Imbo Magazine September 2012

1IMBO/ ISSUE 8/ 2012

Letoya & Khanyi blend their calling

IT’S ALL ABOUT COMING TOGETHER

YOUNG DESIGNERS INSPIRE THROUGH TRADITIONAL PRINTS

Experience Ethio-pian cuisine the Madam Taitou way

served hot

Cohesion

balance that

Meet The Muffinz

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SEPTEMBER2012

EMPOWERING THROUGH ENTERTAINMENT

2 IMBO/ ISSUE 8/ 2012

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4 IMBO/ ISSUE 8/ 20124 IMBO/ ISSUE 3/ 2012

contents

41

76

38

62

63

14

18

85Festival Review

Fashion Spread

Green Zone

Pop Culture

Cape Indulgence

Alternative Thinking

Wellness

Feel Good

An explosive production of Love Bombs

Young designers capture tradition through fashion forward trends

E is for elephant

Juggling a variety of jobs – the all rounder has the world at the palm of their hand

Mopane worms anyone?

Discover the true you

Herbal remedies rich with goodness in the comfort of your backyard

Play your part in ensuring equal educa-tion becomes a reality

5813

52

5IMBO/ ISSUE 8/ 2012 5IMBO/ ISSUE 3/ 2012

44

61Career AdviceThe ancient art of tracking now a modern career

Letoya & Kanyi bring balance to multiple callings

Editor-in-chief Sisanda NtshingaManaging Editor

Lindile NdwayanaArt Direction

Yivani Nkukwana & Nkabanhle MawalaJunior Designer

Ntsika DakiFashion Editor Monde Mtsi

Fashion AssistantEvan Williams

Junior Features WriterNoluvuyo BacelaEditorial AssistantLesley Mphanga

PhotographerLynn Dreyer

Intern PhotographerZizo Lunika

Contributors:Kudzai Mazvarirwofa, Mawetu Matyila

Khanya Ndlela, Athenkosi PeterNasiphi Mdlulwa, Ayanda Cokoto

Megan Bursey, Lerato Kuzwayo, Kate WilkinsonNaomi Meyer, Chido-Vanessa Dandajena, Modise Moloi

Naomi Meyer, Baphe Phukwana, Aubrena ArmstrongRehana Rutti

Chairman: Gugu John MadlalaIT Director: Nkabanhle Mawala

Publications Manager: Sisanda NtshingaCreative Director: Yivani NkukwanaBusiness Developer: Dominic Billy

HEAD OFFICE Bambisana Media Consortium

Media Quarter, Cnr Somerset & De Smidt StDe Waterkant, Cape Town, 8005

Tel: (021) 418 3485 / Cell: (082) 593 3973Email: [email protected]

IMBO Magazine is owned and published by BMC

(Reg no. 2011/073781/23)Printed by Trident Press

Distributed through tertiary institutions.

All rights reserved.Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission

of the editor is strictly prohibited.

14



Jonathan wears: Cap from BabaTunde, Blazer from Swagger Diaries, Vest from Hello Again, Pele pants from Zaimba and Baldene, High-Tops by Converse at Tekkie Town

Chad wears: Cap from BabaTunde, Waistcoat from Swagger Diaries, Vest from Hello Again, Pele pants from Zaimba and Baldene, High-Tops by Converse at Tekkie Town

Anke wears: Hat by BabaTunde, Bow tie by Zaimba and Baldene, Vest by Hello Again, Kenya Shorts by Nefertari Couture, Stockings model’s own, Pink platforms by ZOOM

Veronica wears: Hat by BabaTunde, Bow tie by Zaimba and Baldene, Vest by Hello Again, Ghana Shorts by Nefertari Couture, Leggings from Hello Again, Shweshwe wedge by ZOOM

Anke and Veronica wear jewellery from Miglio Jewellers

on the cover

From the EDITOR

Send your letters and WIN fabulous prizes

with IMBO

The Imbo family at the fashion shoot at De Poort Museum in Paarl

[email protected]

Blessings,

Sisanda

A budding flower here, a tweeting bird there and colour everywhere - This is why I love spring. It always gives me a sense of renewal as we all come out of hibernation and remove all the winter layers. Most importantly I love spring because there’s always an excuse to get together for a braai at a friend’s house. It’s this same spirit of togetherness that allows us to celebrate each other and our differences. While we celebrate this spring and togetherness, September also brings with it Heritage month and with that, more to celebrate. Heritage month gives us an opportunity to showcase our cultures and traditions while learning about others. In this issue we celebrate cohesion, which is the foundation and phi-losophy of our country. This September issue is packed with difference and learning. The main feature (pg44) teaches us how to keep tradition within a modern society. We speak with two phenomenal women Letoya Mangezi and Kanyi Mavi, who share their fascinating journey of self discovery and how they found a balance with-out sacrificing either. In Pop culture (pg14) we recognise some incredibly talented young people who juggle a variety of careers and still manage to excel in most if not all of them. We go on to explore ulterior economic structures that have been around for a while but were never really taken seriously. Financial Fundi’s (Pg50) looks at how these structures including stokvels and burial societies play a major role in our economy. At Imbo experiences are all around us. We got to enjoy what felt like a mid-spring day in Paarl at the only wagon museum is South Africa, all in the name of fashion. The September spread (Pg18) celebrates young up-coming design-ers who are keeping it real with truly African creations. The day saw the most of the Imbo team at the De Poort Museum directing wagon traffic. A serving of The Muffinz is your entertainment piece (pg13) and after checking them out their album title is the only way to introduce them. ‘Have you heard the muffinz?’Before I let you rip into this issue I’d like to remind you to write to us and let us know your thoughts on this issue, what you’d like to see and what makes us your favourite magazine. It’s the only way I can give you freebies…



out & about

Spring is here and so is colour. From mint shades to pastel palettes and neon flour-ishes. Cape Town is ready to play and has finally come out of hibernation with bright hues

Busiswa Mazwana* Work: Professional photographer * Music: Zero7 & Black key* Favorite chill spot: Neighborhood* Outfit inspired by: Winter

Khashif Gordon* Music: Hip Hop

* Favorite chill spot: anywhere inspiring & chilled

* Work: Afrikaans Artist (musician) representing M.E.K (most envied kru)

Khayakazi* Studies: Public relations at

CPUT * Tweet handle: @switpoisn

* Music: Kadric* Favorite chill spot: Home

Namhla* Studies: Retail student at CPUT* Music: Anthony Hamilton

Siya Futshane* Work: Manager at Jay Jay’s* Music: Country music

* Favorite chill spot: Long street & Camps Bay



ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Sweet indie-jazz sounds infused with afro-funk are the order of the day as one sits to enjoy the music of The Muffins and dare I mention

the presentation of the serving.

The four self-taught guitarists Sifiso ‘Atomza’ Buthelezi, Mthabisi ‘Mthae’ Sibanda, Kara-bo ‘Skabz’ Moeketsi, and Simphiwe ‘Simz’ Kulla together with drummer Gregory ‘Keke’ Mabusela, learnt to play their instruments online on YouTube and are nothing short of amazing geniuses. They’ve brilliantly mixed beautiful sounds of light afro-jazz, soul, pop, funk and little touch of mystery to create a

new type of band. It’s no wonder they are branded as “the best thing to come out of South Africa” and why indie recording Just Music, jumped at the opportunity of having them on their books in August 2011. But based in the depths of Jo’burg city lights where flash is everything and talent is lost in the midnight hour, they are adamant on remaining grounded and original. “We avoid the hype, hype does not define you. We are not the cool kids. We want to play places where people listen to us,” says bass guitarist Mthae. “This has been a journey of discovery. It was only six months in that we realised we can change

things. You can’t fight what you’re called for.”

When asked about struggles of breaking into the industry Skabz says “We wouldn’t have money to go to the recording studios, and we’d have nowhere to sleep after be-ing superstars on stage but it’s been really exciting.” And according to Atomza South Africa hasn’t been grooming young musos to play music outside of jazz, because if it’s not jazz it’s not acceptable. “But there are a lot of us out there who play instruments outside of jazz.”

Their different backgrounds musically help them all bring different ingredients. “As in the ingredients in a muffin,” says Mthae. The group began in 2010 when he met Simz and Atomza while singing in the University Of Johannesburg Choir, and by April 2011 Skabz and Keke had joined the band.

Atomza, the melodious lead singer is per-haps best described as a young Michael Jackson meets Usher with a twist of rock, and has a sweet harmony to him that makes the listener want to “linger longer”. Mean-while drummer Keke turns into melancholy Senegalese sounds which meet sexy rumba rhythms and you’re only just getting there. Acoustic guitarist Mthae brings a deep R&B feel with his voice, while bassist Skabz and lead electric guitarist Simz end it off with jazzy breezy harmonies. “The music takes you into a journey….whether it be a journey self discovery or of nostalgia or a journey of love.”

This is one journey made up of heartfelt melodies I’d enjoy a good serving of.

No tea served with these MuffinzNoluvuyo Bacela

Take five handsome young lads, add an array of instruments and harmoni-ous soothing vocals and you get a good serving of The Muffinz

Remember when Disney stars were flooding our screens with their “talent”, and there was nothing they touched that didn’t

materialise into a gold star on Hollywood Boulevard? One moment a starlet would be a teen in spandex, then in a matter of what would seem to be seasons they would evolve into these perfect, majestic idols that would later cheat on their spouses. And there was always a common thread be-

tween them - release a debut pop album, land a big movie role, date the lead co-star, write a book and then occasionally cause controversy in the tabloids.

Cut to our local screens. Things are done a bit different here, with the same face sur-passing your own daily media consumption, popping up on each and every television programme that you actually liked. Then they would collaborate on some random

song with your favourite artist, and on an odd day feature on even the ads in be-tween. While one may argue how incred-ibly tenacious this young brood must be to achieve such, another could consider the prospect of say...greed, maybe?

It goes without saying that the personalities we hold dear to our hearts are referred to, of late, as brands, and brands are money making machines. They even beat the lot-

There was once a time when we had “continuity presenters”, musicians, soap actors and glamorised sports stars and they were just that. Everyone stuck to their own craft and they were doing a brilliant job. Then like some sort of evolution had transpired, everyone was branded “multi-talented”.

The rise of the all-rounderNoluvuyo Bacela

pop culture

tery machine hands down. Take the likes of Jo’burg – based Cool Kids Sizwe Dhlomo and Siyabonga Ngwekazi for instance. Dhlomo is a computer program-mer, turned MTV Base VJ, turned social entrepreneur, turned restaurant owner to radio DJ and now a reality show star along-side Ngwekazi.

The two have quite the badges on their me-dia jackets since debuting into our beloved government-funded television screens just a few years back. With fully-fledged stars like Thomas Gumede and Lungile Radu, form-ing part of the Forever Young entourage, it would also seem that good company and a good agent breeds success.

Another all-rounder to look out for is Bo-nang Matheba, who is deemed the most influential young South African in media. Besides co-presenting SABC 1’s LIVE, she boasts a list of accomplishments. Matheba hosts an equally popular radio show called

“Beehive with the Queen B” on youth sta-tion, YFM.

She also has a monthly column in Glam-our magazine, where she shares the latest trends, gossip, events and happenings in her world.

A few years back she also managed to launch her first clothing range Just B, in part-nership with Legit clothing store, and has since followed that up with her own range of trendy handbags, Baby Star. Your girl B was also South Africa’s first ce-lebrity to launch an online reality show.

And while it may seem highly likely that being followed around by a camera crew and releasing albums as a ploy for publicity is the best way to achieve success, it could also cause a career meltdown. Or even expose your lack of talent in the first place. Many have gone down that road and wound up with less than what they had in the beginning.

Take the infamous, self-confessed Queen of Bling Khanyi Mbau for one. After her short acting career on SABC2’s Muvhango, and SABC 1’s Mzansi - where she was fired from both roles, she hung up her acting gear and became a professional socialite. She amply started charging for her appearance on the social scene, released an album, and has recently released an all-revealing biogra-phy and a self-titled book “Bitch Please, I’m Khanyi Mbau”. Unlucky for her there are no gold stars for her up any boulevard, street or alley as yet.

pop culture


FASHION

The Gladiator or Roman sandal has always been something intriguing to me. I always see it and wonder what kind of person I have to be to want

to own a pair and wear them out. Well, I’ve just realised what kind of person that is, and it seems to be just in time too. Gladiators and Roman sandals are making a huge comeback but this time, in menswear. Look out for them this Spring\Summer as they dazzle in differ-ent styles, lengths, colours and textures. All you need to rock them or pull it off is either a pair of tailored shorts, dress shirt and casual sports jacket. Or you could also do a pair of cropped chinos, crew neck vest and a light parka. Either way, don’t get caught in the ring without a pair. You might not live to tell the tale.

Fashion Ed`s Choice Monde Mtsi


Hot List

FASHION

Monde Mtsi

feiyue debbie- a store is goodFrench brand plimsoll. Canvas perforated upper and leather detailing. Simple and lightweight with a touch of vintage.

adidas - blue collection

Part of the Tech Pack range

designed in Tokyo, comes the

field jacket in military green with

geometric color.

wesc - rhett sweatshirt grey melange

Men’s crewneck sweatshirt

in Grey Melange, 100% cotton

nixon - newton digital orange

Like clockwork orange, your digital time skills

don’t need to be dull and grey. Try hot orange

for a change.

mingo lamberti - voortrekker blue -

scatter cushion

Part of the Tea Cup Collection, the range is

inspired by antique tea cup designs and made

relevant with the historical and traditional

iconography.

lomography - fish eye

This tourist month, take snapshots like

a fish in a

tank to create another point of view of the way

we see the world.


