oxygenators was donated through the group to Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Phoenix and Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital in Umlazi. Both these facilities are operated by the Kwa-Zulu department of health. Funding for these oxygenators was raised through an initiative led by a group of Durban humanitrians to assist in procuring urgently needed medical equipment for medical facilities throughout the country. Due to national demand for such similar facilities, other NGOs, humanitarians as well as hospitals were invited to a Zoom Meeting held on Friday 8 January 2020. The purpose of this meeting was to enlighten interested parties on setting up such similar facilities in the rest of the country and how this public/private partnership and initiative has worked thus far. For further details or if you have interest please contact Imraan Jooma, the Project Coordinator of the Covid Day Care Facility at imraanjooma@gmail.com.

BREAKING NEWS B-Active Events SA, the owners of the TinMan and Ultra Triathlon Series have made the decision to move the upcoming TinMan event on the 17th January to the 21st February. They have also therefore moved the 2021 Durban Ultra Triathlon, scheduled for the 21st February to the 14th March, the date that was previously reserved for Iron man SA. These date changes for the events have been brought about due to the current Covid-19 resurgence and Level 3 lockdown restrictions, says Race Director Damian Bradley. “We are very sad and disappointed to have had to make these changes, but it’s the right thing to do for our athletes and for the Sport. We are hoping and praying that South African’s respect and obey the current regulations so that the events can start up again in the near future. The Upcoming events for the TinMan and Ultra Triathlon Series are: 21st February – TinMan #1 7th March – TinMan #2 14th March – Durban Ultra Triathlon (Sprint & Ultra) 17th April – ULTRA X Athletes who have entered any of these events will not lose their entries, competitors entries will be automatically transferred to the new date of the event. Athletes who cannot make the new event date can contact our Race office at: support@bactive.com We wish all our athletes a very Happy New Year and we encourage you all to respect and follow the current lockdown restrictions so that events can open back to normal soon. To enter for your next event, go to www.entry.bacgtfive.com Keep Safe and Happy Training! The B-Active Team. Hi

Patrick O’Neill, the Fleet Sales Director at Key Truck, New Germany has had a long history of working in the motor industry. O’Neill started as a technician with Key in 1993. He explained that he really loves to work with cars but after a year on the bench his enjoyment of interfacing with customers saw him being promoted to service advisor. He progressed through several roles within the branch – director, foreman, workshop controller, sales manager and after sales director. His solid performance resulted in him spending four years running the workshop at the Pietermaritzburg Key branch until he was approached by Renault to work in the Gateway franchise where he became dealer principal. After the Renault company was sold, O’Neill joined Key Trucks New Germany as a salesman. After six months, he was promoted to manager and one year ago was provided an opportunity to buy shares in the company and became a director. He now leads a team of four highly trained sales executives to support fleet companies. “I see myself as a leader, not as a manager; a manager manages systems and computers. I will never expect something from my sales staff if I didn’t test it myself.” “I have a passion for customers and a passion for Isuzu. I spend a lot of time with them,” said O’Neill.

