Brownsense mag #3

MAY/JUNE 2018 ISSUE NO 3.

BROWNSENSE

#CELEBRATEAFRICA

FOODIE MAGAZINE

CONTENTS

editor's note, p3

your money, p4 secure payments start here, and it makes cents

books, p6 health is wealth

food, p7 healthy recipes from edlyn serge

community, p8 bella legacy: doing it for our girls

beauty, p9 winter glow up

#circulatetherand, p11 hot #buyblackmonth specials

credits words - team brownsense brownsense market images - shots of inspiration photographyÂ

From inception, BrownSense was created as a means to address a pain in the brown community. For centuries, we have been excluded from meaningfully taking part in the mainstream economy, which was built off the sweat of our backs. The rallying cry of economic freedom is at its highest since the dawn of democracy, and as a group, we have within it us to change the story of our people, and by extension, our country. In the United States, it is said that the lifespan of the Dollar in the Asian community averages 28 days, and 19 days in the Jewish community, compared to just 6 hours in the African American community. There are no official numbers for South Africa, but it is safe to make similar assumptions. We can only truly thrive if we make a point of being one another’s customers, and use the money to improve our communities. The BrownSense Markets @ the Farm and @Joziburg were created with this idea in mind. BrownSense Wallet helps us do it securely, both as customers and as business owners. We’ve declared the month of May, which happens to be Africa Month, #buyblackmonth. It’s a month during which one can start to be deliberate in being part of the solution, both as a customer and as a business.

Let's strive to normalise buying black.

Make It Trend: #circulattherand

- KTD -

NOBODY CAN GIVE YOU FREEDOM. NOBODY CAN GIVE YOU EQUALITY OR JUSTICE OR ANYTHING. IF YOU'RE A MAN, YOU TAKE IT. - MALCOM X

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YOUR MONEY

Brownsense Wallet: Secure payments start here, and it makes cents Mzuzukile Soni

We saw our first scam in 2016, when the BrownSense

Now prior to this, I had already been toying with the

group had a membership of under 10 000. A

idea of an e-procurement platform (watch this space),

member had maid an upfront payment for a printing

which would provide secure e-commerce transactions: a

job. The service provider in question disappeared

platform with an ESCROW functionality.

with the money, stopped taking the customer’s calls, and just simply turned cold. We had no processes

Time came and went, and we introduced was a

back then, i.e no feedback@brownsense.co.za e-mail

complaint process, and ran safety campaigns from time

address, where such could be reported to. So I went

to time. These campaigns have come to be called

undercover to investigate this guy. One click on his

Qaphela!, and we have used these to advise Brownies to

profile showed we shared two mutual friends on

be more diligent, and avoid making upfront payments

Facebook.

without having made some due diligence. At the beginning of 2018, we introduced the Red List, a list of

And so I turned to our two mutuals. One of them did

businesses and individuals that have been found to

not have much to say. She just knew him, but not

violate the group’s rules. In the list, one will find

enough to make a judgement call or comment on

scammers, trolls, etc. and the list was created to give

his character. And she didn’t have his phone number.

Brownies the power of information.

The second one made some calls, and came back to me with the same number the complainant had.

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Know who you are dealing with.

YOUR MONEY

Soon after, the opportunity for the development of

And, once it is a norm to transact in this manner, we will

BrownSense Wallet presented itself. That this was a

also have a more meaningful and impactful way to track

sorely needed service was a no brainer, as it would help

just how many times the Rand circulates within the

reduce the occurrences of scamming, restore the levels

Brownie community before it gets out: the reason why

of trust between customer and service provider, and

we are here to begin with.

give integrity to the BrownSense platform. Finally, BrownSense Wallet is here!

To start making secure payments with BrownSense Wallet, simply click on the BrownSense Wallet logo

BrownSense Wallet is not just about making and

below to sign up.

receiving payments: it's also about automatically creating data and reports that are relevant to your

The first four months starting from 1 June are free, and

business. Since starting BrownSense, I have noticed a

thereafter there will be a monthly membership fee of

significant number of people who use Excel or Word, to

R10. For the complete fees schedule, click the link

create invoices. What this tells me, is that they manually create data, and if they ever do collate all the

We welcome any feedback via

information, it would be a tedious exercise. Through the

wallet@brownsense.co.za.

Wallet, one has access to a dashboard used to create a catalogue of products, manage stock, and have meaningful insights that would help the business improve.

