Sunday Times Spice Magazine: March 2015

SPICE

BUSINESS | INVESTMENT | FOOD | TRAVEL | CULTURE | DESIGN | VISION April 2015

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Sarah Collins

Changing the world, one bag at a time

The food dude

How Miles Dally built a R23bn business in KZN

Saantha Naidu’s favourite places

MR BLACK MAGIC Check out Sim Tshabalala’s swanky pad

Congratulations on having the sharpest ideas in the tank.

We’d like to say congratulations to the finalists of the KZN Shark Tank: • Lubah Nzimande • Katherine Kure • Devon Naidoo

• Sunil Hiralal • Humza Desai • Andries Keyser

• Ntombenhle Mtshali

• Naresh Sundarpersadh

• Kim Hodgson • Greg de Beyer • Dean Pitot

The growth of South Africa’s economy depends on innovative ideas from people like you.

Which is why FNB Business is proud to offer tailored banking solutions to help grow your business.

Get more bank. Do more business.

For more information on Business banking solutions, contact Andrew Hudson on 083 627 8767 or email hudsona@fnb.co.za or 087 730 7649 or email newbus@fnb.co.za

First National Bank – a division of FirstRand Bank Limited. An Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider (NCRCP20).

April 2015

B

ig-hitting businessmen in KwaZulu-Natal speak in hushed tones about him, their voices weighty with reverence. “Please don’t do a story about him.

Not now. If you do, he’ll become a target for politicians who will probably want to take the glory.”

So I won’t tell you who this fellow is, this super-duper civil servant in KZN who is quietly beavering away to unlock big developments (see more on pages 12-15).

Fortunately, he has the blessing of top-level, sober-minded political leaders who apparently aren’t anxious to cover themselves in glory.

Our hero’s identity will be revealed, in time.

The value of this anecdote is that it shows the extent to which real talent is prized in our politically embattled public service. It stands in contrast to the fumbling ineptitude to be found elsewhere.

In February, I asked eThekwini council how many building projects were under way in the city, either approved or in the process of approval, and what their value was. I’m still waiting for the answer.

That’s a necessary little whine, but it pales

ED’S LETTER

in comparison with the enormous goodwill, talent and accomplishment in KZN. Our province has extraordinarily successful people, and the wonderful response of our readers to the first issue of SPICE is indicative of that. We seem to have hit the sweet spot for many people, which is fantastic.

This edition is jam-packed with stories about great people, all of whom contribute to making this province what it is. Marvellous things are happening in spite of the substantial challenges we face.

Businessman Miles Dally (page 10) refers to the “advantage in disadvantage”, which got me thinking about our approach to problemsolving in KZN. So, too, did Durban University of Technology vice-chancellor Ahmed Bawa, explaining (page 30) the challenges facing KZN and providing quality education.

DUT is orientating students around a vision of our province 50 years hence. We have to do more with the little we have, and in doing so we have to anticipate the year 2065.

Enjoy this edition of SPICE, and thank you for your heartwarming support.

GREG ARDÉ

ardeg@sundaytimes.co.za

PHOTOGRAPHY Val adamson

UNLOCKING ThE FUTURE The success or failure of our country will depend heavily on the private sector and civil society. Both are already doing their bit, but they will have to do much more.

Where the government has struggled, business has stepped in. Guards provide security where overwhelmed police cannot cope; private hospitals help where state facilities are in a shambles; the rapid growth of independent education has been fuelled by failing state schools.

Of course this is not how it should be. We pay taxes so that the state can provide basic services. But when the state fails to do its duty, it’s no use shrugging our shoulders and complaining.

The entrepreneurial spirit of our private sector has filled gaps where the government has proved unable or unwilling to act, and in doing so it has kept South Africa working.

We live in hope that at some stage, business will be given the space to get more involved in electricity generation to mitigate the weakness of Eskom.

Times Media is honoured to be associated with the Shark Tank, a ‘Dragons’ Den’ type initiative in KZN. To succeed, South Africa needs to foster a spirit and culture of entrepreneurship.

We need our young people to see working for themselves as the ideal if we are to solve the unemployment

crisis that blights millions of lives.

We wish to thank our partners, FNB and Deloitte, and our judges: Hixonia Nyasulu, Harish Mehta, Stephen Saad, Guy Brazier, Terry Rosenberg, Preggie Pillay, Merlin Stols and John Smit.

Thank you for coming to the party and playing your part for a great cause.

The finalists will be covered in SPICE.

Philani Mgwaba

mgwabap@timesmedia.co.za

April 2015

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CONTENTS

April 2015

SPICE culture

12

Sim Tshabalala throws the best parties in town, but he likes nothing better than a quiet life

20

Ashok Sewnarain is lucky enough to be able to

22

indulge his passion for Ferraris Jitesh Manohar is the love genie of Durban,

23

with 635 weddings under his belt ZuluWaters game reserve is so exclusive

16

features

8

I’m the Durban spaceman, baby, says comedian John Vlismas

6

If you’ve got money to burn, we can light the blue touchpaper

8

Miles Dally is the food dude who’s built a R23bn business based in Durban

10

The cranes are back on the skyline, and property developers finally have something to smile about

12

you’ll be the only people there

COVER STORY

Beth Stols bstols@mweb.co.za Masood Boomgaard masoodboomgaard@gmail.com EDITOR-AT-LARGE Philani Mgwaba

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER Verna Pillay pillayv@sundaytimes.co.za 031-250-8500, 082-452-6277 PUBLISHER, SUNDAY TIMES Mike Robertson

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Printed by Paarl Media

DUT vice-chancellor Ahmed Bawa is determined and optimistic about Durban’s future

Shelley Seid seids@sundaytimes.co.za

27

Property mogul Saantha Naidu on his favourite places in KZN

EDITORIAL EDITOR Greg Ardé ardeg@sundaytimes.co.za 031-250-8500, 082-822-0001 CREATIVE DIRECTOR Megan Guyt SUB EDITOR Dave Chambers CONTRIBUTORS Yasantha Naidoo naidooy@sundaytimes.co.za

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Published by Times Media (Pty) Ltd, 4 Biermann Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg. © Copyright: Times Media (Pty) Ltd. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent of the publishers. The publishers are not responsible for unsolicited material. SPICE is published

by Times Media (Pty) Ltd. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Times Media (Pty) Ltd. All advertisements, advertorials and promotions have been paid for and therefore do not carry any endorsement by the publishers.

vision Pria Hassan on the journey that has taken her to the top in empowerment of women

16

Five lucky youngsters are the first students at Jackie Cameron’s cooking school

24

to change the world

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April 2015

win Win a R40 000

Sarah Collins is a bag-maker, but she wants

26

Glycine watch

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COLUMN

A

s I grow older, honesty increasingly wins the race to the heart of the matter. Growing up in Durban as an illegally privileged South African in the 1980s was great. The humidity set our warp drives to “languid”. The lush, sub-tropically green coastal fringe provided mangrove-like ambitions: “We are here, we will be here. Let life come to us.”

On Minitown’s horizon, we were giants.

Newtons was a perfume with a bass hum of candy-floss and top notes of dodgem-car sparks. You can’t get it any more. I will never forget it, despite the chemical barrage I unleashed on my memory in the decades that followed.

Horse-racing, cadets, the Yacht Mole, DHS and The Durban Club made white men of us all. I am proud I never remembered

“I’M THE DURBAN SPACEMAN, BABY…” TEXT John Vlismas

“i sweated out parts of my soul in playgrounds dressed as a tree under tHe noon sun. i collected tHe dirty dance belts of suicidal pantomime players. durbs, you weren’t good to me, but you made me tougH” 06

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April 2015

the first rugby team by name, today no one does. They live in Glenwood now, and sell branding, or insurance, and their wives are unsure which.

