Expatriate Winter Issue 2011

SA

R 29.95

ISSN 2218 - 757 X

Zenzo

Professionals

Lusengo:

of

The

Foreign

Origin

Evolution

&

Friends

of

AMB

• Th e l e ge n d o f L ew i s P u g h • D r. E k wow S p i o - G a r b ra h • Z a m b i a n A s s o c i a t i o n i n S o u t h A f r i c a • T h e R e b i r t h o f R w a n d a i r • To p j o b s i n t h e r e s t o f A f r i c a ! w w w. ex p a t ri a t e . c o. z a Issue . 3 2011

KELELE 001

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PA M O J A

CA P I TA L Defining Patnership

P a m o j a C a p i t a l ( P t y ) L i m i t e d G r o u n d F l o o r, B l o c k B , P a r e t o B u i l d i n g N a n y u k i O f f i c e P a r k 6 9 N a n y u k i R o a d S u n n i n g h i l l J o h a n n e s b u r g S o u t h A f r i c a . Te l : + 2 7 1 1 2 3 4 7 6 4 1 F a x : + 2 7 1 1 2 3 4 7 6 4 3 E - m a i l : i n f o @ p a m o j a c a p i t a l . c o . z a . K e n y a O f f i c e : P a m o j a C a p i t a l L i m i t e d E x e c u t i v e B u s i n e s s S u i t e s 3 r d F l o o r, K - R E P C e n t r e Wo o d Av e n u e , K i l i m a n i P. O . B o x 5 1 7 1 8 - 0 0 2 0 0 N a i r o b i , K e n y a Te l : + 2 5 4 - 2 0 - 2 3 8 6 8 4 2 / 3 o r + 2 5 4 7 1 1 0 2 9 1 0 0 F a x : + 2 5 4 - 2 0 - 8 0 1 1 4 5 0 2 E - m a i l : i n f o @ p a m o j a c a p i t a l . c o . k e

Contents 4

Editorial

5

The Rentabox Story

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Expat-tivities

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Zenzo Lusengo - The Evolution off AMB

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The Rebirth of Rwandair

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Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah

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The Terrible Twenties

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The Legend of Lewis Pugh

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Expat-travel : Ethiopia

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Economic Value Chain for Africa rica

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Kewberg Cables

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Malawian High Commissioner er

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Edwin Mwitumwa: Chair of ZASA

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Apollo Segawa: The Matoke Millionaire

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Expatriates and SA Based Wills lls

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The Rise of Multi-cultural kids ds

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Zambia’s Paul - The Bachelorr SA

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Nightlife in Pretoria

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The Last Word

ZAMBIAN ZA AMBI MBIIA MB AN BO BORN OR RN N PPAUL AUL IS AU IS THE THE HE BACHELOR BA ACH CHEELLO OR RO OFF SO SSOUTH OUT TH AF A AFRI AFRICA FR RIICA IC CA A Read R Re eaad dm more orre on o on PPgg 48 48

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

CELTICS, CONTENT AND CIRCULATION Addis Ababa in one of two Expattravel stories in this edition. In the other story, we take a look at the rejuvenation of Rwandair.

We continue to profile some of the thousands of decision makers of foreign origin in our midst beginning with Zenzo Lusengo’s sixteen year journey with African Merchant Bank then Kaguchia’s introduction to Kewberg Cables and finally Apollo Segawa, our pick of Jo’burgs entrepreneurs with his Simple Natures fruit juice brand.

I am an ardent follower, a sworn fan and die-hard patriot of the Boston Celtics Basketball team. The C’s, as they are fondly known in their American state of Massachusetts, have just been eliminated from the national competition. These C’s mean a lot to me so this is a depressed man typing.

C for content is important for our readers. We have therefore delivered an additional four pages of content in this issue as we continue our Expattrajectory in shaping this publication.

Whereas quantity is always good, quality is even better. With that in mind, we have lived up to our inhouse policy of improvement with every issue.

Given the popularity of travel stories in glossy publications, we venture into the unique city that is

Our coverage of associations provides a two page spread on the Zambian Association in South Africa while our “Know your envoy” interviewee is Agrina Mussa, the lady at the helm of the Malawi High Commission who has a CV that is as impressive as her eloquence.

British born environmentalist Lewis Pugh is the subject of my column this quarter while DJ Paul Phiri is our Expat-tainer having recently won the MNET version of popular TV show The Bachelor. Finally, we chat to current CEO of the Commonwealth Technology Organisation Dr. Garbrah and publish the well-penned writing of our contributors.

We thank our advertisers for continued faith in this product. They care about C for circulation. It will please them to note a 25% increase in our print run this edition as well as a new look website developed to significantly augment online traffic.

EXPATRIATE

General Manager: Carol Malonza – carol@expatriate.co.za Managing Editor: KC Rottok – editor@expatriate.co.za Deputy Editor and Content Advisor: Leah Maina – leah@expatriate.co.za Advertising and Event Enquiries sales@expatriate.co.za or 0822146421 Edition Writers: Keith Kundai Hannington Kasirye Yaw Peprah Christine Asiko Sheila Lynn Senkubuge Contributors: Prof. Michael Kachieng’a Hesta van der Westhuizen Karabo Morule Art Direction, Design and Layout: Mike Obrien mike@obriendesign.co.za Cover Photography: Chris Moore (011 022 1597) Website: Drutech Media (0781121311) All rights reserved. Excerpts may be used as long as this magazine is credited as the source. Longer versions of our content may only be used with the written permission of the Publisher. Neither the publisher nor the editor accept responsibility for any of the information from edition writers or contributors.

Whilst we have taken care in preparing this publication, the publisher/editor does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. The editor retains the right to edit all contributions. Advertisers are responsible for their material. © THE EXPATRIATE SA 2011

KC Rottok, CA (SA) Creative & Fin. Journalism (Wits University) Managing Editor.

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Publisher: The Expatriate Forum and Magazine (Pty) Limited Reg. Number: 2010/012428/07 P O Box 4935, Randburg, 2125 Tel: +27 11 7917484 www.expatriate.co.za

HOW THIS EXPAT USES R1 TO SIMPLIFY MOVING e has been featured in Destiny Man and GQ magazines. He has also appeared twice on Talk Radio 702: on John Robbie’s prime time slot and on Redi Thlabi’s show for The Green Tip Of The Day. The buzz revolves around his inexpensive solution to taking away the headache of moving premises while aiding the environment. In a world that has no option but to go green, a simple idea from Kenyan born Eric Njuguna looks to make cardboard boxes as uncommon as the typewriter.

“For me, it makes no sense for people to add to the cycle of chopping trees by using cardboard boxes when moving premises,” Eric says, “These boxes add to the headache of the process by getting torn and you have to use new ones every time while risking loss of items.

My idea is therefore to provide a secure and environmental solution that ultimately saves people time and money.”

And the idea is as simple as it promises. When faced with an impending change of location, visit www.rentabox.co.za and order online. Within 24 to 48 hours they will deliver lockable sturdy plastic boxes to your house which you use to ferry your stuff to your new site. They give you some time to unpack everything and visit you at your new location to pick up the boxes. All this at the ridiculously low price of R1 per box per day.

“A person with a two bedroom flat would spend about R475 in

total for the Rentabox service,” Eric estimates, “This is based on the rental of about 25 boxes for the move.”

Other than people moving house, Eric believes that his product is useful for corporate entities as well given the option to buy the eco boxes at a competitive price.

“Think of sales guys who carry boxes of information to make pitches or auditors who have to carry files from office to client,” Eric cites, “They could acquire boxes from us which will be used for about 400 times on average, practically a life time.

In addition, so many companies are currently using cardboard boxes for storage that are subject to damage from such elements as water. Our boxes are not only durable, they allow compartmentalisation for ease of filing.”

The response to Eric’s solution has been so good, he recently quit his high paying IT job to focus on what has become a passion.

“Using the Rentabox solution as opposed to these horrid cardboard boxes is an absolute no brainer!” he concludes. www.rentabox.co.za sales@rentabox.co.za or call Eric on: 071 199 4371

ExpaT-TivitieS

PIC 1 - 3 TANZANIA NATIONAL DAY, PRETORIA APRIL 2011 PIC 4 - 5 UGANDA’S CHAMELEON AT TSHWANE CITY HALL PIC 6 - DRC’S PAPA WEMBA AT SANKAYI

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Visit www.expatriate.co.za for more info and pics.

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ExpaT-TivitieS

EXPATRIATE

ISSUE

2

LAUNCH

EVENT

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ExpaT-TivitieS

- LONDON ROAD PLAY, OLD MUTUAL THEATRE

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KENYA AIRWAYS GOLF DAY AND KENYAN ARTISTS IN JO’BURG

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1 - Kenya Airways staff at the golf day. 2 - Eric Malonza represents Expatriate magazine at the event. 3 - Entertainment at the golf day. 4 - Kenyan artist Leena Shah left and Ambassador Amolo at the launch of Leena’s Art in Rosebank, Johannesburg. 5 - Simba Ngoma hosts DJ Adrian at Capital Cafe, Rosebank. 6 - Liz Ogumbo performs at Moyos Restaurant, Melrose Arch.

Visit www.expatriate.co.za for more info and pics.

