Spotong Edition 13

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Crabtree, Behind Living. Behind Life.

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W E N

SIP AND SAVOUR THE SMOOTH NOTES OF

CASTLE MILK STOUT CHOCOLATE After South Africans rushed to snap up a limited edition run of Castle Milk Stout Chocolate last year, the country’s leading stout brand has now released the delicious infused milk stout as a permanent offering.

Made with real cocoa, Castle Milk Stout Chocolate is brewed with speciality malts to create a malty chocolate character; this richness is well complemented by the creamy smooth taste of Castle Milk Stout. With an alcohol content of 4.5%, this smooth and rich beer is designed to be easy-drinking and provide a sensorial taste experience to be savoured.

SOME QUALITIES OF CASTLE MILK STOUT CHOCOLATE: • The flavour has hints of coffee laced with chocolate liqueur.

• It’s a full-bodied beer, with bittersweet hints around the edges.

• This Chocolate infused Milk Stout is brewed with lactose sugar for body and residual sweetness. The perfect accompaniment with winter desserts, such as sticky toffee pudding, rice pudding, bread and butter pudding or chocolate pudding.

• This beer is packaged in a 340ml Non-returnable bottle, 440ml can and 750ml Returnable Bottle pack.

Join the Castle Milk Stout conversation on www.facebook.com/castlemilkstout and on Twitter @castlemilkstout.

S AV O U R

T H E

M O M E N T

Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18.

CONTENTS In this Issue

EDITOR’S NOTE

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IN THIS ISSUE...

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elcome to the latest issue of Spotong - lucky thirteen. Let’s hope you have a thirst for content because there are a lot of good things to get through. From the bugbear of the moment that is loadshedding to important industry issues such as compliance with the law and updates on developments like Sunday trading, as well as the latest news from top industry players, you have come to the right place to refresh your thirst.

Then there is a host of features for your interest. New franchise opportunities, responsible trading, the importance of insurance, and products to take the stokvel into the new age every one contains a valuable lesson to be taught. Also there

CONTENTS INDUSTRY NEWS

FRANCHISING to be enjoyed are an interview with the phenomenal Sakhumzi (who recently was a star speaker at the SMME Opportunity Roadshow at Emperors Palace!) and insights on how games and cocktails can increase your customers’ enjoyment level and make you a wealthier trader.

If you’re looking for a set of wheels, don’t miss out on the Suzuki bakkie feature. Of course as always the buyers’ guide is there to guide your choices in purchasing the finest stock so that your customers’ will always have a peak experience.

See you again in August!

Find us on Facebook and follow us on twitter @SpotongMagazine

15 New franchise opportunity

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

16 Taking care of the youth

LEADERSHIP 18 A home away from home

INSURANCE

22 It pays to be insured

STOKVELS 24 Club together for the future

SPAZA SHOPS

26 A plea for peace

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

28 From trash to cash

BUYERS GUIDE

30 Best buys from the bottle store CONTRIBUTORS Greg Penfold David Capel Anita Kube Damian Murphy

CONTACT

editor@spotongmag.co.za

PUBLISHING HOUSE

SALES MANAGER Chioma Didi Okoro

SALES

Tshepo Manaka Fundiswa Mdana Anita Kube Duduza Moyo Quincy Matonhodze Paul Styles

EQUIPMENT REVIEWS

34 Equipped for success

TECHNOLOGY REVIEW

DESIGN & LAYOUT

36 Mobile advantage

PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR Gwen Sebogodi

IT AND WEB MANAGER

38 The Suzuki family

REPRO & PRINTING

Contact Media & Communications Contact Media & Communications Block A, 388 Main Avenue, Randburg Tel: +27(0) 11 789 6339 Fax: +27(0) 11 789 7097 email: pressman@contactmedia.co.za web: www.contactmedia.co.za

Dwain Margro

Kadimah Print

CEO & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

TAVERN REVIEWS

40 Up close and personal

Sean Press

MANAGING DIRECTOR AND PUBLISHER

Donna Verrydt

FINANCE AND OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

VEHICLE REVIEW

PROUDLY ENDORSED BY:

Lesley Fox

FOOD REVIEWS

42 Food that will have them coming back for more

SPORT & GAMES

44 Traditional, international Copyright © 2014 Contact Media & Communications. Spotong 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 Spotong are not necessarily those of the Publisher or contributors.

45 Increase your revenue

THE ICONIC NISSAN NP300 HARDBODY.

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Class-leading 6-year/150 000km warranty I Proven reliability

Test drive the Nissan NP300 Hardbody today at your nearest dealership or visit nissan.co.za for more info.

GLF

!

E IT N U , G N E T U A G LIQUOR TRADERS OF Y USTR D IN R O U IQ L E H T O T E P RESTORING HO

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he Gauteng Liquor industry has been under scrutiny for the past 13 years due to the Gauteng Liquor Traders Association (GLTA) failing to uphold its mandate. It was only in 2011, when the Gauteng Liquor Forum was formed, that hope for the liquor industry was restored.

Gauteng Liquor Industry Task Team.

The Task Team will discuss and provide recommendations to the MEC of the Department of Economic Development and the Gauteng Liquor Board.

Now the Gauteng Liquor Forum has taken an initiative to unite all Liquor Traders Associations to unite under one roof and resolve the challenges facing the liquor industry in the province. The forum has 22 liquor traders from all Gauteng regions affiliated as members.

Amongst other things the task team will look into liquor regulations acts and the development of the liquor industry. The task team comprises of the Chief Director of the Gauteng Liquor Board and a representative from the MEC’s office. At a later stage the South African Police Services, Gauteng Province, Metro Police Department, and municipalities will form part of the task team.

This initiative has seen a partnership with the South African Liquor Traders Association (SALTA) and the South African Liquor Traders and Hospitality Association (SALTHA) securing a way forward with the MEC of Economic Development, Lebogang Maile, which resulted in the formation of the

The Task Team will assist the Liquor Board to speed up the process of conversion of Sheen permits to License and the issuing of reference numbers, hoping that finalization of this process will allow new entries into the industry an opportunity to apply for liquor licenses under fair conditions and

INDUSTRY NEWS

requirements. The inclusion of liquor associations in the task team means that liquor traders will have input and full representation in the development and drafting of liquor regulations.

GLF believes that unity of liquor traders and associations will overcome challenges faced by the liquor industry in Gauteng and in South Africa generally. The GLF aims to also promote responsible trading and encourages responsible consumption of alcohol; this initiative will also assist in the fight against crime.

FOR ADDITIONAL COMMENTS CONTACT: GLF President: Mr. Linda Madida - 083 634 5681 SALTA Acting President: Mr. Mish Hlophe - 071 390 2578 SALTHA President: Mr. Churchill Mohrasi - 082 937 5529

Y IT R U C E S R E T A W IN G IN T INVES

DROP BY DROP IS IS R C R TE A W E TH T H G FI

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is used in homes. But there is no any experts believe that South showering or laundry to be done, Africa faces a looming water only light dishwashing. Therefore you crisis, with some stating that can save costs by installing a smaller if the country continues at its geyser better suited to your needs. present rate of consumption, it could run out of drinking water by 2025. If the country wishes to avert a water shedding 3. Have a water audit. This will help you maximise your water use efficiency. It scenario, we need to invest in water also highlights where problems exist security now. Your business can help by and assists in helping you fix them, using some of the following tips. thereby increasing your water savings.

Keeping track of water used by 1. Educate your employees and measuring the meter during periods of customers. All businesses can no flow will allow you to track possible encourage their employees to leaks. Monthly water audits also conserve water by training employees allow for the tracking of water use in in water saving techniques and different seasons. providing incentives for employees who develop water saving procedures.

4. Fix leaks. Businesses can save money It is important to let your customers and water by monitoring and repairing know that water conservation is a leaky faucets, toilets and pipes. Leaky priority to your business. Lead by or dripping toilets and faucetscan example and let them know what you waste thousands of litres a year. do to conserve will help encourage Each dripping tap can waste as much them to conserve as well. as 1Kl of water a month. Regular maintenance will eliminate water 2. Think smaller. Many small businesses waste and lower your water bills. Have have the same capacity geyser that 6

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your water meter read monthly to monitor your water usage.

5. Replace water wasting equipment and fixtures. Install low-flow aerators on company faucets (taps) and you can cut faucet water consumption in half. This can significantly reduce your business’ water consumption.

Toilets and urinals account for about one third of all water consumed in buildings. Install dual flush toilets and water efficient urinals. Use air-cooled ice machines. Replace air conditioners and refrigeration units that are cooled by water with those that are cooled by air. (Source: Water Wise)

G IN D D E H S D A O L N O THE LOWDOWN WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT ECTS YOU - AND FF A G IN D ED SH D A LO W HO

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hen it comes to business, productivity is everything. But businesses need to plan ahead, and load shedding makes this difficult.

These now frequent interruptions can seriously affect business productivity and profit, particularly when it comes to small concerns like taverns.

However, load shedding is a part of life, and we can’t change it. Thinking ahead, though, can mean the difference between losing revenue and doing business as usual.

Here are a few tips to assist you through load shedding, and help ensure you don’t lose money unnecessarily:

Be prepared: know your schedule

Make a note of the latest load shedding schedules for your area to give you a better idea of when load shedding can possibly affect your business. If you are an Eskom customer, you can access the official Eskom Load Shedding website, where you can search for your local area or suburb. There is also an advanced search option to search by municipality.

Follow @Eskom_SA and #Loadshedding on Twitter for realtime updates.

Theft and burglary:

Remember that criminals also study load shedding schedules to work out which areas are vulnerable at which times. Tripped and false alarms are great opportunities for opportunistic burglars. Make sure that your alarm system has a working back-up battery, try and keep as little cash on your premises as possible and be extra vigilant about access to your premises and securing your perimeter.

Stock spoiling:

It’s important to always leave your freezer and refrigerator doors closed to preserve the cold temperature inside. A full freezer should keep food safe for up to two days and a refrigerator for 4-6 hours.

Battery life:

If your laptop is your life, make sure your battery is fully charged and invest in a portable modem with sufficient data.

Lighting:

If your business requires good lighting, it is very important that you familiarise yourself with the schedules and plan ahead as load shedding can have a direct impact on your business.

Damage to electronics and machinery:

Surges or spikes - caused by the electrical supply being switched on and off - can cause damage to electronic equipment and machinery. If your business relies heavily on electrical equipment and machinery, you might want to look into surge protection plugs, back-up batteries or UPS.

Generator:

The size of generator you’ll need depends on your electrical requirements. For, example if you need to power three

computers, a kettle and lights, a 2KW generator (approx.

R2000-R5000) should be sufficient. If you have a shop with fridges, air conditioning and a till, you’ll need at least a 5KW one (approx. R8000) and if you have a guesthouse with 10 rooms, you’ll need a 10KW (approx. R20 000). Generators can be mobile or fixed (like an air-conditioning unit). Mobile units can be bought at most home or building stores - just be sure to phone around ahead of time as demand might be high. Take an inventory of your most vital electrical appliances when you speak to an expert so that they can suggest the right option for your business.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Y E K IS E C N IA L P M O C

E OBEYED B TO E V A H S N O TI LA U EG NEW SAFETY R our legislative competency. I also am ike everyone else, tavern owners

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have to abide by the law, and now they have a clutch of new regulations to adhere to. These include free water and condoms, no alcohol for drunks or under-18s, and proper records of sales to people who buy “takeaways”.

Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies gazetted the National Liquor Norms and Standards in April and the new rules are effective immediately.

Davies said the rules applied nationally, to ensure consistency, and that “all manufacturers, distributors and retailers in all provinces operate within clear and coherent parameters”.

But the Western Cape doesn’t agree.

While MECs from the nine provinces signed acceptance of the norms and standards last year, the Western Cape’s MEC Alan Winde made his disapproval clear. “Noted, but we do have provincial legislation that is within

not in favour of the extra red-tape burden on legitimate businesses,” said Winde.