IMBO September 2012 Issue

Cover Credits:

Photography - Lynn DCreative Direction - Yivani NkukwanaFashion Styling - Monde MtsiFashion Intern - Evan WilliamsModels - Jonathan, Chad, Veronica & Anke (BASE Models)






End of Cover Credits

Start of fashion spread credits:

Photographer - Lynn DCreative Direction - Yivani NkukwanaFashion Styling - Monde MtsiFashion Intern - Evan WilliamsModels - Jonathan, Chad, Veronica & Anke (BASE Models)

LOOK 1: Images 9593/9594/9597/9601

Anke wears: Red and Grey coral crop top and Grey high-waist skirt both by Zaimba and Baldene, Aztec wedge by ZOOM, Turban by Adja, Jewellery by Miglio

Veronica wears: Ghana jumpsuit pants with boob tube by Zaimba and Baldene, Black leather heels with gold studs by ZOOM, Turban by Adja, Gold chains by Swagger Diaries

LOOK 2: Images 9603/9607/9608

Chad wears: Snood and Pele pants both by Zaimba and Baldene, high-tops by Converse at Tekkie Town, Jewellery by Miglio Jewellers

Jonathan wears: Snood and Pele pants both by Zaimba and Baldene, high-top by Converse at Tekkie Town, Jewellery by missAnke

LOOK 3: Images 9621/9630/9631/9638

Chad wears: Hat by BabaTunde, Blazer by 466/64Fashion, Pele Denim shorts by Levi’s, high-tops by Converse at Tekkie Town

Veronica wears: Cap by BabaTunde, Red and Green chained crop top with matching yellow drop skirt both by Zaimba and Baldene, Shweshwe wedge by ZOOM

Anke wears: Red print hooded blazer and matching red drop skirt by Zaimba and Baldene, Aztec wedge by ZOOM, Jewellery by Miglio

Jonathan wears: Hat by BabaTunde, Blazer by 466/64Fashion, Grey pencil pants by Swagger Diaries, high-tops by Converse at Tekkie Town

LOOK 4: Images 9670

Jonathan wears: Hat by BabaTunde, Yellow vest with print detail and Grey pencil pants by Swagger Diaries, Jewellery by Miglio

LOOK 5: Images 9697/9705

Anke wears: Shweshwe dress by Nefertari, Neckpiece by missAnke, Belt by Swagger Diaries

Chad wears: Grey vest with pocket print details and Orange polka dot pants with shweshwe waistband both by Swagger Diaries, Turban by Adja, Jewellery by Miglio

LOOK 6: Images 9706/9708/9710

Veronica wears: White shirt by Cignal is stylist’s own, Shweshwe skirt by Nefertari, Bow tie by Nefertari, Eyeglass piece by missAnke, Jewels on wrist by Miglio

LOOK 7: Images 9722/9725/9728



LOOK 8: Images 9745/9746/9748






LOOK 9: Images 9765/9768

Veronica wears: Aztec print dress by Swagger Diaries, Shweshwe wedge by ZOOM, Leggings by Hello Again, Jewellery by Miglio, Turban by Adja

Jonathan wears: Grey hoodie and Pele pants by Zaimba and Baldene, White high-tops by Converse at Tekkie Town

Anke wears: Coral wrap dress with belt by Swagger Diaries, Pink platforms by ZOOM, Jewellery by Miglio

Chad wears: Button-up hoodie and Pele pants by Zaimba and Baldene, White high-tops by Converse at Tekkie Town

INTRO

September is Spring and the beginning of all things new. Keeping heritage and traditions in mind, we showcase some young up coming designers who take their own personal heritage and traditions and are planting them as seeds to a better future as the next generation of fashion designers in South Africa.

September is Spring and the beginning

of all things new. Keeping heritage

and traditions in mind, we showcase

some young up coming designers who

take their own personal heritage and

traditions and are planting them as

seeds to a better future as the next

generation of fashion designers in

South Africa.

veronica wears: Aztec print dress by Swagger Diaries, Shweshwe wedge by ZOOM, Leggings by Hello Again, Jewellery by Miglio, Turban by Adja

jonathan wears: Grey hoodie and Pele pants by Zaimba and Baldene, White high-tops by Converse at Tekkie Town

anke wears: Coral wrap dress with belt by Swagger Diaries, Pink platforms by ZOOM, Jewellery by Miglio

chad wears: Button-up hoodie and Pele pants by Zaimba and Baldene, White high-tops by Converse at Tekkie Town

photographer - Lynn D

creative direction - Yivani Nkukwana

fashion styling - Monde Mtsi

fashion intern - Evan Williams

models - Jonathan, Chad, Veronica & Anke (BASE Models)

NEW SEEDLINGSNEW


NEW SEEDLINGS



chad wears: Snood and Pele pants both by Zaimba and Baldene, high-tops by Converse at Tekkie Town, Jewellery by Miglio Jewellers

jonathan wears: Snood and Pele pants both by Zaimba and Baldene, high-top by Converse at Tekkie Town, Jewellery by missAnke



chad wears: Hat by BabaTunde, Blazer by 466/64Fashion, Pele Denim shorts by Levi’s, high-tops by Converse at Tekkie Town

veronica wears: Cap by BabaTunde, Red and Green chained crop top with matching yellow drop skirt both by Zaimba and Baldene, Shweshwe wedge by ZOOM

anke wears: Red print hooded blazer and matching red drop skirt by Zaimba and Baldene, Aztec wedge by ZOOM, Jewellery by Miglio

jonathan wears: Hat by BabaTunde, Blazer by 466/64Fashion, Grey pencil pants by Swagger Diaries, high-tops by Converse at Tekkie Town



jonathan wears: Hat by BabaTunde, Yellow vest with print detail and Grey pencil pants by Swagger Diaries, Jewellery by Miglio



anke wears: Shweshwe dress by Nefertari, Neckpiece by missAnke, Belt by Swagger Diaries

chad wears: Grey vest with pocket print details and Orange polka dot pants with shweshwe waistband both by Swagger Diaries, Turban by Adja, Jewellery by Miglio



veronica wears: White shirt by Cignal is stylist’s own, Shweshwe skirt by Nefertari, Bow tie by Nefertari, Eyeglass piece by missAnke, Jewels on wrist by Miglio


jonathan wears: Cap from BabaTunde, Blazer from Swagger Diaries, Vest from Hello Again, Pele pants from Zaimba and Baldene, High-Tops by Converse at Tekkie Town

chad wears: Cap from BabaTunde, Waistcoat from Swagger Diaries, Vest from Hello Again, Pele pants from Zaimba and Baldene, High-Tops by Converse at Tekkie Town



FASHION

Xolisa Gaca and Jeremy Nel are two young men who have brought together a list of resourc-es, talents, contacts and charac-

teristics to steer the ship that is locally known as The Luxury Network. The Luxury Network is possibly the world’s leading luxury affinity agency in the world. Working through mar-keting, partnership and events in over 17

international offices, including Cape Town and Johannesburg, it is home to over 250 luxury brands and lives with a current growth rate of over 20 new brands per month around the globe.

The two mavericks, Xolisa and Jeremy have now acquired the rights to manage the Af-rica portion of The Luxury Network agency, and it’s a definite welcomed achievement. Director of The Luxury Network Xolisa, who grew up in the humble township of Zwide in Port Elizabeth, is also the current president of the South African Interactive Youth Club, which is a development programme that promotes entrepreneurship and provides mentorship to young candidates looking to

make a living for themselves. Xolisa was also recently named one of the Mail & Guard-ian’s 200 Young South Africans earlier this year.

“The response from the top end market in South Africa for our very unique affinity marketing, partnerships and events model has been overwhelming and we are in the process of meeting many new luxury brands and high-end service providers, who have formally applied to join our new network,” says Xolisa.

Jeremy Nel is the current director of Luxury Brands, which has access to the highest net worth individuals in South Africa and abroad, through various niche marketing initiatives. The company has been built on a sturdy foundation of marketing, and under-standing the principles of fashion trends and the sociology behind consumerism and the love for one-of-a-kind luxury experiences.

Xolisa Gaca & JeremyNel makeup one great team of luxury

Two young South African minds are set to take the luxury nich

e market by

storm as they spearhead The Luxury Network, an affinit

y agency managing

some of the world’s leading luxury brands, in

Africa.


FASHION

Jeremy and his team have been instrumen-tal in launching and positioning some of the most sought after fashion brands, including G Star and Fabiani.

The partnership between Xolisa and Jeremy is one that combines many factors that will help ensure their continued success and lay foundations for future generations interest-ed in careers in fashion, that don’t necessar-ily involve designing and or manufacturing clothes. “In South Africa we will be bringing together a selection of the country’s finest luxury brands and high-end service provid-ers to work together at a senior director level for mutual business and client develop-ment,” says Jeremy.

In a country where jobs are scarce, put-ting together skills that showcase creativity and consumer behaviour knowledge is vi-tal. Fashion is an industry that allows itself to comment on all aspects of life and also a vehicle for escapism. Xolisa and Jeremy work as a team that puts knowledge, un-derstanding and passion in the same basket to create dynamic luxury fashion solutions. In a business where buyers don’t want to feel like they’re spending and still want to be part of the brand’s lifestyle experience, understanding how fashion works and why

it sells is key to building longevity, especially in a market so niche.

The Luxury Network for Africa is what LMVH is for Europe and the world. It’s an agency that creates, builds and develops luxury-brands that create not only symbolism for wealth, but also an affinity for a life larger than the ordinary. Xolisa sees luxury as an emotion as opposed to a product or brand. He says it’s essentially the feeling you expe-rience when you acquire a specific product or brand and it should be reflected in the brand message.

“Being at the head of The Luxury Network with Jeremy means we have a shared op-portunity to champion Africa’s largest and most progressive luxury brands, and to as-sist in strategically growing their markets. I’m very excited about the developments thus far, as we have experienced excellent mar-ket support from over 20 top luxury brands in sex weeks,” says Xolisa.

* Luxury Brands has managed events for Nelson Mandela, Elton John and Small Luxury Hotels of the World* Some brands under The Luxury Network’s group include Jimmy Choo, Aston Martin and even Embraer Jets Sunseeker Yachts

“ “The response from the top end market has been overwhelming and we are in the process of meeting many new luxury brands to join our new network.


FASHION

There’s something very drawing about the Merchants on Long building on Long Street. Long be-fore you’ve entered through the

doors, you’re bound to stop and wonder what goes on inside. I’m guilty of walking past the building and taking a photo of it every single time. To date, I have 17 photos of just the outside of the building.

Step inside the building and you’re trans-

ported to a world that only African Kings and Queens should thrive. Yet, the space provides itself as an opportunity for even a mere ‘peasant’ to make a regular living. Merchants on Long is possibly the only de-signer salon in Africa that houses lifestyle brands in fashion, art and homeware. The Victorian come Dutch-East building with an original terracotta façade, built in England and delivered to Cape Town in 1896, fuses many cultures and traditions in a building

rich with history and heritage, supporting a great local cause, just because they can.

One is likely to be greeted by brands or labels such as MaXhosa Knitwear, Baba-Tunde, Lalesso, SAWA, Guidemore, Laloo and Wild Olive. From fashion knits and swim-wear to beaded jewellery, handcrafted ceramics and scatter cushions. In essence, Merchants on Long fuses the culture of the craft by hand, with the skill of the retail sec-

a lifestyle salon mirrored in africa`s image and rich history

Merchants on Long

Probably the sole lifestyle salon of its kind on the continent, Merchants on Long retails work from Africa alone and promotes healthy job creation and small business development

Monde Mtsi


tor by mind. It fuses people’s ability to cre-ate with man’s obsession to own beautiful things. The space itself is filled with rich energy, from the original slate walls made of stone from Table Mountain, to the vibey and youthful energy of the coffee barrister. Merchants on Long is a guaranteed lifestyle

experience that only a fashion loving brand could provide.

The building’s history dates back to the for-mal beginnings of Cape Town. With the ar-rival of Jan Van Riebeeck, so did the begin-ning of commercialisation and the setting up of retail outlets to cater to the coastal trav-

els, using Cape Town as a stop over point between the Americanas and Asia. After some time, the building not only secured a second floor, it also found itself catering to other needs relevant at the time, including being used an exclusive Bath House. There-after started its simple transformation into a high-end department store, and after many years, become what we now know as a type of boutique lifestyle store, since its re-open in 2010.

“When we acquired the Merchants on Long building it was an art gallery. It had a low false ceiling and dry-walling which we re-moved to reveal the original slate and al

most perfect Oregon Pine timber beamed ceiling. There were one or two beams miss-ing, which we managed to replace with original beams from the same time period,” states Tammy, current owner of Merchants on Long.

“The Art Nouveau influence is clearly stated on the delicately sculpted steel inserts on the front door. We took inspiration from this detail and commissioned a full size security door to be made in the same style. Another important project we took inspiration from and restored was the staircase. Replicating what remained of the original staircase, we built a new wooden staircase to fir into the building,” says Tammy. “The Merchants build-ing has been an incredibly special project to work on as the place holds such a special place in so many Capetonians’ hearts. It has had an incredible history thus far and we hope it will continue long into the future.”

It’s quite evident from the entire experience, the special care given to this building. The creation of the salon was a mere extension of this love for special projects, and has been extended to the salon’s work with many local communities within the Western Cape. It’s yet another extension of how fash-ion, lifestyle and retail can work together to showcase the manufacturing and design skills available in Africa, whilst simultaneously contributing towards the upliftment of local communities.

dating back

2010 – Merchants on Long re-opened its doors as the retail space we know today

1903 – The terracotta façade is put on the front of the Merchants on Long building

1852 – The British took over Cape Town and the evident Victorian influence at Mer-chants on Long is derived from then

1850-1870 – Merchants on Long is being used as an exclusive Romanesque style Bath House

FASHION

“ ““The Merchants building has been an incredibly special project to work on as the place holds such a special place in so many Capetoni-ans’ hearts.”




wellness

You may read this and think you are dealing with yet another hippy that’s going on about the benefits of organics versus synthetics, natural versus manufactured and so on. But let’s put everything into perspective for a while and speak on the available evidence, for example in medicine.

heal with herbs Herbal remedies tend to have very subtle and beneficial side effects as opposed to synthetic ones. While researching for this ar-ticle and interest prior to that, I was led to a series of information on certain herbs that I had used or considered using. And the list of uses and health benefits reads like that guy at the Taxi Rank advertising the ben-efits of the miracle worker medicines such as ZifoZonke. For example the herb lemon verbana which you can drink as a tea, has benefits such as strengthening the nervous

system, de-stressing, anti-spasmodic, help-ing with digestion, easing colic, reducing fe-vers, relieving spasms of the digestive tract. The herb has all these benefits and some-

times only has the side effect of a skin ir-ritation, though this is highly rare. When you look at aspirin on the other hand, it only deals with lowering inflammation and acts as a pain killer, but it comes with extreme side effects such as internal bleeding in the stomach. An organic cure for inflammation is ginger which is also used to assist nausea and is a much safer alternative compared to aspirin.

Human Beings are organic constructs and whatever the constructive defi-ciency the human structure should have occurs on an organic level. We can draw from this statement that for every organic problem there is an organic solution

Lerato T Kuzwayo

Your Body`s ability to heal is greater than anyone has permitted you to believe

the safety elementYou should also be aware that an overdose on synthetic medicines may lead to death in certain instances while it has been largely hard to quantify what an over dosage is in organic medicines. Skeptics would also ar-gue that there are plants that are poison-ous, but a herbalist would know what plant to use or not use and in what quantities to use them.

The most fascinating thing is how our current society regards these natural remedies as alternative medicines as though the syn-thetic ones ought to be the most natural to the 21st century human being.

natural beauty If you take the beauty industry for instance, the stores are always happy to sell you the isolated chemical synthesized with oth-ers. But when you visit a cosmetologist or somatologist at beauty spas, they will ad-mit to using a mixture of natural elements

although you elements such as avocado, olive or seed oil for face masks. Even the word cosmetology speaks to the cosmic en-ergies that exists between humans and their natural habitats, inclusive to even the cosmic habitat of the sun, moon and stars. So why not consider using brown sugar with honey for exfoliate or face scrub as opposed to a product bought over the counter. The natu

ral ones are after all the best beauty rem-edies, for are we not the ones who have been ranting and raving about being chil-dren of the soil. This is who we are.

natural beauty remedies to try glowing skin – Make a paste of honey, oats and egg white which can be used as a daily face cleaner– Sea salt mixed with olive oil, lemon juice can be used for a cleansing scrub that will kill bacteriaVibrant Eyes – Use cucumber slices for swollen puffy eyes. Not only are they also packed with silica which is known to reduce inflammation. – Chamomile tea bags can be put over the eyes to reduce dark circles. No more stinky eyes – Combine white vinegar to four parts water and soak your feet for 20 to 30 minutes for athletes foot.– Sprinkle some bicarbonate of soda be-tween your toes and rinse your feet after fifteen minutes.


wellness


CAPE INDULGENCE

It feels deep from the moment you walk in, from the things you hear to the aroma that fills it. Imagine a harem in the middle of the Amazonian jungle, but in Jane’s

tree house, while a bar from the Ivory Coast lies beneath you. I cannot evoke the magi-cal quality of the aesthetic of Madam Taitou but it’s as sultry as the name sounds.