In those days, women swooned at the uncontrolled opulence of La Lucia, the hairdressers of Musgrave Road; they basked in Penny Coelen-Rey (who, in spite of the stigma surrounding beauty queens, is gracious and engaging).

It was Droll Epoque. The beachfront was dirty enough to be fun, clean enough to fall about drunk. The Monte Carlo was a David Lynchian collection of fat strippers and dollar-soaked sailors. We lambada-ed nights away on Point Road with desperate older women, lost ourselves at 330 and found ourselves again over greasy eggs at the Roadhouse as the sun rose, weeping at our wastage. We walked sheepishly across sand pebbles to gather our togas… life was a glorious marine parade, old chum.

The Playhouse was a destination, the Edward Hotel housed fine after-dinner raconteurs, dope grew in the island at Addington Hospital, Mynah buses ran constantly and beggars were dispersed faster than a July winner crossed the finish line.

I realised early in life that Durban wasn’t just cramped for the dolphins held captive there. I left for Egoli with no car and little cash. Durbs had been good to me, and I would

be ungrateful if I didn’t invest that goodwill into a real fund.

Actually, scratch that. I struggled through years of playing beachfront bars and country club pubs to groups of eight, 12 and nine. I sweated out parts of my soul in government school playgrounds dressed as a tree under the noon sun. I collected the dirty dance belts of suicidal pantomime players at night. Durbs, you weren’t good to me, but you made me tough.

When my time came, Johannesburg was the New York I needed, so I headed there.

Over the years, I have never stayed away from Durbs for long. I love to drink her dense air, wonder at her grey longboard roaches and be stopped dead by her slow-burning swelter.

In recent years, I have also developed a love of surfing, which I do about as well as Helen Zille tweets.

I’ve watched Durbs change, her CBD age from cougar to crack-addict. I’ve witnessed appalling bedside manner from narcissist city managers who carved up her face with palisades, stapled her stomach, plundered her golden mile and gave her the worst fake breasts in history – you may know them as Sun and Coast.

Now this may seem a tragic story, but it isn’t. Durbs is a wily old bird, and she has been around a lot longer than any of us – she didn’t just lie down and die. One night she hitched up her creased skirts, quietly picked her way out of the mess, and headed for the North Coast. She took her old toyboy, the airport, with her.

I hear they have settled out there, closer to Penny, and been adopted by a new group of angels – the professionals, entrepreneurs and big business players who have colonised the rolling hills above the wife-swappers of Umhlanga.

Hills that once rolled with sugar now roll with another kind of green – one also eyed with envy by a Zulu village idiot with a powerful seat and a hunger for cash.

These angels’ architectural beasts sport massive, glazed surfaces that gaze back to where they began, across the wasted inner city. At its frayed edge is the Point of it all, now owned by Dubai, allegedly.

And just to the left of it, a theme park dedicated to an African dictator, one who crushed all who stood in his way. How lovely to see children splashing in the water as sharks circle people eating over-priced steaks.

It is a magnificent creepiness indeed.

History was one of my better subjects – it has a wild habit of repeating itself, not because it fails to remember, but because its main subjects are creatures of bad habit.

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SPENDING IT

THE HIGH LIFE What do KwaZulu-Natal’s well-heeled individuals do when they want to burn a bit of spare cash?

SANTHAM PILLAY went shopping

The AirplANe FAcTory The Sling: r1.2-million to r1.7-million Locally designed and manufactured two-seat and four-seat aircraft. Available complete or as a kit.

KZN provides about 30 percent of the buyers.

Contact: www.airplanefactory.co.za, 011-948-9898

BerNArd’S JeWellery deSigN & MANuFAcTure Topaz ring: r48 970 Vintage piece consisting of one 11.07-carat aqua stone, twenty-eight 0.27-carat diamonds and four 0.39-carat diamonds. Set in sterling silver.

Contact: Bernard, sales@bernardsjewellery.co.za, 032-586-0026

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April 2015

WeSley’S FiNe ToBAccoNiSTS Alfred dunhill Shell Briar classic billiard pipe: r6 350 Pipe with black sandblast finish, deep relief grain. Shell Briars were created by Dunhill in 1917.

Contact: Wesley’s Smugglers Cove 035-789-7271 (Richards Bay branch)

We asked some of kWaZulu-Natal’s rich, famous, fabulous aNd fuNNy about their guilty pleasures bouchard fiNlaysoN tête de cuvée vintages: r1 200 a bottle From the Hemel and Aarde Valley just inland from Hermanus.

Available through wine agent Tony Kee Contact: tonykee@telkomsa.net

maNdara turkish kilim bag: r11 000 Anatolia bag made from a 90-year-old kilim found in a Turkish village. Handcrafted from oryx leather with handwoven carpet, rivets, and lapis lazuli and coral detail. Interior lined with Shweshwe fabric.

Contact: Madeleine, mandarabags@yahoo.com

fraNcois Vedemme, durbaN fashioN desigNer

We like to spend a night or two at the oyster box hotel, and in the process also have our miniature schnauzer spoilt. a bit guilty but all a pleasure.

lisa bobbert, actress secretly devouring 300ml of macadamia nut butter at 1am, from a special jar hidden in my fridge.

JailoshNi Naidoo, comediaN chocolate. lots of chocolate. i have no limits. When i’m travelling, i succumb to my dionysian desires and indulge in swiss/belgian chocolate. so bad, yet oh so good.

JohN aritho, mariNe parade holiday iNN geNeral maNager

my wife’s freshly baked banana-chocolate chip loaf followed by a sneaky early-morning motorbike ride along the coast. and madagascan vanilla ice cream any time.

carol ofori, east coast radio preseNter

harouN haNsrot bespoke shoes: from r20 000 Brown ostrich skin brogues. Made to order, by appointment only.

Contact Haroun at his boutique, 75, at 75 Matthews Meyiwa Rd or on 082-582-1469

fruit. i am pregnant so clearly my #babyo has healthy tastebuds.

NeViN pillay, dNa test director

i’m certainly spoilt by craft beer. benjamin franklin said it best: “beer is proof that god loves us and wants us to be happy.” drinking craft beer makes me happy.

April 2015

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INTERVIEW

THE FOOD DUDE He’s built a R23-billion company but hung on to his Durban roots. GreG Ardé speaks to RCL boss Miles Dally about his business journey PHOTOGRAPHY Jackie clausen

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April 2015

“the people here spark each other. they fire one another up. i believe in them and we believe in what we’re doing”

M

iles Dally is articulate, engaging, knowledgeable and passionate. He leans forward in the chair of his office in Westville, speaking as earnestly as an entrepreneur who runs his own business. “I just love what I do.”

And perhaps there’s every reason he should. Dally has quietly built up a behemoth, RCL Foods, which employs thousands of people and generates annual revenue of R23-billion.

It started in 2003 when he was appointed CEO of Rainbow Chickens. In seven years he consolidated the company’s growth then started engineering its transformation into a fast-moving consumer goods giant.

Three years later he had completed R13-billion worth of revenue in acquisitions, buying Foodcorp, the biggest supplier to Woolworths, and sugar company TSB. He pulled them together into a stable with Rainbow and logistics firm Vector, and now he’s involved in the “logical clustering” of an enterprise that involves hundreds of farms, production lines, supply chains, and a huge array of products including mayonnaise, peanut butter, chicken pieces, pies and dog food.

