Business

The HUAWEI MatePad T 10s 64GB: the ideal tablet for families

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Once considered a tool dedicated to the on-the-go businessperson, smart tablets have now evolved beyond specialist workplace equipment to become a mainstay within the family home. Designed as an affordable, high quality and durable tablet, the HUAWEI MatePad T 10s is ideally designed to meet the whole family’s entertainment and educational needs.

The HUAWEI MatePad T 10s runs on an octa-core Kirin 710A processor, allowing seamless switching between your social media, multimedia and other apps. And for the first time, the novel App Multiplier enables the user to split one app into two windows for easy viewing. Alongside this, supported by the latest version of Huawei’s Android-based operating system EMUI 10.1, the HUAWEI MatePad T 10s is a great way to access all your music and movies on its 10.1-inch Full HD 1920 x 1200 display. Alongside powerful dual loudspeakers, the HUAWEI Histen 6.1 surround sound feature, Harman Kardon tuning, and long-lasting 5100mAh high capacity battery, the whole family will relish the truly immersive audio-visual experience this Huawei tablet provides.

The students and learners in the family will be happy to know that they can say goodbye to harsh, glaring blue screens, as the HUAWEI MatePad T 10s uses an in-built Low Blue Light eye protection feature, swapping the discomfort of harmful blue light for warmer, softer tones designed for reading. While working on the HUAWEI MatePad T 10s, whether brushing up on your vocabulary using a study app, writing up homework, or reading an eBook, limiting harsh blue light exposure can help ensure a better night’s sleep and establish a steadier sleep cycle.

The HUAWEI MatePad T 10s is built to be used on the go, with a Micro SD slot allowing external storage of up to 512GB. Teenagers and young children in particular can enjoy  enormous download and storage potential to bring multimedia entertainment with them wherever they go. What’s more, with a premium metal body and shock-resistant glass, this tablet can handle every kind of challenge that family life throws at it.

For the youngsters in the family, Kids Corner is an exciting feature that turns your HUAWEI MatePad T 10s into a creative, educational and entertainment companion, keeping children engaged and stimulating their creativity with four simple pre-installed features – the camera, voice recorder, multimedia player and painting tools. Kids Corner issues 6 kinds of protective pop-up alerts to ensure that children use it in the safest possible way, both in terms of their posture and their eye health, for example when a child is holding the device too close to their eyes. Parents also have full control over their children’s access to particular apps from AppGallery, as well as being able to limit times and intervals of use of the HUAWEI MatePad T10s.

This new tablet is also equipped with Huawei Share, which can transfer photos, videos and other files between Huawei devices at speeds of up to 150MBps, all without using a single bit of data. The HUAWEI MatePad T 10s promises an exciting array of inclusive multimedia and essential features for all the family and, thanks to its large storage and quality build, it can be enjoyed anywhere by anyone.

The HUAWEI MatePad T 10s’ combination of immersive entertainment, powerful productivity, long-lasting battery life, elegant industrial design, and an attractive price point, the HUAWEI MatePad T 10s is definitely a device to consider, which can satisfy all of the family’s digital needs.

Available in Deepsea Blue, the HUAWEI MatePad T 10s, with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, can now be purchased for just R4,499 from the Huawei Store (Online) or Incredible Connection. The HUAWEI MatePad T 10s is also available from MTN, Vodacom, Telkom and Cell C on a 24-month or 36-month contract. The tablet comes with a free flip cover valued at R699.

15-minute neighbourhood trend on the rise across SA

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The ’15-minute neighbourhood’ concept may not be new, but since COVID-19 hit our shores it is certainly a trend that has had new life breathed into it within South Africa’s property market. Add to that the current spike in fuel costs and you have the perfect conditions for this lifestyle trend to grow and flourish. Rainmaker Marketing’s Director, Stefan Botha, whose award-winning agency specialises in the property sector, shares his insights about why SA is experiencing this growing property trend.

There is no question that convenience is key and the work from home trend due to COVID-19 has caused most consumers to opt for lifestyle and comfort when choosing their home. This alone probably explains the increase we have seen first-hand over the past two years in developments across South Africa that offer consumers work, schools, entertainment and important shopping amenities on their doorstep.