What makes DNA Auto Centre unique? DNA Auto Centre is a premier car service centre in Durban North, KwaZulu-Natal. We are one of the largest and busiest Bosch certified, AA quality assured service centres in KZN and we pride ourselves on the exceptional customer service. DNA Auto Centre is owned by three brothers – Dinesh, Neren and Ashen – who are all under the age of 35 and run some of the best Bosch Car Service franchises in South Africa. Our directors are hands on and actually work on the customers’ vehicles as well as check service standards personally. We always maintain our high service standards and remain market leaders in our field. You are the number one ranked BOSCH car service Centre, and have a maintained RMI five-star graded facility. What is the reason for the incredible Google ratings that DNA Auto Centre receives? The Google ratings are from our customers, and those amazing reviews are the impartial comments left by our satisfied clients who want to share with others the type of service experience they have experienced at DNA Auto Centre. We don’t just service cars; we provide a unique service experience, and we provide solutions to people’s motoring needs. That’s what sets us apart from the rest. We want to provide a ‘wow’ service experience, so that when customers go home it becomes a point of conversation among friends and family. Our biggest source of referrals comes from our customers. DNA Auto Centre has been successful in creating customers, that create more customers for us. We as DNA are destined for fantastic things… What are the benefits to bringing my car, as an individual to be serviced by you? The DNA Auto Centre is not just about servicing your car. You become part of our family. DNA Auto Centre is here to look after your car so that you can carry on with your life. We also offer breakdown services and a pickup and delivery service. We have an industry leading service facility and offer high levels of customer service. Our service reception is a coffee shop environment, and we have a business centre with free wi-fi, and a copy centre. This environment allows our busy clients to continue with their day’s work for an hour or two, whilst their vehicle is being serviced by our expert technicians. Franchise dealers will tell you that you are obligated to service your vehicle with the franchise OEM agent for the duration of the vehicle warranty in attempt to keep customers with the franchise agent for a longer period of time. The reality is that whilst under warranty, franchise dealers have held on to the right to service your vehicle. However, in reality, customers can bring their vehicles to us for repair to wear and tear items such as wiper blades, tyres and brakes, or any other item not covered by the OEM agent warranty. Of course, this will change when the Competition Commission rule in favour of the Right2Repair campaign (R2RSA). What this means is that vehicle owners will have the right to have their new vehicles (that are still under factory warranty), serviced at our award winning service facility. Our technicians are constantly being sent on training courses so that we have the latest technical data and repair capabilities. This level of technical ability enables us to service any model of vehicle. What services do you offer to fleet owners? We handle many vehicle fleets, some comprising of up to 2000 vehicles. We pride ourselves on our fleet maintenance department. We keep fleet vehicles on the road, and we minimise the down time as we understand that fleet companies need to keep moving. We carry out evening services for fleets, as well as servicing over the weekends. Through time management and work processes, we have engineered a way to manage the fleet company’s expectations in terms of getting their vehicles back on the road within the shortest possible time. Do you offer any additional benefits to fleet companies? Fleet companies are entitled to special service and labour rates. We have a free towing service, we have an after ours call out service, an in-house diesel centre, and an in-house auto electrician. We don’t send our work out, as we have all these experts in-house. From which areas do you draw your customers? We have customers throughout KZN and from as far as Eastern Cape, who are prepared to bring the vehicles to us because we are the best at advanced vehicle diagnostics. Clients from other provinces use us as a preferred service centre when they visit KZN. What back up services do you have in South Africa? Being a part of the largest aftermarket car franchise in the world – Bosch Car Service – means that we carry a national warranty on all services and repairs that we carry out. We also offer a free one-year AA assistance to all our customers who service with us. Where is DNA Auto Centre situated? DNA Auto Centre is conveniently situated at Unit 22, Greenfield Business Park, which is on the corner of Chris Hani and Rinaldo Road, Durban North. You can Google us on Google maps and that will bring you right through to our front door. Contact us on T: +27 (0)31 569 1417 E: info@dnaautocentre.co.za www.dnaautocentre.co.za Facebook: DNA Auto Centre-PTY Ltd Instagram: dna_autocentre Google maps: https://bit.ly/3mmONYD

It’s the age of the digital transformation. Companies are transforming their processes, delivery models, and overall approaches to business in an effort to adapt to constant change. Technology capabilities are integral to every organization’s success—agnostic of region, industry, or size. How to build flexibility and adaptability By: Emily Carr, Margot Dileno, and Elise Vu According to an independent Deloitte study in collaboration with MIT-Sloan, 87 percent of surveyed business leaders believe that technology will disrupt their industry. This statistic shows that organizations at large are aware they need to equip themselves with the technological skills to advance but leaves room to contemplate the readiness of individuals. The Deloitte and MIT-Sloan study also found that 91 percent of responding companies do not believe their talent can compete in the digital workplace. So how do you prove the cynics wrong and make yourself a valuable part of the 21st-century workforce? In the first part of this series, “How to stay relevant in a digital world,” we will outline how you can build flexibility and adaptability in order to get and stay ahead as you move along on your own digital transformation journey. Getting started: Switch it up. Routine can stifle creativity and hinder your ability to alter your thinking process. Trying a new route to work, listening to a new podcast, approaching problems at different times of the day, and participating in conversations you normally wouldn’t take part in are all small tweaks that can make a big impact. Be open to differing opinions. If you’re typically a reactive person, work on becoming proactive and anticipating responses or ideas that may not align with your thinking. Put yourself in others’ shoes to understand their experiences (both personal and professional), build empathy, and enable a more open mind. Practice this through brainstorming sessions with colleagues who offer diversity of thought through different experiences and backgrounds. Don’t get caught up in the uncertainty of the future; make changes day by day. This will help you incrementally manage ambiguity and unknowns as your environment continues to change. Technology is moving at a faster rate than we are able to keep up with, so focus on how you can improve yourself and your skills on a daily basis.