“Consumers have changed. They’re interested in the companies behind the brands,” he says. “You have to be good corporate citizens, and while brands must trade on their own, consumers must come to know that the company behind those brands behaves with uncompromising integrity.”

It can come at the expense of short-term profits, but it pays off in the long run. Since 2007 the company has refused to inject more than 30% brine into its chickens.

The decision cost it R150-million last year alone. “But we believe customers will say: ‘This one shrinks less in the pot.’

“We had a problem with dog food so we recalled the whole line. The word gets out, from staff, clients and customers, that you run an ethical business, and that builds trust.”

Dally previously headed Robertsons. He became managing director at the age of 37 and oversaw its sale to Unilever when he left.

He says the aim of RCL Foods is to provide more food to more of Africa’s one billion people more often. To do this, scale is required, and building the company out of Durban has been relatively easy, he says.

Rainbow had a good reputation, but he knew it could be more than just a chicken business. He was exposed to the deal flow through the doors of Remgro, which owns 70% of RCL, and had the company’s backing. He also attracted talented people. “I hire people who are brighter than me. They don’t show me up, they make me look good.

“Growth enables opportunity, so you have to grow. I’m restlessly critical, but not anxious. I can’t micro-manage a

Ten THInGS ABoUT MILeS DALLY 1 He went to Kimberley Boys High, where he “scraped through” matric 2 He has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal 3 He joined Unilever in a graduate intake and worked there for three years before moving to the marketing department at Robertsons 4 He was appointed managing director 10 years later 5 He is 58, and married with two children 6 His favourite place in KZN is the Midlands, where he has a share in a smallholding 7 His pet hate is “people who make simple matters complex” 8 His favourite holiday destination is Umngazi River Bungalows. “We have been there for the last two years over Easter. It is the perfect family and friends holiday... lazy lunches, cocktails around the pool, kids’ activities, great food and a very chilled but organised resort” 9 His favourite thing about KZN? It’s a wonderful place to do business and raise a family. His least favourite thing? The lack of flights. “The national carrier doesn’t even have flights between Cape Town and Durban, and the international flight schedule is limited” 10 Dally’s father worked for De Beers and he spent his childhood in a number of places, including Fish Hoek and Ireland

R23-billion business with 20 000 employees. Good people who have authentic, trusting relationships easily disclose problems and deal with them.

“Without trust you are finished. You have to create a fun environment. Make no mistake, there are rocky roads and frank conversations, but it’s about managing the exceptions.”

Dally says the organisational ethos he’s tried to shape does not hinge on one person. He says good people are energised by new opportunities and the prospects for improvement; they get on with it and don’t wait for edicts from headquarters.

“The people here spark each other. They fire one another up. I believe in them and we believe in what we’re doing.”

Dally says autocracy creates a minefield. Staff can’t take decisions for fear of displeasing the leader and their conflict is unhealthy because they play the man and not the ball. “This business isn’t about me. When I go, I hope there won’t be a ripple. I want to create an environment for growth that encourages creativity for good people who are passionate about what they do.

“It is wonderful to do business in Durban. I have been lucky to do that my whole working life. I work with great people and have been backed by Remgro, and they value ethics and are long-term investors.”

What recent book or movie has had a profound effect on you? “malcolm Gladwell’s ‘david and Goliath: underdogs, misfits, and the art of battling Giants’. “the book has been slated by critics but has been hugely popular with readers. it topped the usa today and new york times bestseller lists, and amazon’s Goodreads. “the book is about the advantage in disadvantage. the shepherd boy with the sling shouldn’t have slain the giant, but he did. “the message struck a chord with me. i didn’t go to a private school and i scraped through matric. i got a student loan to go to varsity. if you get too much or too little, it can determine your future. so many people have so many advantages that they waste. you don’t have to go to an ivy League school to be successful. on the contrary, it could count against you.”

April 2015

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PROPERTY

MOMENTUM BUILDS Developers are starting to swap their frowns for smiles, writes GreG Ardé. They desperately need higher economic growth, but in the meantime there are reasons to be cheerful PHOTOGRAPHY BRIAN SPURR

I

t’s always a good sign when cranes are back on the skyline. And they are back in KwaZuluNatal, though perhaps not with the vengeance hungry developers would like. Still, if you totted up the value of major construction projects either on the go or committed, it would run into quite a few billions.

The property market is a barometer of economic growth, and the few we focus on in this edition are significant. They include Keystone, in Hammarsdale, which will see infrastructural development of around R1-billion.

The Tsogo Sun upgrades on the beachfront are worth more than R2-billion.

Pareto will spend more than R1-billion expanding the Pavilion and the R700-million Waterfall mall is almost complete.

Investec is building an 85 000m² shopping centre in Cornubia at a cost of R2-billion and it will

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be ready in 2017, according to Brendan Stewart, the company’s KZN head. It falls within the wider, Cornubia development that will ultimately cost more than R25-billion and include 25 000 homes and more than 400 hectares of rehabilitated bush.

The Investec development is next to a further 85 000m² of development, most of which is being built by an empowerment consortium headed by Paulos Ngcobo.

Big property companies such as JT Ross, Redefine and Zenprop have begun developments in the Cornubia Industrial and Business Estate, a 70ha area similar to the Riverhorse Valley Business Estate and not far from Gateway.

Grant Smith, of JT Ross, said the market was “alive and well”, with a general shortage of space driving up rentals.

Over the last decade Zenprop has developed about 250 000m² of industrial and commercial

premises in Durban, valued at around R2.5-billion.

Of this, about 30 000m² of office accommodation has been developed on Umhlanga Ridgeside.

Developments in Durban include a R90-million cold storage facility for Danone in Cornubia and a R100-million production and cold storage facility for Chateau Gateaux in Riverhorse Valley.

Zenprop’s Rob Thomson believes the high cost of land, coupled with high rates and taxes (often up to twice the levels of Johannesburg and Cape Town), is putting “huge pressure” on the viability of new development in Durban.

“The opportunities are there but the costs associated with new development are often prohibitive. We need to see meaningful growth in our economy, at levels in excess of 3.5%, before we will see the growth in rentals we need to make these new developments economically viable.”

Nobody knows the value of land better

than Mike Deighton, head of Tongaat Hulett Developments, a branch of the sugar giant that owns about 6% of Durban’s land.

THD is investigating the sale of huge tranches.

It expects investment of more than R14-billion on Ridgeside, the land on the sea side of Umhlanga Ridge where Zenprop has developed and corporate giants such as FNB have established offices.

Deighton says THD is testing the international market on Ridgeside and 125ha it owns near Sibaya casino. “Both of these will change the face of Durban, so we are chewing over their potential.”

Deighton says Durban has benefited from great infrastructural investment in the last five years, notably King Shaka International Airport and the Moses Mabhida Stadium precinct.

“Investors look at these, and the private-sector spend on shopping centres, warehouses, office blocks and residential estates, and they are encouraged.

“Durban continues to gather international accolades and recognition, and the vision to become Africa’s most caring and livable city by 2030 is becoming increasingly widely accepted.”

One of the more interesting residential developments in the area is a 1 500-unit complex to be built by IHS on the freeway side of Gateway that is intended to be rental accommodation.

The Pearls of Umhlanga recently announced the final tower in its complex, bringing to R3-billion the total value of its development since 2004.

“We are achieving premium, quality investments,” says Deighton. “Umhlanga is still cooking, so my prognosis for commercial property in Durban is that we’re doing well and we are showing every prospect of doing even better.”

