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Front page headline: ANC celebrates its 103rd birthday | Cape Town stadium saw the rallying of comrades as the continent's oldest liberation movement celebrated another year in power

| JOLLING WITH THE MAIN OKES: Dancers perform during the ANC's 103rd birthday celebrations at Cape Town Stadium on January 10. Photo by Ashraf Hendricks/ Anadolu Agency/Getty Images. Read more on page 3

Taking drop-outs into account we see a matric pass rate closer to 36%... page 2

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| 13 - 20 January 2015 | thesouthafrican.com

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Taking drop-outs into account we see a matric pass rate closer to 36% | A focus on the matric results obscures problems lower down in the education system by min low

The National Senior Certificate (NSC) results are not a good indication of the performance of the education system as a whole. Indeed, a focus on these results obscures a number of problems which hide lower down in the system – particularly in terms of basic numeracy and literacy skills, and the worrying drop-out rates between Grade 10 and 12. The matric results must be viewed in context, as one component of the schooling system, and one statistic in the diagnostic tool-box of the Department of Basic Education (DBE). The NSC pass rate indicates the percentage of students who passed a particular year’s exams – very little else. The pass rate is affected by various factors, including the number of exam takers in a particular year, and the subject choices students make in a particular year. A rising pass rate may obscure, for instance, the fact that students are increasingly moving away from more difficult subjects to easier subjects. The pass rate is also influenced by the design and assessment of the exam papers – which is problematic in South Africa, and not consistent. Comparing the matric pass rate across years is, therefore, problematic (and potentially misleading). Taking groups of learners who started school together in Grade 2 and tracking them over a 10 year span reveals massive and consistent

drop-out rates. Approximately half of each cohort drops out before even reaching matric (about half a million students), mostly between Grade 10 and 12. Looking at matric pass rates, it is worth noting that in 2013, 562 112 learners wrote matric and 439,779 (78.2%) passed matric; but ten years earlier (2003) there were 1 111 858 learners registered in Grade 2. Taking drop-outs into account we see a pass rate closer to 40%. In 2014, 532 860 learners wrote matric and 403 874 (75.8%) passed matric; but ten years earlier (2004) there were 1,109,201 learners registered in Grade 2. Taking drop-outs into account we see a pass rate closer to 36%. This year’s 75.8% pass rate was slightly lower than last year’s (quite controversial) 78.2%. Factors that make the 2014 exams different include the phasing in of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement’s new curriculum – which means content has changed slightly from previous years; changes to the format, structure and depth of content in key subjects like mathematics and science; and greater attention to the marking process (which was a big problem last year). But regardless of the drop in the percentage of successful NSC candidates this year, it is encouraging to see a clear attempt to improve the standard of the National Senior Certificate and the standard and depth of examination papers,

which has been a major issue. The DBE’s website states that the NSC should be seen as a measurement of “the opportunities open to our youths”. The DBE tries to do this by tracking the number of Grade 12 learners who become eligible for higher education, and also the number of Grade 12 learners who pass mathematics and physical sciences. By looking at these factors one can see whether ‘opportunity’ is increasing or decreasing and assess the success of the NSC in this way. What this hides, of course – that must also be taken into account – is whether learners leave the system with the skills required to take advantage of higher education opportunities. Looking at enrolment numbers in mathematics and science from 2010 to 2014 we see that the enrolment number for mathematics is very low (at 42% in 2014), and the enrolment number in physical science is clearly dropping (currently it is at 31%) – an issue the DBE has flagged in its Technical Report. In the past there has been an upward trend in the pass rate for mathematics and physical science. However, the number of students writing these subjects has decreased. In 2014, with format, structure and depth-of-content amendments to the mathematics and physical science papers, we see a bit of a dip in the pass rate. The pass rate in mathematics fell from approximately 59% in 2013 to 54% in 2014, and in physical science

from 67% in 2013 to 61% in 2014. In 2013, 171 755 out of the 562 112 learners who wrote matric (30.6%) met the ‘minimum requirements’ (as defined by Higher Education South Africa) to study for a Bachelor degree and 173,292 (30.8%) met the minimum requirements to study for a Diploma. In 2014, 150,752 of the 532,860 learners who wrote matric qualified for Bachelor studies (28.3%) and 166,689 (31.3%) qualified to study for a diploma. So focusing exclusively on the pass rate can be misleading. The fact that approximately 50% of learners exit the system between Grades 10 and 12 each year, leaving school without any formal education, has been a consistent and worrying trend. This raises a number of questions about the effectiveness of the schooling system, but also about perceptions about the value of the NSC, for instance. Students are also increasingly moving away from mathematics and physical science and scores in these subjects are generally very low. Furthermore, an over-emphasis on matric performance may also create perverse incentives – the serious reports of mass-copying this year (mostly in the poorest and most under-resourced schools) may be symptomatic of this. Wim Louw is a researcher at Equal Education. This article is a shortened and consolidated version of two Equal Education reports.

New UK facility steps in to help save the world from running out of chocolate Seen our new website? THE South African features a brand-new design on its website THESOUTHAFRICAN. COM. Keeping up with the latest news from Mzansi is now even easier with this userfriendly and stylish design. Catch up with the latest sports news, read up on current events, find a recipe for dinner, learn about the latest events for the expat community and be in touch with your South African heritage more than ever before.

| By 2020 there may be a global shortage of chocolate and the only chocolate available will be sludgy and filled with cocoa substitutes. But the UK has a plan… by Katy Scott

The news that the world is running out of chocolate made headlines in November 2014. Panic set in as experts estimated a global chocolate shortage by 2020. But the UK plans to save the day. The chocolate crisis The world’s largest chocolate manufacturer, Barry Callebaut, said that it sold 1.72m tonnes of chocolate in 2014 (up until 31 August) while only 1.54m tonnes were sold in 2013. This is an 11.8 % increase. This increasing demand as well as bad weather, crop disease and Ebola fears spiked the price of cocoa up from £1600 per tonne to more than £2000 per tonne. If this

continues, says Callebaut, the price of a single chocolate bar could become unsustainable. Editor of trade magazine Kennedy’s Confection, Angus Kennedy, predicts that chocolate bars in the future will be sludgy in texture and sweeter in taste, owing to the use of cheaper ingredients such as sugar and vegetable oil instead of cocoa. The UK is the second biggest chocolate market in the world (after the United States). How the UK plans to save the day A new facility has just opened in Reading to quarantine all the world’s new cocoa varieties. New varieties are the answer to solving

the diminishing supply of cocoa. Cocoa varieties need to be quarantined before they can be grown. A £1m purpose-built new home has been added to the International Cocoa Quarantine Centre situated at the University of Reading. The improved greenhouse houses a collection of 400 varieties and intends to make the quarantine process cheaper, faster and greener. The cool UK climate allows for the cocoa to be isolated from the diseases present in places like South and Central America and the Carribbean. After a maximum of two years in quarantine, safe, clean cocoa seeds are shipped to approximately 20 different countries, including many

in West Africa. 75% of the cocoa used for chocolate worldwide is produced in West Africa. The cocoa project leader at the University of Reading, Prof Paul Hadley, believes that the chocolate crisis can be avoided if more effort is put into improving the crop and its production. “Most cocoa is produced by subsistence farmers, who might be farming one or two hectares. As well as needing new, more efficient varieties, they also need to improve the way they grow the cocoa,” said Prof Hadley. “Putting those two things together, I’m pretty confident. If we did nothing then there would be a crisis.”

