Nomad Africa Magazine Issue 6 July 2016

Welcome TO AFRICA!

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concept was born from a passionate desire to dispel the negative perceptions, which the world has held of the African continent, and to replace it with a positive focus. That concept took form in the creation of the Nomad Africa magazine in 2012.

Nomad Africa is an elegant, luxury, Pan-Africanist magazine, targeting the tourism, travel, social, political, cultural and business fields prevailing in Africa, operating out of Johannesburg, South Africa.

Nomad Africa celebrates life on the African continent and promotes its vibrant pulse through our Pan-Africanist ideology, to encourage the solidarity of Africans worldwide. It aims to foster a strong interest in the continent's cultural heritage, unique tourist attractions and countless business development and investment opportunities, with the millions of people living in, investigating or visiting Africa.

Nomad Africa inspires and breeds a conscious, knowledgeable generation of visionaries among our own, and influences positive perceptions and appreciation for the true worth of Africa worldwide.

Nomad Africa in print is circulated across the African continent with subscription and distribution absolutely free. Made available in VIP lounges of major international airports, some airlines, four and five star hotels, spas and casinos, as well as luxury cruise liners sailing around our coasts. These copies are free souvenirs, displayed and available to guests to remove and keep, adding further value to the venues’ services.

Placements: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban,

Mauritius and several Northern African destinations. New distribution points will be several locations in Namibia, Nairobi in Kenya and Accra in Ghana. Numerous international distribution venues are being negotiated, including Europe, the United States of America, United Kingdom, United Emirates and China.

The print magazine is in tandem with: Nomad Africa e-zine which is published digitally and circulated worldwide in a mobile friendly format, which can be downloaded, free-of-charge from our website. The Nomad Africa bi-monthly newsletter is sent to 65,000 subscribers internationally, with the number constantly growing.

NomadTV is the online digital television division of the Nomad Africa project. It regularly features interviews with representatives of government and tourism boards across the continent of Africa to showcase their unique offerings and destinations.

In addition, regular videos of newsworthy incidences, discoveries and many other noteworthy occasions in Africa are taped.

NomadTV is popularly employed to create advertorials for our distribution partners and advertisers.

All our productions are showcased on our website and the NomadTV Youtube channel.

The Nomad Africa project has created a unique advertising platform for clients wishing to promote business, investments and awareness of their services and products in Africa.

For more details, how you can partner with us, or invest in this unparalleled project, please e-mail us at: thepublisher@nomadafricamag.com or call +27 11 052 4597 and we will gladly arrange for a presentation.

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AFRICA REJOINS FOR THE FUTURE OF INFORMATION

Discop Africa is the main yearly event for the professional workers of Film and Television on the continent. The last gathering, held in South Africa, proved to be the stage of a pan-African cultural renaissance. Companies and private stakeholders from the five continents met and mingled to pursue unique business opportunities and celebrate the awakening of cinema and popular culture in Africa.

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in-win cooperation is the key word of the 2016 Discop gathering for the professionals of Film and Television in Africa.

The business-to -business-based event was hosted in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Showcasing representatives from across the world, Discop will be the perfect stage for television and production companies to surf the booming industry of entertainment and information in Africa.

International participants found in the continental market a fertile land for business. The previous edition, that was organized last November in Johannesburg, South Africa, put together producers and creative minds of the industry in an effort to enhance the artistic and business aspects of the show business. With a constantly growing base of viewers and an expanding network of broadcast companies, Africa is the perfect ground for investments and for the export of audiovisual products. “Over the last two years,” said Christoph Limmer of Eutelsat, “I’ve witnessed the highest ever demand for 14 |

Words & Photographs: ALESSANDRO PARODI

broadcast services in Africa”.

Low costs policies and an abundance of unique scenarios for shoots have also caused an increasing presence of major film productions on the African soil.

The choice ultimately contributed to the growth of expertise of the local workers in the industry and to a broader financial influx in the local market. Among many blockbusters filmed on the continent, “Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2014) features numerous scenes shot in Johannesburg and Soweto (South Africa), and “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015) was shot in South Africa and Namibia.

If Hollywood is capturing Africa into the big screen, Bollywood and the Asian industry of entertainment are rapidly becoming the top exporters of movies and television formats on the continent. South African DStv announced the opening of three new channels that will broadcast Indian movies and television shows. China, guest country of last year’s Discop, was the second most represented at the gathering, after South Africa. Presenting movies, documentaries, TV formats and radio shows, the Chinese pavilion buzzed with business opportunities on the promise that

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the future of broadcast in Africa will be under the wing of the Asian dragon.

European companies are also prepared to receive a share of the African Pandora box. France, traditionally bound to the West Coast by historical, cultural and linguistic ties, was the most active European country at Discop. The French Canal+ presented its expansion on the continent through sports. “We have 1.5 million subscribers in Africa,” stated François Deplanck, Director of Channels and Contents for the company, “and we host more than 50 channels in 20 different countries.” The palimpsest of Canal+ offers national and international football, basketball, fight sports, rugby, tennis, F1 and golf, as well as independent cinema and reality shows. “One of our most successful shows,” states Deplanck, “is a competition between hairdressers in Kinshasa.”

The revelation of Discop is the increase in local trends. Combined with the cooperation of countries of the likes of Nigeria, Kenya, Ivory Coast, South Africa and Cameroon, the growth of African-based companies and productions is impressive. Nadira Shakur, CoFounder of Nollywood Week Film

Special Feature | Discop Africa

Discop Africa was launched in 2008 and it is a great platform for African filmmakers and actors to share stories and do business together.

Festival in Paris, describes the Nigerian industry as “the second most productive in the world, after Bollywood and even before Hollywood”. Talking about budgets, Shakur specifies: “the whole value of Nollywood amounts to 5.1 billion dollars, allowing the production of movies worthy of the international competition”. To mention a few, Nigeria produced high budget live action movies as “The meeting” (2014) by M. Okwo, “October 1” (2015) by K. Afolayan, “Confusion Na Wa” (2013) by K. Gyang and “Dry” (2014) by S. Linus.

Despite the massive financial influx, local companies often struggle to face the costs of production. “The Nigerian

filmmakers”, admits Shakur, “are sometimes forced to maximize their budget and minimize the time investment, at the cost of precarious work conditions on the set”. Language is also a barrier when it comes to the export of African products, as the international audience is discouraged by the use of vernacular and demands movies and shows to be translated into English or French. Kenyan Caroline Mbindyo, Producer at African Voices Dubbing Company, explained the difficulties of such market and added: “in countries like South Africa, labour is very expensive. Cooperation can become very difficult when it comes to

such financial disparities”. Foreign investments are still the main source of income for African broadcasters, producing an influx of 60 billion USD in 2015.

In spite of the economical challenges, the Ivorian broadcaster Côte Ouest has made the African pride its trademark.

Its program merges entertainment and education. The animated series “Les Souayés” and “Pokou princesse Ashanti” portray sensible topics to raise awareness about morality and customs. The portfolio of the company that distributes fiction, live shows and animation made in Africa, reads: “We have the ambitious mission to reunite

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Discop Africa 2015 held in Johannesburg South Africa drew thousands of delegates from thousands of companies around the globe to the prestigious Sandton Convention Centre.

Top Left: Participants at the 2015 edition of African TV content market and exhibition Discop Africa Johannesburg, which recorded a 50% increase in attendance.

Top Centre: South African Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa, addressing delegates at the event, said that Discop Africa "helps to activate the television and film industry into embracing the knowledge that surrounds us and is also to be found within us".

Top Right: Of the 20-plus Chinese media companies that attended the Johannesburg event, six signed collaboration agreements with African television companies, which will see Chinese TV programmes being dubbed and located on the African continent in the near future.

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all these vibrant talents and flaming colours into a single catalogue”.

Riding the wave of Africa’s renaissance, Kenya prides itself of distributing 40 to 60 percent of local content on national TV channels. Lizzie Chongoti, CEO of the Kenya Film Commission, stated that “there are more Kenyan stories every year, and our database of producers is continuously expanding”. Kenya hosts the Kalasha International Film Festival,

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showcasing a fine selection of independent live action movies and animation.

Opportunities for filmmakers and productions are also abundant in South Africa. Multichoice and DStv broadcast South African contents worldwide, while the numerous film festivals organized yearly in the country keep the discussion alive on the new directions of cinema and arts. The Durban International Film Festival is famed globally and has now

China became the guest country of DISCOP Africa for the first time.

Six major collaborative deals were signed between South African and Chinese production companies at Discop Africa, Johannesburg 2015.

reached its 36th edition. In more than 50 years of cinema made in South Africa, the country has produced or coproduced cult movies such as “Sarafina!” (1992) by D. Roodt, “Tsotsi” (2005) by G. Hood, and “District 9” (2009) by N. Blomkamp.

Discop is indeed the perfect ground for a continental reunion. In the words of

Jane Munene, General Manager of Cinearts Africa Limited, “this gathering is an opportunity to get to understand each other. This continent is black but not dark, and we need to be positive and proud about its potential”.

Munene also evoked Agenda 2063 of the African Union, which questions the future of the black continent in the

next 50 years. “What do we want for our cinema in the next 50 years?” The answer shall be found in the understanding of the needs and habits of every country, fostering a common African feel. “Our filmmakers”, she concluded, “need to be able to say they are African without having to apologize.”

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THE GREEN ISLAND AND ITS

BLUE WATERS

Imagine sitting on a rooftop terrace, watching thousands of giant bats as big as a child flying overhead, from one horizon to the other. In front of you is a three-course meal: clams in cream sauce, tuna steaks from the local fish market you visited earlier, spinach from the garden, and more. In your hand is a glass filled with fresh fruit juice from fruits you can't pronounce.

Welcome to Wete, a town in the north of Zanzibar's forgotten sister: Pemba, the Green Island.

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Words & Photographs: MATHIEU DASNOIS

emba is about half as big as Unguja, Zanzibar's proper name. Together, these islands form the Zanzibar archipelago. It is technically a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania, and officials unnecessarily stamp your passport when you travel between Dar es Salaam and Unguja's Stone Town, perhaps harking back to a day when Zanzibar was independent from Tanganyika.

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Pemba boasts a rare 'megabat', the Pemba Flying Fox, endemic to the island and has a wingspan of 1.6 metres. I saw them in the northern town of Wete, my favourite place in Tanzania. The rooftop terrace is part of Sharook Riviera Grand Lodge, but anyone can see these bats as they fly at dusk, from their nesting grounds close to the harbour to their feeding grounds to the north, and back before dawn.

Close to Wete's harbour is the fish market, where a crowd gathers on the dark beach sand in the mornings, looking, assessing

Gallivant | The Green Island

the fish at their feet and bargaining. One at a time, the line-fishermen drag their catch from the boats, onto the wet sand.

Money changes hands at the water. Behind the crowd, the fish are cleaned and quartered. Tuna are sliced into two, with part of the tail and part of the head in each half. The fish pieces are placed on trading tables or loaded onto baskets.

Sometimes, whole sailfish are carried across a shoulder to a waiting bicycle.

They look heavier than the man carrying them, longer than the length of the bicycle that is to transport them.

Fish, fishing and tourists, who come to see fish, drive Pemba's economy. While Zanzibar has spectacular beaches, Pemba has world-class diving and snorkelling. To the west of Wete is a huge lagoon, the bay protected by

Fundo Island and Njao Island. Between these islands are small gaps, where the tides push nutrient-rich water in and out.

I managed to hitch a ride on a dive boat and when I jumped off the boat to snorkel in shallow water, about two metres deep, the tropical aquarium fish filled my vision. Big round corals almost reached the surface and tiny fish were hiding in every gap, swimming around and over this coral as if it was their whole world, a tiny planet submerged in shallow water. There was another coral, only a few metres away. I inched through the water, from one coral to another, one planet to another, until suddenly the ocean floor just disappeared, and I was swimming over the edge of a cliff. Dark, deep water staring up at me. That was where the divers had gone, exploring

this vertical world. I could see bigger fish, living in ledges and crevasses on the cliff.

I took a deep breath and plunged, diving along the cliff and into the dark blue deep.

After a stop at a second site, which looked like an underwater mountain, we stopped for lunch. There were so many hidden little beaches, we took our pick.

It can be difficult for a backpacker to access remote areas in Pemba. For example, there are islands, the isolated little beach, the dive sites, the mangrove forests. There are expensive tours offered by expensive resorts, and there are the local fishermen who can be paid to act as ferries and guides, but they will explain that this will mean they are not fishing, and will charge a decent sum.

There are not many options in between.

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I recommend finding a boat that can be rowed or paddled, and hired for the day.

Pemba has a strong bargaining culture, and not many poor tourists. A basic grasp of the kiSwahili language, in particular the numbers, and a good idea of what a fair price is and how much you are willing to pay, is essential before negotiations even begin. Asking a friendly English-speaking local to help is possible, but in all likelihood he will try to get a cut, a finder's fee. This is a poor region in a poor country, which relies heavily on tourism, so everyone has one eye on the tourist trade as a way to earn a living. Once a fee is negotiated and the bargaining is over then everyone lets their guard down.

I made lasting friends in Tanzania, and met some of the friendliest people in Pemba, most of whom wanted something from me at first, but relaxed once business was done. The owner of the hostel where I stayed, a gentle old man called Mzee Sharook, owned a fruit farm 22 |

to the north. He came to me every morning with freshly pressed juices and exotic fruits for me to try. Breakfast was always fruit. He seemed to take great pleasure in giving me something I had never seen before. He was a beautiful old man with a dazzlingly wide smile, broken teeth and a warm heart.

Pemba also boasts some of the extraordinary white sandy beaches that make Zanzibar so popular. The easiest to access is Misali Island. Ferries go there from the capital of Pemba, Chake Chake. It is also possible to hire a local motor boat from the harbour. As usual in Pemba, it's best to have an idea of the price beforehand, and to bargain hard, but not too hard. Petrol is expensive, after all.

When I was there with a group of young Russian backpackers, we were the only tourists on the entire stretch of pristine white sand, with no development as far as the eye could see, no hawkers, no activity of any kind. Just white sand and

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warm turquoise water filled with colourful fish. One friend was quick to remind me that this beach was not as good as another we had visited, Mbuyuni beach in the north-east. Her reasoning: the sand was finer on the first beach.

Accessible only by hired car, Mbuyuni beach is a huge stretch of, I must admit, extreme beauty and very fine white sand. We had gone there with a group, bought some fruit from some locals, and swam in the shallow pools. The waters of Mbuyuni form a lagoon. As we ate fresh fruit on the beach, totally relaxed, we could see the edge of the coral, about a kilometre out to sea, where the waves were breaking and some locals were gathering seafood. Not all locals were friendly, however, and some villagers strongly asked us to turn around before we got to the beach. They were afraid that if tourists came to their beach, development would follow. The myriad resorts of Zanzibar may be good for the

The myriad resorts of Zanzibar may be good for the country's GDP, but many locals feel cheated. Some stretches of beach are fenced off, inaccessible to the people who have lived there all their lives.

Top Left: Tuna are sliced into two, with part of the tail and part of the head in each half. The fish pieces are placed on trading tables or loaded onto baskets. They look heavier than the man carrying them, longer than the length of the bicycle that is to transport them.

Top: Pemba is about half as big as Unguja, Zanzibar's proper name. Together, these islands form the Zanzibar archipelago.

Top Right: A fish market close to Wete's harbour in Tanzania, where a crowd gathers on the dark beach sand in the mornings, looking, assessing the fish at their feet and bargaining.

country's GDP, but many locals feel cheated. Some stretches of beach are fenced off, inaccessible to the people who have lived there all their lives.

We defused the situation by explaining that we were backpackers, cheap students looking to get lost in the world. To get stuck in local daladala taxis, next to bright yellow buckets of the tiny fluted-mouthed fish we had been snorkelling with just hours earlier. To eat local food, from the

delicious seafood and fresh but alien fruit, to the strange dried octopus. To meet local people. Pemba has a rich history of trade dating as far back as 600AD, stretching as far as China. Its people are Swahili, Omani, Shirazi. The culture seems more conservative than Zanzibar's, but it is fascinating and unique. The people want to guard their island, and it is easy to see why. The Green Island is an unsung paradise.

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MISTY HILLS A

G A R D E N

L A B Y R I N T H

The meaning of Labyrinth, for those uninitiated, is that of "a complicated irregular network of passages or paths". The winding paths and dense brush, alludes to being on safari in Africa. One would expect a lion or witch to pop out the wardrobe at any time!

Words: GENIENE PRESTON

t

he bush was green and the surrounding countryside of Muldersdrift was just as lush. Muldersdrift is close enough to Johannesburg in South Africa to be a short drive away and far enough to feel like you have left the buzz of the city behind you and are heading into the countryside. Early in April, we (the Nomad team) made our way to Misty Hills for an overnight conference.