THE MARKET IS ALIVE AND WELL, WITH A GENERAL SHORTAGE OF SPACE DRIVING UP RENTALS, SAYS GRANT SMITH OF JT ROSS

INVESTORS LOOK AT PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SPENDING ON DEVELOPMENT AND THEY ARE ENCOURAGED, SAYS MIKE DEIGHTON OF THD April 2015

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IT STILL TAKES TOO LONG TO DEVELOP NEW PROJECTS, BUT WHEN THE CITY TURNS ITS ATTENTION TO FIXING THINGS THE RESULTS ARE RAPID, SAYS TSOGO SUN CEO MARCEL VON AULOCK

I

t’s a R2-billion no-brainer for Marcel von Aulock. He is the CEO of Tsogo Sun, arguably the most important tourism company in eThekwini and the biggest private shareholder on Durban’s Golden Mile.

Tsogo has spent more than R350-million upgrading its hotels on the revamped promenade, and between now and 2018 it will shell out another R1.8-billion expanding Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World.

“Durban is a great location and we have great properties with lots of space to expand.

I’m comfortable this will work,” says Von Aulock.

The investment is a bit of a gamble for the man at the helm of a company whose fortunes depend on gaming and guests filling his hotels. In a sluggish economy there is less disposable income for slot machines, and the public and private sectors are spending less on hospitality.

“Our revenue growth between 2004 and 2008 was strong, 15% to 20% per annum, but we’ve had nothing like that since then. We’ve had to cope with single-digit growth and high cost of living increases, but the industry is resilient,” says Von Aulock.

“Gaming is a popular form of entertainment and if we’re wrong (in the decision to upgrade) it will only be in the sense that we’re doing this early. There is going to be another economic boom.”

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In the last year Tsogo has spent R220-million upgrading the Elangeni and Maharani hotels. It has also pumped R110-million into the Marine Parade and R30-million into South Beach Holiday Inn. Von Aulock says the casino expansion will see a new retail centre on the northern side of the complex. The company plans to create “destination retail” – high-end clothing and sports shops that offer fashion and lifestyle brands that fit in with Durban’s outdoor vibe.

Von Aulock believes there is a mood change in Durban, particularly in respect of the beachfront. “If you look at the private banking and property market here, you get a sense of the growing influence in Durban.

“There’s a lot less bitching and moaning than five years ago. It still takes too long to develop new projects relative to Joburg, and I think there could be a quicker response to issues of inner-city decay and vagrancy. But when the city turns its attention to fixing whatever it does, the results are rapid and sizeable.”

Von Aulock says the beachfront is ripe for more direct charter flights, which would offset seasonal lows and the hospitality industry’s heavy reliance on events driven by the International Convention Centre.

“The beachfront is great. The new airport is great. The Chinese gaming market is the biggest in the world. We’ll be looking to capitalise on that via direct charters.”

NUMBERS GAME

ê Suncoast was built in 2002 for R1.2-billion Eight million people visit every year It has 1 500 slot machines and 60 tables.

Expanded, it will have another 916 slot machines and six tables In order to expand, Tsogo has to fund the R100-million construction of a rural school The casino and its tenant companies employ about 2 800 people The revamped casino will have 4 400 new parking bays to supplement the existing 3 600.

It will also have a rooftop events facility for 2 000 people.

Tsogo Sun has annual turnover of around R11-billion from more than 90 hotels and 14 casinos. A quarter of its turnover is generated in KZN. Tsogo Sun is listed on the JSE and is 48% owned by Hosken Consolidated Investments, the union investment company. A 5% shareholder is HNA, which owns China’s second biggest outbound travel agency and its largest privately owned airline, with about 320 aircraft.

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R

od Stainton is a blur of frenzied activity.

He’s a bright fellow with a million things on his mind, primarily a June deadline galloping towards him. That’s when he has to hand over the first site in Keystone Park to Mr Price for the construction of its huge new national distribution centre.

Stainton is spending millions to cut, fill and flatten four million cubic metres of earth using a fleet of monster machines which burn R100 000 of diesel every day.

Mr Price’s R500-million building will initially be 57 000m². It will be fitted with materialshandling gear worth another R500-million. And it will be the catalyst for a much bigger development within Keystone Park, which Stainton estimates will eventually cost about R5.5-billion.

In mid-2012 he and his partners bought 152 hectares along the N3 at the Hammarsdale offramp. Their idea was to develop a logistics park, and two years later they got city rezoning approval.

In December, Mr Price signed up at Keystone, which will have about a million square metres of platform area for about 23 businesses, eventually housing about 650 000m² of buildings.

Stainton has done no marketing, but since news got out about Mr Price he has had inquiries that could fill “a substantial portion” of the park.

“The city, the province and national government have been fantastic in helping get this done. A logistics park on the N3 within eThekwini falls within the national, provincial and city policy frameworks. A high-end logistics facility situated on the country’s economic artery leverages the existing infrastructure and helps the spatial development of the city.

“In five years, when the park is fully let, there should be over 5 000 people employed here and the city’s annual rates base should have increased by more than R100-million.”

The N3 Hammarsdale interchange will be upgraded in the process.

A Mr Price spokesman told SPICE the group was pleased to invest R1-billion in a “landmark project” that would boost the city economy.

Logistics expert Mark Long said Mr Price’s move would attract other businesses like “bees to a honeypot”, adding: “It will revive the economy of the area. Access to arterial roads is critical in this day and age, and the access to this site is prime.

“In a modern economy, logistics is the blood flow that feeds everything. Everything in your home or office has one thing in common: all have been through a supply chain and have been freighted by sea, air, rail or road.”

The Growth Coalition, a non-profit collaboration between business and government in KZN, helped facilitate the Keystone development.

Coalition spokesman Andreij Kiepiela said: “The significance of the site near the most impoverished part of the greater Durban region, and the professionalism of the developers in producing a flagship project, motivated us to bring together all the stakeholders to enable the smooth implementation of this project.”

IN FIVE YEARS, WHEN IT IS FULLY LET, THERE SHOULD BE 5 000 PEOPLE EMPLOYED AT KEYSTONE PARK ALONGSIDE THE N3, SAYS DEVELOPER ROD STAINTON

April 2015

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INTERVIEW

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April 2015

Growing up, Pria Hassan had visions of seeing her name in lights and appearing on Broadway.

She may not be an oScar winner, but She doeS have an oliver, South africa’S moSt preStigiouS mark of diStinction for tranSformation leaderS Hassan tells YASANTHA NAIDOO why peppermint tart, challenging the devil and heart-to-hearts keep her going PHOTOGRAPHY JACKIE CLAUSEN

It’s lunchtIme in Gleneagles Drive, Durban North, and the aroma of lamb curry invites Women of Africa employees to stop crunching numbers, answering mails and filing reports.

A cooked lunch is standard at WOA, even when chief executive Pria Hassan is away. It is one of her work rules aimed at ensuring the

wellness of her staff – 10 men and 10 women.

Keeping employees healthy and happy is essential to the success of WOA, an investment holding company which has interests in the logistics, facilities management, property, technology and motor industries.

WOA Fuels and Oils, which started in 2007 and specialises in the supply and delivery

of petroleum-related products, was one of nine black women-owned entities awarded a R15.5-billion Transnet fuel supply contract for the next five years.

While some may see it as a game-changing deal, to Hassan it’s a fair reward for players in a sector that traditionally locked out women.

She credits companies such as Absa and Sasol

April 2015

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17

INTERVIEW

for unlocking female empowerment opportunities but says the development of entrepreneurs and businesses that are women-owned still hits barriers.