The concept of living 15 minutes away from everything, or within walking distance, is thought to improve one’s quality of life which according to our National Residential Property Trends for 2021 has become a number one priority for consumers since the pandemic. This concept of “living locally” is something that has been spoken about for years but seeing it being unpacked and this vision being realised in a growing number of instances has brought new life to many areas in KwaZulu-Natal, Johannesburg as well as in Cape Town. All our existing research and observations from the market support the fact that, in general, people will trade size for security and location every day of the week – especially if they can enjoy greater recreational benefits within close proximity of where they sleep.

The concept of 15-minute neighbourhoods stems from the 1920’s where it was made more popular in 2019 in Paris. I believe other parts of the world like South Africa are now adopting this preferred living arrangement due to two major factors. The first being “hyperlocalisation” as a result of Covid-19  where people are understanding the importance of community and are wanting to avoid the hassle and escalating costs linked to transport, as well as climate change. The current increase in fuel costs as of March 2022 in South Africa, is only going to further cement this need to live, work and play within a smaller perimeter.

Take for example the newly launched WATT CLUB in Durban’s CBD where work, life and play are central to the offering for consumers who will save on transport costs and time choosing to live in this beautiful sanctuary situated in a prime location. Johannesburg has also recently seen HQ Sandton, a new residential development launched in the heart of Sandton, that is set to meet the demands of consumers wanting to live and work in Africa’s richest square mile but with an affordable price tag. Cape Town’s successful launch of Station House Sea Point that has over 15 lifestyle amenities built into this luxury development that achieved R310 million in sales in under 3 months, is also testament to the fact that “hyperlocalisation” is undoubtedly here to stay and is no longer exclusive to Europe.

Furthermore, in places like Durban Central and Umhlanga Ridge Town Centre – developers are seeing the need for people to live in well established, amenity rich areas; areas supported by a precinct management. This movement was reinforced in a recent property webinar that I facilitated where Sandton Central’s Precinct Manager, Elaine Jack drew reference to the fact that the pandemic highlighted the live-work-play concept and that Sandton’s vision has revolved around the notion of a 15-minute neighbourhood. According to Elaine, they have been actively trying to encourage the residential property market in Sandton so that people can now live near their places of work and have quick and easy access to the places they like to play.

This sentiment is most definitely echoed with a development such as HQ Sandton, where it offers facilities such as a rooftop garden and bar, a restaurant, a gym, and the actual development is situated in prime location – all walking distance from Sandton City Mall, The Gautrain and 5 minutes from the M1. Even with a development in Durban like Umhlanga Arch that has become a trendy tourist and local hub, you’ll find many business people from all over Umhlanga walking in. Its prime location, being close to some of Durban’s biggest corporates, allows the development to draw in many people to live, work and play.

With 15-minute neighbourhoods, homeowners and investors are weighing up the costs of this convenient arrangement with home price, travel costs, etc. dictating what in the long run will be deemed as most cost-effective. Based on our National Residential Property Trends survey for 2021, we can confidently say that location is a key driver for property growth. The closer people are to everything they need, the better.

Another rising trend is mixed-use developments, because they cater to the growing desire for convenient, appealing, and sustainable areas where people have everything they need “on their doorstep”. The idea that your area, your space, allows for everything you could need ticks the box of people getting their precious time back. From an investment perspective, buying into these developments within such neighbourhoods and central urban spaces is an attractive option because the demand for rental is so high.

The 15-minute neighbourhood vision is definitely making itself at home in South Africa and I believe we’ll also see more of an uptake of this trend in 2022 and beyond on the international property scene as well. Locally I think we’ll see more urban and inner-city renewal happening with developers like Homii leading the charge with the WATT CLUB being the first of many developments to be rolled out nationally that looks to reactivate underutilized spaces, and appeal to consumers’ desires to improve their quality of life while reducing traffic, mitigating their carbon footprint and minimising unnecessary time normally spent travelling. This aligns to a growing trend seen nationally around the conversion of retail and commercial opportunities within key business districts in order to satisfy the demand for those wanting to enjoy the benefits of live, work and play within safe, walking proximity. 

