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After the great news yesterday from TSA and the Government we are very excited for our first post lockdown TinMan race which is coming up on the 25th October. Entries have been very slow and so we encourage you to please enter and bring some friends to join in the fun. We are talking to the contractor doing the power lines under the cycle circuit and we will have an plan to use the circuit if not completed by race day. This is the first triathlon event for us and you after 8 months and we need your support and “gees” to make it a race to remember. The new running route and transition layout will be tested out for the first time and although COVID regulations and limits are in place, it’s going to be an exciting day out. More info and entries are available here: https://www.entryninja.com/events/75862-2020-tinman-2

After an agonising 8 month hiatus and a 2 month wait while the National Govenment and Triathlon SA reviewed B-Active's Covid Race protocols and applications, B-Active SA has finally recieved their approvals! Triathlon is now back and what better way then to celebrate with the upcoming TinMan Series (25th Oct) , Sun City Ultra Triathlon (1st Nov) and the Joburg Ultra Triathlon (6th Dec)  B-Active Events, who have not staged an event for over 8 months are delighted to finally get the stamp of approval from the national Government and Triathlon SA. While the events are fully approved, the Covid-19 regulations still apply and certain restrictions on events will be here for awhile. Race Director from B-Active, Damian Bradley had this to say " We are absolutley esctatic to be able to start work again. I never through we would be able to survive 8 months with no events, but where there is a will, there is a way! We do ask all our competitors around the country to please support our now operational events, we have taken a massive knock but the worst is now behind us and we look forward to staging world class events again for our competitors around our beautiful country"  Entries for the Sun City Ultra Triathlon event have just been extended until the 20th October, so secure your individual or Team place now and we will see you on the starting line on the 1st November.   See you on a starting line soon ! The B-Active SA Team Email us TO ENTER AN EVENT (click here)

Join motivational speaker, business coach and multiple award winning entrepreneur, Cindy Norcott for a two day business retreat. RSVP to Cindy Norcott by the 15th October. Email: cindy@proappoint.co.za

https://youtu.be/BTJLtbQRGwo

Pollution and greenhouse gas emissions have fallen considerably as governments across the world try to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Quarantine, the closure of international borders, and a reduced need for transport, have drastically altered energy demand patterns, providing a picture of what a world with reduced air pollution might look like. In April 2020, daily global carbon emissions fell by 17% compared with average levels last year. Emissions of this level were last observed 14 years ago. A reduction in ground surface transport accounted for 43% of this figure, with emissions from industry and power generation also accounting for 43%. Interestingly, although the aviation industry has been most impacted by the global lockdown, it only accounts for 3% of global emissions. Unfortunately, with the return of economic activity, the reduction is unlikely to last. While unprecedented, its contribution to combatting global warming has been relatively small. In South Africa, daily CO2 emissions plunged by 22.4%. However, with the relaxation of lockdown levels, this is set to be the maximum decrease. Data collected in 2017 shows that the country is the world’s 14th largest emitter of fossilfuel CO2 emissions and the largest emitter on the African continent. The country’s domestic economy is powered by coal, which accounts for approximately more than 80% of emissions. It is of the utmost importance that South Africa changes to lower emissions fuel for the sake of the environment and its sustainability. Compressed Natural and Methane Rich Gas boast lower emissions than coal, diesel, HFO, paraffin and LPG. Not only do they thereby benefit the environment, they save significant costs on fuel storage/transportation and reduce the costs associated with the newly promulgated Carbon Tax for fuel combustion. SLG, which is the country’s largest supplier of compressed natural gas, also facilitates technical feasibility studies, regulatory licenses, risk assessments, installations, commissioning and post-installation technical and safety training as value added services. Reference Source: Living – Earth Day 2020: Startling photos show pollution before and after the coronavirus lockdown. – By Hannah Sparks T: +27 (0)31 812 0555 E: info@slgas.co.za W: www.slgas.co.za #KZNbusinesssense #slg

