378

4 December 2013 #378

Published fortnightly by CXpress (Pty) Ltd - PO Box 1449, Plettenberg Bay 6600 - 6 Park Lane, Plettenberg Bay - Tel: 044 533 1004 - Fax: 044 533 0852 Email: editor@cxpress.co.za / advertising@cxpress.co.za Web page: www.cxpress.co.za Printed by Group Editors

FREE

CXPRESS Culinary Awards

Share your Plett moment

Fishing is NOT a rumour!

p3

p13 & 16

p12

p20

Get down!

The Odlands hill was turned into a race course where SA’s craziest boarders competed for glory during last weekend’s Plett Downhill Challenge, expertly organised

by Daron Smit and his crew - visit www.facebook.com/ NatureSportCompany for more info and images

Photo: Christy Strever - ShowMe Plett

Plett harbour report

2

CXPRESS

ISSUE 378

News & Views

December 4 - 2013

Driving Miss Crazy

From practising a little patience to putting foot in an MGB JEEVES shares memories of his adventures as Garden Route chaffeur extraordinaire...

T

HE phone rang right in the middle of OcuvgtEjgh"Cwu/ vtcnkc. Damn... to answer, or not to answer? Luckily we have a PVR decoder, so I froze the judges’ tasting one of the dishes - not a pretty sight, particularly that guy in the cravat!

I had previously informed our motoring club secretary that my Beemer cabriolet was sold and that I was in the market for another car. She asked why I had been scarce of late on the breakfast runs, and I told her my 4x4 - or Pick n Pay shopping car - wouldn’t befit a classic car outing.

Also, did she know of anyone who went solo on these trips, with whom I could join up?

Kindly, she made mention of my predicament in the monthly newsletter.

“Yello,” in my Lee Marvin voice.

Another slow-talking, gruff voice enquired whether I was still available for a spin on one of the club outings, and why didn’t I come to his house for a cup of tea and a chat.

On arrival, a blue MGB graced the driveway - and next to it, a septuagenarian in a wheelchair - one of 600 side effects from Parkinson’s disease, I learned, and that he’d been like this for seven months now.

Ah-haaa! Not quite what I had in mind, but goody-good. Perhaps I’m meant to drive?

I did a pre-drive inspection of the vehicle, bonnet up - lovely to see that little 1600cc powerhouse with twin SUs (carburettors) sticking out of the side of the block.

Lucky me, sitting in the driver’s seat, checking the Smiths dials, all the knobs and buttons.

Key in, choke out.

“Clear prop!” I shouted, and fired her up.

Every classic has its own exhaust identity, whether a Ferrari, a Cobra, a Harley or an MGB. (MG, incidentally, stands for Morris Garages; William Morris, later Lord Nuffield, being one of its cofounders in the ‘20s.)

I’d pick him up early on Sunday, but before departing, I slipped him a scrapbook.

THIRSTING FOR A BURST OF OPEN ROAD: The Midge owner, ably assisted by his carer is about to get buckled up for the journey with ‘racing driver’ chauffer, Jeeves

“That’s your driver’s CV,” I told him. (All about my racing days at Kyalami in the ‘70’s.)

He also has high-octane in his veins, I learned, having been a Springbok powerboat racer, when Pete Lindenberg was a pup. I even remember the thundering roar of those 427 cu.inch V8s on the Vaal River.

With a little outside help, we strapped him in, wheelchair in the boot. “Two grumpy old men!” I yelled to his carer, and off we sped.

About 30 cars were assembled at Knysna Quays for the 9am departure. Triumphs, Ferraris, Morgans, Aston Martins, MGs, E Types, Porsches, and no Japcrap! (I wouldn’t have said that, mind you, had a Nissan GT-R been present, with its 545HP twin-turbo V6 engine and winner of the Knysna Hill Climb.)

Our destination was The Views Hotel in Wilderness, which has got to boast one of the best restaurant sites in the whole world.

Coincidentally, I’d been there on the Friday before on another mission, and so I’d been able to prep the staff to assist us with our arrival, and to reserve a table for us right next to the window overlooking the beach and sea, for him to savour.

The drive through was short and sweet. All club cars in procession, we were overtaken by

PICK UP YOUR FREE CXPRESS EVERY WEEK UNTIL CHRISTMAS! The next edition of CXPRESS will be out next week, on December 11, followed by the last edition of 2013, December 18.

about 40 bikers doing a teddy run fundraiser. On picking their approach up in the side mirror, I moved over to the left on the yellow line and all the cars behind proceeded to follow me.

The bikers roared past, each giving a left-handed wave of acknowledgement and thanks, as we offered them the road for themselves.

Just shows, there’s room for all of us - just takes a little pa-

tience and consideration.

The staff handled the pushchair to the first floor while I parked the car. Unfortunately, our ‘reserved’ table was occupied, and it was a bit of a shambles trying to find suitable seating as 60 had turned up and only 40 were expected.

One phone call! I was now living what I had tried to avoid!

Anyway, met some lovely people, and he whispered in my ear: “Been a member 10 years, and I don’t recognise 80% of the people here.”

One of the fellows I met has a collection of over 30 cars, and we were invited to visit “anytime”. Ngmmgt.

We were lucky: the road works at Wilderness weren’t too bad, and on the way back we were on our own, everybody departing individually after breakfast.

I was able to double de-clutch into third and put foot up the hills, tapering off over the crest, enjoying the ride and the roar from the exhaust.

With no one behind, I was able to make full use of the double lanes in cornering, and he chirped, “I can see you were a racing driver!” with a naughty smile on his face...

‘Till next time... Buckle up! ⁄"Lggxgu

News & Views

December 4 - 2013

CXPRESS

Tight timeframe for comments on Plett harbour report causes concern The campaign against Plett’s proposed R4-billion small boat harbour is set to gain new momentum over the festive season after the final scoping report was released recently - YOLANDE STANDER reports

B

ITOU residents have until Friday January 17 to comment on the report, but the Save Plett Alliance (SPA) is attempting to have this period extended to enable all relevant parties to respond.

“We are trying to have the comment period extended, as the current timeframe is quite tight and falls in the festive season,” said SPA and Plett Environment Forum spokesman Basil van Rooyen.

“We also want to lobby with people who have homes in Plett, but just stay here in December as they know nothing about the project yet.”

The planned 87’000m² devel-

opment by Western Cape Marina Investments - which will stretch from the Piesang River estuary and along Central Beach - is set to include 482 residential units, 1’343m² of office space, a 110-room five-star hotel, mansions, 8’700m² of retail space, a plaza, a yacht club and more than 2’000 parking bays.

The harbour proposal has seen massive opposition from Plett residents, who earlier this year formed a human NO-sign on Central Beach, and prompted locals to establish the SPA and appoint a legal team to protect their interests.

Main objections include the scope of the development be-

ing out of kilter with the size of the town as well as the potential impact the development could have on the environment.

The final scoping report, released by Port Elizabeth-based CEN IEM Unit, echoes their concerns. It highlights a number of potential negative environmental and socio-economic impacts including the loss of important estuarine habitats through dredging and reclaiming portions of the estuary to accommodate the harbour.

The report also highlighted the potential impact on water quality which could become contaminated by fuel, oil and concrete during the construc-

‘Out of control’ economy causes McCain closure, 500+ job losses John Harvey

T

HE closure of the 48-yearold McCain Food processing plant at George is encapsulated by the tragic words of veteran employee Emma Zeelie: “Of course it is not only us here at the factory who are affected, but the farm labourers as well. I still can’t believe it when I think about it.”

After almost five decades of processing corn, broccoli and carrots, the facility took delivery of its final batch of this year’s carrot crop last week, signalling the end of core business at McCain George.

“It is very sad for the workers and for McCain,” company spokesman Sarel de Klerk said.

“It is just short of ww50 years that the plant has been operational, and it has been a very effective plant.

“Unfortunately the economy is such that it was no longer viable. We actually are clos-

ing a few months later than we thought because crops took a bit longer this year.”

He said only a few facilities, such as cold storage, were still operational but the workers overseeing these had been given notice and would end their contracts on December 15.

“The land on which the factory is situated will be sold off and sub-divided. We will either sell off the equipment or relocate it to our other plant.”

Earlier this year a decision was taken to centralise McCain’s operations at its factory in Springs, because the availability of cheaper products from China and Western Europe had put massive pressure on its operations in the Southern Cape.

While the closure has caused 41 permanent and 90 seasonal job losses at the plant itself, some 500 Southern Cape farm labourers will also have to seek alternative employment.

As many as 45 vegetable pro-

ducers in the Southern Cape have contracts with McCain and will be severely impacted as a result of the closure, according to farmers’ union Agri Western Cape.

Agri Western Cape spokeswoman Portia Adams said the closure was “very unfortunate”.

“The agricultural sector is already under stress and it is very difficult to retain skills. We are of course concerned about the livelihoods of our farmers and their families,” she said.

“That being said, we commend the way McCain has handled the issue. Unfortunately the economic situation is out of their control, and they did what they could to keep the factory open as long as they could.”

Emma Zeelie, who has been at the plant for the past 23 years, said the closure was “terrible”.

“It is very sad, but what can you do? We just have to move on,” she said.

