Afropolitan 52

The proposed theme for this issue is The African Way and how it is expressed in a contemporary world. The lines between traditional and modern are being blurred.

The Western/European as the standard for everything is changing, albeit slowly, but changing nevertheless. We have to take a localised approach to the way we structure our lives, while taking into consideration global development and innovation.

COVER

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9 771993 965003 www.afropolitan.co.za | 2017 | Edition 52

Home of the Afropolitan

BUSINESS OF PRIVATE EDUCATION | REWRITING AFRICA’S NARRATIVE | GIFTING GUIDE 2017

CONTENTS

CONTENTS

6

THE GOOD LIFE

TAKING IT PERSONALLY

HEALTH

10 TRADITIONAL MEDICINE ON THE SHELF

FITNESS

11 FITNESS THE AFRICAN WAY

DESIGN

12 AFRICAN JEWELLERY DESIGN HAS

A BRIGHT FUTURE

TECHNOLOGY

14 THE REBIRTH OF FALLEN GIANTS?

TRENDING

16 CAN CROWDFUNDING TAKE

AFRICA FORWARD?

CULTURE

20 A NEW TYPE OF COLONIALISM

GROOMING

24 THE SKIN I’M IN

STYLE

27 PERFECTLY SUITED

FASHION

28 ADORNED BY AFRICA 30 BEYOND BORDERLINES

PROPERTY

37 INCREASING THE VALUE OF YOUR HOME 42 BUYING A HOLIDAY HOME

BUSINESS

46 BITCOIN AS A CATALYST FOR

TRANSFORMATIVE MONEY EXCHANGE

IN AFRICA

BUSINESS PROFILE

50 REWRITING AFRICA’S NARRATIVE

20 TRENDING

54 THE BUSINESS OF PRIVATE EDUCATION

MOTORING

60 ELECTRIC CARS IN SOUTH AFRICA 62 GO CLASSIC OR GO HOME

BUSINESS

64 AFRICA IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS

TRAVEL

68 DOWN ON THE RIVER

TOURISM

70 A TRIP TO THE ORIGINS OF

AFRICAN HISTORY

LAST WORD

GIFTING GUIDE

73 MOHALE MASHIGO: THE EVOLUTION OF AN ARTIST 77 80 83 86 88

TIME(LESS) PIECES DISTINCTLY SHADY PERFECT SCENTS MUST-HAVES FOR THE HOME STOCK UP THE BAR 3

FROM THE EDITOR

IMAGE Judd van Rensburg GROOMING Nthato Mashishi

EDITOR Kojo Baffoe IMAGES Akona Kenqu CONTRIBUTORS Jenine Jellars Tshepo Matseba Damian Murphy Brendah Nyakudya-Dandala Dominique Wolf PUBLISHING HOUSE Contact Media & Communications 388 Main Avenue, Randburg Block A Tel: +27(0) 11 789 6339 Fax: +27(0) 11 789 7097 email: pressman@contactmedia.co.za web: www.contactmedia.co.za CEO & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Sean Press MANAGING DIRECTOR & PUBLISHER Donna Verrydt FINANCE & OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Lesley Fox HEAD OF SALES Didi Okoro SALES MANAGER Quincy Matonhodze SALES Charlene Heyburgh Michelle Jones Melanie Scheepers Paul Styles DESIGN & LAYOUT Quinten Tolken COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Thabo Makhetha (TM Collective) Designs SUB-EDITOR Angie Snyman PROOFREADER Haley Abrahams PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Gwen Sebogodi IT AND WEB MANAGER Carmen Petre REPRO & PRINTING Kadimah Print

THE AFRICAN WAY “

TIA, bruv! This is Africa!” This phrase is a favourite of a friend of mine. Doing business across the continent, he will shrug his shoulders and keep moving forward because, sadly, this phrase usually only comes out when something less than positive has happened. We talk about time, differentiating normal time from ‘African time’, essentially associating anything inefficient with Africa and, therefore, the opposite with Europe.

What does it mean to be African? In his book, Dreams From My Father, Barack Obama writes, “The worst thing that colonialism did was to cloud our view of our past.” And, considering the past lays the foundation for the present, it means that how we view ourselves and our place in the world today is also, potentially, still influenced by colonialism, despite the strides that we have made over the decades.

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The Afropolitan is published by Contact Media & Communications. All material is strictly copyright with all rights reserved. No material may be reproduced in part or whole without the express written permission of the publisher. No responsibility will be accepted for unsolicited material. The publisher accepts no liability of whatsoever nature arising out of or in connection with the contents of this publication. Whilst every care has been taken in compiling this publication, the publisher does not give any warranty as to the completeness or accuracy of its contents. The views and opinions expressed in The Afropolitan are not necessarily those of the Publisher, Kaya FM or contributors.

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We live in a contemporary world, where influences permeate borders but, where once we simply took those that came from the West as being ‘superior’ – and our diverse cultures, practices and rituals as being ‘less than’ and uncivilised – we are starting to truly stand up for our own cultures.

This has meant, and means, changing perspectives, going against what we have been taught. This means being strategic. This means having to, at times, explain why we do what we do and see the world the way we do. This means recognising and embracing other ways of doing things and being comfortable enough to forge our own paths, regardless of what others may feel.

We have influenced the world for centuries, although it was generally unacknowledged.

This issue is an acknowledgement of how Africa and its people are not sitting back, waiting for validation any longer. This issue is a celebration of all that we are as Afropolitans, proud of our culture and comfortable in the reality that it has a place in this modern world. And this issue is looking back but also looking forward, as we enter a new calendar year – a time for introspection, relaxation and rejuvenation.

We have also gone out to find what to look forward to when it comes to lifestyle gifts with our supplement, covering sunglasses, timepieces, fragrances, liquid pleasure and classic cars.

We hope that these pages inspire, entertain, inform and intrigue you. We cannot exist without our community – which is every single one of you who picks up and engages with these pages, as well as with us through our various digital platforms. As Africans, we have always recognised that the individual cannot progress without the collective, and vice versa. As we transition into and begin the new year, we are definitely looking to you to ensure that we can continue to serve you in different ways.

It may often feel like the world is heavy and weighing us down, but there is also much to be grateful for. There’s work to be done and much heavy lifting, but there is always a way. An African Way.

THE GOOD LIFE

TA KING IT

PERSONALLY

THERE WAS A TIME WHEN PERSONAL SERVICE WAS SOLELY THE DOMAIN OF THE RICH AND ARISTOCRATIC. WHETHER IT WAS ACCESSING CONCIERGE SERVICES AT FIVE-STAR HOTELS, HIRING BUTLERS TO DEAL WITH THE HOME AND/OR HAVING A TEAM OF PERSONAL ASSISTANTS TO RUN YOUR DAY-TO-DAY AFFAIRS, THIS WAS FOR THE PRIVILEGED FEW. BY KOJO BAFFOE

As all aspects of our lives have evolved, particularly over the last two to three decades, more of us are gaining access to special services regardless of what could be called our ‘station in life’.

With life becoming so fast-paced, it becomes very difficult to deal

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with life admin amidst the daily hustle and bustle. We all need assistance, which has meant greater exposure to the services that a traditional concierge would provide for hotel guests.

CHAUFFEUR SERVICES

As a result, there’s been an explosion of personal services from all quarters. For example, while mobility has become easier, particularly when travelling to other cities for work, and while there are facilities like Uber to help us get about, there are times

IMAGE iStock

A

ccording to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word ‘concierge’ is from Old French and was probably derived from the Vulgar Latin (common speech) word conservius, an alteration of the Latin word conservus, which meant ‘fellow slave’.

THE GOOD LIFE

when we need a more personalised service, which is what Avis offers in it's Chauffeur and Point 2 Point services. These take the form of a personal chauffeur to meet and drive you to the various places you need to be, or to simply take you from one place, like the airport, to a specific destination. This allows you to use drive time to get work done, while also feeling secure in the fact that the driver has been trained in everything from advanced driving and hijack management to basic first aid.

The beauty of it is you aren’t charged for kilometres travelled and, while Point 2 Point is only available in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, Chauffeur services are available nationwide.

LUXURY CONCIERGE

On the other end of the spectrum is Quintessentially, which is a membership-only, high-end lifestyle concierge service, established in London in 2000 and now with at least 60 offices globally. In Africa, it's present in South Africa, Mauritius, Nigeria,

surrounding these. For example, they would retain details about family birthdays and other special occasions and provide gifting options.

• Elite membership – This is for true global citizens who, as an example, spend time in different cities during the course of a year. There are lifestyle managers in each city (for up to three cities) who stay in regular communication with each other to ensure that the member’s needs, such as stocking up the fridge, are catered to, regardless of where they are.

Membership is an annual fee and the requests are diverse.

Quintessentially has had A-list artists perform private concerts; arranged dinners in unlikely places, such as an iceberg in Greenland; chartered flights; and closed off lounges at airports solely for members. As a result of the worldwide network, it is able to satisfy the most unique member desires.

Another service provider is Luxury Seventy Seven, which provides a personal concierge to cater to whatever needs you may have, including personal ones such as security, fitness, medical and housekeeping; entertainment, such as organising tickets to concerts, the theatre, sporting events, and making arrangements at private clubs and restaurants; and travel, including charter flights.

VIRTUALLY YOU

Another area that has grown over the last few years is ‘virtual’ services, at rates that are manageable for most of us. Daily PA provides virtual services such as online research, managing emails, blog posting/ scheduling, reminder services and chasing sales/ advertisers/invoices; sounding-board services, including presentation dry-runs and digital notes; and transitioning online services, including social media setup and management, newsletters and online payment systems.

Morocco, Egypt and Angola. Quintessentially assists with all of an individual’s needs, from the basic day-to-day running of their households and lifestyle interests to travel. For example, for wine enthusiasts, it can assist with wine trading, access to vineyards and other exclusive experiences. It can even help a member’s children gain entry into an exclusive school, and make arrangements for tutoring and the like.

It has three tiers of membership:

IMAGE Avis

• General – this is more of a reactive service, where the member can call in with their requests.

• Dedicated membership – a lifestyle manager is assigned to the member and learns about their needs, passions, lifestyle, etc. to ensure that they can, in some ways, pre-empt services

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VA Connect can take over all the little – and not so little – things in your life, under the themes of Organising and Personal, Admin, Writing, Marketing, Research and Everything Else! It can even handle a range of business dealings, from preparing financial and business reports and dealing with customers to dealing with recruitment and human resource functions for your company.

Other virtual service companies include Admin Assist, which provides business and personal services and assigns a virtual assistant to you, and VA Virtual Assistant, which focuses on business services, with a client base of businesses in South Africa, Zambia and the United States.

The reality is, it’s never been easier than it is today to find organisations that you can delegate important functions to, as well as alleviate the pressures of mundane chores that are inevitable in life, allowing you to focus your time and energy on actually living.

HEALTH

TRADITIONAL MEDICINE ON THE SHELF COULD SCIENCE AND TRADITION WORK TOGETHER TO BE THE SOLUTION TO AFRICA'S HEALTHCARE SHORTFALLS?

BY BRENDAH NYAKUDYA-DANDALA

But what exactly is traditional African medicine? It can be described as an alternative medicine discipline that incorporates indigenous herbalism and spirituality and involves herbalists, healers and midwives. This healthcare is ingrained in the African sociocultural context and does not only take the symptoms of a patient into consideration when making a diagnosis.

Previously valued only in its home communities, traditional medicine has in recent years seen increased interest from external parties. A paper published in Pambazuka News, titled ‘Africa: overview on medicinal plants and traditional medicine’, states that developments have led researchers to appreciate anew “the precise descriptive capacity and rationality of various traditional taxonomies as well as the effectiveness of the treatments employed”. Over and above

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that, the pharmaceutical industry has come to consider traditional medicine as a source of identification of bioactive agents that can be used in the preparation of synthetic medicines. It is the natural products industry, however, that has been the one to take the first step in merging traditional and Western healthcare, and now we see a variety of traditional remedies available on shelves in large retail outlets. The most popular among them include:

MILKWORT / ISHINGA (ISIZULU) / ISHONGWANE (ISIXHOSA) (XYSMALOBIUM UNDULATUM)

BUCHU (AGATHOSMA BETULINA)

RED STINKWOOD / UMLALUME(ISIZULU) / UMKHOKHAZE(ISIXHOSA) (PRUNUS AFRICANA)

With a long history in its treatment of a variety of maladies, including arthritis and stomach issues, buchu was taken to the Western market when Michael Stander – managing director of Cape Kingdom Nutraceuticals – started creating BuchuLife products, which are now widely available in pharmaceutical chains for the management of hypertension, as an antiinflammatory and an antiseptic.

CANCER BUSH / INSISWA (ISIZULU) / UMNWELE (ISIXHOSA) (SUTHERLANDIA) Traditionally, sutherlandia is used by healers as a blood purifier and allround tonic. It’s considered one of the significant and multipurpose medicinal plants in southern Africa and today is available in tincture, capsule and herbal tea form. Recently, sunderlandia has been championed as a herbal aid for HIV/AIDS patients, research for which is ongoing.

Used to treat abscesses, dysentery, menstrual pain and headaches, among other ailments, this plant is on the market under the brand name of Uzara as an antidiarrhoeal. It was also released in Europe under the name of Dysmenural before production stopped there.

Uses include reducing inflammation in patients with an enlarged prostate, particularly benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). Pygeum is sold in a number of countries worldwide as Pigenil, an antiviral, and as Tadenan in France.

Could a happy marriage be one where traditional medicine is regulated with as much fervour as Western medicine and incorporated into basic healthcare practices? Perhaps this might address the lack of effective and safe healthcare in remote areas, and even give much-needed validity to an industry that has taken care of thousands of generations of Africans with much success. Cures incorporating traditional medicines might be just what the doctor needs to order to take healthcare in Africa forward.

IMAGE Shutterstock

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esearch conducted by the International Development Research Centre (IRDC) estimates the percentage of sub-Saharan Africans who regularly use traditional medicine for primary healthcare to be as high as 85%. But its popularity goes way beyond a nostalgic link to history and ancestors. For many Africans, access to hospitals and healthcare is limited due to poor infrastructure. And even if they get to a clinic, overcrowding and long queues are a daily expectation, and costs are prohibitive too. Thus, traditional healers have and continue to experience a continual stream of people making use of their services.

FITNESS

FITNESS THE AFRICAN WAY

LESSONS IN WORKING OUT FROM THE WILD

BY BRENDAH NYAKUDYA-DANDALA

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wild animal’s physicality is at its best when put to the test for its survival. So when it comes to fitness, a lot can be gleaned from animals across the African savanna, in the rivers or high up in the jungle treetops. If we incorporate how they move into our fitness regime, it would culminate in the ideal workout with maximum benefits. So here are some of our suggestions for a full-body workout, African style...

HYENA

With a heart double the size of a lion, hyenas are tenacious and known for their stamina.

These seemingly creepy carnivores (also documented to be cannibals who eat their young, but which also hold an important place in the wild) can follow their prey for days on end at a steady trot – never losing sight of them and never giving up until they get the prize. Long distance, steady, marathon style is their forte.

IMAGE AdobeStock

EXERCISE LIKE A HYENA: JOG

Often overlooked in favour of more intense high-impact workouts, jogging has many benefits and is an exercise you can do in and out of a gym.

Keeping a steady pace will ensure you cover a longer distance. In that way, you enter the fat-burning zone and stay there for the next 48 hours after a run.

CHEETAH

It’s true that cheetahs struggle to keep up the momentum of a hunt for many reasons, including overheating and sore muscles. As a result, only 40% of their hunts end in a kill.

Having said that, no other animal can match the cheetah when it comes to speed, and the female cheetah has been known to cover nearly 190 metres in 7 seconds!

EXERCISE LIKE A CHEETAH: SPRINT (INTERVAL RUNNING)

HIIT (high-intensity interval training) is best suited for people who don’t have the stamina for endurance running but have the capacity for speed in short bursts.

This form of training alternates between brief bursts of high-intensity exercise and lowintensity exercise. This is repeated until you either pass out or die!

CHIMPANZEE

Because of their habitat, chimps spend a large amount of time hanging around – from trees – with their arms. This and their ridiculously dense bones make them incredibly strong!

Swinging and jumping from tree to tree ensures their arms, chest, lats and back muscles are always toned.

EXERCISE LIKE A CHIMP: PLYOMETRIC EXERCISE

Box jumps aren’t just for CrossFit enthusiasts in Fourways. Plyometric moves are an excellent way to build muscle and up your fitness, as they force you to use every muscle in your legs. Incorporating these with pull-ups and weight training, which increases bone density, will have you ripped in no time, not to mention #BeachReady.

HIPPO

Named the ‘river horse’ by the Greeks, hippos, despite their size, are amazing swimmers and combine skill with a certain amount of grace, despite their clumsy appearance. These mammoth animals can hold their breath underwater for up to five minutes.

EXERCISE LIKE A HIPPO: SWIM Swimming has many benefits, but what we love is the fact that it’s a full-body workout that not only increases your cardio fitness but tones every muscle of your body, and with minimal risk of injury. If you are late to the party and are only now working on your end-of-year holiday beach body, start doing some lengths in the pool before or after your workouts, and see the difference. #BlacksCanSwim

LION

We have all seen the footage of lions stretching like trainee yoga instructors. This gets them warmed up and helps increase blood circulation.

EXERCISE LIKE A LION: STRETCH

Any trainer worth their salt will tell you that stretching is just as important as engaging in the actual exercise.

Warming up is key before you start any form of exercise to loosen your joints, kick-start the flow of blood to the muscles and increase your heart rate. Stretching after a session helps reduce muscle tightness, which lessens the stiffness and pain felt hours after a workout, and helps muscles recover at a faster rate.

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DESIGN

Anke van der Linden (Undulation)

Joanne van den Berg (Shankha)

AFRICANS HAVE BEEN DESIGNING AND HANDCRAFTING JEWELLERY FOR CENTURIES. THE PLATAFRICA JEWELLERY DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING COMPETITION WILL ENSURE WE CONTINUE THE TRADITION.

BY KOJO BAFFOE

AFRICAN

JEWELLERY DESIGN

HAS A BRIGHT FUTURE T

Nihal Shah (Indian amulet)

he marine shell beads were only discovered in 2004, but it’s estimated they were produced 75 000 years ago in what looked like a workshop in the Blombos Caves on the southern Cape coast, about 300 kilometres from Cape Town, making them possibly the oldest evidence of jewellery. Jewellery design, as with humankind itself, has its roots on the African continent.

Ever since then, we’ve continued to explore the length and breadth of what we can create with precious natural resources, from diamonds, gold and platinum to jade, wood and shells, and everything else in between.