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What South Africa’s Press Code would say to a Charlie Hebdo cartoon | Would a Charlie Hebdo cartoon fly in South Africa, or is our Press Code too stringent? We bring you the facts by Katy Scott

“Apartheid is to blame for Eskom’s screw-ups,” says Zuma | So the ANC’s birthday last weekend made for a a hell of a lot of pearls. One of our favess is their go-to excuse for pretty much everything. Apartheid By Gerhard Jacobs ‘ol JZ was at it again, claiming that the ruling party should feel no guilt for what’s happening to Eskom. Blame Apartheid and absolve yourselves of any responsibility for anything whatsoever, seems to be the message to everyone who has ever entered government since 1994. 50 000 people played witness to the ANC’s birthday party — remember also that the party is broke, so how they paid for this remains to be seen — where various slurs were thrown at everyone, and no responsibility was taken by the ruling elite for

any of their actions. Zuma said that the power issues were caused by the Apartheid government‘s commitment to only providing services to the few and never developing infrastructure for the rest. Right, because 20 years is not enough time to develop any infrastructure and having some of our stations break down due to poor management is not government’s fault. Zuma also added that unicorns have been spotted in Luthuli House’s garden and that he’s found a way to make pigs fly… namely SAA.

The world is still spinning in the aftermath of the Paris shootings. But what would have happened if Charlie Hebdo’s cartoons had been published here in South Africa? Currently South African print media is self-regulated. Journalists and cartoonists adhere to – and are guided by – the South African Press Code in terms of journalistic practice and ethics. The clause on “comment” in the Press Code was updated in 2011 and outlines the following: “The press shall be entitled to comment upon or criticise any actions or events of public interest provided such comments or criticisms are fairly and honestly made.” South African cartoonist Jonathon Shapiro told Mail & Guardian that the reference to fair comment is “subjective” and “loaded”. At the time, Jacob Zuma was filing a R5 million lawsuit against Shapiro (better known as Zapiro), Avusa and Mondli Makhanya, former Sunday Times editor, for the “Lady Justice” cartoon. In the cartoon, Zuma is shown loosening his trousers, preparing to rape Lady Justice while Julius Malema,

Suspected girl suicide bombers in recent Boko Haram attacks

Zwelinzima Vavi, Blade Nzimande and Gwede Mantashe look on saying: “Go for it, boss”. Zuma dropped the lawsuit in 2012 and agreed to pay half the legal costs. Another clause in the Press Code on “Dignity and Reputation” states: “The press shall exercise care and consideration in matters involving dignity and reputation. The dignity or reputation of an individual should be overridden only by a legitimate public interest.” Zapiro said the clause was “jarred” and that he wanted to see the Press Code amended. He considers the Press Code to be “too prescriptive” and “not open to the wild and woolly nature of satire”. In the event of a lawsuit, cartoonists, like Zapiro, have to demonstrate that their cartoon is “fair” in the “public interest” and “justified” under the circumstances. The Press Council would then weigh up the cartoonist’s right tor freedom of expression against the offence that complainants take to the cartoon. Deputy press ombudsman Dr Johan Retief told Mail & Guardian that, as stipulated in section 16 of the Constitution, there is plenty of

room for robust satire and freedom of expression. He referred to a Constitutional Court ruling which said that “criticism is protected, even if it is extreme, unjust, unbalanced, exaggerated and prejudiced, as long as it is an honest opinion, without malice, in the public interest and founded on true facts”. How SA handled their own Mohammad cartoon controversy In 2010 Mail & Guardian received threatening phone calls in response to a cartoon published depicting Prophet Mohammad. The paper then met with religious leaders to resolve the issue. Mail & Guardian’s editor Nic Dawes admitted that he underestimated the sense of connection between Muslims in South Africa and the international politics of Islam as well as how intensely South African Muslims hold the ban on the representation of Mohammad. The meeting concluded with a joint statement in which Mail & Guardian apologised saying that it had “in no way intended to cause injury, or to associated itself with Islamophobia, which it repudiates in the strongest possible terms”. Mail & Guardian has since reviewed its editorial policy on religious matters.

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| Boko Haram is believed to be behind recent wave of suicide bomb attacks in northeast Nigeria. It is suspected that the suicide bombers were young girls by Katy Scott

The French rallied for solidarity this past weekend, as a tribute to Charlie Hebdo after 17 people were killed in three days of terror in Paris. This same weekend, 23 people were killed in suicide attacks, as part of the ongoing deadly violence in northeast Nigeria. On Saturday 19 people were killed in a suicide attack in Borno State capital Maiduguri by a girl believed to be aged 10, as reported Mail & Guardian. On Sunday, two suspected child suicide bombers targeted a crowded market in Potiskum, Yobe State, killing four people. A car exploded outside a police station in Potiskum earlier on Saturday, killing the driver and an officer. These three explosions follow Boko Haram fighters’ deadly strike on the Borno town of Baga and 16 other settlements on 3 January.

Boko Haram’s suspected use of female suicide bombers is a fairly new approach. Experts consider older women as willing to become human bombs as they are seeking revenge on the death of loved ones and share the Islamists’ radical ideology. However, the use of young girls strongly suggests coercion. A bloody six years in northeast Nigeria Boko Haram has been fighting to create an extreme Islamic state in northeast Nigeria. The Guardian reported that more than 10 000 people were killed last year in the bloody rebellion. In April 2014, 276 schoolgirls were abducted from Chibok, Borno stat. Currently 219 girls are still being held. Since the abduction, Boko Haram has grabbed dozens of towns and villages in northeast Nigeria. The

Guardian reported that over the past five years an estimated 1.6 million people have been displaced. While mass casualty assaults are not new, it appears that the group’s attacks are increasing in size, rate and severity. More attacks predicted as Nigerians head to the polls Security analysts predict more attacks as Nigeria prepares for elections in February. The insurgents look to further destabalise the legitimacy of the vote and the secular government. UNICEF executive director Anthony Lake said in a statement: “Words alone can neither express our outrage nor ease the agony of all those suffering from the constant violence in northern Nigeria.” “But these images of recent days and all they imply for the future of Nigeria should galvanise effective action. For this cannot go on."

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Can you really pass matric with a 30% average? | Do you “only need 30% to pass matric” in South Africa? It is a claim you hear every year at this time and one that has been given credence on social media and by some academics and politicians. But the claim is misleading. Here’s why By Africa Check The release of final year school exam results in South Africa is frequently met with a dismissive chorus of “you only need 30% to pass matric”. This year was no different, helped along by Twitter and Facebook. The claim is not a new one. And it has been given credence by academics like Professor Jonathan Jansen – the vice-chancellor of the University of the Free State and a prominent education commentator – who was quoted saying last year that “[i]t’s an absolute disgrace that you can pass matric with a mark of 30%”. But is it correct? Misguided comments “This idea that you only need a 30% average to pass matric is simply not true,” said Nicholas Spaull, an education researcher from Stellenbosch University. Pupils are required to take a minimum of seven subjects. These include three compulsory subjects – usually a first language, a first additional language, mathematics or mathematical literacy and life orientation. “You need 40% in three subjects (one of which must be your home language), and 30% in 3 other subjects,” Spaull said. If a pupil meets that bare minimum, they will pass even if they fail their seventh subject. Basil Manuel, president of the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa, echoed Spaull’s comments. “Unfortunately it’s a nice story and the public grasps [at] it but you can’t pass matric with 30%,” he said. Leketi Makalela, an associate professor at Wits University’s School of Education, said references to a 30% pass “comes from a lack of understanding of the pass requirements for matric”. Minimum requirements Higher Education South Africa has stated that only a “miniscule number” of pupils pass at the