Ictfgp"Tqwvg"Ogfkc

tion phase of the project. Other environmental concerns include air and noise pollution.

A preliminary investigation

by Dr Anton de Wit suggests that there are positive and negative social impacts of the proposed development.

Positive impacts include socio-economic benefits as a result of employment creation

and empowerment benefits through skills development during the construction phase.

De Wit also highlights potential negative impacts like sociocultural conflicts, intrusion impacts and the resultant decrease in tourism, and indirect impacts on businesses in the construction phase.

CEN’s Dr Mike Cohen said

ISSUE 378

3

therefore a number of specialist studies would be done for the Environmental Impact Report including a services investigation, wetlands and estuaries, sediment dynamics, traffic heritage and archaeological as well as a social, economic and visual impact assessments.

“The response about the proposed development has been overwhelming, both for and against it,” Cohen said.

He said opposition came primarily from the more affluent residents while support came from disadvantaged communities who saw the project for its job creation potential.

After the deadline for comment a decision will be taken to go ahead or not with an Environmental Impact Assessment.

4

CXPRESS

ISSUE 378

December 4 - 2013

Promotion

News & Views

December 4 - 2013

CXPRESS

Woman welcomed back by Bitou family after suffering memory loss A Plettenberg Bay woman suffering from amnesia after being run down by a bus in Cape Town earlier this year is to be reunited with her mother before Christmas - JOHN HARVEY reports

S

LOST IN THE CITY: Brenda Lawack could not remember her own name after being hit by a bus in the Cape

INCE September this year, 32-year-old Brenda Lawack has been accommodated at Nazareth House in Cape Town, its staff frantically attempting to track down her family, without success.

They eventually turned to the city’s press in the hope that someone might be able to assist - and their gamble paid off as a member of the public informed them recently that her mother, Nobomvu Lawack, lived in Plettenberg Bay. Nazareth House social worker Jackie Hope said Lawack had

suffered great memory loss which made her very weary or cautious in new situations.

“She longed to return to her family. She seemed confused about why she was here and could not go home. Brenda did know her name, but there were other names of her family members that she seemed to mix up,” Hope said, adding that the whereabouts of her father, who Lawack had gone to live with in 2000, were unknown.

“We are trying to get her back to her family as soon as possible. The Department of Social

Boy drowns in municipal sewer works

F

OUR boys from Plett’s Bossiesgif informal settlement followed cattle herder Sipho Mbhesi onto the premises of Bitou’s municipal sewer works at Ganzevallei last week. But their November 25 excursion ended in tragedy when four-year-old Ryno Kaizer drowned in one of the settling ponds around 10am.

A municipal report states that the kids asked to go and drink water from the tap at the pump station. “The herder said when

the boys took too long to return, he turned around and saw them standing on the banks of the dam. Upon investigation, he found one boy floating facedown in the dam.”

According to the report, Mbhesi then climbed into the dam, pulled the child from the water and tried to resuscitate him, but when this proved unsuccessful he left the body under a tree in the shade and summoned the police for assistance.

It was found that the Bossiesgif gates to the area were open, allowing the cattle, herder and children to enter.

Apparently these locks and chains are regularly removed to gain entry to the area for grazing purposes.

The incident was reported to the acting Bitou municipal manager, and to the chief director of the Labour Department as required in terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Family heirloom could help track down criminals are operating in your Woodlands attackers neighbourhood.

A

November 27 report by Plett Security on behalf of the Plettenberg Bay Crime Prevention Association (PBCPA) and Plett Eagles neighbourhood watch urged readers to brush up on basic safety procedures after the assault on a lady in Woodlands Estate off Robberg Road.

“We appeal to everybody to adhere to basic security measures before going to sleep at night, and ensure that you activate your security beams and alarms,” said Plett Security’s Otto Olivier.

Apparently, criminals had gained entry in Woodlands and used a ladder (not the victim’s property) to gain access to the second floor, where a patio door was left open.

“The lady was woken by three men and assaulted, then taken through the house while they took her new flat-screen TV, modem, laptop and jewellery.

The assailants left and the lady pressed her panic button.

“When a Smhart Alarms officer arrival, he found the lady severely traumatised and contacted Medlife and the SAPS. He could hear people moving in the nearby bush, but due to the fact that she did not want to be left alone, the suspects were not chased down at the time.”

Apart from a call for extra vigilance this season, Olivier asked readers to be on the lookout for a distinctive piece of jewellery - the victim’s family emblem of a bear, set in a gold ring - that was stolen from her Woodlands home and which might be offered for sale in Bitou and surrounds.

In another report last week, Plett’s crime fighting fraternity advised that two suspects “possibly dressed in SAPS uniforms” tried to access a house in Poortjies. The note warned that the men were armed and that shots were fired. Phone the PBCPA on 082 251 8134 in case of crime or if you suspect that

Tcrg"uwurgev"cttguvgf" kp"Igqtig The George Family violence, Child protection and Sexual offences (FCS) unit arrested a 44-year-old man on the N2 between Pacaltsdorp and Thembalethu at about 11:30am on November 28 on a charge of rape, after an incident which occurred the previous Sunday.

The suspect allegedly approached a seven-year-old girl who walked from a family member’s Rosemoor house in Christiaan Street to her home in Mitchell Baker Street. He took the child to a nearby house where he apparently raped her.

She managed to escape and returned to the family member’s house after 3am the next morning. The victim was admitted to hospital on November 25 and discharged the next day after undergoing an operation.

The suspect appeared in the George Magistrates’ court on Monday December 2.

Development is waiting on a report from the social workers before Brenda can return home.”

Lawack’s aunt Nonceba Champion told CXPRESS she was willing to take care of her.

“She grew up with my mother, Elsie Tala, and was a good child until she dropped out of school. My mother passed away in March and the family will be spending Christmas at her house in the Eastern Cape.

We hope Brenda will be there.”

Ictfgp"Tqwvg"Ogfkc

ISSUE 378

5

NSRI save Plettenberg Bay anglers and their catamaran

A

father and son from Plett had a hairy boating experience last week when their catamaran, Sea Warrior, capsized off the Nature’s Valley coast, leaving them hanging on to its hull for a couple of hours.

Said NSRI Plettenberg Bay station commander Deon Truter: “At 3pm on November 27, we received reports from their family that Ivor and Tyrone Evans had failed to return as scheduled after a fishing outing, and that it was not normal for them to be overdue.

“We alerted all vessels at sea to be on the lookout for their 5m catamaran and shortly thereaf-

ter the vessel Kalbebe reported finding their capsized boat three nautical miles off-shore of Nature’s Valley, with both men clinging onto the upturned hull.

Both men were taken aboard Kalbebe while rescue craft Ray Farnham launched from Central Beach. The Evans’s were brought safely ashore and medically checked out but neither sexagenarian Ivor nor Tyrone, 49, had sustained any injuries.

“Our sea rescue craft Leonard Smith responded to the scene where the casualty catamaran was righted and towed to shore by our sea rescue craft,” said Truter.

6

CXPRESS

ISSUE 378

News & Views

December 4 - 2013

Knysna river-health project inspires nature learning W

ANTING to put Naturally Knysna principles and biomimicry philosophy into action, BioWise and a group of committed Oakhill and Stepping Stones teachers nine months ago hatched the beginnings of an idea that has blossomed into a multi-partner project with a diversity of outcomes and opportunities.

The health of Knysna Lagoon the project’s primary reason, and with both schools connected via the Monkeyhole and Brickelbos streams to each other and to the lagoon, the kids’ first task was plotting the course of these streams from source to lagoon outflow to understand the river system. Then appropriate sites for water quality testing were identified.

“The next step was to determine the health of the rivers,” said Sue Swain from BioWise.

“With the guidance of their ever-committed teachers, the kids collect water samples from these sites monthly.”

Lindon Herwells of Eden District and Joclyn Fearon of Knysna Municipality then organise a range of bacteriological and chemical tests on the samples, and results are fed back to the schools, who then try to identify sources of pollution and possible patterns.

“The children have great fun making mud-balls infused with effective micro-organisms that are put into the streams, just below the most polluted points,” said Oakhill teacher Jane Horn.

These micro-organisms help breaking down pollutants so

MUD FOR GOOD: Oakhill learners Nathan Strand and Jack Canny, right, proudly hold their mud-balls infused with effective micro-organisms that help breaking down pollutants in rivers

cleaner water ultimately flows into the lagoon, and ongoing testing will reveal the effectiveness of these efforts.

“Rivers are also dependend on a healthy flow, which is often negatively affected by alien vegetation,” said Stepping Stones principal Carrene Sands. “An upstream site visit confirmed heavy infestation of mainly black wattle, so now an alien clearing operation has been added to the project.”

This brought along another partner in this great collaborative effort, when Working for Water teams organised by SANParks’ Thembela Shabala and Ashley Rhode cut down the wattle and the scholars painted the cut stems with an environmentally-friendly fungicide to prevent coppicing.

“We approached Mr Madi-

kane who heads up Knysna’s Correctional Services with the idea that inmates could turn the black wattle stems into furniture and screens while learning from nature that all waste has value.

“Extending this to seeing what waste tyres, glass, and carpeting can be turned into opens up a world of job generation and entrepreneurial opportunity,” enthused Sue. Until this system is in place, the municipality is chipping the material which can be used as compost.