Under the new laws, tavern owners may not sell or serve alcohol to drunk people. A list is included to help spot those drunks: watch for customers who have “slurred speech, move in a swaying manner or have difficulty walking straight, become physically violent or become loud, boisterous and disorderly”.

It’s also against the law to sell alcohol to anyone under the age of 18, or to buy alcohol on behalf of them. Tavern owners must also keep written or electronic records of all sales. It seems, though, that it’s sometimes the police, rather than tavern owners, who break the law.Who can forget the story about police in Khayelitsha who were accused of trashing a popular tavern before making off with a bottle of whisky and some crispy chips.

S Y A D N U S N O Y R R E EAT, DRINK AND BE M NUE IN GAUTENG TI N CO L IL W G IN D A TR SUNDAY would be a great idea to make sure that

T

he new Gauteng Liquor Act may not be everyone’s cup of tea (or should that be pint?), but fears that Sunday trade would be abolished have proved groundless.

Indeed, traders will be able to continue trading alcohol on Sundays, which is good news for them and their customers across the province.

The new law, which replaced the Liquor Act No2 of 2003, was enacted by former Gauteng premier Nomvula Mokonyane last year. It will allow for traders to sell liquor on Sundays but will tighten restrictions for the granting of licences.

In addition, traders will have to sell food if their patrons drink on the premises.

In other words, if you are planning to keep your customers happy on the day before the working week begins, it 8

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you are putting good food in front of them as well as slaking their thirst.

This can only be to your advantage as a trader. A well fed and watered customers is a happy customer who will keep on coming back.

Of course it is much healthier for your customers to eat well. It is important to keep a balance and encourage others to do so as well!

The department’s chief director of legal advisory services Funeka Njobe, says that under the new act, owners would pay fees according to the size of their business.

However, the act is yet to come into play as the regulations must first be approved. The regulations waiting for approval were drafted by the provincial depart of economic development.

New categories have also been included under the new Act for function venues, water-borne vessels and special events, while taverns and pubs have been merged into a single category.

Traders will now have to abide by set trading hours, application fees and penalties for regulations that have been transgressed.

Facilities at which drinks are consumed on the premises will now have to serve meals and include menus in their applications.

IN THE NEWS YERS MILESTONES FOR BIG PLA

THE HENNESSY 250 TOUR

I

n celebration of its 250th anniversary, Hennessy will pay tribute to all those across the globe who have played a part in its phenomenal success by setting out on a world tour in 2015.

The Hennessy 250 Tour will showcase the brand’s heritage through the eyes of internationally acclaimed contemporary artists, reflecting the unique bond that Hennessy has always maintained with the art world. Between March and September 2015, the Hennessy 250 Tour will visit five countries in five iconic locations, including right here on South African soil. Johannesburg’s Circa Gallery will host the traveling exhibit in August, featuring work by well-renowned artists who will pay homage to the brand.

“Hennessy embodies a blend of global and local, urban and rural , modern and traditional , and nowhere is this spirit more wholeheartedly expressed than

here in South Africa,” comments Patrick Madendjian, Moët Hennessy - Market Manager. “We are incredibly excited and proud to be only one of five host countries for this travelling exhibition.”

Other famous stops on the tour include Guangzhou’s Zaha Hadid Opera House, Moscow’s New Manege, New York’s Lincoln Centre and an as yet undisclosed location in Paris, for the finale.

To create the Hennessy 250 Collector Blend, a selection of a hundred eauxde-vie were aged in 250 handcrafted, specially commissioned 250-litre barrels of Limousin oak, having already been aged for at least 10 years under optimum conditions. The special release offers aromatic tones varying from herbal and spicy to bitter orange, fresh nutmeg, liquorice, dried peppermint leaves and saffron. The unique blend embodies the Maison’s history and is of great distinction and intensity.

These historic creative hotspots and bastions of modernity have been chosen to serve as the stage for the tour, with the CIRCA Gallery in Johannesburg having been selected thanks to its one-of-a-kind Presented in a collector decanter and gift box, this exclusive anniversary blend architectural landmark dedicated to the showcases Hennessy savoir-faire and arts of the third millennium. excellence. The Hennessy 250 Collector Blend will retail at approximately R6 Hennessy has also launched the 000 and be available at select retail and Hennessy 250 Collector Blend, an wholesale stores nationwide from June expression of absolute perfectionism 2015. The blend will launch alongside and a tribute to the legacy passed from seven generations of the Master blender. The Hennessy 250 Tour.

UNBOTTLING THE BEVERAGE BUSINESS The new bottler, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, will serve 12 high-growth countries accounting for approximately 40 per cent of all Coca-Cola beverage volumes in Africa. In a transaction to be completed in two phases, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa will bring together:

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he Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO), SABMiller plc (LSE:SAB, JSE:SABJ) and Gutsche Family Investments (GFI, majority shareholders in Coca-Cola Sabco) have agreed to combine the bottling operations of their non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages businesses in Southern and East Africa.

• SABMiller’s South African soft drinks bottling businesses, Amalgamated Beverage Industries • (ABI) and Appletiser, and its soft drink bottling businesses in eight other African countries • GFI’s bottling interests in Coca-Cola Sabco, including its South African bottler, Coca-Cola • Fortune, and its bottling operations in six other African countries • The Coca-Cola Company’s South African soft drinks businesses in the form of Coca-Cola • Canners, Valpré and Coca-Cola Shanduka Beverages Coca-Cola Beverages Africa will initially

produce and distribute Coca-Cola beverages in nine countries: South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Namibia, Comoros and Mayotte.

SABMiller intends to include at a later date its Swaziland soft drinks business and those of its listed subsidiaries in Botswana and Zambia, subject to agreement in due course with those subsidiaries and the requisite regulatory and shareholder approvals.

As part of the transaction, The Coca-Cola Company will also acquire SABMiller’s Appletiser brands on a worldwide basis, and acquire or be licensed rights to a further 19 non-alcoholic ready-to-drink brands in Africa and in Latin America, for an approximate cash consideration of US$260m. SABMiller will retain ownership of its non-alcoholic malt beverages in Africa and Latin America and will retain its Coca-Cola franchises in El Salvador and Honduras. www.spotongmag.co.za

9

INDUSTRY NEWS

CASTLE 1895

CAN BREWERIES RI AF TH U SO , ER BE T AF RITY OF CR EMBRACING THE POPULA ING BETTER TASTE. EK SE RS KE N RI D O O W AY TO CAME UP WITH A NEW W

By Carmen Petre

I

n season 4 of the classic sitcom Seinfeld, one of my favourite episodes must be the one titled “The Pick”, during which George has regrets about his break up with former girlfriend, Susan. Later in the episode, he tries to convince her that they should get back together, even though she insists they have nothing in common. His argument that Louis Pasteur and his wife had nothing in common but still made it work – him being busy with the cows in the fields, “consumed with milk”, and her killing cockroaches in the kitchen (from all the cake made with the excess milk from all the experiments) – seems to convince her that this is a good idea.

There is a common misconception that Pasteur “discovered” the milk pasteurization process but actually the process of heating food and beverage for preservation had been long used around the world before his time, often including boiling them for a long period of time, which affected the taste of the food. Pasteur’s initial focus was on resolving the issue of wine acidity and invented a less aggressive method which allowed heating the wine to much lower temperature and for shorter periods of time, preserving the quality of the wine.

The process was named pasteurization in his honour and was later applied to beer and milk.

Nowadays, the norm is for beer to be pasteurized to increase the shelf life for up to 120 days and facilitate transport. SAB are dominating the beer market in South Africa, but craft beer is having a real moment, with quite a few places now offering a wider variety of local brews. Craft beer is typically not pasteurised, which is generally agreed upon as affecting the taste of the final result, and sold in fewer venues than mass-market beer brands. SAB tapped into this market slice with the launch of Castle 1895 Draught tank beer at the end of 2014.

How is this beer different?

It is brewed at the Newlands brewery, and at the end of the brewing process – around the 18th or 19th day, it is

piped into the beer truck that delivers it straight to four locations in Cape Town and transfers it into the copper tanks installed at the respective venues. The beer is then served to the customer from the tap, using compressed air to push the beer out to the tap. No keg storage or CO2 involved, as one would expect with a tap beer.

How does it taste like?

As someone loyal to only a couple of beer brands, I can say that I feel a clear difference between the tank beer taste and the other ones in the Castle range, even the bottled Castle 1895 Draught. It is fresher, lighter (without compromising on alcohol level) and crisper, but not so different from my regular choices. Others have sensed a slight bitterness, which is expected and actually sought after in a craft beer. Is it a revolutionary taste?

Probably not, I will venture to say that it does not even have a distinct enough taste to withstand a blindfold taste.

Is this hygienic?

Pasteurization is an important step in killing bacteria in food items such as milk, but most of the time things go wrong because the raw product is not handled timeously or correctly, and SAB took great care to ensure its customers that they uphold the hygiene standards at the brewery as well as at each venue - inside the tanks there is a bag that is changed with every fresh batch.

That protects the final product for any contamination and ensures the customer receives the freshest product possible, that has to be consumed within 5 days of filling the tank.

Where can I get some?

The only 4 bars that serve it are Ferryman’s Tavern ( V&A Waterfront), Forrester’s Arms (Newlands), Long Street Cafe (Long Street) and Quay 4, all in Cape Town. While you wait for your pint, make sure to check the tap to see when your drink was brewed. www.spotongmag.co.za

11

G N I S I T R E V AD Y T I N U T R O Pe exposure!

OoP f hug 12 months

6 1 0 2 R A D N E L SPOTONG CA

Daily Dose ’s e d ra T ip h s n Tow

The best at Spotong Magazine – at will be we at th ind m in at th th th ong delivers. It is wi sk calendar for 2016 Our readers ask and Spot have decided to produce an annual wall/de r. vembe Township Trade Magazine r edition of the year in No pe m bu can track there r ou th wi d te bu for the year where they ssary arrangements er nn bagged & distri pla a of ed ne in s make the nece s, they are alway According to our reader neral day to day tasks whilst also being able toc holidays. Coupled with that our deliveries, events and ge g the busy times such as weekends and publiso they require services and suppliers for their businesses durinluxury of having down time in their business ention a few readers do not have the of need such as electricians and plumbers to m to take up this ppliers and/or products ily meeting with our that can assist in a time su t an lev re 20 of um im but has a da iting a max We will therefore be inv at your product or service is not only noticederefore we do have to operate on a th th re opportunity to ensu will border the calendar. Space is limited so readers, as the adverts sis! first come first serve ba on more informati r fo a .z o .c ia d an@contactme email: pressm

FRANCHISING

Y T I N U T R O P P O E S I H NEW FRANC S G BUSINESS POSSIBILITIE UTHWATERIN O M S ER FF O EN K IC CH ’S ZEBRO

the restaurant’s meals, answering the call to bring that home-grown flavour to an increasing number of South Africans. Unique among South African chicken restaurants because its meals are prepared over an open fire, Zebro’s Chicken serves up a distinct and delicious flavour that celebrates our South African heritage and with a scrumptious menu that includes chicken on the bone, chicken burgers, Russianstyle sausages, fresh-cut chips and assorted salads – every day can be braai day.

“Zebro’s Chicken meals are prepared on hot wood coals using a secret marinade and basting sauce, and sold either as a takeaway or as an eat-in meal. Our sauce is prepared from seventeen different ingredients and is produced under strict security to protect the secret recipe.

Whichever way our meals are enjoyed, we know our customers will soon be back for more,” she shares.

Zebro’s Chicken was established in the early 1990s in the small town of Caledon, and saw rapid growth when the concept was duplicated and extended to other regions in the Western Cape.

In 2004, the first Zebro’s Chicken was opened as part of a franchise model and to date, the group has expanded to close to 50 stores across South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana and Namibia.