For the first time we as a country and as a world have experienced a severe pandemic which has affected even first world economies. Covid 19 has shaken the world, which is in the process of rebooting and ensuring that countries reprioritise from capitalism to a people centred society. The rich will be poorer, the poor will be starving, governments will be realigned with competent leaders hopefully and healthcare will be prioritised. In South Africa, we are fortunate that we have amazing citizens, businesses and organisations who have selflessly assisted people in need by providing relief with food distributions and support to the disadvantaged people of our country through various projects. In doing so they have risked their health and lives to help others. The Minara Chamber of Commerce under the leadership of its President Solly Suleman and supported by the board of directors from the beginning of this pandemic created platforms for businesses to communicate, seek advice and engage government on various matters through our collaborations and relationships with officials which has to a great extent provided relief to many businesses and individuals. We encourage you to join as a member from as little as R500 per annum. The membership is not only a contribution to the organisation but entitles you to member benefits such as: · Engaging local and national Government on matters pertaining to businesses, specific to your business · Mediate on your behalf for business visas that may be delayed · Collaborations with foreign embassies to source legitimate suppliers and guidance to the country’s specific business procedures · Networking, training, information seminars and workshops · Women and youth focused events to support specific challenges and promote opportunities · Business support to membership and providing leads when available · Promotion of import and export opportunities · Outbound delegation opportunities including travel incentives as available by partner forums · Advertising on Minara social platforms (guidelines provided) The next 24 to 60 months are going to be very challenging and many businesses will close up, millions will be out of jobs, relief organisations will run out of funds. We will engage with our members and identify those amongst you that can be of assistance to help restart businesses, provide funding, expertise in support and re-engineering businesses, identifying new opportunities whether in retail, wholesale or manufacturing. Skills development, training, youth and women empowerment is more relevant now than before. To join the Chamber today email kzn@minara.org.za for the application form. http://www.minara.org.za

Dr Fareed Amod of Crown Dental Studio says, “As September is national Oral Health Month in South Africa, this is a good time to pay extra attention to your dental care routine”. The COVID-19 pandemic is having wide-ranging impacts on our everyday lives, including delaying scheduled dental and other appointments. In a recent statement, the South African Dental Association (SADA) commented that dentistry is essential healthcare. The statement further commented that without doubt, ‘oral health is integral to overall health and neglect and delay of certain treatments may lead to extensive damage and increased financial implications to correct’. Two of the world’s most common health problems affect the mouth; these being tooth cavities and gum disease. Being aware of any changes in the mouth and not waiting for any pain or discomfort to increase is important in maintaining your teeth and gums. Consequently, ‘routine’ dental care should not be delayed further. Now that we have reached lockdown level two, September is when you should be scheduling a visit to your dentist. Dr Amod said, “Maintaining good oral hygiene habits is essential. Currently, gum disease ranks second to the common cold in terms of frequency. An estimated 90% of South Africans will experience gum disease at some time in their lives. Therefore, looking after your teeth and gums is an investment in your long-term well-being!” Dr Amod offers the following tips for maintaining good oral health: 1. Brush your teeth twice daily for 2 minutes and remember to change your brush every 3-4 months 2. Floss frequently 3. Have a healthy diet 4. Be aware of any changes in your mouth such as changes in colour of gums and teeth; sensitivity to cold or hot; clenching or grinding of teeth 5. Get regular dental check-ups This advice is supported by SADA, which holds that dentists have a role in evaluating, diagnosing, preventing, or treating oral diseases, which can adversely affect systemic health. Gum disease has been linked to coronary heart disease, adverse pregnancy outcomes and diabetes. New research also shows that women with gum disease find it harder to conceive. In order to maintain your oral health, the Crown Dental Studio practice hygienists are also on hand to provide cleaning and polishing treatments, preventative fluoride applications, as well as stain-removing and brightening treatments. As dental treatment is naturally high-risk due to the unavoidable contact with patients, Crown Dental Studio practices strict sterilisation and disinfection protocols. Crown Dental Studio is one of the few truly 24-hour dental practises in Durban as this is not limited to emergency dentistry treatment. T: +27 81 207 8621 E: info@dramod.co.za W: www.dramod.co.za