Fast forward to 2017 and, according to report findings from McKinsey & Company as well as TechNavio, the outlook for the global jewellery industry is looking extremely positive, particularly for the online jewellery market. In a 2014 McKinsey article, titled ‘A multifaceted future: The jewelry industry by 2020’, by Linda Dauriz, Nathalie Remy and Thomas Tochtermann, it’s stated that “annual global sales of 148 billion are expected to grow at a healthy clip of 5 to 6 percent each year, totaling 250 billion by 2020.”

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DESIGN

For Africa, and South Africa, to get a significant slice of this growth, we need to leverage our natural resources and skills while taking ownership of manufacturing. In South Africa, there are institutions that provide various levels of jewellery-making training but, as importantly, it’s necessary for designers to have the opportunity to design beyond pen on paper. This is where Anglo American’s PlatAfrica Jewellery Design and Manufacturing Competition sees itself playing an important role.

Celebrating its 19th year in 2018, the competition is divided into a Professional category and a Student/Apprentice category. Every year has an overarching theme, with platinum being the main material. The launch theme was African Renaissance and, over the years, other themes have included His & Hers (2003), The Circle of Life (2006), Southern African Courtship and Marriage Rituals (2009) and Red Carpet Platinum (2012).

In 2015, there was a focus on Indian Bridal Jewellery, while the theme for 2017 was Bold Minimalism for the Indian Millennial.

Since 2016, the competition has been co-sponsored by and is in collaboration with Metal Concentrators and Platinum Guild International (PGI) India. India is the fastest-growing platinum jewellery market globally, with the metal being seen as a symbol of love.

The primary objectives of the PlatAfrica competition are listed as: • “Provide an opportunity for students/apprentices to work in platinum – to build their skills in this niche jewellery sector.

• Create a forum for students to receive independent feedback and critique on both their creativity and workmanship with insights to help them develop their skills further.

Fraser Schenck (Forgotten triumphs)

The primary limitation the designers were working with was that students only had 20 grams of platinum, while professionals had 100 grams to work with. For judging, similar types of jewellery were grouped together and then judged on the basis of criteria, theme, design, originality, wearability and workmanship. The judges were not allowed to discuss the pieces, and the jewellery was not marked according to the designer, to ensure impartiality.

The winner in the Student category for the 2017 competition, which took place in November, was Anke van der Linden (theme: Undulation) while the Professional winner was Ulandie Jonas (theme: The family bond).

Winning this competition has the potential to propel a designer’s career. Last year’s Professional winner, Sylvester Louw, and joint Student/Apprentice winners, Jefta Mtole and Thomy

• Allow students to compete against and get exposure to the works of their contemporaries and to challenge the training institutions to raise their standards.

• Provide exposure and recognition for the design talents of both student and professional designers.

• Meet the company’s beneficiation objectives (skill building, raising the profile of training institutions and jewellers as well as local design and platinum as a metal).

• Leverage as much media and PR exposure in order to raise consumer and designer awareness around platinum and its positioning in the jewellery market in order to stimulate demand and job creation within the jewellery industry.”

South Africa has such rich diversity within its borders that the influences and potential for unique designs that comfortably merge the different cultural aesthetics into one are endless. This can be an asset or a missed opportunity. In 2017, the four judges tasked with deciding on the winners and top 10 were: • Master goldsmith Thomas Kapo, who spent over two decades working in the UK before setting up his manufacturing business in South Africa in 2003.

• Charlotte Crosse from Metal Concentrators, who has been involved in the industry for some years. Her family bought Metal Concentrators in 2015 and it is co-sponsor of the competition.

Ulandie Jonas (The family bond)

• Kirtikumar Devjee, who started repairing, designing and creating jewellery as a hobby, turning it into a business and vocation. He runs Kirti Jewellers and has won awards in the PlatAfrica competition himself.

Vencatasawmy, all travelled to Mumbai, India, and visited PGI India, met designers and manufacturers, and had the opportunity to participate in the Evara brand design sourcing process.

• Head of Strategic Design and Development at PGI India, Pallavi Sharma, who works with manufacturers and designers to “establish a differentiated platinum design language and create design collections for platinum brands in the Indian market”.

Thousands of years later, Africans are indeed carving their space in the world of jewellery design and manufacturing, industriously mining our rich culture to create pieces that are uniquely African.

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TECHNOLOGY

THE REBIRTH

OF FALLEN

GIANTS?

TECHNOLOGY CONTINUES TO SWALLOW COMPANIES – AND EVEN DECIMATE WHOLE INDUSTRIES – AS IT RAPIDLY EVOLVES. THOSE THAT SURVIVE RECOGNISE THE NEED TO CONTINUALLY INNOVATE AND EMBRACE NEW DEVELOPMENTS, ENSURING THAT THEIR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES REMAIN RELEVANT. BY KOJO BAFFOE n

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n the last decade, there have been a number of companies that have collapsed, or have come close to it, following the huge technological disruptions that took place and continue to do so at an exponential rate.

KODAK

Kodak is the poster child for companies that have met a fateful end under the weight of an evolving business landscape, especially as digital technology has proliferated in all aspects of our lives. In January 2012, the company was forced to file for bankruptcy as the world shifted from film printing, which was its core business, to digital. Although a Kodak engineer invented the first digital camera in 1975, an overdependence on film printing and inability to pivot as digital photography took over resulted in Kodak having to sell off thousands of its patents, particularly in the consumer imaging space.

The business has, since then, been reorganised into a “technology company focused on imaging” through both research and development, as well as partnerships with other technology companies. From a consumer perspective, while Kodak continues to be involved in the production of digital cameras and photograph printing and supplies, it also produces eyeglass

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lenses, LED lighting and home video monitors. Other key divisions are: print, which provides digital printing solutions, press room cleaning materials, flexographic printing machines and offset CTP systems; film, which provides camera films in different formats for movies, as well as lab support; and science, where it leverages its years of R&D in the printing sector, as well as its partnerships, to supply everything from 3D printing solutions to industrial materials.

The company relisted on the New York Stock Exchange in 2014.

NOKIA MOBILE

Nokia’s fall from grace was painful to watch, considering it introduced many firsts in the mobile space, including the first mobile handheld phone – the Mobira Cityman 900 – in 1987, and the first 3G phone – the Nokia 6620 – in 2002. Nokia dominated the mobile phone market, eventually selling its billionth phone in 2005. The slide began in 2001 and, while the company remained the top phone manufacturer in the world until 2011 when Apple surpassed it, other manufacturers – including BlackBerry, Samsung and HTC, to name just a few – had started cutting into its market share for some years before that.

TECHNOLOGY Scrambling to remain at the forefront, Nokia partnered with Microsoft, which eventually bought its devices and services division in 2013, only to sell the feature phone business to Foxconn Technology Group, which manufactures components for a broad range of technology companies, and Finland-based HMD Global Oy. HMD was established to drive Nokia-branded phones and tablets and has a licensing agreement with Nokia Technologies, as well as branding rights from Microsoft. It has since launched a series of Nokia phones, including the flagship Nokia 8, Nokia 6 and Nokia 5, all running Android OS. The company has also re-released the iconic Nokia 3310.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE EASE OF ACCESSING EMAILS ON SMARTPHONES TODAY ONE FORGETS THAT AT THE TIME BLACKBERRY CAME INTO THE MARKET, THIS JUST WASN’T POSSIBLE!

Nokia Corporation, on the other hand, has focused its business on connectivity, including virtual reality, cloud, digital health, ultra broadband, IP interconnectivity and the Internet of Things.

AIWA

Founded in 1951 in Japan and initially manufacturing microphones, Aiwa went on to be a market leader in audiovisual products, including stereos, car radios, headphones, televisions, video machines, walkmans, portable cassette and CD players and the first-ever cassette deck. The 1980s and early 1990s were good to Aiwa but, as the audio landscape evolved in the latter part of the 1990s into the 2000s, it struggled to keep up. In 2002, Sony Corporation, which already had a significant shareholding in the business, took over full ownership. Unfortunately, this was not enough to keep the brand going and, in 2008, Sony stopped production of Aiwa products.

Aiwa has been reborn under the tutelage of American Joe Born, after being approached by Mark Thomann, who is said to have bought the brand rights and trademark in 2013. Interestingly, there are reports that a company called Towada Audio Co. in Japan, which has been a Sony supplier, bought the brand name in early 2017 and has established a new company called ‘aiwa’, through which it is planning to launch everything from televisions to home audio.

Aiwa (with a capital A) is operating in South Africa and currently, its main product is the Exos-9 Bluetooth speaker, with accessories. It will be launching the X15 Portable Bluetooth PA speaker soon.

BLACKBERRY

Research In Motion (RIM), the creators of BlackBerry, changed the way we worked with our mobile devices as professionals with the BlackBerry range of mobile phones, particularly by making it easy to check emails on the move. When you look at the ease of accessing emails on smartphones today, we forget that at the time BlackBerry came into the market, this just wasn’t possible!

BlackBerry went on to dominate the business and public sectors and, with services like BBM, also changed the face of communications, laying the foundation for WhatsApp, Telegram and other instant messaging apps. However, the reality was that once everyone else started encroaching on this unique selling point, BlackBerry struggled to keep up.

Now, TCL Communication, which was incorporated in Hong Kong, has a branding licence agreement to manufacture and sell BlackBerry phones and, early in 2017, launched the Blackberry KEYone, running Android.

WILL THEY STAY OR WILL THEY GO?

It’s going to be interesting to track the trajectories of these technology companies that crumbled at the forefront of their industries. Each held a special place in our lives, and it would be a pity if they didn’t find a way of reviving their fortunes.

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TRENDING

CAN CROWDFUNDING TAKE

AFRICA FORWARD? CROWDFUNDING HAS PROLIFERATED ACROSS THE GLOBE, BUT THERE IS STILL AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AFRICANS TO USE IT TO TRANSFORM THE CONTINENT. KOJO BAFFOE LOOKS AT THE LANDSCAPE AND CONTEXTUALISES CROWDFUNDING, TAPPING INTO THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY FOR AFRICANS.

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TRENDING

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t may seem like an odd place to start, but Africans have been practising a form of crowdfunding since time immemorial, and the one instance where this is most evident is with funerals. When there is a death in the family, the community would, and still does, come together with contributions to help the family. As the Tanzanian Haya proverb states, “Many hands make light work.” This philosophy has been woven into the core of the diverse African cultures that have existed for centuries. Ubuntu (‘motho ke motho ka batho’/a person is a person because of other people) and harambee (all pull together), and many other African philosophies, bear testament to this.

The word ‘crowdsourcing’ was coined by Jeff Howe, an editor for the US magazine Wired, in an article, and he then expanded on this in his 2009 book, Crowdsourcing: Why the Power of the Crowd is Driving the Future of Business. In explaining it, he positions crowdsourcing as “how the power of the many can be leveraged to accomplish feats that were once the responsibility of a specialised few”. Since then, there have been numerous examples of crowdsourcing – from Wikipedia, where volunteers upload data, to Ushahidi in Kenya, which started as a platform to map outbreaks of violence following the 2008 elections and is now used across the world in various ways.

Crowdfunding, as an extension of the idea of crowdsourcing, is said to have been pioneered by keyboardist Mark Kelly of the rock band Marillion, when he raised funding through a mailing list called Freaks. Members gave donations to ensure that the band could tour the US in 1997, eventually putting together US$60 000. The band then offered free CDs of shows from the tour to anyone who donated US$10 or more.

Marillion would later ask their fans (a 6 000-person mailing list) to donate money to enable the band to record an album in 2000, where they would get a special version of an album with a 20 page book, a bonus CD with extra tracks and, if they ordered it in time, their name printed in the credits. This became their modus operandi and, for their next album, where people could even win access to backstage passes, etc., they had 16 000 preorders.

Since then, there have been a number of crowdfunding sites that have launched globally – with Kickstarter, launched in 2009, Indiegogo, launched in 2008, and GoFundMe, launched in 2010, probably being the most dominant and well known.

From an African perspective, with the world historically raising funds for us ‘poor Africans’, the question to be answered is: Is crowdfunding a viable option? And, if the answer is yes, which it surely is, a further question is: What are the challenges that we have to address? Think about the stokvel. According to the National Stokvel Association of South Africa (NASASA), the origins of the stokvel are in the early 19th century, when English

“DONATIONS AND EQUITY PLATFORMS ARE THE FASTEST-GROWING CROWDFUNDING MODELS.” settlers in the Eastern Cape held rotating cattle auctions known as stock fairs. These became known as ‘stokvels’ by the locals, who would pool resources to trade livestock. Since that time, stokvels have existed as “voluntary groups of natural persons (members) bound by a common cause who pool financial resources for the benefit of the group”.

NASASA currently has 11.5 million individuals in 81 000 stokvel groups from all nine provinces, and estimates the stokvel economy to be valued at R49 billion in South Africa. The money is there.

The most definitive data on crowdfunding on the African continent is in a report by the London-based Afrikstart, which is positioned as a “pan-African crowdfunding platform set to provide funding, training, and mentoring to entrepreneurs in Africa” with a focus on women and the youth. The report looked at the African crowdfunding landscape in 2015 and clearly demonstrates that Africa has embraced crowdfunding, with an emphasis on business.

The report states that in 2015, “there were 57 active platforms headquartered and operating in Africa”, with 21 in South Africa and nine in Nigeria. It says further: “Donations and equity platforms are the fastest-growing crowdfunding models. Africabased crowdfunding platforms mainly specialise in promoting crowdfunding campaigns related to social causes (31.5% of the total platforms), business and entrepreneurship projects (21%), and then creative and innovative projects (17.5%).” These figures have more than likely changed, with newer platforms coming online and others falling by the wayside, for various reasons.

In a TEDxBedford talk in 2014, Mark Kelly said that “crowdfunding is about a relationship built on respect and trust”.

This is key when it comes to developing crowdfunding platforms, because the reality is when it comes to anything involving money online, Africans still lag behind as a result of the trust issue. For example, in an IAB South Africa and Visa-sponsored study by Effective Measure, it was found that 53% of South Africans don’t buy online due to a lack of trust, and would probably be more comfortable if there was zero liability or some form of online protection. This, as well as a fear of being scammed by people

17

TRENDING

they do not know, is something that any crowdfunding platform focusing on the continent needs to address.

Uprise Africa, an equity crowdfunding platform that went live in 2017, is very aware of this. Vuyisa Qabaka, who heads up Partnership and Investor Relations at the company, says to address this, “the biggest challenge thus far has been around regulations in developing a model that adheres to the current legislative frameworks as required by the Financial Services Board (FSB). A great deal of time and legal advice has gone into getting our structures and processes right to ensure we protect both the entrepreneur and the public interest while adhering to regulations. In addition to the legal challenges we are also creating new processes from scratch, so it’s a reiterative process of learning and growing with our entrepreneurs through this journey. It’s been challenging but also extremely rewarding thus far.”

Uprise Africa has been created to help entrepreneurs raise the capital they need. “Through extensive experience in the South African ecosystem and exposure to the global ecosystem, we noticed the role that equity crowdfunding was playing in other countries, positively benefiting new business development and the gap it could fill in South Africa and Africa. Uprise Africa will empower entrepreneurs with a platform to raise the capital they need to make their vision viable ensuring that SMMEs are not dependent on traditional banking finance, which is often limited and comes with great personal financial risk to them.”

Qabaka adds: “Equity crowdfunding exchanges capital investment from the crowd for equity shares in the entrepreneur’s business. People from the crowd that invests in projects that reach their funding goal will receive share certificates and become shareholders in the business. Equity crowdfunding is an evolving, alternative way to invest in startups and growing SMEs. The core difference is what is being ‘exchanged’ through the crowdfunding process. Crowdfunding at its core is the pooling of small amounts of capital from a large group of individuals (the crowd) to assist in funding a cause, need or an entrepreneur and their business venture.”

A key individual behind Uprise Africa is Patrick Schofield, who founded what is considered to be South Africa’s leading crowdfunding platform, Thundafund, in 2014. It operates on the

“EQUITY CROWDFUNDING EXCHANGES CAPITAL INVESTMENT FROM THE CROWD FOR EQUITY SHARES IN THE ENTREPRENEUR’S BUSINESS.” same method, where the project that is being funded is expected to give the funder something back in the form of a reward, which is how sites like Kickstarter operate and how Mark Kelly and Marillion started. While Uprise Africa is currently focused on South Africa, Thundafund is a global platform.

In Kenya, there is M-Changa, which was established by Kyai Mullei and David Mark as an online and mobile fundraising platform for individuals, businesses and organisations, and has several hundred fundraisers in the health, education, life and community needs segments. Currently, there is also Le Lapa Fund, based in France, which operates as an investment fund, primarily for business in Kenya. Another crowd in the game is the African Crowdfunding Association, which was established as an industry association to “lobby for crowdfunding legislation creation and reforms, increase public awareness, and to create a more cohesive industry structure in Africa that protects investors and democratises access to capital for all Africans”. It was registered in South Africa as a non-profit organisation and currently lists 14 platforms from South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, the Netherlands and Nigeria as members.

With so many Africans in the diaspora as well as on the continent, and with many others around the world interested in contributing to the development of Africa, crowdfunding has definite potential to alter our future as Africans.

19

CULTURE

A NEW

TYPE OF

COLONIALISM

IMAGE Thabo Makhetha (TM Collective) Designs

IT FEELS LIKE CULTURAL APPROPRIATION IS ON THE RISE, BUT WHAT IS IT? JANINE JELLARS PEELS OPEN THE GLOSSY SKIN TO REVEAL THE ROT WITHIN.

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CULTURE

I

t’s Saturday morning at the salon and the white woman at the next stylist’s station is chatting animatedly as she has hot pink braids installed. “This looks so cool,” she announces. Pop culture imagery from the last few years immediately comes to mind: Kylie Jenner’s cornrows, Katy Perry in a kimono, Die Antwoord’s cover art, Drake rapping in patois, Kasi Mlungu wearing isicholo. Deep discomfort.

Whether it’s Western holidaymakers fashioning their hair into faux locs, festival attendees adorning their bodies with henna or white rappers adopting Ebonics, many people of colour can conjure cringeworthy moments of culture vulturism. Now, the collective unease has a name: cultural appropriation. “[Cultural appropriation is] the use of a culture’s symbols, artefacts, genres, rituals or technologies by members of another culture,” writes North Arizona University’s Richard Rogers in the Journal of Communication Theory. To Danielle Jacobowitz of the University of Washington, it goes beyond “offending people”. “[Appropriation] continues patterns of disempowering groups of people who are already marginalised,” she writes in her master’s thesis.

Simply put, cultural appropriation is informed by power dynamics. “Those who see appropriation as cultural exchange fail to understand gaps in economics and power,” says Yanisha Teelock Lallah, a researcher and postgraduate student in languages at the University of Cape Town. “Appropriation is

about handpicking parts of a culture, whether it’s dress or food, without acknowledging the experiences, rituals and procedures of the originators of that culture. The privileged person is usually not criticised for experimenting with the culture from which they’re borrowing.”