Basil Williams, the founder and director of Afya Foods, became interested in nutrition on a personal level after discovering the benefits of making healthier food choices and experiencing the direct impact on his own health and wellness. Williams ascertained that he wanted to be involved in some sort of health enterprise that benefitted the masses. He explained, “I thought that was the best way to help people in South Africa, where we have a high level of lifestyle diseases. I wanted to make something out of my purpose, which is to help people and to create a legacy for generations to come.” He added, “I always knew that I did not just want to work for somebody and live an ordinary life.” Consequently, Afya Foods was founded in 2015 and supplies four products – Afya Rolled Oats, Afya Sorghum and Afya Mealie Meal (coarse and fine). All products are unrefined meaning that they have high amount of fibre, which helps ensure a healthy gut. An important aspect of eating unrefined foods is that they help control glucose levels. Of significance all four products are NOT genetically modified (Non-GMO). “This is how nature intended and we have given them to you in that form,” explained Williams. He added, “We are currently the only company in the country supplying yellow non-GMO mealie meal, rolled oats and sorghum (amabele or maltabella) that are certified and endorsed by The Glycaemic Index Foundation of SA (Low GI), the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Vegan Society of South Africa and Diabetes SA.” These endorsements make Afya Foods very unique in the food business especially in the carbohydrate sector. “All four of our products are geared not to create havoc with your sugar levels,” says Williams. Afya Foods tries to source its raw material (grain) from local and regional farmers – especially poor subsistence farmers who are willing to grow grain according to specifics to meet the product offering requirements. Williams prides himself on the fact that the company is creating jobs directly through employment opportunities at Afya Foods and indirectly through using local farmers to grow the grain. Afya Foods has overcome a number of obstacles to bring its products to market and the last five years have had many challenges. Apart from setting up the company and acquiring premises, the milestones were to overcome the financial burden of getting all four products tested – including vigorous laboratory testing – where nutritional analysis of all products is performed, which comes at great cost, explained Williams. This testing was required prior to obtaining endorsements from the various foundations and societies, which was a long process. Another milestone was in obtaining a regular supply of non- GMO yellow maize from Agri-South Africa. The raw rolled oats are imported, a supply of these also had to be negotiated. Ensuring that the packaging was of high quality and attractive was another milestone. Williams explained, “Fortunately for Afya Foods we have done a lot of work behind the scenes, especially to get the packaging right, which is important to the consumer and to the shopkeeper. We did a three year pilot project where we tested the market to see what perception we would get before we started in earnest on the product production. Afya Foods has cracked that part and the market is ready and waiting for us.” Afya Foods is now taking its product to market and occupies a niche market in the health section of food stores. All four products are available in over 200 stores including selected Spar stores, Food Lover’s Market stores, The Veggie Shop and Oxford Food stores. www.afyafoods.co.za

Earning a proud reputation of “We Help Grow Healthy Families” Bluff Meat Supply and Mndeni Meat Group are master butchers, consistently delivering quality at affordable prices. Just like the ever-changing dynamics within the South African market, the group has adapted to the needs of the South African consumer. Founded in 1960 from humble beginnings on the Bluff, this family run business has grown into becoming KZN’s favourite family butcher. In 1986 Mndeni Meat outlets started and the group, now known as Bluff Meat Supply Foods, has grown into a multi-faceted meat enterprise, encompassing both retail and manufacturing entities. With 13 Bluff Meat Supply retail outlets and four Mndeni Meats retail outlets, “Your Family Butcher” can be found at various locations in KZN. More recently BMS opened its new Pinetown premises, relocating from Suffert Street to 25 Henwood Road, in order to offer the community a bigger and wider range of specialised cuts at affordable prices. “The new store has some great new features such as our dry ager, which allows the meat to cure over a period to provide a more unique and tender flavour,” said Cameron Belling, Bluff Meat Supply, head of marketing. As professional master butchers, BMS Foods source the best quality ingredients from reputable local and international suppliers, which guarantee the freshest meat and meat products at your nearest Bluff Meat Supply . Look to BMS Foods for any Beef, Lamb, Pork, Chicken and Processed products. They always have a wide variety of all these products in stock freshly cut and prepared or made to order. Bluff Meat Supply and Mndeni Meat Group are master butchers, consistently delivering quality at affordable prices.

The announcement to cancel large events by Premier Sihle Zikalala comes at a time that traditionally is a busy and economically important period for the region. Having events over the festive period translates to positive economic spin-offs for local businesses. However, it is a fact that the infection numbers are increasing exponentially, and we are therefore supportive of measures that will reduce risk to the lives of our citizens which, in turn, will aid economic recovery in the long term. Despite the decision announced by the Premier, we remain optimistic about Durban. If we are able to get on top of the infection rate in the short term, the better positioned we will be to avoid deeper losses for the economy and make the road to recovery for businesses more achievable. As the economy gradually reopens, we can expect to see increased economic activity. We believe that continued cooperation between the public and private sectors is key to regaining control of the infection numbers. It is critical that we all stay focused on achieving a decent balance between the preservation of lives and livelihoods. We therefore urge both corporate and community citizens of eThekwini to continue to adhere to safety protocols, obey all applicable bye-laws and respect fellow citizens in order to defeat Covid-19. It is critical for businesses at this time to continue to innovate and be agile in order to adapt to the changing circumstance brought about by the changed restrictions and regulations. Staff training refreshers and candid family conversations around Covid-19 at this time will serve us all well to avoid more serious consequence. For more info, contact the Durban Chamber on: T: +27 (0)31 335 1000 E: info@durbanchamber.co.za W: www.durbanchamber.co.za