“This project stands out because it is underpinned by whole systems thinking and nature’s example, which teaches us that collaboration and mutually beneficial partnerships are vital to the successful functioning of an ecosystem,” said Jane.

“And it is indeed these partnerships that ensure its success.”

Notice Board • Attend the Knysna Basin Project’s annual public meeting and AGM on Fgegodgt"7 at Leisure Isle Bowls Club at 6pm. Project director professor Brian Allanson’s annual State of the Estuary report will include info on the regular monitoring of water quality, current research, cooperative work with local schools and visiting universities and the preparatory work he and his volunteers have been doing on two new projects which start in early 2014. These new projects - Knysna Seahorse Status (KySS), and Shoresearch: Monitoring the Estuary’s Biodiversity - are certain to attract a lot of public interest. Contact Peter Smith on 072 282 5574 or at villagestore@btinternet.com for further information.

• The PAWS Golf Day on Fge/ godgt"8 is a fundraiser held at Plett Country Club and promises to be a great golfing event with local sponsorship, a short auction and fabulous prizes.

Overwhelming local support resulted in a full field but there is a waiting list at the Pro Shop.

Call Michelle Moyes on 072 346 5103 for information.

• Don’t miss the Wilderness Beach Festival on Fgegodgt" 9, with registration from 8am and games starting at 8:30, including beach volleyball, kids’ activities, a fun run and sand castle building. It’s all in aid of Wilderness NSRI so apart from music and great eats and drinks, there will also be a sea rescue demonstration and life guards on duty. Bring along your family, umbrellas, chairs and sun block and join in the fun. Contact Debbie on 083 306 9998 or at olivier.debra@gmail.com for information.

News & Views

December 4 - 2013

STEADI DOES IT

Local techies’ clever drone claims national award

S

TEADIDRONE - the Knysna-based unmanned aircraft developer and manufacturer received excellent news from up north last month, when it was announced as winner of the 2013 Step-Up Technology In-

novation Awards hosted in Pretoria on November 21.

The awards programme is a robust new commercialisation support programme that kicked off in Joburg on May 22. The Step-Up Technology Innova-

FACE OF SA TECH INNOVATION: The SteadiDrone crew - from left are Charles Kunnuke, Jonathan Edwards, Duran & Alexa de Villiers, Amadea Knoetze, Duncan Cullingworth, Jaco Horn and Brandon Phyfer - has much to celebrate after their recent award

WaterWise Academy reaches thousands of Eden kids

Nigel Barends, 11, of Rheenendal Primary practises on a dummy during a presentation by Liza Wigley of WaterWise Eden. Says Andrew Ingram of the National Sea Rescue Institute: ‘The proactive educational arm of NSRI, WaterWise Academy has taught 435’388+ children about water safety since its inception in 2006. Our eight educators are based around the country and visit previously disadvantaged schools, where we target kids aged nine to 14, since they are most at risk of death by drowning. They learn what to do in an emergency, who to call for help, and how to initiate basic bystander CPR while waiting for an ambulance. Wilderness local Liza joined the academy as instructor in August and has taught an astonishing 10’457 children in Eden about avoiding water-related emergencies. Apart from a basic understanding of emergency action, she teaches them about identifying and avoiding rip currents, and what to do if their friends are caught in one.

WaterWise Eden is sponsored by the Department of Agriculture and if you would like Liza to share these important skills, call her on 084 302 1120.’

tion Competition aims to fasttrack the business development of technology innovations.

Sponsored by government’s Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) and Sasol’s enterprise development vehicle, ChemCity, it aims to identify innovations in the health and biotechnology, chemicals, mining and manufacturing, information and communication technologies, food and agriculture, energy and green environment sectors.

The prize gained by SteadiDrone owner Duran de Villiers and his team includes a Microsoft Business Package, business workshops, and introductions to various investors and international networks.

What’s more, they were selected to attend an international business competition in Italy next year, where they will compete against the best business ideas in the world and take part in a week-long event with workshops, investors rendezvous and much more.

Owned and run by Duran and his wife Alexa, SteadiDrone develops, manufactures and exports its systems to a global dealership network.

According to those in the know, this wholly local enterprise is SA’s most successful unmanned aircraft manufacturer, even eclipsing military vendor Denel in terms of units sold.

In the words of one of the Step-Up judges: “SteadiDrone is the face of South African technology innovation”.

How cool is that?! Visit www. steadidrone.com and www. step-up.org.za to find out more.

CXPRESS

ISSUE 378

7

8

CXPRESS

ISSUE 378

Business

December 4 - 2013

Pam Golding looks at the year that was CE of the Pam Golding Property Group DR ANDREW GOLDING comments on the residential property market and industry

T

HE property market tends never to be static and this past year has been no different, with a number of emerging trends. The first and probably most significant of these is the fairly rapid change from stock over-supply to stock shortages.

At first evident in only a few areas within suburbs, but now widespread across all of the major metropolitan centres of the country, this trend began to emerge at the end of 2012, but really only developed fully in the past six months.

The question is whether these stock shortages are a precursor, as is normally the case, to a new phase of real house price growth. There are a number of reasons why one could believe so - historically low interest rates, some pent-up housing demand generally in the system and, perhaps most importantly, some renewed vigour and appetite for mortgage lending by the major banks.

However, counteracting this view is the still fragile state of the economy, the relatively high

levels of consumer indebtedness and the fact that, from a political perspective, there is a general election looming.

Nevertheless we remain cautiously optimistic that we will see some real, albeit modest, house price growth next year, for the first time since 2008.

Looking back at the housing market performance over the past 12 months, we have seen a market that has performed pretty much in line with expectations, characterised by slow and steady improvement.

According to Lightstone’s analysis, house prices nationally have seen an average 7% year on year growth to September 2013, with a CPI rate of 6%.

Sectional title price growth overtook freehold in March this year and has enjoyed a stronger growth rate over the period since then, with sectional title growth standing at 7.7% year on year and freehold 6%.

Interestingly, coastal properties slightly outperformed noncoastal properties at 6.7% versus 6% year on year, while the low-end affordable market continued to perform really well, with double digit growth rates throughout the year.

As far as our PGP sales are concerned, we have had a most satisfactory year. To date sales value (in Rands) are up by 21% year on year, while our sales volumes (units) have increased by 15% over 2012.

Currently PGP’s average selling price for 2013 is R1.823million, up from R1.736-million in 2012 - this versus a national industry average of about R900’000.

Within the PGP sales environment, the greatest demand for homes across the various price sectors is by far that between R500’000 and R2-million, accounting for 34% of the total in Rand terms and growing by 9%.

Over and above this, there has been a notable increase of 37% in PGP’s sales activity in the R3-R5M price range, a somewhat more modest increase of 10% in the R5-R10M price range, and a marked increase of 60% in the top end of the market, i.e. from R10-million upwards - the latter due to the fact that this high net-worth sector

was by and large able to sit out the economic recession.

Some noteworthy high-end sales by PGP during the calendar year to date included the sale of a R110-million home in Fresnaye, a luxury penthouse apartment in Bantry Bay sold for R34.5-million (the highest price achieved for a sectional title unit in this suburb in the past five years), and an apartment in Joburg’s Melrose Arch which sold for R24.561-million On the Garden Route, a house in Knysna sold for R23-million, counting among numerous other sales in excess of R20million for residences on the Cape’s Atlantic Seaboard and in the Boland region.

Speaking of high net-worth buyers and re-emerging trends, while sales to international buyers are only a tiny fraction (less than 1%) of total sales annually across the market, we have noticed the return of international buyers to the market.

Our sales to overseas buyers still remain a very small percentage of total group sales (3.54% in terms of volume, i.e. units), but the extent of SA’s global appeal is evident in the spread of over 45 countries from around the globe that are represented among our international buyers.

In a report recently produced

by Candy & Candy, Savills World Research and Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management, which identified the top 20 prime leisure locations where the global super wealthy are purchasing additional properties, the Cape Winelands emerged as luxury second-home destination, thus joining the likes of the Côte D’Azur, Costa Esmeralda in Italy, Aspen in USA, Monaco, Maldives, Palm Beach in the USA, and Venice in Italy.

While it is difficult to com-

pare like with like, there is no doubt that SA offers high networth buyers some world class options representing sound value for money. A R30-million Clifton home could be comparable with a 20-million Euro home in St Tropez in the south of France, while a trendy apartment in Melrose Arch priced at R4-million could compare favourably with a similar studio apartment in New York, which would set you back $2-million.

Other trends that have either evolved or simply continued include the move towards owning a home that offers both a desirable lifestyle and is within easy reach of transport hubs such as the Gautrain and/or bus routes.

Vibrant, revitalised nodes or brand new nodes are gaining in popularity, such as Melrose Arch and Maboneng Precinct in Joburg, Gateway in uMhlanga (KZN), and Cape Town’s central city and Woodstock inner city regeneration nodes. A strong contributory factor to market activity here is the continually growing black middle class sector.

This is evident, for example, in Maboneng Precinct, which offers a unique residential lifestyle that resembles that of an urban city dweller in any of the top international cities around the globe.

The leisure market appears to be adjusting to market conditions and while there is still an oversupply of stock, this sector of the market appears to be seeing the start of a slow recovery.