The hotel is easily accessed from both the N14 freeway from Pretoria and Kurgersdorp as well as Beyers Naude ,which comes in from the South of the city. Well signposted and easy to find 24 |

Photographs: VANESSA HETZEL

on the GPS and local Google Maps.

As soon as we entered, there was a security checkpoint, which is critical in our society today to make sure that guests feel safe and secure. We made our way to the new and refurbished reception area. The high ceilings and well-appointed reception desk was a welcoming sight and the gorgeous feel of being on safari washed over us as we approached the reception area. We were greeted by friendly staff and were taken to the Zebra Room, which was to be our conference room for the day.

We followed the winding path to the conference area and were greeted by a friendly smile, coffee and various treats.

The toilets were well placed between a

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number of conference rooms and the soft sound of the indoor waterfall nearby was enough to put us to sleep!

We made our way to the breakfast room where we had a long discussion with the chef about the various types of eggs used to make an omelette. With loads of breakfast choices and a well laid out, we had full tummies when we started our conference. The muffins had to wait till lunchtime. The room we had for our conference was well lit, had enough power outlets for our range of laptops and all the equipment we needed was on hand and easy to get up and running. Having a problem with the overhead was no trouble at all for the staff who arrived promptly to sort it out

and we found out it was us who were technically challenged!

Lunch was prompt and ready on our arrival. The Atrium and surrounded by the proliferation of green runners and luscious floral arrangements made by nature itself. We enjoyed our meal. The steak was done to perfection and the fish and chips. The dessert was served on similar platters of stone and this matched the setting which was a mix of wrought iron and stone. We meandered on after our meal to the conference venue and along the way came across a wedding party. The green

common outside of reception had been transformed into a splendid wedding venue with the Arc we had photographed earlier becoming the podium on which the wedding party were to be stationed.

I stopped and took a photo of the happy groom and his groomsmen on our way. It was a happy occasion and a marvellous setting. The sun wasn't shining but it didn't have to, as the Harry Potter setting gave it a mysterious feel. The wedding theme was pink and blue. Besides being very young, the couple took the event very seriously.

After our conference was over, we decided to find the Spa and relax before the sun went down. It was fun to wind our way through the different "islands" within the hotel grounds and make discoveries we did not know where even there! Like the swimming pool. It was a gorgeous pool with a length that would encourage any serious practicing swimmer or just to keep fit. The spa was closed by the time we got there and we decided to swim in the pool instead.

This was not a bad choice. The water temperature was just right and the bar service, although closed, helped us to

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The high ceilings and well-appointed reception desk was a welcoming sight and the gorgeous feel of being on safari washed over us as we approached the reception area. We were greeted by friendly staff and were taken to the Zebra Room, which was to be our conference room for the day.

find towels in the fully kitted gym close by.

With the sun disappearing over the horizon, it was time to find our room and get changed for dinner. We were on the right of the driveway, which had its own pools, fish ponds and maze of paths. After a brisk walk we found our rooms, which were all alongside each other and with a gorgeous balcony to enjoy the quiet of the fish pond, it was finished off with a thatch roof. Now if 26 |

you live in Africa, thatch is a given when in a country hotel. I was more than delighted to find my entire room was under thatch. The bed was so high I had to jump on it...and so large, my family could have slept on it. And to their credit, there were no closed walls or rooms. Everything was open and the sunken bath was so inviting, I knew if I dropped into it, I would never get out!

The enclosed outside shower was a welcome delight as my husband ab-

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solutely loves outside showers and if he could build one in our complex at home, he would!

The basin in the bathroom was built for two and as usual, my husband has more bathroom items than I do as I carry the technology and writing tools, he carries the personal kit. The bathroom was very clean and neat and well-appointed with just the right amount of ornaments and decor.

Off to dinner and again finding the Car-

The Carnivore is a franchise of the Carnivore in Nairobi. It is the ultimate "Beast of a Feast". A variety of meat including ostrich, crocodile, pork and lamb, rumps of beef, sirloins, spare ribs, sausages, chicken wings and many other types of games are roasted over charcoal fires and carved off a sword at your table.

The service was great, which is what we began to expect from our stay at Misty Hills, and once our feast was over and the Malva pudding was cleared, it was time to hit the proverbial sack.

nivore, was in itself a treasure hunt. The Carnivore is a franchise of the Carnivore in Nairobi. It is the ultimate "Beast of a Feast". A variety of meat including ostrich, crocodile, pork and lamb, rumps of beef, sirloins, spare ribs, sausages, chicken wings and many other types of games are roasted over charcoal fires and carved off a sword at your table.

Delicious side dishes and an exceptional array of sauces complement this fixedprice feast that also includes soup, a selection of desserts and finished off with a delectable cup of coffee.

Carvers wearing outfits similar to those in Sweeney Todd (I almost expect Johnny Depp to jump out from behind them with a gleam in his eye and a razor in his hand), and straw hats, they move from table to table carrying the Masai swords laden with different game and meats carving unlimited amounts on the sizzling cast iron plates in front of each guest. This is accompanied by a selection of salads and vegetable side dishes stacked onto a double story "lazy Susan" in the middle of the table. The carving only ceases

when defeat is declared by the lowering of the flag in the middle of the table.

The service was great, which is what we began to expect from our stay at Misty Hills, and once our feast was over and the Malva pudding was cleared, it was time to hit the proverbial sack. Our stay at Misty Hills was almost over and I can honestly say we were sad it was over. When I come back next time, we have to do the Spa as it looked just like a house in one of those fantasy books we are always reading.

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Gallivant | Namibia

NAMIBIA E N D L E S S

H O R I Z O N

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Five ‘o clock in the morning has never been my finest hour. Thus I find myself going through sleepwalking motions as the lovely lady from Air Namibia welcomes me aboard with a beaming smile en route to Walvis Bay in Namibia from Johannesburg, South Africa.

Words: JO KROMBERG

t

he country of vast, barren nothingness stretches to infinity beneath the plane from Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, to Walvis Bay, situated 310km away. The dusty road snakes through the countryside like an ochre artery from 25 000 feet and the vast desert looks like the dry, cracking skin of a very old man.

The mist is rolling in at Walvis Bay, making for a petrifying instrument landing.

Africa is not for sissies.

We step off the plane to a freezing 12oC compared to Windhoek’s almost 20 - the

contrasts in Namibia are extreme.

Our first location is Beach Lodge in the bustling metropolis of Swakopmund, about half an hour’s drive from Walvis Bay through the barren desert. The hotel is literally on the shoreline and the sea breeze coolly caresses the quaint nooks and crannies of this uniquely designed hotel.

It is the only hotel in Swakop directly on the beach. Each room has a magnificent view of the sea and the hotel is situated about 5km from the town centre.

The location, architecture, ambience and service are impressive and very good value for money.

Our first location is Beach Lodge in the bustling metropolis of Swakopmund, about half an hour’s drive from Walvis Bay through the barren desert. The hotel is literally on the shoreline and the sea breeze coolly caresses the quaint nooks and crannies of this uniquely designed hotel.

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Photographs: WILLIE SMIT

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There are 11 twin rooms and four family rooms with two single beds in the second bedroom, separate bathroom with bath and shower. All rooms are equipped with telephone, satellite TV, a coffee/tea station and a small fridge. Augustinus, our delightful driver and tour guide gives us a quick tour of Swakopmund. One clearly sees the German influence and culture. The town has a population of 45 000 and its water supply relies on boreholes. Augustinus pronounces Germans as "Yemens". The ‘Yemens’ may be good at many things, but in my opinion architecture is not one of them, although the town has a certain barren,

The food, the service, the location as well as the ambience is all unsurpassable.

windswept charm about it.

The charming Italian owner and chef treats us to a feast of a taster menu with the best ravioli, mussels, lasagne and prawns I have ever had in my life. The restaurant is situated within a functioning lighthouse and kiddies’ portions are available.

“Welcome to civilisation!” So greets maverick Tommy, later as we head to the desert dunes to experience ‘Tommy’s Living Desert Tour’. As we slowly meander over the yellow dunes in our deflated tyres, he educates us about the fragility of the environment.

He is unbelievably knowledgeable and the kids on the tour with us are enthralled as he describes the water manufacturing habits of desert worms and

puts a legless lizard into his mouth to the horrified delight of the kids. The dunes resemble soft, flowing caramel velvet as we continue on. The desert is 90 per cent quartz mineral, which gives it its colour, says Tommy.

The dunes play tricks on our eyes the further we go. Eventually we see nothing but massive silent sand tsunamis all around us. The breeze shifts the sand almost imperceptibly, but just enough to confuse your depth perception completely.

He also shows us a fascinating sidewinder snake – its camouflage is perfect. On the way back all we can see is sand and the vast nothingness goes on and on and on in this terrifyingly beautiful moonscape of emptiness.

Words cannot convey the simultaneous feeling of helplessness, yet serenity, of being totally surrounded by these silent, undulating masses of sand with its teeming underworld of life. Back at the hotel, a quick shower and then we traverse what feels like a mile-long walkway out into the open sea at a restaurant called The Pier. The food, the service, the location with the waves crashing beneath us, as well as the ambience is all unsurpassable.

Day two is a whole different kettle of fish literally. After breakfast, we depart for a hosted seal and dolphin cruise on Catamaran Cruises, which takes us through the port of Walvis Bay, Bird Island, past fish trawlers and on to Pelican Point. Fresh oysters and champagne

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Up Above: Bushmen carvings in Damaraland, Namibia.

Above: Swakopmund Town, Namibia: The town has a population of 45 000 and its water supply relies on boreholes.

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are served between whale spotting and the seals that swim up and join us for something to eat.

We play in the dunes again in the afternoon and this time our guide is Casper who shows us how real fun in a 4x4 can be had as we scale and descend the dunes with whoops and shrieks of pure adrenalin. We have a superb dinner at

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the hotel’s resident restaurant, The Wreck, and all fall into bed early, completely exhausted.

The next day, we tackle the long drive inland to Damaraland, with a detour to Twyfelfontein to have a look at the bushman paintings. We lunch at Twyfelfontein Country Lodge – a bush lodge in the middle of nowhere with the most breathtakingly phenomenal setting within massive boulders.

We overnight at the Mopane Gondwana Lodge. Built in the wattle and daub style under Mopane trees and connected by a labyrinth of paths, the main building and chalets of the lodge look like an African village. Each of the 60 double room chalets sits in a vegetable and herb garden. The accommodation is a bare affair – don’t expect luxury or extras.

A visit to the area’s Himba tribe is our first stop the next day at Gelbingen Lodge, situated in a mountainous valley in the middle of a Mopani tree savannah in Damaraland. They are a truly beautiful and serene people and their prolific photographs in magazines and galleries all over the world are testament to just how synonymous they are with Namibia. We arrive at Etosha Safari Lodge just in time for a late lunch. Willie goes exploring with the camera, while I literally pass out in my beautiful chalet from total exhaustion because of our rapid itinerary pace and distances travelled the past few days.

Accommodation at Etosha Safari Lodge is in 60 single or double chalets, including five family rooms. Each unit is equipped with an en-suite bathroom, fan, mosquito nets, a tea/coffee station and a private veranda, with great views of the surrounding environment.

After a lovely buffet dinner I drift off to sleep to the soothing sounds of the African night and a million brilliant stars shining down. The next morning, the rest of the group go on a full-day game drive through the Etosha National Park, while I decide to catch up on some work and explore the lodge with its magnificent view over the African bush. The main building at Etosha Safari Lodge

Beach Lodge is the only hotel in Swakop directly on the beach.

Each room has a magnificent view of the sea and the hotel is situated about 5km from the town centre.

houses a restaurant, a bar and a guest lounge and there are three swimming pools. I grab my laptop after lunch and perch on a sun-bed alongside the bottom pool with an uninterrupted view of the African plains – sheer heaven.

The evening improves dramatically as we are treated to song and dance by a duo called The Safari Boys during a lovely buffet dinner at Etosha’s neighbouring Gondwana camp, also ideal for families with both chalet and camping accommodation options.

Erindi Private Game Reserve awaits us the next day after an exhausting fourhour drive. Midway between Windhoek and Otjiwarongo, in the Omaruru District in Namibia, Erindi is in a breath-taking 79 000-hectare, malaria-free

conservation area amidst grasslands, mountains and volcanic rock. It is also home to more than 15 000 head of game and over 300 bird species. Translated as ‘a place of water’, Erindi is also a pioneer in conservation programmes and eco-management models. The delectable buffet lunch offered a number of mouth-watering options and is worthy of any 5-star lodge.

Instead of going on the game drive, we spend the afternoon on the deck, sampling the numerous types of cake and pastry goodies served with high tea whilst overlooking the bush and watering hole. We are privileged to experience a once-in-a-lifetime sight as we watch a pack of wild dogs chasing a crocodile into the water as an elephant trumpets

at them – all right in front of us!

Pathways wind their way through the camp to reveal luxury suites tucked between indigenous trees and soft green lawns. The spacious family units have two separate rooms with an inter-leading door, a sprawling veranda with a view of the smaller watering hole and are situated next to the swimming pool.

We spot various game species from our suite patio that evening after dinner, including, rhino, giraffes, springbuck and zebras.

We leave Namibia the next day with heavy hearts – this country with its amazing contrasts, magnificent landscape and barren beauty has made a profound impression on me and will remain with me forever.

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SOUTHERN SUN’S

SILVERSTAR GETS A GOLD STAR

Southern Sun Silverstar is perfectly situated at the end of the N14 Johannesburg in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The surrounding countryside is green and lush. But the weather is perfect for this, sometimes hidden, gem of a casino property.

Words : GENIENE PRESTON

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y husband, Keith and I arrived at the hotel and we w e r e greeted by friendly and courteous staff. Our check-in was smooth and efficient, while we were sipping 34 |

complimentary champagne. Our luggage was taken to the room by a chatty and informative bellhop. The room was fabulous. Spotlessly clean and large enough for an entire family! The sumptuous bath, the large soft king-size bed, and two TVs both enabled us to view different channels. The bathroom had two basins,

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taking into account that a couple, no matter how much they try, will always have more bathroom items than you have at home.

We filtered out onto the property to enjoy an afternoon and evening of glitz and glamour...The Soulstice spa was our first stop and we lazed around in the pools. The hydro pool

Hotel Review| Southern Sun’s Silverstar

inside was warm and again I appreciated that there wasn't the usual Spa music (I would rather listen to Prince and David Bowie than that whispy music!). Soulstice reserve that for the actual massage rooms so we could chat and have fun while floating in the pools. The inside pool has a great view of the Silverstar piazza. Downside was it also overlooks the yard of the Thai restaurant, which was filled with debris.

Not to be deterred, Keith and I then decided to try the outside pool and were delighted to find it warmer

than the inside one and filled with jets. We tried them all. It should be open to hotel guests to use the pool facilities as the Silverstar hotel pool is tantalizingly close to the Spa. We noticed that the pool bar is perfectly situated between the two pools, making it convenient to take your cocktail into the spa or hotel.

Soon it was time for the movies. We were quite excited and couldn't believe how cheap the popcorn was R23 for a large box and under R50 for a movie ticket if you have a Silverstar Card. Great seating ... we

could sit anywhere.

Then of course was the wide choice of restaurants. We couldn't decide and eventually settled on Vigour and Verve. Superb cuisine and great service. I am fairly critical when it comes to service and delivery and yet so far we had nothing to complain about. Everyone went out of their way to just be nice. I threw a curved ball to see if they would cater to my strange combinations...Curry and spaghetti...and sure enough it was served with a smile and I loved every

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Soon it was time for the movies. We were quite excited and couldn't believe how cheap the popcorn was.

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mouthful.

Silverstar is unlike the other casino properties...it's small enough to be personal and large enough to keep me busy when I get bored. Here at Silverstar there were enough activity and meal options to keep me coming back when I am in town.

Our overnight stay was rounded off with a most delightful breakfast.

Wide choice of self service options,

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but we ordered lamb chops for Keith and I had an omelette encouraged by our pleasant waitress, all the trimmings.

Sadly, we had other plans for the day otherwise we would have remained there all day long!

Just because Silverstar is on your doorstep, doesn't mean you can't check in and stay over...it's the best choice you will make in a long time.

Africa Review | Top 10 African Cities

TOP TEN MOST LIVEABLE AFRICAN CITIES

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hinking about making a move to the continent for business, family, or adventure? Africa.com has the insider information you need to make the best decisions about your move in our list of the top 10 most liveable cities in Africa.