Originally the plan was to visit Madame’s brother restaurant Timbuktu, but the owner felt with the summery balcony seating ar-rangement we wouldn’t enjoy our experi-ence and so opted for us to go to Madam Taitou. (By the way this balcony looks like it could be part of a poets’ Italian villa, with light blue couches and settees and statues of African men)

Both restaurants offer the same menu though and trust me you can order anything you like and you won’t be disappointed; by the prices, the portions or the flavour. It’s important to note that the restaurant spe-cialises in Ethiopian food. As it was my first time having Ethiopian cuisine, the owner and genius who decorated the two spaces sug-gested we order Sergenya. It’s a dish that is traditionally served for festive events like weddings and contains most of the dishes served by the restaurant and I recommend it for any first timers. All dishes are served

with the traditional Ethiopian staple, called injera. Injera is to Ethiopians what pap is to Vendas, what pasta is to Italians, what rice is to the Chinese. The sourdough flat bread is traditionally made from teff but because it’s difficult to find in South Africa it is substituted with rice flour here.

The first dish I tried was Doro which is a spicy chicken stew with a hint of sweetness in the flavour. The story behind the preparation of Doro is that it’s cooked and served by a bride during the marital procedures, so the groom’s family can judge her cooking and see whether or not they are still interested in the bride. Let’s just say I would marry the woman who made the Doro I had.

I also fell in love with a dish called Gored Gored which is lean beef warmed in spice butter, cooked with mitmita sauce. It’s divine and I even had the courage to tell my boss a.k.a my editor to lay off the Gored-Gored, it was just that nice. Another thing we noted was that no one meat dish tasted the same, not even slightly similar yet they were all meat dishes.

And for the vegetarians, yes the nice peo-ple at Timbuktu and Madam Taitou have a place for you on their menu too. I par-ticularly enjoyed their lentils cooked in ber-

ebere sauce. The closest thing I can describe the taste to, is lentils cooked in an almost curry-like spice, though not quiet. And I can-not forget to mention their juice. The freshly squeezed oranges made for a thick, pure and wholesome juice which is very rare even at the most “natural” restaurants and I absolutely loved it.

The owner, Solomon, says that when he cre-ated the restaurant he created it, not with customers in mind but himself. This is clear in the décor and the music, which is an ec-lectic mix of old jazz, Ethopian music and sounds of nature. It is visible in everything that the restaurants are tangible fantasies of a travelled mind.

The staff is wonderful, humble and all bear willing smiles. Don’t expect to be pestered but rather attended to as a guest in a friend’s home. For many this could be strange but it’s done intentionally to create a more pleasur-able experience for the diner. In all my years and all the restaurants that I have been loyal to, I have never received a hug from a waiter and I did here. Madam Taitou on Long Street is like a tan-zanite stone, Cleopatra lost in the midst of Long Street. Its precious, it’s regal, its haunt-ing, it’s powerful, its seductive and it’s an in-dulgence of the mind, tongue, spirit and ear. I’m in love.

There is no better way to paint the picture of art, history, comfort, creativity and the familiarity of the space that is Madam Taitou

the fantasy to ethiopian cuisine Madam Taitou

Nasiphi Mdlulwa


CAPE INDULGENCE

I first experienced Mopane worms in my early teens, during a sleepover. Though I had known about the delicacy even before, being a Xhosa girl living in Cape

Town, mopane worms are hard if not impos-sible to come by. And once you’ve acquired a taste for the worm which is actually a cat-erpillar, you understand why the mopane Worm also known as masonja forms part of a Multi-Million Rand Trade in edible insects in Southern Africa, and why it’s been part of Southern Africa’s diet for so long.

In the 1990s, hundreds of tons were export-ed from Botswana and South Africa each year. And it is estimated that South Africa alone trades 1.6 million kilogrammes of mo-pane worm annually, and that Botswana’s involvement in this industry nets it roughly $8 million every year.

The mopane worm is very popular in South-ern Africa and is a popular delicacy in coun-tries such as Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa and Namibia, not only for its

taste and texture but also for its nutrition-al value. It contains 60.70% crude protein, 16.70% crude fat and 10.72% minerals such as iron and calcium. It’s also said to have three times more protein content than beef and considering that it takes 3kg of mopane leaves to produce, whilst beef requires 10kg of feed to be produced. The adult require-ments for calcium, iron and riboflavin are easily met by consuming 15 worms per day.So how does one prepare Mopane Worms? Well if you’re in Cape Town you start of by asking anyone you know who would be travelling to Limpopo, Johannesburg, Zim-babwe and all those countries I named to come back with a sack of Masonja for you the rest is easy.

Here is one of my favourite recipes

ingredients:1 kg dried mopane worms1 tablespoon cooking oil1 medium onion finely chopped? green pepper finely chopped2 tomatoes well chopped

1 chilli finely dicedSalt to taste

preparation:In a pan fry the onions in oil over low heat till soft and translucent, turn up the heat and add green pepper along with the chilli. Stir fry for a minute and add rinsed mopane and garlic. Stir fry a further five minutes and then add ? cup water and seasoning. Cook for another 15 minutes till tender adding a little more water if necessary. Then add tomatoes and allow to cook further for another five minutes but be careful not to overcook and don’t let the dish become to watery. Note: the Mopane Worm still looks like a caterpillar after its been cooked so it’s not for the squeemish.

fact: Gonimbrasia belina is a species of moth found in much of southern Africa, whose large edible caterpillar, otherwise known as the mopani or mopane worm, is an important source of protein for millions of Southern Africans. Like most caterpillars, the mopane worm’s life cycle starts when it hatches in the summer, after which it pro-ceeds to eat the foliage in its immediate vi-cinity. As the larva grows, it moults four times in its fives larval stages, after which the mo-pane worm is considered its most desirable for harvesting.

How do you save the world, stay healthy, preserve history, contribute to the economy and indulge in a bit of adventure . Simple you eat mopane worms

a delicacy in the south of africaThe mopane worm

Nasiphi Mdlulwa




Women’s month has just passed and the spirit of femi-nism is still in the air, so why not exploit what’s left of it? Wathint’abafazi, wathint’imbokodo - You strike a woman, you strike a rock. This statement could not

be truer of dynamic women Kanyi Mavi and Letoya Mangezi. Lyri-cally and musically endowed, Mavi has a vision to take over the mother city. Mavi is a Cape Town born and bred hip-hop artist, performer, rapper, emcee, self-proclaimed “wordsmith”, role-model and woman. She has performed alongside international artist Lau-ryn Hill and opened for John Legend himself at the 2000 Cape Town Jazz Festival.

Letoya Mangezi is equally phenomenal, and many of you may rec-ognize as Ayanda from the award-winning local television drama Isidingo. Mangezi is an accomplished actress, talented singer, dedi-cated wife and mother of three. With such accolades one wonders how either of them manages a plate full of responsibilities, live bal-anced lifestyles along with being inyanga - spiritual healer?

Chido-Vanessa Dandajena

Wathint` abafazi Wathint `imbokodo

Both Mavi and Mangezi are career driv-en and accomplished in their own right. The performance industry is demanding in many aspects and requires dedication and commitment. Many who delve in it end up quickly retreating to their corners once the pressure begins to rise, but others excel and distinguish themselves as the crème-de-la-crème of their respective fields. Despite sharing an array of accolades, Mavi and Mangezi also share spiritual aesthetics, in that they both practice as iiNyanga. Many people do not fully understand the concept or the significance to those who practice it. The traditional connotations of iNyanga are often primitive, backward and subverted portrayals which do not illustrate a substan-tial picture of the modern translation of this practice.

FEATURE

“ “My passion for what I do is what’s kept me motivated and the key to my success is my relationship with my an-cestors.


We interviewed Kanyi Mavi and Letoya Mangezi to find out more about who they are, how they manage a multi-faceted life-styles and what they have done to succeed in such a competitive industry.

imbo: Who is Kanyi/Letoya in one sentence?

kanyi: I really would be cheating myself if I even attempted to sum myself up inone sentence. I think that’s best saved for my eulogy.

letoya: Letoya is a child of the most High, a Nyanga, a mother, a wife and an all-round creative soul.

imbo: What is the biggest misperception that people have about you?

kanyi: I don’t know, and honestly, I don’t spend my thought on it.

letoya: They seem to forget that Ayanda is a character that I play. I am not her, even though she might have elements of Letoya within her.

imbo: You are an accomplished and re-spected figure in the media/performance industry. What do you hope to accomplish further in your career?

kanyi: Well, there’s a lot of work I need to do. I feel like I’m only in mybeginning stages of my career. I also want to travel the world with mymusic. I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface.

letoya: Right now my main focus is getting my tracks out. I’ve worked really hard to get my music to sound this beautiful and I hope to share it with the masses sooner, rather than later. That followed by live shows and a couple of movies...that’s what I want.

imbo: What would you say has kept you mo-tivated throughout? And what is the key to your success?

kanyi: Music, and the role it plays in my life. A song can know exactly how youfeel and that alone lets you know you’re not alone. There’s been a song forthe worst and best times of my life. Plus, the instinct to survive Iguess. Knowing there’s more to life than the feeling of being stagnant or

FEATURE

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I haven’t compromised myself; I don’t see why I should either.


stuck makes me want to keep moving.

letoya: My passion for what I do is what’s kept me motivated and the key to my suc-cess is my relationship with my ancestors. As long as I stay prayerful and keep God ahead of everything, I’ll always be success-ful.

imbo: What do your friends and family say about your chosen path?

kanyi: My family has always been support-ive, we support each other. And the bestthing about family is that they will be honest with their feelings whetheryou like it or not.

letoya: They’re all very proud of me. For having the guts to go Thwasa, the guts to stay on this gifted path and the nerve to think that I could still make it back into this crazy industry where you’re as good as your last hit.

imbo: Everyone gets discouraged at one

point or another, but it is how you recover that stands testament of your character.What discourages you? And keeps you go-ing and gets you back on track?

kanyi: Negativity and self-doubt. It’s not easy to find a way out of dark situations, but if your will is strong and you actively try and counter those feelings with positivity and prayer, you will get to a better place.

letoya: People have been my biggest dis-appointment thus far. The dishonesty, be-trayal and lack of love and patience that people have for one another. I don’t get discouraged very easily I guess my faith in knowing that life and everything in life is about Divine Intervention has kept me go-ing. So when it’s not going quite my way, I stop, reflect and listen to the Gods, they’re talking. I re-align myself and thank God for my husband, who’s always there to remind me of who I am and the powers bestowed upon me.

imbo: Being one of the few successful fe-

males in the industry. How have you coped? Have you ever had to compromise to get ahead?

kanyi: The challenges I face are no different to any other mc trying to get out there with something fresh in a world where nothing is new. I haven’t compromised myself, I don’t see why I should either.

letoya: My coping mechanism is my family, my husband and our children. Without them I’d be lost and in darkness. They keep it real with me and they love me for me. For just being Mommy and for just being the wife who cares.

imbo: What does your day-to-day routine/schedule consist of?

kanyi: No day is the same as the previous. It really becomes a new day, but a lotof the times, I’ll be sure to land up at the studio.

letoya: Up at 6am, workout, unless I need to be on set by 7:30, then I’m up by 5am. Check with everyone how they slept. Pre-pare tea and breakfast, bond with my chil-dren before they need to get to school and my day gets hectic. Leave home to either go onto set, or a voice over or a session, or to studio where I’ve been working on my tracks, or I’m just running around doing grocery shopping for my home and taking care of my family as a mother should. I’m usu-ally home around 7pm. Just in time to see Tadiwa who religiously knocks out by 19:30, depending on how hard he was playing. I read to them, pray with them and kiss them goodnight. Then I have a little time to myself to unwind before getting into scripts again. Phew!

imbo: How do you maintain a balance be-tween your work/personal life/family?

kanyi: I’m still growing and learning how to find that balance. I would be lying if Isaid I’ve cracked the code, all I can say is I do what I can.

letoya: Prayers, as you can imagine that this does sometimes become very overwhelm-ing. A great husband who’s very hands-on, and a wonderful nanny who’s essentially their other mommy. Wouldn’t be able to do

FEATURE


what I’m doing without my support system. Love them!

imbo: What has been the most memorable performance/television moment in your ca-reer thus far? And why?

kanyi: Most memorable has to be my album launch, it was extremely amazing. Themusicians who helped me put the show to-gether, the people I work with, the crowd and of course Miss Lauryn Hill, dope.

letoya: My most memorable performances were the ones with my girl group, s’Kool Girlz. Those were the years of none stop music and going on tours with our parents. Those were the times when our mom was still around and I miss that-we all miss our mom.

imbo: What is the most important attribute to have to be successful in the industry? And in life?

kanyi: Skill and passion, in any industry and in life.

letoya: Self-love and self-respect. When you have these two attributes, you will auto-matically have respect for your work. People see it and that’s what they want to be af-filiated with. Even in life, you draw positive energies closer to yourself when you have self-love and self-respect. It goes back to ‘getting back what you put out’. If you put it out there that you love and respect yourself, that infectious energy makes people love and respect you too. People only treat us like we treat ourselves. Make your choice.

imbo: Next big thing for Kanyi/Letoya?

kanyi: Right now, I’m promoting my album Iintombi-zifikile and hope to visit allcorners of the country.

letoya: The next big thing for Letoya is her music!

please fill the gaps in the follow-ing sentences:

imbo: The first thing I do in the morning is..

kanyi: Play music

imbo:...is my most prized possession.

letoya: Indumba (Surger/my practice)

imbo: Things my mother used to say that I’ll never forget...

letoya: “A woman should always look after herself. Hear me as I speak to you, so that tomorrow when I’m not around, you won’t be lost.”

kanyi: “There’s a right way of doing every-thing.”

imbo: I wanted to be ... When I was younger.

kanyi: I wanted to be ...a chemical engineer when I was younger.

letoya: Singer

imbo: My first crush was....

kanyi: Someone cute whose name I never knew.

imbo: If I won the lottery I would…

kanyi: I would keep quiet

letoya: Invest in my family

imbo: …Is my favourite artist/performer/pub-lic figure.

letoya: Whitney Houston because she was just a phenomenal talent to listen to and also watch on screen as an actress.

imbo: I always…right before my performanc-es

letoya: Well one thing I never forget to do before leaving my home and becoming Ayanda or any other character is to phahla (talk to the ancestors). I guess that’s where I get my balance. Where badimo baka (my ancestors) know that they’ve blessed me thus far and it’s just up to me to always give them the respect they deserve so that they can always allow me the creative space to become Ayanda and or other characters. While I spend most of my weekdays on set, I generally reserve my weekends for my patients.