3Sixty Biopharmaceuticals enters into a sales and distribution agreement with Adcock Ingram’s OTC division

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March 2022 marks the official commencement of a collaboration between 3Sixty Biopharmaceuticals and Adcock Ingram’s OTC division. As a result of this collaboration, Adcock Ingram OTC will take over the sales and distribution of 3Sixty Biopharmaceutical’s products. The products being contracted to Adcock Ingram OTC for sales and distribution are 3Sixty’s women’s reproductive health products under the brand name Salome® and TenagrilTM, which assists with the symptoms associated with migraine. This is a breakthrough collaboration between a black-owned innovative pharmaceutical company and a large locally listed phamaceutical company which has expansive distribution capabilities.

Adcock Ingram not only has a great footprint and reach in South Africa, but in other Sub-Saharan countries as well. With 3Sixty Biopharmaceuticals being a new entrant that focuses on innovations and new product development, this partnership offers a great opportunity to grow the brands and reach customers who can readily benefit from the products. 3Sixty Biopharmaceuticals is a business that embodies the spirit of Ubuntu, which drives the vision of being at the centre of healthcare solutions for unmet and underserved medical needs, such as women’s healthcare.

This type of agreement while being quite common in the healthcare industry does allow 3Sixty Biopharmaceuticals to unlock and expand on having just a single dimension relationship with a perceived competitor and other players in the market. “We believe in coopetition, not just competition, as there will always be areas in which we compete with Adcock Ingram, and areas which we prefer to cooperate to ensure consumers receive the best service and to create greater value for our shareholders,” says Khandani Msibi, chairman of 3Sixty Biopharmaceuticals and 3Sixty Global Solutions Group CEO.

The Salome® range of products offers a  comprehensive response to women’s reproductive health, offering six different products that are specific for a variety of women’s reproductive health challenges. This innovation in women’s reproductive health offers women precision solutions to their unique experiences. These products are specific to symptoms associated with menstrual pain and cramps, heavy menstrual flows, polycystic ovary syndrome, premenstrual syndrome, fertility and menopause. All these products are herbal extract based. TenagrilTM is the first of its kind as it offers prophylactic  management for migraines and is also derived from herbal extracts.

The first phase of the new five-year agreement between Adcock Ingram OTC and 3Sixty Biopharmaceuticals will entail the sales and distribution of seven complementary products. The second phase of the agreement will be to add to the existing basket of products and the potential of entering into a manufacturing agreement with Adcock Ingram on a segment of this range.

“Our new Business Development team are actively seeking in-licencing, acquisition and distribution opportunities for healthcare products. The opportunity to work in collaboration with another local company in 3Sixty Biopharmaceuticals makes sense and is aligned with our motto of adding value to life,” says Sudier Ramparsad, Adcock Ingram’s Managing Director of the OTC Division.

Adcock Ingram is one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in South Africa. The organisation comes with significant industry experience and valuable customer relationships.

“Adcock Ingram aims to provide quality products that improve the health and lives of people in the markets we serve. Through this partnership we will continue to deliver, high-quality, innovative, and cost-effective therapies to consumers including the innovative range from 3Sixty Biopharmaceuticals,” ends Sudier Ramparsad.

LOAD SHEDDING: 9 WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY

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South Africans to take necessary precautions in protecting their property

South Africa, 08 March 2022: South Africa’s power utility Eskom has announced Stage 2 shedding until 05:00 on Wednesday, 9 March. This is due to various units that have tripped in Matla, Kendal, Matimba, Kusile and Grootvlei, while a unit each at Arnot, and Hendrina power stations was forced to shut down.

This, in addition to other units that had tripped during the weekend, reduced available generation capacity, forcing Eskom to rely heavily on emergency generation reserves to keep the lights on.

Marius Steyn, Personal Lines Underwriting Manager, says South Africans need to mitigate the damages caused by load shedding by being prepared before the power goes off.

“The reality is, load shedding has an immense impact on consumers and businesses alike – who must cope with the damage to appliances brought on by power surges or risk loss through theft, burglary as a result of faulty security systems,” said Steyn.