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, let alone Africa, having already won a number of prestigious international travel awards. It’s where most people in South Africa wish they lived. It possesses all of the amenities and sophistication of an urban area, yet the pace is decidedly relaxed, with the city being nestled between the ocean and the mountains, creating an ideal mix of work and play.

A short drive away and you can find yourself in one of the hundreds of vineyards that produce some of the world’s top wines. While summers (October–April) are lovely, winters can be dreary with much fog, rain, and wind. That’s why some would prefer to call Cape Town the “Windy City”—it’s in fact known at the “Mother City” and is the caretaker of the insurance and now burgeoning digital sector. It’s also where you’ll find the advertising execs and creatives, with many retailers and fashion designers headquartered there.

ACCRA, GHANA In addition to being a wonderful urban home for roughly 20 percent of Ghana’s 20 million total population, Accra has become the leisure destination of choice for

upscale Nigerians who take a quick 45minute flight to spend time at their Accra weekend homes. Ghana’s capital city is a sophisticated urban area, with a full range of restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and increasingly, shopping malls.

There are many affluent areas, including East Legon—the location of the city’s only traditional shopping complex, Accra Mall.

Another popular option is Osu, locally referred to as “Oxford Street”, where many go to shop and hang out. The downtown area has seen much development over the last decade and the range of serviced high rise apartments makes it an easy location to set up home quickly.

The warmth of the Ghanaian people is an asset and is an important part of what attracts Nigerians to want to spend their leisure time here. The tropical climate makes it all the more appealing. Things are changing for the better, and fast.

Many citizens who left to the West are returning home, bringing with them enthusiasm, fresh ideas, and degrees from top universities abroad. Coupled with the government’s commitment to investing proceeds into social and physical infrastructure, one can only imagine that Accra will become even more liveable in the years to come.

NAIROBI, KENYA Nairobi, Kenya is fast becoming the African city of choice for multinational companies seeking a foothold for their African operations. Nairobi is a gracious city that possesses much of the sophistication of the large South African cities, but provides these offerings in a “kinder and gentler” way. General Electric and the Rockefeller Foundation recently chose

Cape Town, South Africa.

Accra, Ghana.

Nairobi, Kenya.

Johannesburg, South Africa.

Tunis, Tunisia.

Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

Kigali, Rwanda.

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Nairobi to anchor the African operations, so too the likes of China’s CCTV news broadcaster.

Housing options include many comfortable suburban style homes at affordable prices relative to other African cities, often with a reasonable amount of land. Apartment compounds have also sprung up in recent years, many with the comforts of swimming pools and fitness centres. The technology industry offers much promise, and internet connectivity is considered to be the best on the continent today.

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA From the moment you step off the plane at OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA), it becomes clear why Johannesburg is considered a world-class city.

ORTIA rivals some of the best airports in developed worlds. It’s sleek, modern, and expansive and offers a wealth of stores and restaurants, much like many parts of South Africa’s and Africa’s economic capital.

Since the late 1800s, thousands migrated to the city seeking employment at one of the many gold mines. The quarries have since dried up, but an influx of people continues today. They come from other parts of the country and from across the continent, to work and to make money. Johannesburg is also an attractive base for many African companies as it provides easier access to international opportunities. In recent years there have been efforts to revive the neglected inner city.

Money has been invested by local government to clean the streets, and renovate the derelict buildings. It’s paid off, with the private sector now playing a role, too.

The area is home to the plush headquarters of AngloGold Ashanti and others.

New apartment blocks are being filled up and plans are being made for a new mall.

Malls though, are not hard to find. Apart from the larger Sandton City and Eastgate mall, virtually every suburb has one or two of their own. Though a concrete jungle in some parts, many are surprised by how lush and green the city actually is. In fact, Johannesburg holds the title of the largest man-made forest in the world!

GABORONE, BOTSWANA Though young—having only gained inde-

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pendence from Britain in the 1960s— Gaborone has flourished. Politically stable and economically buoyant, Botswana’s capital is considered to be a peaceful city.

It’s likely partly due to it being small in size, with a population of just over 230,000, but still offers a diverse mix of people, and places to see.

Gabs, as it is popularly known, is located in a country known for being one of the world’s largest producers of rough diamonds. The precious stone continues to play a major role in the city’s development.

Just recently, leading diamond producer de Beers announced it would be moving some of its operations to the sub-Saharan country from London. Apart from diamonds, the economy is also driven by its beef exports, the majority of which is sold in Europe as well as the growing tourism industry.

The development of modern sports facilities saw the city successfully hosting the Africa Junior Athletics Championships in 2011, and has made it a popular contender to host the 2014 African Youth Games.

Gaborone is also well connected to South Africa’s capital, Pretoria. Its strategic location means that you’ll find South African stores in Gaborone’s many large malls. It shares many similarities with its neighbour, though is considered to be somewhat safer.

TUNIS, TUNISIA A lot has changed here since the Arab Spring unrest started nearly two years ago. While unemployment remains a concern and the new government still works toward stabilizing the economy, the smallest country in North Africa is becoming one of the fastest developing. The first half of this year, saw a GDP growth rate of 3.5 percent, with a steady increase in the manufacturing sector.

French territory for over seven decades, there’s a rich diversity in the culture here— African, Arab and European. Along modern infrastructure, the old world remains through the Medina of Tunis, one of the first Arabo-Muslim towns, and now also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

People live long—there’s a life expectancy of 74.6 years. It might have something to do with the picturesque setting of the Mediterranean Sea as a backdrop. People

here are happy too, says the Happy Planet Index (HPI). Measuring sustainable well-being, Tunisia was named the second happiest place in Africa (after Algeria). Once on the wealthiest cities in the Muslim world, Tunisia’s capital is now also considered to be the least expensive city (for expats) in the region. Getting around is fairly easy with the extensive rail network that links the capital to other parts of the country.

DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA Dar es Salaam is a rapidly growing city, from the new infrastructural projects to its people, literally. Annual population increase of over three percent each year, it’s the third fastest growing city in Africa—and one of the fastest in the world! It also has a large expatriate community.

Though no longer the country’s capital, Dar es Salaam is the largest city in Tanzania and remains the political and economic hub. There has been great investment in education here, with an extensive programme to provide free primary schooling, efforts that were lauded by international bodies when enrolment rates reached over 90 percent. The city is also home to the largest and oldest public university in Tanzania, the University of Dar es Salaam, which recently celebrated its 50-year anniversary and has seen a sharp increase in the number of registered students.

There’s also the Institute of Technology (DIT), one of the leading institutions providing technical training in the region.

Situated close to the equator, the city enjoys tropical conditions for most of the year. Though Dar es Salaam has its own magnificent beaches (including many exclusive resorts), the island of Zanzibar is also just a short ferry ride away.

WINDHOEK, NAMIBIA From the language to the distinct architecture, the German influence on Windhoek is evident—a lasting reminder of Namibia’s early colonial history. Don’t expect big city living; the most recent count puts total population just over 320,000. The small but active city is home to just about every national government institution, making it the country’s political, cultural, social and economic capital.

If Namibia is best known for the Namib Desert, the oldest in the world, then Windhoek is best known for its beer. Windhoek Lager is one of the fastest-growing premium beers in the region and is sold abroad in over 20 countries. The old brewery still stands tall in the city’s central business district and now hosts many cool restaurants, bars and shots.

The city is attractive for many reasons: it is clean, relatively safe and getting around the city is easy. Both taxis and buses provide efficient transport and it helps that the roads are well-maintained.

KIGALI RWANDA From the expansion of its Central Business District to the recent road construction project to help ease traffic congestion, Rwanda’s capital is slowly becoming one of the most rapidly developing cities on the continent. Centrally located in the heart of Rwanda, Kigali is home to close to one million people, and there’s also a large community of expats here who get to enjoy the diversity the city has to offer. *Courtesy: Africa.com

TOP 10 SPA TRENDS A N D

T R E A T M E N T S

The world's challenging economic climate has meant that hotel, resort and destination spas must remain ahead of the curve if they expect to deliver quality customer service and produce a positive bottom line. This starts with paying attention to trends within the industry, creative design, spa menus that speak to consumer desires and pragmatic marketing and management.

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ith the exception of certain geographic pockets throughout the world, it has been increasingly more difficult to maintain or grow revenue streams while capturing enough tourists and local traffic to support a profitable business enterprise.

In the current environment, spas that don't have, or stick to a well thought out game plan to consistently drive revenue through effective promotion of treatments and retail sales will likely suffer the consequence of the economic downturn.

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Words: SUSAN BRADY

With luxury hotel occupancy dropping by double digits and spa treatment per customer revenue at hotels in decline, it is important to ask the right questions if you are planning to add or expand a spa.

These include an awareness of overall trends that will have consumer appeal, which then impact design decisions; how to construct a viable business model to maximize the opportunity for profit; what is the best and most creative way to pay and incentivize staff; and how can I attract the local element outside the property, which is becoming more important for financial success.

Susie Ellis, the author of an influential blog

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and column and a contributing editor to NewBeauty magazine is credited for being the first to forecast numerous industry “mega-trends” that have taken hold in spas across the continent of Africa and around the world.

“As someone who’s watched the modern spa industry from its infancy, I have never seen the aggregate level of creativity and talent in the field, as wellness, fitness, beauty, design and cuisine are blended in unique new ways, just as the economy begins its upswing,” Ellis says.

So, when looking for that next pampering treatment, you might want to consider one of the following:

Spa Review | Top 10 Spa Trends

The Pain Relief Massage Relaxation – that’s been the number one reason people go to spas for over 25 years. With the oldest Baby Boomers having reached retirement age in 2011, look for relaxation to soon be replaced by pain relief. As millions of Boomers (which galvanized the spa/wellness revolution) are now turning 65 each year, in the years going forward, spas will begin to incorporate exercise physiologists, chiropractors, orthopedics and naturopaths focusing on rejuvenation of joints, pain relief and mobility. Pain relief massages, ‘corrective facials,’ and ‘everything anti-aging’ will be increasingly found on spa menus.

Salt Rooms and Inhalation Salt Therapy Healing traditions, involving basking in salt caves, are coming of age in some of the most modern spas. The benefits to skin, breathing and rejuvenation are making inhalation salt therapy—or halotherapy—one of the hottest trends to watch in 2017. Spas are finding stylish new ways to recreate the natural salt cave microclimate, infusing salt and negative ions into the air. Some examples have encrusted, stalactite-drenched grottoes (comprised of tons of imported Himalayan salt crystals).

Sample, Express, Mini-sized, and Simultaneous Treatments We inhabit a stressed-out, 24/7 world, and the spa industry is responding, helping people to use the spa anytime and offering “sample” “express” mini-sized” and

simultaneous treatments. Consumers want to de-stress. Thus, spa menus should reflect this ongoing trend through their offerings. Yoga, tai chi, meditation and relaxation massages are more prevalent than ever before, and this trend will continue well into the future. Detoxification and renewal programs are now in place to help alleviate stress, which can lead to maladies such as asthma, cancer, ulcers, arthritis and numerous others.

Many spas are now providing self-discovery services and learning activities to help consumers recharge both spirit and mind.

These can include self-improvement courses, art and painting classes, healthy cooking, etc.

Farm-to-Massage Table and Farm-to-Spa Cuisine Spas have been moving away from the generic “could be anywhere” vibe for years, meeting spa-goers’ intensifying desire for authenticity and immersion in treatments, food, design and experiences indigenous to the spa’s unique place and culture. Spas are now going hyper-local, putting unique twists on the “farm-totable” movement, with farm-to-spa cuisine and farm-to-massage-table treatments.

Demand for Scientific Proof behind Spa Treatments Is there scientific proof that massage reduces stress? Are mineral baths medically proven to alleviate pain? Is ear candling proven to remove earwax? The answers:

yes, yes and no. Get ready for a new era where more questions about the effectiveness of spa therapies and products will be asked, and where questions will get answered more transparently, as the emphasis on evidence-based medicine and the “science behind spa” heats up.

Extreme…and Painful Beauty Treatments The common element in spa beauty these days is beauty-seekers taking it to the max. We are far beyond Botox; stemcell facials, plasma therapy (where blood is drawn and re-injected) and Ultherapy (no surgery, using ultrasound to regenerate collagen under the skin) are the new buzzwords. There is also extreme pain, something people seem to be tolerating more and more, as long as it delivers the goods. Derma-rolling hurts, chemical peels can be uncomfortable and the zapping of lasers is no picnic. And facials aren’t just for faces anymore; now they are being applied to every extremity, including “booty” and “vagina” facials. Extremes like military-style boot camps, Rolfing and Bikram yoga, where pain meets pleasure, are on the rise also.

The Asia Spa Boom Asia’s impact on the spa industry is profound: Yoga, Thai massage, Ayurvedic medicine and acupuncture are staples on global spa menus, and the “Zen” nature of Asian design is felt in spas across Africa.

Unique Group and Learning Experiences Increasingly, spas are developing distinc-

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tive specialty programs to draw patrons seeking something more—a unique group or learning experience. While destination spas have been doing yoga and healthy cooking weeks for years, retreats now span everything from a high-flying “Trapeze Experience” to creative jewelry-making to the more sober and grounded gathering for survivors of loss.

Spa Brands Go Global Traditionally the province of standalone spas, the industry is moving rapidly in the

direction of branded experiences. We now have franchised/branded spas across the continent. Consumers seek consistency of treatments they know and love, and major players expand into new markets.

Spas Embrace Deals and Coupons Gone are the days when coupons were unfashionable, things people snipped out of newspapers and spas wouldn’t think of using the term “deal.” Put an “e-” or “group” in front of “coupon,” and you suddenly have the hottest Internet mania of

the year, poised to accelerate at an even more dizzying pace in 2017. Online groupbuying deals have burst onto the global scene, and the old-fashioned “deal” has morphed into a hip online industry. With spa/wellness deals a mainstay of generic deal sites like GroupOn or LivingSocial, it’s a sure sign that spa-going has achieved mainstream traction. With so many spa deals being blasted into inboxes, millions of people are now expanding their spa horizons, trying new spa experiences they wouldn’t have without the ‘50%-75% off.’

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Feature | Education

EDUCATION

How will Africa win the future?

All over the continent, governments have either settled with the legacy of colonial education or tinkered with reform. But one country that is serious about changing the existing paradigm to an appropriate educational system is Uganda. As a great man once said: “Education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world.”

Words: BRUCE GERMAINE

Some students in the classroom of a village school in the outskirts of Accra, Ghana, West Africa.

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hat man was a legend in his own time and such words carry immense weight – and so too has education always been a major challenge in Africa.

From the shackles of colonialism to the technological advances that have projected even the most primitive who are being dragged onto a digital high speed train, education in Africa has, is and always will be key to societies that are to prosper and be regarded as equal players on a global scale.

There has been much talk and practice of implementing Afro-Centric curriculums, with some experts, not all, advocating programs that empower African people, focusing inward on all things that surround us as opposed to things that originate from across the shores of Africa.

That concept is not unique and many countries, including those outside of Africa, have adapted their curriculums to include their own cultural identity and ethos.

From the eco-systems of Silicon Valley to the slums of Nairobi, and the squeaky-clean streets of Doha, experts are adamant that education as we know it is changing. No longer does a formalised, structured educational system serve global needs. The game has changed to fostering creativity and innovation. The game has changed to finding imaginative solutions. Panel experts at summits and leading entrepreneurs have pointed to the significance of a little bit of craziness, adaptation, problem solving, innovation, teamwork and disruption.

So where is Africa going in the field of education? What kind of education is most suited to serving the developmen-

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tal needs of the continent and at the same time making it globally competitive? How is Africa going to harness its vast human and natural resources in the direction needed, as the Pan-African icon Kwame Nkrumah put it, “To allow the African genius full expression”?

More than 50 years ago, Nkrumah also noted the need to equip students with an understanding of the contemporary world within the framework of African civilisations, their histories, institutions and ideas. African studies was compulsory in the universities he built in Ghana.

The historical paradigm All over the continent, governments have either settled with the legacy of colonial education or tinkered with reform. But one country that is serious about changing the existing paradigm to an appropriate educational system is Uganda.

Bwesigye Bwa Mwesigire, a Ugandan writer, lawyer and academic, writes in an article culled in the online media platform, This is Africa, about the decolonisation process going on in Uganda.

“The African experience has been that

Students attending class in an outdoors elementary school classroom in the Yilo Krobo District near Accra, Ghana, West Africa.

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education during colonial times was driven by missionaries. The conventional wisdom suggests that this was mainly through altruistic considerations – albeit racially tinged – to bring light to the Dark Continent and enlightenment to its natives.”

The language used was the tongue of the colonists. This western education expanded the basic numeracy of natives, introduced literacy and introduced new technical skills. There was the good and the bad. Most African leaders, past and present went through a western education. It was elitist.