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hile there are many things in South Africa that speak to the heart of its people, nothing is as popular as a good ol’ braai. South Africans love to braai. Why? Because to us, a braai is more than a meal. It’s a celebration of our culture. It’s an experience that is loaded with the more than just the flavour of good food, but includes good company too.

Across race, language, region and religion, we all share one common heritage. Although the ingredients may differ, the one thing that never changes is that when South Africans have something to celebrate they light fires, and prepare great feasts.

There is something about the open fires and the flavours it unleashes that has

captured the hearts and the tastebuds of those who enjoy this mealtime gathering. Even though many braai enthusiasts prefer using charcoal and briquettes – for convenience sake – nothing beats the flavour that resonates from a wood fire. This is why people who simply love the taste of braai’ed chicken keep coming back to Zebro’s Chicken.

Because any excuse to have a braai will do, more and more South Africans are bypassing the home fires and coming to Zebro’s Chicken for that incomparable taste experience, which is healthier and tastier than other fast food chicken offerings.

Pertunia Tsotetsi, Marketing Manager of Zebro’s Chicken, says the South African heritage of braai’ing underpins

“It is arguably the only chain of its size using this preparation method and flavour profile. Aside from its uniqueness in preparation, Zebro’s is also an affordable chicken brand that doesn’t compete head-on with the current market leaders in terms of product or preparation, which is a defining factor in its success.” Tsotetsi concludes.

As of 1 March 2014, the chicken brand was taken to even greater heights, following Taste Holdings’ acquisition of the company. With Zebro’s simplicity and low costs, the acquirement was a strategic one as it not only opens doors for greater access to the lower LSM consumer segment but also to potential franchisees as the brand is accessible to a wider franchisee audience and promotes opportunities for multiple store ownership.

Go, on let Zebro’s Chicken light your fire. www.spotongmag.co.za

15

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

H T U O Y E H T F O E R TAKING CA GE DRINKING RA THE LAW AGAINST UNDE

and communities for youth with drinking problems though.

Robyn Chalmers, SAB Head of Corporate Communications, says: “Underage drinking is one of the most serious forms of alcohol abuse in our country and has an overwhelmingly negative impact on South African society. We believed it was imperative to partner with government and the NYDA to implement a programme that we believe will effect real change amongst South Africa’s youth. We are heartened that the You Decide programme seems to have started doing so.”

SAB has partnered with government and a youth agency to launch a campaign that tackles underage drinking, the company said recently.

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s responsible tavern owners, we are, naturally, opposed to irresponsible drinking. And this is more so than ever when it comes to minors consuming alcohol.

The consequences of irresponsible drinking are there for all to see – they range from physical and emotional harm to fatal accidents. And when it comes to our youth, these are all things we want to protect them from.

The South African laws around alcohol consumption are there to play a protective role, and with the South African Law Enforcement Agencies current Zero Tolerance approach the penalties for disobeying these laws can be severe indeed.

The National Liquor Act (2003) states that no person may supply liquor to a minor (any person under the age of 18).

It should be remembered that underage drinking poses physical and emotional threats to young adults at a crucial point in their development.

The You Decide campaign has now been taken into its second phase, by youth market specialists HDI Youth Marketeers.

And the numbers say it is working.

You Decide is a campaign that launched in January 2012 to curb underage drinking. Independent research 16

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undertaken on this comprehensive and integrated initiative developed by South African Breweries (SAB), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), suggests that it is starting to have an impact.

“For a company like ours that looks for ways to assist and uplift youth through brand-funded programmes, You Decide is a dream brief. We see on the ground and from formal teacher feedback reports how it works, but we wanted third party validation of the behavioural change it can affect,” says Jason Levin, Managing Director of HDI Youth Marketeers.

Fieldwork conducted by E-View, in JuneJuly 2012, revealed some interesting results. One of the most alarming, was the fact that parents are more in denial than ever about their kids’ exposure to alcohol. The number of parents who believe that their children do not drink at all has in fact gone up by 25%, in the polled communities, in the six month-period.

But, encouragingly, findings also revealed a 3% absolute, and an 8,3% relative drop in teens’ alcohol consumption in communities exposed to the programme, as well as reductions in the amount consumed on each occasion.

Teachers and parents both still reported inadequate support available in schools

“Statistics indicate that one out of every two teenagers in the average South African home is a user of alcohol,” SAB corporate affairs director Vincent Maphai said in a statement.

“We view this as unacceptable, and so we have partnered with government on a programme that we believe will effect real change amongst South Africa’s youth.”

There is a compelling case to tackle underage drinking, with the South African National Youth Risk Behaviour Survey undertaken four years ago showing that 49,6% of teens (grades 8-12, so ages 13-18) admitted to using alcohol. It is estimated that this has increased over the past four years.

If the numbers are chilling, the reality is even more so, and the downside involves teens fighting, stealing, missing school, giving up on sport, raping and being jailed. Underage drinking has dogged South African communities for a number of years, and recent research

by UNISA’s Youth Research Unit (YRU), focussing on the extent and impact of substance abuse among 4 346 Gauteng high school learners, indicates that, much higher than the national average, 87.5% of Gauteng teens drink or have friends who consume alcohol. It also shows that two thirds of learners polled agreed that underage alcohol consumption is becoming more socially acceptable.

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LEADERSHIP

E M O H M O R F A HOME AWA, SY AURANT ST E R G IN D A LE ’S O T E W O MZIS THE MAN BEHIND SAKHU

Sakhumzis restaurant

H

ow did someone originally working in the banking sector become the patron of Soweto’s shining star among restaurants?

Spotong chats to Sakhumzi Maqubela to find out all the juicy details.

What was the motivation for you to start a restaurant business?

I was working for the bank. I used to fix their computers and their ATM’s. So my area used to be quiet, at work when they needed me they would call me on my cell phone. I’ll go and fix their computer or printers or an ATM, when I come back I come back home. Most of the time my friends when they get off from work early they would come and visit me, they know I’m always at home. So now my place was gathering more friends, more people visiting me, because they know I didn’t go to work. Anyone who comes late, early they come to me, and in the end I’m sitting drinking cold drinks, beers, almost every day.

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So you took that and decided to turn it into a business?

Yes. And then I would see tourists passing by in the famous Vilikazi, you know the street where Mandela used to stay. I grew up on Vilikazi Street too.

So I decided if now people are coming to Soweto almost every day I read newspapers, they say tourism is going in Soweto, then I decided let me rather open a business here. Let me start charging my friends for visiting me!

What features of your restaurant are you most proud about?

Ah, its more of a Soweto feel, its not like when you walk in you feel you are in Sandton or – its more homely you know, its like a home away from home. At the same time we get tourists mostly from France, Belgium, Norway, and UK lately.

How important is it for townships to get tourist attractions, how does it help the community?

Ah, it does help us a lot because the roads have been improved and we’ve got a lot of attractions, there’s the Hector Pietersen Memorial, there’s Mandela Museum, so people are not only coming to Sakhumzi Restaurant just for the good food and the vibe of Soweto but they get to understand the country, where it comes from, where it is now, they get to understand South Africa, what is it all about.

How did growing up in Soweto inform your business practice?

I can say for me it has made me to be streetwise. And why I opened the restaurant, it was more to break that stigma that when you think of Soweto people used to think of crime, used to think of riots only, not thinking that Soweto is a place that’s enriched with our South African history, where the country comes from, where it is now.

It means quite a lot to me, that’s why I opened the restaurant, it was more on enhancing the place where I come from, where I grew up and not liking it when people look down on Soweto. That’s

Sakhumzi Maqubela

why I decided let me do something, especially when Mandela said people must stop complaining about unemployment in South Africa, people must stop complaining about crime in our locations, he said people what is it that you are doing in your own capacity to create jobs or to curb crime, but then I decided let me create Sakhumzi Restaurant where I can be able to create jobs for my community, and I feel proud because we started with four people and now there are 82 people working full time here at Sakhumzi.

When you first started out what were some of the challenges that you had to overcome?

It was more on the human resources side, and the marketing of the building, because when you start no one knows you, you need to start with your brand from afresh. So those were the hard times of having the wrong people in the wrong department. So I had to overcome that, go and be skilled myself, understand what is business management, what is leadership.

Corporate companies, even government

Entertainers at Sakhum

zis

departments, they lack on the leadership side, they lack on the human resources, because they’ve got the wrong people in the wrong departments, so I had to work on hiring the right people in the right departments, and yes business is profitable now.

Who helped you along the way?

When we started what made us to grow is I started going to government departments like Gauteng Tourism Authority, that helped me to understand what is tourism and I went to TEP Tourism Enterprise Partnership, that helped me to train me and train my staff, so that we have qualified people.

Gauteng Enterprise Propeller, they helped me with the business plan because we opened businesses but if there’s no business plan then things don’t go right.

got tripe that you often don’t cook, and that takes long to cook, and we’ve got the normal vegetables.

What advice would you give to aspiring youth that want to open their business?

People must go to school. When they work for different companies or institutions they need to learn and not work for a salary, but they need to tell themselves if they are working let them help in different departments, let them understand what is business, what is a client, because most of us when we have money, when we are old we resign and we think we’re just going to open a business, but we forget who is the client, why will the client come to you.

If you had to sum up the essence of Sakhumzi in a few words?

Sakhumzi Restaurant is a place where the people who are serving you like what they are doing, the food is made It’s mostly Soweto traditional food where out of love. That’s why 99% of people you will get your pap, you get your samp who visit Sakhumzi just come to eat, and and even bread, we make our own bread, people who are working there who are and then we’ve got rice as well and really excited to be helping people. They we’ve got your meat, your lamb stew, go and they smile every time, they like what they are doing. we’ve got chicken that is grilled, we’ve

Tell us about the food.

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SPORT AND GAMES

HIGH VISCOSITY S S E L G N I S U M A O F DETERGENT

K

ärcher has now announced its “Innofoam” accessory for high-pressure cleaners which produces a highly adhesive foam using half the amount of cleaning agent previously required. This foam system is suitable for cleaning and disinfecting operations on farms, in the food industry, butchers’ shops and bakeries, in washrooms and also for washing vehicles.

The Innofoam system comes with a double spray lance; an injector and matching nozzles­. It is possible to easily switch between foam and highpressure mode directly on the spray lance. Up to 5% cleaning agent can be added in infinitely variable steps via the injector for foaming. As the operating pressure is between 60 and 80 bar, the throw distance is considerable: Innofoam achieves an area coverage of up to 1200 m2/h, while consumption is only 0.03 litres of cleaning agent per square metre. The foam can be subsequently washed down at up to 250 bar without having to change nozzles.

The injector is not integrated in the pump, but installed at the machine outlet. For this reason it does not detract from the machine’s performance while operating purely in the high-pressure mode.

The double spray lance can be connected to mobile and stationary, cold and hot water highpressure cleaners with water flow rates of 500 to 1300 l/h.

The best foam quality is achieved at cleaning agent concentrations of 3 to 4%: The watery mixture is enriched with air in the foam nozzle to create a high viscosity foam. It will even adhere to smooth surfaces for up to 15 minutes. Dirt is soaked and dissolved in the process. Kärcher offers neutral, alkaline, acid and disinfecting cleaning agents specifically formulated for foaming.

Technical Data Kärcher Innofoam High-Pressure Foam System Spray lance

650 mm

Max. pressure

250 bar

Max. water flow rate

1300 l/h

Max. temperature

80°C

Detergent metering

0 - 5%

Detergent consumption (i)

33.4 ml/m2

Area coverage

1200 m2/h

Visit www.karcher.co.za for further information and to view or selection of available Car Wash Packages.

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RELIABLE, RUGGED AND DURABLE. Kärcher renowned for excellent quality car wash equipment.

A mobile car wash has to be just that – mobile – and give you the freedom and flexibility to transport your operation to where the consumer demand is.

Kärcher can offer you exactly what you need.. www.karcher.co.za

INSURANCE

D E R U S N I E B O T IT PAYS

RANCE WHAT IS THE RIGHT INSU ESS FOR YOUR SMALL BUSIN

Y

ou can’t have a business without insurance. The two go hand in hand. But finding the right insurance for your small business takes time, patience and careful research.