Steyn cautions consumers and provides things to consider mitigating risks that may be caused by power cuts:

  1. Ensure that your alarm system is in working condition and the backup battery is fully functional to provide power to the system in the event of load shedding.
  2. Spare torch or headlamp: Keep a torch in your car, if you arrive home at night during a power outage. Most smartphones also have built-in torch or torch apps which come in handy during unexpected power outages.
  3. Emergency contact information: Save emergency contact information on your phone but also keep a paper copy safe and accessible. This should include the emergency services such as the fire department, police, and medical services. Also include contact information of friends and family along with insurance information.  
  4. Charge your cell phone, laptop, and tablet: Ensure your cellphone, laptop, and tablet devices are fully charged ahead of scheduled blackouts. Be sure to charge them again as soon as possible after the power returns. It’s also a good idea to have an emergency phone charger (like a power bank) close by, this comes in handy during extended power outages. Staying connected internet is a great way to keep in touch with what’s happening as well as for regular updates, remember to use devices sparingly during outages so that you don’t drain the battery completely before the power returns.
  5. Gas for cooking and lighting: Get a small LP gas bottle and lamp. It gives good quality lighting for a large area and can also be used for cooking and boiling water. It’s a good idea to keep hot water in a thermal flask so that you can make hot drinks, also consider preparing meals beforehand if you know when there’s going to be a scheduled blackout.
  6. Keep bottled water: Keeping emergency water stored is easy when frozen. This frozen bottled water will help keep food cold during a power outage and will also not spoil.
  7. Unplug your cables: Consider any electrical connection as live during a power outage as power can return at any time. Unplug any electronic devices or equipment or switch it off at the wall, including telephone cables. This is due to the surges in power that may occur when electricity is restored.
  8. Make use of surge protection: Electric surges are one of the biggest causes of damage to equipment during a power outage. Installing a surge protection device can help minimise some damage in unforeseen situations. Have a surge protection device fitted to your electrical distribution board or at the power outlet to the electronic device.
  9. Back up your data: It is always important to back up data, make it a priority to save your data offsite, in case of a hard drive crash or unforeseen electrical fault. Online “cloud-based” backups are very convenient and are mostly automated, which means that you have one less thing to worry about.

“Santam remains ready to assist policyholders with any claims resulting from power cuts. The household policy provides limited cover for power surges that could be associated with power cuts with the option to increase the cover for power surges at an additional premium. For example, if the insured amount for power surge is increased the policyholder could have peace of mind that unforeseen power surge damage to appliances, due to the restoration of power after a power cut, would be covered,” says Steyn.

Santam provides cover to:

·         Protect electrical fixed machinery from power surges by increasing the limited cover provided. By taking out additional power surge cover under your building insurance, this will provide more peace of mind that electrical fixed machinery, used for domestic purposes, such as swimming pools, Jacuzzis, boreholes, sprinkler irrigation systems, and electric gates, will be covered in the event of power surge damage.

·         Cover the contents of fridges and freezers if there is accidental spoilage due to a change in temperature if the power cut exceeds 24 hours.

“To prevent unforeseen damage and losses, we urge households to revisit their insurance cover and obtain advice from their brokers to take into account different circumstances and risk situations which may arise as a result of power cuts,” Steyn concludes.

FAMILY AND NEW FRIENDS GATHER TO HARVEST NERO

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The only vineyard of its kind on African soil

Harvest! It’s happening at a vineyard near you!!

Forget sipping cocktails on the strip in Camps Bay, forget turning up under the Jozi skyline, picking grapes in a vineyard in the Winelands and then watching them get crushed in a press and aged in a barrel to make beautiful red wine – that’s where it’s at this season!!

A bunch of special friends and extended family did just that last week when they gathered at the Bosman farm in Wellington to pick Nero, a one-of-a-kind grape grown exclusively by them in South Africa, with partner actor/producer Thapelo Mokoena of Bakoena Brands (Pty) Ltd.

Jumping onto ‘bakkies’ armed with secateurs and a basket, then zooming up into the vineyard under a bright summer sun, the group started the harvest under an oak tree (as one does!) with a sabraged glass of Loose Cannon, the Bosman Cap Classique.

Thapelo Mokoena and his wife Lesego Mokoena

Then it was all hands-on deck as the group scavenged for the heavy bunches of dark red grapes, learning all about optimum ripeness and vineyard management from winemaker Natasha Williams. Then back down the mountain to the cool cellar to see the grapes being sorted, destemmed and crushed, and a quick trip past fermenting tanks, before gathering in the 270- year-old barrel cellar where Natasha explained what winemaking was all about: “People like to debate whether winemaking is an art or a craft, but it’s actually a story. Each barrel tells a different story, and my job is to blend these individual stories together to give a holistic picture of the terroir. And terroir is not just the soil, the microclimate and the slope, it’s also about all the people along the way who have helped form the wine’s ultimate story. A winemaker has to listen carefully and respect the contribution of each component.”