The pattern of brainwashing the minds of Africans to subservience was replicated everywhere and illustrated in the last African country to obtain independence, South Africa, where the infamous Bantu education was designed to make blacks aspire to be bus drivers and labourers.

Decolonising the education curriculum On attaining independence, some postcolonial thinkers and politicians embarked on the decolonisation of the education system, to serve the needs of Africans. This has had varying degrees of success and failure. Most failures can

be attributed to the colonial mindset of African policy makers and implementers, fostered by the former masters.

Arguing for the abolition of the English Department and establishment of the African Literature and Languages Department at the University of Nairobi many years ago, Ngugi wa Thiong’o wrote: “We want to establish the centrality of Africa in the department. This, we have argued, is justifiable on various grounds, the most important one being that education is a means of knowledge about ourselves. Therefore, after we have examined ourselves, we radiate outwards and discover peoples and worlds around us. With Africa at the centre of things, not existing as an appendix or a satellite of other countries and literatures, things must be seen from the African perspective.”

Mwesigire notes that in Uganda several steps to decolonise the education curriculum have been undertaken to date.

“At present, learners in [classes] Primary One to Three learn about their immediate environment, through the oral strand. They learn about the family, the home, school, neighbourhood and sub-

county. This is called the thematic curriculum, and they study in their local languages, with English studied as a subject.

It is at Primary Four that learners transit to studying in English. Under Social Studies, learners are taught about the district in which their school is located.

They learn about its location, physical features, vegetation, people, leaders, and how to meet people’s needs in the district. In Primary Five, they look at Uganda, Primary Six, East Africa and in Primary Seven, Africa. There is no doubt that the curriculum is very contextual up to this level.

The textbooks in use are almost all locally produced. The textbook industry in the country is booming because materials produced from outside can’t be used to teach the new curriculum. Thus, where John Speke would have been praised as the one who discovered the River Nile, the Primary Five textbook says that the river was called Kiira by the Basoga, who live around it, and John Speke was the first European to see it.

African-centred education An African-centred education is defined as education designed to empower

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“

The African experience has been that education during colonial times was driven by missionaries. The conventional wisdom suggests that this was mainly through altruistic considerations – albeit racially tinged – to bring light to the Dark Continent and enlightenment to its natives.”

African people. A central premise is that many Africans have been subjugated by limiting their awareness of themselves and indoctrinating them with ideas that work against them.

Beyond these confidence-building values, the creativity of the African child must be unleashed in schools, to cultivate a focus on solving problems and creating, making and selling stuff to the whole world. For, after all, when the Gross National Products of countries are measured, it is precisely about the harnessing of the human resources of that country to deliver goods and services.

The natural resources are just an enabler.

As ideas about the ideal global educational paradigm shift like the desert sands of Qatar, so must African policy

A school in a small township near the Kruger Park in Hoedspruit, South Africa. The school has been built with international funds.

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makers rethink education, ensuring that it is in the best interests of the continent, and resist influences and pressures designed to entrench a status quo. Anything short of that will be slow suicide.

That is why there is an urgent need for disruption in education, and also why teamwork involving all Africans on the continent and in the diaspora is vital.

Unleashing the African genius Let us stop for a moment and look at how innovation and technological progress has refocused our approach to the business of education. Can it be said that the digital age has projected our way of thinking in a way that many would not have imagined half a century ago?

This immense giant leap into the future

sometimes passes us by since we are living and breathing it, from simple texting and skyping to printing 3-dimensional objects, there is no turning back some would say. With online interactive participation to tablets at your fingertips, the business of education has acquired a whole new weapons arsenal that can and should be unleashed on those willing to participate.

In Africa, these innovations are happening and many countries already have superfast internet facilities, not to mention the mobile giant that woke up some years ago, resulting in Africa being one of the fastest growing mobile phone markets in the world. As the famous ad says – but wait, there is more – the growth has not yet stopped and saturation point has yet not been reached.

Mobiles learning platforms are playing an integral part in the education teaching chain. New mobile interactive applications are being implemented every day, from publishing books on phone reader apps to social media platforms such as Africa’s largest homegrown mobile social network MXit. Currently the South African-based service has well over 50 million users, not only allows its users to stay in touch by text chatting, and facilitating live tutorials such as Dr Maths.

Its statistics are not to be scoffed at having helped 30,000 school-aged children work through mathematics problems by connecting them with mathematics tutors for live chat sessions.

It is also very affordable – some would even say cheap – since the service itself is free with minimal costs payable to their mobile network, and to boot, it operates 24 hours 7 days a week.

This is only just one solution that can assist Africans in the Diaspora, but is also very much dependant on access to existing digital infrastructures that each country has to offer its citizens.

Africa needs more MXit like innovations such as Nokia Life, a subscription information service designed for emerging markets that offers a wide range of information services covering healthcare,

agriculture, education and entertainment. It reaches over 70 million subscribers in Pakistan, India, China, Indonesia and Nigeria.

In a UNESCO led think piece on education and skills, “Education and skills for inclusive and sustainable development beyond 2015”, predictions are that gradual shifts away from class roomcentered education will occur with a more pronounced approach to informal learning within the learn “anywhere, anytime” concept, this being sustained and made possible with the inevitable mobile market penetration to learners across the spectrum, from urban to rural areas.

The report goes on further to state that along with basic education tools such as literacy and numeracy, digital and information literacy, critical thinking as well as online communication skills will be necessary. Under the guidance of teachers, who also need to equip themselves with these skills, the mobile phone market is here to stay and is already a necessary item in terms of keeping abreast of all things in everyday life.

Many an educator will argue that the traditional classroom environment can never be replaced, where learners can interact live with a teacher, and feed off each other in terms of the collective knowledge that is exchanged within such an environment. So too can one counter argue that within a digital environment, be it in the form of an online discussion or social education platform, the same applies, and not only does it remain on record for as long as the service remains active on the particular platform, it is accessible from anywhere and anytime and not time bound.

It is a fine line of mixing and matching the needs of learners across Africa by taking the best of traditional teaching methods and adapting and moulding them into a cohesive, successful formula that will project and let Africa play on an even field with other global players, thereby remembering the words of that great man: “Education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world.”

– Nelson Mandela

Over the past four decades, access to tertiary education has expanded at an unprecedented rate, with women being the first to benefit in most parts of Africa. Enrolment in tertiary education grew faster in sub-Saharan Africa than any other part of the continent.

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OUTSOURCING POSITIONED TO BOOST THE ECONOMY AND CREATE JOBS While Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) is often thought to be synonymous with job losses and retrenchments, research shows that South Africa's outsourcing industry is more likely to boost job creation and help address unemployment, especially given the weakened Rand, says Sandile Gwala, head of Business-Process-as-a-Service (BPaaS) at Deloitte.

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wala says South Africa has identified the BPO industry as a key enabler of growth. "The subdued recovery outlook in the short- to medium-term could help the local South African outsourcing industry establish itself as a cost-effective destination for outsourcing contracts, thereby attracting more engagements to the country. In addition, the quality skills pool in South Africa positions the country to offer outsourcing solutions up the value chain.

"Between January 2015 to January 2016, the Rand depreciated by 40% against other outsourcing countries. This means 50 |

Words: GUGU GOWERA

countries outsourcing to South Africa benefit from the cost differential and can expect more savings from their outsourcing engagements."

Outsourcing service providers view South Africa as a gateway to other African countries and are already providing services outside the country from South African delivery centres. "In addition to our weakened currency, we boast a growing English speaking population that is becoming more qualified in the related outsourcing fields. Further to this, we are supported by a time zone that overlaps with most of the regions," says Gwala.

The technology solutions that differentiated India for decades are now accessible in South Africa and enabled through a more reliable and affordable broadband

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infrastructure, which has been enhanced by the rollout of the seacom cable.

"Rather than viewing outsourcing in negative light, I think we need to look at how it can be harnessed to boost the economy and provide jobs for talented and increasingly qualified South Africans," says Gwala.

In a roundtable discussion on 'Outsourcing for Growth', hosted by Deloitte South Africa, recently posited the potential that a new range of manufacturing industries be created in South Africa, should outsourcing become implemented in a mature manner that enabled the business practice to fulfil its full capability.

The roundtable discussed the role of outsourcing within South Africa's public and private sector procurement systems, and the potential for Chief Procurement Offi-

Business Nomad | Outsourcing

cers (CPOs) to collaborate across the nation to significantly drive up the country's paltry 24% of procurement that is sourced locally, whilst 60% of the world's outsourcing is managed from India, serving 78 countries.

Addressing the discussion group, Lerato Sithole, Deloitte head of Supply Chain Management, explained that Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) could be a key enabler of much needed growth and job creation in South Africa, but first needed to become "professionalised and move up the value chain as a strategic tool" for business growth.

The panel consisted of Mahendra Dedasaniya, an associate director in Supply Chain Management; Venkatesan Giridhar, Vice President for Finance & Commercial at AngloGold Ashanti; and Kamogelo Mampane, CEO of TK Global Experts and CEO of the State-Owned Enterprise Procurement Forum.

One presenter, Andre Coetzee, Managing Director of CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply Africa), attributed the lack of maturity in outsourcing in South Africa to poor skills and lack of professional standards in the country. He said CIPS was working towards a scenario where procurement practitioners were licensed within a self-governing organisation.

He said that several African countries were starting to professionalise procurement practitioners and implement global standards in procurement. In the absence of such standards, he said, the efforts of many companies to train and develop their staff "were ineffective".

Dedasaniya said that perceptions were central to the ultimate success of outsourcing, and South Africa had an image issue in this regard. In India, ‘the Monster of Outsourcing’, the concept had never been regarded as a low value-adding activity, and the basis of the industry had for decades been one of looking to deliver maximum benefits to beneficiary countries, driving every layer of maturity:- from the common call centre to BPO to knowledge-based 'as a service' facilities.

In fact, he said, South Africa had many competitive advantages over India, but

was each year eroding its advantage through above-average salary increases.

Nonetheless, Johannesburg was ranked as the 21st best BPO destination in the world and the best city in Africa.

Giridhar said that he had been in a position where he rather motivated insourcing of functions at his employer and warned that a decision by a company to outsource a function must have a sound business case, and not be based on a general assumption that 'companies should focus on their core activity'. This may be true, he said, and yet outsourcing a specific business activity may still not be viable. "Such a decision has to be not only a financial one, but one that secured the interests of all stakeholders."

Mampane noted that South Africa's SOE's had combined procurement of about R500 billion, and far more could be done to use this spend to create new, home-

grown manufacturing industries. He attributed this weakness primarily to a skills scarcity, noting that in many organisations, the CPO was an individual who "had not made it in some other post and was 'dumped' into procurement".

Given the overarching prerogative in South Africa to create jobs, this was a waste, and Dedasaniya said that the aggregate spend controlled by CPOs means they are the gate keepers and value creators of new, import-substitution industries, trade exchange and professionalising balanced win-win contracts. "Procurement is no longer just about buying, and outsourcing can be the vehicle to achieve growth. With the new Enterprise and Supplier Development regulations under the DTI's Codes of Good Practice, we now have the tools to coordinate and implement this," he said.

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THE IMPACT OF

CLOUD BASED COMPUTING

Companies that have already moved their email and file storage to the cloud should now also consider moving their phone system to the cloud. Moving to the cloud is not just about adopting a new technology platform, but transforming the way one does business.

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loud computing is making huge waves in the business world, consumer cloud services such as iCloud, Google Drive and Dropbox have changed the way people think about digital content and how to 52 |

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use it. Cloud is fast becoming the preferred choice.

Euphoria Telecom CEO George Golding says this is barely the beginning. The rise of utility computing services, delivered over the Cloud, will continue to disrupt markets, spawn new business models and revolutionise information-sharing and business management for years to come.

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There is a workplace revolution with cloud technologies; they provide businesses with new innovative ways to communicate, collaborate, interact and work.

More and more companies will be making cloud investments in the near future as they transition into full reliance on cloud technologies.

Cloud-based communications have given businesses improved opera-

Business Nomad | Cloud Computing

tional system capability, flexibility and simplicity in order to revolutionise the modern workplace. By giving companies of all sizes access to information technology that was previously affordable for only the largest of companies, the cloud has levelled the competitive playing field.

Analysts expect the cloud computing market to reach US $40-billion in five years and they also predict that more than 75% of small businesses will have moved to the cloud by 2020.

Golding says the true power of the cloud lies in what the technology offers. A business phone system in the cloud is designed for the way companies work today. It keeps employees connected to customers and teams wherever they are working, on whatever device they are using and however they are collaborating.

Cloud-based phone systems can help save costs, streamline operations, improve productivity and scale your business. It not only allows companies to invest more back into their business, it also increases profits by saving costs.

Using a cloud phone system for your business will help you generate more revenue by saving on capital expenses and making better use of your resources. Many businesses opt for cloud solutions when getting their company off the ground as it reduces the upfront investment for email, web and document hosting and even phone systems, Golding explains.

Eliminate startup costs and deployment expenses by opting for cloud technologies; they are synonymous with lower software and tech maintenance requirements. They will help you avoid the costs and challenges associated with traditional on-premise deployment.

The cloud can also save money and time by helping to manage the important parts of one's business,

There is a workplace revolution with cloud technologies, they provide businesses innovative new ways to communicate, collaborate, interact, and work.

from procurement to finance, inventory to human resources, so that one can optimise resource planning. The fact that cloud technologies offer solutions to address most core business challenges, helps businesses make the most of their limited resources.

"Replacing on-premise telephony infrastructure with a cloud solution means your phone system can be

managed entirely through the web, taking just minutes to deploy to your company. As you scale, adding or removing business lines with the same speed and ease as you did setting up your first line. Hosting your business phone in the cloud also means it can quickly adapt to any software updates or improvements, without needing to purchase new hardware," Golding concludes.

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BUILDING

PAN-AFRICAN BRANDS

There is a phrase sweeping African companies at the moment; 'building a pan-African brand'. Local companies are looking beyond their own borders and seeing opportunities in the rest of Africa.

Words: JASMINE MONTGOMERY

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or decades, Coca-Cola and IBM were among the scant few globally-recognized brands. Forty years ago, there were only a handful of truly "global brands" and they were made up of only the biggest corporations:-Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Colgate-Palmolive, IBM, Shell. Then a rash of upstarts came along, such as Nike, Microsoft, Apple and Honda, and pushed their brand reputation further 54 |

than their actual sales footprint. But now that barriers to international trade have come down and the Internet has helped small and mid-sized companies compete on the global stage, building a pan-African and an international brand is a realistic goal for more and more businesses."Only in the last 10 years has global business become the benchmark for how you do business these days," says Hayes Roth, chief marketing officer for Landor Associates, a strategic brand and design consul-

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tancy that has worked on international branding with such companies as BP, Panasonic and KFC. "Thanks to the Internet, it's hard to keep your brand just localized. Once you're on the Web, you're accessible pretty much anywhere in the world. It doesn't necessarily make you a global brand, but you have to be mindful of the implications.

In starting a new business or seeking to increase growth at your current business by expanding into international markets,

Business Nomad| Pan-African Brands

establishing and building a brand identity becomes essential. Branding involves what people think about your business and your products."Think of a brand as a reputation," says Paul Williams, founder of the international marketing firm Idea Sandbox, which helps companies build their brands. "Building a reputation in any new market, including overseas, involves a first impression, which comes from the initial interactions someone has with your company, products and services."Businesses can attempt to shape or form the branding of their company or products in many ways, including advertising, media, word-of-mouth, and contact with your products or services. A lot of thought and effort goes into branding, including naming products, designing logos, and ensuring that service is uniform throughout the business. Through continued exposure over time, your brand:- or your reputation:- is formed with potential and existing customers.

"A brand is essentially a shortcut, it is a way for a customer to get an instant recognition on what the promise is of a product or service and how that will benefit them," Roth says. The reason businesses spent time and money developing brand recognition is so that they can charge a premium for a product or service. People will pay more for a brand name product or service if it is recognized as a leader and a trusted brand, and they

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know what they will get. Apple, for example, can charge more for its computers than some other companies because of its brand reputation for offering innovative design and quality electronics. The same can be said about Mercedes or BMW automobiles.

“In Africa, there are some success stories.

Zain, which I helped to create, is in fourteen markets across Africa. MTN, Ecobank, Western Union, SAB Miller, Coca Cola, Standard Bank are creating the blueprint for future trailblazers. What do they know that so many other brands don't?

What does it take to go from a small, local brand to a pan-African brand?

We believe that there are seven things that African companies can learn from international brands if they want to build brands that will resonate across the continent.