Insurance keeps your business going in times of crisis, but it also comes with a price.

There is no doubt that you need to be covered for those unpleasant surprises that crop up from time to time – always when you least expect them - but with all the options out there, how do you choose the right business insurance?

Following these steps could throw valuable light on the matter: Find out what’s out there. Insurance companies offer all kinds of business cover, and wading through all the policies and options can be confusing. Basically, business insurance should cover you against these categories of risk: • Property • Crime • Time • Vehicles • Worker’s Compensation Property insurance covers your business against damage to its office premises, warehouses, or factories. It also covers damage to machinery and office equipment – this type of damage can be expensive, making property insurance non-negotiable for most companies.

Crime is an unfortunate reality in most countries, and South

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Africa is no exception. Break-ins and robberies at commercial premises and hijackings of company vehicles are unpleasant events that can cost your business, unless you’re insured.

You may wonder why we have included “Time”, but this is a very real risk factor for any business. If your business suffers damage, theft, or other such negative events, you may be forced to stop trading for a while until everything is back to normal. The time element insurance covers you for lost income during this period.

Vehicles that belong to your business should be insured just like your personal vehicle. The cost of repair or replacement could cripple your cash flow unless you’re covered.

Worker’s compensation and other legal settlements could cost your business thousands at a time when you can’t afford it. Many insurers offer legal cover that protects your company from legal action taken by customers or former employees.

Once you’ve explored the different types of insurance options out there, sit down with your insurance broker or financial planner and try to find the most costeffective way of insuring your business.

Remember to only cover yourself for risks that your business actually faces, but don’t go without insurance altogether – you never know when you’ll need it.

Eric Parker, in his book Eric Parker’s Road Map to Business Success also strongly recommends appointing a reputable insurance broker as a first step in insuring your business. The reasons he gives for this are as follows: A broker who has several clients within a specific industry sector is well aware of the particular risks this sector poses.

Having access to the product ranges of several insurers, brokers are in a better position to provide the most appropriate cover overall.

By building a long-term partnership with one broker, you reduce the dual risks of excessive cover and/or duplication of cover, as often happens if you purchase insurance cover piecemeal, and from different sources.

Dealing with one firm makes it easy to set up a monthly payment plan that covers all your insurance needs and helps you to keep control over insurance spending. It also simplifies the handling of queries and the claims procedure.

A combined package that offers a range of cover, such as property, liability and business interruption, may be an affordable alternative. Some professional associations are also able to negotiate competitive group insurance rates for members.

The bottom line, though, is that, as a small business owner, you need insurance. Look around, do your research, talk to an expert and choose widely.

Clint Harker of Pinion Insurance Brokers offers the following key tips for small business owners looking to bring down their insurance costs: Conduct an annual review. It’s vital to keep up to date with what you’re covered for and how much you’re paying for it. There may be unnecessary insurance that you’re paying for and that you can remove; or you may be overpaying for vehicle insurance because you have not adjusted for its depreciated value.

Take small steps to reduce risk.

Carrying out simple tasks like regular maintenance of equipment, or improving security systems, can help to reduce your costs. Indicating all the risk reduction measures that you’ve implemented will show the insurance company that you are serious about your business and this will assist you when negotiating a preferential premium. You should also ask them what they consider to be the main insurance risks for your business.

Find out about business packages.

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STOKVELS

R O F R E H T E G O T CLUB THE FUTURE

L MEMBERS E V K O ST R FO S N IO T P O WE COMPARE BANKING Now the world of banking has become

aware of how important stokvels are, and there are a number of banking products available that have been customised for stokvels. We describe a few.

Society Scheme

Standard Bank has a product for informal saving clubs called the Society Scheme, “the classic group savings account for diverse groups from stokvels and burial societies through social clubs to investment clubs.”

You can withdraw funds on demand and make deposits any time. It’s a bookbased account so you have to make your transactions over the counter at your nearest branch of Standard Bank. It is highly recommended for your group to have a written constitution to protect your rights as a member, just as the Constitution protects all our rights as South Africans.

The following benefits are advertised:

I

f you belong to a stokvel, then you know how it works. Your stokvel savings club, or burial society, social club or investment club, is the most popular way to save money in South Africa. Your members know each other well and put it a certain amount of money every month. Because of this relationship, you encourage each other, which helps you to put aside the money to save. This makes saving less of a 24

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struggle and more of a joy - especially when your turn comes around to take a lump sum out. The savings don’t usually accrue interest and the whole system is founded on trust between members. The downside of this is that you also usually don’t have any written contracts and if your money is stolen, you don’t have any protection. Even so, the stokvel method is a great means of saving up for something.

• All cash and cheque deposits are free, and your group enjoys two free cash withdrawals and two free cheque withdrawals per month • Accounts with monthly balances kept at R5 000 or more are not charged the monthly service fee and enjoy two further free debit transactions per month • All withdrawal instructions must be signed by at least two signatories to protect the rest of the group against misappropriation • For convenient depositing and withdrawing, stop order and debit order payments can be made into and out of the account. Branch interaccount transfers and branch account payments can also be made out of the account.

• Members generally earn higher interest on their savings through the group than they would have with individual savings accounts • The group can decide to move some or all of the Society Scheme balance into investment products like fixed

deposits and notice deposits from time to time • Society Schemes are automatically entered into a monthly Savers Draw for every R5 000 kept in the account up to a maximum of 20 entries per account To qualify, a stokvel needs to have at least five members. Three or four members are chosen to have signing power for the group. All the signatories must be there when the account is opened. The applicants must be South African citizens aged 18 or older, present valid South African identity documents, and make a minimum account opening deposit of R500.

You don’t need any credit reference checks, proof of employment, or salary to open an account. At the same time, you have to agree to identity and fraud prevention checks, and to share relevant information with the South African Fraud Prevention Services.

FNB also has something for the stokvel scene. Described

as “a book-based savings account for a group of individuals”, the FNB Stokvel account offers the following stated benefits:

• A group saving account to allow you to save for a common purpose • Better return on savings and better interest rates • 10 free transactions per month for R5000 minimum in account per month

With a Stokvel Account, stokvel members can:

• Withdraw cash in an FNB branch, • Make deposits using an FNB ATM Advance • Safely pool funds in a group • Have more than one signatory on the account • Access savings immediately Not to be left out on the action, ABSA also targets stokvels with a product called the Club Account “designed to simplify the day-to-day affairs of group savings schemes.” You only need two members in your group to qualify. If you

manage to keep at least R1000 in the account for a year, then you qualify for an annual bonus interest of 1% (R10!).

The minimum initial deposit is only R50 and you need to put at least R50 into the account every month.

According to ABSA, the advantages are as follows:

• No monthly management fees • The funds are available from any branch, simplifying group savings between people in different parts of the country • Tiered interest rates are paid on positive balances, calculated daily and capitalised monthly • Money is available on a 32 day notice period • Free accidental death cover for up to ten nominated members of the account • Free NotifyMe alerts for up to 3 signatories • A free Welcome Pack, which includes tips, investment options, guidelines for setting up a constitution, amongst other information.

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SPAZA SHOPS

E C A E P R O F A A PLE BIA EXIST SIDE BY SIDE? NOPHO E X D N A U T N U B U N A C HOW

S

paza shops run by foreigners are being targeted again, and the government is so concerned about this development that President Jacob Zuma has assigned three ministers to attend to xenophobic attacks in KwaZulu-Natal.

including foreign nationals as well if they attack citizens,” he said.

He said the government would help refugees and asylum seekers in terms of international law and the country’s Constitution.

The attacks, which started in Isipingo on March 25, spread to other areas around Durban, including Chatsworth and Umlazi.

Ethiopian Tescma Marcus (22) died after suffering third degree burns when his spaza shop in Umlazi township outside Durban was set alight. He had been in South Africa for only four months.

More police officers have since been sent to the area.

“We urge citizens to allow government to attend to these and other immigration challenges and to not take the law into their own hands,” he said.

He called on South Africans to remember that not all foreign nationals were in the country illegally, and that many contributed to the economy.

“We reiterate that there can be no justification for attacking foreign nationals. Those who are in the country illegally should be reported to the police and they will be returned to their countries of origin in a lawful manner,” Zuma said.

“Citizens should also provide information to the police if they know of foreign nationals who are engaged in criminal activities. They should not be attacked. We wish to emphasise that police will also take action against all people who engage in violence, 26

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Unfortunately, violence is not restricted to the so-called xenophobic hotspots, where localised competition for political and economic power is a trigger for violence. It is not unique to Diepsloot or Sebokeng. The vast majority of South Africans may not be driving out Somalis from their neighbourhoods, but xenophobic attitudes are more pervasive than many are ready to admit.

According to the Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in SA, attacks on foreigners have continued, with national statistics showing that, in 2011, one person a week, on average, was killed, while 100 were seriously injured and over 1,000 were displaced.

His brother Alex, 24, was also burnt when a mob locked them inside the container in which they had set up their shop and torched it.

Zuma said all spheres of government had been directed to enforce laws and by-laws to curb illegal trading and stop the spread of unlicensed shops.

foreigners”, combining the Greek xenos (foreign) with phobos (fear). In South Africa, we’ve come to understand it as the often violent dislike of foreigners, the “makwerekwere”.

Xenophobia is something that affects all of us. The human misery it causes knows no bounds.

In January, about 1 000 foreign-owned shops were damaged and looted during a spate of attacks on foreign traders in Soweto and Kagiso. These attacks are pushing South African onto the international news agenda for all the wrong reasons.

Six people, including one-month-old baby Ngqobile Majozi, and Siphiwe Mahori, 14, died during the week- long violence.

Police have confirmed that more than 200 people were arrested, 80 are now out on bail, nine were released on warning because they are minors and the rest remain in custody until their next court appearance. But shockingly, several of the key instigators, some of those seen driving from shop to shop with tools used to break in were still walking the streets.

Most dictionaries agree on a definition of “xenophobia” as a “hatred or fear of

Foreigners were particularly targeted during service delivery protests.

Scalabrini Centre outreach manager Sergio Carciotto said that about 200 foreigners had been killed in South Africa last year through common crime and xenophobic violence.

In the first edition of New South African Review, Loren Landau, Tara Polzer and Aurelia Wa Kabwe-Segatti quote research by the Forced Migration Studies Programme in areas where group-based violence against foreigners has taken place: “First, there is a lack of trusted and effective conflict resolution mechanisms within these locations.

“Second, there is a culture of impunity that makes people who attack foreign nationals feel that there will be no negative consequences for them.

“Finally, there is a political vacuum or competition for community leadership so that unofficial, illegitimate and often violent forms of leadership emerge. Such leaders then mobilise residents of the area against foreign nationals in order to strengthen their own power base.”

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BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

H S A C O T H S A FROM TR OPPORTUNITY A GREAT IS G N LI C Y EC R R E P PA E WAST RENEURS FOR TOWNSHIP ENTREP

T

he recycling industry has become a significant employer delivering great economic and social benefits. According to the Paper Recycling Association of South Africa (PRASA), recycling work presently provides jobs for around 100,000 people in South Africa, many of whom are entrepreneurs and small business owners who rely on finding and selling sustained volumes of recycled material to earn a living.

“Sustainability is key to our business and this includes contributing to the economy of the country through job creation,” says John Hunt, managing director of the big paper recycling company, Mpact Recycling. “A culture of recycling is emerging within our country which is having a really positive effect on poverty alleviation, enterprise development and economic growth. At the same time, there is the significant environmental benefit of reusing a valuable resource and preventing the landfilling or incineration of used paper. “However, in an industry that is 28

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traditionally difficult to break into, our main differentiator is that fact that we provide a guaranteed market for all grades of waste paper.”

To ensure that local recycling entrepreneurs are equipped to succeed and grow, Mpact Recycling is able to provide and install equipment such as paperbalers at its buy-back centres.