Every year the Nero grapes have been harvested by Petrus Bosman and his family, but since joined by partner Thapelo and his wife Lesego Mokoena, over the past few years, this year a few special people joined in too.

It was a special occasion, because these are special grapes and here’s why: At the dawn of the 21st century, climate change started rearing its frightening head, and farmers started worrying about the sustainability of their crops as the world threatened to become hotter and drier. Always one for a challenge, Petrus Bosman visited the island of Sicily where grapes thrive in the hot, dry climate and are planted in volcanic soils, very similar to the conditions on their farm in Wellington. There he found the Nero d’Avola grape which seemed un-phased by heat and desiccation, producing the luscious fruity wines for which Sicily is famous.

So he brought a few cuttings back to the farm, only 2 survived, but eventually they were able to propagate enough to plant a vineyard after which began the laborious process of certification and in 2014 the first vintage of the first South African Nero d’Avola was produced. Since then, Natasha has been involved in every vintage, working diligently to refine the Nero wine into something that honours its Sicilian history, but also tells the story of African resilience and passion: “Making wine is a journey, it’s a marathon not a sprint, because the wine speaks, and you have to listen to it and then help it express itself. It’s a sensitive, humbling process.”

The guests got to taste the 2021 vintage directly from the barrel, and then enjoy more of the previous vintages, and other Bosman wines, over a loud and lovely lunch served in the cellar that stretched long into the late afternoon. Amongst them were so of Thapelo’s industry friends: Master Chef’s new judge Chef Zola Nene; Jamie-Lee Domburg of the Expresso Morning Show; actress Nicole Madell; presenter Katlego Maboe; actress Tarryn Wyngaard; winemaking student Kari Masoleng; actor and funny guy Sobantu Nqayi with his lovely lady Amron Siebritz; and model Imaan C Mac Quena, to name but a few.

“What a memorable experience for all! It changed each harvester’s view of wine, from a simple liquid in the bottle, to a rich and intricate story of people and nature working together for the best possible outcome,” said Mokoena. “The day also reminded us of the value of sharing with friends and family and celebrating our connection to each other and to the land we love so dearly.”

Petrus and Thapelo have their sights set on introducing this special varietal to every corner of Africa and beyond. “We’re conquering the world one bottle of Nero at a time.”

What is data and Why is it important?

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Data are units of information, often numeric, that are collected through observation. In a more technical sense, data are a set of values of qualitative or quantitative variables about one or more persons or objects, while a datum is a single value of a single variable, wikipedia.

a picture taken from pobonline.com

In simpler terms data is basically collected information on a particular person or certain focus such as a company or study. Having a diary in which you plan your day and also write information about your day is regarded as data, “data entry” to be more specific.

A series of information or facts to understand a particular question one would have to document their results and those results are known as data.

In order to have progress in anything valid in life a regiment of data is needed to asses where we are lacking in improvement and where we can update and develop. Information as a whole gives an understanding of what we have and what we lack. This gives us the opportunity to find solutions to certain things we have not solved yet. It gives us a clear indication of how we can basically look at a problem and an understanding of how we can approach this problem. Preventions to this specific problem are then tackled through data depending on how good the data collected is.

Memory

Our levels of thinking are escalated through remembrance, repetition and experience this is then regarded as memory. Memory comes from our brains recording/storing information, that we process to our best understanding, such as the first time you are hurt, your memory helps you become cautious about how to not get hurt again in that similar process. This type of situation is regarded as experience, wikipedia states “Experience is the process through which conscious organisms perceive the world around them.”. Immanuel Kant argued that “we can only have knowledge of things we can experience.” Wikipedia also states that “Memory is the faculty of the brain by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action”.

So in a nutshell data allows us to be able to progress our understanding on anything such as systems, concepts, laws and specifics. So the next time you think of creating or starting a business/project remember that in order to know how long it will take for that idea to grow, it will depend on the level of research you put in and the level of data that specific project has. This will help you gage the amount of time and efforts it will require for you to do it right, because information is there to help you reach your goals and also prevent yourself from making unnecessary mistakes that could be prevented by just doing the research the right way and documenting your every step in order to understand what and how you approach each step. It allows you to keep track of your progress and also the accurate information of what not to do in future.