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ExpaT-TivitieS

GHANA INDEPENDENCE DAY: SOUTHERN SUN HOTEL AND HUSH JOHANNESBURG

Pics courtesy of Michael Bonsu

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ExpaT-TivitieS

FRENCH FESTIVAL, ALLIANCE FRANCAISE JOHANNESBURG

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Zenzo Lusengo: The Evolution of AMB was born and raised in Harare to a Zambian migrant father and Zimbabwean mother. I completed a Bachelor of Business Studies Honours degree at The University of Zimbabwe and got into banking by accident. A friend, Raymond Ndlovu, who worked in the Project Finance division of Standard Chartered Merchant Bank (SCMB) put my name forward as a trainee in corporate finance where I spent four years. In 1990 when Nelson Mandela was released, South Africa began to look quite attractive to me. Zimbabwe was a small economy with only about 60 listed entities and I had already interacted with most of the prominent ones.

I therefore felt that it was time to move on and joined Standard Bank’s corporate finance division in Johannesburg in December 1992.

mistake - leaving a stable bank for an unknown entity. But I was 28 and viewed it as an entrepreneurial opportunity. It would be great if it worked and if didn’t, I would have at least learnt some valuable lessons in life.

Around 1993, the first Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) deals began to happen. Amongst these was the formation and listing of New Africa Investments Limited (NAIL).

Based on the work that we did for them, in May 1995 NAIL approached a few members of Standard Bank’s corporate finance team with the idea of forming an investment bank for the new dispensation. This gave birth to Pleiade Investment Corporation (Pleaide). The company had a mere seven million rand start-up capital making it an incredibly risky move for me. My family and friends were concerned that I was making a

interested in investing in South Africa, and following extensive negotiations, DLJ acquired a 51% stake in the business which was thereafter renamed DLJ Pleiade.

Things were going swimmingly and in 1994, when African Bank went into curatorship, NAIL and AMB were involved in rescuing it. As a part of the process, African Bank acquired a stake in our company thus giving us additional capital.

One of our first deals was acting as transaction advisors when an American company Southwestern Bell Corporation (SBC) decided to invest in MTN. Soon after the conclusion of the SBC transaction, we made contact with an American investment bank called Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ) who were

we acquired towards the end of 1996. After obtaining our banking license we became known as DLJ African Merchant Bank and in 1997 our trajectory continued as we listed AMB Holdings on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). We grew very quickly boasting a staff complement of about 150 at our peak in 1998.

AMB was the place to be, we worked hard and played hard. I recall one occasion when after a particularly successful year, we took some members of staff and their partners on a cruise off the east coast of SA. In 1998 there was a bull run in the financial services companies listed on the JSE and in one week AMB had a market value of a billion dollars. We had listed at R8 a share but by mid1998 we were trading at R83 per share. Fortunately for shareholders, there were lock in provisions that ensured that management could not cash in their shares. A year later in 1999, we did a rights offer at R30 per share and listed AMB Private Equity Partners which resulted in additional capital for our private equity investment activities. We had quickly moved from a simple advisory firm to a fully fledged investment bank involved in corporate finance, treasury & trading, private equity and structured finance.

“When African Merchant Bank was listed, we had to publish directors remuneration. So whenever I visited Zimbabwe, people would know whether it had been a good or bad year for me and ask what it was like being worth X million rand?!”

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With that capital injection, we now had more than the R50 million in primary capital that was required to obtain a banking licence, which

One downside of being a listed company was that the remuneration of directors was published and as

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such people in Zimbabwe would regularly view my total remuneration to establish whether or not I was having a good year. I had to contend with such questions as: “What’s it like being worth X million rand?”

In 2000, things started to go pear-shaped. We had a squabble with NAIL our controlling shareholder which precipitated a decision by NAIL to unbundle their shares. From having one strong solid shareholder with good BEE credentials, we suddenly had a shareholder base of about 20,000. Then there was a banking crisis when a number of banks went under. Consequently, our banking licence was not making us money and we eventually handed it back to the Reserve Bank in 2001.

This was followed by staff cuts as we adopted a model that was limited to corporate finance, private equity and hedge funds. We also opened an operation in Ireland which we retain to date with a country manager and a few staff. A change in the leadership in 2002 saw the founding CEO Rob Dow step down for the current CEO, Andrew Sprague. There was poor market sentiment in our share price going below the original listing price.

At one point in time, our net asset value was higher than our share price which triggered discussions on the merits of delisting from the JSE. In 2003 Allan Gray controlled a 30% stake in the company (on behalf of its clients) and rumours began to float that a hostile takeover was imminent. We called on an old friend at Investec South Africa and our discussions resulted in Investec financing a management buy-out

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(MBO) of the business. The MBO ultimately worked out well for all parties and by the end of 2009 we had repaid Investec’s funding.

Now some may look at this story and view it as “The Rise and Fall of AMB”. I think of it as “The Evolution of AMB”. Whereas being a listed entity gives you visibility and enables the use of your shares as currency and to reward staff members, I do not see the point of remaining listed just for the sake of it. When we were listed management owned about 15% of the company. Now, we are six partners who control 100% of the business. It is a lean structure that works and we are able to harness its full potential. Decision making is quick and easy and we have full control of a solid balance sheet.

On a personal level, I have given a third of my life – a whole 16 years - to this company. I am the longest serving executive and it feels like I have worked for about five different companies given all the changes the company has been through from an exciting start up, to a registered bank, then a listed company and its current form as a privately owned investment banking business following the successful MBO. There have been a couple of lessons learnt along the way; firstly it is important to go into business with the right partners who will add value; secondly, you need to be cautious when you are growing too quickly; and thirdly, partnerships don’t necessarily last forever. When you come together, your interests are aligned but at some point this can change and you may outgrow each other.

I cannot therefore say that I will be at the company “until death do us part”. I consider myself a Zimbabwean who has settled in South Africa and so I will be really happy to close some lucrative deals in my country of origin for AMB. I think the dollarisation of the economy has improved the situation there even though I do not think that coalition governments are the answer to governance in Africa. I would prefer a ruling party that wins a free and fair internationally monitored election.

That said, the signs in Zimbabwe are good and I would be very pleased to see the establishment of an AMB Zimbabwe.

EXPAT-TITBITS : Age 45. Has a passion for music (R&B and jazz). Married to Patience Lusengo. Has 2 Daughters, Farai and Alinaswe and a Son,Charles. “Looking forward to charging lobola!”

Arrive relaxed and refreshed for that all important business meeting on our Airbus 340-200 from +PIBOOFTCVSH UP /BJSPCJ 8JUI MJF nBU TFBUT JO #VTJOFTT $MBTT BNQMF MFHSPPN JO &DPOPNZ $MBTT BOE PVS JO nJHIU IPTQJUBMJUZ ZPV DBO BSSJWF SFMBYFE BOE SFGSFTIFE GPS CVTJOFTT PS MFJTVSF Go to Ă \VDD FRP DBMM PS DPOUBDU ZPVS MPDBM USBWFM BHFOU BOE CPPL OPX 5FSNT BOE $POEJUJPOT BQQMZ

TTG/100/28

NOW WITH MORE SPACE IN ECONOMY CLASS. AND, LIE-FLAT SEATS IN BUSINESS CLASS.

THE REBIRTH OF RWANDAIR

ExpaT-Travel

R

wandair Express began operations on 1st December 2002 as the new national carrier (passenger Air transportation as the core activity) for Rwanda with a concession to carry out airport ground handling (ancillary activity) at Kigali International Airport, Kanombe.

In 2009, the airline rebranded from Rwandair Express to RwandAir and added the tagline “Fly our dream to the heart of Africa” at the same time.

The rebranding has been matched by an impressive expansion of its fleet and the number of destinations in a bid to achieve its corporate mission of “providing unsurpassed, safe and reliable services in air transportation, including strategically linking Rwanda with the outside world, while ensuring a fair return on investment”.

The airline now serves most East African community capital cities with daily flights and flies to Johannesburg and Dubai three times a week. Its fleet comprises two Boeing 737-500, two Bombardier CRJ200 and a Dash 8. A further two Boeing 737-800 are set to join the fleet in the course of 2011. The two Boeing 737-800 NG will be the first of their kind to be owned by an African carrier since they are fitted with the “Sky Interior” concept adopted from the Boeing 787.

In March 2011, the airline launched direct flights from her operating hub in Kigali to Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo. The new route sees the carrier undertake three weekly flights on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

In a statement to the press, RwandAir CEO, John Mirenge, announced that

the airline has been evaluating a number of destinations west of Kigali with a view to link Central and West African cities with East Africa.

“We are looking at growing our network to the west whilst at the same time doing it in a way that will support our existing routes especially Dubai,” he said.

Brazzaville became the ninth destination to be added to the RwandAir network and its first this year. The city, which is home to over one third of the Republic of Congo population, lies just across River Congo from Kinshasa.

To add to the strides made by the airline in 2011, RwandAir and Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques

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ExpaT-Travel

(SITA) have entered into various agreements that will allow the national carrier acquire some key travel solutions, which will improve its service offering through better distribution and customer retention.

These solutions include the SITA e-commerce platform which will allow for e-ticket distribution on the RwandAir website with credit card payment facility. The system went live in the second quarter of 2011. The airline will also be getting the Horizon FrequentFlyer system as part of its customer relationship management.

“We want to make it convenient for customers to access our services by taking advantage of the reach of the Internet and emerging e-commerce applications. The SITA e-commerce platform will not only provide a new booking option for customers already familiar with our airline and its services, but also help us reach more international travellers around the world.” said RwandAir’s Head of Marketing & Corporate Communications Michael Otieno.