“My experience has also taught me that it takes perseverance and a strong will to beat the odds to create a brand that is credible. It’s not just an issue of sexism but rather a stereotype mentality that we fight against.”

She was the only girl in a family of four children, but her parents treated all of them equally. Her father taught her to be independent, her mother ensured academic excellence and her grandmother was a disciplinarian who emphasised the value of hard work.

She matriculated from Overport Secondary School, which gave birth to her Broadway aspirations.

The political landscape at the time put paid to these and she realised she could make an impact on society by accepting an opportunity to study law at the University of Natal’s Howard College.

Stints at property and logistic companies sharpened her business acumen and entrepreneurial skills, and gave her the confidence to enter the competitive environment of fuels and oils.

“I have never looked back with any regret or remorse. I know that these studies equipped me with all the armour I needed to be a businesswoman who can also address some of the socio-economic imbalances in our country. A legal degree is all the ammunition you need to establish yourself, as good governance comes naturally.”

Hassan lives the wisdom espoused by Clem Sunter and Chantell Illbury’s Mind of a Fox. Strategically, she has immersed herself in her business, from experiencing the logistics of rail, road and sea freight to spending time in a Zambian copper mine, so that no one in the industry can pull the wool over her eyes.

Her decisions are informed and measured. No wonder, then, that Hassan was the recipient of the 2011 Metropolitan Oliver Empowerment Award as the top black female entrepreneur.

While it was a glorious moment, it’s not what defines her. “Success is definitely about loving what I do. But while most people measure this by the accumulation of wealth, for me it’s really wanting to make a difference, especially with our younger generation of women leaders. My success is measured by the number of women who can say I invoke in them an inspiration to accomplish their dreams.”

This is an aspiration she fulfils alongside colleagues at the Business Women’s Association of SA, with the Winning in the Workplace project. Now in its 17th year, it prepares Grade 12 girls for the realities and obstacles of the world beyond school, including gender discrimination, something Hassan has experienced and challenged.

“I am hard on anyone who finds me incapable 18

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April 2015

“my success is measured by the number of women who can say i invoke in them an inspiration to accomplish their dreams”

because of my gender. You get exhausted, though, from fighting against a systematic bias, and there are some days when you feel emotionally drained. Then I realise I am the kind of woman who, when her feet hit the floor in the morning, the devil says ‘oh no, she’s up!’ ” Her life is a delicate balancing act, which means making quality time for heart-to-hearts with her two daughters and her son. “My son is loving and sensitive to the needs of his sisters. My daughters have become incredible little women who are carving their own paths; they are independent, assertive and ever changing. My kids are far from perfect but I believe it’s the one achievement in my life I got 100% right.”

While they bring out her compassionate side, Hassan credits her husband and first love, Imtiaz, for her grit.

Are there any chinks in the armour? Peppermint tart is her ultimate treat but Hassan reckons ranting and raving when she is misunderstood is an honest indulgence.

She also loves retail therapy, especially shopping for suits, has an obsession with colour, and her habit of co-ordinating all her accessories is a well-known trait among her close circle of friends and family.

Will she ever leave the province? “I have tried the City of Gold, cannot conform to the slow pace of the Mother City, certainly don’t like the winds of Port Elizabeth or the rolling hills of Mpumalanga.

“My heart is with KZN and my soul is with the thousands of children in our province who need us to them give them hope that every tomorrow can be better.”

HASSAN’S TOP TIPS FOR ENTREPRENEURS

ê Have a plan, be realistic in the goals that you set and build a solid foundation Surround yourself with people who are more intelligent than you are, and don’t be fearful of delegating to the experts who can accelerate your business opportunities Learn to appreciate that the art of business is not just about enrichment, it’s about creation of jobs, stimulating the economy and strengthening your communities

ê

ê

ê Never compromise your values, ethics and compliance. No amount of money can buy you credibility or build your brand. The market must recognise you for who you are, not who you know Don’t ever give up. Failure is a necessary condiment of success.

It’s never about how many times someone shuts that door but about how many times you are willing to stand and knock on it Balance your life, take care of your health and plan for your retirement

ê

ê

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INSPIRING GREATNESS

ProfiLeS + moToriNg + fooD + DeSigN + WiN

culture

SPICE taps into the heart of KZN’s beautiful multiculturalism

maker of magic

Sim Tshabalala throws a great party. But he loves nothing more than the quiet life TEXT SHELLEY SEID PHOTOGRAPHY JACKIE CLAUSEN

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OPPOSITE PAGE Sim’s prized possessions include his watches, neckties and a photo of his late mother

The scoop on sim Sim TShabalala is Durban’s Fairy Godfather – he can turn a pumpkin into a carriage, a verge into a venue, a pier into a prime position.

He is the magic behind Black Inc, an events, production and lifestyle activations company. As its creative director, he blows away his audiences with the occasions he inspires and stages.

He created the Lifestyle Oasis Village, the perennial epicentre of the Durban July for the young and the beautiful from around the country – those who want to see and be seen, those who don’t give a fig for the horses. He is also the mastermind behind Fashion by the Sea and the Durban Fashion Fair.

A stickler for detail, Tshabalala says he is as tough on himself as he is on those around him. He has, for instance, been working on the Durban Fashion Fair, which takes place in August, since December. “My friends don’t believe it but we need to do quality control, select new designers, find models – we spend days and days doing the most tedious tasks.”

The day before our interview Tshabalala spent 10 hours in the sun on a photo shoot that produced six great pictures. “I must have dropped 10 kilos from sweating. At the end of the day the images look wonderful but it was long, tedious and aggravating. It may look glamorous but the process of getting there is far from pretty.”

He spends a great chunk of his time surrounded by creatives, models, movers and shakers, but treasures solitude. His double-volume, two-bedroom flat at the Point Waterfront Development looks directly onto the sea. “I used to want to be where the hustle and bustle was; now I’d rather sit on the beach and watch the waves.”

In fact Tshabalala can often be found on a canvas chair on the sand, working on his laptop until the battery runs flat.

He is the only member of his family in a creative field. His father, Vuka Tshabalala, former Judge-President

“my father still thinks i’m a bit crazy. but when people he respects and admires acknowledge what a great job i’ve done, i see a glint of pride in his eye” of the KwaZulu-Natal High Court, wanted him to do a university degree but he was determined to study textile design.

“He gave me a year. At the end of the year I got such good marks I was awarded a full scholarship. I think my father still thinks I am a bit crazy. He can’t really relate to my industry – it’s not in his terms of reference. But when people in society whom he respects and admires acknowledge what a great job I’ve done, I see a glint of pride in his eye.”

Tshabalala has lived in Johannesburg and Cape Town, but he says his home town of Durban gives him the inspiration and inner peace he can’t find anywhere else.

In 2004, he was living in Johannesburg and moved back to Durban to coordinate the launch of uShaka Marine World. He has been here ever since.

“The perception about Durban is that nothing happens. In fact it’s precisely because it is more laid back that it is a creatively inspiring space. I have found a serenity here that I never want to leave.”

Your favourite things?

I love watches but I’m not a brand slut. I appreciate nice things but I’m not going to drive a Porsche if it means I have to live in a shack. if your home caught fire what would you save? Nothing. I would run for dear life. how do you relax? I used to entertain a lot. Now I prefer a walk on the beach.

Your great escape? I’m a reality TV junkie. I even watch the crime channel.

What’s on your wish list?

I want to skydive, but have to lose weight first. And I can’t get enough of travelling; there are so many places I want to go.