lowest possible level. In 2014 this amounted to 411 pupils or 0.1% of those who wrote matric exams. “If the learner does not satisfy the minimum subject requirements, he will not be awarded with the [National Senior Certificate], even though he may have attained an exceptionally high mark in one or two of the other subjects,” explained Elijah Mhlanga, a spokesman for the Department of Basic Education. “No averaging of marks” Mhlanga said that averages don’t determine whether a pupil passes matric. “There is no averaging of marks in the [National Senior Certificate exams]… No learner will be awarded a [National Senior Certificate] if he attains 30%.” Technically speaking, if a pupil met the minimum requirements and obtained 40% for three subjects (one being a home language), 30% for three subjects and 0% for a seventh subject, then then they would pass with a 30% average. But Manuel said that this was impossible. “A pupil can’t get 0% for a subject because they have to complete a school-based assessment and the exam. I have never heard of a youngster getting 0% as a final mark,” he said. Conclusion – The claim is misleading While it is theoretically possible for a pupil to obtain a 30% average and pass, it is extremely unlikely – if not impossible – in reality. And a matric pass at the lowest possible level won’t get you into a technical college, university or any other tertiary institution. One of the most pressing challenges facing South Africa’s education system isn’t who passes or fails the final exams but the large numbers of pupils who drop out long before they get to matric. Edited by Julian Rademeyer and researched by Kate Wilkinson of Africa Check, a non-profit fact-checking organisation: www. africacheck.org ; Twitter: @ AfricaCheck.

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South Africa gets its first chess grandmaster | Kenny Solomon from Mitchell’s Plain has become the first South African to attain the coveted chess title of grandmaster by Nathan Geffen In October 2012, GroundUp ran an interview with Kenny Solomon. At that time he had become a grandmaster-elect but still needed to jump through some technical hoops to become a full-fledged grandmaster. On Sunday, the popular Chessbase website reported that by winning the 2014 Africa Chess Championship which ended a few days ago, he attained the grandmaster title. Solomon scored 7/9 and won the tournament on tiebreak from Egyptian grandmaster, Ahmed Adly. The Chessbase article carries an interview with Solomon, who is quoted saying, “Eventually, I hope I can help in developing the chess scene in South Africa in some way, perhaps by being involved in a training centre. There are many chess players in South Africa and it does have its own chess culture. However, most tournaments are not FIDE-rated. In junior tournaments, emphasis is mainly on qualification to international junior events. South Africa needs more FIDE-rated events.” Below is the 2012 interview: Where did you grow up? I grew up in Mitchell’s Plain. How old were you when you learnt to play chess? I learned the moves at about seven but studied my first chess book at the age of twelve. I started my first tournament at the age of 13. I was pretty serious already at 13. What do you do for a living? I play chess professionally. Did you do well at school and/or university? I did ok at school and passed matric. I didn’t get to go to university. Tell us a bit about your family life. We are six brothers and two sisters. My mother’s name is Rose. My dad, William Charles Solomon, passed on last year May. I am now married to an Italian. Veronika is her name. My daughter is one year old and we live together in Venice, the mainland. I got married with an Italian and being based in Europe makes more sense as a chess professional. .What it takes to become a grandmaster You were a child prodigy by South African standards. How much effort did you put into the game as a child? I was very dedicated since I started my first chess tournament. I put in a lot of effort. For example, I would analyse each and every game that I played in every tournament. How hard do you work on your

chess these days? I can put in many hours a day, depending on my tournament schedule, but now I am also a family man. So I have to divide my time accordingly and be flexible. There are periods when I don’t do much and periods when I can put in many hours a day. What does chess training consist of? Chess training consists of studying the opening, middle-game and endgame. What percentage of your time do you divide between opening, middle-game and endgame study? I think I spend 70% of my time on the opening and middle-game and 30% on the endgame. I’m a patzer [weak player – editor] but (when I used to play) I found that if I went over tactical problems before or during a tournament, I was sharper and more likely to find tactics in my games. Is this still relevant at your level? Do you try to solve tactical problems while you’re training? Yes this is always good. I solve combinations to sharpen up just before the tournament. How much use of computer software do you make in your preparation? Do you make effective use of large games databases and programmes like Chessbase? Chessbase is a must for any chess player in our time and generation. I use chess software quite extensively. What were the most important aspects in your chess development? I think the development of my character played an important role. I continued to work on chess over the years until 2008 even when there were few opportunities. It was important not to give up, to be patient, to bide my time, to learn from defeats and recover quickly. What was lacking was experience! Then in 2009 SABT, a fuel company, sponsored me and with 100% support I could get the international exposure and play regularly in tournaments and face grandmasters consistently. This experience was necessary. Then in Istanbul [at the recent Chess Olympiad – editor] came the breakthrough where I achieved the double grandmaster norm. Do you play a lot of blitz chess [short timed games where each player gets five minutes or less – editor]? Does it help or hinder your preparation for longer games? As a junior I played lots and lots of blitz. Nowadays, I play on-line blitz but rarely. I think it can benefit chess-players but for some it has a negative affect. Before a tournament I play little blitz

because I think it affects my play in long time control tournaments. Beyond being a grandmaster What are your chess plans and ambitions? My goal now is to gain 50 rating points within the next six months and this means I will play many tournaments hunting rating points. After officially being awarded the grandmaster title, I would like to open a chess academy in South Africa and produce many more grandmasters. Is it difficult to make a living as a chess player? In South Africa it is definitely difficult to make a living in chess. In my quest to become a grandmaster I had to focus on playing chess regularly to remain match fit. I won many local tournaments, but I had to combine it with being a chess coach. Chess in South Africa SA has produced some talented players like Watu Kobese, Donald Macfarlane, Charles De Villiers, Deon Solomon, Wolfgang Heidenfeld, David Gluckman, George Michelakis, Mark Rubery and David Friedgood (I’m sure I’ve left quite a few out), but none have made the required grandmaster norms. Do you want to speculate on why South Africa has not produced a grandmaster before? The players you mentioned above may in fact have been more talented than what I am. Some of the above mentioned names

have had some opportunities and exposure at international chess for a short duration of time, which in my opinion was insufficient. You cannot give yourself one year or take leave from work and expect to achieve three grandmaster norms within one year. This is what I told my sponsor SABT in the beginning of 2009, that I could achieve three grandmaster norms within one year. However it has actually taken me three and a half years to complete three GM norms by playing constantly in Europe. What is needed is a proper chess education and international experience. International experience is the key ingredient that is missing for a lot of our top South African chess players. Of course South Africa is very far from Europe and chess players need financial funding and support to play regularly in Europe. I’m grateful that my sponsor SABT extended my sponsorship for more than one year. They definitely understood that I needed to gain experience. Is the game being well-promoted in South Africa? Chess is definitely not as well promoted as soccer, cricket and rugby. We do not have the same chess culture as Russia for instance, but we must take into account our chess historical background. With this in mind I think South Africa has made some progress in developing and promoting chess over the years. More can be done but it is all

a process and we are definitely moving forward. What do we need to do to produce more talented players in South Africa? My idea of opening a chess academy I think is a good move to nurture our young talented chess players. Are you still intending to play regularly in SA? As I am now living in Italy it is geographically difficult to play more often in local tournaments in South Africa. Should I be in South Africa while visiting family and there is a tournament I would be happy to play. Is chess growing in workingclass areas and townships? What more can or should be done to improve the uptake in poorer communities? Yes, chess is definitely growing. In my opinion it is important that transport be provided for the aspiring young chess players who are from poorer communities. When I grew up playing chess as a youngster, it was during apartheid, there was very little integration of chess across races. Has chess become fully integrated in your view or is there a long way to go? I think chess has become fully integrated. However what is needed is to provide transport for players from poorer communities to chess venues.