For coastal buyers, areas such as Knysna, Plett and St Francis Bay offer sound value for money and high lifestyle appeal.

The Karoo and Kalahari remain popular among those seeking a more leisurely, country or rural lifestyle, or to simply get away from it all.

Promotion

December 4 - 2013

CXPRESS

ISSUE 378

9

10

CXPRESS

ISSUE 378

Business

December 4 - 2013

Hospitality your business?

The Eden crew will ensure you make a real difference!

E

DEN Hospitality Group (EHG) is a three-tiered company that aims to share its passion, experience, knowledge and love for life and hospitality with Garden Routers.

With over 30 years’ combined experience in the hospitality, tourism and marketing industry, EHG’s Nadia Beutler and Ricky Luiters are able to offer services tailored to your specific needs.

Says Nadia: “Drawing from our diverse field of expertise and first-hand experience, we offer our clients sound advice and high levels of service. We pride ourselves in providing an all-in-one solution for your every hospitality need.”

Eqpuwnvkpi" Consultation with clients forms an integral part of EHG’s services. “We ask ourselves lots of questions on how to best grow your particular business. There are so many new ways of marketing, sales and promotion, often making it hard to know which choices would work best,” she explains.

“EHG has answers to all these questions. Our objective is to provide a service that will assist with your business growth potential while giving budget-

effective solutions to boost your marketing efforts.

“We work closely with our clients, prioritising long and short term goals and implementing the most cost-effective ways of achieving these, both financially and operationally. EHG will also assist in developing a strategy to achieve your business objectives - sustainability remains key for the future success of our clients.”

Apart from consulting at affordable rates, the team also presents courses in staff training, marketing, graphic and media design, business photography, recruitment, administration, operational procedures, management relief, and more.

Ygffkpiu"("Gxgpvu" “The art of celebration, special and unique in every way, is our speciality and we strive to meet all your needs while making your event truly magical for you and your guests,” says Nadia.

And with over 200 weddings and other occasions under the belt, EHG has the experience and professionalism to ensure that all arrangements are executed in accordance with your wishes.

CARING FACES OF EDEN: Nadia Beutler and Ricky Luiters are cofounders of Eden Hospitality Group Photo: ST Photography

MOST HOSPITABLE: Nadia, left, with staff of Le Fournil and manager Sylvie, right, after having completed an EHG course

Ejghu"("Ecvgtkpi EHG boasts a highly dedicated and trained team of professional chefs and villa personnel.

“We deliver a private and exclusive service to villas and holiday homes, enabling friends and family a tailor-made holiday. Clients are treated with the utmost care and attention to detail to ensure a memorable experience, whether on business or holiday.”

Additional services offered by EHG include catering of meals for establishments, as well as training of chefs and all hospi-

tality staff. The last session for the year is Housekeeping training on December 9 (duration 6.5 hours, includes certificate and manual, cost R250).

Exciting projects in the pipeline for 2014 include Eden Young Chefs classes (from age 6) and Eden Young Chefs birthday parties, as well as domestic training and cookery classes watch this space.

Eqpvcev"Gfgp"Jqurkvcnkv{" Itqwr"qp"29;"6:8":479"qt""cv" kphqBgfgpjqurkvcnkv{itqwr0 eq0|c"qt"xkukv"yyy0gfgpjqurk" vcnkv{itqwr0eq0|c"hqt"oqtg"kphq0

Business

December 4 - 2013

New holiday-home buyers boost Plett property market P

ROPERTY sales in Plettenberg Bay are picking up steadily, thanks mostly to an increase in the purchase of holiday homes in what is still one of South Africa’s most popular holiday destinations.

“When the recession hit in 2008/9, this was still primarily a second-home destination. Property sales activity here halved overnight and continued to drop until the end of 2011.

“However, we have seen an upward trend since then and average selling prices are now almost back to 2008 levels,” says Hein Pretorius, owner of the local Sotheby’s International Realty office.

The franchise’s mandate on a Robberg Beach mansion recently sold for R45-million - the highest price ever paid for a beachfront property in Plett.

The current average price for a freehold property in the village is around R2.5-million, he says, and that for sectional title apartments around R1.2-milion.

“However, entry levels are still low, by Plett standards, and that is making the area much more attractive to first-time buyers and those who always wanted to buy a holiday home here but found it too pricy.

“Although stock is limited, entry-level houses are available for around R950’000, bachelor apartments for around R400’000, and vacant stands from R225’000. These promise to be smart investments in a market that has shown an average 13% annual price growth over the past 10 years.”

MILLION+ DOLLAR VIEW: Two, three and four-bedroom units in the secure Thulana Hill development in Plett are on sale through Sotheby’s and priced from R1.15-million

At the moment, says Pretorius, the real impetus in the market is coming from Gauteng buyers who once more have decided to make Plettenberg Bay their regular annual holiday destination.

“They want to get away from the city on their holidays and enjoy the natural beauty, the Blue Flag swimming beaches, and laidback lifestyle of Plett, while still having access to every modern convenience.”

The village is more fullyfledged now than it used to be, he says, with its own hospital and branches of most national retail chains, so residents and holidaymakers don’t have to travel far to do their shopping.

The slowly rising number of permanent residents is also at-

tracting a number of young professionals who have found that they can have the best of both worlds here - a thriving business and a great seaside lifestyle.

Says Pretorius: “Surrounded by beaches, mountains, forests, nature reserves and rivers, Plett overlooks a magnificent bay where one can often see dolphins and whales at play. It also enjoys good weather almost year-round and offers some of the best value luxury real estate on the SA coast.”

Hqt"oqtg"kphqtocvkqp"ecnn"Jgkp" Rtgvqtkwu"qp"266"755"474;." gockn"jgkpBrngvvgpdgtidc{0 eqo"qt"xkukv"yyy0rngvvgpdgti" dc{0eqo"cpf"ugg"vjg"cfxgtv"qp" vjg"htqpv"rcig"hqt"nkuvkpiu0

CXPRESS

Investor Focus

11

Malcolm Stewart – Portfolio Manager at Sanlam Private Investments Knysna

The fear of bubbles...

T HE pain of the 2008/9 market crash is still very much alive and remains strong in the minds of many investors. Some will have panicked out of the market at the bottom, while others have lived through five years of ongoing stress.

‘Bubbles’ is a relatively new term describing asset classes that are substantially overpriced, and like the bubbles we all know, the higher it (i.e. prices of shares in these asset classes rising to unsustainable levels) goes, the more likely it is to pop.

Most bubbles are caused by excessive exuberance, and in the majority of cases are driven by a cushion of liquidity that ultimately dries up.

Possibly the most famous and oldest bubble is the Tulip Mania in Holland back in the 18th century, when people were selling their houses in order to buy TWO tulip bulbs. That bubble had a tragic ending, as is mostly the case.

We currently have a situation where there is massive global liquidity, which allowed us to avoid a severe global recession and resulted in a gradual turnaround of the global economy.

As always, unfortunate sideeffects have emanated from this liquidity. Large quantities of these funds have found their way into various asset markets and we have seen massive rises in equity markets around the world, aggravated by zero interest rates.

We also saw retirees searching for yield in bond and property markets around the world.

ISSUE 378

The economy of the US will soon have recovered sufficiently to enable the Fed to start reducing the liquidity level, so it is possible that any asset classes that have reached extreme levels will experience the pain of a popping bubble.

Bloomberg recently carried out a global pole, testing the view of asset managers regarding possible bubbles on the horizon - 89% of respondents felt that Internet and social media shares are either at or near unsustainable levels; 73% said the same about Chinese house prices, and 69% found London house prices to be at frothy levels. Only 31% regarded US house prices as particularly overpriced.

The survey sounds an alert that five years after the original credit-driven crisis, investors are spotting speculative excesses. There appears to be less fear of an equity bubble, as recent corrections have taken much of the steam out of those markets.

In South African, we have

seen massive price rises in selected (often Rand-hedge) industrials. These may well correct in the medium term, or they may simply mark time for an extended period.

These are sound companies and although their valuations may seem overdone, they are not excessive. Naspers falls into the Bloomberg category of Internet/social media alarm, so a pruning of this holding may be wise. However, to completely exit this stock could prove a bad decision in five years’ time.

Many small and medium cap stocks on the JSE are reasonably priced, and certainly not near bubble territory.

Our financials have corrected and currently trade at a P/E of only 13.9 against the JSE Allshare of 18, and the Nasdaq at a P/E of 24.3.

It is certainly time to exercise a higher degree of caution in the equity markets.

Ocneqno"jcu"dggp"kp"vjg" kpxguvogpv"kpfwuvt{"hqt"qxgt" 62"{gctu0"Jg"jcu"ytkvvgp"vjku" eqnwop"kp"EZRTGUU"hqt"vjg" ncuv"37"{gctu"cpf"ku"c"urgekcnkuv" kp"ocpcikpi"tgvktgf"ygcnvj0

12

CXPRESS

ISSUE 378

Social Scene

December 4 - 2013

Photo: Glenn Murray Photography

LET’S PLAY! The Hlalani community celebrated the opening of its new playgrounds recently.