I have a long list influenced by my art history studies. The Inca pyramids in Peru and the Great Wall of China are at the top.

What’s in your fridge? Water and more water. I’m on a health kick. Years ago it would have been mixers and beer.

What’s in your medicine cabinet? Corenza C and cough mixtures. I do a lot of self medication.

Your favourite bit of Durban?

We have the most amazing promenade. My favourite thing is to walk on the sand from the Point to Suncoast and back.

April 2015

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MOTORING

WILD STALLIONS Ashok Sewnarain started out in a rusty hatchback, but now he saddles up a Ferrari every morning TEXT Masood BooMgaard PHOTOGRAPHY TEBogo LETsIE

If you pull up at a traffic light in a Ferrari, it’s hard not to draw attention. Ask Ashok Sewnarain, the Durban bank vault entrepreneur with a passion for the Italian beasts.

Those who catch a glimpse of his crimson F430 often want a show. Egged on by motorists and pedestrians, Sewnarain is happy to oblige, flooring the accelerator to release the thunderous, untamed roar that is Ferrari’s signature. It’s the sound Sewnarain, founder of International Bank Vaults, fell in love with as a boy, and a joy he is happy to share.

Supercars are to be admired and enjoyed not only by their drivers but by everyone who is lucky enough to come into contact with them, Sewnarain believes.

He has loved cars for as long as he can remember but never imagined he would one day own a Ferrari or lead the IBV Super Car Club, which has more than 700 members.

“As a child I had a passion for two things: sports cars and guns. My dream car growing up was a convertible sports Mercedes, the SL. We never dreamt bigger than that,” he says. “I never ended up owning one, I skipped that and went straight to a Ferrari.”

But his journey as a motorist had humbler beginnings. “My first car was a Mazda 323.

It had full air-conditioning, and by that I mean it had holes all over,” he says. “It was reliable and got me where I needed to go as long as I carried Q20 in the boot. The plugs would get wet and cause it to miss. It left me stranded on the side of the road a few times.”

The first new car Sewnarain bought was a BMW 325i convertible, the E36. He bought his first Ferrari an F430, in 2004, shortly after opening IBV. “It wasn’t my decision, it was my children. They were the driving force. What’s great is that my wife didn’t try to talk me out of it. She always supports me in all my good ideas and my crazy ones.”

He bought his second F430 in 2010. “It’s really awesome. When you drive it you get to realise its power and the effect it has on people. When you get to a robot people want to experience the roar of the engine. Everyone wants you to put the car in neutral and rev it.

It’s expected of you as a Ferrari driver. That sound is what the Ferrari brand is about.”

He has placed an order for the Ferrari 488GTB, which was launched in February, but will hang on to his F430; it shares a garage at home with a Rolls Royce and a Porsche 911.

The supercar club which he founded brings together some of the most influential business people in the country. There are branches in Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Sewnarain believes that supercar owners should use their profiles and positions of privilege to help others. Last year the club achieved a Guinness world record for the largest supercar charity parade, which raised R1-million for orphans.

When he gets the chance, Sewnarain enjoys taking his Ferrari to track days and going on long drives. “Every time I start up the Ferrari I get that same feeling I got the first time.”

“EvEryonE wants you to put thE car in nEutral and rEv it. it's ExpEctEd of you. that sound is what thE fErrari brand is about” 22

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DeSign

“sometimes there is tension, but good tension. i do my utmost to ensure no bride ever sheds a tear on her wedding day”

the fun king Jitesh Manohar is sitting pretty after five years of staging spectacular weddings and events TEXT Yasantha naidoo PHOTOGRAPHY thULi dLaMini

if Jitesh Manohar had a business card, it would read “wedding genie”, because like a magical character he moves heaven and earth to make the dreams of brides and grooms come true.

With R6-million extravaganzas stretching over five days and simple but elegant affairs, in the past five years Manohar has established

himself as a reputable wedding designer and organiser.

The 31-year-old bachelor cut his teeth in the eventing world as a youngster helping at his older brother’s lighting business, and went solo in 2010.

Manohar was responsible for the creation of the Lotus bridal set, which he designed for the wedding of packaging mogul Ricky Naidoo’s daughter. The set, in the shape of the Lotus flower – which has sacred symbolism in Hinduism – opened to reveal the bridal couple.

He regards this as his defining moment, and since then he has been responsible for all types of events, from cocktail parties to corporate gigs.

“The Lotus set was my Lakshmi,” Manohar recalls, referring to the Hindu goddess of prosperity, love and fortune.

Traditionally, Indian weddings are big, expensive occasions, but Manohar says there has been a move away from having 500 guests in a community hall to inviting fewer people but making the setting more elaborate.

“They want designer sets as backdrops, exclusive table decor and the latest in furniture. They also want chaise longues and candy buffets.”

Manohar designs and manufactures his own sets with a team at his Clare Estate warehouse, where ornate table centrepieces, brass Ganesha statues and decorative

pillars fight for space alongside tablecloths, drapes and wooden pallets.

“I am blessed with a very good team – they are talented, hardworking and as passionate as I am about our functions,” he says.

The self-taught businessman said his work could be stressful. “It’s my business to marry the needs and wants of my clients with what I know will work. Sometimes there is tension, but good tension. I do my utmost to ensure that no bride ever sheds a tear on her wedding day.

“Dedication, hard work and passion are vital for an entrepreneur to succeed.”

And Manohar should know. From car wash owner to vault custodian, he has had his fair share of business ventures.

And the future? “I can’t say whether this is the only thing I will do. I think I want to invest in property, but I will take one day at a time.”

PARTY PIECE In the five years he has been in business, Manohar has hosted:

ê 265 corporate events ê 635 weddings ê 786 special events ê 500 parties April 2015

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FOOD

LIGHTS, CAMERON, ACTION A cookery school is the latest venture by the legendary Hartford House chef TEXT SHELLEY SEID PHOTOGRAPHY JACKIE CLAUSEN

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Jackie cameron has a lot on her plate. At the beginning of the month, KwaZulu-Natal’s best-known chef opened the Jackie Cameron School of Food and Wine after months of dealing with bureaucracy, administrative dramas, late deliveries and the whole gamut of things that can go wrong when starting a business.

It was frustrating, especially for someone as singularly focused as she is. The school has been 10 years in the planning. It’s taken years to organise business licences, convert her parents’ old Hilton farmhouse, build a wine cellar (she did this five years ago) and get the qualifications to become a culinary instructor.

“At the same time I had to give 110% to my job.” Which, quite clearly, she managed with aplomb. During her 12 years as the award-winning executive chef of Hartford House in Mooi River, she put the fine-dining restaurant on the culinary map.

She has also produced a range of stylish chefs’ aprons and jackets.

“We are part of a new age,” she says. “We need to take pride. The time of huge chefs in dirty uniforms is over.” She also knew she would be opening her school, and why would she want her students in someone else’s work wear?

Her 2013 book, Jackie Cameron Cooks At Home, became – within three months – the second highestselling cookbook in the country.

It was a natural progression from her seven years of columns in The Witness. “Initially my phone number was in the paper and I would get scores of calls from readers asking questions. I spent the next seven years learning from the feedback.

Jackie cameron says she wants to train cooks with character and determination. ‘a good palate can be learned.’

“i’m no longer signing my name on a plate. i’m signing my name to a person. if i send out average quality it will be embarrassing” It’s why the book sold out – it was approachable.”

She has accepted only five students for the first semester.