| 13 - 20 January 2015 | thesouthafrican.com

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New Year’s resolutions | My challenge to my white fellow South Africans is very simple. I’m sure many of you have made New Year’s resolutions. I would like to challenge you to add four more by Sifiso Mazibuko I will concede that I’m in no way shape or form some sort of race relations expert, nor will I ever pretend to be one. I haven’t written well-researched highly cited studies on the subject nor am I a highly respected academic. What I write are simply the thoughts of a regular black South African in his late thirties with most of my thoughts based on my own personal experience and observations over the almost four decades of my life. I am writing this in some sort of utopian hope that we can at least begin the process of having an honest conversation about the very real racial tensions that, for better or worse, still exist in South Africa today. The reasons for these tensions are obviously multifaceted and are far too complex to explore in one blog post, however I do believe that there is a fairly simple starting point that could possibly lead towards helping us heal as a country. 2014 was, for various reasons, a year of intense focus on race relations particularly in South Africa and in the United States. In the US the main catalysts for this focus were the shootings to death of Michael Brown and Tamir Rice and the death of Eric Garner as a result of being put in a chokehold by NYPD police officer Daniel Pantaleo. In all of these cases the victims were black males killed by white police officers that were all later acquitted of any wrong doing under rather murky circumstances. These events and many others like them, put the abusive experiences of minority communities at the hands of some police officers in the United States into the spotlight in a manner that hasn’t been seen since Rodney King was beaten by police officers in Los Angeles in 1991. In that case the police officers responsible were also acquitted of any wrongdoing. These latest incidents have forced people in the United States into a long overdue conversation about race relations in that country and the suspicious manner in which black males are often viewed. In South Africa the conversation has been an ongoing chronicle with admittedly complex nuances that was brought into stark focus by two incidents of white students at two different universities in what can, at best, be described as a woefully misguided attempt at being funny. The first incident involved two white students from the University of Pretoria who smeared their faces with black paint, stuffed pillows into their pants and wore clothing meant to stereotypically represent domestic workers posing for photos with smiles that seemed to indicate that they thought they’re outfits were a rather humorous joke. Needless to say, their little “joke” resulted in an uproar on social media with the pair of students being expelled from their

residences. Despite the experience of the previously mentioned Tuks students, two more misguided students at the University of Stellenbosch also thought it would be a good idea to pose for pictures with their faces painted in black and wearing wigs and outfits meant to represent tennis super stars Serena and Venus Williams. As anyone with the most basic grasp of South Africa’s racial problems could have guessed, the pictures ended up on social media and resulted in a predictably angry reaction from black South Africans and exasperation from white South Africans that seem to possess a more developed sense of awareness than some of our white compatriots. Not long after this incident there was the incident outside a club in Cape Town in which some young white men viciously beat a 52-yearold black mother of six for no apparent reason while hurling racial epithets at her. Then there was the Cape Town man that assaulted his ex girlfriend’s black domestic worker, spat at her and called her a kaffir. And of course who can forget about the white bikers in Witbank that assaulted a petrol attendant after he asked them to move away from the pumps because they were smoking. Their classy response was to beat him while calling him a kaffir and a monkey. Then there was the always classy Steve Hofmeyer who tweeted “Sorry to offend but in my books blacks were the architects of apartheid. Go figure.” I could go on citing many more examples from the media or from personal experience, examples like when my wife invited friends on my birthday for a night out at a Cape Town club. When we arrived at said club, we found one of my friends, who happens to be black, standing outside after being told he could not go into the club because there was a private function, this was of course in no way true. Whenever I have retold this story, I have heard some white people argue that maybe my friend wasn’t appropriately dressed, to which I call major bullsh!t. He was very well turned out and there were a number of less well-dressed white guys that were being allowed to go into the club with no hassle. The fact that they automatically feel the need to give the club owner the benefit of the doubt is one of the most fundamental problems we have in this country, but more on that later. It took my white wife, angrily confronting the manager of the club to get my friend in and once inside we noticed a severe lack of colour that explained their initial reluctance to let those of a more melanin enhanced hue in. So where does all of this leave us? I think one of the biggest challenges we face in South Africa is that for a significant portion of white people, there is still a reluctance to acknowledge that

this country continues to deal with the ugly reality of racism that was created by decades of Apartheid and colonization before it. There is a belief among some white people that after 1994 we were all automatically made equal and all was made well so as a result, the past should be left in the past and we should go forward and stop obsessing about it. The problem with this point of view is that it’s much easier for people whose past was not characterised by systematic racial, economic and societal discrimination that was violently implemented by the state’s various military, judicial and economic apparatus to simply move on. It’s more difficult for people that, for decades, had their humanity systematically demolished by a violently racist system that was set up to exploit them and protect those of a lighter skin tone. It’s more difficult to simply move on for people that were not even allowed to be citizens of the land of their birth because of the colour of their skin, (see pass laws). It’s more difficult for people who watched helplessly as their family members and close friends disappeared with no explanation into the police cells of a system that would indifferently explain away almost any death as suicide, and that’s if an explanation was even given. The truth is white and black people in South Africa have experienced and continue to experience the world very differently and there’s just no escaping that reality. A few weeks ago my sister was looking for a black doll for her daughter. This turned out to be such a tough assignment that she had to ask people on Facebook if they knew of a toy store where she could buy a black doll. Imagine living in a country where black people are 80percent of the population and yet they struggle to find something as simple as dolls that look like them for their children to play with. As a result, black children often grow up playing with toys that don’t look anything like them, watching cartoons that have characters that they don’t relate to, resulting in so many cases of black children hating the colour of their own skin or the texture of their hair since they find it so hard to find representation of their own blackness in the media. This is not a problem a white child will ever experience. I remember when we were kids; my sisters and I would shred up newspapers until they looked like a rudimentary representation of what white people’s hair looked like and we would tape it to our heads so we could also have long wavy hair like white people because this is what we believed you had to look like to be beautiful. One of the most fundamental problems we have in South Africa is that white people, for the most part, are so unaware of what it’s like to experience the

thesouthafrican.com | 13 - 20 January 2015 |

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world as a black person it causes them to be totally oblivious of the comparatively privileged way in which they experience the world. This brings me to the point of my musings on the topic of race. If South Africa is to truly move forward as a united country, I really think that there needs to be a concerted effort on the part of white South Africans to really interrogate what their experience of the world means in relation to the lived experiences of South Africans of other colours. The reason I think the responsibility falls chiefly on the shoulders of white South Africans is that I would argue that black South Africans have largely come to the party when it comes to reconciliation in South Africa. We speak the language of white South Africans; we adopted the Springboks, (who were previously viewed by a lot of black people as a white Afrikaaner symbol, so this was a very big deal) and even gave them our own name, Amabhokobhoko. We go to the stadiums to watch them or our favourite Currie Cup team play on a regular basis. We share the same love hate relationship our white countrymen have with the Proteas, (for pete’s sake cricket gods, we aren’t asking for much, just give us one major trophy, we needs this!). After Apartheid ended, the ANC, through the Sunset Clauses proposed by Joe Slovo, agreed to a Government of National Unity that gave concessions to the National Party, including them into the new government. This is the same National Party that kept black people subjugated for decades. In addition to this, the Truth & Reconciliation Commission, that gave Apartheid era perpetrators of violence the opportunity to give testimony about their past violent acts and to request amnesty from both civil and criminal prosecution was established. They didn’t even have to be sorry, all they had to do was come clean and they could walk away scot-free while the victims’ families, in many cases, would simply have to accept that they had to give up any hope of justice being served for the greater cause of unifying our country. We included “Die Stem” as part of South Africa’s new national anthem. ‘Die Stem” the national anthem of the old Apartheid South Africa, which was seen by most black South Africans as a symbol of the Apartheid era Nationalist party government and yet there we were and still are, singing it proudly at every sporting event. The list goes on, so like I said, I feel like it could be safely argued that black people have come to the party. Unfortunately I’m not so sure the same can be said for our white fellow South Africans for the most part. Besides a tiny group of exceptions, white South Africans typically don’t speak any indigenous South African languages