As I watch the woman with the pink braids leave the salon, I can’t help but agree with Lallah. She’ll no doubt garner compliments at the office for her ‘edgy’ look, while many black women are criticised for being ‘ghetto’ for wearing the same style.

COLONIAL BOOTY WAS TAKEN WITHOUT COMPENSATION

It’s been five years since the concept of cultural appropriation took the proverbial elevator from its ivory tower and hit the ground floor of pop culture conversation. According to Google Trends, the term is at the peak of its popularity, and it’s easy to understand why: social media gives people from various backgrounds the platform to analyse imagery and cultural product in real time.

The listicles and think pieces might seem new, but aggressive cultural borrowing goes back centuries. For Africans, it stirs up a painful history. A visit to Western museums reveals rooms filled with artefacts from a colonial past. Alongside natural resources, colonial powers looted iconography with impunity. One case is the Benin Bronzes, seized in a 1890s raid that resulted in the

“WHY ARE WE WAITING FOR SOMEONE FROM OVERSEAS TO TELL US THAT OUR CULTURE IS VALID?” fall of the Kingdom of Benin. According to Olufunmilayo Arewa of the University of California, around 3 000 bronzes, carved tusks and oak chests were taken to Europe and sold on the art market. Fast forward a hundred years and one Benin head was sold for US$2.3 million. “This colonial booty was taken without permission or compensation,” says Arewa. “Some people argue a similar dynamic exists in contemporary use of African cultural symbols, creations and products.” Calls for reparations are now also affecting fields such as archaeology and botany.

IT’S A NEW TYPE OF COLONIALISM

For designer Thabo Makhetha, appropriation is not theoretical.

“It’s a new type of colonialism,” she says, emphatically.

IMAGE Thabo Makhetha (TM Collective) Designs

Earlier this year, Makhetha, originally from Lesotho, was thrust into a global conversation around cultural theft. The designer, in celebration of her Basotho culture, started creating trendy coats and capes using Basotho blankets six years ago. The blankets, which tell stories about the Basotho people’s history, are a key cultural signifier.

In 2012, luxury brand Louis Vuitton released a menswear design featuring large scarves directly inspired by Basotho blankets.

This year, Louis Vuitton again looked to Lesotho for inspiration, releasing its Basotho Plaid range. A silk shirt, priced at R33 000, caused a global outcry and led to thousands of headlines comparing it to Makhetha’s authentic items. The shirts sold out at South Africa’s Louis Vuitton stores within two weeks.

“Lesotho has manufacturing capacity but, as far as I know, no one from Lesotho was involved in creating the Vuitton shirts,” says Makhetha. “This is our culture and we have people from our

21

CULTURE

“THIS IS OUR CULTURE AND WE HAVE PEOPLE FROM OUR CULTURE WHO ARE ALSO PRODUCING LUXURY GOODS.“ culture who are also producing luxury goods. Why are we waiting for someone from overseas to tell us that our culture is valid?”

ALL THEY SEE IS MONEY

IMAGE Thabo Makhetha (TM Collective) Designs

Misappropriation isn’t a victimless crime. “While we’ve narrowed it down to bindis and dreadlocks, it’s about anti-blackness and profit-making,” says Lallah. “People with economic privilege come to underdeveloped countries, pick what they like and profit from that.”

Nigerian visual artist Laolu Senbanjo has worked with everyone from Beyoncé to fashion brand Kenneth Cole. He recently criticised Damien Hirst for appropriating Nigerian traditional art, the Ife bronze heads, at the Venice Biennale. “What he took is the Ori Olokun it’s something that Yoruba people use as a rite of passage in Ile Ife and it’s deeply connected,” Senbanjo told Okayafrica.com. “[Hirst is] in a position with so much influence, so much power and wealth, so a lot of people seeing this for the first time will never ever think about the origins.” It’s this erasure that African artists are fighting. “I’m tired of people who see Africa as a business, they don’t care if they understand or don’t understand us, all they see is money,” says Senbanjo. “As an African, my culture is everything – so it’s just crazy when people see it as a commodity.”

NO ONE CAN STEAL WHAT IS MINE

Given the greater spotlight on misappropriation, what recourse exists for cultural originators? Not much. Cultural product is difficult to codify in legal terms and, even when copyright

is violated, small players hesitate to take on big business.

“I don’t have the finances to take on Louis Vuitton,” laughs Makhetha. “It’s not going to work for me.” For her, the answer to appropriation is collective responsibility. “Money talks,” she says. “The solution is in the consumer’s hands. Our retail culture is informed by big brands and international designers will keep doing this until we demand better.” But there is room for optimism: “The one positive that’s come out of this is that conversation around my culture is spreading and African brands are getting the attention of markets that want our authenticity.”

It’s this export of product on an equal footing and compensation that excites Lallah. “I think the solution is to see privileged artists creating a space to discuss the originators of culture. If a designer like Stella McCartney could say ‘these are the places I went to, these are the women who inspired me’, she’d be creating a platform for them.”

Some brands are heeding the call. BMW, for example, has a history of collaborating with Ndebele art legend Esther Mahlangu. Two decades ago, Mahlangu was commissioned to customise the BMW 525i sedan and she recently worked with the brand again, adding her intricate artwork to the BMW 7 series. This year, luxury fashion house Bvlgari collaborated with Senbanjo on a limited-edition fragrance inspired by Africa. Senbanjo adorned the bottle with black and gold Yoruba art. Following the announcement, he posted an image of the packaging to Instagram with the caption: “No one can steal what is mine.”

23

GROOMING

THE SKIN I’M IN AFRICAN EXTRACTS ROOIBOS DAILY REPAIR FACIAL OIL This lightweight, easily absorbed oil is made with a cocktail of 100% naturally derived ingredients including rooibos, German chamomile, jojoba seed oil, rose oil and geranium oil. Besides protecting the skin against environmental damage and premature ageing, this oil brightens and evens out skin tone and reduces the appearance of dark marks and spots.

MALÉE CONDITIONING BODY SCRUB Summertime means showing a whole lot more skin, so keep it as smooth and radiant as possible with this award-winning body scrub. The combination of multigrain natural salt, oils, sugar and naturally occurring alpha hydroxy acids draws in moisture and smoothes away imperfections, leaving you with healthy, youthful, flawless skin.

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ONE OF THE GREAT GIFTS OF OUR CONTINENT IS THAT IT PRODUCES A WEALTH OF NATURAL AND EASILY SOURCED INGREDIENTS FOR BEAUTY AND GROOMING PRODUCTS. THESE PRODUCTS ARE ALL FORMULATED FROM THE FRUITS OF AFRICAN SOIL. BY DOMINIQUE WOLF

AFRICOLOGY ANTI-AGING SOS SPRAY This face and body anti-ageing tonic contains hyaluronic acid for intense hydration, Tripeptide-2 for collagen production and Padina pavonica to reduce the signs of ageing. This little bottle of youthfulness is essential for your travel bag this summer, as it replenishes your skin’s lost moisture after being exposed to the sun.

BONAFIDE BEARDS HANDCRAFTED BEARD BALM Say goodbye to wild, unmanageable beards and dry itchy skin. Made with organic coconut oil, pure beeswax, tea tree oil and a range of pure essential oils, Bonafide Beard Balm was developed to tame, shape, nourish and condition your beard, and to treat and protect the skin underneath.

GROOMING

MALÉE CONDITIONING BODY CREAM Nourish, smooth and repair your skin with this body cream, which has the rich moisture of a body butter but the lightness of a lotion. This cream contains extracts from plants, fruits and oils found in Africa, including avocado oil, sweet almond oil, shea butter and wheat germ oil. It gives dull, dry skin a supple and revitalised glow.

BONAFIDE BEARDS BEARD OIL If you’re battling an unruly beard, this beard oil is exactly what you need. It’s made with organic hemp oil, pure argan oil and subtle scents of essential oils. Used as a pre- and post-shaving oil, it moisturises and conditions both your skin and your beard, prevents hair breakage and promotes growth.

AFRICAN EXTRACTS ROOIBOS PURIFYING DUAL-PHASE EYE MAKEUP REMOVER The key ingredient in all African Extracts products is bioactive rooibos extract that’s packed with antioxidants and minerals. It’s famous for its soothing and anti-inflammatory properties, which makes it a brilliant ingredient in an eye makeup remover. It’s also enriched with vitamin B5, to soothe, moisturise and gently remove waterproof makeup.

BONAFIDE BEARDS CLEANSING BAR

AFRICOLOGY NEROLI PARFUM

Beard care is as important as a woman’s beauty routine, so Bonafide has developed a cleansing bar specifically to clean your beard. Made of pure coconut oil, clay, activated charcoal and spearmint oil, this soap bar cleanses your beard and skin without stripping them of their natural oils.

This fragrance is part of Africology’s eco-parfum range, which is safely and ethically formulated to make sure there’s no chemical harm to your skin or the environment. They are made with natural plant extracts and essential oils. The Neroli Parfum has the delicate scent of orange blossoms and brings summer to your skin.

STOCKISTS – AFRICAN EXTRACTS AVAILABLE FROM LEADING SUPERMARKETS AND PHARMACIES, AS WELL AS AT WWW.TAKEALOT.COM | MALÉE WWW.MALEEONLINE.COM AFRICOLOGY WWW.AFRICOLOGYSPA.COM | BONAFIDE WWW.BONAFIDEBEARDS.COM

25

STYLE

PERFECTLY SUITED GENERIC IS SO LAST SEASON – AND THERE'S JUST NO SUCH THING AS ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL ANY MORE! INCREASINGLY, MEN WANT TO CELEBRATE THEIR INDIVIDUALITY AND SHOW A UNIQUE STYLE PERSONALITY IN WHAT THEY WEAR EVERY DAY. CHOOSING, AND EVEN BETTER, BEING PART OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS OF CUSTOMISING YOUR OWN GARMENTS MAKES ‘BESPOKE’ NOT JUST A BUZZWORD, BUT A HUGE PART OF FASHION’S FUTURE. BY DOMINIQUE WOLF

IMAGES Angela Yeung @ Impilo Collection

MR.SLIMFIT

TAILOR ME

After years of giving style tips and advice to friends and family, Theo Ngobeni decided to trade in his job in the financial markets for a career in fashion. The owner and creative director of Mr.Slimfit is a religious follower of fashion and a style icon to many South African men. His boutique tailors high-grade garments for both male and female clients locally and across borders.

Besides being a genius in tailoring and bespoke suits and shoes, services also include personal styling, shopping and teaching gentlemen of all generations about style etiquette. Mr.Slimfit’s product range includes tailored suits and tuxedos, sports jackets and blazers, dress shirts and trousers, box pleat skirts and overcoats. It also has a wide range of made-to-order luxury footwear, designed in South Africa and manufactured in Spain. A web-based app allows you to create custom shoes in various styles and amazing fabrics, such as box calf leather, croco leather, luxe suede linen and velvet. Theo prides his company’s good reputation in the industry on excellent quality, impeccably fitted garments and timely delivery.

The Tailor Me vision was inspired by three friends – George Diab, Rick Da Matta and Brad Marriott – who were totally frustrated by ill-fitting, off-the-rack suits that never deliver a personalised fit.

Tailor Me views clients as friends who share the belief that while looking the part is important, being undeniably true to yourself is even more crucial. When you visit the studio in Parkhurst, you’re served your choice of the best whiskey, wine or coffee, and are given dedicated attention and the opportunity to go through fabrics, designs, drapes and colours. After extensive measurements are taken, a pattern is created from scratch and cut out by hand. The entire suit is handcrafted from the ground up.

Tailor Me uses only 100% wool fabrics, sourced from all over the world, to allow for the most luxurious, breathable suits possible. It offers entry-level, mid-range and high-end suits ranging between R7 100 and R40 000. Suits take between six and seven weeks to be delivered, with as many fittings as necessary in between, to make sure you’re 100% happy with the fit. Tailor Me showed its Autumn/Winter 2018 Collection at South African Fashion Week (SAFW) in October.

Book an appointment by calling 082 462 0808 or email info@mrslimfit.com

For expert advice or to schedule an appointment, call 074 884 4848 or email info@tailorme.co.za

ROW-G

Knowledge, innovation, excellence and the strength of a close-knit family have been the pillars that built ROW-G into one of Africa’s premium luxury, made-tomeasure brands. A tradition of superior craftsmanship, refined with leadingedge technology, makes this bespoke menswear timeless in style yet undeniably progressive in design. The world (including the likes of Barack Obama) knows ROW-G for its uncompromising dedication, experience, innovation and the best-fitting suits a man could want. ROW-G offers a choice of two finely tailored suits: a timeless neo-classical business fit, and a cut with a contemporary slim-fitted silhouette. This forms the basis from which the rest of your suit is made, and every one is individually hand-cut and made to your exact requirements. Chief creative officer Rahim Rawjee has created a brand that is meticulous about everything, from the immaculate showroom to the personalised attention every client is showered with.

He is also sharing all his experience in the philosophies of craftsmanship and luxury, and teaching his secrets and insights, with masterclasses for the ROW-G Tailoring Academy.

For more info on the ROW-G Tailoring Academy, email masterclass@row-g.com; to book an appointment, call 011 482 1980 or email clientservices@row-ginternational.com

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FASHION

ADELE DEJAK

This brand of African-inspired handcrafted jewellery and accessories is the perfect mix of Adele Dejak’s Nigerian roots and her design experience in Europe. She moved to Nairobi, Kenya, in 2005 and found herself obsessed with the natural beauty of horn and the techniques of creating unique shapes and beautiful pieces. Her creations are inspired by African tribes, textiles, culture and traditions, positioning them perfectly for the modern, multidimensional woman.

Adele Dejak has collaborated with Samsung and Salvatore Ferragamo and has participated in global events such as Vogue Talents in Milan.

MADE

Every single piece in the Made collection is handcrafted by skilled, dedicated Kenyan craftsmen. Through the production of beautiful and unique jewellery and accessories, Made is able to provide sustainable jobs, teach new skills and empower developing communities in Kenya. The brand has worked globally with big fashion and design names such as EDUN, Tommy Hilfiger, Louis Vuitton, Topshop and ASOS. Its signature style comes from the use of reclaimed brass and local raw materials.

CAGED BONE EARRINGS: WWW.MADE.UK.COM

ADELE DEJAK JEWELLERY AND HANDBAGS: WWW.ADELEDEJAK.COM

OFTEN THE MOST SUCCESSFUL BRANDS ARE BORN OUT OF THE COMBINATION OF DETERMINED PEOPLE WANTING TO CREATE COMMUNITY UPLIFTMENT THROUGH THE PRODUCTION OF ETHICALLY PRODUCED, SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS MADE TO THE HIGHEST QUALITY STANDARDS. DEDICATED AND PASSIONATE LOCAL DESIGNERS ARE SHOWING THE WORLD THE INCOMPARABLE BEAUTY OF LUXURY AFRICAN BRANDS.

BY DOMINIQUE WOLF

ADORNED BY

AFRICA

FOMI

In early 2011, Afomia Tesfaye left Los Angeles to travel back to her homeland of Ethiopia with the intention of designing a range of accessories. She was driven by the daunting prospect of developing something in Africa, with no formal training. After much research, she discovered that Ethiopia produces some of the world’s finest quality leather and, using resources at hand, her sophisticated FOMI handbag collection was born. In 2014, the company expanded its product range to include women’s footwear. Afomia believes that FOMI handbags and shoes are testament to the fact that fashion companies can ethically produce world-class luxury goods in Africa.

ESHI OXFORD SHOES: WWW.FOMICOLLECTION.COM 28

HEEL THE WORLD

In 2009, Fred M Deegbe was told by a shoeshine boy that it was impossible for his shoes to be made in Ghana. Fred was a disillusioned banker at the time and took this as a challenge. He believed that Africa had all the potential to produce luxury goods that could be sold internationally. He also knew that by doing this, he had a massive opportunity to impact his society.

Heel The World (HTW) was officially launched in 2011 and all the proceeds of the company go towards empowering creative entrepreneurs. All the leather used to make the bespoke handmade shoes is locally sourced.

ORDER TO HTW SHOES OR SHOP ONLINE: WWW.HTWSHOES.COM

FASHION

ZASHADU

ENZI

This premium footwear brand’s mission is to challenge global perceptions of Africa through its world-class designs, artisanal production and exceptional fair-trade standards. The highquality leather shoes are designed by the company’s co-founder, Jawad Braye, and made in Ethiopia. When you open an ENZI shoebox, you not only get a super-stylish pair of kicks, you also receive an inspiring note that thanks you for contributing to the development of sustainable leather products in Ethiopia. It invites you to enjoy your new shoes ‘responsibly’. Nice touch!

ENZI NKRUMAH AND LUMUMBA SNEAKERS: WWW.ENZIFOOTWEAR.BIGCARTEL.COM

Zainab Ashadu is the Nigeria-based founder and creative director of the sustainable luxury brand Zashadu. She uses leather from the north’s biggest city, Kano; goatskin from the ancient north-western city of Sokoto, as well as python skin from snake farms in the region, and creates magnificent leather handbags alongside a community of local artisans in Lagos. The smart designs and geometric shapes of her pieces, along with bold metallics and colourful animal skins, deliver homegrown Lagos glamour that appeals to a global audience.

ZASHUDA HANDBAGS: HTTPS://ZASHADU.COM

VANA

FEMI

This African handbag and accessories brand was founded by French graduate and translator, Femi Olayebi. Every product is meticulously handcrafted in her design workshop in Nigeria. Femi looks to her culture for inspiration, incorporating traditional elements into sophisticated silhouettes. The trademarks of all Femi pieces are fun, colourful and eclectic, and embody the founder’s exuberant approach to life.

TIWA CHAIN BAG: WWW.FEMIHANDBAGS.COM

VANA is the purveyor of precious luxury leather handbags and accessories that have been created through collaboration with master artisans and talented craftsmen in South Africa. Vanashree Singh is the woman behind the brand, and she has always believed that handbags are a woman’s personal signature. Her latest collection of luxury handbags and accessories fuse the richness of colour and textures from her Indian heritage and her African roots. Vana is passionate about supporting community-driven projects and uses local crafters to produce the beaded adornments.