She was advised to take whoever applied; that the first rule of business is to make money. She’s not so sure. “I think it makes more business sense to choose the right people. It is no longer me signing my name at the bottom of a plate.

I’m signing my name to a person. If I send out average quality it will be embarrassing.”

The interviews were intense, and the students as well as their parents signed contracts. From day one they were responsible for their own training. “I want to train people who have character, people with something special, something unique. They need determination rather than a palate. A good palate can be learned.”

The school is modern in every

sense. Cameron says her courses reflect what the restaurants of today are all about. “I’ve had learners in my kitchen at Hartford who could make a brioche but not a basic white sauce.

These learners need to learn to sign kitchen orders, to prepare the staff meal, to spend time with suppliers.”

They will visit the Cape winelands, learn terminology from a French linguist, understand costing, ice cakes, bake bread, grow their own produce, even catch fish. “The fish module ends on a Friday,” she says.

“On the Monday they have to come to school with a fish. They need to appreciate what a mission it is to catch one.”

She is excited to see how things will turn out. “I’m not blind to the problems that might arise, but it will be amazing to see what they can achieve in 18 months with their passion and enthusiasm.”

A tAste of JAckie Best food memory: Standing on a chair, four years old, next to my grandmother, making bread.

“Get your back into it,” she would tell me. can’t live without: Umami flavours such as chicken livers.

Favourite fast/processed food: All Gold tomato sauce.

Favourite ingredient: Innards.

I’ve always enjoyed cooking and eating them. enjoy cooking for the family: It used to be roast chicken. Now it’s spag bol with lots of goodquality red wine.

Don’t eat: Celery, peppers, crab sticks and fish fingers.

Won’t try: I’ll try everything except the brain of a live monkey.

Favourite appliance: My Thermomix, and at home my Elba stove. new discovery: Everything related to this business. most over-rated ingredient: People are getting carried away with beetroot. my kitchen quirk: I make a lot of noise. I talk continuously. If I get cross I become monotone and monosyllabic.

April 2015

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FOOD

WONDER WOMAN Sarah Collins makes bags, and she wants to change the world TEXT BETH STOLS PHOTOGRAPHY JACKIE CLAUSEN

About SArAh CollinS

ê She was born in 1969 ê She went to school at St Anne’s ê She did a bA majoring in law and political science at uKZn Durban She reads extensively about African women. At the moment she’s engrossed in “My life’s Journey” by Janet Kataaha Museveni, the first lady of uganda her favourite place in KZn is Kamberg nature reserve her most significant moment was when she accepted that she liked herself She says success shouldn't be measured by money

ê ê ê ê

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SHE IS a social activist who has spoken at the World Economic Forum in Davos. In 2013 she was named by Fortune magazine as one of the world’s most powerful women entrepreneurs.

She is Sarah Collins, who hails from Pietermaritzburg and lives in Ballito. An invention she pioneered has changed the lives of millions of rural people. The Wonderbag is a slow-cooking heat retention device that’s taken the world by storm, with more than a million produced.

A heated pot is placed inside a bag filled with repurposed chip foam and the food inside continues cooking for up to 12 hours.

Collins launched it in 2011 at COP17 in Durban, where the exposure she received led to a run of 100 000 sponsored by Unilever.

The Wonderbag is estimated to cut emissions of up to half a ton of carbon dioxide a year if it is used three times a week. It is now being marketed internationally and Collins wants to get 100 million into the marketplace by 2020.

To paint a poignant portrait of Collins is not easy. She’s a woman of contrasts – intuitive, driven, headstrong and confident but also vulnerable. Her tenacity in a complex international market has proved her steely will, but there’s also a depth of emotion and a sense that it’s not all about herself.

Wired from childhood to care about the people around her, Collins says her inspiration comes from African women who are bold and robust.

She feels that the turning point in her career was when she

began to celebrate her femininity.

“Vulnerability is one of the biggest attributes that we have as human beings. When we make ourselves vulnerable we take our armour off and we present who we are.”

Collins is not afraid to ask for help, and says the more she’s put herself out there, the more the world has responded. She has worked in Syrian refugee camps and built shelters in Rwanda.

She has sat on the board of the Wilderness Leadership School with Ian Player and flirted briefly with politics.

Does she have any regrets?

“Life is about ebbs and flows, but I know I will be successful. I’ve learnt to divert negative feelings.”

Collins believes the way to create happy and healthy communities is to empower women economically.

“The Wonderbag is a catalyst for my bigger mission. Aid funding has failed the world, commerce is not reaching as far as we would wish, so how do we find the key to solve this? My legacy is to have found the solution to sustain a community through a partnership between corporations, donor money, government, commercial and philanthropic means.”

The Wonderbag team infiltrate impoverished areas and partner organisations that have outreach programmes. “Aid and the handme-down mentality is what has got Africa into its present state and we need to turn this around and make communities self-empowered.”

For every Wonderbag purchased in developed countries

RETREAT

“aid and the hand-me-down mentality is what has got africa into its present state. we need to make communities self-empowered"

spEciAl REsERvE Everything about ZuluWaters is exclusive.

And you’ll be the only people there TEXT sheLLeY seId

Sarah’S Durban Lamb Curry IngredIents

a contribution is made to the Wonderbag Foundation, supporting the donation of bags to families in need throughout Africa. The foundation looks for projects with partners. Amazon did a “Buy One Donate One” campaign which Collins says was hugely effective.

The Collins family has always been steeped in conservation and development, and she feels they have a responsibility to give back.

Collins has initiated many conservation-based foundations, Take Back the Future and Planet Okavango among them. Her business partner and fellow conservationist is her brother, businessman Murray Collins.

Her Wonderbag job entails a lot of public speaking, and she says she has learnt to be authentic.

“This is my story and my life. I talk my truth and I answer the questions as they are. I’ve had some disastrous public interviews but that’s all part of the learning and growth.”

There’s the seed of a book inside her; it’s about how social and commercial enterprise can be successful in Africa.

“Grassroots innovations and simple technology like the Wonderbag are intuitive and instinctive,” she says. “We need to trust ourselves as Africans.”

The Wonderbag costs between R250 and R350, depending on size, and is available at shops such as Outdoor Warehouse and online through Amazon. It is produced in a factory in Tongaat that employs 60 people.

2 tbsp sunflower oil 1kg lamb on the bone: neck, chops or anything else 1 large onion, diced 4 chillies, chopped 1 tbsp crushed fresh garlic 2 tbsp crushed fresh ginger 2 tins diced tomatoes 2 tbsp tomato paste 2 carrots, sliced 10 new baby potatoes, halved 1 bay leaf 3 tbsp mild curry powder 1 tin butter beans, drained Salt and pepper to taste Method

ê Brown the lamb in 2 tbsp of oil for 2 minutes each side, then set aside

ê Brown the onions then add

chilli, bay leaf, garlic, ginger and curry powder and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the lamb back to the pot and stir

ê Add the tin of tomatoes,

carrots and potatoes and 1 cup of water. Allow to boil for 5 minutes

ê Add the butter beans and stir,

then tomato paste and stir

ê Allow the pot to boil for

15 minutes and place in a Wonderbag for no less than 4 hours PreP time: 10 minutes Stove time: 25 minutes WonderBAg time: 4-6 hours tiP: mix 2 tbsp of flour into 200ml of milk and add to the curry to thicken the sauce

In the foothills of Giant’s Castle, bordering the trout-filled Bushman’s River, is a 3 100-hectare game reserve called ZuluWaters. Filled with indigenous game and free of alien flora, it is the first private property in KwaZulu-Natal to be proclaimed a nature reserve.