despite being surrounded by indigenous speaking black people. Go to a PSL soccer game and white faces are rather conspicuous in their absence from the stadiums, in fact I would challenge most white South Africans to name a PSL team besides Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs. However based on my experience, I doubt they would have the same difficulty naming English Premiership or Spanish La Liga teams. The simple fact is that reconciliation in South Africa has largely been a one sided affair with white people mostly being the beneficiaries of much forgiveness and never having to really confront their complicity about the past and the institutional advantages that Apartheid bestowed on them. They have remained, willfully or otherwise, mostly ignorant of what life for their black compatriots is like. They remain mostly ignorant of the extreme evil that Apartheid was and how they benefited from it and how those benefits and advantages have carried over to the present day. “According to the 2014 SA Reconciliation Barometer 47percent of white South Africans believe Apartheid wasn’t a crime against humanity. Only 53percent of whites that took part in the survey agreed with the statement that apartheid was a crime against humanity. This was compared to 80percent of blacks, 77percent of Indians, and 70percent of coloured citizens who agreed with the statement. Whites were also half as likely as black South Africans to agree with redressing the injustice of the past.” (Quoted from News24) That is a sad indictment on just how ignorant some white South Africans remain. So what is the solution? Call me an optimist or a romantic believer in a utopian never land, but I think the first steps towards true reconciliation in South Africa are fairly simple and very achievable. It does, however, require a willingness on the part of white South Africans to truly acknowledge the true situation this country is in, the role they have played in it and the further patience and resilience of black South Africans to bear with our white compatriots. My challenge to my white fellow South Africans is very simple. I’m sure many of you have made New Year’s resolutions. I would like to challenge you to add four more. 1.No more black face, seriously just don’t do it, it’s just not funny and it’s more offensive and hurtful than you will ever understand. 2. Nelson Mandela once said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” Learn an indigenous South African language, whether it’s Zulu, Xhosa Pedi, Sotho Tswana or whatever, just learn one. You live amongst millions of African language speakers that

will help you if you just try. Really connect with your black fellow South Africans; you’ll be amazed at the sublime effect speaking an indigenous language will have on your relationship with your black compatriots. And once you start to learn their languages you will learn so much more than just how to speak a new language, you will also learn the culture and the heart of the person. 3. Find a PSL soccer team to support and get down to a stadium and watch a game. Sport in South Africa has always been a great unifier, you will learn more about us from watching soccer with us than you realize. Do this at least six times this year. If you don’t know where to start, ask someone to take you to a game, or at least go a Pirates / Chiefs derby, it’s an incredible experience, trust me. (It’s an even better experience if you’re Pirates fan, I’m just saying) 4. Stop telling black people to “just get over it, it’s in the past, can’t we just move on?” You have no idea just how raw the pain and humiliation still is for many black South Africans. Instead of being in such a hurry to move on, rather spend some time trying to understand just how bad it was and still is for many black people in this country. Healing starts with acknowledgment and empathy, then we can figure out a way forward together. I love this country right down to the depths of my soul; with every fiber of my being I love this place. I love its resolve, its character and its ability to overcome any challenge. I love the land, the amazing kaleidoscope of cultures that call themselves South African, from the 100percent Zulu boys of KwaZulu Natal, to the regte Afrikaans boytjies of the Free State. From the LaXhosa Nostra in the Eastern and Western Cape, to the Sandton dolls and Musgrave mommies. The Indian aunties and uncles in Durban to the Tannies in the Platteland. The Coloured minibus taxi conductor scrambling for my business as he shouts at the top of lungs, aweeeeh sea pooooiiiiint! I love this place, I love the people, and there is no place on earth I would consider as my true home. But to love it is to also admit that we have very real problems that need fixing and I believe I’m not the only one. I realize that mine is a rather simplistic solution and I’m certainly not naïve enough to think that this will solve all of our issues, but I believe it’s a good start, and if there’s anything I’ve learned in this life is that sometimes all you need is a good start, where we go from there is entirely up to us. Ons vir jou Suid Afrika! This post was originally published on Mazibuko’s blog, www. privateschooldarkie.wordpress.com. You can follow Mazibuko on Twitter @SifisoMaz.

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| 13 - 20 January 2015 | thesouthafrican.com

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Zimbabwe plans to export baby ellies overseas despite dangers | While exporting elephants is dangerous and frowned upon by the US and European Union, the Zimbabwe government still plans to sell elephants to China, France and the UAE

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by katy scott Animal conservation groups have protested the Zimbabwe on government’s decision to export baby elephants to China, France and the UAE. Despite criticism, the government has defended their decision. In December 2014 the government announced that it would begin a programme to export elephants from Hwange National Park in an attempt to manage the ever increasing number of elephants, reported The Independent. Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi told the press that the programme was in accordance with international “treaties and laws”. “Our habitat is not designed to carry too many elephants that are in its environment. We have an overpopulation of elephants,” he said. The government and Zimbabwean Parks and Wildlife authorities claim that the number of elephants is nearly double the amount that Zimbabwe is able to hold, and they are destroying the environment and food sources available for other species. Conservation groups have argued

that exporting young elephants involves violently separating babies from their mothers and relocating them through adverse conditions into foreign environments. They believe the decision to be inhumane. In a statement on People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ (Peta’s) website, the organisation said: “These innocent and terrified babies have been traumatically stolen from their families and their natural habitat, only to be sold to the highest bidder and sentenced to a life of abuse and captivity.” After four baby elephants died in 2012 being shipped from Zimbabwe to China, the US and European Union signed a petition deploring the exportation of baby elephants from Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwe government has contended that the profits from the elephant sales will be used to help with conservation efforts as the government is currently affected by a conservation funding crisis. The government intends to send 27 baby elephants to China, 15 to the UAE and another 20 to France. Each buyer will pay £26 000 for each elephant.