Doing things without the right information is quite challenging, because it is easily described as trying to walk in the dark with no light. Or for a simpler analogy it is like you trying to drive a car with no wheels. You will waste your time placing your efforts and energy on things that don’t improve your progress, and in order to improve the first step is always understanding what it takes to make progress and that understanding is what we call data.

CredoLab jumpstarts financial inclusion in SA using smartphone data

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NORTHERN BUSINESS REVIEW

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Tuesday 1 October 2019 – Johannesburg: Alternative credit scoring fintech company, CredoLab, has officially launched on the African continent with the signing of three new clients – two banks and a leading airtime credit provider.

  • Michel Massain, Sales Director for Europe and Africa at CredoLab

Starting from South Africa, CredoLab is seeking to drive financial inclusion in emerging economies on the African continent by credit scoring more people, especially those who are new to bank and new to credit.

CredoLab announced that it has signed up one of the large banks and one of the new digital banks and is in negotiations with other large financial institutions, credit bureaus, and consumer lenders in South Africa.

Michel Massain, Sales Director for Europe and Africa at CredoLab says, “South Africa is a country desperately in need of ways to help more people access financial products and participate in the economy. It is estimated that about 76% of the Sub-Saharan African population has a need for credit but cannot access it, as they are excluded from the traditional banking sector.   

“You need a credit score to participate in the economy, but what about people who are new to credit and new to bank? How do they get a credit score? How can someone with no credit history get a credit score? And how can they start a business if they can’t lend money to do so?” asks Massain.

  • Peter Barcak CEO and Co-Founder of CredoLab

Many people in South Africa remain neglected by the mainstream financial sector and are invisible to lenders because of a lack of data for risk assessment. Existing options for the underbanked are limited, traditional credit scoring is inadequate, and as a result, many turn to informal money lending with excessive interest.

Says Massain, “CredoLab was launched in 2016 in Singapore with the goal of solving one problem: the lack of instruments available to assess the credit worthiness of nearly two billion consumers globally.

“By harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence applied to smartphone data, we enable financial institutions to grow by reaching new segments that they weren’t able to access through traditional systems, at a lower cost of risk, based on real time decisions.”

CredoLab collects more than 50 000 data points from a customer’s smart phone through a state-of-the-art propriety mobile technology, and turns them into more than 500 thousand behavioural features. Their collection process is always consensual and permissioned. The collected data is anonymised, securely stored within the country, and never shared with third parties. All digital scorecards are customised for clients, whose requirements, risk appetite and credit scoring thresholds are unique.

This use of non-traditional data and predictive analytics for credit scoring enables lenders to expand their pool of borrowers while keeping risks under control.

“Millennials, new graduates, self-employed and other thin credit history customers increasingly try to access credit, but to no avail. Here, digital scorecards help provide predictive insights into borrower behaviour, thereby redefining credit-decisioning,” adds Massain. 

Commenting on their vision for the country, CEO and Co-Founder of CredoLab, Peter Barcak says, “We are excited about our launch into South Africa, which is our gateway to the African continent where too many people remain locked outside of the mainstream economy because they do not have the credit history in the traditional sense to participate in it.”

With plans to expand further into other countries on the continent, Barcak adds, “Our hope is that CredoLab will help to remove a key barrier to entry in South Africa and complement traditional credit scoring systems with the power of behavioural data.”

In just three years, CredoLab has mushroomed to become an award-winning business delivering better credit decisions to 51 clients in 15 countries. It has powered almost USD 1-billion in loans issued after analysing about 1 trillion data points. Making granular credit assessments possible, their clients have seen results like 20% higher new to bank customer approvals, a 15% reduction in non-performing loans, and a 22% dip in fraud rate.

About Us

The Northern Business Review is a business community newspaper that provides a platform for businesses to market their products and services, as well as build their brand, but equally important the publication provides information, advice and topics of interest, including business, entrepreneurial, economic reviews and simple ideas to grow your business. The publication has a primary objective to “uniquely” represent businesses to a wide audience across the community as well as provide a media platform of business articles and information that affect, influence and uplift the business environment within our defined geographical and cultural community.

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Slow down with Joburg’s newest artisanal market

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NORTHERN BUSINESS REVIEW

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Cedar Square launches new Slow Market with a wide variety of stalls and entertainment for everyone

Markets and fairs are enjoying a growing wave of popularity as must-visit lifestyle destinations that feature organic foods, on-trend artisanal products, and a unique community spirit.