The park was paid for by municipal ward allocation funding, so it’s just apt that Knysna mayor Georlene Wolmarans, at centre in front, and Ward 6 councillor Clive Witbooi, front right, joined Hlalani community members in test-driving the equipment.

FABULOUS 50: Caroline Briskham - shining like a diamond at centre in front and surrounded by her many doting girlfriends - celebrated her big five-oh at the Beacon Island on November 26. She asked us to thank Mathew, saying ‘he knows why...’ Congratulations, Caro!

People, places & events

DANCING SHOES DONNED: Louné Polson School of Dance students pulled their best moves from the hat last month when a SADTA hip hop and modern dance examiner flew down from Joburg to grade them at their studio in Plett’s Piesang Valley. In the pic, from left, Jade Macmillan, Amber Watkins and Mia Roberts are ready to rock.

Phone Louné on 082 881 0147 for further information.

Photo: Dee Roberts

GERMAN KIT FOR KRANSHOEK KIDS: Africa Adventure handed over soccer shirts and balls to kids of Kranshoek Primary on November 15. The gift was enabled by the dream of three sisters in Lanz, Germany - Nele, Nina and Nike - and their friends, who all dreamed of having friends in Africa and so raised funds with the help of their parents, Marco and Diana. The Lanz scholars took photos of their classroom and themselves to say hello to the kids of Kranshoek, and organised a school run, where sponsors donated money for each circuit of their sports field completed. They ran a total of 229km to get enough money for two sets of soccer shirts to present to the school in Kranshoek. The fundraiser was supported by Africa Adventure Travel and the Rotary Club of Perleberg. In the pic at from left at back are Donal Krige and Humphrey Koert of Kranshoek Primary, Africa Adventure’s Enya Fehler, and principal Enoch Medea. Africa Adventure supports a number of projects in Plett, including Masizame.

Photo: Timothy Twidle

TWO DECADES OF WORSHIP: Five students of Plett Christian School perform a wellchoreographed Israeli dance at the 20-year celebrations of Plett Community Church on November 15 - from left are Jan Maré, Bianca & André Barnard, Elizabeth Botha and Francois de Klerk. Bitou mayor Memory Booysen led the congregation of over 300 people, accompanied by ministers of other religious denominations, friends, past benefactors and the many residents of Bitou who worship there regularly.

Culinary awards

December 4 - 2013

CXPRESS

ISSUE 378

13

CXPRESS Garden Route Culinary Awards winners These are the Garden Route’s most awesome purveyors of food and wine and mood and service and place and price below, convenors of the CXPRESS NLR Wines Culinary Awards and foodies extraordinaire ANNE HADLEY and FRANCOIS FERREIRA announce the winners for 2013

C

HRISTMAS is around the corner and already the Garden Route is abuzz with tourists. All reports indicate that a bumper season is imminent but for us, it is time to retire from restaurants and cook for our families and friends.

We have done our eating out for the year and correlated our reviews with those of our mystery diners - and we are thrilled to announce the 2013 Garden Route Culinary Awards winners. We take this opportunity to thank sponsors CXPRESS, NLR Wines and Café Gannet for hosting our awards evening on December 2.

All judging visits are paid for in full and unannounced and, when asked to visit a restaurant as guest, we happily oblige, but these meals are not judged.

Ngigpfu"4235 • Serendipity • The Girls • Pembreys • Travel Bugs • La Locanda • Ile de Pain • Transkaroo • The Bell Tavern • Roadside Deli • Kafe Serefé • Pomodoro These restaurants are in a category of their own and have gained this title as they continuously make the grade, so after five years, they attain Legend status.

Should they, however, change chefs or venues or owners, they are removed from the list for a year to get settled and then reassessed. If for some reason they deteriorate, we reserve the right to remove them from the list.

Vqr"42"Ictfgp"Tqwvg"

ALL SMILES: Representatives of many of the winning restaurants gathered at Café Gannet on Monday night to receive their awards, plaques, and trophies after being plied with a mouth-watering array of snacks and cocktails by the friendly Gannet staff - Photo: Steve D’Elboux Photography 083 2777 237 / www.pixbysteve. co.za

Ewnkpct{"Fguvkpcvkqpu • Flava Café • La Rosa Blu @ Rosenhof • East Head Café • Emily’s • Lemon Grass • Zucchini (Timberlake Village) • Caloroso Café • Kurland Hotel • Café Gannet • VegTable Private Dining Room • Bramon • Lauren’s Deli Eatery • The Fat Fish • Clare’s Cakes & Deli • Olive Tree • Jewel of India • The Grand • The Orchid Room (Simola) • ChefAlma@Groenvlei • Salina’s These are the restaurants that have received the most positive marks and comments from our mystery diners.

This list fluctuates each year as food trends change, eating

habits change, good people leave and make place for exciting new arrivals.

Again, we give them a year to settle and then start judging.

All the restaurants on this list have been visited many times by mystery diners and we have spent many hours deliberating to finally bring you the past year’s Top 20 Garden Route Culinary Destinations.

Dguv"Qh"Rncswgu" • Best Family Restaurant - Zucchini at Timberlake Village • Best Coffee/Tea Emporium Beans About Coffee • Best Deli Style Dining Clare’s Cakes & Deli

• Best Hotel Restaurant - The Grand • Best Service - Kurland • Best Resort Restaurant - Orchid Room at Simola • Best Cafe Style Dining - La Rosa Blu • Best Casual Style Dining VegTable Private Dining Room • Best New Kid on the Block Imonelli Each of these restaurants can be especially proud of their awards. These plaques are not awarded lightly and we appreciate the hard work and dedication of each restaurant and its team, so it’s an absolute pleasure and honour to award them with these plaques.

cently moved premises, completely refurbished and rebuilt themselves and their staff - and then reopened, all within four months. This mammoth undertaking is not for the fainthearted but has paid off perfectly for The Rose.

Gfgp"Uejqqn"qh"Ewnkpct{"Ctv" [qwpi"Ejgh"qh"vjg"[gct Lceswgu"Dw{u"qh"Hncxc"Echê The singing chef of Flava Café, Jacques won the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs regionals this year and came third in the nationals.

Well done, Jacques!

Ejcñpg"fgu"Tõvkuugwtu" Ugtxgt"qh"vjg"[gct Rcwn"Ociwktg"qh"Rqoqfqtq An outstanding young man, Paul seems to do the work of 10 people at double time. Once you’ve booked a table at Pomodoro, your favourite wine is chilling in the ice bucket by the time you arrive.

He senses when you need him, is never intrusive, and makes each meal memorable. Keep up the good work Paul, we need people like you in the industry.

Icuvtq"Pqokz"Ejgh"qh" vjg"[gct" Ngqp"Eqgv|gg"qh"Mwtncpf Says Anne: “I have visited Leon many times - announced, unannounced, on an hour’s notice for a fine dining lunch for three, for a cup of coffee or just a hello. He takes it all in his stride and never ceases to produce the goods.

“He is passionately proud of his veggie garden which is meticulously laid out and always brimming with exotic goodies. This award is a long time coming Leon, you deserve the Gastro Nomix Chef of the Year title.”

Congratulations to all of you have a bumper season and we’ll see you from March to October next year.

EZRTGUU"Urgekcn" Cejkgxgogpv"Cyctf" Vjg"Tqug"Tguvcwtcpv This family-run restaurant re-

Vwtp"vq"rcig"38"hqt"c"enqugt" gpeqwpvgt"ykvj"qwt"vyq"ykp/ pkpi"ejghu"cpf"ykpg"urqpuqt."

Pgnn/Octkg"ng"Tqwz0

14

CXPRESS

ISSUE 378

Interval

December 4 - 2013

Smelly little critter Letter from teacher to parent: ‘Dear Parent, James does not smell nice in class. Please try bathing him.’

Letter from parent to teacher: ‘Dear Teacher, James is not a flower. Don’t smell him. Teach him.’

Clever solutions can be so simple...

A

toothpaste factory had a problem. They sometimes shipped empty boxes without the tube inside. This challenged their perceived quality with the buyers and distributors.

Understanding how important the relationship with them was, the CEO of the company assembled his top people. They decided to hire an external engineering company to solve their empty boxes problem.

The project followed the usual process: budget and project sponsor allocated, RFP, and third-parties selected.

Six months (and $8-million) later they had a fantastic solution - on time, on budget, and high quality.

Everyone in the project was pleased. They solved the problem by using a high-tech precision scale inserted into the final conveyor process that would sound a bell and flash lights whenever a toothpaste box weighed less than it should.

The line would stop; someone would walk over, remove the defective box, and then press another button to re-start the line.

As a result of the new package monitoring process, no empty boxes were being shipped out of the factory.

With no more customer complaints, the CEO felt that the $8-million was well spent.

He then reviewed the line statistics report and discovered the number of empty boxes picked up by the scale in the first week was consistent with projections, however, the next three weeks were zero! The estimated rate should have been at least a dozen boxes a day.

He had the engineers check the equipment, and they verified the report as accurate.

Puzzled, the CEO travelled down to the factory, viewed the part of the line where the precision scale was installed, and observed that just ahead of the new $8 million solution sat a $20 desk fan blowing the empty boxes off the belt and into a bin.

He asked the line supervisor what that was about.

“Oh, that,” the supervisor replied, “Bert, the kid from maintenance, put it there because he was tired of walking over every time the bell rang.”