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“The prospect of having the miles based reward program from SITA will not only help us recognize and reward our frequent flyers but we will also be better placed to learn more about them and their travel needs”, he added.

Late last year, the airline partnered with local mobile telephone companies in Rwanda and Burundi to provide flight schedule services on SMS. The airline plans to make

mobile ticket sales and check in a possibility for its customers t and d iis currently tl putting tti up an in house call center facility to help it manage better-inbound and outbound calls.

Just like the country to which it is affiliated, RwandAir has clearly been reborn. With continuous changes aimed at achieving its vision of “being the airline of choice in the markets we serve”, the only way is up for what was previously a little known player in the African Aviation industry.

LUNCH

WITH DR EKWOW SPIO-GARBRAH, RECENT TELKOM SA DIRECTOR

r. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah is a Ghanaian national who is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth Technology Organisation (CTO) in London. He is also the former ambassador of Ghana to the United States of America and served as a government minister during the regime of Jerry John Rawlings. I had lunch with the man who until recently was a director of Telkom South Africa and who some believe will one day be the President of Ghana. In the brief encounter at a Johannesburg hotel, I only got to ask four questions to which I received loaded answers.

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What is your opinion of what is going on in Africa at the moment with the rebellions in the North and coalitions in the Sub Saharan region?

Africa is going through another phase of its political evolution. There was the independence era when we got rid of colonial masters. Then the military rulers took over. They did not have adequate knowledge of public administration and economics and so this was soon replaced by western style democracy with civilian rulers.

The leadership in North Africa is largely made up of 30 year old family regimes which have over the years

proved not to be as uncorrupted as people presumed. High food costs have also caused people to take to the streets. In Sub Saharan Africa, democracy is also not working particularly well as evidenced by the situation in Cote D’Ivoire, Zimbabwe and Kenya. The problem is the winner-takes-all structure where those belonging to the ethnic group of the ‘defeated’ candidate feel like they will be in the cold for five years and therefore refuse to accept defeat.

The challenge therefore is to figure out how to let others feel like winners even when they lose elections. We need to structure it in such a way that we are able to share benefits of

growth and development equitably.

What is the situation like in Ghana and what is your view of Ghanaians in the Diaspora?

In Ghana we have a winner takes all set-up which works, but only on a superficial level. More than fifty percent of the population is not on board and those that fall in this category are perceived to be enemies of the state. We are therefore only tapping into fifty percent of the talent pool and must find a way of tapping into the rest for growth and development. One does not have to be a minister to be a member of government. Using technology we can turn brain drain into brain gain whereby someone in Diaspora can use the knowledge and experience gained in their positions to be part of a government task force. We need to know where these people are and identify their skills set. Many in Diaspora would like to contribute to the economic development of their home countries but may not be in a position to physically move back.

The proliferation of ICT’s the world over has made it possible for them to make meaning contributions from wherever they are. The onus now lies with governments to find a way to tap into these resources.

education and the development of expertise. We need leaders who embrace new ideas. With so many online groups, governments need to use them to benefit the country rather than treating them with suspicion.

My challenge to Ghanaians in the Diaspora is that they should take an interest in their country. They don’t need to go back but they can send ideas. The differences in per capita income around the world is the reason people migrate but the desire to go back home may not necessarily be economically driven.

I left a USD10,000 a month job at

corporate governance. Some months before my tenure was over, I was asked to invite myself to pursue other things and that was that.

Africa is very behind in technology. We barely invent or manufacture anything. Even in South Africa, manufacturing in say the vehicle industry has to be done under licence from abroad. In terms of original research and development, we barely invest anything here.

There should be policies to force manufacturers from abroad to spend a certain percentage of their revenue on research and development. A lot of work needs to be done to make Africa not just a consumer of foreign technology but also a part of the global value chain. As minister for education, I banned the importation of chalk which spurred the local industry. But soon after, the regime changed and the new government recommenced the importation of chalk. We talk about making the right change and when you get into government, people push a few envelopes your way and you forget what you are there to do.

“I left a USD10,000 a month job at the Africa Development Bank to earn USD 500 a month as a government minister.

Not everyone believes in such sacrifice....”

We also need the right leaders.

As Minister of Education, I established the Ghana Education Trust Fund where a portion of the amount spent on purchasing goods went to funding

the Africa Development Bank to earn USD 500 a month as a government minister in Ghana. Not everyone believes in such a sacrifice when going into government but they need to understand that this institution is not a dividend sharing enterprise.

What was your experience as a director of Telkom South Africa and what is your view of technology in Africa?

I was appointed to the board by the Mbeki regime when Telkom was considering various opportunities outside the country. I served for three years during which I was perhaps too independent minded and adhered too strictly to the principles of

Given your extensive life lessons, what would be your advise to young professionals?

First, try and discover your purpose on earth early. We all have different talents and some people only find out when they are too old to do anything about it. They are still sorting their destinies out in the

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cemetery. Do not end up like that.

Secondly, invest in developing your skills by pursuing education hopefully with the support of those around you.

Thirdly, be as entrepreneurial as possible so as not to be too heavily dependent on others. Learn about business development, accounting and marketing so that whatever business idea withstand.

you

pursue

can

Finally, as an individual, you should have strong values particularly integrity. At one point you will have to assume a position of

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leadership and you should therefore be able to represent other peoples’ interests and not just your own.

- KC Rottok

ExpaT-TalK

THE TERRIBLE TWENTIES

“It’s the period where you make the decision to no longer be the person who falls asleep at work because you partied until 4.45 a.m. the previous night.” he Terrible Twenties”, a rollercoaster era whose ups and downs make you realise how little you know about life. This era is characterised by the pursuit of excellence, the desire and determination to set up your own company and be the next African on the Forbes list, the planning of a trip to Mauritius (with a one way ticket ) where you ‘relax’ on the beach and waitress to make enough money to get back as you figure out how to make it through the rest of this life, because the hustle, bustle and rat race are really not for you… or are they?

You are after all doing this on your own aren’t you? Inevitably, the time comes to buy furniture, groceries and other decorative titbits in a bid to making your new ‘cosmopolitan apartment’ as cosy as your room at home. Slowly, you begin to realize that things are not adding up and, with your tail between your legs, you ‘borrow’ a TV from home, crockery from your sister, petrol card from your elder brother…before you know it, you find yourself moving back home, and realize that you are surprisingly happy to do so! Surely independence can wait another year or two?

It’s the period where you make the decision to no longer be the girl/guy who falls asleep at work because you partied until 4.45 a.m. the previous night. Where you vow that you are done with clubbing - that’s for university students, you are now a professional - to which end you meet for a series of coffees with ‘sensible friends’ at decent hours, attend gallery openings, go to expensive poetry sessions paying tribute to Yeats, Shakespeare and Wordsworth.

It’s about getting home after your ‘night of culture’, finding yourself bored stiff and proceeding to plan a clubbing session for the following night. So much for the vows.

Decisions about life partners are an eternal fixture during the Terrible Twenties, today the theme song of life could be “ Independent women”, but after meeting that friend of a friend’s friend…well, tomorrow, number one on the play list could be “I am nothing without you’. *sigh* Determined to be respected at all costs, we quit our jobs because we refuse to be dictated to and would rather starve than not be true to ourselves. It is however not long before we cringe at the thought of being unable to pay our gym membership after two months which prompts us to quietly crawl back to the same position, in a different organisation where we are suddenly convinced that we are fulfilling our life’s purpose.

The crux of the Terrible Twenties though, is the “It’s time to move out phase”. You proudly announce your decision to the family who obligingly accompany you on the hunt for the perfect cosmopolitan apartment (which turns out to be a tad more cramped than you anticipated) and you sign the lease.

In spite of this, the Terrible Twenties are not so much Terrible as Triumphant. They truly are (excuse the cliché) about “finding one’s self”.

People say that 30 is the new 20. That at 30, things get better, more exciting

and more fabulous. Independence is no longer an illusion but a reality, a solid and well maintained one.

The confusion and uncertainty are lessened and that Mauritius trip now includes a return ticket. Best of all, by 30, you have usually “found yourself” and are unapologetic about it. As for that life partner? Well, by the time 30 arrives, you usually have a much clearer idea of what it is that you are looking for and that makes the search more enjoyable.

So, here’s to a few more years on the rollercoaster. Fortunately, according to very reliable sources, the real fun has yet to begin. To those in the Terrible Twenties, enjoy the ride and to our close counterparts, the Thriving Thirties, you make it look good. We look forward to getting there!

Sheila Lynn Senkubuge is a communication pathologist based in Pretoria.

Email sheilalynns95@gmail.com

RAWTALK BY ROTTOK

THE LEGEND OF LEWIS

received an invite to attend a presentation by British born South African long distance swimmer Lewis Pugh at the Sandton Convention Centre late last year. You may have seen him in the Investec TV ads immersing himself in the icy waters of the North Pole as, in the background, a narrator with a strong British accent talks of the “Out of the Ordinary”. The fact that the organisers had to change from a smaller venue to one that could accommodate a couple of hundred, is testament to the public interest in the man.

Lewis takes the stage. He is the picture of simplicity dressed in an un-tucked light blue shirt, an old pair of blue jeans and a pair of all stars.

“A normal indoor swimming pool is about 27 degrees centigrade,” he opens and immediately gets down to business assisted by a projected photograph of him diving into the North Pole waters, “11 for the cold

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sea off Camps Bay and five for the water that killed the Titanic passengers. Fresh water freezes at zero. This salt water here in which I swam a kilometre is about minus one point seven degrees. It’s freaking freezing!”