The artisanal hand-made ‘vibe’ has always been a counterpoint to mall culture, but South Africans have turned that trend on its head, with malls inviting markets in as ‘pop-up’ tenants – going even further in their quest to provide shoppers with all the resources they need.

The new Slow Market at Cedar Square in Fourways, welcoming more than 40 stall-holders each Saturday from 9h00 until 15h00, catering to the community which is increasingly looking for healthy, sustainable and authentic experiences.

Stalls include artisanal cheeses, delicious baked goods, pure honey, handmade leather goods and handsewn clothing, as well as art, crocheted toys and jewellery, among others.

The product range has been carefully curated to ensure that there are no mass-manufactured or poor-quality goods for sale, with each vendor committing to the ethos of ‘slow’, i.e. prepared by hand, using high-quality locally sourced ingredients or materials.

The stallholder mix has been designed to complement the products and services offered in Cedar Square, giving visitors to the centre the best of both worlds: the uniqueness of artisanal produce and goods, and the range of premium products and services expected in an upmarket retail setting.

“Participating in Cedar Square’s Slow Market is the ultimate opportunity for local makers and smaller brands to cultivate real connections with customers,” says Zoe van Onselen, Head of Marketing at Accelerate Property Fund, the centre’s owner. “It’s a great launch platform for new businesses, giving them the opportunity to engage directly with customers. The market is also a manageable and affordable way for entrepreneurs to showcase their products in more of a ‘pop-up’ context in a premium environment, rather than investing in a full-scale brick-and-mortar location. ”

The Cedar Square Slow Market is more than a regular market experience – regular live music performances add to the spirit and excitement of each morning, while scattered seating and tables offer comfortable resting areas for shoppers to take a break and enjoy a snack or craft drink.

Visit the Slow Market at Cedar Square every Saturday from 9h00 to 15h00. Vendors accept cards or cash, and visitors are encouraged to bring their own reusable shopping bags. For more information and a list of vendors, please contact Jacqui van den Berg.

About Us

The Northern Business Review is a business community newspaper that provides a platform for businesses to market their products and services, as well as build their brand, but equally important the publication provides information, advice and topics of interest, including business, entrepreneurial, economic reviews and simple ideas to grow your business. The publication has a primary objective to “uniquely” represent businesses to a wide audience across the community as well as provide a media platform of business articles and information that affect, influence and uplift the business environment within our defined geographical and cultural community.

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Where to find your untapped profit potential…

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NORTHERN BUSINESS REVIEW

Latest Posts

 Let
us make the point that, it is not just one solution that works, but more a
number of simple solutions (let’s call them profit-drivers) that can be applied
throughout many areas of your business, to work in combination, and to drive
and multiply your bottom-line profits. 

A number
of years ago, Trevor Nel developed a series called the GROWTH PROFIT-DRIVERS,
which we would like to share with you.

The GROWTH
Profit-Driver Series

  1. Your PHILOSOPHY
  2. Your BUSINESS STRATEGY
  3. Your BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS
  4. Your BUSINESS OPERATING SYSTEM
  5. Your USP – UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION
  6. Your MARKETING STRATEGY
  7. Your PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
  8. Your SELLING PROCESS
  9. Your PEOPLE PROCESS
  10. Your CAPITAL RESOURCES

These
PROFIT-DRIVERS are very simple to apply, but it takes courage to make a
decision to actually apply them and learn from them, to proactively commit to
action them, and to persist with them long enough to see a trend or result
appearing.

 What
it takes is a good positive entrepreneurial attitude towards yourself to learning
new concepts, to looking at business principles in a new light, to your
business and staff, and to your current and prospective customer-base.

In essence
what we are saying is that, the key to successfully building your business is
to be found in your determination and enthusiasm to learn and implement the simple things and remember that life is
controlled by a very simple law called the Law of Cause and Effect.

It is the inevitable process that is the
thread throughout your business framework and methodologies, each step being a
cause, step or action that results in the ultimate effect or desired result.

The universal law
of cause and effect states that for every effect there is a
definite cause. So, if you decide on a desired effect, such as to run a
marathon, the causes or actions required are regular and specific training and
personal development that will allow you to achieve your desired effect, which
is to run the marathon.