thesouthafrican.com | 13 - 20 January 2015 |

Arts & Entertainment

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An exclusive interview: Will the real Michael Naicker please stand up? | Stand up comedian Kevin Perkins chats with us about being bike-jacked in South Africa, his Durban Indian character creation, battling cancer and the perks of being a Saffa expat in the UK by katy scott Durbanite Kevin Perkins followed his call comedy in his late 20s. He is one of South Africa’s top-selling stand up comedians, famous for his creation of a character named Michael Naicker. Perkins has since relocated to rainier pastures in the UK and is frothing to entertain South African expats this January. We caught up with Mr Perkins for a quick chat. First things first; who is Michael Naicker? Michael Naicker is a fictional Durban Indian character. He’s a blue collar worker who loves fast cars, alcohol and women. He lives by two truisms or “Naickerisms” in his life: You can never have too much money and breasts can never be too big. Although he only has a “functional matric” the audience is always left feeling that he’s sharper than he makes out. The character developed his own unique personality over the years and this is what has made him so popular. “Iron Mike” is from “the nines” in Chatsworth. He believes everything mechanical in life should be modified – standard is boring! So we’ve established that you’re South African, born and fled… why’d you leave the motherland? I left for all the usual reasons and, without dwelling on the negatives too much, I came to the UK to seek a better life for my children and my family. The tipping point was when I got “bike-jacked” on my mountain bike while out cycling near Kyalami. I decided my life and my family’s lives were worth more than that. I wasn’t going to end up hacked to death on a dirt road in badly fitting cycling kit. What’s the worst thing about being a South African expat in the UK? Lack of knowledge of everyday stuff. Products, medicines, property rental protocols etc. Who/what is the butt of most of your stand up jokes? No ifs and no butts. I do basic social commentary and elaborate on the frailties of life that most of

us experience. I try to stay away from politics because I just find it depressing – people can get that stuff for free on the news every day. No, I like to talk nonsense and lift people up for the time that I’m privileged to be standing in front of them. As a stand up comedian, what is the most annoying question that you get asked? No such thing… I love engaging the media and my audiences. Go ahead ask me anything! What is your favourite brand of motor vehicle? VW… Nutting beats da quality of a German cab… they own Audi, Lamborghini and Bugatti… enough said. What’s the best part about living in the UK (from your humble South African perspective)? I don’t have to stress that I won’t have electricity or fresh water on a daily basis. Back in SA we regularly had water outages and power was out every week sometimes for days at a time. Got so bad that we were bathing in our swimming pool some days. You can live with crime and all the other kak, but when you can’t even heat up a cup of coffee or take a hot shower… the gloves come off! Could you tell us a little bit more about your battle with cancer? Yeah, it was in 1991. I was still studying at the time (2nd year Mechanical Engineering) and a lump appeared on my neck just under my jaw line. It wasn’t painful and this worried my mom who was the Chief Matron at Entabeni Hospital in Durban at the time. We had it checked out and short story long it was Hodgkin's Lymphoma (cancer of the lymph glands). I had to have the gland removed and then had to have radiation and chemotherapy. It was an awful time in my life and changed my entire outlook on everything. It was a great weight loss plan though – lost 12 kg in about six weeks. I have been in remission since 1991 and now I try to do charity work for cancer charities and also raise awareness about the importance of early detection

through the World Lymphoma Day campaign. Have you ever used your battle with cancer as part of your material? Yes, it’s never been a big piece but I did write a comedy piece about radiation therapy for World Lymphoma Awareness day. There should be no sacred cows in comedy (in my humble opinion). Humour can be found in just

about everything. What’s next for Kev Perkins? Any upcoming gigs we should look out for? Taking over the world! Seriously though, I’ll be doing Mike Naicker shows around the UK for South African expats. I’m kicking off with the first one at GJ’s in Wandsworth on 24 January. Thereafter I’ll be visiting ANYWHERE where I can find

expats looking for a good laugh. I want expats to know I’m here and to share their stories with me. In fact it looks like I’ve already got venues for the week after the 24th too. Later I’ll focus on more generic comedy that I could do at, say… The Royal Variety Show. I’m also a certified speaking coach so I intend to take my corporate speaking product to the market called “Stand and Deliver™”.

| 13 - 20 January 2015 | thesouthafrican.com

Food

Totally mad offer at Spur -30% off your total bill | Short of cash after Christmas and all spent out at the sales? by Staff Reporter The festive season is always tough on the bank balance, and January drags on forever. But here’s the good news – Spur Steak & Grill are offering a massive discount off your total bill, so there’s no reason not to eat out. From the 12th to the end of January, they're doing their bit to lift the seasonal gloom and celebrating the new year with a massive 30% off your TOTAL bill, including drinks, when you order

from the main menu. So visit Spur this month for your favourite steaks, ribs and wings – with this sort of offer you’d be mad not to! Terms and conditions apply: the discount is not valid with other existing promotions and is available only for customers eating in, with a maximum of six people per bill. www.ukspur.co.uk https://twitter.com/SpurUK https://facebook.com/U.K.Spur

Food Trends for 2015 | Best wishes to all of you for a happy and healthy new year! Let’s start the cooking year with looking at the food trend forecast for 2015 by Petrus Madutlela I look forward to sharing recipes and foodie insights with you over the coming months. I’m starting 2015’s column by showcasing the big food trends that will tantalise our taste buds in 2015. Dried, powdered fruit from the Baobab tree is set to become a hit in 2015. This superfood has six times more vitamin C than oranges and is also rich in iron, calcium, magnesium and antioxidants. Its flavour is light and slightly tangy. I’ll be featuring baobab on the menu at the Hengist, by using it to add zing to breakfast smoothies, ice creams and parfaits. Both M&S and Waitrose are launching juice mixes which include baobab. The great news is that its rise in popularity will give an economic booster to South Africa and the 31 other African nations which harvest these fruits. Adding flavour to foods by fermenting will be a growing trend. Korea’s national fermented vegetable dish, kimchi, is delicious.

It’s low in fat, rich in fibre and contains lactic acid bacteria which aid digestion. Cauliflower is set for a big come back in 2015, as the trend towards making vegetables rather than meat continues. Cauliflower is versatile, as its neutral flavour means that it can take on many personalities. It tastes delicious if pickled, can be finely chopped to make a “couscous”, pureed or roasted whole. Middle Eastern freekeh is made from green wheat, an ancient grain packed with similar high levels of protein to quinoa, but with a delicious nutty flavour. It’s great as a substitute for rice or couscous if cooked in stock and flavoured with spices. Finally, I’m flying the flag for South African foods. Tesco are selling biltong, and Ocado stock a great selection of treats from the homeland. Surely it won’t be long before we see bobotie, bunny chow and melktert on the shelves of our local supermarkets.

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Visa-free travel for South Africans: a list of countries where your green mamba counts | Tired of paying piles of cash to get into a country that will boot you out in 30 days? Here’s a list of countries with more manners

Let the best storytellers walk you through London | Experience London with a personalised tour guide in your pocket. Or tell your own story about your favourite places. Who better to guide you than a local? by Katy Scott There’s a new mobile application doing the rounds in the UK. It’s South African, it’s convenient, and it’s awesome. What is Voicemap exactly? Voicemap is a (proudly South African) mobile application that tells site-specific audio stories. And get this, you can choose who you want to listen to. Tour guides, poets, comedians, locals and everyday travellers share their stories for your perambulating pleasure. Your audio track of choice is triggered by your GPS coordinates, so it knows just when to tell you to look down the alleyway on your right, or stop in your tracks and look up. Audio walks are available mainly in Cape Town (where the business is based) but have extended to Johannesburg, Buenos Aires, Tunis, Singapore, Bangkok, Washington DC, New York and Beijing and London. The app is currently available for iPhone and Android is in development. Audio walking tours in London There are currently seven walks in London including the likes of

Westminster (walking from the Golden Jubilee Bridge through Whitehall Gardens), Wapping (major landmarks include the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Wapping Pierhead and Prospect of Whitby Inn), Waterloo Station (a quick tour from Waterloo Station to The Beer House), Southwark (following the footsteps of Chaucer and Shakespeare across London Bridge to the South Bank of the Thames), and a History, Health and Hygiene tour of London’s loos in Bloomsbury. Create your own walking tour and make some moola Perhaps the best thing about the application, though, is the ease with which anyone can become a storyteller (and get half of the sales revenue on their stories). The app comes with a publishing tool, which allows users to combine text, audio and GPS coordinates for their own personal route. Users can then share their stories for whichever fee they choose. As a South African living in the UK, this is a great way for you to share your unique experience of your favourite spots (and profit from doing so).