The Wallet has the following functionalities: Securely process payments for online transactions Eliminate fraud in online transactions Invoice clients Pay employees Facilitate recurring payments Remit money Pay bills Request money from loved ones

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YOUR MONEY

So, you want to start a Property Stokvel?

Tshepo Moloi You wouldn’t be the first and you certainly won’t be the last. While property stokvels are hot topics at the moment, they’re hardly a new idea and you might be asking why you should take an interest? Many have tried before and not always been successful so why should you consider this particular type of investment club?

REASONS TO START OR JOIN A PROPERTY STOKVEL

• A vehicle which keeps pace with (or beats) inflation

Let’s start with the obvious:

Stokvels are traditionally vehicles of consumption; members

• Economic inclusion

make their contributions but the funds are depleted at the end

South Africa is a country still plagued by massive

of each year or eaten away by inflation from lying in the bank.

inequality and one of the best ways to level the economic

To change this, stokvel clubs need a change of mind-set: to

playing field is to encourage access to land ownership. As

shift from a consumption mind-set to an abundance or wealth-

young entrepreneur Nicolas Manyike says “There’s no

creation mind-set. This is crucial for a successful investment

freedom without financial freedom, ownership of land and

stokvel club such as one involved with property management.

properties”. But how do we go about creating this

• Access to more properties, faster

economic inclusion you ask, when property is such a huge

A property investment stokvel club provides members with a

expense? This is where collective buying power comes in.

means to own a share in a larger property portfolio and to do

We truly can do more, together.

away with a 20 year home loan (group buying power means

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can either be bought and paid for cash OR purchased in a much shorter space of time than the typical 20 year term). There are some pitfalls to watch out for, in order to make sure your stokvel club succeeds as an investment vehicle for property ownership, but there are already existing examples of South Africans making it work: Nicolas Manyike from Property Investment Stockvel This 24 year old entrepreneur born and raised in Mkhuhlu, Bushbuckridge was the driver behind the initiative with a focus on buying land and properties that will generate an income for its members. “The property Stockvel is true radical economic IMAGE SOURCE: IOL

transformation, we want to create wealth that will allow us to retire comfortably at an early age, but most importantly, to create a legacy for the next generation. We have engaged with property experts and property Management Company that will manage the properties," he said. "We want to buy land and properties in places where there is competitive rental income and which are close to working areas and educational

NICOLAS MANYIKE

“Ok,” you say, “it sounds good”. I’d love to own shares in a property investment company that earns rental income each month and accrues value as the properties appreciate each year, which I can also leave to my children one day. But it sounds complicated? Where do I even start?

Start with People You Trust While it can seem challenging to begin with, the best place to start is with the right people, right from the beginning! You want to look for like-minded individuals who understand business and who understand real estate and the benefits of property as an investment who are willing to go for it with you for the long haul. You want to be careful about sifting out those who want to be involved for the benefits, but who are not actually committed to the long-term goals and success of the initiative. One way to go about making certain new members who’d like to join are truly committed is to ask for a onetime joining fee. If they’re not prepared to pay the joining fee, it shows that they’re not really serious about investing. Also, ideally try to keep clubs to no more than 20 members (it becomes impersonal if the club is too big). Experts advise 8-10 members is ideal.

Do Your Homework Lay out a clear binding constitution for your stokvel investment club. You are ultimately aiming to become a registered real estate company, and this should be mentioned in the constitution. You may need to vet one another as members (including looking at payslips, credit records etc.), because ultimately you will be shareholders of a business in the future. Determine rules and penalties for defaulting. What will happen when someone defaults on their contribution? What will the withdrawal process be when someone wants to take money out of the club or later on, sell their shares in the business? What will the buyout process look like? You must create an exit strategy on paper for your investment club. These tips and more are part of due diligence which every potential business owner must work on before launching new ventures in order to protect themselves from unnecessary disputes and legal battles further down the line. Decide on who will be your club Chairman,

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your Chief Investment Officer, club Secretary and club Treasurer. Remember that each of these have unique roles to fill, and ensure that the people selected or nominated for each role are a good fit, and can be relied on to perform their duties with care. Decide on a regular set meeting day and time. People are creatures of habit, and if you know the first Saturday of the month is your stokvel property investment club meeting, you are more likely to stick to it. Try to make meetings educational and sociable as well.

Set Goals Set realistic short, medium and long term goals for the club. Perhaps your short term goals include all the necessary paperwork involved in registering the club? Maybe medium term goals include ensuring all members commit to contributing R2500 per month for the next 12 months in order to purchase the first property? Perhaps a longer term goal would then follow that you’d like to register a formal PTY Ltd Property Management Company prior to your first property purchase?