FEATURE


Fake herbalists taint African medicine

Exposé

Lerato Kuzwayo

In the wellness section of the magazine you will find a beautiful guide, to natural health supplements as manufactured by mother earth herself. But an issue arises with regard to these natural and indigenous medicines not being studied accurately. I’m sure you’ve come across one of those fly-ers, from some self proclaimed professor or doctor who happens to have a cure for everything, and I do mean everything. This includes healing a broken heart answering the age old R&B and soul singer’s conun-drum. Some of these promotions are rather hilarious with solutions ranging from bringing back a lost lover, making you sure you find a job, despite never having even typed a CV and they will even offer you a chance to win the lotto. I don’t know how they give out lotto numbers or how they have any ef-fect on the draw machines, but these profes-sors and doctors whom I dub fake herbalist are proud to proclaim that they can do this. Anyone who has read the Story of Aladin Knows that the genie cannot make any-one love you using magic, so the lost lover claim is out the window. If you want a job, the perfect cure is a good hard education and concise CV that will prepare you for the world of employment, and by all means take chances playing the lotto, but I doubt Profes-sor Bones Matwetwe has the numbers.

Now the indigenous herbalist are honora-ble people who genuinely seek out to help those in need of real help, these other guys are really just tantamount to medical fraud-sters who have cast a bad light on natural medicines. The greatest of dangers come in the form of claims such as curing H.I.V. and AIDS related illnesses, and some “pastors” are guilty of this too, but that is word for an-other day. In any case from such dangers of these false herbal prophets who only care for profits we find even more horrendous acts of child abduction, muti mutilation and murder, where people seek out the blood of innocents to cure the incurables.Perhaps the Health and Science depart-ments should really invest in the education of natural medical practitioners along with informing gullible citizens on how the natural sciences actually function. In as much as As-pirin takes away a headache, I’m certain it is the glass of water with which you drink your tablet that does the most work. So people need to be informed on when it is necessary to use which remedies and what the causes might be, as a headache is usually cased by dehydration for example. The Myth of the magic concoction that heals all the conceivable disease can only be obliterated by natural scientific research; this could greatly keep people safe from profiteering pretender doctor and profes-sors.

The Training or initiation processes of modern day herbalists are fraught with corruption and deception. May this act as a flag to let you know what you should look out for.



Athenkosi Peter

financial fundis

Ulterior economic structures

The financial system is one the pil-lars of modern economy. It acts as a conduit, linking lenders and borrowers to transfer scarce capi-

tal resources to their highest valued user at any particular moment in time. Centuries of trading practices and financial innovation have necessitated the growth and constant evolution of financial institutions to result in the present day institutions of banks, build-ing societies, stokvels and many other niche institutions.

The sophistication and stability of a country’s financial system is a pre-requisite of a well-functioning economy. The most economically developed nations have some of the most developed banking and financial systems in the world to illustrate this point. Places like New York, London, Hong Kong are based in some of the most prosperous nations in the world. South Africa’s banking infrastruc-ture is rated alongside these regions but paradoxically does not exhibit anywhere near the level of economic advancement of

these regions. This might be due to various socio-economic imbalances due to financial illiteracy and to a certain extent the legacy of apartheid.

Beyond the traditional banking institutions

other forms of pooling funds and saving money exist. Burial Societies, Stokvels and Muslim Banking are such organisations. In lesser developed nations where large numbers of the population are considered ‘unbanked’ these institutions tend to be the predominant forms people utilise to pool funds either for investment or expenditure.

stokvels & burial societiesStokvels are invitation only clubs of twelve of more people serving as rotating credit unions or saving schemes in South Africa, where members contribute fixed sums of money to a central fund on a weekly, fort-nightly or monthly basis.

Burial Societies provide ‘informal insurance’ to members in the event of the loss of a loved one. Claims can be made from the burial society to help towards funeral costs and other expenses. Burial societies are very similar to stokvels but with the caveat that there are no periodic pay outs and a new member normally has a waiting period before they can benefit from the society.


financial fundis

These two savings schemes are prevalent in African communities where there are strong communal ties. The traditional bank-ing institutions have identified this to be a key growth area for their operations and have each looked to launch stokvel-type accounts to grow their customer bases to include individuals in these informal savings schemes. First National Bank has the FNB Stokvel account, ABSA has the ABSA Club Account.

muslim community bankingAnother community that is not restricted

to traditional banking is been the Muslim community. Sharia Law prohibits the fixed or floating payment of specific interest or fees for loans of money. Charging interest is considered haraam “sinful and prohibited”. Also investing in businesses that are contrary to Islamic principles is prohibited. Financial products consistent with Islamic principles have had to be developed to bring Islamic funds into the traditional financial institutions. For example FNB offers the Islamic Finance Cheque Account.

Ultimately the development of heterodox financial products to suit previously ‘un-

banked’ people is a positive situation for the creation of a safe, reliable savings cul-ture in South Africa which can only enhance the prospects for economic growth. It un-locks idle funds for entrepreneurs to access from the banks that weren’t previously avail-able (because they were under the mat-tress). Now the banking institutions, through their specialised knowledge and expertise in the lending of funds and risk measuring, can allow funds to be allocated efficiently in the economy and enhance the country’s economic growth.

interesting facts* The word bank was borrowed in Middle English from Middle French banque, from Old Italian banca, from Old High German banc, bank “bench, counter”. Benches were used as desks or exchange counters dur-ing the Renaissance by Florentine bankers, who used to make their transactions on top desks covered by green tablecloths* The name “stokvel” originated from the term “stock fairs”, as the rotating cattle auc-tions of English settlers in the Eastern Cape during the early 19th century were known.


YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

Deep Settle Movement was cre-ated two years ago by three super talented then Graphic De-sign students - Asanda, Fez and

Chris after an all-consuming conversation on a train carriage. “We were from the same township, attended the same classes and rode the same train daily – so everything just clicked”. Now two full years after stick-ing their necks out of a Metrorail trail sta-tion and pursuing a not-so- farfetched idea of setting up a business, the now coveted township-based brand stays grounded and goal-orientated as ever. One must wonder what they did right.

Positioned outside the infamous Mzoli’s in

Gugulethu, these cats bring fresh, street style flavour to Cape Town’s favourite weekend hangout. We met up with the ambitious and talented trio at the same spot where it all began, Cape Town train station. “We started off by printing thirty units and ap-proached the municipality to set up a stall outside the establishment and we’ve been registered for about a year now”. They say all the ambition in the world couldn’t have prepared them for the blows that lay before them. “We travelled ngamaphela and trains to get around. We still don’t even own smart-phones but we are just focused on building our brand.” But Chris says as much as they would love investors and sponsors, we want people (hint hint) who share our vision.

Unlike their aspirational would-have-been counterparts Loxion Kulca, that seem to have dissipated into an oblivion of high fashion, they hold close to the original plan, insisting on “branching out only when the opportunity arises” and remaining in Gug’s. “We are like a triangle. We share a common desire and assist each other towards our goals in unison.”Fez adds that it’s unnecessary to take indi-vidual credit and to be arrogant. “We meet two to three times during the week to dis-cuss everything but Chris normally handles urgent issues as they come up.”

Such faith comes from them maintaining a more brotherly relationship as opposed to that of business partners. “It’s like we are dating Deep Settle, we talk through our problems as they arise. Even with prepaid SIM cards, commuting difficulties and fre-quenting Internet café’s, we always manage to find common ground,” says Asanda.

This triangle seems to be working out for everyone. With phrases like “our brotherly love goes deeper than business” flying around, you know they’re not just feeding us stories printed on their sweaters when they add they want to build a legacy and that it isn’t [all] about the money. They are currently working on their summer range, and plan to open a store before the festive season in Gugulethu. And no worries for the CBD folk, they can find their merchandising at Hello Again stores and the BUY Network.

get hold of deep settle movement www.facebook.com/pages/Deep-settle-movement

twitter: @deepsettleM www.deepsettlemovement.com/

sales: +27766295308.

Asanda, Fez, and Chris didn’t settle for less - They started a movement in the hood

Deep Settle MovementNoluvuyo Bacela

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“We are like a triangle- we share common desire and assist each other towards our goals in unison… Our brotherly love goes deeper than business”.


Creative Director at Neon Grey Creative Marketing, Clint White is synonymous for dressing in colourful pyjamas that allow him

to dream on the go. While his partner and head designer Brent Peters says, the hunger to learn more about design encourages him to perfect the skill of rendering graphics. This dynamic duo tells us more about their out of the box company that knows no bounds in creativity.

How did you get started and were there any challenges?NGCM: In the beginning the business was

run on a part-time basis because we had full time jobs and actually developed our first designs via Mxit. We had no capital and very little resources. It was challenging and we developed the designs in the evening. We would communicate, take photos for in-spiration and send them to each other, then develop copy and the overall design and

send them off to clients. We believe that our passion, professional approach, unconventional methods and de-termination helped us pull through and kept our clients coming back.

Where did the idea of your pink panda logo come from?The panda idea started when we wanted to have fun and quirky characters to rep-resent ourselves, and because we rarely do things in black and white (as we’re bold in everything we do), we decided that our panda is the perfect symbol.

What does cohesion mean to your com-pany?NGCM: Cohesion is something we practice on a daily basis. All of our designs are a collaborative effort because anyone on the team could have an amazing idea brewing. We also work with the clients on all levels, gathering valuable insights to ensure that

the brand is on point, no matter the market they’re in.How do you manage to work together to meet goals and deadlines?NGCM: Our end goal is to answer the brief with the best creative output and quickest turnaround time. Also, owning our business helps us find a balance with our workloads, and allows flexibility with our creative output. We pride ourselves in deliv-ering on time, all the time.

How do you manage issues with communi-cation?NGCM: Within our team, we ALWAYS com-municate. It’s very rare that we disagree as a team or with our clients because we all know that we have the best interests at heart. We like to get to know our clients, who they are, what they do, and what the business is all about. Asking the right ques-tions helps us know where the business is, and where our client wants to take it.

What’s your goals and vision for the brand Neon Grey?NGCM: Firstly, we want to educate people about what we do. We’re often asked if we design business cards, and we do, but there is a lot more to it than that. There’s a story behind every project we develop. We would love to increase our services scope and one day operate as a fully fledged advertising agency, but for now we plan to expand our team and open offices in Jo’burg.

infoTo Contact Neon Grey Creative Marketing:

call: +27 (0) 82 295 1521/ +27 (0) 79 375

0943

email: [email protected]

web: www.neongreycreative.co.za

facebook: www.facebook.com/neongrey-creative

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

Neon Grey Creative MarketingThey call it creative chaos, they call it inspired anarchy. Whatever it is…they call it Neon Grey Creative Marketing

Noluvuyo Bacela

“

“

“… we wanted to have fun and quirky characters to repre-sent ourselves and because we rarely do things in black and white as we’re bold in everything we do.


The essence of networking for the young adult is vital. And we at Imbo have dedicated a whole beat to the teachings of it. Over

the past six issues we went through all of the foundation phases of a solid network-ing path.

But what good is information without prac-tice though? Being part of a company built on the values of empowerment, education and bridging the gap between corporate and youth, we decided it was time to begin with the practicals. And these practicals will be known as Imbo Sessions.

So what exactly is an Imbo Session? It’s a specifically facilitated networking session between final year students of specific fac-ulties and corporates from industry parallel to that faculty.

We live in an ever competitive environment

and a profit driven economy. In a profit driven economy the fundamental ideology is saving cost, and the single most expensive cost to any organization is human resources. This makes it increasingly difficult to secure employment as a recent graduate for a number of reasons, including the decreasing number of positions, the increasing number of graduates and the inability to make con-tact with the right people at the right places. Here at Imbo we believe that the most im-portant people of our time when it comes to shaping and evolving our future are the graduating students. We believe that it is imperative that we share in a positive and proactive community with graduates and


NETWORKING SESSIONS

Imbo Sessions Gugu Madlala


create opportunities for these young people to affect change.

At least 100 people will be attending the Imbo sessions at a time. Seventy of the guests will be students while the remaining 30, corporate. Each session will be kept in-dustry specific and there will be a talk on the state of that career option. Then the real networking begins when the focus shifts from the discussion, to actually mingling with the

different corporate representatives at the function, and getting your foot in the door. The vision is that on the open floor, in a casual environment, individuals can secure a relationship which they will then nurture and grow into opportunity when they begin ap-plying for employment.

Of course we understand that it’s not fair to keep these sessions privately between the attendees, so we have created this new beat to ensure that all the readers also have an insight into the outcomes of the ses-sion. The beat will also celebrate the session and give everybody involved recognition for taking the progressive steps which they are by being involved.

Once you’ve seen the session you will defi-nitely want to know more and find out how you too can get involved.

By coming together on a regular basis and discussing industry we are taking our futures into our own hands. It’s the youth which are tasked with creating solutions to the con-

tradicting and confusing situation we find ourselves in as a nation. As the incumbent leader of the continent we find ourselves in a catch 22 situation, and again it’s a problem to be debated by government but solved by youth.

So let’s start by bringing together the vari-ous student leaders and facilitate how we as young people can take control of our situation and make it our responsibility to progress ourselves, our nation, our continent and ultimately, our world.


NETWORKING SESSIONS


AFRICA CONNECT

Ethiopia

Wade through incense into a medieval world constructed from stone in La-libela, and witness the faint line between past and present blur while taking part in striking Christian ceremonies that haven’t changed in 1000 years. This is Ethiopia.

Ethiopia’s storied and sovereign history has left its wide-ranging and fertile highlands laden with historical treasures and monu-

ments, ranging from the ancient tombs and obelisks of Aksum to 17th-century castles and burnt-out Russian tanks. The line be-tween pre-historic relics and post-colonial artefacts remains obvious yet striking at the same time.

Ethiopia is officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. It is locat-ed in the pointy ‘horn’ of Africa, with Eretria to the north, Djibouti and Somalia to the east and Sudan to the west and Kenya to the south. Ethiopia is the second most popu-lous nation on the continent with inhabitants

that reach up to 84,320,000 to date.

Ethiopia is one of the oldest sites of human existence known to scientists. The region is said to be the region from which the homo-sapiens set out for the Middle East and beyond. Besides being the mother of the human race, Ethiopia is also said to be the mother of Christianity as well, with the first insurgence of Christianity and other forms of religion being stated to have started in that particular region. Ethiopia was a mon-archy for most of its history, and the Ethio-pian dynasty traces its roots to the second century BC, alongside Rome, Persia, China and India. The Kingdom of Aksum was one of the great world powers of the third cen-tury and the first major empire in the world to officially adopt Christianity as a state re-ligion in the fourth century.

Ethiopia has her own script or alphabet. It is known as the Ge’ez script and it is widely used in Ethiopia and Eritrea as ‘abugida’,

which is the syllable alphabet. This syllable alphabet existed in an ‘abjad’ form, (in con-sonant- only). Ethiopia’s population is highly diverse. Most of its people speak a Semitic or Cushitic language. The Oromo, Amhara, and Tigre-ans make up more than two-thirds of the population, but there are more than 77 dif-ferent ethnic groups with their own distinct

languages within Ethiopia.Ethiopia is the home to raw history. One does not venture there to sit back and re-lax, one goes to Ethiopia to be moved. She tells an awe-inspiring tale of trials and tribu-lations, heartbreak and redemption.