The law of cause and effect relates to your thoughts as well. Your
thoughts express themselves through your behaviors and actions which create
specific effects that in turn manifest and create your life.
Negative thoughts will create negative behaviors; similarly, positive thoughts
will create positive behaviors.

If you are not happy with the effects or the results you are getting
in your business, then you must change the causes or actions that
created them in the first place… which is the essence of what the book “The Fixer – simple ideas to grow your
business” program is about, offering guidelines, rules, ideas and processes
to assist you in managing the causes.

The point of this process is to do the small
things extraordinarily well all the time and remember that consistency is the
key to successfully achieving your objectives.

This article is an excerpt from the book “The
Fixer – simple ideas to grow your business” by Iain Johnston and Trevor Nel 

For
more information and to purchase a copy of The Fixer contact Iain at iain@fccc.co.za


About Us

The Northern Business Review is a business community newspaper that provides a platform for businesses to market their products and services, as well as build their brand, but equally important the publication provides information, advice and topics of interest, including business, entrepreneurial, economic reviews and simple ideas to grow your business. The publication has a primary objective to “uniquely” represent businesses to a wide audience across the community as well as provide a media platform of business articles and information that affect, influence and uplift the business environment within our defined geographical and cultural community.

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Start by asking a different question

The thought experiment goes like this: imagine a hypothetical factory that is subdivided into areas of specialty. Each area has its own boss, and they, in turn, are watched over by a foreman from above. The chief executive of this hypothetical factory is a dedicated man with a performance orientation, arriving early and leaving late every day, and personally making all of the important decisions in between…

Ricardo Semler, the CEO of a highly-creative company called Semco in Brazil, likes to pain this picture when he addresses audiences. And they find nothing strange about this – it’s a typical pyramid-shaped business with hierarchical structures of authority. That is, until Semler reveals that he is describing an actual English textile factory that existed a long time ago. In 1633, to be precise.

Why, he rightly asks, given the advent of computer technology, automated machinery, rapid new product development and efficient global communication, do we still work this way? That’s how we worked before there were complete maps of planet earth!

Inherited thought is invisible

The answer is: Because the thinking that gets handed down to us becomes invisible to us. It is an extremely human behavioural pattern to do things the way they’ve always been done, on the merit that they have always been done that way. Over time, the goals may change. But the behaviours that informed the original goals remain, adding the burden of senseless labour and the cost of time to our processes.

Studies are increasingly showing that disruptive innovation almost always comes from outside of an industry, and rarely from within. That’s because individuals who did not inherit ‘the way things have always been done’ can often see more clearly, unburdened by precedent.

So how can you buck this trend? How could you disrupt your own industry from within?

In ‘They’re Your Rules, Break Them!’ I suggest asking a different question. Here’s the psychology. If you pre-load a scenario with an alternative question, you will cause yourself to see it differently. By way of a simple example, if you go into a sales scenario consciously asking yourself the question: ‘What’s interesting about each participant’s body language in this meeting?’ you might then notice specific information that you may not have registered otherwise.

Which question?

Perhaps the strongest question to ask, in order to intentionally disrupt your own business, and your own industry, is: ‘What’s awful about us?’

By wilfully seeking out soft-spots, sore-points, bones of contention and customer complaints, you pour into your mill the gristle necessary for serious innovation.

Track your customers’ experience. Begin before they even encounter you. What do they have to do? What must they go through? And what’s awful, ugly or inefficient about it? Innovate there. You just may change things in ways that your competitors never considered.

Douglas Kruger specialises in dismantling needless rules. A business coach and author of 6 books with Penguin Random House, including ‘They’re Your Rules, Break Them!’, he speaks locally and internationally on the topic of disruptive innovation and how to reduce your own rules in order to achieve it. Douglas is also a multiple award-winning speaker, who was inducted into the ‘Speakers Hall of Fame’ in 2016. See him in action at www.douglaskruger.com.

About Us

The Northern Business Review is a business community newspaper that provides a platform for businesses to market their products and services, as well as build their brand, but equally important the publication provides information, advice and topics of interest, including business, entrepreneurial, economic reviews and simple ideas to grow your business. The publication has a primary objective to “uniquely” represent businesses to a wide audience across the community as well as provide a media platform of business articles and information that affect, influence and uplift the business environment within our defined geographical and cultural community.

@NsabasiNBR

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