Laughter greets this introduction and Lewis goes on to tell the tale of his many ground breaking swims across the world. After the presentation, I bought a copy of his book “Achieving the Impossible” which was on sale and it proved to be a delightful read.

The well written paperback is a life story that begins with his description of his journey into South Africa. Probably every expatriate remembers their first encounter with this beautiful country. Pugh’s description of his is fantastic.

“I had read about the Statue of Liberty standing guard and welcoming immigrants to America as they sailed into New York,” he writes, “Table Mountain had the same effect on me

as RMS St Helena slowly steamed past Robben Island into Cape Town Harbour. If this was Africa, I wanted more of it.”

His introduction to South Africa as a child was not a very pleasant one with most kids who had a ‘general antipathy towards England’ regarding him a “pom”. From the book, you gather that his British roots have remained strong. He reveals in seventh chapter that the fact that he still felt British drew him back to England to work at a London law firm and attempt to become an officer in the British Army.

Ironically, when he was retrenched, he worried that it was because he was South African. Later in the book, he discusses that as he becomes famous, the question of whether he is South African or British comes to the fore. He writes: “South Africans regarded me as one of theirs.... though I loved South Africa,

I felt more British. The question of what nationality you feel yourself to be is an evolving one and relates to a degree on where you are living.”

The identity issues aside, the book is largely about his love for the water and his determination several times to achieve what no man had achieved before. It is written in a manner that encourages others to drive themselves. The reader

the way in which he brings out the dilemma that many face; be miserable in a well paying career or pursue something less lucrative that makes you happy. Page two fifty nine tells you what choice he made: “I was rich in experience but penniless....my three years of full-time swimming had been vastly more rewarding than the years I’d worked in maritime law.”

“The main reason for risking his life swimming in sub zero water was to draw the world’s attention to global warming. As he put it: “You shouldn’t be able to swim across the North Pole.

It should be frozen over.” is likely to identify with much of the content as it centres on taking on challenges which is part of any human experience. The quote on the back cover sums it up very well: “Each one of us, however ordinary we may appear, is capable of extraordinary acts. When you believe in yourself, you can achieve the impossible.”

Whereas he had not excelled on the monetary front, Lewis emerged as a champion for the environment.

The main reason for risking his life swimming in sub zero water was to draw the world’s attention to global warming. As he put it: “You shouldn’t be able to swim across the North Pole. It should be frozen over.”

I particularly identified with his story about the very beginning of his adventures when the many nay Sayers said he would not join the ranks of the few people to ever swim from Robben Island to Cape Town. He says proving them wrong made this swim the most exalting one. Another highlight for me was

As a result of that swim, he got to speak to highly placed people about climate change including the likes of Tony Blair and appeared on highly rated American TV shows such as Jay Leno’s Tonight Show.

Although the book is not a-laugha-minute, there are moments that

RAWTALK BY ROTTOK

will make you giggle such as his anecdote of swimming in a semicircle in Lake Malawi due to his fear of hippos.

Overall, it is a good and inspiring read. The sixteen page pictorial in the middle of the publication adds a handy visual account to a compelling

story. It also has several good quotes which I think years from now people will refer to. “...the power of a made up mind. You don’t plan for defeat and success at the same time,” was one that stood out for me.

page are incorrect, a minor flaw that you can ignore. That’s just me being an editor.

KC Rottok is Technical Partner at RSM Betty

and

Dickson

(Johannesburg)

email editor@expatriate.co.za

My only criticism is that the page numbers on the contents

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E T H

ExpaT-Travel

H I O P I A

13 MONTHS OF GORGEOUS WOMEN y boss recently instructed me to travel to Ethiopia.

Hoping to be better prepared by conducting some ‘pre-travel research’, I emailed my well travelled friend Ohanga for some information.

A couple of hours later I received this reply: “Well, there’s some good food at the Zebra Grill on Bole road in the capital Addis Ababa. They do have a sour tasting thing called ‘injera’ -which I doubt you will enjoy-and even m o r e

bizarre, is that uncooked meat is a delicacy there. Their best beer is St Georges and there are a couple of good nightclubs like Memo.

The price for most commodities will be quoted in dollars when they actually mean birr, their local currency. The local scenery is also worth a mention, Ethiopian women are drop dead gorgeous. English is scarcely spoken and when done, connectors are largely superfluous.

Please don’t forget to carry some Axumit wine back as a gift for your

“Ethiopia was very much like you promised. When I arrived, I befriended a toothless cab driver called Chernet.

His box-shaped “Lada” was a Russianmade excuse for a car that was so old it had surpassed the maximum kilometre reading. He was however quite resourceful so despite fearing that the car would fall apart at any moment, I decided to retain him for a drive around town that evening.

He arrived at about 10pm, whiteless smile in tow. English, or more appropriately the lack thereof, is as you described – not a conjunction in sight. “We go music and woman” is what the man thought I wanted to hear.

We headed to Memos club which initially played American music but as midnight approached, the monotonous din of Amharic tunes began to rule without interruption. To the untrained ear, it sounds like one very long song that never ends so I did not last very long on the dance floor.

Instead, I sat close by and watched the locals engage in a very entertaining dance.

“It was a great privilege to visit what is perhaps the most unique country on this continent.” friends; it’s indigenous and very sweet. Stay away from Saba Tej, the local brew, we were told it is the medicine for real men.

Have a Safe trip.”

My research done, I boarded a comfortable Ethiopian Airlines flight for Addis Ababa a few days later. It was quite an eventful trip and as soon as I got back, I eagerly wrote back to Ohanga letting him know how it went.

You were right about the women.

One would not be blamed for thinking that entrance for ladies was limited to those who prevail upon the barometer of beauty. I am yet to see a bigger collection of angelic faces outside of a carefully casted TV show. Sensing I was foreign, a number of ‘working girls’ approached me with steep

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ExpaT-Travel

demands. I finally discovered a place where dark skin is actually the colour of money. Man to man, all I can say is that this is most certainly a city with plenty of A Dis and A Dat for a Baba.

I decided to call it a night and headed back to the hotel.

The following morning, Chernet took me to Haile Selassie’s tomb which is placed next to that of his (Selassies) wife at the back end of a historic chapel. The tomb is made of beautiful grey marble and is placed upon four creative platforms in the shape of a lion’s paws. This is fitting as the former emperor wielded power similar to that of the king of the jungle and not only locally. Years after his death, he remains a kind of messianic figure in Rastafari culture, a relationship that persists as evidenced by a group of Jamaicans living in Shashemene, a village south of Addis Ababa.

My visit to the museum thereafter was quite informative as a trail up and down the massive hall documents the various empires of the only country in Africa never to be colonized. The archaeological remains of a famous figure in the timeline of human evolution christened ‘Lucy’ can also be found here.

At lunch, I indulged in some ‘injera’ with ribs and contrary to your initial assessment, I loved it! It was so good I demolished it in seconds. I also managed a sip of the near-blinding Saba Tej which made me instantly dizzy and induced a high two minute fever. I spent the afternoon in the Mekhato which I came to learn is a leading contender for the title of Africa’s largest market. Gold items,

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Ethiopian clothing and wine were all sold at what seemed to me to be throwaway prices. I also purchased irtee een n their unique calendar that has thirteen nccie ien nt nt months and is written in their ancient alphabet. tly My flight out of Ethiopia was most mostly ay uneventful. I slept most of thee w way g by a only to be woken up for landing ingg in in n sweet smelling goddess shouting me! e!” her broken English “Give it to me!” to the the It’s a pity she was only referring to blanket. ege to eg All in all, it was a great privilege uni n que qu ue visit what is perhaps the most unique country on this continent.”

- KC Rottok

ExpaT-Talk

Sub - Saharan Africa:

N e w E c o n o m i c Va l u e - C h a i n f o r J o b C r e a t i o n

ince the start of the global financial crisis, job creation has been the main focus of all governments especially those in the emerging economies of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This need has triggered a nearly convulsive political response in Africa, given that the majority of elections are won and lost on the back of the state of an economy and the mindset of the wage earners.

permanent jobs.

Infrastructure development will always create some seasonal jobs. The underlying economics of job creation is deeper than a government’s periodic investment in infrastructure expansions. Long-term job creation depends on smart policies which promote economic competitiveness.

Global experience has shown that

generate new jobs, we need to create new demands in the economy as this is a sign of economic prosperity.

However, the African population has been over-indebted and underemployed. The New SSA must not be good for tourism only but also at manufacturing export products and services. The economic dynamics of the export trade normally stimulates domestic demand leading to jobs creation.

The most positive economic sign for SSA is that the global economy is pulling out of recession and therefore promoting the movement of investment capital to Africa.

“Both the World Bank and IMF have predicted that Africa will be the epicentre of global economic growth but to generate new jobs the region needs to create economic demand.”

The SSA’s technological assets and human capital must facilitate the transformation of national resources into globally marketable products and services.

The problem in SSA is that corruption of epidemic proportions in both the public and private sectors has increased the cost of doing business resulting in uncompetitive and curtailed growth of the Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) which are the main sources of new job creation globally.

SSA governments can do little in the short-term to generate

the job creation machine has always been private enterprise.

The good news is that SSA has become the most competitive investment destination in the world.