Insist On Good Record-Keeping And Transparency and Accountability The Treasurer and club Secretary need to be highly conscientious about record-keeping, one pertaining to the finances and the other to attendance, agendas, minutes and general club communication. One of the way to ensure transparency and accountability amongst all members as well as keep them up to date on club activities is via the StokFella app – South Africa’s fastest growing stokvel management tool. StokFella makes payments and claims so much easier for members and also keeps you updated on upcoming meetings, withdrawals and much more.

Tshepo Moloi is found of StokFella, an app that simplifies recordkeeping, planning meetings and governance of stokvels.

The People’s Fund is a crowd funding platform for small black owned businesses with a certain edge. They’re the one in a million. The 1%. Our primary objective is to use the buying power of the masses to build the economy one business at a time.

A determined collaboration between Brownsense, The HookUp Dinner & Paybook; The People’s Fund is a platform that allows people who want to play a key role in the economy to have a measurable impact. www.thepeople.co.za

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BOOKS

HEALTH IS WEALTH South Africa is in the grips of a major health crisis. While research shows that as much as 70 percent of our country’s population of women is overweight, childhood hunger robs our children of the ability to focus and excel in school. It seems like quite the schizophrenic conundrum, but at the heart of both problems rests the issue of diet: what we consume, and how we consume it. Strokes, heart disease, heart attack, type 2 diabetes, gout, osteoporosis, arthritis and obesity are all illnesses that are borne from an unhealthy lifestyle: consuming food with no nutritional value, and a lack of exercise. With a growing middle class with disposable income, South Africa is fast becoming a Mecca for fast food brands that are looking to expand beyond developed nations, and it’s not uncommon to witness a sea of South Africans spilling out of the opening locations of American brands we associate with pop culture.

A qualified body-conditioning specialist, Edlyn Serge is passionate about playing his part in getting South Africans healthy, and his book Create A Balance aims to help everyone follow a healthier lifestyle. Cognizant of the economics first and foremost, has ensured that all the meals in this book cost under R100 each, feed a family of four, and exercises can be done anywhere.

To order, Contact: 062 082 6277 Cost: R280 Includes postage to a post office near you.

R350 includes postage to your door.

Edlyn Serge edlyn_serge

edlynserge4fitness

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FOOD

DETOX WATER 1\2 small lemon 1 strawberry sliced 1\4 apple sliced A few fresh mint leaves 1\4 teaspoon of cinnamon 750ml of water

EGG AND SPINACH MUFFINS 1 pack of spinach (cut up) 12 eggs 1\2 glass of fat-free, soya or almond milk spices: salt, pepper and parsley Soak the spinach in hot water for 10 minutes.

Crack the eggs into a bowl and add the milk.

Add a teaspoon of salt, pepper and a handful of fresh parsley into the bowl.

Beat the eggs until stiff.

Cut up the spinach finely and add it to the mixture.

Add the mixture into a blender and blend for 30-45 seconds.

Preheat the oven for 5 minutes on 100 degrees.

Spray the muffin baking tray with spray and cook.

Pour the mixture evenly into the tray.

Put the tray in the oven and bake until its done.

Great for breakfast, or as a snack.

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Why does this work? Cinnamon improves circulation, thins bloods and manages sugar levels. This results in few sugar cravings, you eat less and can control your calorie intake.

Apple: Vitamin C, also known as absorbic acid, synthesizes collagen, which can help your skin look better. It also helps to repair and maintain bone density, teeth and improves healing ability .

Strawberries help fight carcinogens and contain anti-ageing properties such as biotin and antioxidant elegiac acid, which help prevent sagging skin Mint helps to improve digestion and gets rid of stomach cramps. Lemon stimulates the digestive track and helps with constipation.

Note: after 3 refills of water, change the fruit!

image and recipe courtesy edlyn serge

COMMUNITY

BELLA LEGACY: DOING IT

FOR OUR GIRLS

IF YOU HAVE EVER VISITED THE BROWNSENSE MARKET @ THE FARM, OR @JOZIBURG, YOU HAVE NO DOUBT BUMPED INTO MATEFO MORAKENG. A pint-sized ray of sunshine on any given Sunday, she quickly gets serious when talking about the challenges faced by girlchildren in our country when it comes to menstruation. Matefo muses, “As a product, pads speak directly to me. Some families have to make the difficult choice between buying sanitary pads, and buying food, which in the end means girls end up using cloths, dangerous items such as newspapers and toilet papers, or anything that can help during menstruation”. It’s a sobering thought, considering government provides free condoms which are widely available countrywide.