| 13 - 20 January 2015 | thesouthafrican.com

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10/31/2014

With your Self Assessment tax return due on 31 January, speed is of the essence. Send it through a minute after midnight and you’ll be fined £100 by HMRC. The deadline is tight, but there’s still time to find an accountant to help you with your return. We’ve highlighted these five key traits that make the difference between an average accountant and an awesome one. Integrity This goes without saying. Make sure your accountant has a good reputation and a strong work ethic. If your accountant suggests doing anything even vaguely 5:34:45 PM illegal to help cut your tax bill, cut ties immediately. An accountant with integrity will ensure the confidentiality of your financial matters – and your business as a whole. Reliability A good accountant is structured, disciplined and organised, with excellent timemanagement skills. If your accountant’s office looks like a hurricane went through it, or he/she has a habit of missing

meetings or not replying to emails, how can you be sure your tax matters aren't in a shambles? Specialisation As a contractor, your goal should be to earn as much takehome pay as possible. Although each individual circumstance is different, most contractors opt to pay themselves a basic salary and take the rest of their business profits as dividends in the form of shareholder income. Make sure you find an accountant who specialises in contractor accounting, understands the ins and outs of running a business from a contractor’s perspective, and gives you guidance that goes beyond general accounting matters. Passion Make sure your accountant is truly passionate about what they do. A good accountant will thrive on finding solutions to complicated challenges and will make sure they stay up-to-date with any changes in the industry, especially those that involve the integration of technology with traditional face-to-face services. Find an accountant who actively keeps up with the latest trends and is genuinely enthused about their job.

Information Your accountant should always keep you abreast of any key announcements, changes in legislation and upcoming deadlines that could affect your business. For example, the paper filing deadline of 31 October 2014 may be long gone, but a good accountant will point out that you still have until 31 January 2015 to file your Self Assessment return online. By doing so, you’ll avoid HMRC’s immediate £100 penalty and any further fines down the road. It’s information like this that will save your business valuable money and keep you ahead of the curve. Need help submitting your tax return? Visit 1st Contact Accounting on www.1stcontactaccounting.com/self-assessmentdeadline-31-jan-2015 or call 0207 759 5454. Brought to you by

Call 0808 168 2055

Will my child qualifiy for British citizenship? | One of the most frequently asked questions by South African clients is how their UK immigration status will affect the status of their children.BIC answers your question by Breytenbachs Here are some simple guidelines on the matter, but it is always best to seek advice from your BIC consultant in order to get the best advice in your unique circumstances. If the parent was born in South Africa and naturalised in the United Kingdom as a British citizen, the British citizenship will be passed to all children born after the date of Naturalisation with the exception of illegitimate children born to British fathers prior to 1 July 2006. If the parent was born in South

Africa, and also have British citizenship, obtained via his/her parents, there are three possible ways in which registration for the child can be done; The first is registration as of right where the parent lived in the UK for three years prior to the child’s birth. The second is registration as of right where the parent and child lived in the UK for three years after the birth of the child. The final route is discretionary, based on strong links to the UK. If you are British by descent, BIC will be able to advise if your child could be eligible for British citizenship.

For further information or for assistance with your application, please contact one of consultants who will be able to provide specific information in your unique case. www.bic-immigration.com or info@bic-immigration.com

thesouthafrican.com | 13 - 20 January 2015 |

Business

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The next frontier in financial investing: South Africa | Helping businesses back home is a compelling case for investing in frontier markets, the term given to Africa as a pre-emerging economy. By investing in projects for high, long-run return potential, your money can help raise the bar in education, health and infrastructure. But what of the risks and opportunities for South Africa specifically, recently rated as one of the ‘most attractive’ frontier markets of all? We speak to Homestrings, the personal investor service in such markets, to find out

| Agriculture is one of the sectors that will perform well in 2015 according to Homestrings.com

| Eric Guichard, CEO of Homestrings.com

by Belinda liversedge Want to know how you can make three times as much as you could on the Stockmarket this year? Homestrings is an online investment platform with a unique twist. By enabling investors from the African diaspora to make 20-30% plus returns through frontier markets, it helps communities and businesses while also letting the investor reap the (potentially) considerable rewards. Frontier markets are inherently risky and yet reports have recently surfaced that shows the financial community is starting to embrace them as part of a balanced portfolio that takes in risk as well as security. The FT Advisor reported that frontier markets returned 17.43% to investors, compared with FTSE’s 4.12%. And Ernst & Young has just issued its 2014 Africa Attractiveness survey with the startling statement that: “In less than five years, Africa has risen to become the second most attractive investment destination in the world, tied with Asia.” So, now to Homestrings, a

company that won Financier of the Year award at the inaugural African Enterprise Awards. The company was set up in 2011 by CEO Eric Guichard who wanted to give African Disapora investors access to the rewards only previously available to institutional investors. “In Africa, one of the key challenges to spearhead socioeconomic growth is accessibility to finance. The Homestrings solution is a creative and pioneering means to finance investible projects in the communities people care most about,” he says. Homestrings offers long term investments where dividends are paid out opportunistically over an average of five to seven years. At the end of that period the principal investment is returned to the investor, along with capital gains – if the investment has been successful. As a member you will only ever be investing in projects that have been selected via industry standard due diligence. “We are providing people with a transparent, accountable and fully trackable means where they are not only making a return but can be potentially making a profit as well,” comments Guichard.

Africa is buzzing with economic activity, with sub-Saharan Africa growth expected to accelerate to 5.8% this year. With its rapacious demand for infrastructure and raw materials, there are multiple projects to choose from. And they are fascinating. Notable projects completed in Africa last year range from a massive Pirate prison in Somalia, to Africa’s biggest solar power plant in the Northern Cape. Now operational, it is on track to generate enough power to supply 80 000 households. Those projects listed with Homestrings are not quite as headline grabbing as these, but are still interesting investments. They include commercial real estate projects, commercial banks, SMEs and bank mutual funds. “We think sectors like agriculture. Property, healthcare and infrastructure will do well in frontier markets, including Africa, simply because these are growth stories anchored in a rising middle class,” says Guichard. But what of the downsides? For the South African investor, Homestrings might well appeal. South Africa is listed in EY’s 2014 Africa Attractiveness Survey as one of the foremost

frontier markets to invest in with democratic dividend and infrastructure development both plus points. The risks that come with this can’t be ignored, as the term frontier markets, denoting a sense of the unchartered terrain, itself illustrates. “Frontier markets are risky. Investors face a myriad of issues, which include political instability… disease, terrorism, underdeveloped financial systems and capital markets, and a fickle regulatory environment. These risks are similar in type to those in emerging markets, but their probability and potential magnitude are greater. During periods of extreme market stress, frontier markets’ relatively illiquid stock markets can suffer sharp declines in the face of heavy selling,” says Morning Star. Guichard himself does not shy away from the realities of frontier investing: “We use tools, techniques and procedures that are commonly used in the industry to assess each project for impact and profitability. It doesn’t mean we eliminate the risks.” Investors have access to factsheets on the fund and what impact the fund creates on

the community back home, in terms of factors like education and gender equality, health and infrastructure. They also have a client relationship manager to answer questions on investment opportunities and Homestrings also runs events too – the Diaspora Investment Series in London will run alongside webinars focused on different regions in Africa and the investments listed on the site. Investors can’t be half-hearted however – the minimum to invest is $1000 US dollars. But for those wanting to be part of this exciting curve, support growing industries back home and be part of the wider economic growth story, there’s now the means to do it. “Africa is an inherently challenging place to do business, but many companies pursuing a long-term African strategy have generated excellent returns from their investments,” says Ernst & Young. Time will tell. In five years time, it could be Africa, not China, that is waking and now’s the time to be a part of that prosperous future. Get more info on Homestrings at www.homestrings.com

| 13 - 20 January 2015 | thesouthafrican.com

Business: Classifieds SERVICES

SERVICES

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BREYTENBACHS BIC specialise in entry clearance applications as well as applications submitted in the UK, so please contact us without further delay at info@bic-immigration.com or visit our website for the contact details of our offices. 23 Austin Friars London, EC2N 2QP, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0) 207 442 2160 www.bic-immigration.com or info@ bic-immigration.com