VANA BEADED HANDBAG STRAPS: WWW.VANA-SHREE.COM 29

FASHION

BEYONDBORDERLINES

INGRAINED IN THE SPIRIT OF A TRUE AFROPOLITAN IS THE DESIRE TO TAKE THE MANY FACETS OF AFRICAN CULTURE AND PROUDLY SHOW IT TO THE WORLD. WE'RE ALSO SEEING OUR TRADITIONALLY DIVERSE AND COLOURFUL DESIGN LANDSCAPE LURING AND INSPIRING THOSE WHO RECOGNISE THE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES IT HAS TO OFFER. THESE TWO DESIGNERS’ STORIES REFLECT FASHION BREAKING DOWN BORDERS. BY DOMINIQUE WOLF

MILLECOLLINES he brand ethos of mille collines is the representation of you – a woman who belongs to Africa. A woman who lives in a culturally diverse country, travels and has a spirit of adventure. More a story of into Africa than out of Africa, the mille collines journey began in Barcelona, Spain, with fashion designers Ines Cuatrecasas and Marc Oliver. A trip to Rwanda in 2008 and an introduction to Antoinette Mukakalisa, a local dressmaker, fulfilled their desire to embark on something bold and adventurous. A year later, mille collines was born, and before long had grown into a fully fledged fashion atelier.

T

Today, mille collines is wholly owned and operated by the Kigali team that helped build it. The brand’s original ideals remain unchanged – to blend the creativity, strength and culture of the African spirit with evolving global trends.

With its collections comes the celebration of the African woman. The type of woman who juggles work and family, has a passion for her community and uses her power for change.

She is multidimensional with her tailored suits and refined silhouettes, 3D beading and elegant evening wear. Alongside that, she is alive with bursts of colour and print, but is grounded in the muted tones of Africa’s unique landscape.

The collection shows traditional craftsmanship with unexpected materials – a true reflection of African resourcefulness putting its stamp on global fashion.

SHOP THE COLLECTION ONLINE AT WWW.MILLECOLLINES.ES 30

IMAGES press@kisua.com

This collection, which was shown at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Cape Town, was inspired by Swahili culture, which has many influences in its arts and crafts. Mille collines chose to shed a different light on how Swahili culture is viewed in the modern world and focused on the architecture and clothes.

Traditional Swahili cloth, mat-weaving techniques and inspiration from elaborate hand-carved wall features pull together the clothes, accessories and jewellery in the collection.

IMAGES press@kisua.com

FASHION

31

FASHION

TAIBOBACAR T

his international fashion brand was founded in Mozambique in 2008 by fashion designer Taibo Bacar and his partner Tatiana Ismael. Known for its uniqueness and exquisite design, the brand epitomises the essence of African luxury, remaining ever true to its roots and culture.

IMAGES Aart Verrips STYLIST Bee Diamondhead MAKE-UP Annice Roux MODELS Niler Bernard, Refiloe Seretlo, Mitchelle Daka, Retha Lethoko, Emy Ozori, Geraldine Mojaki.

Growing up as the son of a seamstress, Bacar was always surrounded by fabrics and the sound of sewing machines. After studying information technology, he took a leap of faith, relocated to Spain and enrolled for a course in design and pattern cutting at the Instituto Marangoni.

Bacar started his career mainly by creating bespoke dresses for clients in Mozambique, but this quickly escalated into showing his collections in other countries, including South Africa, Angola, Ivory Coast and Nigeria, as well as in Milan, Paris, Lisbon and Dubai.

With many sold-out fashion shows to date, including Mercedes Benz African International Fashion Week earlier this year, Bacar has established his name in the global fashion industry and is now working to take the brand to the next level.

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Bacar wants the brand to hold great appeal for the world, showcasing Africa’s cultural diversity through his company’s focus, determination and hard work, making African/Mozambican designs that display both quality and innovation. The brand’s mission is to make women feel sophisticated, confident and exude attitude with its exclusive designs.

Taibo Bacar offers seasonal runway, bridal, haute couture and ready-to-wear garment collections. The brand also creates exquisite accessories, including shoes, leather goods, handbags and sunglasses.

To introduce this new collection, Bacar wrote the following words in his diary, “Each chapter of your life has to be told in a way that will be kept in the memory of those who cross your path... In the course of your history, make sure you leave a positive mark that will be remembered and celebrated. Dress to impress!”

FOR MORE INFO, VISIT WWW.TAIBOBACAR.COM

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INCREASING THE

VALUE OF YOUR HOME INTERIOR DESIGN ISN’T JUST ABOUT AESTHETICS, IT’S ABOUT THE EFFICIENT USE OF SPACE AND FUNCTIONALITY AND MOVEMENT WITHIN THE HOME. IT SUBTLY IMPROVES THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF A FAMILY.

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house only becomes a home when it starts to reflect who you are. But not all of us are capable of enhancing the value of our homes with what we put inside them. This is where an interior designer can come into play.

These three young South African interior designers are transforming homes across the country and beyond our borders.

Here we gain some insight into how they improve everything inside a home, including its appeal.

THE INTERIOR DESIGNERS

In 2014, Donald Nxumalo (DN) was the first winner of the reality show Win A Home. The show is co-sponsored by Caesarstone, which provided luxury quartz for the competitors to use, and Trevor King, marketing director of Caesarstone, has served as a judge of the show. Nxumalo used that win to boost his career and establish himself as one of the country’s leading designers with DNX Interior Design.

Buzwe Mabuza (BM) has built a solid career with Buzwe In Décor over the last decade, and this put him in a position to establish Design Dreams International, which comprises Design Dreams Interiors, Design Dreams Institute and Design Dreams Investments.

Mucha Mkhabela-Hoboyi (MMH) took what she learnt at Design School SA and at a property development company to launch her company House of Chavi, which does both interior and furniture design and event management. Her clients vary and include ministerial homes in Pretoria.

WHAT IS YOUR PROCESS WHEN COMMISSIONED

BY A CLIENT TO DECORATE THEIR HOME?

DN: The first step is a consultation, either at the client’s home or at our studios and showroom in Kramerville. We ask lots of questions to separate what the client wants from what they think they want. From this point, we get into the process of creating mood boards, concept plans and colour schemes for what will then map a direction for the next meeting with the client for a proposal presentation.

BM: Your space is an extension of your personality and therefore we first get to know who the client is, their lifestyle and how they wish to experience the space. We then come up with ideas, taking into consideration the functionality and aesthetics that will best capture their essence.

MMH: A consultation is done in their space to enable us to understand the client’s taste, lifestyle needs and overall vision

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“PEOPLE THINK THEY CAN BUY ANYTHING THEY LIKE AND THROW IT ALL TOGETHER...”

– MUCHA MKHABELA-HOBOYI in order to present a fully functional space. It is about reflecting their personality and creating a space that effortlessly resonates with who they are.

WHAT IS YOUR APPROACH TO SOURCING FOR CLIENTS?

MMH: We source furniture and accessories from various suppliers both locally and internationally, such as Casalgrande Padana, Giorgetti, Bredaquaranta, Rubelli, Versace Casa, Fendi Casa and Boco Do Lobo. These can include fabric, wall coverings, contemporary motorised couches, marble tables, etc. We bring in our lighting mainly from Germany. Our rugs are a mixture of Italian, Spanish and Turkish. We can also manufacture individual, customised pieces at our local factory.

WHAT ARE THE LATEST TRENDS IN AFRICAN INTERIOR DESIGN?

IMAGES Donald Nxumalo

Donald Nxumalo Interior

DN: We are proud of our roots and try to add elements of our culture in our designs. I was raised in a multicultural family and I draw inspiration from this – for example, crocheting and beading

Donald Nxumalo Interior

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are major parts of my upbringing. In my installations, I always incorporate these. The trends in African interior design are the combination of elements from our rich African traditions and culture with modern design.

BM: I am happy to see Africa no longer reduced to the bush, grass mats and animals. Africa’s vibrancy and energy are beginning to be displayed in the colourfulness of patterns and textures. We have blue skies and the orange sun throughout the year, and this is beginning to be celebrated and embraced through art and textiles.

MMH: Eclectic African interiors are totally in, with a strong focus on hues that incorporate wildlife elements, be it through objet d’art (art, collectables, accessories) or textured wallpaper (e.g. glass, copper, embossed or flocked velvet). Also, pieces like Maasai masks from Kenya fused with locally produced glass vases, decorative ornaments and ceramics add to the aesthetic.

WHAT DESIGN FACTORS ARE YOU SEEING GAINING PROMINENCE IN GENERAL? DN: Smeg has appliances that are full of character and have brought colour and style back into the kitchen. This is an achievement, as when a client is not in a position to renovate a whole space, the addition of just a few appliances in awesome bright colours almost instantly transforms the space. I also find think that consumers are looking at higher-quality products and brands as opposed to mainstream, lower-priced products.

BM: Unfortunately, SA is still behind with regard to world trends, but more people are travelling and being exposed to new trends.

In addition, international brands like Giorgetti, Poliform, Roche Bobois and other leading names in furniture design are opening up showrooms here. Exposure is limited, but we are getting there.

MMH: The contemporary feel – which borrows elements from various styles and has an emphasis on simplicity with comfort in mind – is still popular. Accessories like abstract, unframed paintings as well as simple furniture with clean lines also add to the contemporary design. Brands like blu_line kitchens, Fendi Casa furniture and wallpaper brands, including Christian Lacroix, Zoffany, Chivasso and Harlequin, are in demand.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE WHO IS LOOKING TO ENHANCE THEIR SPACE WHILE INCREASING ITS VALUE?

DN: Houses can be completely transformed by just a splash of paint. The idea is not necessarily to demolish and rebuild them, but to look at things that easily enhance a space. Two major areas are the kitchen and bathroom. In the kitchen, you can repaint cupboards, install new rails and fix the plumbing. In the bathroom, changing the tiles and updating fittings has a great effect.

BM: Designers know what they are doing. Allow them room to serve your space best, and learn why some things will add value

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and some won’t. I’ve recently had a client spend what he thought was a horrendous amount of money for me to fix up a DIY design exercise that went pear-shaped. Within eight months of the project completion, he had sold the property and not only got his investment back but made a good profit, because we had worked on it.

MMH: Hire an accredited designer who you feel can realise your vision. Also, accessories can create harmony, and lighting has to work with the overall scheme, as it can make or break the aesthetic balance.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE/ AESTHETIC?

DN: Contemporary pan-African with a hint of the classic. It goes beyond being appealing to the eye. It’s practical and functional, yet results in a comfortable end product. The colours that are incorporated imbue warmth and comfort, and that, I’d say, is my style.

BM: Edgy, vibrant, warm and balanced.

MMH: Luxury modern classic. I love using minimal accents, rich textures and layering of lavish textiles to create timelessness. In the end, each room’s story must be exclusive.

“...THE ADDITION OF JUST A FEW APPLIANCES IN AWESOME BRIGHT COLOURS ALMOST INSTANTLY TRANSFORMS THE SPACE.” – DONALD NXUMALO WHAT MISTAKES DO PEOPLE MAKE WHEN THEY TRY TO CHANGE THEIR DECOR?

DN: The biggest mistake that people make is liking everything.

Styles end up clashing and make the space look like a huge garage sale. Also, they depend on apps like Pinterest as a reference. A lot of things look great online but might not be so great for your space. Use an interior designer. The cost of fixing the problem will be higher than had the professional done it from the start.

HOW IMPORTANT IS LIGHTING, ART AND ACCESSORIES, LIKE CUSHIONS, RUGS, ETC?

BM: Style is timeless and will always be relevant, so people should stop chasing trends. Let your space reflect who you are!

BM: These items bring personality and life into any space.

MMH: People think they can buy anything they like and throw it all together without understanding the basic principles of the actual architectural structure you’re working with. It almost always ends up in overcluttering a space and creating an imbalance.

IMAGES Mucha Mkhabela-Hoboyi

DN: These elements bring effortless style when incorporated correctly. Depending on the space, side lamps can also transform a room. Cushions, rugs and vases have an impact from a colour and size perspective.

Mucha Mkhabela-Hoboyi Interiors

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Zimbali, Ballito

BUYING A

HOLIDAY HOME WHILE THERE’S AN ABUNDANCE OF HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION AROUND SOUTH AFRICA, BUYING A HOLIDAY HOME MIGHT BE THE BEST OPTION FOR YOU. KOJO BAFFOE SURVEYS THE LANDSCAPE AND CONSIDERATIONS SURROUNDING INVESTING IN A SECOND PROPERTY. outh Africa has an abundance of beautiful coastline, with dorpies, towns and cities dotted along the way. Some of it is overpopulated, and some relatively untouched. As an example, to drive along the Wild Coast route is to journey into the true beauty of the country’s natural landscapes with its magnificent views. While the bigger cities continue to attract the multitudes during holidays, smaller places also draw in people in their thousands, not just from across the country, but globally.

IMAGE Jason Briscoe

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Visit a place like the Tsitsikamma National Park and you’ll find yourself surrounded by multiple languages, primarily from outside the continent. Initiatives like Brand South Africa’s Sho’t Left continues to be a driver to encourage South Africans to travel and experience the country, as opposed to only travelling beyond our borders. And, while the coast is usually where most of us flock to, especially when it comes to holidaying during the summer months, the country also offers so much inland, with endless experiences that provide for

all types, whether you are looking for rest or adventure.

WHERE TO REST YOUR HEAD

Resorts, bed & breakfasts, lodges, hotels and self-catering establishments have, for a long time, been the preferred form of accommodation for holidaymakers. There was also a time when timeshare – a definition for which is ‘a holiday house or apartment that is owned by several different people who

PROPERTY

Mjejane Game Reserve

Mjejane Game Reserve

each use it for a particular period of the year’ – was popular, but to many, the experience has left a bad taste in the mouth. The National Consumer Commission (NCC) is in the process of investigating holiday clubs that provide timeshare, due to the contracts these businesses lock consumers into and how impossible it is to ever get out of the contracts once signed.

In the same way that it disrupted the hotel and hospitality industry around the world, Airbnb is having an impact locally and, perhaps even more significantly, on the property market itself. There has been a shift from people listing rooms in the house or apartment they live in, to the listing of houses or flats in which they don’t.

In an article by Steve Kretzman for news website GroundUp (October 2017), titled ‘Airbnb and Cape Town’s rising rents: an interview with Chris Lehane’, Kretzman writes, “With 17 600 listings representing 17.6% of total Airbnb listings on the

continent, Cape Town is also beginning to feel the pinch of what has been called the Airbnb effect – the view that there may be thousands of houses, rooms and apartments no longer available for rent to residents, as owners choose to rather make money through short-term lets on Airbnb than risk defaulting tenants. Certainly, property prices in Cape Town, where over 40% of all South African Airbnb listings are situated, have grown phenomenally over the past five years, particularly in the city bowl, Atlantic seaboard and southern suburbs, where Airbnb listings are concentrated.”

WHERE TO BUY?

You need to take what Lehane says into consideration when exploring whether to purchase your first holiday home. John Loos, FNB’s household and property sector strategist, says, “At present, a low percentage of South Africans are buying holiday homes, but it must be noted that there are a couple of biases in the data. For one, we calculate according to secondary

“AT PRESENT, A LOW PERCENTAGE OF SOUTH AFRICANS ARE BUYING HOLIDAY HOMES...” property ownership, which is estimated at 16% of total properties. Holiday homes are a smaller portion of these, because often the second property is usually bought to rent. Our estimates come from our Estate Agent Survey, and when we asked ‘what percentage of total home buying do you believe to be a holiday home’, the estate agents responded that it was 3.3%.

In addition, the survey’s focus is around major metros, and won’t include smaller holiday areas.”

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Lion's Head, Cape Town

Other areas experiencing higher demand are the southern Western Cape, i.e.

Mossel Bay, Knysna, etc., but, in some instances, people are moving from cities like Johannesburg and Pretoria to retire there. Also, you have people settling in towns like Hermanus and travelling to the larger metros for business – for example, consultants.

The development of multiple estates around the country is possibly also driving this trend of people setting up a home or buying holiday homes in areas that are on the fringes of the major metros. Val de Vie in Paarl, Zimbali Coastal Resort and Estate in Ballito, Fancourt in George, Mjejane Game Reserve in the Kruger National Park, and Whale Rock Ridge in Plettenberg Bay are some of the high-end estates that are operating and can serve as holiday homes for those with extra income. House prices range from R3 million upwards and each estate has an array of facilities and services, such as spas, golf courses, restaurants, tennis courts, clubhouses, pools, etc.

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SHOULD YOU BUY?

So what must you consider when deliberating about buying that holiday home? First, you need to be clear on why you want one, since there are alternative options available to you without having to take a second home loan with a bank.

As Loos explains, “Many people want a holiday home because they generally want their own space to be able to leave their own stuff around the house, have their own pictures on the wall, design, decorate and refurbish as they want.”

If this is the case, then by all means go for it, but the location is also as important. You’re buying the holiday home to hopefully enjoy it. If you live in Johannesburg and you buy in Cape Town, for example, you have to think about how often you’ll be able to get there, due to the distance. How often can you afford to fly there? For Loos, “If I was in the game for a holiday home, I would look at location in relation to where I live. For example, if I was in Joburg I would look at the Vaal Dam, because whenever I have time I can go through. One could even commute during holidays.”

Another factor to think about is the costs of managing the home remotely. If you consider how much you spend on your primary property, then it will give you a sense of the running costs of the second one, especially since you aren’t there all the time. You don’t want to spend your holidays dealing with maintenance issues.

Furthermore, banks tend to have more stringent requirements when looking at affordability, especially if you have an initial home loan. Perhaps a lock-up-andgo apartment at the coast might be better.

Some estates provide services like cleaning so you don’t have to, but it’s still a cost – albeit less than hiring someone yourself.

Finally, Loos believes that “owning your own holiday home is not a great investment unless you have a letting agent, for example, for weekends. And even with that, you do not have a regular tenant, so it won’t necessarily make that much income.”

This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t explore the possibility of buying your first holiday home, just that you should go into it with your eyes open. There are so many options available and there’s nothing better than holidaying in the comfort of your own space.

IMAGE Marcelo Novais

And it is in the smaller areas that one finds a greater demand for property, although it’s difficult to differentiate between what’s being purchased as holiday homes versus retirement demand. Loos adds, “In the KwaZulu-Natal area, the North Coast is doing better than the South Coast, but the Durban economy is moving up north so you have to take that into consideration.

Plus, places like Ballito are becoming commuter towns.”

“MANY PEOPLE WANT A HOLIDAY HOME BECAUSE THEY GENERALLY WANT THEIR OWN SPACE TO BE ABLE TO LEAVE THEIR OWN STUFF AROUND THE HOUSE...”