Oh, to be remembered!

HREE friends from the band, a fine spiritual leader, and T local congregation were a great family man.” Eugene asked: “When you’re in your commented: “I would like them casket, and friends and congregation members are mourning over you, what would you like them to say?”

Artie said: “I would like them to say I was a wonderful hus-

to say I was a wonderful teacher and servant of God who made a huge difference in people’s lives.”

Al said: “I’d like them to say ‘Look, he’s moving!’”

How smart is your right foot?

T

HIS exercise, by an orthopaedic surgeon, will confuse your mind and you will keep trying it over and over again to see if you can outsmart your foot, but you can’t. It is pre-programmed in your brain.

1. While sitting, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles.

2. Now, while doing this, draw the number ‘6’ in the air with your right hand. Your foot will change direction.

There’s nothing you can do about it… but before the day is done, you are going to try it again, if you’ve not already done so!

Why do they lock service station toilets? Are they afraid someone will break in and clean them?

Entertainment

December 4 - 2013

Ragers take Plett by storm...

FUN IN THE SUN: Matriculants made the most of Sunday’s fair weather on Central Beach, and are flocking to the night haunts for a musical line-up second to none - Photos: Ewald Stander

T

HIS year’s Plett Rage is in full swing as thousands of matriculants started arriving in town since Friday for a 10day non-stop party with some of South Africa’s biggest bands and performers.

Event director Anthony Jacobs said he expected more than 16’000 teenagers from across the country to make their

way to Plett during the course of the festival to celebrate the end of their school career.

While Plett Rage is popular among teenagers, it is also a massive boost for the town’s economy. Bitou Municipality spokesman Kholiswa Masiza said it was the biggest annual event on the town’s tourism calendar, injecting about R30milllion into the local economy.

The event also directly generates short-term employment opportunities and indirectly supports long-term jobs by “bringing prosperity to town”.

Plett is currently bursting at the seams with local accommodation establishments having been fully booked months in advance.

So far no major incidents have been reported and, to keep it that way, organisers and local authorities have spent almost a year planning a safety strategy.

Plettenberg Bay Crime Prevention Association chairman

Otto Olivier said police, security companies and volunteers had the situation well in hand.

Jacobs said the Freedom Pass revellers had to purchase also played a role in ensuring their safety. “The pass is swiped at every venue and security check the identity of the owner of the card. This also keeps tabs on the youngsters, so if there is a problem we know where they swiped their card and at what time,” Jacobs said.

This week’s line-up includes performances by electro hop music duo Locnville as well as DJ Niskerone tonight, controversial Afrikaans rapper Jack Parow and Cape Town electronica and dance group Goldfish on Thursday, electroswingers Goodluck on Friday and Haezer on Saturday. Visit www.plettrage.co.za for the full line-up, which concludes on Sunday December 8. [qncpfg"Uvcpfgt"/" Ictfgp"Tqwvg"Ogfkc

CXPRESS

ISSUE 378

15

MC90.3FM says cheers to morning show maestro

A

FTER more than 600 shows on Plettenberg Bay community radio station MC90.3FM, morning show presenter Russell Honeywill has called time out.

The popular slot, called Gnge/ vtke" Mqqn/Ckf"Cekf" Vguv in tribute to Tom Wolfe’s telling of the culture of an era, featured a music-driven mix of entertainment, gossip and commentary - sometimes serious, sometimes challenging, and sometimes challenged.

Every show was programmed to be an ear-pleasing, modern soundtrack from classic rock to city slick - a musical road trip of life.

“It’s been an absolute jol and a privilege to work with some seriously talented people who form part of the team that puts

EARPLEASER: Russell Honeywill has entertained MC90.3FM listeners with his unique selection of tunes, informative interviews and mad-cap quirks for over 600 mornings Photo: Watty Watson

it all together,” says Russell.

“Thanks to the listeners who tuned in, phoned, got on WhatsApp and Facebook and told me when things were good and when they weren’t, and who

kept it on track. Big-ups to all who were part of the journey.”

Russell will be sorely missed on Plettenberg Bay’s airwaves, and we wish him well in his future pursuits.

16

CXPRESS

ISSUE 378

Food & Wine

December 4 - 2013

Earning his Gastro Nomix Chef of L the Year stripes EON Coetzee is no stranger to creating fine cuisine with his diverse culinary skills and broad knowledge of local and international culinary trends.

In June 2010, Leon joined Kurland Hotel - the renowned five-star country retreat known for its unique location and passion for excellence. Kurland is also a proud member of Relais & Châteaux and considered the finest address on the Garden Route.

Comments Leon: “As a chef, my main desire is to provide an excellent dining experience by creating dishes that exude quality while availing guests to new recipes for a unique culinary journey.”

He has been rated as one of the top chefs in the Western Cape. In 2011, as a result of his

expertise, Kurland Hotel was not only selected in the Top 20 Culinary Destinations on the Garden Route, but was also named Best Hotel Restaurant on the Garden Route at the 2011 CXPRESS NLR Wines Garden Route Culinary Awards.

Leon was approached in 2012 to be part of the Iwkfg"vq"Xgi/ gvctkcp." Xgicp" (" Lckp" in conjunction with SA Tourism, a first of its kind. In September of that year, he was then honoured with an American Express Platinum Fine Dining Award 2013.

This was the first time Kurland Hotel had received this award - an honour that was repeated at the recent American Express Platinum Fine Dining Awards 2014.

To complete 2012, Kurland Hotel scooped multiple acco-

CULINARY ARTIST: Executive chef at Kurland Hotel, Leon Coetzee gets his kicks out of creating quality dishes that introduce guests to new tastes and recipes

lades at the CXPRESS Garden Route Culinary Awards last year - featured as one of the Top 20 Culinary Destinations, Best of 2012 for Best Service, and nominations in the Chef of the Year category for Leon, and Ordre Mondial Wine Steward of the Year category for Andile ‘Ace’ Tambo.

So it is no great surprise that Leon was on Monday declared Gastro Nomix Chef of the Year 2013 - a long time coming and well deserved indeed.

RU<" Pgygt" hcpu" qh" EZRTGUU" okijv" pqv" mpqy" vjcv" vjg" kpkvkc/ vqt"qh"qwt"ewnkpct{"cyctfu"ycu" hcoqwu"hqqfkg"Kcp"Jcfng{."yjq" hqt" {gctu" ytqvg" jku" tguvcwtcpv" cpf"hqqf"eqnwop"flC"Yqtf"qp"o{" Rcrgt" Rncvg‚" wpfgt" vjg" rugw/ fqp{o" Icuvtq" Pqokz0" Dghqtg" Kcp" rcuugf" cyc{" kp" 422:." jku" ykhg" Cppg" cpf" hgnnqy" cyctfu" eqpxgpqt" Htcpeqku" Hgttgktc" rngfigf" vq" eqpvkpwg" vjku" iqqf" yqtm." cpf" kv" ku" vjwu" oquv" cr/ rtqrtkcvg"hqt"vjg"vqr"ejgh"vkvng"vq" urqtv"vjg"pcog"Icuvtq"Pqokz0"

ACQUES Buys of Flava Café in Wilderness trained This top young chef has J at the Institute of Culinary Art and graduated an angel’s voice to boot inin Stellenbosch 2011. While studying, he

diners back time and again.

“His knowledge of wines and skill at pairing these with his food has ensured a number of very successful events at Flava.

Couple this with a voice from the angels and you have an experience sure to stay with you for a long time to come!”

RU<" Qp" vjg" uwdlgev" qh" ykpg." yg" eqpitcvwncvg" Ejgtk" cpf" Tqz{" yjqug" qvjgt" gcvgt{." Vjg" Iktnu."yqp"c"urqv"kp"vjg"Vqr"322" Ykpg" Nkuv" uvcmgu0" Vjg{" vjcpm" PNT" Ykpgu" cpf" vjgkt" vgco" qh" Fqp" cpf" Jgcvjgt" hqt" ocmkpi" vjku" rquukdng0" Nkmg" c" vtwg" tgu/ vcwtcvgwt"tqem"uvct."Tqz{"lgvvgf" fqyp"vq"Ecrg"Vqyp"qp"Oqpfc{" oqtpkpi" vq" eqnngev" vjku" rtk|g" dghqtg"ocmkpi"jgt"yc{"dcem"vq" Oquugn"Dc{"kp"vkog"hqt"vjg"EZ/ RTGUU" Ewnkpct{" Cyctfu0" Cyg/ uqog"yqtm."iktnu#

MAKING HIS MARK: Eden School of Culinary Art Young Chef of the Year Jacques Buys is here shown rejoicing when winning the title of Regional Junior Chef in this year’s Chaîne des Rôtisseurs competition - he went on to win third place nationally at the finals held in Joburg in May

Nell-Marié’s wines add flair to CXPRESS awards

did his apprenticeship at Terroir restaurant and joined Flava Café in December 2011.

Originally from Cape Town, the 26-year-old chef comes from a close family with three brothers - and mum and dad are hugely proud of their son.

Say Flava co-owners Roxy and Cheri: “A more dedicated and hardworking chef we have yet to meet.

“Jacques has stamped his mark from the minute he walked in, creating dishes full of Flava with a passion you can taste.