The majority of the population is Muslim and Christian. The practice of the ill-fated Sharia law is largely frowned upon as the government in place is headed by a Chris-tian and thus upholds a Christian stand-point in all their views. There have also been several issues with human rights as there have been several disputes about land and economic disputes and hardships. The US government provides aid to Ethiopia in various forms, including food and grants.

Following the 2010 elections, there were 152 women in the 547-seat parliament, two female judges on the 11-seat Supreme Court, three women ministers among the 21-member cabinet, and four women among 53 state ministers. This has been widely acclaimed as a huge step in the right direction in terms of human rights and female involvement in the parliament. The fact that there are active females in parlia-ment affords the younger generation with the right attitude for tackling the future.

the land of zion Kudzai Mazvarirwofa


AFRICA CONNECT

growing up and studies Q. Where do you study? A: University of Cape Town.

Q: What are you majoring in? A: I am majoring in Architecture, but it is still Under Graduate.

Q: Where exactly do you come from?A: I am Eritrean by birth, but grew up in Ethi-opia, for a few years before we relocated to Botswana.

Q: When was the last time you visited Ethio-pia?A: The last time I was in the North East was in 2002.

your views and beliefs

Q: What are your views about the govern-ment in place in Ethiopia?A: Of course growing up in Southern Africa, even though the government here aren’t perfect, in my opinion, I believe they are bet-ter than the one in place there.

Q: Why do you say that?

A: Well it’s the little things like the fact that the country is a little bit behind on produc-tion and thus has to accept hand-outs as well as dictations from their benefactor. Meaning that in a way, the country is not as democratic as it appears.

Q: What do you think about the type of cov-erage that Ethiopia gets in the media?A: Well the thing is, there are places where bad things happen, but it is not all bad. There are beautiful places too. Ethiopia is wealthy in terms of history, monuments and what-not. That is not properly covered in the media.

Q: What is your view about the religion practised in the North East?A: Well all I can say is I am ‘Christian’

Q: Why the quotation marks?A: Well because I can’t say I am atheist, it’s too drastic. I am agnostic really.

home is where the heart is

Q: What is your favourite ethnic dish?A: Wow, where do I start? I’d have to say injera (sour chapatti/ flat bread) and tsebhi

sega (which directly translates to meat stew)

Q: What is your fondest memory?A: Well my fondest memory was a trip the family took a while back. My cousins and I came across a little deli, for lack of a bet-ter word, which was in a dingy back alley of some road. The fact that this place was named after me, (it was called Selam Eat-ery, again direct translation) we all decided to go in. The place was swarming with fat cats that had scars and things. The food was prepared by the owner, very simple, fish moulded into batter and put in the clay oven. That was by far the best fish I have ever had to date. We weren’t wor-ried about hygiene or anything because the food was that good.

Q: Do you ever plan on going back to the East after graduating?A: Well yes. I am hoping to do so next year. With my architectural degree, I have high hopes of being able to build something that is distinctly original, without having to change my ideas or design just because someone is paying for it. It is my way of mak-ing my own little history.

Architecture student Selam Berhane tells us about growing up in the East, her move to the South and her big plans for the future, which include going back home and leaving her own little legacy.

Your neighbour from Ethiopia


I remember the first time I laid eyes on the small town of Stellenbosch – I was start-ing my first year of varsity and my parents had driven me all the way from the East-

ern Cape to ‘set me up’ for my studies. As I drove up the main road with the imposing, beautiful mountains surrounding me, I re-member feeling, that this town had so much to offer. The streets were neat and lined with lusciously green oak trees. Students were cycling from one place to another and the clean, white campus buildings looked so im-pressive and important. After three and half years spent in Stellenbosch, I feel that I have come to know the town and the characteris-

Growing up, discovering new spaces, honouring heritage and celebrating culture, the non-stop nightlife and oh don’t forget classes. That’s Stellenbosch University in a nutshell.

Stellenbosch a student`s paradise

Megan Bursey

Campus connect


tics that make it so unique.

The population of Stellenbosch is not enor-mous, but the presence of the students is something which comprises a fundamental part of it. There are approximately 25 000 students who form part of the University, and it is around the students which a large number of businesses have grown to func-tion for and depend upon. In recent years and much to the delight of the students, the local McDonald’s has adjusted its hours in order to cater for hungry students around the clock. It is not uncommon to see groups of festive party-goers visiting the fast-food

store at three in the morning after a night out on the town.

You’re never bored in Stellenbosch as the town is situated in the very heart of the winelands, with over 200 wine farms in the surrounding region. One of the pleasures of being a student here is being able to go on a ‘wyn toer’ or wine tasting with friends at a nearby wine farm. And for around R30 you can get five tastings of wine and an expert explanation of what you’re drinking. Many of the wine farms have their own restau-rants, and although they cater primarily for the tourist market, it is well worth treating yourself and someone special to a meal out. And each restaurant you visit has its own distinct traits and character, with some of the most amazing meals on offer.

Summer in Stellenbosch is something quite special, and there is no excuse to be in-doors with the various trails and mountain

walks you can experience. With the beach only 25 minutes away, weekends are often spent lazing on the stunning sands of Koel Bay. For the more adventurous types, Stel-lenbosch is a prime spot for hiking, mountain biking and trail running. The Jonkershoek Nature Reserve offers a number of serene trails through the forest, and for the not-so-fit student, there is an exciting walk up to a large waterfall in the reserve.

The nightlife in Stellenbosch is something which has to be experienced. There really is something for everyone; from the more chilled after-work drinks at a cocktail bar, to the traditional Irish pub with its revered beers at The Brazen Head, to the gener-ously sized jugs of concoctions served at DeLapa, there is room for everyone. Bohe-mia is a stalwart in the student life scene, and offers a varied menu with its legendary pizzas, drink specials every day, local and up and coming bands every week and its

widely supported Bingo night every Sun-day, where competitors can win generous bar-tabs and hampers. A good night out often begins at Bohemia and then moves in the direction of your choice. If you are into your drum and bass, dub step and electro music then Die Mystic Boer is definitely where you want to head. For those into the more commercial pop music and sokkie, Catwalk is your scene. Terrace, notorious for being down-right-dirty, is always an option if you want to let completely loose and get jamming with your mates.

Stellenbosch is such a vibrant and diverse town, with something for everyone. When your feet first touch the ground, roots start to form making it a place difficult to leave.

campus connect


Our past has shaped us to be who we are and what we know has caused us to react the way we do every day. Our differences

have made us the product of mediocre. And instead of embracing one another, we have rather chosen to classify each other accord-ing to race, colour and status.

Every day we are faced with challenges including crime, racism, tribalism, nepotism, sexism, extreme income inequalities, xeno-phobia, manipulations and hatred against one another. These simply perpetuate ani-mosity against one another despite the fact that we all have the same colour blood.

The truth of the matter is that South Africa is known as a rainbow nation and a place that has been an example of reconciliation

to the global village. However, we are still facing a titanic challenge of embracing one other beyond our cultural backgrounds, language, geographical location etc. The desire to be better than others has perpetu-ated greed, hatred and corruption in all lev-els of our society.

These challenges will always be with us until we are ready to confront them. It is often easier to mask unity when looking for an op-portunity to feed our greed from someone’s lack of education, access to resources, skills and power. If those who are in economic and political power had the best interest of humanity at heart, South Africa would not be having so many pay increase and ser-vice delivery protests, with some ending in the loss of lives.

The key question is how long are we going to tip toe around the fact that we are not embracing each other as human beings? Saddening stories that we witness daily are a clear indication that there is a huge prob-lem. The challenge is that, we have mas-tered being deaf to the crying voices, mas-tered blindness against human injustices and have become heartless to the people that are in dire need of our help. It has become easier to see a young girl or an old granny being raped by a number of so called men and yet decide to be silent about it. We have masked ourselves with fake smiles and meaningless handshakes and speak about equality yet degrade one another.

This status quo and many unspeakable injus-tices will never be changed until such time that we are ready to acknowledge and confront these challenges. It will firstly need us to have changed attitudes, perceptions and assumptions about one another. If we don’t change this, we will never have a situ-ation where a Mosotho treats uMzulu as a human being or different races respecting each other as fellow human beings. Sec-ondly, we need to have honest and coura-geous conversations regarding these chal-lenges, so that we can have real solutions that aren’t based on cooked statistical data. Thirdly, the leaders in our nation need to lead as example by embracing each other as human beings and not as enemies. Lastly, this challenge needs the public sector, pri-vate sector, churches, and non-governmen-tal organisations to acknowledge that we need one another. We need to embrace each other as human beings. Motho Ke Motho Ka Batho.

Modise Moloi

Embracing One Another As Fellow Human Beings

LIFE SKILLS


How did you discover “Tracking”? DN: From a young age I had an interest in the outdoors and wildlife and spent hours of my time walking around in the bush look-ing for any signs of animals, whether it was something big or small. It became a chal-lenge to try and figure out what it was and what it was doing and I guess this way I discovered that lots can be learnt from tracking. Why did you want to work for a Game Re-serve? DN: My interest is not only in tracking, but also in wildlife management, nature guiding and guide training. Working on a game re-serve therefore creates an ideal situation to combine these interests. What studies do you have to pursue to be-come a tracker? DN: There are various training providers in South Africa who offer tracking courses. Some specialise in the tracking of humans, used for anti-poaching operations and some providers specialise in animal tracking. There is no minimum qualification required to do a tracking course, as many experienced trackers are illiterate, but have vast experi-ence in tracking and for many of them track-ing forms part of their day to day existence. What interesting stories can you tell the reader about your career as a tracker? DN: One of my personal highlights was when I was called by a farmer who had lost 13 sheep in one night. They were killed by some kind of predator and of course the blame was immediately put on caracal, black-backed jackal or leopard. I started early morning by investigating the scene

and soon discovered it was none of the above predators. After about three hours of tracking I found the culprits on the neighbor-ing farm. Two stray dogs.

What kind of personality would best suit this career? DN: Doing tracking requires a lot of concen-tration combined with patience. Besides be-ing mentally and physically fit, I would say that a calm person with the ability to persist when faced with a challenge, best suits this line of work. What traits has the modern tracker learned from “original” trackers such as the Khoisan? DN: In my opinion the San bushman trackers are some of the best trackers in the world. Being an ancient culture in Southern Africa I would say that the tracking done today is very much based on their tracking methods. Has “tracking” evolved into something else? DN: I think that tracking is no more only an art to track animals for hunting as done by traditional trackers, but it has become an important tool used in our modern day con-servation approach. What purpose does it serve? DN: Tracking is mainly used in game re-serves and national parks as a method to control poaching, to monitor wildlife and to gather data for management purposes. In most reserves guides also have a tracking qualification in order to enhance the guest experience on drives and walking safaris. I feel it is an art and tradition that we should keep alive.

Sanbona Wildlife Re-serve Ranger Manager Danie Lourens talks to us about the art of tracking

On the right track Lindile Ndwayana

As a Ranger Manager Danie Lourens has done his fair share of tracking animals and

gained vast experience through working side by side with some of the most gifted trackers in the country and even beyond our borders. He gives us some insight on this ancient science.

CAREER ADVICE


What am I? Khanya Ndlela

Everything on this planet is reflective of the same thing. All fruits and veg-etables are reflective of the human anatomy in some way or other. All

animals mimic some human quality in some way or other and all things upon the earth can be given a shared denominator through a ratio calculation. In plain, all things are one. All things are I.

The journey or rather the quest to the dis-covery of answers into our existence has been the focus point of human existence for times beyond our current comprehension. We come from a time when ancient civili-zations spent all their focus stretching their minds in vain of discovery, progression and ultimately evolution.

Over the past five hundred years there seems to have come a certain dumbing down of general society, and the hunger for discovery has certainly slowed to a point where today most have not asked them-selves the most basic and crucial question of existence, ‘What am I?’. It is this funda-mental question and more so it’s asking than its answer which holds the key to our pro-

gression at this complicated intersection of our society.

When we ask the question ‘What am I’, we are pushing the limits of our existence and putting ourselves in the frame of mind the ul-timate creator or creative force had intend-ed us to reside in at all times. This question is the most intense question we could possibly ask of all the questions conceivable. It is the courage to ask this question which leads us to the fascinating and terrifying truth that the possibilities are infinite and that there are many ‘not-wrong’s’.

It is this infinite possibility which has made the discoveries of knowledge and technologies possible. It is the notion and existence of the term ‘not-wrong’ which has allowed for col-lective thinking to be radically revolutionized in as little as a generation, which has found the earth to be round and not flat and most recently has given us the discovery of mul-tiverses.

Without the fundamental question ‘What am I’, the world would not be the place it is today and we would not be what we are

today. It is the key to our discovery, our pro-gression and our evolution. We live in a time where there are incredible changes taking place on all levels. We are seeing the global systems of law, finance and governance systematically fail and break down. We are seeing people move away from the culture of consumerism and disregard for our environment. We are see-ing a mass realization by the people that there is something incredibly wrong with the way we live and the need for urgent, radi-cal and positive change. Evolution.

The question ‘What am I?’ is what will facili-tate our discovery of the solutions and our collective way forward at this time. When we ask the question ‘What am I’, we are not asking what religion am I, what race am I, what sex am I, what nationality am I. We are asking ‘What am I’. What am I as this thing which is all things, this thing which is the mountains, the fish, the air etc. The time has come for us to awaken and discover our true self and true ability and true desire and true existence. It all starts with one question; ‘what am I’.

Alternative Thinking


FEEL GOOD

In the next two months the Bhisho High Court will begin hearing one of the most important court cases of our young de-mocracy: Equal Education vs. Minister

of Basic Education. This case will hear the norms and standards for school infrastruc-ture, which will define the right to education under our Constitution.

Since 2008 Equal Education (EE) has cam-paigned to improve the quality and equality of South Africa’s education system. Twenty years after Nelson Mandela’s release from prison the education received by young people in South Africa remains vastly un-equal. Despite attempts to overhaul the system, class and race-linked inequalities remain entrenched. Education was the foundation upon which inequality was fash-ioned during the years of apartheid, but un-equal educational opportunities still remain amongst the greatest obstacles to equality, dignity and freedom in today’s South Africa. EE has tackled a broad range of educa-tional issues. This includes producing DVD’s that encourage learners to return their

textbooks at the end of the school year, and running late-coming campaigns at schools in Khayelitsha. To advance a cam-paign to have one library in every school, EE opened The Bookery in Cape Town in 2010. The Bookery acts as a depot where the public can donate books suitable for high schools. These books are then cata-logued by volunteers before being placed

in schools. Through public support EE has been able to open 17 libraries in schools across the Western Cape.

EE’s campaign for school libraries grew into a larger campaign for school infrastructure. For the last two years EE has campaigned on a simple premise: that every school in the country should have the same basic level

of infrastructure. Almost 3,600 schools do not have electricity, 92% of schools do not have a functioning library and in the Eastern Cape there are still 395 mud schools. There are 2,402 schools that do not have water supply and 913 schools still do not have any toilet facilities.