KALAHARI MOON The Southern African Shop in Bristol. Wide range of stock including excellent boerewors and biltong. Centrally situated, friendly service. Connecting South Africans. Tel: 0117 929 9879 Address: 88 - 91 The Covered Market. st Nicholas Market, Corn Street, Bristol, BS1 1JQ Email: Info@kalaharimoon.co.uk Website: www.kalaharimoon.co.uk

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The Springbok Café The Springbok Café offers traditional South African food, wine and beers served with a smile in a friendly atmosphere. All this plus the option to grab your favourite S.A. groceries before you leave after relaxing and kuierring with us for a while. The Springbok Café` Ltd, 1 East Reach, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 3EN, 01823 254966,thespringbokcafe.co.uk St Marcus One of the most amazing emporia the capital offers to the carnivorous gourmet. People have been flocking to St. Marcus for their amazing range of Biltong and Boerewors Visit us at: 1-3 Rockingham Close, Priory Lane, off Upper Richmond Road West, Roehampton, London SW15 5RW Call us at: 0208 878 1898 Online: www.biltongstmarcus.co.uk sales@biltongstmarcus.co.uk

South African managed and owned We are looking for the right blend of skills to come and join our wonderful, growing and hardworking team. We invest in, train and develop our staff at The Savanna. Please email your C.V. to us at natalieg@thesavanna.co.uk or call 07921 823 427 for an application form.

Susman’s Best Beef Biltong Co Ltd If you’re missing home give us a call, supplying you with all your favourite South African products and more. Phone: 01273 516160 Fax: 01273 51665 Web:www.biltong.co.uk Email:sales@biltong.co.uk Cambridge and Villages Toft Shop – Village Shop and Post Office With a South African section selling all your favourite tastes from home! Pop in and pick up your treats – Biltong; Boerewors; Koeksisters; Rusks; Sweets; Chips; Groceries etc. Web: www. ToftShop.co.uk Tel: 01223 262 204. CB23 2RL

CHICHESTER BILTONG COMPANY BILTONG doesn’t get any better than this! Arguably the best and most authentic South African biltong in the UK. We only use the finest herbs and spices and 100 percent British grass-fed beef! Our FINEST range is also gluten, sugar, msg and preservative free. For 10 percent EXTRA FREE use code SAFFA10 in the shipping instructions box at the checkout. www.biltongcompany.co.uk / 01243 216196 FOODS4YOU Whether you like to create an incentive program for your employees or corporate gifts at special times or throughout the year. Foods4U – Corporate Services Division is there to assist and help you maintain your critical internal and external business. sales@foods4u.co.uk Unit 22 / 24 Manford Ind. Estate, +44 (0) 87 00 33 2130, Manor Road, Erith, Kent, DA8 2AJ. NO1 South African Shop Lots of lekker stuff for a taste of home. Including fantastic biltong, droewors and boerewors. 5 Marlow Drive, St Catherines Hill, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 2RR. The shop is about 2 miles north-west of Christchurch town centre and 6 miles north-east of Bournemouth town centre. There’s loads of free parking and the shop is easy to get to from the A338. Tel: 01202 496041 10’ish to 6pm 7 days a week. www.no1southafricanshop.co.uk

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thesouthafrican.com | 13 - 20 January 2015 |

Sport

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Make touch Rugby a New Year's resolution | What a year it has been for the game of Touch in London By in2touch After the festive season and all the New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resolutions lots of people are looking to get back into sport and active. Anyone can play Touch as it is a great sport for hand eye coordination, ball skills and mental foresight. You can play in a men's, ladies or mixed team and can start playing from any age. Touch is a minimal contact sport where you just need to make a touch, even just touching the shirt or the ball counts. Resembling something similar to Rugby, without the tackling, scrumming, kicking and the like, the aim of the game is to score tries. Played on a flat surface, half the size of a conventional sports field, although played to a wider extent on a social level, there are now flourishing commercial leagues in England, Scotland, South Africa and New Zealand. There are also regular school competitions and development clinics spreading the Touch gospel to everyone. The official governing body of the sport is known as the Federation of International Touch (FIT).

Another great version of Touch, Active Touch, will start on the week commencing 19 January. These leagues are run in Canary Wharf, Playon Sports on Monday evenings as well as in Putney/ Wandsworth, The Wandle Recreation Centre on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which runs for seven weeks. This indoor sport has taken London by storm and any players involved in Active Touch get hooked on playing. It is a perfect way to keep fit and agile in the colder weather as it is a fast paced game that gives you great ball skills and coordination. To have a look at this amazing new game you can look on our website or on YouTube. There are new touch leagues starting in February, The Sunday Winter League at Clapham Common which has Mens, Ladies and Mixed Divisions and runs for eight weeks. If you are interested in joining these leagues as a team or as an individual then send an email to tracy@in2touch.com or have a look on www.in2touch.com/uk for more information.

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| Faf du Plessis of South Africa plays square during the 2nd KFC T20 International match between South Africa and West Indies at Bidvest Wanderers Stadium on January 11 in Cape Town. Photo by Duif du Toit/ Gallo Images/Getty Images

Bittersweet loss for disappointed Du Plessis

| Faf du Plessis’ maiden international T20 hundred was overshadowed by the Ticketpro Proteas four-wicket loss to the West Indies in the second KFC T20 International at Bidvest Wanderers Stadium on Sunday By Staff Reporter Du Plessis became only the second South African after Richard Levi to achieve the milestone, and called it a bittersweet occasion after the disappointing loss. “ I was joking earlier that its heartbreaking when you score your first T20 hundred and you don’t even get a crack at man of the match,” he quipped. “ It generally goes to the opposition, the guys that win the

match so I understand that. It would have been so much sweeter if we had won the game. Although I’m proud of my efforts today, losing the game doesn’t make it special, its bittersweet.” The captain says he expected the West Indies to come out firing in pursuit of the record-chase, but was disappointed with the execution from his bowlers, who battled to stick to their game plans. “ I was pretty disappointed that we

didn’t pull that one through,” Du Plessis said. “ I thought there were a couple of areas in the game where we could have been better; in the field and with the ball with regards to our plans and containing them. It’s hard to contain Chris Gayle when he is playing like that. He put a lot of pressure on the bowlers and you almost have no answers, he is a cut above the rest. The near-sell out Bidvest Wanderers crowd was treated to

a fantastic game of cricket, with a total of 68 boundaries hitting the stands. “ If there is a good wicket the ball just flies a little bit,” he explained. “ We saw the sixes today, they were huge, David Miller hit a few into the green. The sixes are always bigger than at any other ground here because the ball travels further through the air. “ I love games like this,” he added. “ T20 cricket should be like this,

it should be a run-fest where the bowler is under pressure because in Test cricket the bowlers are on top and it’s a test for the batsmen. Its great to be a part of a match like this, great for the public; they come to see fours and sixes. It was a great game of cricket.” The teams travel to Durban on Monday ahead of the third and final match of the series on Wednesday. Source: CSA

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