His excitement at the fresh produce he can lay his hands on translates into dishes that lure

Nell-Marié le Roux from NLR Wines has sponsored the CXPRESS Garden Route Culinary Awards for three years, sparing nothing when it comes to prizes and wines for these events. An accomplished businesswoman with marketing, entrepreneurship and wine-related qualifications, Nell-Marié has been a wine merchant since 2005. Her passion and instinctive knowledge have earned her the position of vice echanson of the Outeniqua branch of the esteemed international food and wine society Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, while also being a member of its wine appreciation arm, l’Ordre Mondial. We thank Nell-Marié for her continued support of our awards.

Home & Health

December 4 - 2013

CXPRESS

ISSUE 378

17

Everything you should know about diabetes - Part III In this final article on the subject, DR GIOVANNI COCI deals with the types of medication available for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes

T

HE importance of healthy lifestyle choices - including diet, exercise and weight control - when managing diabetes has been discussed in a previous article.

However, in addition to the above, medication may be necessary to achieve good diabetic control.

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) is usually treated with insulin, while Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is usually treated with medication taken orally (oral agents).

Vtgcvogpv"qh"V3FO Insulin is the mainstay of treatment for patients with TIDM where the pancreas does not produce this hormone.

To understand how insulin works, we first need to take a look at how the healthy body maintains the blood glucose at constant levels.

Glucose is the fuel that provides energy to the cells of every organ of the body. Some of the glucose is supplied by food, while some is stored in the liver as a reserve fuel (called glycogen) and is released when glucose is not available through food.

Between what is ingested through food and what is gradually released from the liver, the body gets a constant supply of glucose. This also means that there has to be a constant supply of insulin to keep the amount of glucose in balance.

In healthy individuals, the pancreas secretes a small amount of insulin at all times.

This is called background (or basal) insulin. In addition, when the blood glucose rises after meals, the pancreas secretes more insulin to bring the blood glucose down. This is called bolus insulin.

If the pancreas is not functioning, as in the case of T1DM, insulin has to be injected to control the blood glucose.

Insulin was developed by two Canadian researchers, Frederick Banting and Charles Best, and was first used in 1922.

Prior to that, patients with T1DM were put onto severe diets and would have only months to live. Eli Lilly was the first insulin manufacturer.

In the past, insulin was obtained from animal sources, particularly cows and pigs, but today most insulin is produced synthetically.

• Jwocp" kpuwnkp does, in fact, not come from humans but has a molecular structure identical to human insulin. It is laboratory produced.

• Cpcnqiwg" kpuwnkp is another type of synthetically-produced insulin. The molecular structure is similar to human insulin but has been modified through genetic engineering to affect its rate of action (how quickly or slowly it acts).

Both human and analogue insulin can be categorised by the speed at which they work, i.e. rapid-acting, short-acting, intermediate-acting, or longacting insulin.

Rapid-acting insulins start working almost immediately after being injected and last only a few hours. Long-acting insulins work up to 24 hours and in some cases even longer.

In-between, there are short-acting and intermediate insulins.

The best known types of insulin include: • Short-acting, e.g. Humalog, Novorapid, Apidra; • Intermediate, e.g. NPH (Protaphane), Humulin N; • Long-acting, e.g. Humulin L; • Long-acting analogues: Lantus and Levemir.

Pre-mixed insulins contain a combination of rapid-acting

and intermediate-acting components in fixed proportions.

Insulin has to be given by injection and cannot be taken orally because it is inactivated in the gastrointestinal tract.

There is much research to produce orally active forms of insulin in the future.

There are many different insulin regimens, including injections once daily, twice daily and before meals. The elderly, children and people with impaired vision will usually need simple regimens. The basal/bolus regimen is one of the best ways to administer insulin.

Basal insulin injections will replace the background insulin that would normally be secreted continuously by the pancreas over 24 hours. Basal insulin needs to act over a relatively long period of time and, therefore, one would use a longacting insulin, to be taken once daily (e.g. Lantus).

Bolus insulin replaces the extra amounts of insulin that the pancreas would naturally secrete in response to a meal.

The action is short-lived so one would use a short-acting rapid action insulin (e.g. Aprida).

Therefore, a basal-bolus regimen will require one injection of basal insulin per day as well as an injection of bolus insulin before every meal - a lot of injections, but it makes it possible to match closely the normal insulin levels in healthy subjects.

Another advantage of a basal/ bolus regimen is that it allows for flexibility as to time and size of meals.

In emergency situations (diabetic ketoacidosis, surgery, severe infections), short-acting rapid action insulin is used.

Insulin is usually taken as subcutaneous injections by singleuse syringes with needles, or by repeat-use insulin pens with needles. Patients must be trained to inject themselves.

Insulin pumps are portable devices attached to the body that deliver constant amounts of rapid or short acting insulin via a catheter placed under the skin.

They are seen as a better alternative to insulin injections as they reduce the need for multiple injections and achieve better control of the blood glucose levels.

Vtgcvogpv"qh"V4FO Various types of oral medication are available to lower the

blood glucose.

These medications work by different mechanisms: • Decreasing the amount of glucose released from the liver.

• Increasing insulin output by the pancreas.

• Increasing the sensitivity (response) of cells to insulin.

• Decreasing absorption of carbohydrates from the intestine.

Ftwiu"vjcv"fgetgcug"vjg"tgngcug" qh"inwequg"htqo"vjg"nkxgt Biguanides and glitazones decrease the release of glucose from the liver, with the biguanides being the main drugs in this category, and Metformin being the most widely-utilised biguanide.

It is sold under several trade names, e.g. Glucophage.

The glitazones are the other group of drugs that act by inhibiting the release of glucose from the liver.

Pioglitazone (trade name: Actos) and Rosiglitazone (trade name: Avandia) are among the best-known glitazones.

These drugs will also increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin.

They tend not to cause hypoglycaemia and may promote weight loss.

Ftwiu"vjcv"kpetgcug"kpuwnkp" qwvrwv"d{"vjg"rcpetgcu Sulphonylureas and DPP-4 inhibitors are drugs that act by stimulating the pancreas to release more insulin. They are ineffective if the pancreas is nonfunctioning.

Commonly used sulphonylureas include Daonil, Diamicron, Amaryl and Minidiab, with DPP-4 inhibitors examples being Onglyza and Galvus. Sulphonylureas and DPP4 inhibitors cause hypoglycaemia and weight gain.

The most widely used drug in the group of drugs that decrease the absorption of carbohydrates from the intestine is called Acarbose (Glucobay).

Kplgevcdng"ftwiu"hqt"V4FO Byetta and Victoza are two excellent drugs that stimulate insulin release by the pancreas.

Unfortunately, they can only be given by injection.

In severe cases of T2DM, it may be necessary to use insulin in addition to oral agents.

Insulin may also be required temporarily to cover surgery, or in the case of severe infections and other emergencies.

Ejqqukpi"{qwt"V4FO" ogfkecvkqp No single diabetes treatment is suitable for everyone, and what works for one person may not work for another. Generally speaking, it should be possible to control most diabetics on well-established drugs such as biguanides and sulphonylureas.

If this is not the case, one must first make sure that the patient’s lifestyle and compliance with medication are satisfactory before prescribing newer drugs that are more expensive and may have more side effects.

Sometimes, a single medication is effective. Your doctor can determine how a specific medication or a combination, e.g. a biguanide plus a suphonylurea, is best-suited for your needs.

Some drugs are available commercially as a premixed combination of two agents, e.g.

Glucoavance.

Vjg"hwvwtg Full pancreatic transplantation, transplantation of pancreatic beta cells, and artificial pancreas are all being actively researched. In the meantime, better types of insulin and oral agents are becoming available.

Eqpvcev"urgekcnkuv"rj{ukekcp" Ft"Ikqxcppk"Eqek"cv" rngvvrj{ukekcpBiockn0eqo"qt" qp"266"755"6693"qt"xkukv"jku" tqqou"cv"4C"Ogfyc{"Egpvtg"kp" Rngvvgpdgti"Dc{0

18

CXPRESS

ISSUE 378

Read CXPRESS online @ www.cxpress.co.za

December 4 - 2013

Classifieds

On the Soapbox

December 4 - 2013

Letters to the Editor

Email: editor@cxpress.co.za - Fax: 044 533 0852 - PO Box 1449, Plett 6600

Pension-funders just don’t care I am writing in response to your article entitled ‘Local business growth remains Bitou focus’ *xkukv" yyy0ezrtguu0eq0|c" cpf" enkem"qp"vjg"Pgyu"("Xkgyu"rcig" qh"kuuwg"599+.

If we intend to kick-start business in Plett, we might well start with Mellville’s Corner,

CXPRESS

where there are currently 21 shops standing empty!

Harison Court situated in High Street, which is also owned by the State Pension Fund and managed by PIC, has had five vacant flats for the last three or four years. Whewn this is mentioned to regional PIC manag-

ers, their response is equivalent to ‘we don’t care’.

With a budget running into billions, little Mellville’s Corner’s profits (or lack thereof) doesn’t make much of a difference to the bottom line.

This situation has already been reported to [M-Net’s

watchdog programme] Ectvg" Dncpejg and they are currently investigating.