The right to a basic education cannot be seen as separate from the conditions under which learners are taught. If there is no elec-tricity at a school they can’t have comput-ers, photocopy machines or overhead pro-jectors. Without water supply leaners have to go the whole day without a drink or walk kilometres to reach water. Without a library learners cannot conduct research or read for pleasure. Without toilets learners have to wait all day to use their toilet at home or relieve themselves in the veld. Ensuring a basic level of infrastructure in all schools is an important step in bringing equality to the South African education system.

Thousands of people across the country have joined EE’s campaign. Learners, staff in schools, parents at home and communi-ties have rallied together to improve South Africa’s education system. In 2010 learn-ers fasted for 24 hours to draw attention to the lack of functioning libraries in South African schools. Last year EE held a sleep-in and candlelight vigil outside Parliament in Cape Town and 20,000 learners marched through Cape Town on Human Rights Day. Earlier this year EE decided to institute legal action against the Department for Basic Education to force them to set standards for school infrastructure. EE calls on all South Africans to join its campaign for equal and quality education. Contact EE at [email protected] or 021 387 0022.

The fight for the right to equal education

Kate Wilkinson


OPPOrTUNITIES

Applications close: 31 July (close)Bursaries are offered to Elec-tronic Engineering ,Computer Engineering and Computer Science study fields.Conditions of Bursary: Ser-vice binding contract after graduation for a period equal to the tenure of the bursary. Current students at university and Grade 12 learners can apply for this bursaries. Required Subjects :Maths and Science Enquiries :Administrator, Sen-tech Educational Fund, Private Bag X06, HONEYDEW 2040 : Fax: (011) 691-7119 or Tel: (011) 691-7080

Sentech Engineering and science bursaries

BUSARIES

Fields of study: Science, CommerceApplications close: 31 July (close)Bursaries are offered to BSc (Computer Science) and Commerce study fields.Conditions of Bursary: Ser-vice binding contract after graduation for a period equal to the tenure of the bursaryFor Bursaries: Must be resi-dents of Uitenhage and rural surrounding areasApplications available at: http://www.vw.co.za/Bursary enquiries: The Sec-retary, Volkswagen SA Ltd, PO Box 80, Uitenhage, 6230

Volkswagen Community Trust Bursary Scheme

Fields available: BA ma-joring in maths and sci-enceWho can apply: SA citi-zens intending to study full time at a South Afri-can universityRequirements: Matric ex-emption with maths and science, minimum D av-erage (HG)Applications and more info: c/o SAIRR, Bursa-ry department, PO Box 32597, Braamfontein, 2017, E-mail: [email protected] or Bursaries

SA Eagle Bursary

Fund

Applications closes August every year. If you interned to study Science ( BSc (Statis-tics) ) and commerce , you can request commerce and sci-ence bursary application forms by sending email to [email protected]. WHO CAN APPLY: Current students at university already studying BCom (Ac-counting) ,BBScience (Finance) ,BBScience (CA Stream), BCom (Economics) , Grade 12 learn-ers with South African ID num-ber, who are Permanent resi-dents in South Africa. Who have You can apply for this bursa-ries if you have Mathematics (HG), minimum B symbol and English (HG), minimum B sym-bol..more info on bursaries commerce and science

Coronation Study Trust Bursary Scheme for Com-merce and Science fields


OPPOrTUNITIES

Fields of study: BSc/BEng Civil, Mechanical and Electri-cal Engineering Applications open @ close: January @ July every year Applications avail-able at: www.ssi-dhv.com or [email protected] Bursary enquiries: Angenita van Tonder [email protected] Fields of Study Engineering and Built En-vironment. BEng or BSc Engi-neering (Mechanical). BEng or BSc Engineering (Electrical) BEng or BSc Engineering (Civil) Conditions of Bursary: Service binding contract after graduation for a period equal to the ten-ure of the bursary

SSI Engineers and En-vironmental Consultants (PTY) LTD

Fields available: All degrees appropriate to continue study towards a chartered ac-counting qualificationWho can apply: Scholars with a matric exemptionRequirements: Minimum C symbol for maths and Eng-lish (HG). Favourable AARP scores will be taken into con-siderationService contract: Three-year training contract on comple-tion of degreeApplications and more info: Office of the Auditor-General, PO Box 446, Pretoria, 0001, Apply Bursaries for 2013 on-line

Office of the Audi-tor-General

bursaries are offered to En-gineering, Science and Com-merce study field Applications closes June every year Ap-plications available at: Career Wise (see Resources sec-tion) Bursaries are offered to Engineering Computer and Computer Science study fields. Conditions of Bursary: Service binding contract after gradu-ation for a period equal to the tenure of the bursary For Bursaries: Mathematics (HG), minimum C symbol and Sci-ence (HG), minimum C symbol Bursary enquiries: http://www.csc.com/

Computer Sciences Cor-

poration (CSC) Bursary

Scheme

Fields available: All degree areas Who can apply: Pre-viously disadvantaged stu-dents with epilepsy Require-ments: Must be prepared to participate in epilepsy awareness programmes and act as role models Ap-plications and more info: c/o Epilepsy South Africa, PO Box 73, Observatory, 7935 Mick Leary bursaries for 2013 Application formNB: Most 2013 bursaries applications will be open on march 2012.

Mick Leary Educational Trust bursaries in South Africa


GENERAL JOBSOPPOrTUNITIES

INTERNSHIPS

The National Cleaner Produc-tion Centre of SA Internship Programme offers students in the field of engineering the opportunity to become part of this initiative and pro-gramme and gain valuable in-plant experience Require-ments: A 3-year National Di-ploma, Bachelor’s, BTech or Honours qualification in any engineering field. To apply, please go to www.csir.co.za/apply.php and select the rele-vant reference number, com-plete the application form and attach your CV. Closing date: 7 September 2012

Engineering Industries ship Programme

To qualify, you should be pas-sionate for the web, drive, a can-do-attitude, have a sense of humour, love tech news, trends and digital media. Understand the difference be-tween news writing and feature writing; excellent command of the English language; tertiary education or relevant industry experience.Have at least 50 Twitter follow-ersBe knowledgeable of Mac OS, Windows, iPhone and Android and be able to debate about these devicesTo apply, contact Michelle or Hendri on [email protected]

ditorial Intern

Requirements: Business science or B.comm degree preferred with specialisation in information systems. You must have excelled academically in your degree; strong IT skills and high level of comfort working with MS Of-fice (specifically advanced Excel skills); Attention to detail and abil-ity to focus on routine processes; Overarching desire to become an integral part of the fastest growing company in the world All Groupon internships are paid internships and you are eligible to join our subsidised medical aid scheme. For more information please visit www.grouponjobs.co.za Contact Wendy-Anne Bailey at Groupon South Africa on 021 201 7091.

GroupOn Business In-ternship

PHP 5+; Database development using MySQL and SQL Server; Basic understanding of Linux command line and shell scripting; CSS styling and page layoutMust have experience working with Wordpress. Some Drupal experience would be a big plus.These skills would be a big plus:Design skills; AJAX/Advanced Javascript and DOM model en-gineering; J2me, Android or Ob-jective CPersonality: Good com-munication; self-motivated, take initiative and be independent; Gen-uine interested and passionate about technology. GEEKS ONLY PLEASE!! To apply, mail cover-ing letter, CV, code examples and project examples to [email protected]

Creative Spark PHP Developer Internship


OPPOrTUNITIES

To qualify, you should be a Cape Town resident. Apply ONLY via email, phone-in candidates will not be considered. R.O.I. Media is looking for a young, self-driven extrovert with fantastic commu-nication and organisational skills. Qualifications: Marketing qualifica-tion or diploma; University gradu-ate; understanding of SEO, web, social media and mobile tech-nologies would be advantageous Only short list candidates will be contacted telephonically Please limit all contact to email cor-respondence only. R.O.I. Media [email protected] OR Apply with your Biz CV Create your CV once, and thereafter you can ap-ply to this ad and future job ads easily. Posted on 13 Aug 12:06

Digital Account Execu-tive - Internship

Fresh Brand Activation, is a band of creative, smart and experi-enced marketing and advertising professionals. Our “HQ” is based in Parklands, Cape Town and we are looking for a highly talented graphic design graduate to in-tern with us. So, if you have fresh ideas, fresh concepts, a fresh ap-proach and are seriously keen to get into the industry pronto, then this could be a great opportunity for you. Requirements A degree or diploma from a reputable uni-versity or college and Indesign, Photoshop and Illustrator skills. Advantageous: Digital experi-ence, Prezi presentations, great communication and presentation skills and ability to deliver under pressure. To apply, contact Ari Salvarto on 021 556 3867 or [email protected]

Graphic Design Intern

M-Net Magic Factory in Rand-burg, Gauteng is offering an exciting opportunity to an Em-ployment Equity (African Can-didates Only) to work as an In-tern: Unit Manger. The duration of the internship programme is six months; from October 2012 to March 2013 .The intern will be responsible for overseeing the Unit Department and its staff; li-aising between the crew and the Location/Set. The intern will also be responsible for managing all logistics in Basecamp and on Set/Location and will report into the position of Production Man-ager. Closing date: 7 Septem-ber 2012. For more information, please go to: http://multichoice.erecruit.co.za

Unit Manager Intern

M-Net Magic Factory is of-fering an exciting opportu-nity to an Employment Equity (African Candidates Only) to work as an Intern: Make @up Artist. The duration of the in-ternship programme is six months, from October 2012 to March 2013.The intern will be responsible for research-ing and compiling hair and make-up styles for all char-acters. This position will re-port into Mentor: Make-up Artist. Closing date: 7 Sep-tember 2012. For more infor-mation, please go to: http://multichoice.erecruit.co.za

Make-up Artist Intern


OPPOrTUNITIES

JOBS

The National Arts Council of South Af-rica is a funding institution for the arts. This entity of the Department of Arts and Culture also awards bursaries in arts fields such as theatre, dance, crafts, literature, music and visual arts; and it is currently inviting applica-tions from suitably qualified persons and educational institutions for the academic year of 2013..Closing date: 14 September 2012 Out-comes available on 09 December 2012 Application forms are available from the National Arts Council office or can be downloaded below: Bur-sary Application form 2013 Academic year For more information, contact the Arts Development Officers at the NAC office. Postal address: National Arts Council, PO Box 500, Newtown, 2113 Physical Address: 66 Margaret Mcingana Street, Market Theatre Pre-cinct, Newtown, 2113.

National Arts Council Bur-saries for Post-graduate and Undergraduate studies

Drake Personnel client based in Southern Suburbs is looking for a trainee assessment coordinator Must have: Matric Diploma/degree - advantageous SETA accredita-tion Min two years assessment role work experience within a training facility. Computer literate - Word, Excel Advance level (Graphs and spread sheets) Own car valid driv-ers’ licenceDuties: Ability to co-or-dinate, administer and manage all training assessment related func-tions in CT at a level of efficiency that will optimise the effectiveness of the Business Schools service delivery to its customers Please call Benita on 021 425 3300, please do not apply online, and call first http://za.drakeintl.com/default.aspx Con-tact details Benita van Wyk Drake Personnel 27 21 425 3300 [email protected]

Trainee Assessment Coordinator

A wonderful opportunity to learn, grow and self manage. My client has a culture of passion, eager-ness and willingness to learn and of course the fun of technology Requirements: @ Matric @ Relevant degree/diploma/courses @ Ja-vascript @ Jquery @ Perl @ HTML @ mySQL A strong numerical com-petency would be preferable. You will be working in a team but should show high levels of cre-ativity and initiative and be able to work without much supervision.For more information, call Sam on 021 551 0378 and send your CV to [email protected] (email subject line: SH Dev).Con-tact details Sam Nu Beginnings IT Recruitment Specialists 021 551 0378 [email protected]

Junior Developer

Highbury Safika Media is seeking to appoint a studio/photography man-ager for their in house photographic department that will report to the man-aging director.Key duties include:@ Manage in-house photographic team and studio @ Develop, manage and market HSMimages website @ Monitor internal and external billing in collabo-ration with HSM administration @ En-sure commissioned images meet legal and HSM requirements @ Generate stock image content for HSMimages @ Build and maintain a strong relationship with clients and agencies to establish trust and confi-dencePersonal Skills/Attributes @ Ex-cellent communication skills @ The abil-ity to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines @ Good leadership skills @ Attention to detail Contact details Jade Higgins Highbury Safika Media (Pty) Ltd [email protected]

Studio/Photography Man-ager


OPPOrTUNITIES

This position entails the conceptuali-sation and development of a wide variety of design elements which compliment variety client require-ments from packaging design, web-design (not the back-end), static design, signage design and layouts, vehicle graphics and the like. De-veloping design solutions which are consistent throughout collateral ele-ments required, and using your un-derstanding of business outcomes for our clients is essential. The suc-cessful incumbent will have the abil-ity to multi-task, and switch quickly from one job to another in this high paced environment.Personal Skills/Attributes People’s person, who is punctual, friendly and not satisfied until the job is done - even if it means putting in a few extra hours. Contact d tailsCIndy Betteridge Logogistics [email protected]

Mid-Weight Designer

- Recruiting and booking of pro-moters to work in-store promo-tions and events. - Distributing promotional items to promoters as per distribution list. - Ensure the effective completion of the cam-paigns according to the company standards. - Supervising all cam-paigns over weekends and week days. - Recruitment of promot-ers on an on-going basis as per set target, and according to client standards. Requirements Must be able to work long hours if need-ed. Excellent crisis management skills. PC literate (Word, Excel and PowerPoint)Excellent communica-tions skills, professional approach. Thorough planning and scheduling Attention to detail. Must be able to handle pressure. Must have own vehicle. Contact details Coral. Key-note Communications [email protected]

Regional Promotions Assistant

This Cape Town based company is looking for a computer technician to join their team. Requirements Quali-fications and accreditations- MSDT (MCSA preferred) or relevant tertia-ry education will be advantageous.- A+ certification will be an added ad-vantage.- Minimum of 2 (two) years’ experience in Windows 7 and XP desktop support environment includ-ing application support.- Experience in antivirus software and Sophos.- Experience in printer troubleshoot-ing skills. Please e-mail a word copy of your CV to [email protected] and mention the reference numbers of the jobs. We have a list of jobs on http://www.datafin.com DataFin IT Recruitment - Cape Town Jobs.Contact detailsRita Broodryk Datafin021 409 [email protected]

Computer Technician@ The requirements for the Depart-ment of Social Development Social Work scholarship are as follows:@Be a South African Citizen@Comply with the entry requirements set by the University @Fully and cor-rectly complete the Scholarship Ap-plication form @Be prepared to enter into an agreement with the Depart-ment (More details will be contained in the agreement) @Must complete the qualification within the minimum period as prescribed by the University What should I attach to the application form?The department insists that you attach the following: Certified copy of Grade 12 results Certified copy of Identity Document of applicant Certified copy of ID and Proof of income of Parent/ Guardian Certified copy of Identity Document of applicant Certified copy of Academic record on the official let-terhead of the University (If already a student Closing date is 31 October 2012.