With the advent of Women’s Day and having the privilege to listen to a plethora of powerful women’s inspirational messages, I thought it appropriate to deliberate on the importance of women navigating their careers and reaching the heights they aspire to. Looking at women’s successes globally, Fortune magazine highlights some of the most powerful women in business such as Marilyn Hewson, Mary Barra and Sheryl Sandberg to name a few. Forbes further goes on to say last year was a ground-breaking year for women in business. Notably Sheryl Sandberg was named the No 1 most powerful businesswoman currently. With only 5% of CEOs in the Top 40 JSE listed companies, how can women navigate the business world and aspire to leadership positions? As an executive coach, having journeyed with aspiring leaders to leadership positions, key themes always arise, such as visibility, emotional intelligence, reinvention, etc. To navigate questions and ideas that come up from the themes above, we work with the GENOS Emotional Intelligence Model. The tool covers six competencies: self-awareness, awareness of others, authenticity, emotional reasoning, self-management and inspiring performance. The model can be briefly unpacked in the context of your career’s progression as follows: 1. SELF-AWARENESS: Women need to invest in understanding themselves better to master their own lives. One of the assessments used is the PDA (personal development analysis). Through a simple, precise, and scientifically validated methodology, the PDA describes and analyses the behavioural profile of individuals, identifying their talents, motivators, strengths, agility, self-control, self-confidence and job matching. Knowing this information about yourself gives you the opportunity to identify your strengths and play to them. Understanding the contribution you can bring to a role, and knowing your unique skill set, will set you apart. 2. AWARENESS OF OTHERS: Understanding the concept of awareness of others, gives you the ability to learn to adjust your style so that it fits well with others. Engaging with and accurately viewing situations from others’ perspectives gives you an advantage of anticipating responses from others which will set you up for success at that boardroom table. 3. AUTHENTICITY: Knowing your limiting beliefs e.g. “I’m not an expert” or “I don’t have time” will enable you to work at them and still be your authentic self. Sheryl Sandberg notes in her book “Lean In” that women have internal barriers and external barriers. By working on your internal barriers of limiting beliefs you can still come from a place of authenticity at the boardroom table. 4. EMOTIONAL REASONING: Through demonstrating this competency a woman can gain an expansive view of situations. Women tend to be great at relationship building but not for the reasons of being visible and for leverage. Women can still be their authentic selves if they use emotional reasoning to understand the context within which they work and to use relationship building as an opportunity for growth by leveraging such relationships. Strategic, focused networking will set women well on their career trajectories. The key is to ask for guidance and employ a mentor. 5. SELF-MANAGEMENT: Set a plan for your professional life and personal development. Be someone who strives for continuous learning. Put yourself in uncomfortable positions by putting your hand up for stretch assignments or difficult tasks. Remember you will grow your confidence and visibility through this effort. It is good to take risks (calculated). 6. INSPIRING PERFORMANCE: Women need to encourage women peers and subordinates to aspire to develop and grow. Sponsor and mentor women in your workplace. If it’s in your capability, help facilitate other women’s development and afford them the opportunity to advance their careers. Should you be a decision maker in human resources or learning and development and are looking to develop or update your succession management model in terms of job matching and to identify competency gaps and implement the required development plans for your aspiring leaders, then reach out to us on the details below. Let us partner with you to allow your employees to grow and reach their potential. Alternatively, if you are an established and/or emerging women leader who wants to embark on a journey of selfdiscovery and fast track your career and/or business growth, engage with me on the details below so you can gain clarity of intention and make correct choices congruent with your authentic self. E: michelle@one-solution.co.za W: www.one-solution.co.za

The South Coast Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently announced that Lulu Bodla has taken the reins of the Chamber and will serve as president for the next two year term. He is joined by Zama Memela as first vice president and Reshma Maharaj as second vice president. Roland Lemmer, director of communications company Innovative Problem Solving 77 is a new addition to the executive team. The rest of the Chamber executive will continue to serve namely: Johnny de Wet, Dick Basday, Sbu Blose, Thanda Ncane, Sharon Smith, Hilton O’Dwyer and Ivan Naidoo. “As with every new season, the Chamber executive committee will re-evaluate its role and will look to become more relevant to the needs of its members, the greater economy and the various stakeholders that we work with. The executive team will soon go into a season of strategic planning and will come back with a clear, relevant and high-impact strategy that will take the chamber into the future,” said Bodla. www.sccci.org.za