In the course of the next two decades, Africa is likely to see high growth in the private sector driven by private equity capital. Both the World Bank and IMF have predicted that Africa will be the epicentre of global economic growth but to

Professor Michael Ogembo Kachieng’a is a Biomedical Engineering Scientist and Professor of Technological Entrepreneurship at the Graduate School of Technology Management, University of Pretoria. He is a member of New York Academy of Sciences.(michael. kachienga@up.ac.za)

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“We have improved our value added business and increased capacity...”

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Kewberg Cables, Transcentury’s Entry into SA ranscentury is one of the most respected organisations in East Africa given the immense success of the group in various industries in the region. The most well known subsidiary of Transcentury is leading cable manufacturer East African Cables (EAC). Hence it was not surprising that when they sort to widen their investment portfolio, the result was the acquisition of Kewberg Cables in South Africa among other initiatives on the continent. The manufacturing entity in Alberton in the south of Johannesburg was acquired in late 2007. In the beginning of 2008, Kenyan James Kaguchia took over as CEO and recently he took time off a busy schedule to discuss the enterprise with us.

Transcentury, particularly the transition to heading Kewberg Cables?

When I arrived, the corporate environment struck me as different to what I was used to. It was a very mixed group of employees with a largely white management which we retained. I experienced a bit of culture shock in the work environment as there appeared to

floor. You can always tell how things are progressing by going down to the floor rather than looking at the paperwork so I make a point of going there about three times a day.

What are the core products of Kewberg and who are your key clients?

Kewberg has certification from the South African Bureau of Standards

Tell us about yourself and your personal experience with

be a serious lack of urgency here.

On a personal level, I was far away from the shareholders and my family who only joined me six months later. I was also in a remote area of a new city and not accustomed to getting around. However, I am more settled now having befriended a number of people. I have also become accustomed to my position.

My management style varies seeing as I pay attention to detail when it comes to administration and finance but I am willing to just look at the big picture when I am on the factory

for the manufacture of specialised cables. Contractors and engineers discuss what type of solution the client is looking for and we then design the cable according to their requirements. Our main product lines are cables for instrumentation and control used by mining and petrochemical entities such as the National Refinery, Sasol, Anglo platinum and Anglo gold. These relate to different products such as pull key cables for deep mine communication and the miners helmet cables. We are actually market leaders in this

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37

area and export to India, Poland and Australia. Another major client is Eskom through subcontractors for whom we manufacture specialised cables. We are also leading manufacturers in cables for the security and safety industry. Other sectors we serve include the airline industry and military who we supply a whole host of cables including defence specification cables and runway lighting cables.

In your view, what are the challenges that Kewberg faces?

Our main raw material is copper which we import from Zambia, Dubai and India. There are issues here with supply logistics as well as managing the price. Skills are also a problem in our industry as entities are mainly run by apprentices rather than engineers who are difficult to find. : We remain committed to improving our Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) credentials and continue to make significant strides in this area.

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The largest manufacturer in South Africa manufactures low voltage cables based on longer lengths. We on the other hand are short oriented and are therefore a more valueadded manufacturer.

How has Kewberg performed since acquisition by Transcentury?

Subsequent to the acquisition, we received the ISO 9001 certification.

We have also improved our value added business and increased capacity if you consider our tonnage per month. Our instrumentation and control cables used to be 23% in terms of product mix which we have pushed up to approximately 40%.

This has insulated us from the harsh effects of costly imports as well as competition. Our margins have also improved.

In 2009, we had a loss of revenue arising from changes in metal price in that year. The recession resulted in reduced purchasing power from the customer but this neither led to restructuring nor did it stall our expansion plans. Overall the improvement in financial performance and capacity has been over 42% since taking over. From 2008, we have spent a significant amount on expansion and the benefits of this are expected to be seen in this financial year.

What plans are in place for the company going forward?

Well the board has approved measures to improve our BEE compliance. We intend to relook procurement as well as do extensive enterprise support.

We have plans to increase spending in social development and improve our employment equity score through training.

Additional capital expenditure has also been earmarked for the building of new production facilities and we have put aside funds towards our plan to expand our product offering. We will bring in new equipment so as to offer a full basket as we have realised our customers are also buying low and medium voltage cables. We would like to also partner with providers of fibre optic solutions and in this respect we are in discussions with a leading manufacturer in Asia.

Know Your Envoy

A G R I N A M U S S A , M A L AW I H I G H C O M M I S S I O N E R

N e w E c o n o m i c Va l u e - C h a i n f o r J o b C r e a t i o n

“I concur with the notion that the problems being experienced in Africa are as a result of women being excluded from decision making in spite of being the majority.” escribe your background before coming to South Africa?

I served on a number of Boards including holding the position of the chair of the Electricity Supply Commission of Malawi (ESCOM) and chair of the National Food Reserve Agency. I am still a director of the Foundation of International Community Assistance, a large micro-finance institution whose headquarters are in the USA.

don’t feel like smiling!

What do you perceive to be your biggest challenge as envoy to South Africa?

SA is our major trading partner and we signed a Joint Commission of Cooperation in 2007. It is my responsibility to enhance collaboration within the framework of this agreement as well as woo investors to Malawi. These bilateral relations are the focus of the High Commission while the consulate in Johannesburg is responsible for attending to the needs of expatriate Malawians such as the renewal of passports.

What can you tell us about the Malawians living in South Africa?

Is it challenging to be a female diplomat?

Having been the first female President of the Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce, I am aware that the challenge as a woman decision maker is to work extra hard to prove your potential. As an envoy, you have to cover more than one area and be on top of both economic and social matters. It helps being a woman as we are natural multitaskers. I have learnt a lot in this role including having to smile when you

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Malawians have been coming to work in South Africa for over 70 years now so it is not surprising that there is a large community here. Migration to South Africa is particularly easy for us given the relative proximity.

They were affected during the recent xenophobic attacks and we were very grateful for the support of the South African government. Our own government also stepped in and provided buses to repatriate some of those affected back to Malawi.

Tell us about your family.

I am married and have four children; Esnat, Moi, Grace and Henry Junior.

Unfortunately we lost Henry Junior, my youngest son, in a tragic road accident in 2004. I have a daughter in law Kondanani and a grand-daughter Agrina Junior. My husband is still based in Malawi and visits from time

to time. Some of my children joined me here which is a blessing. It is a lonely affair for those diplomats here who live in big houses without any members of their family.

What are you passionate about?

I am passionate about the empowerment of women because when a woman is empowered the whole family is empowered.

The major responsibilities in the African household are managed by the woman hence the need to economically empower her. I concur with the notion that the problems being experienced in Africa are as a result of women being excluded from decision making in spite of being the majority. Major socio-economic issues cannot be effectively solved if women are sidelined.

What do you do in your spare time?

I love reading which is a hobby I credit my father for nurturing in me. As a teacher and preacher, he always encouraged his children to read. I am so passionate about books now that whenever I have excess luggage it is because of carrying heavy books. I am particularly passionate about educational and inspirational material. I like the Expatriate magazine in this respect.

I find it inspiring from the point of view that it has a positive angle to it which is a welcome break from all the demoralising things we see about Africa in the news. I think it is a wonderful idea and is very professionally done.

- Carol Malonza

No one plans to fail, but many fail to plan Karabo Morule, Strategy and Marketing Executive at Old Mutual, explains: Interest rate and inflation rate fluctuations as well as the volatility of the market play an integral part in achieving your financial goals and dreams.

It is critical that your disposable income is allocated wisely – whether to reduce household debt or to commit to disciplined contractual savings to benefit of compound interest.

Compound interest is when you earn interest on the interest already earned by your money.

High inflation lower the purchasing power of the rand – when inflation is high the cost of bread will increase. Therefore, you need to save more than the current inflation rate to grow your wealth.

If you don’t get your finances right, you can’t get your future right. And because this is so crucial, financial decisions cannot be taken lightly.

A financial plan is unique to each person as everyone’s goals and dreams are different.

Good advice for your neighbour is not necessarily good advice for you. The critical take out is that it is not about the “right advice” – it is about “advice that is right for you.”

Crafting a financial plan requires a partnership between you and your financial adviser, and its success depends wholly on your commitment. The advice process is structured to ensure that your needs are analysed and understood, shortfalls are identified, and recommendations are made to address the shortfalls that are in your best interest. A financial plan also creates the platform to review progress towards goals on an ongoing basis as your circumstances change.

Current market volatility puts pressure on you to stick to your plan. This can lead to you making emotional decisions which could have detrimental impacts on your financial plan. It is therefore crucial to speak to your adviser first, so that he or she may help you to live within your means today and still plan for the future.

“We want to enable our customers to have a positive future and be the best they can be by utilising the wisdom that we have gathered over the last 165 years. With a myriad of solutions available, we encourage you to seek the advice of an accredited financial adviser who will assist in developing a financial plan. The financial plan provides you with the framework to maintain control over your finances and achieve financial freedom and security,” says Morule.

Developing a financial plan and accepting the counsel of a financial adviser as coach and partner is a commitment to making dreams a reality.

For more info on getting expert financial advice, contact Karabo Moleke , Manager: Regional Marketing, Personal Financial Advice: Johannesburg Region, Tel: 011 217 1316, Mobile: 082 758 3196, Email: kmoleke@oldmutual.com

NEPAD’S EDWIN MWITUMWA: THE CHAIR OF ZAMBIANS IN SA eet Edwin Mununga Mwitumwa, Head of Administrative Services at the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD).