The Seven Secrets of Pan-African Brands: Global Resonance, Local Relevance The question about how to appeal to international customers without alienating local customers is an interesting one for any company competing in a global marketplace, but it is particularly interesting for companies in Africa. It is easy for companies to become bogged down in contemplations of differences in culture between their home market and potential export markets. I often hear companies worrying about whether their brand will lose local relevance if it goes global. I also hear companies wondering if they can afford all the market research it will require to understand foreign markets. The honest truth is that differences in culture are often red herrings for international companies. If your brand stands for something big, something universal, it will appeal

A brand is essentially a shortcut, it is a way for a customer to get an instant recognition on what the promise is of a product or service and how that will benefit them.”

globally. Nike's 'Just Do It' philosophy speaks to people everywhere about a spirit of encouragement. Building a brand around a universal human truth is the surest way to ensure global resonance whilst retaining local relevance. Another worry for many companies seeking to become pan-African is the question 'How can I reflect different ethnicities, tribes and nationalities in my advertising?’ So many brands in Africa rely on what I call 'shiny, happy people advertising'. The answer is to get creative. Brands that rely on photography will always run afoul of this.

But imagine if your brand used illustration, not photography? Apple's i-Pod, for example, does not really have to contend with portraying tribal differences. Or consider not using people at all? Or take a leaf out of Benetton's book and go for broad spectrum diversity of colour, gender and ethnicity in every ad, the diversity of Africa should be a source of imagination and innovation, not a constraint.

More than just a logo Walk down a street in Njamena, Chad, and you see very little in the way of marketing. Companies wanting to advertise first must build their own billboards. If you do see any marketing material, it is almost always just a logo. Retailers of general stores paint the Coke bottle on their fascias and the mobile phone companies have begun to plaster the city with their logos. But this is branding at its most basic. Strong brands are about much more than just their logo. A strong brand has a powerful idea at its core. It knows what it stands for and it communicates that in everything it does. Coca Cola is much more than just a logo; it is a promise of happiness, freedom and a sign of wealth and progress. What does your brand stand for? Strong global brands know that a brand is much more than just a logo.

Brand as a Strategic Asset Too many companies see the brand as something that is the exclusive purview of the marketing department. I have sat in meetings from Kenya to Kuwait and heard CEOs say that the brand is not his

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or her department. No brand ever becomes a global powerhouse that way.

Companies with valuable brands treat the brand a strategic asset, measuring every new initiative in the business against the success criteria 'is this delivering on our brand values?’ Imagine if the innovation department at McDonald's came up with an idea for a luxury burger with edible gold leaf. In a company like McDonald's, no one would waste a minute on such an idea as it would fly in the face of the brand's commitment to value and family friendliness. Too often we find that the main reason a company has invested millions in corporate sponsorship of a sports team or in backing a charity is because it is the CEOs favourite. In cultures where CEOs are king and management styles are 'top down', it can be hard to challenge this.

But if a company is serious about building a valuable brand it has to be willing to ask 56 |

the question 'is this new initiative really aligned to our brand values?" And it is up to the CEOs of such companies not to fire the people who ask such questions.

Standing out from the Pack In today's world, the average person consumes in a day the amount of information a seventeenth century man or woman would have consumed in his or her entire lifetime. A powerful brand stands out from the competition. It cuts through the noise of advertising and messaging that bombards us as we surf our TVs, the internet, and billboard-lined avenues of our cities.

Many brands in Africa have relied on colour to stand out. Some, most notably Coke, have done so effectively. But many have become hooked into wallpapering Africa with more and more billboards that are indistinguishable from those of a neighbouring competitor brand. The

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question strong brands must ask themselves is 'if I covered up the logo on my ad, is my visual language distinctive enough that people would know who was talking to them?’ Building Shareholder Value Strong brands are valuable assets that can be measured and put on the balance sheet. In the case of the world's strongest brands, no other asset drives revenue as much as the brand. If I owned the Coca Cola company and gave you every asset in their portfolio, but kept the brand, I would walk away with a value equal to more than 50% of the market capitalization of the company. Branding drives future demand for products and services, which in turn drives revenue. It allows companies to defend higher margins than the competition. It attracts the most talented employees. Building strong brands

is not just about having pretty advertising. It is about building shareholder value.

Brand Ambassadors The world's best brands create believers of their staff. They inspire people to behave in ways that are aligned to the brand values. One of the best examples of this is Disney. So clear is the spirit of that brand that even the ticket vendors at their theme parks recognize that they are expected to be child friendly, sunny and welcoming. But even companies with far more serious brands allow the brand to drive internal culture; companies like 3M

“

and Intel foster cultures of innovation, companies like Louis Vuitton and BMW create cultures of high standards and performance. Brand is a powerful driver of internal culture and sends key signals to staff about what it is that their company values and rewards.

Brand Consistency Strong brands know that they have to live up to their advertising across every part of the customer journey. Companies aspiring to greatness need to ask themselves whether the brand is being delivered at the highest level, not just in advertising, but across packaging, retail point of sale, online, through call centres, service, staff and instore. But, too often, companies think this simply means consistency of visual look and feel.

True, strong brands do achieve total global consistency visually.

But really great brands also deliver their brand promise consistently in terms of softer elements such as service. The Ritz Carlton does not just have the same logo above the door of each of its hotels

In Africa, there are some success stories. Zain, which I helped to create, is in fourteen markets across Africa. MTN, Airtel, Multichoice, Ecobank, Western Union, SAB Miller, Tigo or Standard Bank are creating the blueprint for future trailblazers.

from Bahrain to Bali, it offers the same customer service and empowerment of its staff to solve customer issues. Strong brands know that consistency means always delivering on your brand promise. And often it means saying no to staff who want to develop new logos, new sub- brands and new visual languages for different campaigns or brand experiences.

What becoming a Pan-African Brand means for the future Of the world's top 100 most brands by value, only nine originate from outside the United States or Europe. All nine are either from Japan or Korea. “It is my personal aspiration to see a pan-African brand on that list in the next ten years. Some brands in Africa have begun to go global through mergers with other international brands, such as CellTel's merger with MTC to create Zain, now with a presence across the Middle East and Africa. I am looking forward to the day when Zain makes it on to the list of top global brands.

What will it mean to have a pan-African brand on the list of globally valuable brands? It will mean that in spite of difficulties of distribution, poverty and corruption, an African company can live up to its promises to its customers and shareholders. That an African company can compete on the world's stage. That African consumers can see themselves, their lifestyle, their aspirations, their culture, reflected in a brand. It will mean to the world that Africa is open for business.

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Existence | African Traditional Healers

African Traditional Healers HOW EFFECTIVE?

Traditional healing is dismissed as a form of witchcraft.

Just as one would see an optometrist for problems with vision or an oncologist for treating cancer, so it is the same with traditional healers.

I was invited by Xolani Zwane, a friend and a traditional healer, to his wife’s homecoming ceremony, after which she would be integrated in to her Zulu culture as a fully recognised traditional healer.

Words & Photographs: HEATHER BALOUZA

a

lthough I had seen a few tourist-orientated shows of Zulu dancing, have had some exposure to rural African life and attended a number of festivities, I had never witnessed a private traditional ceremony. As such, I felt exceptionally honoured as a white person to be invited to this sacred occasion. I watched enthralled by the processes, but was saddened that I was totally ignorant of the traditions and the significance of the events taking place throughout the ceremony. The event was a blaze of colour, traditional dress, observances of cultural customs and practices, dancing, celebrations, acknowledgements and respect of and deference to their ancestors and elders, all set against the throbbing rhythmic

beating of African drums. The initiation ended with the pulse-stirring thumping and stomping of Zulu warriors, women and children all dancing to a primeval beat. Attired in traditional dress, including their shields, spears, skins, intricate beadwork and musical anklets, it was a most impressive and fitting end to the homecoming ceremony.

To many who still view Africa as a ‘Dark Continent’, traditional healing is dismissed as a form of witchcraft, which is steeped in superstition and performed and supported by ignorant people who have not evolved as a civilization. Viewed by sceptics as barbaric, scorned as satanic or considered an evil practice, it is little understood in the socalled enlightened age. Instead, today people are willing to flock to faith healers and charismatic outreaches that promise to heal the sick and perform miracles that will

make the blind to see, the deaf to hear and the lame to walk. Whilst traditional healers can cure health problems, they do not profess to perform any miracles.

Traditional healing has been around since the start of mankind and is practiced in various forms across Africa. Its rituals and customs have remained unchanged throughout the centuries. In other countries, it can be likened to many ancient practices still in use today, such as acupuncture, homeopathy, reflexology and Zen meditation.

Xolani (49) explains what traditional healing really is and what it is not. Born at Ntumeni, Eshowe, a town in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, he became a traditional healer (also known as a sangoma) in 1989. Prior to that, Xolani was studying at the University of Zululand towards his BPed, a teaching degree, with bi-

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To many who still view Africa as a ‘Dark Continent’, traditional healing is dismissed as a form of witchcraft, which is steeped in superstition and performed and supported by ignorant people who have not evolved as a civilization. ology as his major. He received a visitation from his deceased grandmother who had

raised him since a small child after his mother had abandoned him. During her lifetime, his grandmother had been called to be a traditional healer, but had been supressed and was not allowed to follow her calling. In her after life, the ancestors had told her she could still execute her calling via someone living and she had chosen Xolani. During her visitation, she told him that he would meet many people, go to a number of different places and his life would be evergreen when he became a traditional healer. Not fully convinced that this was the path he wanted to follow, he hesitated and immediately became completely blind. His blindness lasted six months and he took this as a sign that his future was in traditional healing and having been called, he had no choice to do otherwise. He dropped out of university and went to a traditional healer and was washed in Nomzotho, a special preparation of liquid for his journey forward. When his

eyes were washed with the foam of the Nomzotho, his sight was fully restored 30 minutes later.

“Traditional healing is not a career, it’s an influence on one’s life by one’s ancestral spirits,” Xolani said. “Our ancestors guide and direct us and if we do not practice the calling, it will create a lot of negative outcomes and play havoc in your life.” Xolani further explained that the ancestors supply the powers and render the healing hands – not the living traditional healer. “The ancestor will tell me what is wrong with a client and what they need to do to correct a situation in their life. Yes, we use various methods to help the ancestors to speak to us, some of which include throwing the bones (bones include stones, money, sea shells and nut shells) and interpreting their formation, burning incense and candles, using herbs, spices and specific plants – there are a number of resources used during our consultation with a client. But ulti-

Traditional healer, Sipho Mbuyazi, who is related to the Chief (Inkosi) of the Mbuyazi tribal authority, studies the bones and awaits to receive wisdom and guidance from his ancestor to help a client.

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Traditional healer, Sipho Mbuyazi, consults the bones to pass on messages from the ancestors to his client during a consultation.

mately, it is the ancestor’s spirit that guides, leads and advises the traditional healer throughout the process.”

Contrary to popular belief, a traditional healer is a specialist in certain areas and not a master of everything. “The speciality is influenced by one’s ancestor and life’s path. Just as one would see an optometrist for vision problems or an oncologist for treating cancer, so it is the same with traditional healers. For example, some will specialise in treating specific ailments; others specialise in relationships. Those who try to do all fields are generally pretenders.

Our lady traditional healers are more advanced in dealing with and resolving relationship problems, one of the most common reasons people seek out the help of a traditional healer. Other cases are health-related, but consultations can range from lifting a curse on a family, to bringing success and prosperity, finding a wife/husband, helping a couple to conceive a child or removing life-threatening evil forces surrounding them. Also important is helping a client connect with their ancestors, often referred to as guiding lights, spirit guides or guardian angels in other cultures.”

There is no formal training prior to becoming a traditional healer because the ancestors do all the actual work and channel their energy and wisdom through the

healer. Whilst some practices vary between different cultures, the one focused on here is the traditional Zulu processes and rituals that an initiate will perform and undergo. Firstly, an initiate will apply a red mud over their entire body, which symbolises the rising of the ancestor’s spirit and the spirit’s fusion with the initiate’s life. He or she will also walk barefoot to connect with the risen ancestor’s spirit. Approximately a month later, a goat is slaughtered to introduce the initiate to the spiritual land, known as Umqwambo. Another two goats are slaughtered shortly after this to signify the rising of the ancestral spirit and that this spirit will rise free of any previous problems. The red mud is then washed off and the initiate must drink the blood of the goat to bring the spirit alive in him or her.

After this ceremony, another goat and a cow are slaughtered during the homecoming ceremony. This ceremony acknowledges and celebrates the homecoming of the ancestral spirit and the emergence of the initiate into a fully practicing traditional healer. The homecoming celebration takes on the form of a very festive event amid the ancestors, family, elders and community members.

Xolani notes, “African herbs do an equal, if not better job than over-the-counter drugs and prescription medication. In fact, they treat the cause of the problem at its

root and not only treat the symptoms.

Many think that traditional healing is an African-only cultural practice and as such, merely applies to black people. This is simply not the case – traditional healers are white, Indian, coloured and even foreigners. One such example was the white German lady who was in training with me as an initiate. And clients themselves come from all ethnicities and walks of life. I think it fair to say that 95% of blacks use our services and remedies (known in Zulu as muti), of which 50% use them openly,

There is no formal training prior to becoming a traditional healer because the ancestors do all the actual work and channel their energy and wisdom through the healer.

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Above: Phumzile Zwane undergoing her homecoming ceremony rituals as a traditional healer.

Right: African herbs on display at a local market in kwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.

African herbs do an equal, if not better job than over-thecounter drugs and prescription medication.

Many think that traditional healing is an African-only cultural practice and as such, merely applies to black people. This is simply not the case – traditional healers are white, Indian, coloured and even foreigners.”

whilst the remainder try to hide their use for various reasons. Some of these include the perceptions about traditional healing being a satanic practice and as such, is against their religion or church’s beliefs. Others prefer to keep it concealed because of their race or our traditional healing therapies 64 |

being at odds with their culture or system of beliefs. These are just some of the more common challenges. One of the biggest, however, is an expectation of being instantly healed or cured, even though most patients do not expect such results from an ordinary medical practitioner or specialist. Yes, traditional healers do, and can work wonders, but we are not miracle workers! Another challenge is the irregular income. A healer may have a large number of clients one week, but only one, two or even none the next, so finances are never assured because they constantly fluctuate. My answer to this is to encourage all traditional healers to use their other talents to support their calling. If they are a bricklayer, build houses, if an electrician, install plugs and power points. I, for example, am a proud Zulu traditionalist and am busy producing a documentary on the cultures and challenges facing the Zulu nation as a whole. As the modern world and its advancing technology continues to take hold, the Zulu culture itself is under attack – not because our customs and rituals are in question, but because the younger members of our culture are turning their backs on our ancient Zulu traditions. These days, many want to rather embrace the 21st century and a westernised way of life. Once this documentary is complete, I hope to be able to use the subsequent exposure to highlight the importance of staying true to one’s roots,

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encourage our younger generation to think twice before moving away from and abandoning their rich Zulu heritage and to engender a better understanding of our customs and traditions that are all steeped in origins so ancient that they date back to the beginning of mankind.”

Xolani has almost completed the additional surgery he is constructing for his wife, Phumzile, to practice from. The couple live with six sons on their family land in Nzalabantu in Mbonambi, which is in the Zululand the province of KwaZulu-Natal.

“Healing is in my blood,” states Xolani. “So much so that I even trained as a paramedic. Although I passed and received my diploma, I haven’t been able to practice this profession because my calling as a traditional healer has been so clear. To me, it is the noblest of callings.

To be able to help people, heal them, assist them to prosper and set them on a path towards total fulfilment in their lives is a reward of which there is no calculable fee. I have assisted people who were on the brink of retrenchment to keep their jobs and thus, continue to support their families. I have lifted the suffering of those who experienced constant migraines. They no longer have migraines and better still, not even headaches! I aim to devote the rest of my life to listening to my ancestors and helping anyone in need of my services. I thank, acknowledge and pay homage to my ancestors, family, community, clients and above all, my Creator.”

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On The Cover | Africa’s Fastest Growing Economies

A F R I C A’ S

FASTEST

GROWING E C O N O M I E S

China’s massive growth has been one of the greatest stories over the past several decades. But the Chinese economy certainly isn’t the only one posting huge growth rates. Africa is on the move!

a

ccording to the Economist Corporate Network (ECN), the past twenty years, the centre of the global economy has been shifting from the developed to the developing world. Today, growth rates in developing economies are many times higher than in developed economies.

Africa has the world’s greatest sources of raw materials used in different parts of the world. That alone puts Africa at the forefront in terms of growth prospects in future.

This however, depends on various variants like technological advancement, bureaucracy, corruption, skills shortages and personal safety and regulatory environment.

Rwanda’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased from 4.7% in 2013 to 7.0% in 2014.