2013 Social Work Schol-arship @ Department of Social Development


OPPOrTUNITIES

JOBS

Closing Date: 13 September Programme Executive (Broadband Project) at Department of Eco-nomic Development and Tourism in Cape Town Sub-Category: project manager EXCITING OPPORTUNI-TIES FOR PERSONS WHO WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE POSITIVE ABOUT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. Programme Executive (Broadband Project) (3 year contract position) Cape Town Remuneration : All-in-clusive salary package of R 1 076 619 p.a. (Salary Level 15), highly negotiable. (Ref: SMS 20/2012/IT) Disabled candidates are encour-aged to apply and an indication in this regard would be appreciated. Closing Date 8 June 2012 For more information and to apply please visit “Western Cape Government Jobs”:http://www.westerncape.gov.za/jobs

Programme Ex-ecutive (Broadband Project)

Employer of choice is seeking C@ developers to be involved in a variety of development projects, including the building of web and desktop applications. This is a cutting-edge environment that en-courages constant learning and growth as a developer.Email Lee-Ann on [email protected] or call her on 011 463 3633 to discuss this and oth-er opportunities. www.e-merge.co.za Requirements @ IT related tertiary education @ At least two years commercial development experience within the .Net Frame-work @ Strong C@ and ASP.Net development experience @ Expe-rience in web services @ A deep understanding of RDBMS Contact details Lee-ann Wood e-Merge IT Recruitment [email protected]

Developers

@ A tertiary qualification in market-ing/three-year diploma@ Proven competence in advanced desktop publishing programs @ Proven ex-perience in marketing communica-tions@ Proven organisational skills@ Well-developed written and verbal English skills, and presentation skills@ Staff supervision experience.Multilingual skills will be advanta-geous..The annual remuneration package, including benefits, is be-tween R238, 359 and R322, 428.E-mail: [email protected]; Telephone: +27 21 650 5084 IAPO website: http://www.uct.ac.za/about/iapo/overview/welcome/The application form can be down-loaded athttp://web.uct.ac.za/depts/sapweb/forms/hr201.docContact detailsLily Nombombo University of Cape Town 27 21 650 [email protected]

Communications/Mar-keting Coordinator - SIC

My client based in Ottery is looking for a safety health environment and quality manager within manufacturing. Must have: -@ Matric @ Degree/diplo-ma in an engineering/manufacturing related discipline @ SHE and quality formal qualification (degree/diploma),@ Qualified /courses done in - ISO 9001/OHAS18001/ISO14001 - All three and active work experience three and a half years (implement and compliance)@ Own transport essential@ Able to travel when required@ Requirements - Min three and a half years as a SHEQ manager within a manufacturing concern, @ Duties: - @ Manage staff, train staff, @ Implement health, safety and environment poli-cies and regulations, @ High desire of achieving excellence in customer satisfaction, @ Process and product quality and reliability.@ Computer liter-ate - ability to do reports, graphs and charts @ Preference to AA/EE appli-cants.Contact details Benita van Wyk Drake Personnel 27 21 425 [email protected]

SHE and Quality Man-ager


OPPOrTUNITIES

A very successful ad agency in Cape Town has a vacancy for a digital pro-ducer.The successful applicant will be heading up the producer team and managing the studio’s workflow and process, whilst enjoying working on top brands.Three year relevant degree/diploma @ A minimum of three years related work experience as a digital producer. @ Passion for digital commu-nication @ Excellent Project management skills@ Strong sense of team @ Excellent attention to detail @ Excellent written and oral communication skills @ Strong tech-nical knowledge of front and back end web technologies @ Experience in deliv-ering website builds and social media campaigns @ Strong understanding of marketing principles and requirements and their relation to user experience @ Strong desire to keep up to date with emerging technologies @ Ability to in-spire, communicate and collaborate with colleagues and agency partners @ Strong problem solving skills

Digital Production Man-ager

My client is an innovative and ambi-tious market leader intent on grow-ing their global presence. They are a leading supplier of on-line payment and fraud screening Services. They are looking for someone to maintain and develop their Applications Re-quirements @ Matric@ Experience in C@ or VB .NET @ MS .NET language @ Java and or VB 6 advantageous @ Formal training in development @ Di-ploma with Computer Science and/or Business Systems as majors. @ Minimum 5 years development expe-rience @ Windows development using MS .NET language. Preferably C@ or VB .NET. Knowledge of Java and/or VB 6 an advantage.@ Exposure to MS SQL Server or equivalent RDBMS @ Development of applications making use of Structured Query Language @ Systems analysis and design work Contact details Kaylee Nu Beginnings IT Recruitment Specialists 021 551 0378 [email protected]

Application Developer

- Relevant tertiary qualification in marketing, communications or jour-nalism. Experience and skills- Two years working experience in a digital/online marketing capacity including practical experience in cre-ating and executing on social media strategy on Facebook and Twitter and preferably Pinterest. - Experi-ence in managing email marketing campaigns. - Extensive knowledge of social media space (Facebook, Twit-ter, Pinterest, Google +). - Knowledge of email marketing.- Actively partici-pate in social media personally.- Experience in copywriting, journal-ism and/or public relations.- Experi-ence as a brand manager will be an added advantage. - Exposure to working with retail brands and/or within a direct marketing environ-ment will be an added advantage. Contact details Rita Broodryk Datafin 021 409 7820 [email protected]

Social Media and Email Planner

Matric - essential B.Comm Degree or similar - essential. Drivers licence and own reliable vehicle - essential. Must be a South African National - essen-tial. Seven years experience within a Client Services environmentin pro-fessional services/financial services/legal/corporate head office environ-ment. (No chancers please). Ability to analysing and manipulate information, working with spreadsheets and da-tabases and understanding the logic relating to date e.g. fields, filtering and search queries. A hands on approach in terms of practically and physically delivering what is required e.g. mov-ing boxes, dead filing, walking the floor, retrieving unused (excess) stationery, delivering/collecting urgent documents, being available after-hours. Willingness to serve others. Exceptional computer literacy in MS OFFICE suite. Phone Ve-ronica on 021 425 3300 during office hoursVeronica Drake International 27 21 425 3300

ice Services Team Lead-er/Supervisor


When Bridgitte Hartley crossed the line in third place in the women’s K1 kayak 500m sprint in London, she

not only put South Africa on the map by cre-ating history, but she also made a significant number of fellow South African’s sit up and take note of the sport.

South Africa is blessed to boast some world class Dusi, Fish River and Berg River canoe

marathons, which are often coined the most extreme courses with grade V sections. In case you’re wondering, grades are the dif-ferent river levels that change with flow. They are arranged in numbers, with the highest one holding the most difficultly ac-cording to the International Scale of River Difficulty. Top paddlers Thulani Mbanjwa and Sibonelo Zondi are products of devel-opment initiatives that have assisted young people from disadvantaged communities to

participate in the sport, fostering social co-hesion with the so-called “elite” in the area. And according to the KZN Canoe Union, where the Unlimited Disi Canoe Marathon is held, resolutions in the reintroduction of sport as part of the school curriculum have resulted in identifying paddling as one of the sport codes in their schools.

Even so, concern from our national team locker room rings on with regards to coach-

Often besotted with the marathon races at the Olympics, water sports finally made its way to the dinner table through inspirational stories that aroused a little interest

Canoeists paddle SA onto the map

Noluvuyo Bacela

sport


es. “We have very few coaches in South Africa, so there are smaller groups all over S.A training together, but we have not had national team training camps for a long time,” says Kayak Olympian Tiffany Kruger. Hartley was fortunate enough to travel with coach, Nandor Almasi, who also doubles as the Austrian coach. This enabled her to train in Europe with her rivals, courtesy of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee.

Kruger followed a separate path to the Games, starting with a camp held by the International Canoe Federation in Poland

ahead of the first World Cup. She had been training at the Natal Canoe Club in Pieter-maritzburg before heading to Europe with her Hungarian coach Attila Adrovicz. She was part of the large domestic elite squad that spent two years preparing for Olympic qualification. Kruger urges the SASCOS to understand that canoeists need infrastruc-ture and coaches and to cut out much of the travel to Europe. “If they can do that we will soon have others ready to do what Bridge (Hartley) achieved in London and maybe even better.”

So far canoeists Hartley and Kruger, who represented us in the Olympics, mark the prestigious event the biggest highlight in their careers. “This is what every athlete dreams of. It’s the most amazing thing that has hap-pened in my life so far,” says Hartley. And Kruger notes it was the pinnacle of their sporting careers because it’s where they all go to test themselves. “I believe the big Canoeing SA residential squad that was ini-tially selected started a very good base for many of the sprinters

in South Africa, it encouraged the athletes and gave them opportunities to be able to reach their goals. Having a big squad also motivated the athletes to always perform at their best,” she says.

Coach Nandor says he firmly believes that the dedication and discipline required for paddling gives people a confidence in them-selves which carries over to all aspects of their lives particularly for those interested in losing weight. “It’s a chance to work and so-cialise with a team whilst getting the oppor-tunity to have a great upper body through having an aerobic workout, honing your co-ordination, flexibility and patience.” Pullquote : “We have very few coaches in South Africa so there are smaller groups all over S.A training together but we have not had national team training camps for a long time”.- Tiffany Kruger

sports


TRAVEL

Hundreds of kilometers of unspoiled escarpment await more and more people who are discovering a desire

for them, and a powerful solace in them. At the bottom, mountains, like all wildernesses, challenge our complacent conviction. The magic and mystery of the Drakensberg is alluring, captivating and breathtakingly beautiful. A heritage that South Africa is truly contented with. That very heritage in South Africa teaches us to embrace the wis-dom and the cultural diversity of this land. We are fortunate to learn and grow and celebrate what is ‘proudly South African.’ Our history has offered an opportunity to keep moving forward no matter what.

From the massive basalt cliffs of its northern reaches to the soaring sandstone buttress-es in the south, the Drakensberg offers a myriad of delights. Spectacular views and a multitude of activities along with rich histori-cal value draws many annually to witness its beautiful vistas, prolific flora and fauna, crisp mountain air and crystal clear waters.

The Drakensberg is divided into three sec-tions. The northern Drakensberg, which runs from the Golden Gate Highlands National Park to the Royal National Park, and includes towns such as Harrismith and Bergville. The central Drakensberg’s main feature is Gi-ant’s Castle Game Reserve which is the largest national park in the area. Northwest of Giant’s Castle is the Cathedral Peak wil-derness area. And the towns of Bergville, Estcourt and Winterton are all adjacent to the central Drakensberg. The southern re-gion runs down to the Transkei. This area is less developed than the others, but is no less spectacular. There’s a huge wilderness area, and the Sani Pass route into southern Lesotho.

Stretching along the whole of KwaZulu-Natal’s western boundary it’s no wonder the Zulus call it ‘Ukhahlamba” - the barrier of spears - and the Voortrekkers called the Drakensberg ‘The Dragon Mountain

A Mountain`s Legacy Rehana Rutti


TRAVEL

best time to visit The best time to visit the Drakensberg is usu-ally in the spring (September, October and November) as well as in autumn (March, April and May) when there is stable weath-er. You might want to stay away during the other two seasons because summer is char-acterised by dramatic thundershowers, and in winter it can get very cold with snow. Where to stay Accommodation in the Drakensberg Moun-tains is plentiful and includes B&B’s, hotels, and guest houses. If you’re more of the ad-venturous type, there are also options like camping and caravanning, self-catering, bush camps, lodges and resorts.

what you can get up toYou can try your hand at almost anything in the Drakensberg Mountains, from easy, guided walks and fly fishing to rock climb-ing and hot air balloon rides over hidden valleys. You’ll also marvel at the towering cliffs, unspoilt forests, soaring peaks and rich animal life, including eagles and eland. You can swim in crystal clear rivers, explore the area by mountain bike or just chill and enjoy the glorious vistas. Golf courses, spas, and a range of cute coffee shops, funky craft shops, art studios, breweries, cheese factories and other rural delights complete the list of at

tractions. There is truly, something for eve-ryone.

did you know?* In 2000, The Drakensberg Mountain be-came a world heritage site.* The Drakensberg majestic mountain range is Southern Africa’s highest range and its highest peak is 3 482m* The site’s diversity of habitats protects a high level of endemic and globally threat-ened species, especially plants and birds with the rare bearded vulture, being one of the real mega-ticks of the area.* This spectacular natural site also contains many caves and rock-shelters with the larg-est and most concentrated group of paint-ings in Africa south of the Sahara, made by the San people over a period of 4,000 years. * The rock paintings are outstanding in qual-ity and diversity of subject and in their de-piction of animals and human beings. They represent the spiritual life of the now extinct San people.


The conservation and protection of the elephant is vital in supporting the future of these beloved crea-tures. Elephants are considered to

be a keystone species and play key role in the ecosystem. They only use 40% of their daily vegetation intake, leaving undigested or partly digested vegetation in their feces. This undigested vegetation generates new plant growth as it is deposited on the el-ephant’s travels.

It is estimated that at least one-third of the tree species in West Africa rely on the el-ephant’s digestive system for germination. Elephants impact the environment in various

ways. Their migration patterns create trails that other animals and humans use to travel. And they use their tusks to dig wells, gener-ating multiple water sources throughout the habitat. The large size of the elephant brings down vegetation, which then becomes more accessible to smaller species.

Threats facing the elephant One of the major threats facing elephants is poaching. Between 1979 and 1989, the worldwide demand for ivory caused the el-ephant population to dramatically decrease. According to wildlife experts, 2011 was the deadliest year for elephants since 1989. More than 24 tons of ivory has been seized

from carcasses that have been slaughtered across Africa and Asia. Africa’s elephant populations have been cut in half due to poaching fueled by ivory sales. In 1977, 1.3 million elephants lived in Africa, by 1997, only 600 000 remained.

In 1990, the Convention on International Trade in endangered species (CITES) im-posed a ban on international ivory sales. In 1997, CITES voted to partially lift the trade restrictions to allow Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to sell stockpiled ivory to Ja-pan. Many conservation groups, however, fear that this will rekindle poaching through-out the elephant population.

The slaughter of elephants for their ivory tusks is a vile crime that should be dealt with more effectively. Because of poaching the elephant population is decreasing, posing a threat to the rest of the environment.

Save the elephantsAubrena Armstrong

Green Zone


Despite the efforts of wildlife conservation groups, the illegal slaughter of elephants is on the rise Officials say around 5000 elephants have been killed by poachers over the past five years around the Noua-bale Ndoki National Park in the Republic of Congo.

Humans and elephants There have been incidents where elephants have been violent towards people. This has caused a great deal of elephant- human conflict. Because of rapid growth of the hu-man population, there has been an increase in settlement development. Some human settlements are located near or on ele-phant habitat and this has forced elephants to become domesticated.

When we hear stories of these animals being violent there aren’t incidents of ele-phants attacking people without being pro-voked. For the most part, elephants react well to humans, yet they won’t tolerate be-ing treated terribly. Humans have to under-stand that they are imposing on the natural habitat of the elephants.

Humans are the only real predators of el-ephants. The fact that we continue to de-stroy the natural habitat where these ani-mals live is upsetting. Thanks to the efforts of many conservation groups, pressure is being placed on governments and on society to

stop these changes and indecencies. Only

time will tell if their efforts are enough to make it successful or not. There are many ways in which you can help this injustice towards the elephant popula-tion. You can start by opposing the sale of any items sold at any animal’s expense, and ensure the protection of a species.

did you know?* The elephant is distinguished by its high level of intelligence, interesting behavior, methods of communication and complex so-cial structure.