These machines compress waste paper into cubes or bales, which helps the buy-back centre owners to increase the volumes they are able to process and to reduce the time it takes to do so. The technology also allows the centres to process and store more waste paper, effectively increasing the volume of their sales to Mpact Recycling.

Robertville Recycling, a buy-back centre in Roodepoort, is a true success story.

The centre was established by Queen Phashe-Boikanyo some 12 years ago, with the help of Mpact, which assisted with finding a location and providing training. Today she has five full time employees and is supplied with recyclable material by local collectors

who scour the surrounding industrial areas for waste paper, cardboard and plastic.

Today Phashe-Boikanyo processes about 100 tons of waste paper and cardboard a month, selling it onto Mpact Recycling. Her successful recycling business has enabled her to put all four of her children through school and the oldest two through university. Her eldest daughter is now a pharmacist and the next daughter will soon graduate as a dentist.

Phashe-Boikanyo is optimistic about the future: “This is a good business with the potential to get bigger, because a lot of the paper that is used in people’s homes and offices is still not recycled.

I encourage people to start recycling, because it creates jobs and keeps our environment clean. All you have to do is start separating the paper from the other things you throw away and, once you have enough, bring it to an Mpact buyback centre.”

Donna Noble, Mpact Communications Manager

BUYERS’GUIDE

E R O T S E L T T O B E H T BEST BUYS FROYM OUR CUSTOMERS SMILE DRINKS THAT WILL MAKE

SPIRITS E ABSOLUT VODKA BLU Absolut Vodka is made exclusively from natural ingredients, and unlike other vodkas, it doesn’t contain any added sugar. In fact Absolut is as pure as vodka can be. Still, that purity has a certain taste: Rich, full-bodied and complex, yet smooth and mellow with a distinct character of grain, followed by a hint of dried fruit. In 1879, Lars Olsson Smith introduced the continuous distillation with which he made Absolut Rent Bränvin (Absolute Pure Vodka). Instead of the usual three or four times, the vodka was distilled an infinite number of times.

100 years later, it was reintroduced as Absolut. Just as then, Absolut is produced in Åhus, L.O. Smith’s birth town. Also the place where the wheat used for making the vodka is grown. And since the way

Absolut is made won’t change, neither will the true taste of vodka. The main ingredients in Absolut Vodka are water and winter wheat. The water comes from a deep well in Åhus where it’s protected from impurities. Winter wheat differs from other crops: it’s sown in fall, and harvested the next one.

Days in between it grows under the Swedish snow developing its hard grain. Also, the use of fertilizers is minimized. Being so pure, why drink Absolut Vodka any other way than it is? In fact, there’s a good reason why: the purer the vodka, the better it blends with other aromas meaning ABSOLUT VODKA brings out the best in other tastes too.

PRICE: R220

Bisquit cognacs can be found almost everywhere. Just pay attention to bars - often you find bottles. This one is a 70cl Very Special bottle, a young cognac from the French cognac house, with a blend consisting of Fins Bois eaux-devie. The cognac has been aged for 3 to 5 years in oak casks, adding to its rich flavours. The spirit comes in a traditional

bottle, designed in warm tones. Cognac, of course, is best without a mixer, the idea being to enjoy its unique flavours to their fullest. With winter around the corner, what better way to finish off an evening meal than with a glass of this top quality beverage?

PRICE: R350

BACARDI GOLD RUM Thanks to the active charcoal filtration method pioneered by Don Facundo Bacardi. It is this filtration process, as well as its ageing for at least 18 months in charred white American oak barrels, that provides Bacardi with its distinctive smoothness. Launched in June 2007, Bacardi Gold is the distinctive smooth and mellow golden rum that delivers subtle flavour and a classic Bacardi

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quality. Bacardi has always been associated with throwing great parties.

Around the early 1900’s Havana in Cuba, the home place of Bacardi, soon became the place for American’s high society World famous Bacardi parties – and the spirit of Bacardi is still alive today!

PRICE: R159 (750ml Bottle)

Recommended retail price at going to print - prices subjest to change at retailers discretion

OGNAC BISQUIT CLASSIQUE C

WINE 2012 BACKSBERG MERLOT BOSCHENDAL CHENIN BLANC Boschendal was the first winery to barrel ferment Chenin in South Africa. This fruity, well-balanced, fullbodied wine is distinguishable by its exotic mango and honey aromas on the nose. On the palate, this wine has a core of fruit with hints of nuts and honey. The ideal wine for an al fresco summer lunch, lightly curried mussels, chicken, fish casseroles and in general Asian dishes.

Pungent aromas of raspberry and red plums are tempered by the deft use of French oak maturation. The palate is redolent with succulent, sweet fruit flavours and finely coated in ripe mouth filling tannins. Smokey and savoury oak characters provide a subtle background to this complex and well balanced Merlot. This Backsberg Merlot is an everyday wine that can be enjoyed with most meals. Have it with red meat, pasta, casseroles, pizza and just about anything else you enjoy. It’s an easy drinking wine that goes with anything, yet retains a quality all of its own.

PRICE: R115 (750ML BOTTLE)

PRICE: R59 (750ML BOTTLE)

SAINT VINCENT CRISP

From Goudini Winery in Rawsonville, a mountain-encircled wine area with a reputation for good vineyard quality. This is their second label, designed as valuefor-money drinking, and every wine in the range is a non-vintage This allows the winery to cross-blend between vintages, all adding to the enjoyment and quality of the wine, as the 3½-star rating confirms.

Unsurprisingly it has appeared in the guide before, but then it’s a style that’s easy to like. Ripe and softly rounded, it has plum and black-cherry flavours, with the oak adding mocha notes. Merlot is regarded as a feminine wine because of its curves, and this wine shows why.

Umfiki is the Xhosa word for ‘newcomer’.

PRICE: R30

Recommended retail price at going to print - prices subjest to change at retailers discretion

UMFIKI MERLOT

Not only did this wine get the nod because of its price and appealing character, but also because it ticks a box for a friendly 12.5% alcohol. Part of the DGB Saints range for everyday drinking, the grapes are sourced throughout the Winelands, and the wines are made in Wellington.

Saint Vincent’s name says it all, this is indeed crisp and lively, but there’s more to it than that. The flavours include peach and pineapple, with a hint of vanilla, and the palate is well rounded and juicy – all requirements for appealing drinkability. Although dry, there is no impression of tartness, just a lip-smacking freshness that will have you reaching for more.

PRICE: R25

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BUYERS’GUIDE

BEER

FLYING FISH PREMIUM FLAVOURED BEER

STRIPED HORSE BEER

Flying Fish is a refreshing take on the familiar. Like the first flying fish to seize the opportunity to do things differently, Flying Fish Premium Flavoured Beer is all about embracing new experiences, finding fresh inspiration and adding that little something extra that can transform the ordinary. After all, who wants to do the same thing day after day? Made from maltered barley and hops. With real fruit juice and flavours added during the brewing process, Flying Fish Premium Flavoured Beer is a fresh new take on beer. It combines the pure refreshment of beer with delicious fresh flavours to create an easy drinking taste that’s unlike anything you’ve experienced before. Flying Fish Premium Flavoured Beer is available in two flavours: Pressed Lemon and Crushed Orange. It’s a new experience and fresh take on the familiar. Flying Fish Flavoured Beer, add some flavour.

‘”Legend has it that our horse got his stripes fighting for a thirst quenching drink at a watering-hole.

Fortunately these days it’s not that hard to quench an African thirst. And with the launch of Striped Horse premium craft beer it’s become even more enjoyable.

Striped Horse offer both a lager & pilsner relying on the strong traditions of European beer making but born in Africa. Enjoy the spoils of Victory!”

PRICE: R250 (12 x 330ml)

PRICE: R204.95 (24 x 330ml)

There’s a journey in every moment. Castle Milk Stout is the beverage that provides the pause to connect and unwind with real friends. Castle Milk Stout is a full-bodied beer of strength and richness. It is a wholesome stout with a full flavour and an abundant creamy head. Castle Milk Stout was launched by Delta Beverages in Zimbabwe in 2003. The beer is smooth, strong and has a pleasant aroma. Dark roasted malt imparts its distinctive dark colour, and the creamy, smooth head is derived from the malt

and hops used, with a special fermentation process. The word ‘milk’ refers to a small amount of lactose, or mil sugar which is added during the brewing process and which imparts additional smoothness to the beer. Castle Milk Stout is brewed in 9 countries in Africa and sold in over 35 countries internationally. You can identify Castle Milk Stout by its rich, dark liquid packaged in brown bottles with a striking blue, cream and gold label.

PRICE: R199.95 (24 x 330ml)

HANSA MARZEN GOLD Be bold, drink gold. In the Hansa tradition of venturing beyond the ordinary, May 2007 saw the launch of the Marzen Gold variant. Hansa Marzen Gold is the first locally developed but internationally based beer to be introduced to South Africa in many years. Heavily influenced by the German brewing tradition, Hansa Marzen Gold is neither a pilsner nor a regular lager, but a ‘marzen-style’ German beer, with a special recipe using slow roasted amber malt as a key ingredient. It is brewed for significantly longer than regular beer 32

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styles resulting in its unique flavor. Its look and feel is distinctly premium in a green bottle with copper foiling. Amber malt prepared at high temperatures gives the brew a deep amber hue, a rich malty aroma and brewhouse flavour. It is brewed using four different malt types and uses the classic Hallertau Pearlē hop from Hallert in Germany. The product has an alcohol content of 5.2%.

PRICE: 199.95 (24x340ml )

Recommended retail price at going to print - prices subjest to change at retailers discretion

CASTLE MILK STOUT

NON-ALCOHOLIC What this brew lacks in alcohol it makes up for in flavour. Beck’s brewmasters stop the fermentation process before alcohol can form, but not before they achieve the distinctive full-bodied taste and aroma of the finished brew. Light amber in colour, Beck’s Non-Alcoholic boasts a full, rich, thick head and balanced bitterness. Brewed in Bremen, Germany, Beck’s is made in accordance with the “Reinheitsgebot,” the German Purity Law of 1516. It is brewed using only top-grade barley, hand-selected

hops from the Bavarian Hallertau region, fresh glacier water and Beck’s exclusive strain of yeast that’s been cultured and cultivated for generations.

Beck’s Non-Alcoholic contains less than 0.5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV). Designated drivers and others who prefer to avoid alcohol will delight in this medium-body brew with grainy malt sweetness and hoppy accents.

PRICE: R12.95 (330ml)

APPLETISER Appletiser is a premium sparkling fruit juice created by blending fruit juice with carbonated water100% sparkling Appletiser has an utterly enchanting, crisp taste, versatile for any moment.

Perfected with a blending method of skill and care, apples are transformed with an infusion of bubbles into the most tempting drink. Appletiser contains no added sugar or colorants, making it the perfect liquid indulgence. With its clear, golden appearance, this refreshing sparkling fruit juice is delight to enjoy on its own or as a mixer for a

G BONAQUA SPARKLIN FLAVOURED WATER Water by design, Bonaqua is prepared water by definition. A highly advanced form of water preparation called reverse osmosis, which was originally invented

by NASA, purifies filtered municipal water. Bonaqua is available in a range of Plain Still and Sparkling Flavoured drinks, designed to be the perfect accessory to the modern, everyday lifestyle. Bonaqua Sparkling Flavoured drinks are water-based and available in five tantalising flavours: Strawberry, Lemon-Lime, Naartjie, Litchi, as well as Apple-Mint. Carbonation and just the right amount of flavour are added to deliver a fun and refreshing taste. A trusted brand adhering to high quality standards, Bonaqua represents a more modern lifestyle accessory, edgy youthful and innovative attitude.