This positive outlook comes 20 years after Rwandan Genocide, which paralyzed the country’s economy. Over the years, the East African country has become a success story with unity and reconciliation forming part of reason for its fast growth. Rwanda is doing everything possible to reduce bottlenecks in transport and energy infrastructure to bolster economic growth.

Words: MONICA ASHLEY LA-COURE

As of 2014, Tanzania had an estimated population of 47.4 million. The International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group (WBG), among other development partners, have supported the East African nation to make important economic and structural reforms and sustain its economic growth rates.

Despite looming poverty in the country, the new political leader, President John Magufuli is a promising change to the country. He is already in the process of minimizing the country’s overspending by cutting cost of unnecessary government spending.

Coal production has contributed to the steady growth of Mozambique. Moreover, there have been large infrastructure projects as well as credit expansion driving the economy, African Economic Outlook says.

Mozambique has attracted large investment projects in natural resources, which means the country’s high growth rates should continue. Some analysts believe that Mozambique might be able to generate revenues from natural gas, coal, and hydroelectric capacity greater than its donor assistance within five years.

According to the Gates Foundation’s report dubbed “One foot on the ground, one foot

in the air”, compiled by the Overseas Development Institute, the agriculture sector has enhanced the growth and development of Ethiopia. Specifically, the sector has helped cut poverty by 7% between 2005 and 2011, despite having the lowest human development in the 1990s.

To boost productivity, Ethiopia is “maintaining teams of agronomists across vast rural areas to boost productivity by recommending best agricultural practices and scientific innovation,” the report continues.

"Further, a doubling of Ethiopia’s road network in two decades, has allowed more farmers to bring their produce to market," said the report.

On average, Ethiopia’s economy is growing at 10% a year and it is expected to double within the next seven years. This means that by 2025, it will have grown to a middleincome nation.

Ethiopia’s economy is mostly agriculturebased, but the government has made a push to diversify into manufacturing, textiles, and energy generation. But while the country has seen and (per the World Bank) will continue to see high GDP growth, per capita income remains one of the lowest in the world.

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ETHIOPIA:

AFRICA’S WUNDERKIND Some decades ago, Ethiopia was a starving country in dire need of international aid to help feed its citizens – but today, Africa’s second most populous country after Nigeria, has evolved into one of Africa’s fastest growing economies.

Words: BRUCE GERMAINE

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lthough many African nations are still struggling to cope with weak domestic currencies and declining revenue from commodities, the steady growth of Ethiopia’s 8 percent plus growth rate has been maintained and is set to remain stable in the near future.

With state-owned enterprises such as the commercial Bank of Ethiopia, Ethiopia Electric Power and various other state mechanisms that have played a significant role as stakeholders in local industries, the Ethiopian currency, coupled with capital controls, retained its value along with a 68% injection of capital investment from 2012 onwards.

The direct involvement of the state in its own country’s industries has proved to be

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a winner in terms of a steadfast economic growth rate that has caught international attention.

Ethiopia has not been overlooked by the Chinese who have a keen interest in the country. Key factors such as cheap labour, a stable government both locally and regionally, and low-tariff access to markets in nearby rich countries has resulted in Chinese companies opening textile and leather factories and numerous massive infrastructure projects such as the completion and building of an electrified railway to Djibouti, the main port of Ethiopia.

65-70% of the government budget is earmarked to local growth in terms of upliftment of the poor with heavy local state investments being ploughed into agricultural, health, education and local infrastructure developments. The latter has seen significant strides in the road and rail infra-

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structures, as well as power generations putting Ethiopia in an ideal position to not only take care of its own power consumption needs, but also to export surplus power to other countries.

The state has also focused its efforts in assisting small enterprises to feed into the industry such as the public housing scheme where many of the products and labour are supplied by local small and micro-enterprises. The eventual goal is to grow them into medium and large size companies.

There has been a huge shift to the manufacturing sector where the government has recognized it as a key platform to be a large employment base with shoe, leather and textile companies setting up shop for European and US markets.

The metamorphosis of Ethiopia has been phenomenal when one considers that

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Trafic in downtown Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia on a sunny day. The direct involvement of the state in its own country’s industries has proved to be a winner in terms of a steadfast economic growth rate that has caught international attention.

some 30 years ago, it had a famine crisis and comparing that to the present day agricultural success story that it is, the agricultural sector contributes about 45 % to-

There has been a huge shift to the manufacturing sector where the government has recognized it as a key platform to be a large employment base with shoe, leather and textile companies setting up shop for European and US markets.

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wards the GDP. In terms of labour, agriculture accounts for 80-85% of employment – this is nothing short of a miracle considering the country’s previous food insecurity history. The roles of government, donors and local farmers have all contributed towards the productivity in agriculture. In terms of progress and technology Ethiopia now have better seeds and management techniques, more fertilizer and access to domestic and international markets, resulting in the creation of wealth for some farmers who have done exceedingly well.

In the light of its history of food shortage, the Agricultural Transformation Agency was created, supported by the UN, which is a government agency staffed by highly trained technical people who are able to drive the transformation agenda. 10-17% of the annual budget is spent on agriculture – testament to the government’s commitment in eradicating hunger.

The Ethiopian government has grabbed the opportunity of investing towards industrialization despite global economic headwinds. In addition, part of the

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programme to attract foreign investment is the setting up of special economic zones coupled with significant infrastructure projects.

In terms of FDI (Foreign Direct Investment), China has emerged as a very strong partner in helping to develop infrastructures such as rail, roads, telecom and power generation projects in the form of soft loans – almost akin to a case of the Asian Lion helping the African Lion realize its own strength.

China not only has the economic muscle to partner with the Ethiopian state, but also has the historic advantage of having acquired the experience some 20 years ago – equating Ethiopia to where China was some 20 years ago would not be an absurd concept.

But what exactly makes Ethiopia different from other African countries one may ask.

For one thing, wages in Ethiopia are about a quarter of those in China and half of Vietnam’s. The country also benefits from duty-free access to the US market for many of its goods, courtesy of the US Africa Growth and Opportunity Act. Fast

economic growth, proximity to the Middle Eastern market and the preferential access it has to European Union and US markets are also factors.

Since 2009, China has surpassed the US as being the top trading partner in the region – and China has recognized the potential in investing in Ethiopia becoming a key driver of the ensuing economic boom over the last 10 years.

Ethiopia also has plenty manpower to become a manufacturing hub in the region – albeit with China’s keen interest, these factors coupled with minimal levels of corruption, relative safety, an efficient bureaucracy and cheap production (read labour) are key factors in Chinese compa-

nies stepping up.

The intended completion in 2019 of a massive urban rail project in Addis Ababa is a prime example of China’s involvement in Ethiopia's Addis Ababa Rail project, which commenced a short while ago to the delight of excited residents of the country's capital.

The $475m urban rail project - funded by China and constituting a joint venture with the Ethiopian government - is one of the most obvious examples of Beijing's huge role in Ethiopia's infrastructure development. In a city of 4 million, where buses and taxis were once the only methods of commuting, this presents no mean feat, considering that Ethiopia is the second

The metamorphosis of Ethiopia has been phenomenal when one considers that some 30 years ago it had a famine crisis and comparing that to the present day agricultural success story that it is, the agricultural sector contributes about 45 % towards the GDP. sub-Saharan country after South Africa to build a high-tech electrified rail network.

A man carefully inspects fresh farm eggs available for sale at a local market in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Agriculture accounts for 80-85% of employment in Ethiopia.

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Right: A worker works on the electrified light rail transit construction site in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa. The $475m urban rail project funded by China and constituting a joint venture with the Ethiopian government - is one of the most obvious examples of Beijing's huge role in Ethiopia's infrastructure development.

Below: The Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD), formerly known as Haile Selassie International Airport, serves as the main hub for Ethiopian Airlines. Ethiopian Airlines, the flagship national carrier, is the biggest customer in Africa for Boeing, the American manufacturer of large passenger jet aircraft such as the 787 Dreamliner.

Down Below: A cavalier attitude has seen South African businesses and services spreading accross the continent. It is a branch of Standard Bank in Adis Ababa, Ethiopia. The reason according to one executive: “to gain a foothold in one of Africa’s fastest growing economies.”

The rail system will have the capacity to transport 60 000 passengers to 49 districts within the capital region and at 27 cents a ride, far lower than a taxi or bus fare, the light rail system is already growing with stations becoming mini commercial hubs.

This high-profile example of Chinese investment has been a catalyst to Ethiopia’s annual growth rate of around 10 percent in the past decade with China and its companies having invested over $ 900 million in Ethiopia over the past five years with trade being worth around $ 1.3 billion a year according to the Ethiopian Investment Agency.

It is perhaps fitting that the relations between the two countries have rotated full circle. Formal relations were stablished in 1970, but after the 1974 Marxist-inspired revolution in Ethiopia and its subsequent relationship with the then Soviet Union, China’s rival, minimal contact took place between both countries.

It was only after former Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s visit to China in 1995 that relations resumed again, marking a beginning of economic ties. The rela72 |

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tionship was further cemented in 2003 after Ethiopia hosted the second Forum on China-Africa Co-Operation summit.

Investment is not a one way street - Chinese consumer products have flooded Ethiopian markets and when comparing the China-Africa goods export figure of $ 50 million in 1996 to the $ 430 million figure in 2006, only then does one realize the

China has emerged as a very strong partner in helping to develop infrastructures such as rail, roads, telecom and power generation projects in the form of soft loans – almost akin to a case of the Asian Lion helping the African Lion realize its own strength.

“

This is not just a relationship simply based on diplomatic negotiation, but is a kind of relationship that is based on technology transfer, education and assisting each other.”

enormous significance and impact that China has in Africa.

The Shiro Meda textile market as well as open-air bazaars in Addis Ababa reveal the multitude of cheap Chinese consumer products such as Huawei smartphones, shoes, jewelry, clothes and household goods - all manufactured in China.

On the other hand, local employment has been a direct result of China’s involvement with Ethiopia with the creation of jobs being a crucial element for the growth of emerging economies such as Ethiopia. Examples such as the China-Africa Overseas Leather Products factory employing more than 4,000 locals, the building of a second international airport in Addis Ababa at a cost of an estimated $ 4 billion, apart from the ongoing expansion of the current Bole International airport in Addis Ababa, the 656km Ethiopia-Djibouti railway line, which is being constructed at a total cost of US$3.4 billion by Chinese companies plus the US$1.2 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) Power Transmission line where the Chinese company State Grid of China Electric Power Equipment & Technology Co. Ltd (SGCC) is installing the highvoltage electric transmission lines – all these and more illustrate China’s aggressive Go Big or Go Home economic strategy.

Says Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Ethiopia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs: “This is not just a relationship simply based on diplomatic negotiation, but is a kind of relationship that is based on technology transfer, education and assisting each other.”

American and European companies have not been sitting idle either and although not as extensive or as visible as China’s investments, foreign partnerships have helped tremendously in the fields of health and education. Almost half of Ethiopia’s health budget comes from external financial sources, among them the European Union and the US. Ethiopia has managed to drastically cut the mother-to-child HIV/AIDS transmission rate with the assistance of the President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a US governmental initiative to address the global HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa, initially launched by ex-US President George W.

Bush and continued by US President Barak Obama.

In general, most US investments are larger ones involved with the Ethiopian government, whereas smaller private sector US companies such as Juniper Glass Industries Private Limited Company (PLC) for example, is investing close to $50 million for a glass bottle factory to meet the demands of Ethiopia’s rapidly increasing alcoholic and beverage industry.

With Ethiopia competing in the floriculture and horticulture sector with neighbouring Kenya, another US firm made the largest investment so far by a US company into an Ethiopian firm, $200 million in Afriflora, a flower company that grows 730 million flowers a year in Ethiopia for export.

Ethiopian Airlines, the flagship national carrier, is the biggest customer in Africa for Boeing, the American manufacturer of large passenger jet aircraft such as the 787 Dreamliner.

This is very significant considering that the aviation sector, which depends on its aircrafts and supplies from the US, was the country’s top revenue earner at 4.2 USD billion last year, easily beating Ethiopia’s most famous agricultural export, coffee.

Progressive indicators for FDI are also evident in the Ethiopian banking arena with the state-run Commercial Bank of Ethiopia letting foreign banks operate in the country. South Africa’s own Standard Bank has opened an office in Addis Ababa – the reason according to one executive: “to gain a foothold in one of Africa’s fastest growing economies,” said the statement. So too has Germany’s Commerzbank alongside Egyptian, Kenyan, Indian and numerous other foreign banks.

Ethiopia certainly has earned the attention and a positive economic forecast, according to the IMF, an 8.1 % growth rate is predicted for 2016 going forward, notwithstanding its first-place rating among Africa’s Top Fastest Growing Economies Scale coming as no surprise, followed by the DRC Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Mozambique and Chad in the top 5 countries – a testament that other African countries can learn from and grow their own economies, thereby improving the lives of their citizens.

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RWANDA:

VISION TOWARDS 2020 The 26th World Economic Forum on Africa 2016 recently held in Kigali put the landlocked country of Rwanda in the spotlight. Ranked within the top five fastest growing economies in Africa among Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Tanzania, the IMF has attributed its growth to construction, services, agriculture and manufacturing and mining.

Words: BRUCE GERMAINE

h

aving vastly reduced the poverty rate from what it was before, more than 60% of the population still live in poverty as defined by the World Bank at less than $ 1.25 a day, but despite this, Rwanda deserves to be praised and admired for its economic growth since the 1994 Genocide.

With a vast post-liberation development programme in terms of road, school, hospitals and energy generation projects, Rwanda’s robust development agenda and its own limited budget, borrowing could not be excluded as a means of achieving the goal of being self-sufficient and ensuring a further continued positive growth rate of 6-

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8% average. In addition, the government of Rwanda has been able to exercise restraint when it comes to investing and has done so with productive sectors of its economy, resulting in its external debt to GDP ratio being below 30% - a most attractive prospect for investors and international money institutions.

Seeking International Assistance With nine of every ten adults being subsistence farmers, no oil and few minerals, Rwanda’s leadership under President Paul Kagame sought and found very influential supporters: Seattle-based Costco CEO Jim Sinegal and Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, both premium buyers of prime coffee beans, former British prime minister Tony Blair, RealNetworks founder and CEO Rob

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Glaser and Google CEO Eric Schmidt - all part of Rwanda's network of influential supporters.

With the launch of the Presidential Advisory Council in 2007, a think tank of leaders in their respective fields, ranging from life sciences to economic development consultants, it has produced significant inroads resulting in major investments in the country such as a Frankfurt-based financial-services company launching an East Africa privateequity fund that invested in a Kigali bank and a Rwandan banking-IT company.

The Rwandan president’s strategy of procuring wealthy and powerful friends to attract private investment with the aim of building a globally competitive economy is producing results. Actions

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The Rwandan president’s strategy of procuring wealthy and powerful friends to attract private investment with the aim of building a globally competitive economy is producing results. do speak louder than words and so far it is working in terms of major investments in Rwanda by international companies, apart from the question that keep on cropping up about President Kagame's involvement in the region's ongoing conflicts.

It is President Kagame’s firm belief that the past will never happen again, especially since he believes that poverty played a major role in exacerbating tensions that led to the 1994 Genocide.

“We must create opportunities for higher wages so that conditions for tolerance, trust and optimism are in place.”

However, President Kagame also realizes that change is inevitable when it comes to foreign help: "No country can depend on development aid forever.

Such dependency dehumanizes us and robs us of our dignity."

Rwanda’s goals are clear: to significantly boost the GDP , create paying jobs for Rwanda's subsistence farmers, increase the per capita income to $900, and transform Rwanda into an African centre for technology - all this by 2020.

Economic Growth Going Forward According to the World Bank, the private sector will continue to play a major role in sustaining Rwanda’s economic growth with the issue of providing constant efficient power remaining a challenge. This should be eased with the 26 76 |

megawatt KivuWatt power plant near Lake Kivu – an ambitious methane gas project, which plans to exploit the estimated 60 billion cubic meters of methane gas that will be extracted from beneath the lake to generate electricity.

The country is in the midst of a rapid expansion to its electrical grid, including the installation of smaller solar power units, which will ensure that structures that are not connected to the national grid will continue to be productive, as well as maintaining productivity during power outages.

Finance and Economic Planning minister Claver Gatete is optimistic that this and other projects will "gradually lessen the impact of electricity constraints and spur more investment”.

Rwanda and the IMF The International Monetary Fund forecast 6 % growth this year compared to 6.9 % last year, with Rwanda’s economy expected to slow down, but resume pace in 2018. If Rwanda is in a position to stick to its commitment of a more cautionary monetary policy by curbing public spending and reduce the demand for imports, the IMF expects that a successful implementation of economic policies should ensure the projected 6% growth rate coupled with keeping inflation below 5 %.