Reflecting on World Menstrual Hygiene Day, Matefo says one of the biggest challenges around the issue remains the mystery around menstruation. “In some cultures, talking about menstruation is still a taboo, and it results in girls and women not being adequately armed with the right information and resources to help them during their time of the month. We also still have areas where ablution facilities leave much to be desired, and some do not even provide for privacy”, adds Matefo.

While government works at getting sanitary wear zero-rated – tax free, it’s important to recognise that all citizens play a part in solving such issues; “BrownSense Market has been one of our best platforms so far. Many people who support us identify with the plight of women and girls, and often do not even ask many questions. Brownies have really stepped up to the plate with their generosity and their wallets”, she says.

Matefo adds that national government could take a page out of Kenya and KZN’s playbook: a free pad policy in girls’ schools.

Join us by contributing towards someone’s annual pad allocation: R180 - 12 months supply R90 - 6 months supply R45 - 3 months supply Bella Legacy ABSA Account Number: 4092003216 Branch code: 632005 Ref:Your Name & Number BrownSense Wallet 0799457067

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BEAUTY

WINTER GLOW UP.

Love your hair and skin, even during the winter months.

HAIR: Hydration & Protective Styling Healthy hair, from root to tip Steam treatments are key for fighting the loss of moisture and hair breakage in Winter.

Using a Deep Conditioning cream, steam treatments help to open up the pores on your scalp and allow the conditioner to penetrate the hair shaft to provide your hair with nutrients and much needed moisture.

Another option to shield your hair from the harmful Winter elements is to don a wig. The quality of the hair is a big factor to consider when choosing a wig. We recommend pure virgin hair because it looks more realistic and it can be dyed and heat-styled like regular hair. Excellent quality hair can last you up to 4-5 years or longer if you are more experienced in caring for it and using the best aftercare products. We stock quality hair, whether it’s 10A or 8A Grade ranging from Straight, Bodywave and Curly.

Enquire in-store for wig pricing.

Scalp treatment and blowout (60 min) R280.

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From the drop in temperatures to the severe dry, cold air, Winter can be harsh on one’s skin. Save your skin, this winter, with these simple tips!

Petroleum products have little to no nutritional value and hydration value for your skin. Use wholesome, natural oils to help your skin retain moisture. Good ingredients to look out for include shea butter, castor oil, jojoba oil, avocado oil and generally any naturally occurring butter. Studio Moma uses Corium Naturals' devinely wholesome and luxurious Body Butter, which is choc-ful of shea butter and healthy carrier and essential oils.

The dip in humidity levels in the air calls for use of a richer moisturiser on the face. Facial moisturisers can be enhanced by using them in conjunction with serums to boost elasticity and help lock in moisture. In addition to the correct home-care routine, your skin can be improved by doing professional facial peels, as they help to accelerate the natural shedding process of the skin. Facial peels also help to enhance the skin’s appearance making it more radiant whilst also targeting skin imperfections such as pigmentation, acne, environmentally damaged and aging skin.

We recommend the RegimA 30% or RegimA 50-90% peels, for R550 and R620 respectively. Both are 75min long.

AFRICA MONTH PROMO* Use the promo code BUYBLACKATMOMA and get 20% off your treatment!

Book online NOW in less than 2 minutes: www.studiomoma.co.za

Corium Naturals Body Butter R180

"DROP THE PETROLEUM, AND SAY YES TO FACIALS AND PEELS" Studio MoMa is a luxury grooming studio located in Parktown, Johannesburg offering a bespoke-design nail bar, beauty studio, barber shop, and hair salon catering to both Afro and Caucasian hair. At Studio MoMa we help you fit grooming into your day, we strive to give both men and women excellent service and an unparalleled experience.

*Bookings and service must take place on or before 30 June. Discount is applicable to services only and not on retail products. Management reserves the right to validate all information provided.

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#BUYBLACKMONTH

BrownSense | 14

#CIRCULATETHERAND

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Black Leadwood table was R34000 now R16600 ex delivery cost @ Lowe Furniture & Decor Contact 0797794284 for appointment to view this piece, and more

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BrownSense | 15

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GET INVOLVED.

SUBMIT EDITORIAL CONTENT #BUYBLACK SPECIALS ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES MAG@BROWNSENSE.CO.ZA