PRICE: R10.45 (1.5L)

sophisticated cocktail. Appletiser is manufactured in the Western Cape, at the Elgin manufacturing site. Red and White Grapetiser, Peartiser and Appletiser Colours are fruit variants. Appletiser is consumed with meals or at celebrations as an alternative to alcoholic drinks. Whilst Appletiser is primarily sold in its home market of South Africa, the brand is also marketed exported to more than 20 countries worldwide PRICE: R25.95 (750ml)

Recommended retail price at going to print - prices subjest to change at retailers discretion

LIC BEER BECKS NON-ALCOHO

EQUIPMENT REVIEWS

S S E C C U S R O F D E P P EQUI BUSINESS R U O Y E N LI M A E R ST O T ES GADGETS AND MACHIN THE BAR10DER

BAR CEILING FANS

The Bar10der allows you to speed up the process of mixing up your customers’ favourite cocktails whenever the mood strikes. With the Bar10der, all you have to do is blow the dust of those old cocktail recipes and then voila! Your customers will love it. Packed with 10 essential bar-tending tools in one sleek design, it makes it easy to mix, create and serve a perfect drink. When it comes to hosting a tavern party or mixing drinks while on the go the Bar10der is your knight in shining armour. You’ll be able to whip together the cocktails you and your customers love to enjoy, but never thought you could recreate. Plus, the 10-in-1 compact design makes it simple to use and store. So you can definitely ensure your customers will be impressed by your exquisite cocktail making skills.

Large oversized ceiling fans are perfect for very large rooms or rooms with high ceilings where you want a single ceiling fan that proportionally makes a statement in the room. Keep in mind that the larger the blade span, the slower the blades will spin just do to the size and weight of the blades. So a 72 inch or 80 inch diameter fan may not move as much air as a 60 inch or smaller ceiling fan. Normally, we would recommend using two 52 inch ceiling fans in a larger room, but some rooms just cry out for something on a grand scale, so the amount of air movement may be compromised to achieved more decorative impact. Large ceiling fans are perfect for large rooms with minimal ventilation such as clubs or bars with high wide ceilings.

PRICE: R380

skyfans.co.za

THE PERCONTA SORTOVIT This unique coin sorter has been developed to speed up your coin processing without in any way sacrificing the highest level of accuracy.

As standard it sorts up to 2,800 coins per minute in up to eight denominations, which can be increased to nine on request. alibaba.com

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KEGERATORS A beer dispensing device and individualized refrigerator for the beer keg, the classic beer dispenser set-up is to either house the kegs in a cellar or in a walk-in cooler. These set-ups have the advantage of keeping the kegs both out of sight and out of bartenders’ ways. Often the cooler in a pub set-up will be located right behind the back wall opposite the bar counter so that the kegs are literally only inches away from their taps–though they need not be. You could just as easily have the tapped kegs in the cellar beneath the bar with the tap line running all the way up to the bar (or bars). The only limitation is due to pressure. The pressure must be enough to reach the tap.

Touch screens can be connected to a standard PC and with the relevant software can transform that PC into a touch screen EPOS solution. Simply just connect the touch screen to the PC via USB or RS232 and you are on the way to an EPOS solution. Add EPOS software, EPOS printer and a cash drawer and you will then have a complete solution.

kegerator.com

cashregistershop.co.za

VENDING MACHINES Established in 1991, Top Vending is the largest vending supplier in Southern Africa and offers various vending solutions. Headquartered in Gauteng, Top Vending has a large national footprint, with branches in Cape Town and Durban, and selected service partners in secondary cities. Top Vending is the exclusive distributor for leading international vending equipment manufacturers, payment solutions, and water cooler manufactures. These include leading vending manufacturers Azkoyen and Jofemar and water cooler manufacturer Waterlogic. Top Vending is the recognised market leader in the operating, renting and selling of Hot Beverage Vending Machines, Snack

and Can Vending Machines, Tobacco machines and Water Coolers. The cigarette machine is a vending machine that takes cash in payment for packs of cigarettes. Vending machines often dispense packs containing 16 or 18 cigarettes, although the dimensions of the packaging are the same as the equivalent pack containing 20. Wall-

mounted cigarette machines can conveniently be attached to walls for easy access and which takes up limited floor space. Free Standing Machines can be positioned behind the bar or where space is limited machines can be fitted in a back room or staff room. topvending.co.za

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EPOS CASH TILL SYSTEM

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TECHNOLOGY REVIEW

E G A T N A V D A MOBILE

D A E H A T E G O T Y G OLO ones, USE TECHN ange your business. Ph ch d ul co it d an , rld wo changing the t's hot. new and wha Mobile technology is takes stock of what's g on ot Sp s: ie or ss ce apps and ac

NE RANGE O H P L L E C IP H S G A L F SAMSUNG’S Carefully crafted from metal and glass, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge blend purposeful design with powerful features. The Galaxy S6 edge, particularly, shows unique and outstanding beauty while also providing a solid grip and an immersive viewing experience with the world’s first curved display on both sides. Its glass body, made from the toughest glass to date,

Corning® Gorilla Glass® 4, is available in an array of colorful jewel tones, including White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum, Blue Topaz and Green Emerald, which elicit a unique visual texture as it reflects natural light. This timeless design required first-of-its-kind glass crafting technology and unmatched quality control, setting the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge apart from every other mobile device on the market. The premium device aesthetics deliver true value and are complemented by a totally new and lighter interface that greatly enhances usability and functionality.

A refined and fully optimized user experience simplifies applications and offers features and settings in a more intuitive way.

The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge are equipped with an incredibly vivid, bright and fast front and rear camera. The F1.9 lenses and high resolution sensors on both front (5MP) and rear (16MP) cameras provide the most superior

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image quality in a smartphone, even in the dark. In addition, Auto Real-time High Dynamic Range (HDR), Smart Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and IR Detect White Balance provide advanced light sensitivities and crisp camera solutions.

Furthermore, a new “Quick Launch” feature give users fast, direct access to the camera from any screen in just 0.7 seconds* by simply double clicking the home key button. These advanced camera functions enable users to capture their most precious and personal moments in uncompromising quality, however and wherever they want.

With fully embedded WPC and PMA certified wireless charging technology, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge are setting a new industry standard for universal wireless charging. The devices work with any wireless pad available in the market that supports WPC and PMA standards. They also sport incredibly fast wired charging, 1.5 times faster than the

Galaxy S5, providing about 4 hours of usage after only 10 minutes of charging.* The thin (6.8 mm/7.0mm edge) and lightweight (138g /132g edge) Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge integrate the most advanced, cutting-edge, Samsung core technology available today. The world’s first 14nm mobile processor with 64-bit platform, new LPDDR4 memory system and UFS 2.0 flash memory provides higher performance and enhanced memory speed with lower power consumption. Moreover, the world’s first 1440P/VP9 hardware based codec enables users to enjoy high resolution streaming video while also using less power. In addition, the 5.1-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED screen offers users the highest pixel density of 577ppi. Enhanced outdoor visibility with a brighter display (600cd/mm) lets consumers experience content without compromise – anywhere, at any time.

TURBOSCAN TurboScan turns your phone into a multipage scanner for documents, receipts, notes, whiteboards, and other text. With TurboScan, you can quickly scan your documents and store or email them as multipage PDF or JPEG files.Tablet users please check out our TurboScan HD app. #1 US business app in the iTunes Store for over 3 years!

• “Unbelievably sharp. The best app I’ve tried... The scan accuracy of SureScan mode is brilliant” (AppBank review, April 2010) • “I’ve downloaded and purchased many fantastic apps, but Turboscan is the tool that has added the most value to my iPhone” (iosLawyer.com, Dec 2012) • “Produces not a photograph of a document, but a very clear copier quality image, Having this app is like having a portable copier in your pocket” (TurboScan user) TurboScan uses advanced fast algorithms to auto-detect document edges, straighten the documents (correct perspective), eliminate shadows and set a perfect contrast. TurboScan boasts a powerful yet easy to use interface. Get instant one-tap brightness, rotation and color controls all on one screen!

TurboScan also offers SureScan, our proprietary scanning mode for sharper scans (especially useful in low-light conditions.) SureScan requires taking three pictures of the same document with the phone camera. TurboScan’s handy “Email to myself” feature lets you send documents to a predefined address, or even upload them to online storage sites like Evernote, with a single tap.

All processing happens on your phone, and the confidentiality of your data is never compromised (no Internet connection needed.)

TURBOSCAN FEATURES: • Automatic document edge detection and perspective correction • SureScan mode for very sharp scans • Ultra-fast processing (under 2 seconds per page) • Document naming, storage inside the app and search • Multipage editing: add, reorder, and delete pages • Copy pages between stored scans • “Email to myself” feature for quick emails • Email document as PDF, JPEG or PNG, or save to camera roll • Arrange multiple receipts or business cards on a PDF page • Open PDFs or JPEGs in other apps like the free Dropbox app (or Evernote, SkyDrive, GoogleDrive app, etc) to send to clouds, or fax apps • Printing via Cloud Print or other print apps • Instant one-tap brightness, rotation, and color controls • Compact attachments with adjustable size PRICE: R25

SINESS APPS U B ID O R D N A G IN L L TOP-SE about yourself CamCard is the easiest app to manage and exchange business cards, the perfect • Search contacts’ company news to start a good conversation fit for sales people, entrepreneurs, • Navigate to contact addresses in Map business developers or marketing experts, and anyone who want to be one. • Access contact information across multiple devices • Manage contacts from all over the Features world with 17 recognition languages • Scan and store your business cards, never miss a card Recognition languages: Traditional • Exchange e-cards with people nearby Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Danish, • Add notes & reminders to contacts Dutch, Finnish, Korean, Norwegian, • Get contact updates. Be the first one to Japanese, English, French, German, say congrats Spanish, Portuguese, Hungarian, Italian, • Enrich your profile to tell people more Swedish, and Russian.

Brother app CamScanner – Document scanning and sharing app.

PRICE: R10,59

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VEHICLE REVIEW

Y L I M A F I K U Z U THE S ST GROWING UP SO FA

S

uzuki is a brand we have been exposed to many times in the past and it is a brand we actually quite like. Several staff and family members actually own Suzuki’s here at Spotong. So when we were offered a chance to test a few different members of their rather large family, we jumped at the chance to see what Suzuki now has to offer the very demanding South African Market.

THE SX4 ALLGRIP SPECS: The first version of the SX4 we tested a couple of years ago proved to be a real surprise for us. The little 4x4 packed a big punch for its size and definitely competed well against cars that were bigger in size and price, so the new version had big boots to fill.

The new SX4 is a very pretty car and it no longer falls into the small size bracket either. Suzuki has decided to change the SX4’s formula and place it in a market of bigger SUVs to compete against the more established brands in this segment. I am sure Suzuki did their

research before making this decision, but we couldn’t help but think that they had a winning formula with the old version so why change it? The new SX4 is considerably more expensive, and even with the extra size, it didn’t seem to us like there would be space for it in the already saturated SUV market. The thinking behind the change aside, the SX4 is a real winner behind the wheel. It drives superbly well and does offer the driver and all your passengers terrific comfort. The bigger size means that the engine doesn’t quite pack the punch

Price: R294,950 Engine: 1.6l Petrol CO2 Emissions: 146g/km Power & Torque: 86kW/146Nm Fuel Consumption: 6.2l/100km of the old SX4, but it nippy enough to prevent you from urging it up the hill while driving and can get you in and out of sticky traffic situations with certitude and ease.

T R O P S T IF W S E H T

SPECS: Price: R224,950 Engine: 1.6l Petrol Top Speed: 195km/h 0-100km/h: 8.4s CO2 Emissions: 153g/km Power & Torque: 100kW/160Nm Fuel Consumption: 6.5l/100km 38

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Through all our extensive experience with Suzuki and the Swift in particular, the Swift Sport was another member of the Suzuki family we have had the opportunity to drive before. In our previous review we found little wrong with the Sport, but we did feel the sport badge was merely decoration. This newest version however does have a

little more zip under the bonnet to justify the sporty tag it has been given. The engine packs a decent punch and the outlandish designs mean the Swift Sport does as it is intended to do and stands out on the road. We received it in what Suzuki called Champion Yellow and can best be describe and shockingly bright.