On offer are three luxury, ecofriendly homesteads. The biggest, Shaka Lodge, has appeared in local and international décor and architectural magazines. This is luxurious living at its best.

The entire property is at the disposal of guests, who can fly-fish, admire rock art, try clay-pigeon shooting or ride among the game on magnificent Appaloosas.

We spoke to ZuluWaters manager Lesley Terwin.

Were you ever concerned there might not be a market for ZuluWaters? We knew we could fill a particular niche. There is nothing quite like this in the province.

Why does it work? Precisely because of its exclusivity. For the duration of the booking, the lodge and the reserve belong to a single family, a group or even a couple. duration of stays? Two nights to a week.

Your occupancy rate? ZuluWaters opened at the end of 2011. We are up to about 60% occupancy and it is growing all the time.

What feedback do you get? Mostly, guests say they were blown away by the food. Our chef is amazing.

Accommodation at ZuluWaters starts at r4 000 per person per night sharing. how hands-on are you? We are all hands-on, from management to house staff. It is very important to personalise the experience. Guests must feel at home – that they can wander into the kitchen to chat to the chef, or spend time with me in my office. We don’t hover; we are in the background, discreetly available.

Your typical client? It’s a good balance between domestic and international. Most are families with teenage children. oddest requests or behaviour?

We have a vegan who comes with her dogs. They are fed only bananas and fruit salad. do clients come back? We are seeing a growing return. One guest, the director of HSBC bank in Russia, has been here with his family three times over two years.

Point of pride? One of our managers has a wine qualification and he has put together a top-end selection of unusual, interesting Cape wines. don’t miss? We can organise a helicopter trip to the battlefields.

The guide, a qualified historian, tells spellbinding stories.

Any new developments? We have started a state-of-the-art abattoir and butchery to produce premium, freerange venison products for high-end restaurants and our guests.

Contact: 036-352-0100

April 2015

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FAVOURITE PLACES

Contemplating Durban’s hidden gems, left, at one of his holets, and below with family

VANTAGE POINT It’s no wonder that Saantha Naidu became a property mogul – it’s in his genes, after all. He spoke to Yasantha naidoo about the spots that are special to him PHOTOGRAPHY JACKIE CLAUSEN

“MY FAVOURITE HOLIDAY SPOT IN THE PROVINCE IS ZIMBALI. THE PRISTINE ENVIRONMENT, SAFE AND TRANQUIL SURROUNDINGS AND THE LUXURIOUS SETTING OF THE RESORT ARE WHAT I LOOK FOR IN A DESTINATION” 28

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S

aantha Naidu owns Saantha Naidu Group, which has in its portfolio the 124-room Coastlands Umhlanga Hotel, the 256-room Coastlands On the Ridge Hotel on the Berea, the 101-room Coastlands on the beachfront, a number of corporate office blocks and its latest acquisition, the R78-million Royal Hotel.

“I grew up in central Durban. We lived in Lorne Street. The place that brings back my favourite memories is our holiday cottage in Tongaat.

“My great-grandfather, MG Naidu, came from India to South Africa in the 1800s. His son, Gurusamy Veerasamy (GV) Naidu, bought vast tracts of sugar cane land on the north coast – building a home on Casuarina Beach which became a landmark in the area.

“It was initially a single-storey home with a roof garden. A second floor was added, and in the 1960s it was the first house in the area with electricity and a telephone.

“The home, with its wide wraparound veranda, was well known for hosting parties attended by visiting Indian musicians and actors.

“The loveliest spot in Durban is the Botanic Gardens. I love the sense of peace and tranquillity. Sadly, I don’t get a chance to visit very often.

“The best view of the city is from the Berea.

I have a glorious, panoramic bird’s-eye view from the balcony of Coastlands On the Ridge and the penthouse of my home next door.

“My favourite restaurants are China Plate in Durban North for noodles and vegetables, Saffron at my Umhlanga hotel for lamb curry, and Ile Maurice in Umhlanga for prawns and langoustines.

“For a cultural fix, I head to India. I’m spiritual and I make a pilgrimage to the temples on the sub-continent at least once a year.

“My favourite holiday spot in the province is Zimbali. The pristine environment, safe and tranquil surroundings and the luxurious setting of the north coast resort are what I look for in a holiday destination. If I chose to move out of Durban, then Zimbali would be home.

“The most underrated or undiscovered spot in KwaZulu-Natal is Tongaat. In addition to being where my family’s holiday cottage was, I think the north coast seaside town can be compared to destinations in the Western Cape.

“Living in Durban trumps Gauteng any day. I travel to Gauteng often, but I can’t stand the traffic in Johannesburg.

“The Durban beachfront is spectacular.

I have travelled all over the world and I love the vibe and beauty of Durban’s promenade and the Golden Mile.”

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SPICE is exploring the beautiful province of KwaZulu-Natal.

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PHOTOGRAPH CHRISTOPHER LAURENZ

April 2015

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29

VISION

ageNt Of chaNge Tertiary institutions are places of learning but they are also incubators for our future leaders. Yasantha Naidoo asks Durban University of Technology vice-chancellor Ahmed Bawa about his thoughts on KZN’s future TEXT YAsAntHA nAiDoo PHOTOGRAPHY tEBoGo LEtsiE

AHMED BAwA holds a doctorate in theoretical physics but at heart he is an architect specialising in social transformation. So much so that the man at the helm of the Durban University of Technology for the past four years has just begun a second term.

Some would say he is a sucker for punishment, in the light of student strikes and legal clashes, but Bawa says running DUT has been a fascinating experience. He relishes the challenge of building a research culture, and says it is key to shift education programmes from training young people for the workplace towards developing the social, emotional and intellectual skills of students so that they are highly employable.

In addition, he thinks it is imperative to produce citizens who are critical, creative and effective in the workplace and in society.

His vision is simple: he wants to develop a “bloody good” South African university that is close to and owned by society.

Bawa is mindful that Durban is a wonderful city with many problems. “I am very hopeful that it will emerge as a great place to live. We have created at DUT an Urban Futures Centre, and its raison d’être is

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to imagine what cities like Durban could be in 50 years. This is the way to think about Durban … how do we design a city that places its citizens at the centre?”

The issue of migration is a challenge. “Too many of our most talented young people leave Durban for other parts of South Africa. We must turn this around. We must do whatever we have to do to keep our talented young here.”

The interest in learning has pleased him.

About 90 000 young people applied for 7 000 places at DUT this year. That, he believes, is a powerful validation of the importance the university attaches to the social justice agenda.

Bawa says the setbacks relate to difficulties external to the institution. “The National Student Financial Aid System and the fact that there simply isn’t enough money distributed to meet the demand of students at DUT is a problem … and the fact that the subsidy provided to our universities per student is in steady decline.”

Finances aside, the high dropout rate –

mainly due to the financial constraints students face – is another external challenge.

“There is nothing more depressing than seeing young people drop out even though they are passionate about studying.”

We cannot be complacent about huge inequalities in society, says Bawa. “We must address the issue of unemployment. We must empower our new generations to become innovators and entrepreneurs so that they can create employment. Perhaps most importantly, we must build an education system that works.”

Bawa illustrates his point with an anecdote.

He asked 6 000 first-year students in 2011 how many had read anything by Zakes Mda. Not a single hand went up.

This is “a terrifying example” of our education system and also of what is going on in homes, he says.

A transformation, then, is vital. Bawa believes society should see it as a broad, continuous project. It may be a difficult ask, but Bawa thinks it is achievable.

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