BUSINESS

001010 BITCOIN AS A 1000101 100011CATALYST FOR 1010001 001 TRANSFORMATIVE 011010 1010 MONEY EXCHANGE 011001 01010111 IN AFRICA 110101000 PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD ARE EXPERIENCING A NEW WAVE OF EXCHANGING MONEY THAT DOESN’T INVOLVE A BANK OR MIDDLEMAN. IT BEGS THE QUESTION, IS THE WORLD SHIFTING TOWARDS HISTORICAL FORMS OF TRADING AND EXCHANGING GOODS AND SERVICES, LIKE IN A BARTER ECONOMY? IN A CASHLESS ECONOMY, NEGOTIATION IS THE NAME OF THE GAME. BY TSHEPO MATSEBA

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C

RYPTOCURRENCY 101 – THE GENESIS OF BITCOIN

Today, peer-to-peer digital currencies, often called cryptocurrencies, have reached a record US$185 billion in market value. This was compounded by Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency, reaching a market cap of more than US$109 billion. This is a remarkable trajectory for a currency that was only launched in 2009 by an unknown tech expert using the pseudonym of Satoshi Nakamoto. The idea was simple – develop a digital currency that is completely managed by users with no intermediation by central or private banks. To achieve this, Nakamoto developed a technology known as blockchain – a public ledger recording transactions on multiple computers or mobile devices simultaneously, making the need for third-party confirmation – essentially what banks do – completely unnecessary.

11 111 010 10 01

BANKING THE UNBANKED

Political economy professor at the University of Pretoria and author of Wellbeing Economy: Success in a World Without Growth, Lorenzo Fioramonti, says that Bitcoin, the first cryptocurrency, is becoming more and more prevalent around the world, including in Africa.

“Ordinary people write to me constantly, asking questions about how it works and its pros and cons,” he says. “At the present value of

over US$7000 for one Bitcoin, excitement is growing everywhere, including among bankers. In Africa, Bitcoin is becoming a very useful tool for migrant workers to send remittances back home. In Zimbabwe, for instance, the price of Bitcoin at local exchanges is higher than in South Africa, so when Zimbabwean workers living in SA send their money back home, the recipients get a bonus in value and pay virtually no commissions. This is far better than conventional money transfer systems.”

to significantly impact financial inclusion across the continent. Based in Cape Town with a satellite presence in Johannesburg, the Blockchain Academy has already trained more than 1 000 people in Mauritius, South Africa and Swaziland.

“We launched this academy to help fasttrack knowledge levels of individuals and businesses, and empower the unbanked to start exchanging money and trade without the need of a trusted third party, such as a bank. It is a huge opportunity to change the way we do business in Africa.”

Fioramonti adds that as a digital currency, Bitcoin is also proving quite useful in empowering disadvantaged communities, who can now open a ‘wallet’ (the equivalent of an account) with just their smartphones and ID, without having to visit a bank and with no running costs. In a developing economy, African citizens are now empowered to engage in transactions that wouldn’t have been possible without Bitcoin.

GLOBAL SKEPTICISM

EMPOWERING AFRICANS WITH DIGITAL CURRENCY EXPERTISE

Most cryptocurrencies have developed as autonomous money, which empowers users directly while guaranteeing full autonomy in how the money system is run. In South Africa, the digital currency is gaining exponential interest across different demographics. Sonya Kuhnel, managing director of the Blockchain Academy, launched the business initially as the Bitcoin Academy in South Africa in 2015, to teach people about digital currency when she spotted an opportunity Lorenzo Fioramonti

100010 0001 11010 01100 100

Cryptocurrencies have had their fair share of criticism from regulators, bankers, economists and politicians the world over. Executive chairman of Templeton Emerging Markets Group, Dr Mark Mobius, warned that “cryptocurrencies are beginning to get out of control”. Speaking at an investment symposium in Johannesburg recently, Mobius stressed that governments will begin to clamp down on cryptocurrencies, sparking a rush to gold.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR AFRICAN STARTUPS

On the contrary, Fioramonti says that the opportunities for individuals and startups are enormous. “Cryptocurrencies are the future of a new economy, in which users themselves control the money system, with a fixed and predictable supply. Exactly the opposite of conventional money systems, which are dominated by private banks and redirect profits to those who already possess wealth. Cryptocurrencies are interest free, which means you cannot

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KEY DEFINITIONS

Source: Investopedia

CRYPTOCURRENCY

BITCOIN

BLOCKCHAIN

A cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography for security.

A cryptocurrency is difficult to counterfeit because of this security feature. A defining feature of a cryptocurrency, and arguably its most alluring, is its organic nature; it is not issued by any central authority, rendering it theoretically immune to government interference or manipulation.

Bitcoin is a digital currency created in 2009. It follows the ideas set out in a white paper by the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto, whose true identity has yet to be verified. Bitcoin offers the promise of lower transaction fees than traditional online payment mechanisms and is operated by a decentralised authority, unlike government-issued currencies.

A blockchain is a digitised, decentralised, public ledger of all cryptocurrency transactions. Constantly growing as ‘completed’ blocks, the most recent transactions are recorded and added to it in chronological order, which allows market participants to keep track of digital currency transactions without central recordkeeping. Each node (a computer connected to the network) gets a copy of the blockchain, which is downloaded automatically.

charge interest on your money,” he says, adding that their value is in trading or exchanging. “They can be very useful for startups, which now can gather financial support though forms of crowdfunding (known as initial coin offerings) rather than resorting to conventional bank loans.”

Fioramonti concedes that cryptocurrencies are not immune to downsides. “The risks are that they can be hijacked by speculators, which are often the same investment banks criticising these currencies in public while speculating against them in private. As open systems, anybody can access them and, if speculators control vast amounts of these new currencies, they can easily drive prices up or down as they wish.”

In a country like Zimbabwe, where the local currency has been redenominated to a point of extinction, citizens can now take advantage of cryptocurrencies to sustain economic activity. Fioramonti believes that the availability of Bitcoin and other currencies in Zimbabwe is empowering local producers, who are no longer subject to government restrictions in terms of money supply and use. “Moreover, Zimbabweans are also becoming ‘miners’, that is users that invest in supporting the Bitcoin blockchain through their own computers while being rewarded in Bitcoin for their services.”

While peer-to-peer digital currency has taken the world by storm, the rate of adoption by some governments has been slow. Fioramonti says that governments have also tried to crack down on cryptocurrencies, including China recently. “Yet, it’s very difficult to control a phenomenon happening transversally on the internet. The Chinese restrictions had no effect on the value of Bitcoin. As has already happened in the past, governments will eventually give up. Many of them are already trying to develop their own cryptocurrencies, with a view to competing with Bitcoin. So are banks. But in my view, Bitcoin will continue growing as the only truly open and horizontal currency in the world,” he concludes.

Sandile Xaso

WHERE TO START FOR FIRSTTIME USERS

There are a number of Bitcoin hubs with its underlying technology, the blockchain, in Africa, including in Cape Town, Accra, Nairobi and Lagos – with an increasing number of startups emerging throughout the continent. Some notable exchanges that offer Africans an opportunity to trade Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are Luno, BitcoinFundi, NairaEx and ice3x.

Luno is one of Africa’s largest mobile wallet and cryptocurrency exchanges.

In more and more countries, Bitcoin is becoming an accepted form of payment.

However, there are platforms that allow you to exchange Bitcoin for local currency throughout the continent. In South Africa, Luno is the main platform. Some companies are also planning to install Bitcoin ATM machines. For people who wish to withdraw their Bitcoin in cash, the process is simple. Luno enables users to send their Bitcoins to their personal bank accounts or ewallets and withdraw cash from an ATM. Most cryptocurrency

100011010 01011010 10100101 101010101 0001010 exchanges across the continent have the same feature on their mobile apps.

Sandile Xaso, a 27-year-old Johannesburgbased brand and reputation strategist, says that he is trying out cryptocurrencies and is already seeing significant growth in a short space of time. “Having known about Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies for about two years, I was given an opportunity to own, buy and sell without being involved in the complex world of trading or mining. In two months, the R1 000 investment has grown at quite an astonishing rate, being worth R1 680 in four weeks and then shooting up to R1 930 in five weeks. In just another month it has increased by over 30%.”

Interesting insight If you purchased US$100 of Bitcoin in 2010 you would be US$75 million richer today!

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BUSINESS PROFILE

REWRITING AFRICA’S NARRATIVE

Mimi Kalinda

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FROM WORKING WITH RENOWNED FILM DIRECTOR SPIKE LEE ON INSIDE MAN TO BEING THE FIRST AFRICAN WOMAN TO HOST A SHOW ON MTV IN LONDON, MIMI KALINDA HAS FOUND CREATIVE WAYS TO INSPIRE CONFIDENCE AND TELL THE AFRICAN STORY TO POSITIVELY IMPACT THE CONTINENT’S ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL EQUITY. BY TSHEPO MATSEBA

T

shepo Matseba spoke with Mimi Kalinda, host of Talking to Africa, a weekly podcast on Africa Business Radio, and author of a book by the same name, in which she shares insights about her journey across the continent in her quest to help leaders understand how the cultural dynamics of four major African markets – Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa – are constantly evolving. She is also the director of communications at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), a network of centres of excellence incubating STEM education for Africa’s brightest students, also searching for the next Einstein. She leads Africommunications Group, a pan-African communications firm.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO EMBARK ON THIS JOURNEY TO REPOSITION HOW THE WORLD SEES AND TALKS ABOUT AFRICA?

I had what some would consider a very eclectic childhood. I was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the child of a Congolese father and a Rwandan mother. I lived in Goma (in eastern DRC) and then Kinshasa until I was about seven years old.

I remember always being comfortable in my own skin and loving my origins, without having much of a frame of reference, since I had not yet travelled outside of Africa at that point. My family later lived in Belgium and Portugal, and we eventually settled in South Africa. In Europe, I remember sensing that my roots incited in people a reaction that varied between pity and disdain.

Africans were given little respect, and this infuriated me. I would later live in the UK and the US, and I rebelled when I realised that Africa was almost always portrayed as an ‘inferior’ continent – uncivilised, dangerous and uninhabitable. The stories that my classmates, colleagues and counterparts in the West believed to be true about Africa were hugely generalised, completely biased and, in many cases, utterly untrue. When I lived in New York, I decided to make my first documentary, Miseducating the World.

It explored the impact of the negative images of Africa in the US news media on Africans who live in the US – specifically the prejudice they endure. As a mother, I see my children facing the same prejudice. They have different nationalities because they were born in different countries. How they are treated when we

travel as a family sometimes solely depends on what passport they carry, and those with African passports attract more scrutiny and suspicion, even as children. It is because of this unfair and unbalanced narrative of Africa that I felt I needed to make a contribution to repositioning the African story.

WHY IS THERE SO MUCH MISCONSTRUED INFORMATION ABOUT AFRICA?

The misrepresentation can be deliberate, as our history has shown us, dehumanising and pigeonholing “the other” enables economic, political and ideological domination. Africa’s battle for economic sovereignty is linked to the psychological damage its people have, and continue to endure. I also think that there are not nearly enough Africans working together to present a different narrative of the continent. A critical mass of Africans who speak truth to power, both in boardrooms and in political circles, would certainly make a massive difference.

ARE AFRICAN LEADERS COMMITTED TO THE CAUSE OF REPOSITIONING THE CONTINENT GLOBALLY? There are certainly leaders who are advocates of positive change and who are repositioning the continent’s image by their own progressive actions. We need many more of these if we are truly going to move the needle towards beneficial transformation. A

“MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE SHARE THE SAME AMBITION: AN AFRICA THAT IS FREE, PROSPEROUS AND SAFE.” 51

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well thought-out and balanced narrative will most likely increase foreign direct investment and tourism. It’s in the interest of our leaders to start paying more attention to how our stories are captured, packaged and told, as well as who tells them.

HOW DOES THE AFRICAN UNION (AU) SEE AFRICA’S NARRATIVE?

The AU sees the African narrative as one that we still have the opportunity to own and mould to suit the interests of Africa.

The mere fact that the reforms have been initiated and approved by our heads of state is evidence that the political will is there.

Transforming the African narrative is not a matter of just talking about it. There are very concrete actions that must be taken to ensure our reality matches our aspirations.

ARE THERE ANY PRACTICAL INITIATIVES THAT ARE TAKING PLACE TOWARDS POSITIVELY CHANGING THE NARRATIVE WITHIN THE AU?

The AU reforms essentially aim to benefit Africa in three ways: the AU will finance its own budget which will make it more independent. When you finance your own institutions, you’re in charge of your own destiny. The AU is also pushing for its administration to become more merit-based and efficient. This will deliver results for Africans on numerous mandates, including the full realisation of Agenda 2063. Another key initiative is to advocate for unity of purpose among all African states, so that they can all speak with one voice on the global stage. Africa’s fragmented approach to international relations has not worked in its favour. The punch of a closed fist has more impact than the slap of an open hand.

HOW DO YOU TRANSLATE SUCH A NOBLE CONCEPT/IDEA INTO PRACTICAL ACTION IN A VILLAGE, CITY, BUSINESS AND EVERYDAY CONVERSATION?

We need to ensure that the ordinary African understands the relevance and purpose of the AU and the reforms being implemented. These reforms will bring us closer as a continent, enable more trade and economic growth and increase freedom of movement across borders, and thus become champions for change.

IS THERE A SINGLE STORY THAT WE CAN SHARE ABOUT AFRICA THAT’S COMMON FOR ALL ITS CITIZENS?

Of course, there are more similarities among African citizens than differences. We share a common history of oppression and the pillaging of our resources, which we are trying to overcome.

Many of our people share cultural traits and traditions. We even have similar languages and food in many parts of the continent.

Most importantly, we share the same ambition: an Africa that is free, prosperous and safe. For the most part, we’re all working towards this, and that is our single story.

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HOW WILL THIS INITIATIVE CONTRIBUTE TO VARIOUS ECONOMIES OF AFRICA?

The return on investment will be threefold. First, unity and solidarity among Africans will increase our ability to favourably negotiate with our global counterparts. There is strength in numbers. Second, collaborating to ensure peace and security on the continent is paramount. Issues such as the Chibok girls’ kidnappings and the 1994 genocide in Rwanda should be the concern of every African country. We need to have a pan-African peacekeeping force that’s able to avoid and manage these threats internally. Finally, increasing the political and socio-economic integration of Africa can only contribute to our economies as we are able to trade and travel freely across the continent.

HOW CAN PEOPLE GET INVOLVED?

Changing our narrative starts with us understanding what our current narrative is, and its historical context. We need to become more curious about who we are, where we come from as a continent, how we are perceived and why. We don’t travel nearly enough within Africa and without exposure, there can be no understanding. Join the Talking to Africa conversation.

You can catch the show every Wednesday at 3pm SAST at Africabusinessradio.com. To find out more about the AU reforms, follow @AU_reforms on Twitter.

TRENDING

ADvTech School

THE BUSINESS OF

PRIVATE EDUCATION THE CHALLENGES THAT FACE THE EDUCATION SYSTEM IN SOUTH AFRICA, AFTER DECADES OF A SEGREGATED APARTHEID EDUCATION SYSTEM FOLLOWED BY DAMAGING MISMANAGEMENT, REFLECT WHAT THE COUNTRY FACES AS A WHOLE AS WE JOURNEY FURTHER ALONG OUR DEMOCRATIC PATH. BY KOJO BAFFOE

The ability of the government, following 1994, to satisfy the educational needs of the majority of South Africans has fallen short, for various reasons. There is the belief in some quarters that education is in a real crisis. We are regularly ranked as one of the worst-performing systems globally.

Building a new education system is very complex. We want the best for our children. We want to give them access to the tools to create lives that build on ours. But, there are limitations, both for the individual and for government. Out of this, there has been, especially in the last decade, a proliferation of private/independent schools across the country.

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THE SCHOOLS

An early entrant into the independent school sector is ADvTECH Group, which was founded in 1978 and initially focused on IT training. In the words of CEO Roy Douglas, the change came about as follows, “As South Africa’s transition dawned, it was education that would be a key factor in the ‘new’ South Africa’s success. In the early 1990s, ADvTECH started moving from technical systems training to providing educational opportunities. After years of growth and development, the education division is split between schools and tertiary.”

ADvTECH is listed on the JSE and has a number of school brands at primary and high school level. It targets different parts of society, with offerings differing on price, curriculum, ethos, etc.

For example, Douglas says, “Crawford Schools are known for their modern and progressive approach, Trinityhouse is known for

IMAGE ADvTECH

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e cannot have a discussion about education without acknowledging how disadvantaged black South Africa is and how inferior education was under the Bantu Education Act of 1953.

TRENDING

WE ARE REGULARLY RANKED AS ONE OF THE WORST PERFORMING SYSTEMS GLOBALLY. R120m and R200m on infrastructure, and thereafter about R20m to R40m per year in running expenses.”

This is reiterated by Douglas, who says, “ADvTECH values competition as we consider it good for both the industry and consumers. An increase in competitors improves the education sector, the quality and relevance of offerings for everyone.”

In more recent years, other schools have come to the fore, including SPARK Schools, Nova Pioneer and Future Nation. A key discussion point is how private school fees tend to be much higher than the public schools, making them beyond the reach of the majority of parents in the country.

AFFORDABILITY

SPARK Schools was established by Stacey Brewer and Ryan Harrison in 2011, the idea for which was sparked while the pair were pursuing their MBAs at the Gordon Institute of Business Science.

their more traditional, strong Christian ethos and Abbotts College is known for its inclusive, caring and focused environment.”

The other JSE-listed organisation, Curro Holdings, was established in 1998. CEO Andries Greyling says: “Curro’s mission is to make quality independent school education accessible to more learners. To make this possible, Curro’s offering extends across various school models in order to appeal to a broad audience.

These school models differ in subject offering, Grade 12 final exam certificate offering (IEB vs NSC), co-curricular offering and fees.”

IMAGE ADvTECH

Interestingly, Curro attempted to acquire ADvTECH in 2015 but the deal was rejected by the board. Greyling does say that “it’s important to note that Curro and ADvTECH aren’t speaking to the same markets. There is ample opportunity to co-exist in the private education sector in South Africa. For every independent school which is brought into existence, the government saves between

Brewer says, “We wanted to create schools we would be proud and confident enough to send our own children to. SPARK Schools aims to provide a model that is affordable and produces internationally competitive scholars. In 2018, our fees will be R21 000 per annum. Our school fees are based on government’s total cost to educate a child.”

The newest kid on the block is Future Nation Schools, which falls under Dr Judy Dlamini and Sizwe Nxasana’s Sifiso Learning Group. Their aim is “to meaningfully contribute to the African education landscape and spearhead the African education revolution.”

They say further that “our strategic intent is to produce future African leaders who are passionate, excel in what they do, are ready for the 21st century and are confident in themselves. Our vision is to build a network of affordable private schools across South Africa, and the rest of Africa, that offers excellent education which is characterised by student-centred learning, high academic standards, problem-solving skills, a focus on applied research and development (including project-based teaching and learning), innovation, leadership, entrepreneurship and African studies.”

ADvTech's Elkanah House Schools, Cape Town

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TRENDING

THE CURRICULUM

A critical consideration is the curriculum and how it is developed.