We must remember that the National Pension Fund has to stay financially sound or the lovely ‘all-pay’ will dry up. A ‘we don’t care’ attitude is criminal - especially towards the less fortunate, as they are entirely reliant on state funding.

Octkc"Mtwigt."d{"gockn

Stand up for your right to pensioner’s post box fee!

The Post Office’s annual renewal notice for box rentals is payable on or before January 31.

The amount being asked for is R339. Nowhere on the form is it stated that pensioners are en-

titled to a reduced rate of R203 - and neither is this offered to those paying at the counter.

The form records one’s ID number, which determines whether the discount is appli-

Don’t blame Bitou I write with reference to your article ‘Housing grievances many remain roofless, while others receive two homes’ in the previous edition *xkukv"yyy0 ezrtguu0eq0|c" cpf" tgcf" vjg" hwnn" uvqt{" qp" vjg" Jqog" rcig" qh" ku/ uwg"599+.

On November 15, the Western Cape Housing minister set up a public meeting with the community of Kranshoek regarding illegal RDP houses being built in the area.

The Kranshoek Anti-Corruption Committee reported this matter to the public protector in George, as nothing was done by any of the public officials. The ward councillor residing here and supposedly acting as cus-

todian of the Kranshoek community did absolutely nothing regarding this matter, as the ward committee consists only of opposition party members.

The Bitou Municipality housing department staff working in Kranshoek did submit the illegal applications for these RDP houses.

All the proof is in the hands of the public protector, and the Western Cape minister of Housing has also begun his own thorough private investigation regarding this matter.

Do not blame Bitou Municipality for the weak oversight by a ward councillor.

Mtcpujqgm"Cpvk/Eqttwrvkqp" Eqookvvgg."d{"gockn

cable. This is a dishonest (or, at the very least, misleading) practice and many pensioners are unknowingly paying the higher amount.

Be aware and demand your discount, or refund if you have already paid the incorrect amount.

LU"Ociknn."Mp{upc

Pink team thanks Plett October came and went with a bang - and what a mighty PINK bang it was! It truly is an honour living in beautiful Plettenberg Bay, and being part of this loving and generous community.

On behalf of myself and my fellow Pink Trees Plett committee members, I would like to extend our heartfelt and sincere thanks to each and every Bitou business and individual that jumped in and got involved in making our first year as a part of the Pink Trees for Pauline Project an enormous success.

Without your generous help in whatever way, and buying metres and metres of PINK fabric, we would never have been able to raise a whopping R87’000 for CansaCare Plett.

Most of the PINK has now been taken down but this was just the beginning of an ongoing project, so look out for PINK recycled bags that will be sold all around Plett soon.

All funds raised will support the care of cancer patients in Plett, thanks to the help of the local CansaCare ladies, so please continue supporting this cause, any which way you can.

Desmond Tutu said: “Do your little bit of good where you are - it is those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” If you wish to become involved, call me on 082 334 4204 or Hanlie Sinclair on 082 688 3152.

Cnfc"Oknnu"cpf"Rkpm"Vtggu" Rngvv"vgco."d{"gockn

St Mary’s Church Brigade youngsters impress at Stilbaai

PERFECTION: The drill squad awed everyone at the rally with disciplined precision

October 27 was promising to be the event of the year for our young men and ladies, boys and girls of the St Mary’s Church Brigade as we prepared for the trip to our yearly rally in Stilbaai. So it was a great surprise when we endured an altercation on the Plett N2 at 4am in the morning, with women and chil-

dren present!

Jansen’s Travel was ready to collect us after our unit had decided to convene at the Ladywood crossing at that hour in order to prevent a fight. But for almost two hours, our kids were exposed to intimidation by the owners of another local transport company.

The irresponsible behaviour of these men almost broke our spirits but we were blessed by a wonderful prayer from Aunt Annie and after the intervention of Uncle Smakes, we were on the way to our destination.

Our compliments to Trevor Jansen who showed our youngsters what can be achieved when you have God in your corner. By being calm in a situation of conflict and intimidation, he outsmarted the demands made to him.

After all the drama, our trip was pleasant and safe and our kids had the opportunity, as in past years, to display their tal-

ents. Our drill squad marched to perfection and had everybody at the sports grounds in awe with their precision and discipline.

Sergeant major Cheslin-Lee Pedro and marker Byron Branders showed the fruits of all their hard work and hours of practise.

The juniors were wonderful and definitely showed us what we can look forward to i.t.o. future growth in the Brigade.

Our instrumental entertainment piece was the cream of the event and we are extremely proud of everyone who participated. We thank bandmaster Ashwin Dalman, assistant bandmaster Cheslin Louw and percussion instructor Fabian Petersen for their patience amid madness - it shows that you guys are going places.

Congratulations to our officers who were inaugurated in their different rankings: Lushe McCallum (1st lieutenant), Virgel Windvogel (2nd lieutenant) and Cheslin-Lee Pedro (ser-

geant major).

To our supporters, we appreciate all that you have done and trust in God that this will continue; to our church and board members, thanks for your guidance. We thank Mr Leonard (we can always knock on your door) and our rector, Dr Marais, for their support.

Our very special Rev Sharon Domingo-Blaauw is thanked for the love and care shown for our kids - your concern for their wellbeing and the task upon them is appreciated by all.

Lastly, we love and thank the parents for sending your children to Brigade meetings, so helping us to live our motto ‘Fight the Good Fight’.

All youngsters in New Horizons are invited to our meetings on Mondays and Thursdays at St Mary’s Church - please pop in, you will love it!

Jgtoqkpg"Ewppkpijco"/" Uv"Oct{‚u"Ejwtej"Dtkicfg" eqqtfkpcvqt."Rngvvgpdgti"Dc{

ISSUE 378

19

20

CXPRESS

ISSUE 378

Sport & Adventure

December 4 - 2013

SA anglers bring home spectacular silver medal A

S reported in CXPRESS of October 23, Plett resident Mike Riley was a member of the South African Deep Sea Angling team who travelled to Cabo San Lucas to battle it out with top international contenders during the European Federation of Sea Anglers championships. *Xkukv" yyy0ezrtguu0eq0|c" cpf" tgcf" flOgzkecp" octnkp." dg/ yctg<" Okmg" cpf" jku" ocvgu" ctg" c"eqokp‚"qp"vjg"Urqtvu"rcig"qh" kuuwg"5970+ Achieving the best results ever by a South African team

in 52 international tournaments, Mike and his fellow anglers finished second to Gibraltar in a closely-fought contest, with the Italian team taking home bronze medals.

In the final throes of the competition, SA and Gibraltar were tied on the number of fish caught and final results were decided on a golden fish basis, i.e. the first team to catch its final fish would be crowned the winners.

“We were ecstatic to be the first South Africans finishing

on the podium in this competition,” says Mike, speaking on behalf of team mates Richard Hartley, Trevor Spence and Jacques van Wyk. “The guys really worked well together, especially with our lures sponsored and supplied by Plett-based Big T Lures. We got a lot of hook-ups on those lures, which the marlin seemed to find

irresistible.”

During the course of the competition, 37 striped marlin were caught, all of which were released safely with no fish fatalities. Mike managed to hook the event’s only black marlin but unfortunately, this catch took place on one of the practice days so did not count towards the SA team’s score.

Nonetheless, Mike says the trip was an amazing experience, with sea conditions ideal for the competition and weather conducive to excellent fishing.

“The boats that we used were

world-class and the fishing was fantastic. It was an honour to represent South Africa at this competition and I am absolutely thrilled that we were able to bring home silver medals.”

Whale Classic promises hours of golfing fun

I

T is with great excitement and pride that Plett Christian School recently announced the date of its main annual fundraiser, the Whale Classic Golf Day, which will this year be held on December 21 at Plettenberg Bay Country Club.

Drawing a full field of local golf enthusiasts, holidaymakers and overseas tourists, it again promises to be a day filled with competition and fun, with lots of awesome prizes to be won.

The four-ball format is Betterball Stableford, with tee-off times from 6am to 2pm and the prizegiving at 7:30pm.

At the Whale Classic 2012, prizes in excess of R80’000 were handed out on the day

and just on R30’000 was raised for the school. Proceeds of this year’s event will go towards improving security on the school premises, as well as allowing the facility to offer more affordable fees during these challenging economic times.

Businesses that assisted with sponsorship during last year’s event are again invited to contribute in the form of a sponsored hole, by donating prizes or cash donations to be paid directly into the school’s bank account.

For further info, call Eunice on 044 533 2394, Michelle on 082 784 5011, or Christa on 083 265 3322 - and see the advert on this page for more info.

And the winners are...

Plett’s Probus Club ladies - from left are Glynis Holland, Amalie du Preez, Sue Shelly and Robyn Eidelman - walked away the winners after putting their best feet forward in the Probus Garden Route bowls competition held in George on November 19. Well done, ladies, for defeating the Probus teams from Mossel Bay, George and Herold’s Bay.

EARNING THEIR STRIPES: Plett angler Mike Riley, left, and team mate Trevor Spence pose proudly with one of the beautiful striped marlin landed during the recent EFSA tournament – below, Mike, right and SA team members, from left, Trevor Spence, Richard Hartley and Jacques van Wyk receive their well-deserved silver medals