* Elephants seem to be fascinated with the tusks and bones of dead elephants, fondling and examining them. The myth that they car-ry them to secret “elephant burial grounds,” however, has no factual base.

* Elephants are very social, frequently touching and caressing one another and entwining their trunks.

* Elephants demonstrate concern for mem-bers of their families. They take care of weak or injured members and appear to grieve over a dead companion.

green zone


Cohesion in the world of physics is a force that holds together the atoms or mol-ecules in a solid or liquid, as distinguished from adhesion. As a non scientist, that sounds like a load of hogwash to me. In layman terms it is the act or fact of form-ing a united whole. Now with regards to gadgets, I’ve selected a few gadgets which I think would help you and your lover would enjoy either together or stop you from physically pulling each other’s teeth out.

GADGETS

Gadgets that do more than expected

Mawetu Matyila

the xbox 720

kymaro`s rechargeable hair straightener

Ladies the XBOX 720 is purely for the happiness and joy of your male coun-terpart. It is due to be released in 2013 and has been deemed to be the pio-

neer of new gaming, with rumours of it also hav-ing a TV connection. Your man will not bother you when you need not be bothered.

Stereotypes aside, Ladies love their hair. And men love their ladies’ hair. So what better way of making both parties happy? Kymaro’s Recharge-

able hair straightener will definitely achieve this by giving your lady super smooth, silky long hair in a matter of minutes. Whenever. Wherever.

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GADGETS

iphone 5

autodrive mini car usb flash drive

In establishing absolute unity, communication is the most pivotal tool. Without communication you and your other half are doomed. The iP-hone 5 is the perfect tool of communication

as it embeds a world of apps. It has also been voted the peoples favourite gadget since the very first one was released. The rumoured re-lease date is September 12.

These are high quality scaled-down ex-act replicas of the original cars such as Lamboghini, Mini Coopers and the Audi TT. Each car shaped USB drive

comes with 4GB flash memory, and features nice details and beautiful colours. Once the mini car is plugged into USB port, the headlights will light up. Apart from that the USB connector on AutoDrive can retract so it doubles as a toy car.

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GADGETS

the boogie board paperless lcd writing tablet

airstash wireless flash drive

When you first hear the term boogie board you automati-cally think about those little foam boards you use to ride waves.

But this is a different kind of board. The Boogie Board Paperless LCD Writing Tablet takes going green to another level. It’s basically a replace-ment for a pen and paper to take notes, jot down ideas, draw pictures, or play games. And you can easily erase your image with the touch of button. The Boogie Board tablet is an ultra 1/8 inch thin and is easy to take with you in a purse, scheduler or backpack. Write or draw with the included stainless steel stylus or any other suitable instrument, even your finger. You’ll never need to search for a pen or pencil again.

Everyone loves extra storage and eve-ryone hates cables, so whenever a de-vice promises some extra wiggle room with no strings attached what’s not to

love. Air stash is one part wireless flash drive, one part media streamer and all things versa-tile. The flash drive lets you expand the capac-ity of your mobile device up to 32GB at a time through swappable SD cards freeing up local storage for apps. The Airstash also has a built-in web server for file sharing and up to eight peo-ple can connect to the same one simultaneously. It gives you the freedom to enjoy movies, TV shows, and music wherever you are.

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GADGETS

GADGETS

the magic cube virtual keyboard

jabra street 2

beewi - bluetooth controlled car

The Magic Cube is a compact and versatile product. It’s a projection keyboard and multi-touch mouse, all in one easy-to-use product. It easily

connects to the latest iPad, iPhone and android devices. The Magic Cube wirelessly pairs with your mobile device which will enable the virtual keyboard and Mouse.

Jabra Street 2 is designed to merge all your music but at the same time maintain your above standard swag. Jabra is a dog tag which handles your multi me-

dia and voice calls, hands free. It not only looks good, its sounds great too.

The BeeWi-Bluetooth controlled car is sheer driving pleasure of your male or female counterpart. It’s a Bluetooth controlled car which is controlled to

your android or symbian phone via Bluetooth and then away you go. This can be a lot of fun around any office and even be a delivery vehi-cle of office supplies.

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REVIEWS

reviews book

T his is an autobiography by Jay Naidoo where he tells the story of a young Indian boy growing up during the apartheid era. For

a long time he didn’t pay attention to his background and identity and saw himself as a black South African fighting for a free South Africa for all. Indians in general were suffering from an identity crisis. Born South African but from Indian descent. He tells the remarkable story of his great-grandmother who came to South Africa on a Ship so long ago. Tracing his history from this amazing woman helped him to find his true identity. This is a story of a man who dedicated his life to the fight for justice in South Africa. This book shows the strength of a man who knew what was right and was prepared to go the extra mile. It’s a moving story about the struggle for justice and freedom in a country riddled with pain and sorrow and a hunger for an equal life for all.

K athryn Spink writes about an organisation named Black Sash formed in 1955 by a group of white middle-aged, middle-

class, liberal-minded English ladies who met for tea on 19 May 1955 to discuss the inequalities and injustices that were felt by the non-whites in South Africa. Within 24 hours of their meeting they had assembled a group of women who were ready for ac-tion. They had a petition drawn up to fight against the Senate Bill that was devised to prohibit black votes. The Black Sash ladies went on to do amazing work during the Apartheid years holding peaceful demon-strations and over –night vigils whenever the government made a decision that was against the constitution. It is an insightful and powerful story about a group of wom-en who were determined to do the right thing and held firm in their belief that we are all the same and therefore should be treated as such. The book is more than just a window to South Africa’s interesting his-tory; it is a recount of a painful era that inspired this group of women to be the heroines of apartheid.

T his is a thought provoking book and some may go as far as call-ing it a text book. Nonetheless it touches on important issues that

we as South Africans have to deal with on a day-to-day basis. Inter-group relations looks at a wide range of personal, inter-personal and social issues from psychologi-cal and ideological perspectives. An inter-group relation is based on research that the authors have done. It talks about how people from different backgrounds interact with one another, and the way segrega-tion has become a part of life. Interesting topics like land and gender with regards to women’s work are also discussed. An-other interesting topic that is discussed in the book is homelessness. The numbers of people on the street makes this issue a critical social problem. The identification of homelessness chapter is a must-read. This book gives an educated perspective to the social issues that we deal with everyday. The authors have done research on a lot of different topics or issues that impact our daily lives.

books of change Black Sash: The be-ginnings of a bridge

in South Africa

Fighting for Justice Inter-Group Rela-

tions By: Kathryn Spink

By: Jay NaidooBy: Marilynn B Brewer

& Norman Miller

Ayanda Cokoto


REVIEWS

H aving written songs for acts like the Sugababes, Leona Lewis and Cheryl Cole it’s no wonder Emeli Sande album Our Version

of Events topped the charts in the United Kingdom. The album was released in Feb-ruary this year, and won her the Critics Choice Award at the BRITS Awards 2012. Her first official single ‘Heaven’ peaked at number two in UK singles charts, later becoming an international success chart-ing within the top ten globally. Her third single ‘Next To Me’ became a global an-them charting in the top five both in the USA and the UK. The entire album lives to the hype that has preceded it and is filled with well crafted, expertly produced love songs. However one of the songs that stand out is “Clown” which was written during her struggle to sign a record label. A re-release of the album is due out later this year and will include three new songs. It goes without saying that Emeli Sande is an artist to look out for.

D uo Amy Heidemann and Nick Noonan are Karmin and gained worldwide success with their sin-gle ‘Broken-hearted’. Previously

known for their covers which include Chris Brown’s “Look at me now” and Nicki Mi-naj’s “Super Bass”, the couple have finally released their debut album “Hello” through Epic Records. The album embarks on a pop journey that will leave you breathless. The albums lead single “Brokenhearted” show-cased Karmin’s fun and poppy mainstream sound as well as their quirky rap pieces which have been compared to rap sensa-tion Nicki Minaj. The song hello is a feel good track that proves that the new sensa-tion is definitely worth a listen.

S outh Africa’s latest sensation Moneoa has released her first official single ‘Is’bhanxa’ which has taken SA by storm. The

22-year-old Moneoa hails from Durban and is a professional dancer turned vocal-ist. She stepped into the music scene when she was featured on former Skwata Camp member SugaSmax’s song ‘Take It Easy’. In her new single, Moneoa describes her dis-appointment of being in love with a guy who is, well ’just really not that into her‘. Her strong storytelling ability is displayed through a narrative she sings with male vo-calist Shatti. The ballad is deeply intimate and tells the story of a man who has been trapped in a dark place looking for the right lady to light up his life. The single is lifted from her debut album “Coming From Going To” and her voice is paradoxically chilling, yet soothing. And her music is an interesting blend of afro pop and neo-soul delivered through a rare, vulnerable emo-tional catharsis.

Karmin – Hello

Emeli Sande – Our Version of

Events Moneoa – Is’bhanxa

reviews music

musical enchantmentBaphe Phukwana


REVIEWS

reviews movie

S uper hero comic books birthed the bookworm in me as a young boy, sadly though there has not always been a great culture of

comic books in the country as reflected by the film. Super helde is an Afrikaans film about a comic book store under threat of being closed. The owners and workers of the store, all comic book enthusiasts, fight to keep the store open while a villainous property buyer seeks only to demolish the place. It’s a race against time as the young owners and artists band together to come up with a grand idea that will save the store with the entire community behind them. So the heroes who are played by Ivan Botha and Niel Sharim take up their imaginary capes and conquer their fears to overcome the challenges. Director Stefan Nieuwoudt makes use of the graphic novel artworks in the film, which add a quirky and funny dimension. It’s not necessarily my kind of humour, but it has its moments and looks like it was as much fun making it as it was watching it.

L eon Schuster is at it again, this time with Kenneth Nkosi. He’s puts together a classic story of Mzansi folklore, Boetie and the Beast.

Boetie is played by Schuster himself and Beast is portrayed by Nkosi. Schuster is quoted saying the film has a thin plot and is thickened by classic Schuster style pranks. The plot being Boetie and Beast embark-ing on a road trip from KZN to Gauteng, flavoring the film with a scenic reflection of Mzansi’s beauty, a kind of Sho’t Left meets Schuster slapstickery. When looked at with a simple eye for enjoyment sake, the film is sure to have you in stitches. Just don’t read too deeply into it as some film experts would. Schuster always makes it a point to have South Africans laughing at ourselves, all the stereotypes we attach to our society, which also serves as a form of edu-tainment purposes. Perhaps Schuster’s formula is one that serves us best, it seems we learn best when we laugh.

Super HeldeMad Buddies

Lerato Kuzwayo

the love bombs film festival explodes in cape town

W hen I dug into the local crate I found the DVD of the movie Drum, which is directed by Zola Maseko

and stars Taye Diggs who plays Henry Nx-umalo in the film. Having Hollywood stars acting in African films always baffles me, even though it reflects the seriousness with which the international market takes our stories. The Story of Drum Magazine is an inspirational one for both writers and read-ers. The story takes us through the life of Mr Drum - Henry Nxumalo and his family re-lationships, along with business friendships that include the greats of South African literature such as Can Themba, played by Tumisho Masha. The Cast is a strong one and the Story reflects a history we all ought to remember.The Sophiatown vibrations are palpable through the screens, we are car-ried into a world of Shebeen queens and Jazz Songstresses with velvet voices and exquisite dresses to match. The story reflects the style of the time, despite the fact that black people were living an oppressive ex-istence. These are the great beginnings of humble men destined and bound to be our history’s literary greatness, a true inspira-tion for all writers.

Drum

mzanzi movies


REVIEWS

reviews festival the love bombs film

festival explodes in cape town

With at least 1200 movie goers making their way to the Labia Theatre this past August, The Love

Bombs Film Festival was a major success. The short films, produced by the Film Kru of Joshua Generation Church, were shown to sold out audiences throughout their run.The film festival showcased three locally produced short films - ‘The Second Day’, ‘iBalaclava’ and ‘The Prodigal’ which are hard hitting, and cover a range of genres, from science fiction to action and experi-mental drama. Movie-goers loved the films and were impressed with the produc-tion value of the local production despite the small budget. Director of iBalaclava, Neville Sandama, says while growing up, he faced various challenges, but he never gave up. And in his pursuit to become a film maker, he was and still is challenged in many ways. But he remained focused on his dream and never allowed himself to get discouraged. “Many of the people within the townships can relate to the lead role, because his story is a common one. So I really feel that this film can be used as a powerful tool to accomplish God’s purpose within peo-

ples’ lives,” he says. While Michael-John Phillip, director of The Prodigal says his film tells a story about liv-ing in darkness and realising that it is not all it’s ‘cracked up’ to be. “In fact, the dark can be a pretty lonely and depressing place. For me, this film is about redemp-tion.”And director of The Second Day,Howard James Fyvie, says one of his highlights on set was seeing 120 extras show up in full post-apocalyptic wardrobe, screaming and chanting, and giving it their all. “The team, the crew, people all sacrificing so much, and doing it with a smile on their faces – all volunteers. “On the opening night Howard shared in greater detail about what it meant to be part of the Love Bombs project, with 300 volunteers from across Cape Town, com-ing together with the hope of changing lives ... one film at a time. The next Love Bombs event will be on the 14th-15th September at the Labia on Or-ange. For more information and to book your ticket go to www.lovebombs.co.za .

Naomi Meyer

86 IMBO/ ISSUE 8/ 2012 GIG GUIDE

Venue: Grand West, Grand ArenaDate: Wed 12 September 20:00pmPrice: R285.00

Venue: GoodHope CenterDate: Sat 1 September 13:00 pmPrice: R50.00

Jonathan Butler Evolution

Hip Hop Kaslam Awards

Hip Hop Indaba

ABDULLAH IBRAHIM SOLO PIANO

Music

Comedy

Lifestyle

Venue: Everard Read GalleryDate: 18 – 22 September 19:15 pmPrice: R250.00

Venue: Baxter Theatre, Concert HallDate: Sat 15 September 17:00 pmPrice: R40.00

87IMBO/ ISSUE 8/ 2012GIG GUIDE

Siv Ngesi presents RACE

THE FNB VARIÉTÉ FESTIVAL

Trevor Noah – That–s Racist

Rocking the Daisies 2012

Whiskey Live Festival

McGregor Food and Wine Festival

BOSMAN RELEASE WEEKEND

Jou Ma Se Comedy Club

Venue: The Baxter theatre Date: 3 October 20:15 pmPrice: R80.00 – R100.00

Venue: The Baxter TheatreDate: Sunday, 14 October at 16:00 pmPrice: R180.00

Venue: The Baxter Theatre Date: 17 to 27 October 10:00am– 3:00pmPrice: R180.00

Venue: Cloof Wine EstateDate: 4 to 7 October All weekendPrice: R520.00 – R600.00

Venue: CTICCDate: 3 - 5 October 18:00 pm to 22:00 pmPrice: N/A

Venue: Lelienfontein Farm, Wellington Date: Mon 24 September 11:30 amPrice: R300.00

Venue: Players Café at The River Club in ObservatoryDate: Every Thursday Time: 8:30pmPrice: R80.00/R40.00

Venue: McGregor, NG Church Hall and MarqueeDate: 1 September Price: N/A


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Imbo Magazine September 2012

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