Brewer of SPARK Schools says: “We are a disruptor, offering a model and culture of education that is innovative and different from the independent education institutions that South Africans have come to know. Our curriculum, which encompasses South African Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS), is based on dynamic and individualised teaching, which ensures that scholars are learning the curriculum in new ways. In maths classes, students are taught according to Scholastic’s PR1ME curriculum, which is based upon the rigorous maths standards of Singapore, the Republic of Korea, and Hong Kong. In literacy, students progress through reading and writing according to criterion scales based on Britain’s literacy standards.”

ADvTECH’s approach is determined by a central academic team, working with the various brands to support and develop the academic strategy. Douglas of the ADvTECH Group explains: “This team has a programme of quality management for all academic processes, which includes exploration and implementation of effective teaching methodologies. Through these initiatives, we create a space for meaningful and purposeful learning. For example, we integrate the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of 2030 and South African Development Plan 2030 into the curriculum, to engage our students at a young age to be innovative, creative and articulate solutions to global problems, such as gender equality or poverty. Another is our focus on global competencies, through our Core Skills Continuum, which empowers our students with skills needed in the developing fourth industrial revolution of robotic process automation.”

IMAGES ADvTECH & Curro Schools

With Curro, the approach is similar in that the internal curriculum management and delivery centre both ensure that teachers are constantly being upskilled with professional development courses, while also constantly researching best practice to ensure the CAPS curriculum continues to better prepare learners. For example, Greyling explains that “Curro’s mathematics allows for a more focused and problem-solving approach, while the science and technology curriculum not only focuses on 21st-century technology but also on nanotechnology and a study of the Da Vinci inventions.”

Meanwhile, Future Nation Schools at preschool level use the Montessori teaching model and, from Grade R, “start adding in elements of project-based learning, which is the perfect complement to Montessori. Children now start developing more tools to pursue work that interests and engages them.

Having already learnt to work independently and purposefully in preschool, this transition happens a lot more smoothly than when entering a traditional schooling environment.”

ADvTech's Trinityhouse

“WE WANTED TO CREATE SCHOOLS WE WOULD BE PROUD AND CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO SEND OUR OWN CHILDREN TO.” THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION

While Future Nation Schools is in the beginning of its journey, it has five schools, all in Joburg: two full campuses up to Grade 8, and three satellite preschools that feed into the primary and high school.

ADvTECH has been focused on South Africa, both at school and tertiary level, but has started expanding across the continent. It has also been paying attention to its mid-fee Academies brand, with projects like Copperleaf College and Foundershill.

SPARK continues to do what it is doing, with the overall vision being for South Africa to lead global education.

And finally, Curro is on a major school drive. Greyling says, “There are 12.5 million learners in South Africa, and three million of them can afford Curro’s offering. The brand currently accommodates around 42 500 learners and would like to increase this to 100 000 by 2020. We started 2017 with 127 schools, compared to 110 schools at the beginning of 2016 – a 15% increase, and are aiming for 200 schools by end of 2021.”

This is but a snapshot of the growing number of independent schools in the country. There is a place for each of them, as long as they’re able to remain relevant, provide the necessary education and not price themselves out of the market or cater to a small niche. At the same time, there is a semblance of hope for the children of South Africa.

Curro School

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ADVERTORIAL

GOOD MUSIC AND MASTERY W I TH

JAZZUARY ON KAYA FM 95.9

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ADVERTORIAL

LIBERTY RADIO AWARDS STATION OF THE YEAR, KAYA FM 95.9 KICKS OFF 2018 WITH ANOTHER INSTALMENT OF ITS ANNUAL CELEBRATION AND ODE TO JAZZ MUSIC UNDER THE THEME, JAZZUARY MASTERCLASS.

T

his January we take Afropolitans on a month-long journey which delves deep into the music genre of jazz. The Jazzuary Masterclass aims to commemorate, educate and entertain, with discussions that share insights into the history and future of jazz music and jazz culture.

“The jazz genre and lifestyle are a significant part of the fabric of our station, deeply rooted in our twenty-year history as the home of the Afropolitan. Jazzuary is part of our commitment to grow jazz and showcase its holistic influence on modern content and conversations, be it music, politics, fashion or the arts,” says Kaya FM Managing Director, Greg Maloka.

• PAUL HANMER JAZZ PIANIST

• ZOE MODIGA JAZZ VOCALIST

• GRAEME ARENDSE

GRAPHIC DESIGNER AND CURATOR

For our on-air playlist we will be exploring some Afro-Latin or Afro-Cuban music, which will also be subjects covered in some of our masterclass interviews. Live performances for Jazzuary will include the likes of:

Kaya FM listeners will be treated to an earful of information, interviews and jazz entertainment from some of the most seasoned, sought-after jazz geniuses. Some of the Masters that we will be featuring include the likes of:

“Through Jazzuary we approach jazz in a more holistic manner that will see us going deeper into the genre and exploring more subjects and topics that cannot or should not be separated from jazz,” says Nkosinathi Mbelu, Music Manager at Kaya FM.

• ANDILE YENANA

“Subjects like jazz literature, politics, jazz education, collectors societies, history, jazz broadcasting, jazz sub genres, art,” Mbelu adds.

PIANIST AND EDUCATOR

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JOY OF JAZZ LEGAL ADVISOR, JAZZ COLLECTOR AND ENTHUSIAST

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Join us on the airwaves for this assortment of entertainment or visit www.jazzuary.fm to enjoy exclusive art, lifestyle and fashion content influenced by jazz culture.

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MOTORING

ELECTRIC CARS IN SOUTH AFRICA BMW i3

DAMIAN MURPHY EXPLORES THE ROAD AHEAD FOR ELECTRIC CARS IN SOUTH AFRICA AND ON THE CONTINENT.. t seems that electric cars are the way of the future when you consider carbon dioxide emissions are continually on the rise, the serious and undeniable threat posed by climate change and dwindling fossil fuel reserves. With demand for fully electric vehicles increasing globally, we have to ask why there are only two models of 100% electric vehicles available to buy in South Africa. A hybrid shouldn’t be confused with a fully electric engine, as hybrid vehicles still use normal combustion engines to charge their electric motors to power themselves.

I

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Currently, the only two fully electric cars for sale in South Africa are the BMW i3 and the Nissan LEAF. While the BMW i8, Toyota Prius and Volvo XC 90 are impressive examples of hybrid technology, they just aren’t electric cars. Overseas you have a much larger selection of fully electric cars to choose from, with companies like Tesla, Hyundai, Chevrolet and Mitsubishi all producing their own models. Some European countries plan to completely eradicate fuel-powered cars within the next two to three decades. China has set itself very aggressive electric car targets to curb the massive amount of pollution ruining the air

MOTORING

quality in parts of the country. So why is it that we’re still so far behind, and why have so few manufacturers brought their fully electric models to African shores?

Part of the problem might lie in the fact that our electricity supply is somewhat unstable. In South Africa, Eskom has managed to steady the ship over the last few years, meaning load-shedding is much less of a problem. But, overall, uncertainty surrounding the parastatal still looms over our heads.

Another reason for the slow uptake is the fact that there are just not enough charging stations around South Africa.

Cape Town and parts of Gauteng have charge stations available to electric car owners, and BMW and Nissan dealerships have their own charging stations to cater to their clients’ needs. Fortunately for owners of the i3 and LEAF, BMW and Nissan also have a charge station sharing agreement.

Nissan LEAF recharging

Furthermore, the fully electric car hasn’t taken off because of the price. The Nissan LEAF will set you back a little under R500 000, and considering the fact that it’s not much more than an average city hatchback with average performance, the costs are high. The BMW i3 is slightly more sophisticated with a better finish, but at a cost of R613 000, it’s still very expensive. Range is also an issue, as electric cars cannot travel huge distances between charges and their batteries are ridiculously expensive to replace. Some need replacing every 50 000 km.

Rapid advancements in electric and hybrid technology should soon mean that South Africans will have affordable access to improved electric automotive performance. However, it will still be a good few years before they become as readily available here as they are in the northern hemisphere.

BMW i3 interior

Nissan LEAF

Nissan LEAF interior

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MOTORING

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t was a Ford Sierra XR6, paleish blue, spoiler at the back, thick tyres with white mags and a gentle grunt to it. We felt like we owned the streets when we were allowed to cruise in it. It belonged to my best friend’s mother. If it could tell the stories, it might have spoken of being broken into on the streets of Joburg in the early 1990s outside a club called Countdown, and how my passport, among other things, was stolen, so we had to report it at the menacing (and then known as) John Vorster Square Police Station. Or the accident we had, skidding into the pavement at a famous traffic circle in Maseru, as we headed to a party. We had to walk most of the way to my friend’s home to tell his mother.

GO CLASSIC

The memories created in that car will stay with us for the rest of our lives. And something similar is what prompted the establishment of Creative Rides in Bryanston, Johannesburg, by Kevin Derrick and his partner Bryce Roberts.

Derrick says: “We become emotionally attached to cars. That’s the passion of it. How it is tied to nostalgia. I have been collecting and building cars for 30 odd years. I just had a love for them from a young age. At four to five years old, I could already tell you car, make, year, etc. just

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OR GO HOME

IF CLASSIC COLLECTABLE CARS GET YOUR ENGINES ALL REVVED UP TOO, HIT THE SHOWROOM FLOOR WITH KOJO BAFFOE

from seeing and hearing it drive past. The first time I had some spare cash, I bought an MG A.” Creative Rides specialises in American muscle and classic cars, but also ensures that there is a healthy spattering of European cars to cater for those who collect specific cars. For example, there are clients who only go for Alfa Romeos, or Ferraris, or Aston Martins, or Porsches, or Maseratis, or even VW kombis.

Derrick explains: “I can help you source cars and guide you in terms of what you want done, but I won’t do cars for you.

Builders are not always the most reliable, and while with Ford Mustangs and some of the other cars you can take them to someone who knows how to restore a car, for the highend ones, like a Ferrari, you need to find an approved by Ferrari restorer. That is why we don’t have a workshop facility and sell the end result.”

He does personally purchase interesting ‘barn finds’ and has someone restore them, which usually takes up to 18 months. These or other vehicles brought into the country from auctions like Barrett-Jackson auctions in the US, may end up on their floors.

MOTORING They will also guide you in determining what to purchase to enjoy and drive around and what to buy as a possible investment, particularly with ‘numbers matching cars’, which is when the car has all the original factory serial numbers on the engine, body and mechanical parts.

“You need to select what it is you want to have and what experience you want out of it. An original car, original miles, numbered – that you almost don’t drive if you want the value to continue to grow. You move it about on a flatbed,” Derrick says, to which he adds: “The beauty of what you are seeing on the floor is a rand hedge – you’re buying in pound sterling, US dollars or euros, so these cars maintain their value at that. You’re talking about an international value trend. So therein lies another aspect of it – you can add a couple of specialist cars to your investment portfolio, knowing that they will increase in value over time.”

Extremely passionate about cars, Derrick recommends Porsches,

Ferraris and Mercedes-Benzes, particularly two-doors models. He states that, with the Mercedes, even models from the 1980s and 1990s have the potential to become really valuable. At the same time, with the cultish element around more contemporary cars like the VW Golf, these can also possibly become valuable in time.

Creative Rides is also starting to build café racers (classic motorcycles) and serve as sole distributors for specific mag wheels from the US, like Chip Foose and US Mags.

“...IF WE CAN DO THIS, MAKE SOME MONEY, MEET PEOPLE AND SHARE OUR PASSION WITH THEM, YOU CAN’T ASK FOR MORE.”

Derrick reflects: “This is a passion.

I love it and always have loved it.

So, if we can do this, make some money, meet people and share our passion with them, you can’t ask for more.”

It’s about the opportunity to buy something that’s enjoyable, a collectable and has the potential – if you buy cleverly – to help you gain financially.

I still can’t decide between a Pontiac GTO, Chevrolet Impala or a Jaguar...

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BUSINESS

AFRICA IS

OPEN FOR BUSINESS THERE’S A LOT OF MONEY TO BE MADE FOR THOSE LIVING ON A CONTINENT WITH THE WORLD’S FASTESTGROWING POPULATION. HERE ARE SOME CLUES ON WHERE IT’S BEST TO INVEST. BY TSHEPO MATSEBA frica, a home to 1.2 billion people, remains one of the most promising continents in the world, with 60% of the population being under the age of 25, making it the youngest continent globally. According to the United Nations 217 World Population Prospects report, 2.2 billion people could be added to the global population, and more than 50% of that growth will take place in Africa.

A

In the future, Africa is expected to host the highest population surge, with an additional 1.3 billion people. Much of the continent’s population boom will come from Nigeria, currently the world’s seventh most populous country, which is likely to become the world’s third-largest country by population, becoming one of the six nations projected to have a population of over 300 million by 2050. Sub-Saharan Africa is projected to reach a GDP of US$29 trillion by 2050. This makes Africa a continent with a wealth of opportunities to do business in and leverage its growth potential. It is the continent of possibilities.

WHERE TO DO BUSINESS IN AFRICA

According to the World Bank’s Doing Business 2018 report, which ranks the ease of doing business globally of 190 countries, Mauritius is in 25th place and is the highestranked economy in sub-Saharan Africa.

Other economies in the region that perform well on the ease of doing business rankings are Rwanda (at 41), Kenya (80), Botswana (81) and South Africa (82).

efficient land registry, where it takes seven days to transfer property and costs only 0.1% of the property value, the same as in New Zealand.

“The reform effort in sub-Saharan Africa is singularly worth celebrating, as the region is beset with myriad crises, including conflict and violence. We hope to continue recording the region’s successes in enabling entrepreneurship to address the challenge of job creation, particularly for the region’s millions of young women and men,” says Rita Ramalho, acting director of the World Bank’s Global Indicators Group.

Mauritius has among the least cumbersome business regulations in two Doing Business areas: dealing with construction permits (with a rank of 9) and paying taxes (10). Four economies in sub-Saharan Africa rank in the top 10 in getting credit (with an average rank of 115). Zambia ranks 2nd, just after New Zealand, and Rwanda, Malawi and Nigeria all rank 6th. The region underperforms in the areas of getting electricity (with an average rank of 148), trading across borders (137) and registering property (131). It takes an average of 115 days to obtain a permanent electricity connection to the grid in sub-Saharan Africa, compared to the global average of 92 days.

Entrepreneurs and investors who would like to take advantage of opportunities in the region should take insights from the Doing Business 2018 report in context.

There are different methods which different agencies around the world use to measure a country’s attractiveness for investors Rwanda ranks among the best globally in and entrepreneurs to do business. In its the Doing Business areas of registering seventh edition, Rand Merchant Bank’s property (with a rank of 2) and getting credit (RMB) Where to Invest in Africa 2018 report balances economic activity against the (6). In registering property, Rwanda has an

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relative ease of doing business. The report focuses on the main sources of revenues in Africa, which allows it to measure the most important income generators and identify investment opportunities. According to the report, Egypt is Africa’s most attractive investment destination, followed by South Africa, with Ethiopia and Rwanda in third and fourth positions respectively.

From a different perspective, the World Bank highlights Ethiopia as the fastestgrowing economy in 2017, in its latest edition of Global Economic Prospects.

Ethiopia’s GDP is forecast to grow by 8.3% in 2017. By contrast, global growth is projected to be 2.7%. The East African country’s accelerating growth comes on the back of government spending on infrastructure.

For an ordinary entrepreneur, it can be challenging to identify where the real opportunities are and what mechanisms to use in navigating the complex world of doing business in Africa. Paul Mashegoane, founder of G-Technologies, who is a thought leader in doing business in Africa, says that entrepreneurs should look deeper at their next business destination than merely using numbers. “You cannot simply rely on GDP and foreign direct investment as indicators of good business opportunities. In addition, ease of doing business in a specific city or country doesn’t necessarily translate to profitability,” he warns. “Nigeria may be one of the worst places to do business from, in terms of the regulatory framework and high levels of corruption, but it is appetising in terms of the retail-based business model.

If you consider MTN as a South African business that has made significant strides in Nigeria – the opportunities are endless.

Today, MTN commands a clientele of

BUSINESS 53.1 million subscribers – almost the entire population of South Africa in another country,” says Mashegoane.

“Another fascinating development is that Cape Town and Nairobi are the tech capitals of the continent. The most thriving tech entrepreneurs in Africa are based in Cape Town and Nairobi. In

2016, according to Vodafone, M-Pesa was used in six billion transactions. M-Pesa is undoubtedly the world’s largest mobile money network and has enabled millions of Africans to gain access to safe and secure banking solutions,” he adds. “Cape Town’s tech ecosystem is one of the most well established in the continent, having been around for more than 20 years. The city

boosts 60% internet penetration and has one of the largest open-access fibre optic networks on the continent, with 275 free public Wi-Fi hotspots,” says Mashegoane, adding that “60% of South Africa’s tech startups are based in Cape Town as the city offers access to funding and talent, with a high level of innovation from fintech to gaming and travel tech.”

FOUR KEY ECONOMIES FOR DOING BUSINESS IN AFRICA MAURITIUS STARTING A BUSINESS

Mauritius made starting a business easier by exempting trade fees for licences below MUR5 000, and introducing the electronic certificate of incorporation. It takes seven days to start a business.

DEALING WITH CONSTRUCTION PERMITS

Mauritius made dealing with construction permits faster by outsourcing the design and construction of sewerage connection works.

REGISTERING PROPERTY

Mauritius made it easier to transfer property by eliminating transfer tax and registration duty, implementing a complaint mechanism and publishing service standards.

IMAGES Shutterstock

TRADING ACROSS BORDERS

Mauritius made trading across borders easier by improving the Cargo Community System, introducing advanced electronic document submission and updating the risk-based inspection system.

Port Louis, Mauritius

RWANDA STARTING A BUSINESS

It takes four days to start a business in Rwanda.

DEALING WITH CONSTRUCTION PERMITS

Rwanda increased quality control during construction by introducing risk-based inspections.

REGISTERING PROPERTY

Rwanda made registering property easier by implementing online services to facilitate the registration of property transfers.

PROTECTING MINORITY INVESTORS

Rwanda strengthened minority investor protections by making it easier to sue directors, clarifying ownership and control structures and requiring greater corporate transparency.

PAYING TAXES

Rwanda made paying taxes easier by establishing an online system for filing and paying taxes.

ENFORCING CONTRACTS Kigali, Rwanda

Rwanda made enforcing contracts easier by making judgments rendered at all levels in commercial cases available to the general public through publication on the judiciary’s website.

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BUSINESS

KENYA STARTING A BUSINESS

Kenya made starting a business easier by merging procedures required to start up and formally operate a business. It takes 22 days to start a business.

DEALING WITH CONSTRUCTION PERMITS

Kenya made dealing with construction permits less expensive by eliminating fees for clearances from the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and the National Construction Authority.

GETTING ELECTRICITY

Kenya improved the reliability of electricity by investing in its distribution lines and transformers and by setting up a specialised squad to restore power when outages occur.