Although the Rwandan economy in 2015 was buoyed by construction, services, agriculture and manufacturing, mining was lower than before - a result of lower prices and lower demand for Rwanda’s minerals causing a significant loss of export revenue. According to Laure Redifer who led an IMF mission to Rwanda, further foreign revenue was also lost due to a lower than expected inflow of private capital and remittances, together leading to further pressure on the Rwanda Franc and foreign exchange reserves.

Progression and Economic Liberation In terms of learning from the past,

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Rwanda has made some very important socio-economic changes in the last 20 years – the coffee production industry a case in point where freeing up the markets have benefitted the poor.

This type of economic liberalization has helped more than half a million families.

More than 20 years ago, this sector was highly regulated by the government which exploited the coffee, industry as a key source of revenue. Farmers were forced to dedicate at least a quarter of their land to growing coffee which the government bought from them at below market prices, the coffee beans were then sold on the international markets at a higher price and profits were not passed onto the farmers. This type of backward “economic” assistance to its own citizens was in fact a legal way to rob the farmers of their due profits, that apart from a levied export tax that farmers also had to carry the burden of.

After the Genocide, this scheme came to an end and President Kagame’s government liberated the coffee industry by allowing coffee bean producers to freely trade with international buyers.

By increasingly focusing on quality rather than quantity with the freedom to trade in a liberated economic environment, countless households experienced a surge in income as demand for better coffee beans, increased leading to an economic upturn in terms of paying for school fees, paying medical bills, clothing and a general increase in living standards. This also contributed towards a more harmonious society between Hutus and Tutsis – a crucial corner stone in maintaining law and order in post 1994 Rwanda.

Foreign Aid Foreign aid, often a saviour yet also the proverbial sword of Damocles, is almost necessity for struggling African countries. It requires enormous fiscal discipline and attainable long term, goals and the danger of degenerating into a never ending-cycle of dependency that

“

The Rwanda Gigawatt Project. This installation of solar power units will ensure that structures that are not connected to the national grid will continue to be productive, as well as maintaining productivity during power outages.

We must create opportunities for higher wages so that conditions for tolerance, trust and optimism are in place.”

so many African countries get trapped in is a very real possibility, a fact that has not escaped President

Kagame’s vision into the future.

A strong dependence on subsistence agriculture that employs more than 50% of the labour force and an excessive dependence on foreign aid, which supplements up to 40% of the government budget are just some of the challenges that Rwanda will have to tackle head-on in the future.

The all too common problem of a budget and a never-ending trade deficit create high levels of government debt that will have to be repaid.

More than two thirds of Rwanda’s debt is owed to the World Bank.

A government initiative – Rwanda Vision 2020 – is aimed at achieving long- term development goals such as diversifying Rwanda’s subsistence

economy into a more diversified one, thus loosening the shackles of foreign debt. This should be achieved by letting markets regulate themselves with minimal government intervention where the private sector is able to provide goods and services more efficiently than the government, these and other pro-market economic policies are an ongoing strategy designed to attract foreign investments.

Rwanda’s success and economic freedom will depend on its ability to steer the ship and navigate strong headwinds going forward without compromising on its steadfast goals and maintaining the projected forecast of a 6% economic growth rate.

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TANZANIA:

BOOSTING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY Tanzania – an exotic name that rolls off the tongue like a well-intended metaphor. Certainly a country that has attracted international attention in terms of its economic growth and making its mark among the top 5 fastest growing economies in Africa.

w

Words: BRUCE GERMAINE

ith a population of 49 million and the ninth largest economy in Sub-Saharan Africa, it has maintained a steady growth rate of around 7 % for the last couple of years. Among the advantages is the efficient air transport system, political stability, a free market economy, and it is strategically located in terms of Dar es Salaam being the gateway port that services 8 land-locked countries, plus it has an abundance of natural resources, coupled with 44 million hectares of arable fertile land – an allin-one package for investors.

Although Tanzania’s economy has been steadily growing in the last decade, agriculture dominates the landscape in terms of employing approximately 80% of the local population, and Tanzania is slowly making progress towards diversifying its reliance from agriculture to other industries.

The economic growth has been improved by progress within the con-

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struction, communication, power generation, manufacturing , health and administration sectors.

In 2013, its economy expanded and overtook that of Kenya and Uganda, a positive sign, which helps in keeping Tanzania one of the preferred destinations for foreign investments in Africa and certainly top spot in East Africa.

Some of the key issues that are attracting investors are the Tanzanian government’s commitment to sound macro-economic policies, an effective privatization programme and rich mineral resources.

Large infrastructure projects also attracted foreign investments with port facilities, oil and energy production and gas liquification projects taking the front positions. Tanzania’s major investors come from the United Kingdom, China, South Africa, the European Union and Canada.

Although Tanzania shows amazing progress in terms of its growth, one cannot lose sight of the fact that it remains emerging market terrain with certain challenges such as unreliable

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power, an underdeveloped transport system, bureaucracy, a lack of technological resources and complex land laws.

Despite the positive economic growth rate, Tanzania has not adequately addressed poverty reduction by not succeeding to raise its productivity in agriculture over the last 20 years. With a predominantly agricultural sector dominating the labour force with a 4% growth rate, three quarters of the population still live in rural areas and eighty percent of its citizens live in rural households.

The Tanzanian government has not been sitting idle though, together with donors they both have used resources to improve some social sectors, but simply do not have enough resources to also address the agriculture sector.

The lack of secure land tenure to guarantee that farmers in the rural districts do not lose their land is one of the most sensitive issues and has led to restraint from investors that could have otherwise enhanced productivity. The food processing and other related agricul-

On The Cover | Africa’s Fastest Growing Economies

Left: A close view of the Kariakoo market in Dar es Salaam.

Right: Dar es Salam Airport, Tanzania.

tural produce industries within those manufacturing sectors are very limited in rural areas, resulting in hardly any new created jobs.

On the other hand, the bulk of economic growth occurred within telecommunications, financial services, retail trade, mining, tourism, construction and other manufacturing sectors. In previous years, this was driven largely by public spending and international aid, but now it is mainly generated by

private sector initiatives with the most growth being experienced by capitalintensive industries in urban areas.

Time will tell, but currently the growth experienced has failed to address the big challenges of increasing employment by creating additional jobs across the social spectrum Nevertheless, the Tanzanian economy continues to flourish as the government focuses on industrialization and infrastructure developments such as

the US$ 4.0 billion oil-export pipeline agreement with Uganda in April as well as a signed a deal regarding a USD 900 million railway project that will connect Rwanda’s rail links to Tanzania’s main port. In addition, the Central Corridor railway project is yet another one of Tanzania’s major infrastructure projects and set to receive USD 6.8 billion in foreign investments by Chinese investments in order to implement phase 1 of the project, which aims to establish a

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Acacia Mining's Buzwagi gold mine in Tanzania. The bulk of economic growth occurred within telecommunications, financial services, retail trade, mining, tourism, construction and other manufacturing sectors.

With discovery of significant gas reserves apart from the country’s already large mineral resources, investors are eager to cash in on Tanzania’s long-term economic prospects, which appear promising.

railway connection from Dar Es Salaam to Mwanza, at the north-west border.

Dar Es Salaam is one of the fastest growing cities in Africa and the country has experienced a small, but growing urban middle class who are demanding very poignant political and economic services - cheap electricity, imported goods, and better urban social services and infra-structure (transport, schools, health) in the urban areas. It is a double-edged sword as the government tries to satisfy the middle class while simultaneously walking a tightrope to balance inequalities within communities. The danger of a destabilization of the relative continued peace, stability and social cohesion in Tanzania is, as is the case with numerous African coun80 |

tries, a sleeping giant.

With discovery of significant gas reserves apart from the country’s already large mineral resources, investors are eager to cash in on Tanzania’s longterm economic prospects, which appear promising.

However, as with all other long-term projects, it is highly likely that the benefits from the exploitation of natural mineral reserves will not materialize for another 5 years, which will pressure the Tanzanian government to keep concentrating on its macroeconomic policies.

For now, the country’s financial sustainability is not yet in jeopardy, but debt management is essential with a strong need for significant strengthening of control of public investments.

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In terms of law and order within the region, a prerequisite for new investors who want to have guarantees that their interests are protected not only in the short but also long term, Tanzania has a relatively positive human rights track record. Ratification of its own international human rights mechanisms by establishing relevant frameworks that support democratic governance are in place, although there is still work to be done to improve overall conditions.

The constitution addresses basic civil and political rights, which include freedom of movement assembly and freedom of speech. To freely express oneself will need some new legislation to be in place as the current legislation needs to be updated on par with the

Above: Farming in Tanzania. Agriculture dominates the landscape in terms of employing approximately 80% of the local population.

Left: With unrivalled quantities of game and some of the most beautiful national parks on the continent, Tanzania is a safari dream come true.

rest of the world’s free economies.

While the judiciary seems largely independent , corruption remains a major challenge – a red flag for any new business, and although some companies may be willing to grease some palms for ease of a smoother bureaucratic passage, their own country’s laws prevent them from doing this, such as the UK Bribery Act. Efforts to promote the practical implementation of economic, social and cultural rights are in place, unemployment still presents a challenge and international labour standards are sometimes not strictly adhered to. This is not unique to African countries on the rise

as they try to climb onto the global bandwagon of progress.

Signs of progress include Tanzanian citizens that are beginning to demand more insight and influence than previously. Accountability and responsibility rank high among its citizens, and both the media and civil society are starting to demand that the government actually govern properly – and be accountable to the voting public – with the fight against corruption being one of Tanzania’s biggest challenges.

However, Tanzania’s score fares better than numerous other African countries when it comes to Public Financial Management (PFM) and although laws, reg-

ulatory bodies and systems have been promulgated during the last 15 years, compliance to these very same standards remains a work in progress.

When it comes to the Tanzanian taxman, he is partially effective in collecting tax revenues equal to 18% of the GDP and no mean feat by African country standards, but the complex and non-transparent system of tax exemptions does fuel the fire of corruption, which is estimated to rob the state coffers of around 4% of the GDP. This issue definitely requires political will if Tanzania is to move beyond where it stands now and claim its rightful place as one of Africa top five fastest growing economies.

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MOZAMBIQUE: RICH IN NATURAL RESOURCES Mozambique – a country once ruled by the Portuguese, counts itself among the top five fastest growing economies in Africa with a 7 % average growth rate over the last five years. Over the past two decades, Mozambique has experienced significant economic growth at a pace matching that of other rapidly growing economic powerhouses, such as India and China, a somewhat strange phenomenon among its neighbours.

Words: BRUCE GERMAINE

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On The Cover | Africa’s Fastest Growing Economies

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ooking at some of the figures, according to the Instituto Nacional De Estatistica, the Gross Domestic Product growth rate averaged 1.46 from 2007 to 2016 with a record 7.70% towards the end of 2007 with an all-time low of minus 2.10% in the last quarter of 2015.

While Mozambique's central bank left its standing facility rate steady at 9.75% cognisant of "challenging macroeconomic objectives for 2016," this albeit within the economic growth rate of 7% coupled with sufficient adequate international reserves.

The 2016 goals are set in a context of anticipating drought and floods in some parts of the country as well as the weakened global economic activity, specifically in emerging market economies.

However, according to the IMF, the out-

look remains positive and robust with a medium-term growth recovery rate forecast of 7.5 – 8 %, with foreign investments in the natural gas and coal sectors boosting this confidence significantly.

Mozambique still has a long way to go in terms of fully exploiting its natural resources, previously being one of the world's poorest and least developed countries. Foreign aid was a necessity with years of civil wars and government mismanagement, it left the nation heavily dependent on foreign aid.

With an economy that is dominated by agriculture, prawns, cotton, cashew nuts, sugar, citrus, copra, coconuts and timber constituting important crops, Mozambique also has vast mineral deposits (marble, bentonite, coal, gold, bauxite, granite and gemstones) with aluminum being the most important export product.

As with other African economies, lower commodity prices and a decline in foreign exchange inflows have generated a temporary balance of payments gap with authorities taking strong policy measures to preserve macroeconomic stability. This continued implementation of conservative policies under the standby credit facility will be necessary to ensure that Mozambique can manage its debt, while protecting against external market forces and continue promoting strong and inclusive growth.

Says the IMF in one of its press releases: “The authorities’ front-loaded corrective measures, including a tightening of the 2016 budget deficit and of the monetary policy stance in 2015, as well as a reform of the foreign exchange market should help to stabilize the economy. Rigorous implementation of the budget, enhanced VAT

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Traditional Sunday's art market in Maputo, Mozambique. The local market is one of the tourists attractions of the city.

management, close monitoring of fiscal risks, and allowing for continued exchange rate flexibility will be key to restoring macroeconomic stability. The central bank should stand ready to tighten liquidity conditions further. Work on an action plan to improve the profitability of the EMATUM fishing company should be fast tracked to reduce its risk to the government budget.”

It further states: “Significant progress has been made on structural reforms. To make Mozambique’s strong growth performance more inclusive and broad based, the reform agenda needs to focus on enhancing public financial management, including budget controls and fiscal transparency, and developing the institutional framework and building capacity to prepare for the management of natural resource wealth.

Priority should also be given to reforming the energy sector, improving access to fi84 |

nancial services, and strengthening the business environment. A vigorous debt management strategy will be crucial to address the challenges of significant infrastructure gaps at a time when debt vulnerabilities have been rising.”

Despite all the positive growth outlooks, Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi will have to navigate some strong economic gale winds in the form of the scandal that has raised eyebrows among international donors such the IMF, The World Bank, the African Development Bank, the United Kingdom and the European Union.

In a recent revelation, it seems that in 2013/2014, the previous Mozambican government took out loans worth more than $ 2 billion to fund projects by state owned entities. Seemingly, more debt was incurred than ever before and although the state is the leading shareholder of the

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companies that are part of the deals, the Mozambican government nevertheless is still liable as guarantor to service those debts.

Current President Nyusi denies that his team knew about this, since he came into office well after the controversial deals were entered into. The result: the IMF along with World Bank and UK government are postponing on the signing of any further loans and 2nd stage financial installments until more clarity has been reached. Ironically, President Nyusi denies that his latest anti-corruption drive has been diluted by the very scandal that the current anti-corruption campaign purports to prevent.

International creditors are now demanding more transparency, but the government is positive that it will rise above the scandal with the President looking towards China

A mining site in Mozambique.

Mozambique has vast mineral deposits (marble, bentonite, coal, gold, bauxite, granite and gemstones) with aluminum being the most important export product.

for help after an unsuccessful trip to Brussels and Washington.

President Nyusi, plus his delegation of high ranking officials, recently visited China with the aim of cementing relations between the two countries in what is the second bilateral meeting. Prospects of securing a portion of the $ 60 billion that China has earmarked for African countries are on the agenda.

However some critics remain skeptical, maintaining that Chinese companies benefit more from the construction projects financed by China, in terms of not contributing towards the growth of the Mozambican economy since all the work is 86 |

being done by imported Chinese labour and materials. From streets, power lines and railway tracks and even imported nails that are used to build by Chinese firms, it is said that few if any, Mozambicans are being employed, and credits flow straight back to China, leaving a huge vacuum for local business people and entrepreneurs.

This type of conditional aid is by no means unusual and is also done by other countries, but seemingly the Mozambique/China agreements leave little room in terms of local businesses benefitting.

Other observers believe that the President and his government have little alternative, but to turn to China for more assistance,

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this especially in view of the recent financial scandals committed under the previous government.

How the situation develops politically will have a direct influence on the growth rate.

There is discontent among civil society organizations as well as opposition parties and people are weary of the impending rising cost of living, the depreciation of the national currency, local armed skirmishes and conflicts, and the public debt; all this certainly coupled with recent financial scandals does not bode well unless President Nyusi pulls a rabbit out of his hat in the form of securing additional aid from China.

THE SPLENDOR OF

WEST COAST FLOWERS

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It is said that the flowers of the Cape West Coast, in South Africa, are strong enough to stop a car. And it is true, for every year, thousands of tourists to this unique part of the world gasp in amazement at the spectacular beauty of countless flowers, seemingly arranged for the exclusive viewing pleasure of all visitors to go back into their natural groupings.

s a biodiverse region, the Cape West Coast has few equals. As a natural work of art (in spring), it’s right up there with the Great Barrier Reef and the Northern Lights in Alaska. The West Coast is so much more than the coast and includes the Namaqua West Coast and Cederberg areas, which in autumn are filled with white and yellow daisies and blue and pink Nemesis. Hidden between the larger plants, are other gems like "Winecups, Sparaxis, Lachenalis and Babnias. Winter weather awakens the delicate yellow and orange "Chasmanthes", and creamy Arum lilies fill the wetlands and roads throughout the region.