Mwitumwa arrived in South Africa from his home town of Lusaka Zambia in 2005 to take up a position as the Regional Finance Officer at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). He moved to his current post from the UNDP in 2007. This after having decided to stay in South Africa in spite of the culture shock he initially experienced when he arrived.

“Many things are different here if compared to Zambia,” he notes, “For example, when I first arrived, I tried to purchase a car and offered the dealer cash assuming this would get me a better price as this is customary in the rest of Africa. He laughed loudly before informing me that he preferred a finance transaction as the bank would give him a commission. I realised that he was not really a salesman but an agent for the bank.”

Mwitumwa is still a bachelor which he says made the decision to relocate an easy one.

His stay here has been

further enhanced by his election to the position of Chairman of the Zambian Association in South Africa (ZASA).

“I was briefly vice chairman of the association before my elevation at the elections which happen once every two years. There was a feeling within the membership that there was a need for change. There is a need to integrate the community and stem current fragmentation. There was an amorphous aspect to ZASA such that even the High Commission viewed us as just another social grouping that came to life when there was need for

funeral arrangements or to welcome a Zambian musician who is in town,” Mwitumwa reveals.

He says that he asked himself what the drivers of the Zambian Society so as to turn ZASA’s attention to the key focus areas. This includes the desire by many members to invest both in SA and back in Zambia which they have catered for through the establishment of a Diaspora Investment Fund. In addition, there are the ZASA organised events that enable its members to network.

“Given the relative proximity of our country to SA, there is another section of the community that we have to bear in mind. These are the vulnerable lot who arrive here mainly by bus and are doing a number of low end jobs which unfortunately includes prostitution. They are in need of many things including bank accounts and social security. We are seeing what we can do to assist them including the creation of a benevolent fund,” he adds.

Hosting the current Zambian president in Pretoria alongside the Zambia High Commission has been one of the

achievements of the current committee. They enabled members to meet the Head of State and pose questions. Another plus has been the establishment of their new website (www.zambians.co.za) through which members register and keep abreast with developments in the community.

develop a translation for certain African languages and my ethnic group was asked to work with the Sepedi group from SA. A number of our surnames are similar if not the same as those you find here. Beyond that, you will note that Lusaka was the headquarters of the ANC during the struggle. Both President Mbeki and President Zuma lived there for long periods. It is disappointing for me

of Zambians in South Africa and on a higher level to foster good relations and strengthen trade between the two countries,” he concludes.

- Keith Kundai

“Lusaka was the headquarters of the ANC and both Zuma and Mbeki lived there. Zambians should use this trump card to advance their status in SA” Mwitumwa indicates that he is a Pan Africanist and strongly believes that Zambians and foreigners in general should do their bit in influencing perceptions about them in SA. He suggests that expatriates should be seen to be engaging in charitable projects in disadvantaged areas so as to show locals that we are not here just to “pick the cherries” of this great country but to make a positive contribution. This he believes will reduce incidences of xenophobia which he finds strange as there is a lot that we have in common. He adds that the connection between Zambians and South Africans is particularly strong.

that we have not played that trump card to connect with the veterans of that time who are now in key positions so as to advance the status

“If you study history, you will note that due to migration our languages are very similar. I was involved in a project by Google to

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Apollo Segawa: naughty mind would misunderstand the business objective of a company called Exotic Banana. But there is nothing untoward in the name. It is the food processing brainchild of Apollo Segawa, a food scientist who is turning over millions using the knowledge he gained from postgraduate studies in this discipline at the University of Johannesburg (UJ). In Uganda where he hails from, a banana based meal called matoke is very popular and it is fitting therefore that the fruit forms the main ingredient for his range of juices called Simple Natures.

“I studied the process of making food last longer at Makerere University,” Segawa explains, “It was a natural choice for me because I noticed that the capacity for this in Africa is very low. When a product is in season it is very cheap. In other periods, it is generally unavailable and hence if you can learn how to make food last longer you could sell it during these times at a good price.”

Segawa started teaching at UJ part time in 2005 and soon after started growing bananas in Mpumalanga and doing food processing at a small factory in this South African province.

The operation grew and in 2008, he left the university to focus on the business on a full time basis.

The Matoke Millionaire

Segawa is a short gentleman who seems to be constantly smiling. He even speaks with a tickle of laughter lacing every second word. But times have not always been joyful for the 35 year old entrepreneur.

“With anything new, it is always challenging because the market does not know your brand,” he explains with a slightly more serious tone, “The financial constraints in this particular business are also a concern because as you can see it is quite capital intensive.”

As we walk around his singlebuilding factory in Midrand,I take sight of the high start up cost.

Large silver metallic cylinders are surrounded by a few of his twelve employees. This was all made possible by the assistance of his brother and UJ who are both shareholders in the business. Another big boost was winning a capital injection in a competition for entrepreneurs conducted by an organization known as Enablis.

The achievement got his name into several publications including Food Review, The Star Newspaper and The Daily Sun. He has also been featured in Ugandan dailies New Vision and The Monitor. I ask him how it is being a celebrity.

As we sit down once again, a

hearty laugh precedes his response.

“I am not really a celebrity. But the publicity is good for business. I do a bit of consulting in the food industry as well so it helps in this respect.

It has also helped in growing the business. Only when I presented one of the articles to Shoprite did they open their doors to our products.”

We get interrupted by his wife Patience who is sitting a few metres away from him and needs help with a computer application before leaving the room momentarily. I ask him what he thinks of having his wife as a colleague.

“We work well together. She assists with the administration side of the business. I think I am under employing her as she has a Masters in Management so she will probably move at some point,” he concedes.

His plan for 2011 is to begin exporting to Swaziland and Botswana.

And within the next five years, he hopes to enter into partnerships that will increase the hectares they are using for banana juice so as to double the company’s production.

There are also plans to increase the variety of the product line which currently stands at eight juice flavours. As I enjoy the guava flavour, Segawa explains that unlike

other products in the market that use apple or pear juice to blend their juices, Simple Natures uses banana juice. The plan in future is to introduce ancillary products such as concentrated fruit, purees, jams and marmalades.

His wife returns and this time I direct the questions at her by asking what type of man her husband is. She sums him up in three adjectives.

“Caring, innovative and very hardworking.”

- Keith Kundai

“He has been featured in The Star, Food Review and Daily Sun as well as Uganda’s Daily Monitor and New Vision newspapers.”

ExpaT-TalK

Expatriates and South African based “Wills” “Having a will here and another in your country of origin poses a great danger.” he economic opportunities in South Africa enable many expatriates to build a substantial second asset base here in South Africa, in addition to their assets in their country of origin.

SA assets could include a car or two, a house and a portfolio of South African shares, with their potential for capital growth. Often overlooked, a considerable asset could be a person’s pension or provident fund.

But in the event of your death, what happens to the assets you accumulated since being resident in South Africa? Would a Last Will and Testament signed before you moved to South Africa be valid here? What taxes and duties will be payable?

What is the process before the estate can be finalised and the money paid to your dependents or beneficiaries?

The most important issues one has t o consider include:

• Will Any will drawn up in another country before you moved to South Africa would be valid in South Africa, if it complies with South African law.

This includes how the will has been signed, the age and competency of witnesses and who may inherit the assets.

However, to ensure your non-South African properties are allocated according to your wishes and the estate can be finalised appropriately, it is advisable you have a Will for your South African’s assets and another for your assets in the rest of the world. But a word of caution – the danger of having two wills is that the last one might inadvertently invoke the wishes of the other will if it is not worded correctly. For example, most wills have a standard clause whereby any previous wills are cancelled.

If both your wills include this clause, then the most recent one will nullify the other one.

South African legislation allows any person the ‘freedom of testation’.

This means that everybody has the right to leave their property to whoever they want.

However, some countries might have forced heirship and certain types of properties have to be given to your heirs according to that country’s hereditary laws.

In this instance it becomes necessary to have a separate Will for one’s South African estate.

•

On which assets will you pay SA inheritance taxes?

If you are living in South Africa, all your assets in South Africa and the rest of the world would be part of your estate – and therefore attract SA estate or inheritance taxes. The

only exclusions are assets which you acquired before moving to South Africa or inherited from any person who has not been a South African resident.

•

What if you do not have a valid will?

In the absence of a valid Will, your assets are allocated to your spouse, children and other relatives according to a specific formula as per South African intestate (“without a will”) legislation.

Your spouse will get a minimum of R125,000 from the estate, the rest is divided equally between the spouse and children.

Children born in and out of wedlock and all legally adopted children are all included.

•

How much are inheritance in South Africa?

SA estate taxes are 20% on estate.

This is the value of assets less liabilities.

The first million is tax-free.

taxes your your R3,5

• How long before your beneficiaries can inherit?

In practice it takes about two years before an estate might be finalised.

Your dependents could suffer a lot of hardship if your financial affairs are not organised correctly.

The aftermath of a loved one’s death is usually very traumatic, but by organising one’s affairs one can relieve some of the stress of the event. To ensure your loved ones can maintain their lifestyle in the event of your death, your assets are allocated according to your wishes and death taxes are minimised, put it on your to-do list to speak to a certified financial planner.

Hesta van der Westhuizen, BCom Adv Post Grad diploma in Financial Planning Law is a financial planner at Consolidated. www.consolidated.co.za

ExpaT-TalK

The

Rise

of

Multicultural

Kids!