GETTING CREDIT

Kenya improved access to credit information by starting to distribute data from two utility companies.

PAYING TAXES

Kenya made paying taxes easier by implementing an online platform, iTax, for filing and paying corporate income tax and the standards levy.

TRADING ACROSS BORDERS

Kenya reduced the time for import document compliance by utilising its single window system, which allows for electronic submission of customs entries.

Nairobi, Kenya

NIGERIA STARTING A BUSINESS

Nigeria made starting a business faster by allowing electronic stamping of registration documents. This reform applies to both Kano and Lagos. It takes 25 days to start a business in Nigeria.

DEALING WITH CONSTRUCTION PERMITS

Nigeria (Kano) increased transparency by publishing all relevant regulations, fee schedules and pre-application requirements online.

REGISTERING PROPERTY

Nigeria, (Lagos) made transferring property easier and more transparent by removing the sworn affidavit for certified copies of the land ownership records, introducing a specific and independent complaint mechanism, and by publishing statistics on land transfers. Nigeria, (Kano) made transferring property more transparent by publishing the list documents, fee schedule and service standards for property transactions.

GETTING CREDIT

Nigeria improved access to credit information by guaranteeing borrowers the legal right to inspect their credit data from the credit bureau and by starting to provide credit scores to banks, financial institutions and borrowers. Nigeria also strengthened access to credit by adopting a new law on secured transactions and establishing a modern collateral registry.

These changes apply to both Kano and Lagos.

Lagos, Nigeria

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Nigeria made paying taxes easier by introducing new channels for payment of taxes and mandating taxpayers to file tax returns at the nearest Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) office. This reform applies to both Kano and Lagos.

Source: World Bank, Doing Business 2018 report.

IMAGES Shutterstock

PAYING TAXES

PROFILE

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TRAVEL

DOWN ON

THE RIVER

THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO TRAVEL THE WORLD, BUT RIVER CRUISES OFFER A UNIQUE APPROACH TO EXPERIENCING A NEW COUNTRY. BY KOJO BAFFOE

A Viking River Cruises longship at Katz Castle on the Rhine

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he Cruise Lines International Association’s 2017 Cruise Industry Outlook report, released at the end of 2016, states that in the period from 2005 to 2015, demand for cruising increased by 62%, and it forecasts that this trend will continue steadily.

With many ships extending to over 300 metres in length, and potentially housing more than 4 000 passengers, these virtual mini-towns on the ocean could seem a little overcrowded for some. The good news for those wanting something a little more intimate is that the river cruising subsector is also experiencing enormous growth, with a number of major players entering the water. While there is overlap between ocean-faring and river cruises, particularly in Europe, the core

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attraction of the experience is the ability to disembark and spend days touring cities and towns along the river banks, which is not as easy to do on a cruise liner.

UNIWORLD

Uniworld focuses on luxury river cruises, with a fleet consisting of 13 river cruise ships covering Europe and one each for Egypt, Vietnam and Cambodia, India, Russia and China. All of their staterooms (rooms) offer in-suite butlers (except for in Russia and Portugal), as well as guides for the on-land tours. Their cruises range from eight to 22 days.

Uniworld has a broad selection of packages to choose from, including themed cruises, such as the Connoisseur Cruise,

which focuses on France from a culinary perspective, taking you to vineyards and restaurants on the route; Christmas Holiday Season cruises, where you explore and experience Christmas traditions in Europe; Castles along the Rhine River, which take you from Basel, Switzerland to Amsterdam, Holland; the Splendors of Egypt and The Nile, which starts and ends in Cairo; and the Generations Collection, available on certain cruises in Europe, which is family friendly and incorporates activities for children onboard and during onshore excursions.

Some cruises also include onboard courses such as floating photography workshops – what better place to hone your photography skills than while cruising past historic towns and cities?

TRAVEL

AMAWATERWAYS

Established in 2002, AmaWaterways has 21 river cruise ships in its fleet that traverses rivers across Europe, Asia and Africa.

Explore the riches of the Mekong River as you see Cambodia and Vietnam, where you can visit Buddhist temples and royal palaces, learn of the tragic history at the Khmer Rouge detention camps, shop at markets and traditional workshops, and eat in the cafés; indulge in the best the Iberian peninsula has to offer with the Port Wine and Flamenco cruise through Portugal and Spain; or experience the Ultimate River Cruise that takes you to Austria, France, Luxembourg, Germany and Hungary.

It's African cruises are on the Zambezi Queen and explore Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Tanzania. These also incorporate flights and extended land excursions.

that it hosts fewer cruises on the Danube and Rhine rivers.

The yacht, Crystal Esprit, operates in Marigot Bay in the West Indies, visiting places like Saint Kitts, Antigua & Barbuda, and the British Virgin Islands.

Crystal differentiate itself from the rest by carrying its ‘ultimate in luxury’ philosophy into other services, including sea cruises and air travel. It also has numerous curated adventures to choose from, with excursions offering varying levels of walking intensity, and covering the themes of entertainment, culinary, ecotourism, sport (including water sport), as well as ‘voluntourism’ – where you can make an impact on the community – and private adventures, tailored to your specific needs.

AP TOURING

Founded in the 1920s as a bus service, APT expanded into the river cruise business in 2005, focusing on the European market.

Since then, it has added cruises that travel through Africa (Botswana, also on the Zambezi Queen), Asia (China, India, Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia) and Russia.

Its most popular European river cruises include those on the Seine, Danube, Rhône and Douro rivers. Most of the ships have suites with private balconies and offer a range of facilities, such as onboard spas, theatres, libraries and medical services. Cruises in China offer onboard activities that are as varied as tai chi, calligraphy and silk embroidery classes.

Most of its boats include a spa room, fitness facilities, sun decks, gift shops and even a walking track. Cruises that incorporate cycling on their land excursions carry bicycles onboard. Their staterooms have all the facilities you would expect from a hotel room, it’s just that this is on a ship, and most have private balconies.

VIKING RIVER CRUISES

In keeping with the Norse theme, Viking River Cruises has over 40 longboats named after Norse gods and other legends, incorporating large staterooms with beautiful views. This company also owns a large fleet of river cruise liners that sail rivers in Europe, Egypt, China and Southeast Asia.

A Crystal Cruises petite bedroom suite

There are different levels of staterooms on all of these ships, with all the amenities one would need. There is also a culture curriculum, which delves into the lifestyles of the inhabitants of the cities and towns that you travel through on the cruise, including what it calls “destination-focused dining” to acquaint you with the local food.

In keeping with the educational element, there are libraries on most of the ships, as well as fashion boutiques, tailors and hairdressers.

CRYSTAL CRUISES

With a focus on luxury cruises, Crystal Cruises provides all-inclusive cruise packages that provide unlimited premium drinks, 24-hour room service and a butler service from the standard deluxe suites to the penthouse suites. It has five river cruise ships and a yacht, which makes for a more personalised experience, but it also means

The Amawaterways Zambezi Queen

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WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN A HOLIDAY THAT'S RELAXING AS WELL AS ENRICHING, WITH TIME SPENT AT SOME OF AFRICA'S INTRIGUING WORLD HERITAGE SITES? BY KOJO BAFFOE

A TRIP TO THE ORIGINS OF

IMAGES Shutterstock

IMAGE Max Nepstad

AFRICANHISTORY

Mapungubwe National Park

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I

n 1972, the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). Since then, 1 037 sites, as of mid-2017, have been designated World Heritage Sites across the world and include cultural and natural landmarks of significance.

Since the African continent is largely considered to be the birthplace of humankind, it’s surprising that there are only 137 World Heritage Sites found in Africa, and no African country falls in the top 30 countries containing the most of them. Italy tops the list with 53 World Heritage Sites, Ethiopia and Morocco both have nine, and South Africa and Tunisia have eight sites each.

What could be better than a holiday that’s relaxing as well as enriching, with time spent at some of Africa’s World Heritage Sites?

MAPUNGUBWE NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH AFRICA

There’s something magical about the baobab tree. The bulging, unique thickness of the trunk with the branches fanning out like a twisted, Picasso-esque umbrella. In some parts, it’s believed they were planted upside down, as each stands, separate from the next, tall and proud, staking its space amidst a sometimes sparse landscape.

Baobab trees are a lot like Africans, in that they have the ability to withstand so much and still flourish.

lived lives that were much more than the simplistic, unrefined existence that’s often been the narrative. It’s also a journey into African relationships – not only here, but with the rest of the continent and the world.

To visit Mapungubwe is to understand why the highest honour one can be given in South Africa is the Order of Mapungubwe, which “is awarded to South African citizens for achievements that have impacted internationally and served the interests of the Republic of South Africa,” according to the Department of Arts and Culture.

Looking at the towering baobab trees, you cannot help but wonder what they have witnessed, although you can get a glimpse of this at the Museum and Interpretive Centre that house artefacts, including the Golden Rhino, which is said to have been made at least seven centuries ago. One can only ponder what went missing during the early 1900s when the area was being excavated for looting, as opposed to for historical reasons.

The Mapungubwe National Park sits where South Africa, Botswana and Swaziland

converge, and while Mapungubwe Hill is a reference point for many, archaeologists refer to Mapungubwe’s past social structure as a “complex state system”. The king and his court resided at the hill, which is a short walk through the bush from a dirt road that winds its way through the park.

Watched over by the Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit, which is mainly comprised of women, we walked to the base of the hill, keeping an eye out for lions, elephants and other animals whose

BAOBAB TREES ARE A LOT LIKE AFRICANS, IN THAT THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO WITHSTAND SO MUCH AND STILL FLOURISH. Baobab tree in Mapungubwe National Park

IMAGES Shutterstock

Mapungubwe National Park in Limpopo is about a five-hour bus ride from Johannesburg and has an abundance of baobabs, which makes sense, the more one learns about the area’s history; there is a magical feeling about the civilisations that were born in and spread out of the area.

Here I was privileged to interact with a number of archaeologists who are working in the area. Bbut even without them, to visit Mapungubwe is to take a journey back into a history of southern Africa that, as yet, hasn’t been properly documented. It’s a journey into understanding that if your people are from this part of the world, they

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turf we were trespassing on. At the base, descendants of Mapungubwe performed a short ritual, asking for permission for us to climb the steps to the top of the revered hill that overlooks the vast tracts of the former great nations.

The Mapungubwe cultural landscape is deemed a World Heritage Site for the significant civilisation that was born and lived here and served as the seeds for later civilisations like the Kingdom of Zimbabwe, which flourished from the 11th to the 15th century and had its capital at Great Zimbabwe, another World Heritage Site. To visit is to feel an immeasurable connection to your Africanness.

ROYAL HILL OF AMBOHIMANGA, MADAGASCAR

Madagascar is so much more than the title of an animated film about zoo animals lost in the wild. For one, it’s the birthplace of the Merino Kingdom, which ruled over most of the land from the 1500s through to the late 1800s, when the French colonised the island.

The Royal Hill of Ambohimanga is an important symbolic, sacred and spiritual place for Malagasy-speaking locals to this day. Within its protective walls are a royal palace, places of ritual and a royal burial

ground. It served as the capital and is on one of 12 sacred hills of Imerina. Serving as the political capital and seat of justice at the time, there’s also a sacred forest within the grounds. While damage has occurred due to the elements, some restoration work has been done in recent years.

CIDADE VELHA, CAPE VERDE

Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) is a series of islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of West Africa that was colonised by the Portuguese during the 15th century.

Because of its location, it served as a base and stopover port for slave and trade ships and on Cape Verde’s largest island, Sao Tiago, the Portuguese established Ribeira Grande, later renamed Cidade Velha, which is listed as “the first European colonial outpost established in the tropics”.

Cidade Velha retains a number of buildings from that era, including what’s considered the oldest colonial church in the world, built in 1495, as well as other church ruins and the abandoned Forte Real de São Filipe, originally built in the late 1500s.

Located just over 15 kilometres from the capital of Cape Verde, Praia, one can also experience all the delights of the country after visiting the historic town.

IMAGES Shutterstock

The ancient city of Aksum in Ethiopia

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Royal Hill of Ambohimanga, Madagascar

Cidade Velha, Cape Verde

OTHER SITES

It’s fascinating to travel the continent experiencing the richness of ancient cultures, their traditions, buildings and the landscapes they walked that have been there for century upon century.

From the historic town of Grand-Bassam in Côte d’Ivoire, which was the country’s French colonial capital and, in later years, a popular resort city; the Kondoa Rock Art Sites in Tanzania; and Koutammakou, the land of the Batammariba in Togo; to the largest slave-trading centre in Africa on Senegal’s island of Gorée; and the ancient city of Aksum in Ethiopia that dates back to about 100 AD, there is just so much out there to go and discover.

LAST WORD

MOHALE MASHIGO T H E

EVOLUTION OF AN ARTIST

MOHALE MASHIGO EMBRACES ALL ASPECTS OF HER CREATIVITY AS SHE EVOLVES FROM SINGER TO AUTHOR TO WRITER OF SCREENPLAYS, AND THE WORLD IS BETTER FOR IT. BY KOJO BAFFOE

WHERE IS HOME?

CONTEMPORARY LIFESTYLE HOW DID THE STORY COME ABOUT?

I was born and raised in Soweto.

HOW DOES A SOWETO GIRL END UP IN CAPE TOWN?

What I started writing in 2006 and what The Yearning is now are two completely different stories.

It began as a distraction from my job (in advertising) and as I grew, the story began to evolve. Perhaps I was struggling with my own place in the world. I was going through a lot and I wrote a tale about healing; healing I desperately needed.

I was studying journalism at Rhodes, but it made me unhappy so I applied to do a postgrad (marketing) diploma in Cape Town.

I didn’t know anyone there, but was happy to have left Grahamstown.

WHO IS BLACK PORCELAIN?

WHAT’S THE HARDEST PART ABOUT BEING AN ARTIST?

WHY THE SWITCH TO LITERATURE FROM MUSIC?

I never intended to take a break from music, because I didn’t think that writing a book would change my life significantly.

The Yearning took 10 years to complete; I was writing and singing music while working on it. I’ve been working on new music for the past two years and I’ve grown a lot as a songwriter.

WHAT IS YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS AND HOW HAS IT EVOLVED?

I lack discipline as a songwriter and author. But it all starts with a very small idea/melody and I keep repeating it until something else comes up, and then I trust the story/song to lead me to the end.

WHERE DOES RADIO FIT INTO THIS?

I grew up in radio – my father started working at the record library at the SABC and he eventually joined (what is now) Metro FM. I was that little girl who went to work with my dad as often as I could, because radio fascinated me. In 2007, I was hired to produce a show on Radio 2000.

Somehow I started presenting my own show and the rest is history.

THE YEARNING IS ROOTED IN A VERY SOUTH AFRICAN EXPERIENCE, WITH A YOUNG WOMAN TRYING TO RECONCILE ‘THE CALLING’ WITH HER WESTERN-INFLUENCED

When people don’t realise how hard we work, and they refuse to pay us or respect our work. It’s very frustrating that people think my time or skills are not worth compensating. I learnt that it’s very important to know your worth. It will seriously save you drama – you won’t accept the dodgy gigs, or give more of yourself than needed, and you’ll respect your craft enough to keep honing it.

WHAT GIVES YOU JOY?

Reading. There’s nothing better than getting drawn into a story while the world around me keeps moving.

WHAT DO YOU STILL WANT TO DO?

I still want to be a mom, live outside of my country for a few years, produce a graphic novel, become a better guitar player, learn Arabic, grow my own food, wear a Freakum dress, run a 21 km marathon, learn how to make a tomato tart… There is so much!

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IMAGES Sydelle Willow Smith

Black Porcelain is my stage name.

I consider myself a storyteller – music is just one of my voices. I wrote a poem called Black Porcelain when I was a teen and I really liked the title, so I decided to call myself that.

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GIFTING GUIDE

WHAT DOES YOUR WRISTWATCH MEAN TO YOU? IS IT THE ULTIMATE STATUS SYMBOL, A FASHION ACCESSORY OR JUST A MEANS OF BEING PUNCTUAL? WHATEVER IT IS, TAKE A LOOK AT THESE INCREDIBLE NEW ENTRIES TO THE WATCH LANDSCAPE, AND PERHAPS IT’S TIME TO PUT ONE OF THEM ON YOUR CHRISTMAS WISH LIST.

BY DOMINIQUE WOLF

TIME(LESS)

PIECES

The Panthère de Cartier watch is an icon of the 80s, and the edgier new edition is designed to represent a woman of today. It’s a statement piece in yellow gold with a chain-link bracelet.

The Cartier Tank turned 100 years old in 2017 and has been loved by men and women of all generations. Its Roman numerals, double line on the dial and winding crown make this unique timepiece a real classic.

For more information and stockists, call 011 317 2600.

For more information and stockists, call 011 317 2600.

The Tommy Hilfiger Chelsea watch is a stylish and bold watch with undeniable Tommy Hilfiger DNA. The solid stainless steel construction, from the mesh bracelet to the polished case with faceted bezel, is matched with a striking ice-blue dial with day, date and 24-hour subdials.

R3 595. Available from Edgars and independent jewellers.

This delicate and feminine Buren watch, with a steel and stone face and rose-gold mesh strap, also comes in a yellow gold variant.

R1 695 from Tread+Miller, Edgars, American Swiss, NWJ and independent jewellers.

LADIES The magnificent lid of the JaegerLeCoultre Rendez-Vous Ivy Secret watch is adorned with brilliant diamonds of baguette and marquise cut in a setting with four different hues of sapphires that depict a flower.

The mother-of-pearl dial has engraved ivy leaves which are hand-painted, and the face is magnified by a row of bright and pure blue sapphires. An exquisite piece of jewellery and a timepiece.

The Tag Heuer signature S-shaped link design is the defining feature of its immediately recognisable bracelet. The new Tag Heuer Link Lady comes in a choice of a navy blue sunray finish or pink mother-of-pearl dial, which makes this iconic design even more beautiful.

For more information and stockists, call 011 317 2600.

For pricing and stockists, call Picot & Moss on 011 669 0500.

The Vacheron Constantin Historiques American 1921 epitomises the boldness of an era and flaunts its vintage beauty in its pinkgold case and iconic diagonal display with an off-centred crown. As a perfect final touch, the hand-stitched brown alligator leather strap is fitted with a pin buckle.

The new Tag Heuer Aquaracer Lady is unflinchingly sporty and elegant for the active modern woman. A natural mother-of-pearl dial in blue or timeless black is finished with a ceramic bezel and a tone-on-tone strap with a satin finish. It’s also available with a steel bracelet to highlight its sporty style, and with a diamond-set bezel for a touch of glamour.

For more information and stockists, call 011 317 2600.

For pricing and stockists, call Picot & Moss on 011 669 0500.