In the early spring, the flowers spread to the south of the West Coast. The fields of flowers welcome tourists who do not want to 88 |

Words: MONICA ASHLEY LE-COURE

travel too far from Cape Town. In the West Coast National Park, tourists may visit Post Mountain Reserve from August 1 to September 30, but should not miss the Cape Columbine reserve Paternoster and reserves Darling, Hopefield, Clanwilliam and Van Rhynsdorp. (Make sure to contact regional officials for more information on flower reserves or visit their website www.capewestcoast.org) The colour palettes vary, depending on area and season. On any given day, you might find yourself surrounded by vast patches of purple dotted with yellow, or a canvas of orange with white speckles. Flower names range from daisies to Sambreeltjies (umbrellas) to Feëklokkies (fairy bells). The flowers start to appear as early as July in the northern section known as the Namaqua West Coast. From there they migrate south (a little slower than the Wildebeests in the Serengeti) all the way to Blouberg, near Cape

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Town.

The best places to view flowers up north include the Namaqua National Park, near Springbok, and Nieuwoudtville, near Vanrhynsdorp. As the spectacle moves south, you can soak up the colours at Biedouw Valley and Ramskop Nature Garden in Clanwilliam. Other great stops include the West Coast National Park at Langebaan and the Flower Reserves around Darling.

Should there be rainfall in late October, all around tourists will see colourful Vygies, Watsonias and the orange and yellow Stinkweed are plentiful and keep the area in bloom even longer. In the mountains, stretching more to the interior, there are Proteas' Conebushes "and perennial Daisies into the summer months. January is the best month to see the rare red disa in the Great Winterhoek Nature Reserve - a comfortable ride from Porterville. Along the coast clouds pink Seelaventel (sea lavender) and red and

Nature & Wildlife | West Coast Flowers

orange butter tree and wad flowers in midsummer.

Tips for viewers Catching a glimpse of the greatest flower show on Earth is not simply a matter of pitching up. There are meticulous details to consider like the time of day and the exact direction you are facing. The best time for viewing is from 11h00 to 15h00. Known as the extended Flower Power Hour, it’s the hottest time of the day when the flowers are at their best.

And they don’t stand still, either. The flowers follow the sun as it crosses the sky, so for the best view, turn your back to the sun or drive north to south if you are in a car. Position yourself wrong and you’ll miss the show. Oh yes, and get out of the car for a closer view – some of the most beautiful flowers are also the smallest.

Besides watching flowers, there are tons of things to do on the Cape West Coast. Go surfing at Elands Bay or birding at one of a number of world-class birding spots. Visit museums, taste wine, dine and much more.

For a good old-fashioned opskop (colloquial term for a party), visit the Hopefield Fynbos show from 25 – 28 August. And don’t miss the spectacular Darling Wildflower show (18 – 20 September) or the Clanwilliam Wild flower show (1 - 3 September). Other shows include Duckitt

Orchid (16-18 September), the Darling Wildflower show (16-18 September) and the Vanrhynsdorp Succulent Show is held ealier from July to August.

The Darling Wildflower show takes place annually and celebrates an integral part of the Cape Fynbos Kingdom, comprising of Renosterveld, Sandveld and Strandveld where more than 1200 different species of flowers can be found. The event includes entry to the Landscaped Hall (depicting the flowers of the area in their natural habitat).

For more information contact West Coast Tourism and to find the latest news on the flowers kindly contact: PO Box 242, Moorreesburg 7310.

Telephone: +27 (0)22 433 8505 Fax: 0866 926113 Email: tourism@wcdm.co.za Web: www.capewestcoast.org

THREE SOUTH AFRICAN CITIES POSITIONED AS

PRIME OUTSOURCING HUBS South Africa is establishing itself as a successful emerging offshore destination for voice and non-voice outsourcing services, with Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban positioning themselves as the country's outsourcing hotspot trio.

Words: GUGU GOWERA

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ccording to the 2015 Tholons Top 100 Outsourcing Destinations report, which ranks cities in terms of outsourcing attractiveness, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban are ranked 21, 57 and 100 respectively.

Notably, South Africa's cost-effectiveness works in its favour and the country offers 40-45% lower cost compared to nearshore locations in the UK (Northern Ireland etc.) and 10-20% lower than locations in Central and Eastern Europe (Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania).

Deloitte BPaaS Western Cape leader, Wendy Smith says South Africa's value proposition is not only about cost. "It is enhanced by factors such as a skilled workforce, government support, high cultural compatibility and time zone overlap with European countries."

Despite being distinctive in nature, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban offer complex services in the business process outsourcing (BPO), information technology outsourcing (ITO), knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) and legal process outsourcing (LPO) services as well as the traditional voice service capabilities.

As one of the most populated areas in the Gauteng province, Johannesburg houses a substantial and highly skilled workforce and shows labour retention. The city's well90 |

placed location means that several companies operating in Eastern and/or Southern Africa establish their headquarters in Johannesburg, providing opportunities for BPO service providers based in the city. Johannesburg's proximity to the administrative capital, Pretoria, further boosts its locational advantage.

The region's strength lies in finance and accounting, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), payroll and recruitment services. The city is also well equipped to provide services related to information technology, procurement, KPO and human resources outsourcing.

Although Cape Town is ranked lower than Johannesburg in the Tholons list, it is the destination of choice for many prospective organisations seeking an outsourcing destination. .

Cape Town boasts a large talent pool emanating from some of the country's top universities and Further Education and Training (FET) colleges. Linguistic capabilities other than English, an improving risk profile and good quality infrastructure (road, power, healthcare) further enhance the city's outsourcing capability.

Cape Town boasts a number of recognised outsource service providers and is able to cater for a rising global demand. It also hosts captive centres for companies such as BP, ASDA, Amazon, Lufthansa, Google and DHL. Durban has been a key contributor to South Africa' BPO segment since 2006. Lower cost

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of operations, good infrastructure and talent with linguistic capabilities position Durban as a preferred location for many.

From a cost of operations perspective, Durban is better placed than Cape Town and Johannesburg. Estimates indicate that the cost of operations in Durban is 5% lower than Cape Town and salaries in Durban are 15% to 20% lower than those in Johannesburg.

The quality of talent for sales and outbound campaigns in Durban is better than the other two cities and labour competition lower. Accessible transportation and the presence of various ethnicities also work in favour of Durban. In addition, the development of a new BPO Park at Dube Trade Port is expected to add to Durban's prominence.

Durban caters predominantly to clients based in the UK, such as Carphone and TalkTalk, and Australia, such as Westfarmers Australia and Coles Insurance. It supports clients in the manufacturing, financial services, retail and telecom sectors, with the primary focus on technical support.

Smith says political stability and the relative maturity of skills for transactional shared services have played a significant role in South African cities being chosen as preferred destinations. "Future prospects for the country growing as a preferred outsourcing destination look promising as these and other factors used to determine an outsourcing location favour South Africa."

Tourism Update | Seychelles & South African Tourism Boards

SEYCHELLES AND SOUTH AFRICAN TOURISM BOARDS SIGN MOU FOR BETTER COOPERATION

Better cooperation and exchanges are expected in the field of tourism between Seychelles and South Africa after the two countries’ respective tourism boards signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the INDABA trade fair in Durban.

Words: MONICA ASHLEY LA-COURE

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he MOU was signed on behalf of the Seychelles by the Minister for Tourism and Culture, Alain St Ange and Sthembiso Dlamini, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the South African Tourism Board.

Several talks and discussions were held between the two bodies in the past year, leading up to the realisation of this agreement, which now covers numerous areas of prolific cooperation between them.

In the presence of several representatives of both tourism boards, the agreement was signed and toasted to as both Minister St Ange and Ms Dlamini said they look forward to further strengthen ties and enhance cooperation between the two countries.

The agreement promotes promotional efforts and collaboration in developing the

tourism industry of both countries as they seek to: jointly position Seychelles and South Africa as touristic destinations and increase their market profiles as preferred destinations; collaborate on marketing activities, tourism campaigns and travel trade promotions aimed at increasing the market share of both countries; provide access to each other’s pool of marketing intelligence, especially to increase the marketing efficiencies of both countries; collaborate on efforts to increase the countries’ exposure in the global market and improve communication between the two parties in order to foster a closer working relationship.

Minister St Ange, who has been instrumental in pushing for such an agreement between the two bodies, reiterated of why he felt ‘Africa should work with Africa’, if the continent is to move forward and be a more attractive product on the international tourist market.

“South Africa has been and remains a strong source market for Seychelles and it is a country with which we share excellent relations. But there is more we can do for each other and this agreement will lead the way to better cooperation and exchanges between the two parties, which will help to position both destinations at a new level on the international tourist market,” he said.

Ms Dlamini also spoke of the need to work together in order to develop a common approach to developing the two countries’ tourism plan and strategies.

“Collaboration is central to all we eandevour to do as SA Tourism to grow and support the tourism industry in the country and on the continent. We are very excited that our initial discussions with the Seychelles have borne fruit in the form of this MOU. We are looking forward to future engagement to realise our shared vision of taking our destinations to new levels of success.”

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Exterior view of Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Inset: Head of Sales and Marketing Manager at Sandton Convention Centre who is the newly appointed EXSA Chairman.

NEW EXSA CHAIRMAN ANNOUNCED Sandton Convention Centre, sales and marketing manager, Neil Nagooroo was appointed the new chairman of the Exhibition Association of Southern Africa (EXSA), at the recent EXSA AGM in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Words: MONICA ASHLEY LA-COURE

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ow in its 36th year, EXSA has stated its strategy to actively grow and develop the exhibition and events industry within southern Africa through four forums – Venues, Organisers, Suppliers and Young Professionals.

Nagooroo, an MBA graduate, has been with Sandton Convention Centre (SCC) just over three years, with experience in the industry spanning

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the past 11 years. With a sound understanding of the South African business tourism and hospitality industries, Neil has the skills to ensure that business and revenue targets are met and that customer service excellence is a core focus.

Nagooroo says, “I am humbled and delighted by the vote of confidence that the EXSA board has placed in me and I’m honoured to lead the association in the year ahead. I’d like to thank the outgoing members of the EXSA

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board for their commitment to the industry in their respective portfolios.”

SCC Executive Director Mati Nyazema congratulated Neil Nagooroo on his appointment as chairman of EXSA. “EXSA has recognised the importance of building deeper relationships within members of the exhibition and events industry. We are confident that Neil will provide leadership essential to grow and profile the exhibition industry both locally and internationally.”

Inside Nomad| NomadTV

CONTENT CHANNEL NOMAD AFRICA LAUNCHES ONLINE

In a ground-breaking development, rising Pan-African media project, Nomad Africa, has just introduced a newly developed online content channel called NomadTV. Words: MARTIN CHEMHERE

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his OCC (Online Content Channel) was established primarily to promote business investment, travel and tourism in Africa.

Above all, it is intended to showcase Africa’s culture and its unique offerings to the world.

Nomad Africa project is an initiative born from a passionate desire to dispel the negative perceptions, which the world has held of the African continent, and to replace it with a positive focus. It aims to foster a strong interest in the continent's cultural heritage, unique tourist attractions and countless business development and investment opportunities, with the millions of people living in, investigating or visiting Africa.

The project operates out of Johannesburg, South Africa with offices in West Africa and the United States.

Unveiling the new online content TV channel brand adds to the overall accessibility of the 360 degree media house’s services and products to businesses in Africa. The platform uses the video-ondemand medium that curates, aggregates and presents content online.

“We continue to set high standards with selective media and communication solutions that will set us apart from the rest. Our goal is to be Africa’s number one provider of local video content in the areas of business, travel and tourism and continuously influence positive perceptions and appreciation for the true worth of Africa worldwide, says Dieter Gottert, NomadTV Executive Producer.

NomadTV regularly features interviews with representatives of government and tourism boards across Africa. The platform also acts as a window to activities undertaken by corporate companies of different economic scales and shades across the continent. Global brands originating from outside Africa wishing to penetrate the African market can utilise this new platform.

The Nomad Africa project involves using several media platforms to celebrate life on the African continent and promote its vibrant pulse; at the same time creating a unique advertising platform for clients wishing to promote their brand across Africa.

NomadTV seeks further monetisation opportunities with established pay broadcasters.

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Back Seat THE BOTSWANA EXPERIENCE

Words: ANOUK ELLIES

Multi-generational travel is the fastest growing segment in the luxury safari industry and many camps in Botswana are endeavouring to become more family friendly. So, armed with my enthusiastic son Finley (aged 11), complete with a clipboard and lots of questions, five rubik cubes and some Setswana phrases under his belt, we set off for a two week’s adventure (sight-inspection tour) of Botswana’s northern region.

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otswana is well known for having some of the best wilderness and wildlife areas on the African continent. With a full 38 percent of its total land area devoted to national parks, reserves and wildlife management areas – for the most part unfenced, allowing animals to roam wild and free – travel through many parts of the country has the feeling of moving through an immense nature wonderland.Our first stop was Machaba, a wonderful 1950’s style safari camp that has been completely re-furbished and came with a new set of owners in 2012.

The camp is set in the Khwai river region of the Delta, an incredible area for wildlife sightings,. We saw packs of wild dogs, elephant, leopard, lion, giraffe and a huge variety of antelope. Machaba was one of our favorite camps on the trip, it was extremely comfortable without being too fussy, and genuinely relaxed with excellent staff and service, we felt at home immediately. The swimming pool was fun until an elephant joined us and we had to make a quick exit!

This is a land camp, so expect excellent game drives and walks during your stay.With almost all the major wildlife ticked off our list at Machaba, we felt very relaxed arriving at our next camp Xakanaxa, and were ready for some boating adventures. The camp’s location on the water is wonderful and we took full advantage of the two swimming pools during the heat of the day. We sped off in a boat to explore the waterways and lagoons, enjoying a spectacular sunset and drinks, while listening to the hippos 94 |

snort and grunt. The staff here were stellar on every level and were totally genuine. The game drives brought us to the most beautiful lagoons, pools and huge Mopane forests unique to this part of the Moremi Game Reserve.

Off-roading and night-drives are not possible here, but that did little to hinder our game viewing success on land. Finn’s favorite guide of the whole trip was Harrison, and they hit it off from the start. By the end of our too-short two night stay they were real buddies. Harrison may still be trying to solve the rubik cube if you are lucky enough to stay at Xakanaxa in the future.

We walked with the elephants through the bush, we got to touch their trunks, their tails, their ears. We hugged them, heard their sounds, were slobbered on, breathed on, and fell in love with them, of course. Our walk was cut a little short because Thembi decided to follow a bull elephant that happened to be in the area and had come to say hello! I won’t give away how this magical half day ends, but the experience just gets better and better all the way through the end of lunch (with the elephants, too!). To top it all, we still had time to enjoy our first mokoro ride that afternoon, followed by a “star bath” at Sanctuary Baines. We did indeed thank our lucky stars to have been given (yet another) magical day in Botswana. After a lovely scenic flight over the Okavango Delta, we got to see yet more elephants up close and personal at Savute Safari Lodge. With the Savuti channel right by the lodge, we discovered it wasn’t easy trying to conduct polite dinner conversation with fellow guests, while the elephants were arguing about the best position at the waterhole a few feet away from us.

The zebra migration was also just getting started

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and it looked like the Serengeti out on the wide open grass plains, just marvellous. The zebra were being eyed by the famous savute lions that feature in all the best nature documentaries, as they are famous for their buffalo hunting skills.

The staff and guides were superb at the lodge, and made us feel very welcome. We were sad to leave, but excited to head to the Linyanti region and the newly refurbished Duma Tau camp, on the other end of the Savute channel.

The location and the rooms at Duma Tau were wonderful, and the food was really fantastic. At this point, we were getting quite used to six gourmet meals per day, served with a smile.

Luckily, the rooms here are located a fair distance apart, and we had about half a mile to walk to get to the pool, which was very welcome as a weight-loss programme was sorely needed!

Falling asleep to the hippos, grunting and hearing the myriad of frogs was a perfect way to end each adventure-filled day. The pontoon ride was a lovely option, and we got to fish and enjoy our sundowners, while lazing on comfortable couches with fellow guests who fast became our friends.

Our adventure sadly ended with a final two nights in the Vumbura concession. We had a memorable candlelit dinner pool side at Little Vumbura, where we got to reflect on some of our favorite moments of the trip and all the wonderful people we met, and mammals, insects, fish, birds and trees we learned about along the way. Our final night was spent in the luxurious Vumbura Plains camp, where the shower was larger than Finley’s bedroom at home, and we got to enjoy a final game drive, where we saw no fewer than fourteen lion.

What a way to go out!