But that eye-stinging colour was a great addition to the Swift’s character. As with all Swifts, the Sport is great fun to drive.

The light weight of the car, low centre of gravity and decent suspension mean it provides many thrills without any spills.

The heavier price tag still means we would probably opt for the normal Swift over the Sport version, but for those of you looking for something a little funkier and a little quicker, the Swift Sport could be the perfect fit for you.

THE ERTIGA This seven seater family car is the only Suzuki we have ever tested we didn’t 100% fall in love with. The Ertiga is a big, cumbersome mom’s wagon that doesn’t quite deliver what we would have hoped for from it. The fact that it is called a seven seater made us scratch our heads to start with, because the two back seats are almost non-existent.

A toddler would struggle with any leg room back there and thankfully the seats can be rearranged, because when all seven seats are in use, you can barely get a laptop in the boot. The finishings on the model we tested were not to our taste, but there are enough options to choose from to suit even the pickiest of drivers. The Ertiga is neither quick nor comfortable at high speeds, but

SPECS: it is designed to be a runaround for a big family, so you wouldn’t need it to win a drag race. The fuel economy is respectable and for the very low price, it does fill a gap in the market.

Price: R294,950 Engine: 1.6l Petrol CO2 Emissions: 146g/km Power & Torque: 86kW/146Nm Fuel Consumption: 6.2l/100km

THE SWIFT 1.2 GL much more bang for buck than some of the other manufacturers who try and take on the lower end hatch market.

Suzuki do not cut corners or compromise on the quality of the build when they produce their vehicles, and the Swift 1.2 GL is a perfect example of a budget buy, with luxury delivery. The 1.2 litre engine is by no means a rocket ship, but it delivers just enough oomph to make the ride exciting and at the same time, the fuel economy will blow your mind. The small size does not affect the comfort of anyone who gets a ride in the Swift, and although the boot leans towards the side of small, it is ample enough for everyday use.

SPECS: Price: R126,900 Engine: 1.2l petrol CO2 Emissions: 134g/km Power & Torque: 63kW/113Nm Fuel Consumption: 5.7l/100km

This particular version of the Swift has been made to cater for the very lower end of the market and has a smaller engine than the more popular version we tested a few years back. What we loved about this particular Swift was the fact that it gives the driver and owner

There is a reason Suzuki is a popular car manufacturer with us at Spotong, they deliver on a promise, they are reliable and always go a little bit further than you think you money will get you.

Suzuki are just ordinary enough to make them appealing to the masses and just different enough to make them special to their owners.

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L A N O S R E P D UP CLOSE AN TAVERN REVIEWS

arpeville, the stories From Sebokeng to Sh ders all resound with of Gauteng’s tavern tra good times. d passion, enjoyment an

E C A L P ’S G N E L E G SEK E. S THAN MEETS THE EY MORE TO BUSINES

S

usan Khoase started her business way back in 2004 with just 5 cases of 750ml dumpies. She was an off premises consumption trader but her success over the years saw her grow to eventually become a full time on-premises consumption pub. Susan commends her suppliers, SAB for always being in favour of the traders, although she concedes that many might not agree due to different business challenges. “`Business is business,” she says. “I am happy to comply with rules and/or legislations.”

Unfortunately, there’s more to business than meets the eye and the challenges can, at times, seem daunting. Segeleng’s Place has experienced no fewer than five robberies, all of which set the business back significantly. These

events, however, did not deter Susan from her course, and together with her team she kept striving for the good of the business. The establishment can accommodate about 60 patrons and its security has been tightened up to make it a safer environment. “Whether you are in formal or informal business, the fundamentals will always be selling and buying or demand and supply,” says Susan. Spotong can attest to the fact that Segeleng’s Place is the perfect spot to cure a hangover. It comes alive every Thursday to Sunday, and remains a hive of activity at weekends.

Susan also speaks passionately about encouraging entrepreneurship among the youth, and she commends the large number of active youth who do really want to set themselves apart and

make a go of things in business and other spheres of life. Despite insisting that she has no interest in politics, she acknowledges that business doesn’t operate in a vacuum and that we can’t blame the current problems in our country solely on government. “There are terrible times for every government,” she says. “Each individual must just get up and go; none of us has it easy.”

Spotong recommends that you try Segeleng’s Place for a truly rewarding and entertaining time out with your friends. If you enjoy listening to the latest in local music, great beer, good food and fantastic vibes, this spot is for you.

Location: Segeleng’s Place, 962 Zone 10 Extension 1, Sebokeng

) N E H C IT K ’S Y IL M E ( E SACK’S PLAC

S

acks Tatae started dabbling in entrepreneurship back in the 90’s as a natural continuation of his mother’s footsteps. He began by selling stock on a very limited scale, just enough to gain enough capital to later venture into liquor trading.

He then joined the Sedibeng Liquor Association, once he had become an established liquor trader. “Business

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has its own set of rules, and how I could have taken those steps and not slipped and fallen along the way is puzzling to me,” says Tatae. He tells us how he had to rely on his support structure over the years, his family. “I’ve always had the right team, but we only learnt to strategize as we went along”.

Like in pool, he says, “the nature and complexity of the battle changes as the play continues.” Having taken over the business from his mother Emily, he decided to call it “Emily’s kitchen”, to honor her memory and teachings. A highly driven businesswoman, Emily is said to have been an exceptional cook, who incorporated selling cooked meals to the locals along with running her mini grocery shop. “Business changes all the time, but my strategy is simple: I look at the community I live in, which is not the Northern suburbs of Johannesburg, and structure the business in a way

that will rightfully serve the majority of my patrons,” says Sacks. You can’t visit Sharpeville without checking out Sacks’s Inn. Here you will find great food, served with a complementary fizzy drink from Coca-Cola, ice-cold beers and awesome hospitality. Sacks Inn is also known for its invaluable networking opportunities, all topped off by the latest in jazz, which is ideal for their more mature audience. Sacks tells Spotong that as he concentrated on building the business over the years, he measured his success by the number of meaningful relationships he built. “I want this establishment be remembered for the good friendships formed here.

“I’m tremendously proud of the growth of Emily’s Kitchen’; we are a home to many.”

Location: 2277 Tshepiso Phase 2, Sharpeville

KHIDO’S PLIBAECE THE UNPLUGGED V

E

ver wondered how a weekend with your best friends would be like if you found yourself in one of the coolest places in Sebokeng? Wonder no more. This Zone 10 located spot is at your rescue! It is at the heart of this historic township and truly lives up to the slogan, “The unplugged vibe”. With local patrons served their all time favourite, “half skopo” (directly translated, a half sliced head of either a pig or cow), you can’t go wrong. The menu includes “iKota”, bunnychows and township burgers, all a true feast! Mamokete Khambule started this business 15 years ago, and says with a business driven family background, the journey was not too much of a drag. Mmamokete was well trained in this area as a child, which was particularly essential considering the path she later took. Today, she heads a family of five and is responsible for

at least two households and has she has two employees. A member of the Sedibeng Liquor Association since 2005, she tells Spotong of how knowledgeable she is now because of this membership.

“Entrepreneurship involves a high level of uncertainty. There is always concern about the success of the business, but thankfully my journey was not too rocky,” she says. When asked about the competitiveness of the industry and her general surroundings, she says it is not for her to compete with anyone and she wishes people would stick to their lanes and do their best so that there is guaranteed growth in the industry. “Targeted competitiveness is so unnecessary, and I condemn it,” she says. Khido’s Place is by far the best place in the area to conclude your week.

They are open until 12am latest. Ice-cold beers, good music and good food, all go together towards making a great outing with friends. Stop in any day, and enjoy!

Location: 493 Zone 10, Sebokeng

CLUB LA PIROQUE THE LEGACY

A

bram Letseba, popularly known as “Danger,” his football pet name from back in his senior school years, started back in 1989 with off premise consumption

trading (takeaways).

The name Danger gives makes one think of a sign on one’s gate that reads “Beware/ Pasop/Qaphela/Enter at your own risk”. You’d expect to be shredded if you dared proceed!

But there’s nothing dangerous about Letseba. Indeed, he is a people’s person, and his welcoming warmth catches the eye.

He has this down-toearth approachability along with a disarming humour that adds to his charisma, and he is known as a straight talker who takes no prisoners. While stating his opinions, however, he has a playful side too, and this emerges throughout his talk with Spotong magazine.

Danger tells us how he became successful by identifying with the poor, having grown up in Sharpeville.

He is now owner of two establishments just a short distance from his family home: an off consumption bottle store and an in-house-consumption restaurant

and pub. “It all began with me being a delivery boy, a ‘bootlegger’ as we were regarded back in the days,” he says, Danger was one of the very few who acquired their trading licenses back in 1996 and have since complied with the legislation of the industry. “My growth as an entrepreneur hasn’t come without challenges. However, through tenacity and patience, I have established a legacy,” says Letseba. Looking at retirement soon, Danger has begun training his son to take over. “The legacy of “Club La Piroque” should be about how many children are professionals because we gave their parents jobs and that I also took it upon myself to advance the education of a number of students within the community by taking them to senior school and beyond.

That’s how I want to be remembered,” he says. Both his establishments have employed over 10 employees over time. So if you’re looking for a unique Kasi experience that will leave a lasting impression on you and your friends, Club la Piroque is where you need to be. Recommended and preferred by locals, their hospitality and breathtaking scenery speak for themselves. Open seven days a week and also serves food.

Joindre à la fête!

Location: F631 Dubula Drive, Sharpeville

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41

FOOD REVIEWS

N FOODWN ON POTATOES AND A FOCUSGO S YOU THE LOWDO

S

outh Africans are keen consumers of potato chips. But consumers are often not aware of the different types of chips available for them to enjoy. Potato chips come in many different forms, skinny fry chips, slap chips, oven baked chips and even potato wedges which makes for a great addition to any meal. ‘’McCain is South Africa’s number 1 frozen food supplier and because of this we have a good understanding of which potatoes will offer the best results for consumer’s needs. We work very closely with farmers to ensure the best farmfresh potatoes for our products all year round” says Japie Engelbrecht, Potato Supply Manager at McCain. It is with International Potato Chip Day (14 March 2015) in mind that McCain would like to inform potato chip fans that a potato is not a potato is not a potato.

According to Engelbrecht, “Almost 2.2 million tons of potatoes are produced annually in 16 geographical areas within South Africa, with the bulk of all potatoes being harvested in the Western Free State and Limpopo. There are numerous cultivars with different growth habits and periods as well as eating quality. Diverse cultivars will result in potatoes with different colours, textures and flavours.

As touched on above, potatoes are a bio-diverse crop that often delivers a non-uniform product. In order to assist consumers in using a suitable choice of cultivar that will perform according to their expectations there is a potato classification system which is used to categorise potatoes according to their eating quality. The categories included

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in this system focus on: boiling, roasting, frying, chipping (oven bake), microwave, mash etc.

Only the best farm-fresh potatoes are selected to produce McCain potato products. “At McCain, vegetables and potatoes are frozen just hours after harvesting in order to lock in the nutrition. Consumers can be rest assured that by choosing from McCain’s range of products they are getting the nutrition needed for a healthier lifestyle and will also allow them to always be prepared for weekday dinners and weekend gatherings with family and friends,” says Engelbrecht.

The McCain team has worked hand in hand with its trusted farmers to ensure that consumers have the best potato cultivar to fry, roast or bake in the oven – McCain takes care of the taste, colour and texture.

The McCain frozen potato range consists of Fry Chips, Slap Chips, Skinny Fries, Oven Chips, Wedges, and Roast Potato.

McCains’ range of frozen potato chips allows everyone to enjoy the freshness and goodness of real potatoes in their homes in a matter of minutes. It’s all good – from farm to fork.