“With tweeting and texting, these kids have real time conversations with their ‘best friends’ who are in a totally different part of the world.” igh up in the hierarchy of shocking occurrences that I am dealing with is the cultural gap between myself and my children. They have taken on a culture that is far from traditional to the family. What’s worse is that their culture shifts consistently- they have become multicultural kids (MCKs)! The gap is widened further by the technological advancement that my MCKs possess.

But I am consoled by the fact that this experience of bringing up children in a profoundly culturally mixed environment is becoming increasingly common even if a child is living in their passport country.

Let’s discuss the future of our global MCKs and society. The truth is that MCKs are the most dynamic and fastest-growing unconscious movement in the world today, simply by the fact that there are more young people interacting within two or more cultural environments for a significant period of time than there ever was.

Here is a story of one MCK called Mo. His parents belong to the same race but have been brought up within different cultures unlike his cousins whose parents share the same culture but belong to different races. When Mo’s family lived in their passport country he was sent to a school with a different cultural base and student mix from his traditional home culture. Mo has fond memories particularly of his neighbours who were refugees because their country was at war.

When Mo turned six, his parent’s, chose to pursue careers in another

country on a different continent.

After ten years they opted to be permanent immigrants so the families’ nationality and citizenship was no longer the same. In his new school he made friends with students who had various backgrounds; one of them crossed borders daily to come to school while another was an International adoptee. The father of Mo’s closest friend belonged to the military. He had lived in four to five different countries when growing up and with time it was clear to Mo that the military subculture was quite different from that of the civilian population.

In order for MCKs to thrive and flourish they have turned to the internet technology. Today, it has become so much easier to Skype. My MCKs often meet their friends and see each other face to face on the screen, at any time, for free. They are able to play computer games with friends across the world, as if they were just down the street. Their phones are constantly in their hands even during meals and most of the time I tolerate it because these social networking sites offer the opportunity for MCKs to keep in touch by posting photos, celebrating each other’s successes, exchanging information and talking over problems. With tweeting and texting, they literally can have conversations in real time with their friends anywhere in the world.

Revolutions are often perceived as threatening, however peaceful and popular they are particularly by those that appear to be losing control- in this case me! The incredible passion and intensity in

which my MCKs participate in their internet community is deemed as amazing or disconcerting depending on which side of the fence one sits.

Given this power shift, few indeed are the parents that aren’t trying to lure their MCKs back into family conversations to say the least. But for a teenage MCK, seducing them is not a trivial matter. Teenagers have a weapon they haven’t had before: online social networks. These networks have given MCKs the kind of muscle that can be a blessing or a veto for those it’s flexed upon.

What are parents supposed to do?

Should they ban all gadgets in the home or join in by playing games with them on the internet? Are MCKs playing in a ‘GlobalVillage’ or are MCKs changing the balance of power in relationships to the detriment of all?

Whatever the outcome, for all of us — the rise of the MCK community will be vast and profound.

Christine Asiko is the principal consultant of Strive Consulting, Christine@striveconsulting.com

ExpaT-TainerS

ZAMBIAN BORN PAUL IS THE BACHELOR – SOUTH AFRICA

ExpaT-TainerS

he show “Rivals in Romance” on MNET Series early this year (now on Vuzu) was similar in concept to the American reality series “The Bachelor”. An eligible gentleman spends a number of weeks with a bevy of attractive single ladies from which he eventually chooses a ‘bride’.

The main difference in the South African version was that instead of one man, there were two guys -Paul Phiri and Jonathan Klopper - fighting for the affection of 16 women . The final three girls -Shoneez, Terry and Tebogo- voted two to one for Paul to be the remaining bachelor. In the final episode, Paul picked Jo’burg based banker Shoneez Sidat as the winning lady.

Here is our chat with Paul after the show wrapped up.

and jeans. I was later involved in marketing for such brands as Cartoon Network and most recently was a Customer Relationship Amplifier for British American Tobacco (BAT).

How did you get to take part in Rivals in Romance?

I saw the advert on TV and actually thought it would be good for some of my friends and recommended it to them. I don’t have a six pack or anything so I didn’t think it was for me. However, some people encouraged me to apply and

whole bad boy image is the way they (the producers) wanted to take the show. I only found out afterwards that I was perceived to be a bad boy.

People who see me in that light don’t really know me the way my close friends and family do. I am really a very chilled guy. Perhaps the fact that I have a lot of confidence and know how to charm the ladies is what caused that misconception.

With a white ‘co-bachelor’ and girls from different backgrounds, was there any ‘race’ angle to the show?

Well with Jonathan there was. He made it clear that he wanted to stick to his race and at some point even associated our African food mogodu with dog poo. I would never be friends with that guy and beating him in the competition was the biggest highlight for me. I was raised not to see colour and my options when it came to the girls were very open. When my mum came onto the show, she spoke most highly of Terry who is white. I also loved her attitude and did not give much thought to her European descent.

“Girls seem to love the bad boy image and do crazy things to get my attention.”

What can you tell us about yourself?

I was born in Lusaka, Zambia in 1983 as the first born child of a Malawian father and Zambian mother. We moved to South Africa two years later. I grew up in both Hillbrow and Soweto and found the first few years here tough as I felt like I was being judged for being a foreigner. Kids would say nasty things based on what they heard from their parents at home.

Nevertheless I made the best of my experience here and pursued my dreams in entertainment. I used to be a professional dancer for Loyiso and Thembi Syete and also ventured into fashion by making ladies bags

I thought what the heck; I was single and the publicity would also be good for my career as an entertainer. After the auditions, I was called in for medicals and then informed I had got the role. I prayed and fasted about it and settled into the idea. I had done some modelling as a child so I knew I would be comfortable in front of the camera.

What do you have to say about those who think you are a ‘player’ because of having kissed so many of the girls on the show?

When I was told I had the role, all my guy friends were telling me to go out there and ‘do my thing’, but that isn’t me. I wasn’t about to go out there and start having sex with a whole bunch of girls. Kissing is not a big deal really and I feel that the

What has been the impact of the show on your life?

It has been a roller coaster.

People now recognise me in malls and clubs. My facebook and Blackberry messenger invites have substantially increased enabling me to grow my database. Girls seem to love the bad boy image and do crazy things to get my attention. I have since

WWW.EXPATRIATE.CO.ZA

49

ExpaT-TainerS

left BAT and am doing well with my entertainment career, working with the likes of Liquideep and managing a few DJ’s. I am also an ambassador for DC Shoes.

Finally, tell us about your chosen girl Shoneez, how are things going with her?

After the show, I did not see her for four months due to contractual obligations relating to the show.

That was difficult. I feel like she has been the same person during and after the show. I think highly of her and believe the feeling is mutual. I have helped her be a more confident person because I want her to know that first and foremost, she won and doesn’t have to compete with

anyone anymore. We are building our friendship slowly and I think it is going well although it is too early to talk about anything serious.

And this is what Shoneez thinks of the experience: I did not come onto the show looking for a relationship. I was really bored with my job and wanted to do something exciting. Being a part time model, I thought it would also help my career in entertainment.

And it was worth the risk as I am now a well known face. I frequently get recognised in malls and I am scheduled to feature in music videos and a couple of TV Ads. I was attracted to Paul and his bad boy image but I don’t really think he is like

that in real life because at the end of the day it was a show. He is a great guy and I think in the future we can be really good friends and business partners. I had a long relationship with Maurice Paige (Calvin on Isidingo) and we were going through a rough patch when I entered the show. Since then he has come back into my life and it is quite possible that we will resume dating.

Carol Malonza

Hanging on with Hannington

Nightlife in Pretoria: My take on Stones Night Club

“With the worst bar service any night reveller can find, Stones is crude, ghettoish and behaves like a thunderous factory mill....”

ot all garbage pits are created equal. In fact some are cleaner than others while others are more inviting and intoxicating. But there is one in Hatfield-a small University of Pretoria called Stones nightclub.

And for some reason, this dingy spot, offers the best attraction to any night-owl that is willing and ready to party hard regardless of the age. It’s an all-season’s joint with a blue-room ambiance probably fit for another movie shoot of the Godfather series.

It’s popular with varsity students with a big chunk from University of Pretoria while others are from the nearby high-rise slums. Once here, they are mandated to check-in like it’s an extension to one of the faculties.

But many others are grown people (like me) who have failed to find the evidence that life is serious.

They suffer from Peter Pan Syndrome, so to say!

There is something jolly interesting about this faculty of Stones.

To begin with; courses are cheap with shooters being the biggest draw card. Other subjects on offer are Pool Table, gold digging and lifting (the art of picking young girls for takeaway!)

For those who have never visited this spot, just picture a farm with a pigsty, a pen and a paddock all in one spot. Yes, a game farm with all sorts of animals. Young girls roaming like free-range chickens playing hide and seek from muscular cocks.

Then the late night seasonal Serengeti migration across to Zanzu night club begins. With the worst bar service any night reveller can find,

Stones is crude, ghettoish and behaves like a thunderous factory mill. And if you are the kind who derives some meaning in disorganisation, chaos and don’t mind about bad odour, this is your place.

Bathrooms are ridiculously busy with Hunters Dry wetting the floor like the Nile River. Most girls there are almost ready to give out their exact phone numbers until you realise the second last digit is deliberately wrong. You go home excited only to later on collapse on your bed trying out all permutations.