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In 2017, the very first Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph wristwatch celebrated its 20th anniversary. The fresh new two-tone dial design also features wider hour markers and chronograph counters of increased size. These and other design details are available in a wide combination of finishes.

Both sporty and elegant, Chopard Happy Ocean is the ideal watch for exploring the ocean floor, relaxing on a yacht or strolling on the sand. As technical as it is fun, it’s water-resistant to 300 metres (100 metres for the gem-set version) and beats to the rhythm of a self-winding Chopard movement.

The 18-carat gold IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Annual Calendar Edition “Antoine de Saint-Exupéry” is limited to only 250 pieces. The tobacco-brown dial and calfskin strap with decorative white stitching are reminiscent of the pilot suits from the era of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. A special feature of this watch is the rotor in solid 18-carat red gold in the form of a Lightning P-38 aircraft.

On 17 November 2017, Jack Heuer celebrated his 85th birthday.

To mark the occasion, TAG Heuer launched a limited edition of the famous TAGHeuer Autavia.

The latest generation of this timepiece is tailored to modern requirements, like a self-winding calibre, power reserve of 80 hours and water resistance to 100 metres.

For pricing and stockists, call Picot & Moss on 011 669 0500.

For pricing and stockists call Picot & Moss on 011 669 0500.

R494 000. Call IWC Schaffhausen on 011 317 2600 for more information.

For pricing and stockists call Picot & Moss on 011 669 0500.

MEN The Panerai Radiomir 1940 3 Days Acciaio is one of the three new Panerai green-dial creations. The distinctive feature shared by the three new watches is an intense dark-green dial, against which the luminous beige hour markers and gilded hands elegantly stand out.

A masculine strap in natural brown leather with contrasting beige stitching, stamped with the OP logo, completes the look.

For more information and stockists, call 011 317 2600.

Tommy Hilfiger has become globally renowned as the pioneer of ‘classic American cool’ style.

This men’s watch with a black case and brown leather strap is simple yet classic with its clean lines and uncluttered dial.

R2 595. Available from Edgars and independent jewellers.

On 20 September 2017, the legendary Lamborghini headquarters witnessed a world premiere reveal by Roger Dubuis and Lamborghini Squadra Corse. The Excalibur Aventadors watch is inspired by the Aventador S engine and the new groundbreaking Huracàn Super Trofeo EVO, and is the start of a new run for two brands sharing the same values of state-of-the-art technology and daring customer experiences. The best of Italian design and performance meets the ultimate in Swiss precision and mechanical instruments.

R2 760 000. For more information, call The Vault on 011 684 2023.

The Scuderia Ferrari Turbo multifunction watch is designed for those who love to show their Ferrari passion at all times, dominated by the unmistakable red dial with textures inspired by the carbon fibre used on the racing cars.

R4 595. Available from Edgars, Ferrari Stores and independent jewellers.

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SUNGLASSES ARE AN ESSENTIAL ACCESSORY TO REINVENT YOUR LOOK INSTANTANEOUSLY. WHETHER YOU PREFER SLIMMED-DOWN METAL FRAMES REMINISCENT OF TIMELESS AVIATORS, OR REIMAGINED SHAPES IN GOLD HUES WITH GEOMETRIC DETAILING INSPIRED BY CHIC BUTTERFLY STYLES OF THE 70S, HERE’S OUR PICK FROM THIS SEASON’S TRENDING EYEWEAR COLLECTIONS. BY DOMINIQUE WOLF

D I ST I N CT LY LADIES

Super-bold, yet feminine and elegant, these Dolce & Gabbana butterfly shades will be the centrepiece of any summer outfit.

Colour combinations available are these leopard print frames with a burgundy background, delicate metal bridge and gradient brown lenses, or black with gradient lenses. R5 890

These Vogue Light and Shine shades are the perfect shape for women who love light, modern styles that are still expressive.

From glittery layers to evergreen classics and soft, toned-down hues, these glasses have a hugely versatile appeal. R1 090

This unique lens shape was inspired by round character frames from the turn of the century, combined with a 60s Aviator. The all-titanium frame of the Talon-Two uses Dita’s signature Talon mount design to visually support a ‘floating’ lens concept and accommodate the thinner frame shape. Available in yellow gold, rose gold and silver with gradient lenses. R10 400

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This sophisticated and refined pair of Dolce & Gabbana sunnies has a modernised Jackie O vibe about them. The broad, rounded frames in burgundy with leopard print on the inside are also available in an alternative version with real gold lace on the front and sides with matching mirrored silver lenses. R2 990

The Vogue Tropi-Chic sunglasses are all about a contemporary contrast with a playful attitude. Combining a rounded butterfly shape with a flat, inset lens and tropical print on polished metal temples creates a bold, expressive look. The wide variety of colours makes this glam-chic style all about individual beauty. R1 190

The Dita Narcissus’s oversized frame recalls the bold proportions of 80s-era womenswear and accessories – silhouettes that tinker with traditional concepts of power and subverted gender roles. The effect is especially pronounced in the carefully sculpted acetate lens rims, which dispense with cliché and offer a fresh take on power dressing for modern women. R11 500

MEN

S H A DY

This bold original Dolce & Gabbana design features a double bridge and rounded metal lenses. These acetate sunglasses are also available with green, gradient grey and brown lenses. R5 890

Displaying the perfect mix of retro and fusion, these ultralight Armani glasses feature super-sleek metal temples and a round acetate frame front and curved bridge. Also available in a light matte gold with a red frame front and green lenses, and in matte black with a gloss black frame front and smoke grey lenses. R3 690

Drawing inspiration from the practical world of aviation and futuristic science-fiction films of the 1920s to 1940s, Dita Spacecraft is a hybrid frame celebrating the past, present and future of flight and exploration. These titanium frames come in black, rose gold and grey. R11 000

GIFTING GUIDE

These Dolce & Gabbana pilot sunnies have a sleek metal front section and acetate temples. They’re available in gunmetal grey with brown lenses, black with blue lenses and gold with dark grey lenses. R5 890

These rectangular Giorgio Armani glasses have a totally retro appeal with their lightweight feel and sleek metal double bridge. The layered metal and acetate frame front and discreet side blinkers make them highly distinctive.

They’re available in matte black, gloss red, matte gunmetal grey and veined grey. R3 090

These sporty, casual shades are part of the new Prada Linea Rossa Collection. The softly rounded square frame with distinctive rubber coating is complemented by the strong character of the metal bridge, as well as the new ultra-slim temples. They’re available in black and tortoiseshell with lenses in a variety of colours. R3 590

Mach-Five features a stunning array of gorgeous details, including titanium temples and eye rims etched with Dita’s iconic diamond pattern. These highly engineered frames are designed with Dita’s signature step-down lens feature with a titanium mesh nose bridge – a nod to iconic grille designs seen on the front fascia of modern supercars. R23 000

For your nearest Dita sunglass stockist, contact 010 100 3575 or visit www.eyecouture.co.za • All other sunglasses are available from Sunglass Hut, Edgars and selected optometrists nationwide.

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GIFTING GUIDE Femininity, luxury and style are all found in a bottle of Jimmy Choo Eau De Parfum. The fragrance envelops the sensual and seductive woman with warm, rich and woody depths. It’s inspired by strong, empowered, modern women who are beautiful with a mysterious sense of confidence.

Jimmy Choo ribbon set (100ml EDP plus 100ml Body Lotion and 100ml Shower Gel) – R1 295. Available from selected Red Square and Edgars stores.

Antonio Banderas’ Her Secret Temptation tells a story of provocation, curiosity, addiction and seduction. The heart-shaped bottle in violet with a white-gold plaque illustrates temptation in the shape of alluring feminine attraction. This fragrance offers the promise of a provocative journey into a hidden world of sensuality and attraction.

80ml EDT – R495. Available from Red Square, Edgars, Woolworths and Dis-Chem.

Mont Blanc Legend is dedicated to inspiring, virtuous and selfconfident men who are also courageous, passionate and authentic. The fresh herbaceous fragrance has top notes that are lively, bright and clean, middle notes that are magnetic, and dry notes that create the unforgettable signature of Mont Blanc.

The Mont Blanc Lady Emblem woman has a distinctive versatility and is undeniably feminine with a wonderful sense of style. The fragrance is a sophisticated mixture of floral, fruity and woody characters. The soft pink bottle has the same number of facets and reflects the same brilliance as the Mont Blanc diamond.

Mont Blanc Lady Emblem Set – 50ml EDP Lady Emblem with 100ml Body Lotion – R995. Available from selected Red Square, Edgars and Foschini stores.

PERFECT SCENTS A PERSON’S CHOICE IN FRAGRANCE SAYS A LOT ABOUT THEM. AND, WHILE THE GIFT OF A FRAGRANCE MIGHT SEEM CLICHÉD, IT’S ALSO A SAFE BET, SO WE’VE PUT TOGETHER SOME SMELLIES FOR LADIES AND GENTS WITH A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT WILL SUIT A PERSON’S INDIVIDUAL STYLE AND PERSONALITY. THERE’S SOMETHING HERE FOR EVERYONE. BY DOMINIQUE WOLF

Mont Blanc Legend bi-pack set (100ml Legend EDT and 100ml Legend Aftershave Balm) – R1 195. Available from selected Red Square, Edgars and Foschini stores.

Inspired by opulence and intrigue, Estée Lauder’s Modern Muse Nuit explores the deeper, nocturnal, more addictive side of a modern muse.

The fragrance embodies glamour, mystery and sensuality.

50ml EDP – R1 345. Available from Edgars, Dis-Chem, Red Square and Foschini stores.

Jean Paul Gaultier’s Scandal is a fragrance for the woman who is free and strong. The heart of this fragrance is about life. By day it is a fresh gardenia and blood orange, and by night it is a sensual and seductive honey blended with patchouli. The legs on the bottle, in place of the traditional Gaultier bust, take this fragrance to a level of risqué all on their own.

50ml EDP – R1 230, 80ml EDP – R1 580. Available from Red Square, Edgars, Woolworths and Dis-Chem.

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Oud Wood Intense by Tom Ford is for men and women. This beautifully bottled fragrance with the sleek, architectural look of a chess piece is a compelling play between fire and earth – it’s spicy and woody. Notes of ginger, juniper, oud wood, cypress and nutmeg – among others – make it smoky, smooth and decadent.

212 Men Aqua personifies the values of Carolina Herrera's iconic image of success, seduction and timeless elegance, together with the magnetism of a young man, his power, energy, modernity and desire to find love.

50ml EDP – R3 695, 100ml – R5 195, 250ml – R11 495. Available from Red Square and Edgars stores.

100ml EDT – R1 200. Available from Red Square, Edgars, Woolworths and Dis-Chem.

Carolina Herrera’s Good Girl Glitter defines modern elegance. The creative director of Carolina Herrera Fragrances, Carolina Herrera de Baez, introduced the deliciously sophisticated Good Girl in a collector's edition that keeps its heart in New York City and echoes the fragrance’s inspiration. It projects a mysterious, sensual spirit with a glittering side.

Sophistication and expertise as well as confidence and style shine in this glorious new edition.

Jimmy Choo’s signature scent for men is sophisticated, modern and refined. It was created for a confident man with a rebellious spirit.

Jimmy Choo Man Bow Tie Gift Set (100ml EDT with 100ml Aftershave Balm and 100ml Shower Gel) – R1 095.

Available from selected Red Square and Edgars stores.

80ml EDP – R1 785. Available from Red Square, Edgars, Woolworths and Dis-Chem.

Paco Rabanne Pure XS shouts eroticism and excess, smouldering sensuality and explosive freshness. It evokes contradicting feelings of being gentle and intense, as well as hot and cold. A very sexy and intriguing fragrance!

Salvatore Ferragamo Emozione Rosa Orientale is a fragrance that embraces living life’s journey of emotions with intensity and fulfilment. It’s designed for a woman that embraces life with courage and passion. Opulent and oriental notes have been blended with luxurious rose facets to create an exclusive scent experience.

100ml EDT – R995. Available from selected Woolworths, DisChem and Foschini stores.

92ml EDP – R1 760. Available from Red Square and Edgars stores.

Dunhill Icon is the perfect expression of natural refinement with a touch of modernity. The man who wears Icon is a masculine and sophisticated gentleman. The composition is aromatic with a spicy heart and a woody base.

Dunhill Icon set (100ml EDP, 90ml Shower Gel and 90ml Aftershave Balm) – R1 595. Available from DisChem, Clicks and Edgars.

Salvatore Ferragamo Uomo Casual Life is a woody, aromatic fragrance that embodies all that is chic and Italian.

It’s made for a dynamic, confident man who sees life as an adventure and a challenging journey.

50ml EDT – R1 000, 100ml – R1 380. Available from Red Square and Edgars stores.

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GIFTING GUIDE

MUST-HAVES FOR THE HOME

THE MOST ADVANCED TECHNOLOGICAL EQUIPMENT IN THE HOME USED TO BE THE AUDIO AND VIDEO EQUIPMENT, SUCH AS THE HI-FI, RECORD PLAYER, VIDEO MACHINE AND, LATER, THE DVD PLAYER. THIS IS NO LONGER THE CASE.

MIELE SCOUT RX1 VACUUM CLEANER

Gone are the days when you had to traipse around the house, coughing and spluttering as you vacuumed. Scout RX1 is automated with a smart navigation system that has an indoor positioning system, furniture protection technology and advanced corner cleaning to ensure your rooms are cleaned to perfection without anything getting damaged. It’s programmable, so you can decide in advance what times it cleans, whether you’re home or not. Once the job’s completed, it will dock at the charging station to recharge. It also has an AirClean system to filter dust particles, turbo mode to clean faster, and a remote control if you prefer to control it yourself while you chill on the couch.

Scout RX1 – R12 999; visit www.miele.co.za for stockists.

KLIPSCH PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPE SERIES SPEAKERS

When you entertain, it can be a schlep to move your speakers outside every time. Klipsch has designed an all-weather durable speaker system with a subwoofer option that can be full or half-buried in the ground. The PRO-50 OT-LS Landscape satellite speakers have a 5” IMG woofer, 105° horizontal dispersion pattern and a Tractix horn-loaded 1” aluminium dome tweeter, while the PRO-10SW-LS Landscape subwoofer has a 10” IMG woofer. Come rain or shine, Klipsch’s Landscape Series pumps out high-performance outdoor audio.

Klipsch PRO-50 OT-LS Landscape satellite speakers – R6 250; PRO-10SW-LS Landscape subwoofer – R15 990; call 011 781 8887 or visit www.homemation.co.za for stockists.

SAMSUNG FAMILY HUB REFRIGERATOR

Samsung is taking fridge design to a whole new level with the Family Hub series. At the core of the Family Hub is a 21.5” LCD touchscreen, which connects to your smartphone and through which you can do everything from watching videos and listening to music to managing family calendars and making notes, removing the need to stick post-its all over your fridge door.

At some stage, all of us have popped into the supermarket, only to find we’ve forgotten the grocery list at home. With the Family Hub fridge, you can even view the inside of your fridge to see what you need to buy.

Other features include: StickiBoard, which enables you to share calendars, photos and notes; WhiteBoard to write notes and leave messages using your smartphone; Food Reminders, where you attach expiry dates to the items in the fridge; Shopping List, to add grocery lists that you can access on your smartphone; and you can even browse the internet. And it works well as a fridge too, incorporating Samsung’s FlexZone, with which you can switch from fridge to freezer, depending on your needs.

While the Family Hub fridges are not yet available in South Africa, they will eventually hit our shores and be a great addition to your kitchen.

Visit for more information.

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ADVERTORIAL

MIELE REVOLUTIONISES COOKING T

he Miele Dialog Oven looks a little like a conventional oven but that’s where the similarity ends. Imagine cooking a leg of lamb, potatoes, sweet peppers and asparagus, all in the same tray, for about 45 minutes. You’d be excused for thinking that the lamb won’t be done, the potatoes would still be a bit hard and the asparagus would be mushy, but you’d be wrong.

In a Dialog Oven, the result is succulent, evenly cooked lamb, tender potatoes and veggies that are still al dente. The secret lies in the technology, which Miele calls M Chef: it works with broad-spectrum electromagnetic waves – not the same as in a microwave oven – that respond to the texture of the food intelligently. The oven makes adjustments as it gets feedback about the amount of energy that has been absorbed by the food.

It also employs radiant heat for browning the meat.

Fast, convenient and innovative, this oven takes cooking to a whole new level.

THE MIELE DIALOG OVEN IS EXPECTED TO BE AVAILABLE ON SOUTH AFRICAN SHORES IN 2019.

For more information about the Dialog Oven, visit https://revolutionaryexcellence.miele.com/en/dialog-oven.

WWW.MIELE.CO.ZA

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GIFTING GUIDE

’TIS THE SEASON TO RESTOCK THE BAR WITH THE FINEST IN LIQUID BLENDS, TO CARRY YOU INTO THE NEW YEAR AND BEYOND. THESE FINE FINDS FIT EVERY OCCASION. BY KOJO BAFFOE

STOCK UP

THE BAR

THREE SHIPS

Distilled in Wellington, right here in South Africa, Three Ships has been in existence for 130 years and sets the benchmark for South African whisky, while holding its own against whiskies from around the world. The peatiest single malt produced by master distiller Andy Watts, Three Ships 10 Year Old Single Malt with a 2005 vintage statement serves up richness, complexity and a creaminess born out of an array of tastes including pepper, spice, sweet oak, roasted malt, digestive biscuits and dark toffee. R550

SOUTHERN MOONSHINE RANGE

Moonshine gained prominence during the Prohibition in America, and is an unaged grain spirit or white whiskey made from white and yellow corn, wheat and malted barley.

It has found its way to South Africa, and Mark Taverner’s Silver Creek Craft Distillery in Johannesburg is triple distilling it's moonshine, which includes the Southern Moonshine range.

R370

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BUNNAHABHAIN 25 YEAR OLD

Founded in 1881 and located on the island of Islay, Bunnahabhain uses a natural water spring to produce its malts, which results in it's single malt being unpeated. The Bunnahabhain 25 Year Old is without chill filtration, bottled in a smoked-oak glass, has a label made from aged parchment and is housed in an alder wood box. The 25 year old has a rich and dark lingering finish with a mixture of fruit, nuts and raisins, as well as nutmeg and caramel. R5 959

HENNESSY X.O ICE EXPERIENCE Created by Maurice Hennessy in 1870, Hennessy X.O was the first cognac with the X.O classification. It has been able to deliver consistently on a deep, powerful, smooth taste and nose that hasn’t changed since the first bottle.

The limited-edition Ice Experience is beautifully packaged and offers four drinking experiences: X.O on Three Rocks, X.O Diamond, X.O on a Tea Rock and Hennessy X.O Over Crushed Ice. 750ml from R2 299,95