Interesting facts from Japie Engelbrecht, Potato Supply Manager for McCain: • Almost 2.2 Million tons of potatoes are produced in South Africa annually • It takes between 5 – 7 years for McCain to plan their varieties and volumes

• McCain is involved from seed to final product • McCain has a number of top commercial farmers who only plant seeds that have been certified by the South African Seed Potato Certification Scheme, these farmers harvest only for McCain • Potato seeds can be cold stored for up to nine months • McCain has a better understanding of the current issues with other potato farmers • McCain also supports two farming operations by supplying new farmers with a farm manager to support them through their first two years and to assist them to make a profit in their first and second years • The Agronomy department focus on researching and developing new products • Once potatoes are harvested (just before Winter) they can be stored in storage facilities for up to five months • All potatoes that arrive at the Delmas Factory are graded and processed according to product requirements • In 2010, global food safety regulator AIB International, awarded the McCain factory in Delmas with a gold standard accreditation – the highest accolade in the AIB system • South African consumers prefer a lighter coloured chip as opposed to the European consumer, as a result frozen chips are truly the “perfect chip” with limited defects or original shapes – this often leads to consumers questioning whether frozen potato chips are made from real potatoes.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

SPOTONG BRIN R CUSTOMERS U O Y E S A LE P O T E IP EC R DELICIOUS

E IP C E R N U B IT U R F T U ILK STO teristics which make it the ideal beer to use when cooking.

CASTLE M many versatile charac A Milk Stout has

O

ne such innovative idea can be seen in food stylist and Drizzle and Dip blogger Sam Linsell’s version of a fruit bun, using South Africa’s leading milk stout brand as her secret ingredient. “Castle Milk

Stout is made from quality dark roasted malt and is matured for longer to give it a rich, smooth and satisfying taste experience. Full-bodied and creamy with low levels of carbonation, this makes it the perfect match for food and also to be

used in cooking,” says Julian Remba, the brand’s general manager. These delicious and spicy fruit buns are so easy to make that Linsell says you won’t ever buy them again. This recipe makes 16 – 18 buns, but any excess can be frozen.

Ingredients: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

1 340ml bottle Castle Milk stout 2 tsp instant dry yeast 2 tsp cinnamon 1/1/2 tsp ground ginger 1tsp mixed spice 870g flour (divided) 100g citrus peel 150g raisins 150g dried cranberries 100g soft dried apricots, finely chopped 250ml strong black tea 1 egg 50g melted butter 50g caster sugar (plus extra for glaze) 1 ½ tsp salt

Method: Prepare the mix the night before by mixing the stout, spices, yeast and 320g of the flour in a large bowl. Mix to combine everything and leave uncovered.

Brew a strong cup of tea in 250ml boiling water and pour this over the raisins, dried cranberries, peel and apricots in a separate bowl.

The following day, mix the egg and melted butter with the fruit, and then stir this into this into beer and spice batter.

Add the remaining 550g flour, sugar and salt. Tip this onto a work surface and briefly knead to form a large ball.

Leave for 10 minutes. Lightly oil your hands and knead the dough for 10 seconds, leave for 10 minutes, then repeat twice more at 10-minute intervals, then leave for an hour covered with a tea towel in a warm spot.

Using a bread cutter or sharp knife, divide the dough into 100g pieces (use a scale to make this easier) and shape into balls. Arrange these on a large baking tray lined with baking paper so they are just touching each other. Cover with a tea towel and place in a warm spot for 90 minutes.

Pre heat the oven before the proving has finished. Mix a little flour with water to form a runny paste consistency (use and electric whisk to get this smooth if necessary).

Place in a plastic piping bag and cut a very small edge off the tip. Pipe crosses on each ball of dough. Bake at 200C (180C fan-assisted) for 25 minutes. Mix 2 tablespoons of caster sugar with 2 tablespoons of water and brush this over the buns as they come out the oven. Serve with lashings of butter. www.spotongmag.co.za

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SPORT AND GAMES

L A N O I T A N R E T N I TRADITIONAL, AME

ST A G JU N A H T E R O M H C U M IS MORABARABA players can “shoot” their opponent’s from the board. The final stage is called “flying the cows” - when a player is down to three cows, they can be moved anywhere on the board.

The game has played an important role in African culture. From herdboys to indunas, the game was used hone tactical and strategic thinking. Legend has it that the best players would be appointed as advisors and counsellors. No doubt today’s morabaraba Proteas are destined for similar success.

Naturally it is necessary for all who run a business to use their heads, so how can morabaraba fit into your business strategy? Here are a few ideas for you to try out.

Host a morabaraba club - your tavern could be a breeding ground of champions, a home from home for the best players in town and, who knows, maybe the next world champion

M

oraboraba is said to be the most popular game in South Africa, with thousands of players from all over the country. Indeed, some say that about 40% of all South Africans play the game, as they have been playing it for centuries.

Morabaraba boards 800 years old were found at the site of Mapungubwe. It is fascinating to imagine our distant ancestors, brows furrowed in thought, leaning over the boards.

Of course, it is a traditional game, so you know it well. But did you know that the sport is now being played at international level? South Africa has produced several world champions - most recently, Simphiwe Maphumulo, who plays for the Zola Checkers Club. He was world champion for two years in a row, in 2012

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and 2013 - doing his country proud.

Morabaraba is also part of the national sporting curriculum, thanks in no small part to the efforts of Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula. That means schoolchildren can now attain national sporting colours for morabaraba. The sport is organised by Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA). One can confidently say that this time-honoured sport is receiving the recognition is deserves.

The game received even more exposure recently, appearing on television, when the classmates of Big Brother Mzansi had to play against each other. They had to learn about placing the tokens, also called “cows”, at an intersection on the board to create a “mill”; a row of three tokens in a vertical, diagonal or horizontal. Once a mill is formed the

Host a morabaraba league - a little more ambitious this time, but hosting a league championship may benefit your business in different ways: not only would a league championship bring lots of thirsty feet in through the door, but if the league starts producing winners, you could very well start attracting important corporate sponsors to your establishment Support a high school morabaraba team - be a good will ambassador for South Africa’s favourite game and help high school learners from schools that need a financial boost - your tavern will make a name for itself as a socially responsible establishment.

To find out more about morabaraba, contact Mind Sports South Africa.

The easiest way is probably to get in touch on Facebook: facebook.com/mindsportssa

E U N E V E R R U O Y E S A INCRE H COCKTAILS UR TAVERN WIT O Y R FO E M A N A E K A M HOW TO

T

averns all trade in the same product, so why should people come to your tavern and not somewhere else? To get the people to come, and to make sure that they stay for a long time, you have to do something more than serve up alcohol. Do something to make their imaginations come alive! One thing that works well is cocktails. If you create new recipes that spark people’s interest, word will spread and your cocktail menu will become part of the legend of your tavern. Soon the magic of word-of-mouth marketing will have the punters beating down your door, demanding to be served with the tasty beverages only your tavern can supply.

Here are a few ideas to get you going: • You are going to be successful, so get organised, eliminate dead stock, put the finest products where you can get hold of them easily and make sure you have enough inventory to ensure

you can supply enough to meet demand •

•

•

•

• Take the opportunity to train your staff to be proactive, so that instead of asking customers what they want, your Come up with a signature cocktail that staff can make exciting suggestions, looks as good as it tastes, preferably tantalising them with descriptions of a with a special glass – this is the drink by unique new drink that sounds literally which your house will become known out-of-this-world (they can do the same with the premium brands that Infuse your cocktail with flavour by you stock) infusing fruit or spices into the drink to give the spirit an amazing colour and a • Every month you can have a staff tempting aroma contest to come up with the best Don’t forget about those who prefer cocktail recipe, with the idea of finding alcohol-free creations – a non-alcoholic a special cocktail for every premium cocktail also deserves to be exciting, product that you stock, be it whisky, so that those who prefer alcohol-free gin, rum, vodka, and so on – your staff entertainment can stay as long as their will be motivated and work together in liquor-loving friends a friendly competitive way, especially if you find a way to reward their efforts Let everybody know about your with gift cards, concert tickets or similar cocktail – design a menu that goes with things that provide an incentive your décor and make sure that there is a picture of your new drink standing to perform out loud and proud so that everybody who comes will be curious and want to We hope you will apply these tips and let try this sophisticated creation us know of the results! www.spotongmag.co.za

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THE ICONIC NISSAN NP300 HARDBODY.

WITH OVER 25 YEARS OF PROVEN EXPERIENCE. Becoming the proud owner of South Africa’s ultimate 1-tonne workhorse just became that much easier. We’ve slashed prices on the iconic Nissan NP300 Hardbody, now starting from only R161 200. And with a variety of service plans and accessories to suit your every need, as well as the peace of mind provided by a national dealer network, you can rest assured the Nissan NP300 Hardbody will never let you down, no matter the task.

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Test drive the Nissan NP300 Hardbody today at your nearest dealership or visit nissan.co.za for more info.

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Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18.

ADVERTORIAL

L O O P F O G N I UNITED K

U

nited Group Billiard Corporation was established more than 30 years ago. It started out as a family business and since then it has evolved into a commercial, high standard, top quality corporation. This evolution was largely achieved and supported by the company’s dedicated staff and management team, which prides itself on offering only the best services and products. United Group Billiard Corporation was established in 1985 and since then the corporation has grown to become the preferred choice for industry professionals and the general public. UGB provides products for the sport and for the home entertainment environment. They provide high quality championship pool tables, air hockey tables, soccer tables, juke boxes, tennis tables, cues, balls, cloth and other accessories. UGB’s customers range from private home users to commercial outlets and their products are used in various pool halls, entertainment venues, pubs, taverns, clubs, and home entertainment areas around Africa. In addition to this, UGB serves both the

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National and International market. They are the exclusive provider of customised tables and world-leading brands throughout Africa and they hold the rights to several patents in these markets.

UGB’s partnership with top international brands has enabled them to bring an international standard to the cue sport industry in Africa.

The management team at UGB is made up of industry leaders who have always had a passion for billiard sports. It is this very passion that flows down to the rest of the staff members and which forms the foundation of the corporation. The staff consists of reliable and professional experts who aim to develop personal relationships with each and every customer. This approach is tightly woven with their efficiency and professionalism, which ensures that each and every one of their customer’s needs is met. UGB also has its own in-house registered trademark and brand, which is popularly known as “United King of Pool Tables”.

Through this brand, which is without a doubt “proudly South African”, UGB has been able to bring large sponsorships to

the game of pool. As a result, pool has escalated to become one of the fastest growing sport disciplines in Africa.

Unlike most corporations, UGB do not only focus on supplying quality products.

Their business approach is innovative, owing to the fact that they aim to promote and develop both the sport and the industry. UGB manages and assists in various leagues and tournaments in South Africa and Africa. Their goal for the long-run is to continue to promote the industry, which could pave the way for the sport to be included in the World Games and in the Olympic Arena. Pool is currently included in the African Games, which is largely credited to UGB’s constant dedication and hard work. UGB is the sole supplier of pool accessories and equipment at all South African Championships and at all levels, right through from junior to premier leagues.

Their tables have also been used for several International tournaments, which have been held throughout Africa during the past 8 years.

In addition to their involvement in National Competitions, UGB also

arranges sponsorships and prizes to be awarded at provincial competitions.

These prizes include overseas holidays, Harley Davidson motorcycles, cars, and other branded products. UGB also aims to grow the sport by providing financial assistance to young players from various rural areas in South Africa.

These players have the talent and potential to represent South Africa at the highest levels, yet financial constraints

often limit them from doing so. The management team at UGB have an intense passion for the sport, and it is this very passion that they aim to share with others. They will go to any means in order to ensure that they are able to contribute to the industry in a way that is beneficial for the entire Nation.

When it comes to the Billiard Sport Industry, UGB is without a doubt the

leaders in Africa. Visit their showroom in Alberton or go to www.unitedking.co.za to find out more about their wide range of products and services.

UGB Corporation Tel: 011-908-2400 Website: www.unitedking.co.za Showroom: Corner Heidelberg and Epson Road, New Market Park, Alberton

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