As part of a drive to identify opportunities for economic development in its host communities, Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) has procured 75 000 cloth face masks from four cooperatives, one from each of the mine’s four host communities. “Since the lockdown, which was part of Government’s comprehensive approach to managing the impact of the global Covid-19 pandemic, many businesses have struggled to stay afloat and hundreds of thousands of jobs have been lost. Small businesses in our local communities were some of the hardest hit which is compounding the scourge of unemployment,” explains Werner Duvenhage, managing director of Richards Bay Minerals. “We want to help communities become more resilient over the long term and that is achieved by creating jobs and generating sustainable incomes.” This initiative by the mining company is a much-needed boost to the local economy and has led to the creation of 88 employment opportunities. Just as importantly, the masks being manufactured by these small businesses are being distributed in local communities to support government’s efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. RBM spent R1.5 million during the first phase of the project and an additional R500 000 has been made available for the second phase, with delivery of the masks expected soon. The second phase of the project was initiated due to the increase in demand in local communities. “We hope that this project will help members of our host communities generate an income and that they will continue to be economically active beyond the life of the contract,” added Werner. The SMMEs contracted by RBM employ majority women and youth, which are vulnerable groups that normally struggle to make inroads in formal employment. South Africa’s unemployment rate is currently estimated at 31%, with youth unemployment said to be averaging 53%. Vusi Mhlongo, manager of Mackedama Dresssmaker Studio, one of the cooperatives that is manufacturing masks, said that he was encouraged by the support from RBM. He said the textile industry in South Africa has been under a lot of pressure due to imports and he hoped this initiative will create new opportunities for his company and others in the host communities. “I hope that this will show other big companies that township businesses are capable of taking on large projects,” he said. As part of RBM’s broader Covid-19 relief efforts , the mine has already contributed more than R6 million to assist local communities with the provision of water supplies, personal protective equipment (PPE), sanitisers and educational materials aimed at ensuring that communities are informed. This week, working with the Traditional Councils of its four host communities and two local NGOs, RBM distributed food parcels worth R1.2 million as part of its Covid-19 community relief programme. This was in addition to the R900 000 worth of food donations made at the start of the nationwide lockdown earlier this year. www.riotinto.com/en/operations/south-africa/richards-bay-minerals

Durban Chamber has launched an extended range of exclusive member benefits to help stimulate economic activity in the City. The Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry is pleased to announce that it is upgrading its exclusive member benefits package for active Chamber members to a total of 24 value-adding benefits, 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. “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. “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.” “Landing in the middle of a recession as it did, the outbreak of COVID-19, has wreaked havoc on the economic and business context in eThekwini, the province and the country as a whole. As we enter into Level 2, this is a deeply challenging period for businesses of all sizes and across all industries and that is why, as a member-focused organisation, we have been working tirelessly to ensure that businesses have access to the resources and tools required to maintain operations during this rebooting period of constrained economic activity.” “We are very grateful to the eThekwini businesses that have agreed to contribute discounts and savings ranging from motor vehicles and tyres to executive education, HR services, training, leisure/recreation, pharmaceutical services, and many more products and services. At a conservative 20% uptake, the value that is available to businesses through this program is R50m. Participating members who have contributed to this suite of exclusive member benefits, are: Accord Development Consulting Group; ActionCoach; Ahavah Consulting; Avis Budget Rent A Car; Cowey Park Pharmacy; Denzile Reddiar and Associates; DNA Auto Centre; Bosch Car Service; Epic Centre; eThekwini Toyota and Hillcrest Toyota; GAD Consulting; Icebolethu Group; Isuzu Trucks New Germany; Kofi and Eat Fresh; Makrosafe Holdings; McCallister Catering; Onomo Hotel; Pfirestorm; Profitshare Partners; Regent Business School; Samac Engineering Solutions; Subb10 Technologies; Sumitomo Rubber South Africa; and Barons Bluff (Volkswagen),” said Phili. These benefits are available exclusively to members in good standing. They may email benefits@durbanchamber. co.za to confirm that their membership account is up to date in order to start accessing their due benefits. For more information, visit www.durbanchamber.co.za

Local business coach, Marlene Powell, has been given the great honour of being announced as ActionCOACH’s global ActionMAN (woman) of the year for 2020. Twelve years ago, Marlene was the first woman to own an ActionCOACH franchise in South Africa. Marlene is based in KwaZulu-Natal and runs her coaching business from Westville. ActionCOACH is a business coaching organisation with over 1000 coaches representing 82 countries globally. The ActionMAN winner is a special award given by ActionCOACH’s Founder and CEO Brad Sugars to coaches and partners who have achieved great results and go ‘above and beyond the call of duty’. Only one coach is given this award at the annual global conference. Announcing the win, the master licensee for ActionCOACH South Africa, Harry Welby-Cooke explained that winning the ActionMAN award is an amazing achievement. “This is the most sought after award in the ActionCOACH circle globally and we are extremely proud of Marlene for bringing this award home to South Africa. It is rightly and justly deserved.” Marlene, along with Margaret Hirsch, executive director of the Hirsch’s group, has been hosting entrepreneurs’ workshops for fledgling entrepreneurs around the country on a weekly basis during lockdown. She also recently started a successful online business networking forum BizCAFE – B2B networking forum for business owners in South Africa. Both of these events are free of charge. www.marlenepowell.actioncoach.com