The Memorandum of Understanding between the Minara Chamber of Commerce (MCC), South Africa and the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), Pakistan was signed on 10 November 2020. Mr Osman Ashraf, senior vice president of RCCI, while addressing the chamber representatives at the occasion, echoed their commitment to help local businesses in Pakistan to connect with international companies and chambers thus encouraging international trade. RCCI also invited the MCC, to visit Pakistan for an Expo organised by RCCI scheduled from 31 March 2021 to 5 April 2021. Mr Asgar Mahomed, Deputy Vice-President MCC informed on the occasion that MCC make efforts to promote businesses based on Islamic values in South Africa. The Chamber also expressed interest in facilitating trade delegations from Pakistan in order to strengthen trade ties with the Pakistani business community. The Commercial Secretary from the Trade Commission of Pakistan appreciated the efforts made by the both chambers of commerce to sign the agreement and facilitate trade between the two countries. The ceremony closed with commitments from both sides to facilitate and enhance trade relations between the members of Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Minara Chamber of Commerce. Tel: +27 (0)31 208 1898 E: kzn@minara.org.za / gtn@minara.org.za W: www.minara.org.za

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a number of changes and difficulties to the business world, to the extent that many businesses are in distress or even on the brink of business rescue. The SAICA Business Emergency Room will offer businesses support through access to a panel of business advisory experts. This service is purely an advisory service and not an implementation service. The primary target market is business, including members in business and members in practice that service business. If you or your business need help, kindly register at the link below to get in touch with an expert who will give you advice, free of charge. How the Business Emergency Room programme will work After registering, business owners will be able to set up virtual or telephonic appointments with the experts, to have a consultation/advisory session at no cost. Sessions will be limited to one (1) hour each. SAICA will facilitate these meetings between 18 January 2021 and 29 January 2021. The specialist areas of advisory are: · Cash flow management · Funding, grants, incentives applications · Business strategy · Business continuity processes · Business rescue Please follow the SAICA Business Emergency room Application form at www.kwiksurveys.com/s/iT29CgnF#/0 to register. Email bronwynb@saica.co.za for more information and enquiries. Note: This service will not be dealing with issues of tax measures related to the Disaster Management Act and UIF related matters. For SAICA’s content in this regard, visit http://www.accountancysa.org.za/covid-19/

When you become a member of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), you are offered access to an established network where legitimate business can meet and engage. The Durban Chamber’s strategic purpose is to help create a conducive business environment that facilitates and promotes economic growth in the region. For this reason, the Durban Chamber offers its members a bouquet of exclusive member benefits. These deals were created to provide members with another service to add value to their Chamber membership. This programme offers a unique combination of promoting member to member buying, boosting sales for members, and increasing member visibility. “In the current challenging economic environment, no business, no matter the size or industry, is immune to the operational and revenue pressures being experienced across business sectors,” said Durban Chamber CEO, Palesa Phili. During 2020, the Durban Chamber worked on an exclusive member benefits package for active Chamber members to include a total of 24 value-adding benefits, which were based on member input and requests. The Chamber has negotiated these agreements to provide exclusive benefits valued in excess of R50 million, an unprecedented injection of direct value into member businesses. The benefits are offered in the form of preferential pricing or discounts as well as free service opportunities. By taking advantage of the member benefits tremendous savings on doing business is possible. Benefits offered such as discounts on new vehicles, tyres, hotel accommodation, car hire, vehicle services, catering, coaching, and training can help you save hundreds, if not thousands of Rands every year. “As part of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s ongoing support to a member network of approximately 3 000 SMMEs and 54,000 informal businesses in eThekwini and beyond, we have looked for value-adding benefits, securing tangible value that will alleviate pressure on the bottom line of our member businesses,” explained Phili. Over the year, this member benefit programme has continued to evolve with more benefits being offered by participating Chamber members. Other new benefits are currently being negotiated, which will offer some exciting discounts to members. However, currently many of the benefits that have been negotiated are not being fully utilised by members. Consequently, the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry is working towards ensuring that all Chamber members are aware of and can easily access the range of benefits. To this end the Durban Chamber Mobi app will be used as a platform to both promote and access the member benefits. An added platform to ensure that all required control measures is currently under development, which will be launched in January 2021. A further ‘referral benefit’ being developed will provide a means for Chamber members who refer other members to a service provider to be rewarded once a transaction is successfully concluded. Member to member referrals and benefits are a great way to attract new customers, build relationships with current customers, save money and to strengthen our economy. Please visit page 8 and 9 to see the current benefits available from participating members. To participate as a supplier in the benefits programme, your business must be a member in good standing of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and industry. For more information, please contact tracy@topbusiness.co.za