Also because of the smell of cigarette smoke and bad breath that sits thick in the air, be ready to discard your underwear, belt and socks afterwards. A few girls have confessed to me that with such an environment, it’s futile to put on underwear and one went as far as wearing a disposable nappy.

But the government should intervene on the way we are searched at the entrance. Burly smiling men run their thumbs all over our sacred bodies like we are their Al Qaeda wives. Granted a security check is vital especially if you have patrons from West Africa, but we plead for some moderation.

I know of a guy who once was asked repeatedly by these bouncers ... ‘’what is this?” He couldn’t explain because there were hotties in the queue. The chap kept mumbling while this bouncer kept hitting his zip. Not until later I saw the bouncer open his fly. Visibly disturbed, he let out “ummh! Gosh! Sorry, I thought it was a gun!”

Yes, brother, it’s his gun...that’s why there are girls inside waiting for the massacre.

Hannington Kasirye.

The Last Word

OH, WHAT A QUARTER!

“Unfortunately the death of Osama doesn’t mean that now when I fly I can leave my laptop in its case and have a can of deodorant in my bag so the person sitting next to me doesn’t have to smell my pits.” he last quarter has been pretty significant in the history of the world. On Friday the 29th April, most of the world was on a go slow in order to witness a rich guy born into a fortunate family marry a pretty lass.

Yes, I think it was a pretty massive non-event in my life not because I am a hater, but because I failed to see the relevance of the Royal family, theirs or any other. What value do they add other than preserve some archaic order that in my mind has no real relevance in today’s world?

But if that’s your thing, I hope it was fantastic!

Kate’s sister is quite hot though.

Then on the 1st May, the ‘Big One’ Osama Bin Laden was killed.

We all remember where we were when we heard about the falling of the twin towers on September 11th 2001. Roughly 3,000 lives were lost.

In 1998, there were the US embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania and approximately 225 people were killed. The blame for both events was placed on this man Osama. So for 3,225 lives or so, the Western World set on a ten year hide and seek with this perceived terrorist.

The adventure cost billions of dollars with many more lives being lost in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

I tuned into the news stations to watch the sensationalism going on regarding Osama Bin Laden’s death.

To be honest when I heard of his death, I think indifference is the word I can use to describe my emotion.

Osama, dead or alive is all the same to me, not because I feel nothing for

52

EXPATRIATE

those lives that have been lost, but more because his death will make no difference. Before him there were others and after him there will be more. I guess you can call me skeptical.

For me though the saddest pictures I saw were the jubilant celebrations at ground zero and all over America over his death. The death of Osama will unfortunately not restore the lives that were lost nor the millions that were spent during this ordeal of terror. The world is also not a safer place. This doesn’t mean that now when I fly I can leave my laptop in its case, have a can of deodorant in my bag so the person sitting next to me doesn’t have to smell my pits, leave my shoes on and not have to go through stupid x-ray machines. Au contraire, security needs to be heightened now because all these scenes of jubilation just fuels the hate.

For me to be truly satisfied, I would have loved to have seen him have his day in court to at least answer for some of his alleged crimes.

Finally, I think democracy is the future. I mean look at what is

happening in the Middle East, the people are tired and the people are speaking! Some might argue that it is all West induced, but I don’t buy that one. The West did not get hundreds of thousands of people to risk their lives in the hope of a better life; to fight against a machine that has ruled their lives and the lives of their parents for many a year.

Yaw Peprah is a self employed entrepreneur pursuing interests in business advisory, consultancy and commodity brokering. www.mondaymail. blogspot.com

Opportunities in Africa Zambia

Kenya

Mozambique

Nigeria

FINANCE MANAGER:

INVESTMENT MANAGER:

FINANCIAL MANAGER:

FINANCIAL CONTROLLER:

US$Negk

US$ Market Related

US$8k – US$10k/Month

US$80k – US$100k

Based on the copper belt this role will be full Ànancial control of an internationally operated mine.

Ref: PM001

Form part of a start up private equity team. Analysing potential investment opportunities for the fund.

Ref: PM002

FINANCIAL DIRECTOR:

FINANCIAL DIRECTOR:

FINANCIAL MANAGER:

US$120k – US$130k

US$100k – US$120k

Soft Commodities processing facility requires a skilled Financial Controller to manage the costs of the plant and procurement, reporting into the Financial Director and MD. Bachelor status accommodation.

Ref: PM003

To manage a team of 6, and able to implement new strategies.

Ref: AT001

Responsible for the implementation for new procedures and reconciliations.

Ref: AT002

Mining

Financial Services

Agriculture

Agriculture

FINANCIAL MANAGER:

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER:

Business Services

Financial Services

US$98k – US$120k Managing the Ànancial accounts of the Region and ensure that all reports are accurately and timeously recorded in line with the necessary standards.

Ref: BB001

US$180k – US$250k

FINANCIAL MANAGER:

Head up and manage the implementation of Ànancial policies, procedures, and controls that are in line with the relevant reporting standards and the rest of the Group.

Ref: BB002

US$85k – US$90k

FINANCIAL MANAGER:

Commerce

Manage small team and optimise Ànance function.

Ref: CF001

Automotive

US$90k – US$95k Be part of a Best Practice Ànance team and maintain strong controls.

Ref: CF002

SENIOR MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTANT: FMCG US$Negk

At least 3-4 years commercial experience. Management accounts, budgets and forecasting, reporting function, proÀt analysis, ensure company’s Ànancial security, strategic function.

Ref: DM005

FINANCIAL MANAGER:

FIXED ASSETS CONTROLLER: Banking

US$100k – US$105k Responsible for the management of the Àxed asset register and property Ànance function.

Ref: CF003

FINANCIAL CONTROLLER: Banking

FMCG

US$140k – US$150k

US$Negk

Responsible for entire accounting function including Forecasting, Planning and Budgeting, liaising effectively with industry regulators and ensuring that their Ànancial requests are met promptly.

Ref: JB004

2 years commercial experience.

Large focus on Ànancial reporting – i.e. losses, cash Áow and proÀts, management experience is also essential.

Ref: DM006

Zimbabwe

DRC FINANCIAL MANAGER:

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER:

US$34k – US$55k

US$Negk

Manage the full Ànancial function of the Region and ensure that all Ànancial accounts are accurately and timeously reported in line with the necessary standards.

Ref: BB006

Mining experience is advantageous – highly analytical, project -orientated with elements of operational risk.

Ref: DM001

FINANCIAL MANAGER: US$Negk

Mining

Mining

Adequate management experience is absolutely crucial. Overseeing entire function for the institution, attending, planning and running board meetings.

Ref: DM003

Liaise with the board in the UK and undertake international reporting.

Ref: AT003 Agriculture

US$15k/Month

Approximately 6 month contract.

Looking for an individual with a strong entrepreneurial mind set.

Ref: AT004

FINANCIAL MANAGER: FMCG

US$80 – US$90

Portuguese speaking candidate to manage small team.

Ref: CF004

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTANT: Hospitality

US$60k – US$75k

QualiÀed accountant for small operation, reporting to SA. Ref: CF005

FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER: Logistics

US$70k – US$90k Reporting to the General Manager, the Ànance and administrative manager will perform all corporate, accounting, Ànancial, Àscal, administration and reporting tasks.

Ref: JB001

FINANCE DIRECTOR: Engineering

US$Negk

Engineering company requires a South African who is Áuent in Portuguese, to take care of the Ànancial department.

Ref: JB002

Namibia FINANCIAL ACCOUNTANT: Mining

US$55k – US$70k Candidate must have 2 to 3 years in the resources/mining sector.

Ref: CF006

Malawi FINANCIAL CONTROLLER: Agriculture

US$80k – US$100k

Manufacturing

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER: Financial Services

US$180k – US$250k Head up and manage the implementation of Ànancial policies, procedures, and controls that are in line with the relevant reporting standards and the rest of the Group.

Ref: BB005

GROUP FINANCIAL MANAGER: Agriculture

US$Negk Portuguese speaking candidate to manage small team.

Ref: DM002

Congo FINANCIAL MANAGER: Oil and Gas

US$130k – US$145k

To join a Ànance team for an oil company based in Congo.

Must be able to speak French.

Ref: JB005

Tanzania FINANCIAL MANAGER: Manufacturing

US$90k – US$110k

Take on full responsibility for Ànancial business operations of a rapidly growing manufacturing concern.

Ref: PM004

Angola FINANCIAL MANAGER: Security

US$15k – US$20k/Month

Contract for 3 months to complete monthly reconciliations and statistical accounts.

Ref: AT006

Ghana FINANCIAL CONTROLLER: Oil and Gas

FINANCIAL MANAGER:

Full Ànancial control of this agricultural concern which is a subsidiary of an international business.

Ref: PM005

US$Negk

FINANCIAL DIRECTOR:

FINANCIAL ANALYST:

US$100k – US$125k

US$38k – US$55k

Natural Resources

Banking

Agriculture

Large focus on Ànancial reporting, management accounts, managing a small Ànance team, budgets and forecasting, minor tax focus.

Ref: DM002

FMCG

Manage a small team and drive new operations.

Ref: AT005

US$36k – US$60k

Responsible for the full accounting function, Forecasting, Planning and Budgeting of the company.

Ref: BB003 Information Technology

The role will entail analysis of the company’s forecast, budgets, actuals, and business dynamics.

Ref: BB004

Send your CV to you@antonapps.com quoting the relevant reference 0861 788 788 www.antonapps.com 073 788 7880