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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.

TIGER BRANDS CULINARY DIVISON PARTNERS WITH BACARDI HOLIDAY CLUB FESTIVAL AS THE OFFICIAL FOOD SPONSOR

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Johannesburg – This past weekend South Africa’s favourite Kitchen companions KOO, Crosse& Blackwell Mayonnaise and Mrs Balls hosted their first ever festival as the official food partner at the all-inclusive Bacardi Holiday Club Summer of Love edition, which took place the on the 4th – 6th of March 2022.

The #SummerOfLove edition of the festival treated music lovers to a range of exciting talent from Kwaito legends such as Trompies, Khuli Chana, DBN Gogo and many fan favourites who graced the stage with memorable performances that had the crowd chanting for more.

To add to the experience, the heritages brands KOO, Crosse & Blackwell Mayonnaise and Mrs Balls came together to provide festival goers with a unique food experience at the one-of-a-kind KOO KLUB, exclusively curated for festival. This was a perfect opportunity to showcase some delectable meals and versatility from the Tiger Brands South Africa  staples, that left festival goers spoilt for choice.


“As we head into festival season, need to ensure that we maintain the traditions by connecting with our innate love for music over good food and shared moments. It seems we are nearing to what we may deem as normal times again and with that transition, we at Tiger Brands want to be at the forefront of bringing back the love of compelling collaborations and unity with the Bacardi Holiday Club. The partnership with the Bacardi Holiday Club property presented a lovely opportunity for us to offer meals with some of our favourite Tiger Brands products, ensuring that our brands remain culturally relevant and top of mind in our to food enthusiasts, while recruiting new consumers.” Said Edna Maphita Tiger Brand Culinary Marketing Director

The festival would not have been complete without some of Mzansi’s most well-known digital content creators from actor and TV presenter, Tebogo “Caddy” Tsotetsi and Tik Tok sensation Mandisa Jakavula, to name but a few.

Prevent the silent onset of chronic kidney disease. Here’s how

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Kidney disease is an irreversible illness that affects 10% of people across the world, and up to 1 in 8 people in South Africa. This World Kidney Day – on 10 March – let’s really appreciate these vital organs and make sure we’re living in a way that promotes our kidney health. “By the time most people become aware that their kidneys are failing, they will already have lost 50% of their kidney function” The kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs found at the back of the body at about the level of the waist. Each kidney holds thousands of filtering units. As our blood moves through them, they filter waste products and extra water out and these are released in our urine. Paediatric nephrologist Professor Errol Gottlich says: “Kidney disease is silent, meaning it often develops without any noticeable symptoms. By the time most people become aware that their kidneys are failing, they will already have lost 50% of their kidney function. “Kidneys also balance our fluid levels ensuring we don’t become over-hydrated or dehydrated. They normalise electrolytes and blood pressure, assist in calcium metabolism and prevent anaemia.” “Our kidneys are essential for a normal, healthy lifestyle. The kidneys fulfil many roles, the most important of which is excreting toxins out of the body in the urine.” – Prof Gottlich also heads up Discovery Health Medical Scheme’s Kidney Care Programme, which is designed to ensure the best quality of care and life for medical scheme members on chronic dialysis. Paediatrician Dr Nokukhanya Ngubane-Mwandla adds, “The kidneys have multiple important functions in the body, including controlling acid-base homeostasis, water and electrolyte balance and blood pressure. They also produce certain hormones important for production of red blood cells and bone mineralization.” – Dr Ngubane-Mwandla is the recipient of a 2020 Discovery Foundation Sub-specialist Award and is using this support to work towards improving the lives of children with congenital and acquired renal pathology. Here’s how you can look after your kidneys Taking care of your kidneys is as simple as leading a healthy lifestyle. Professor Gottlich recommends that people do the following: • Ensure regular exercise. Exercise for 30 minutes, five days a week. Even brisk walk is an excellent form of exercise. • Eat a balanced, healthy diet of unprocessed, fresh foods with no more than a teaspoon of added salt per day. • Regularly check and control your blood sugar. • Regularly check and control your blood pressure. • Drink an appropriate amount of fluids. Your doctor will explain how to adjust your fluid intake if you have kidney, heart or liver disease. • Don’t smoke as smoking slows the flow of blood to the kidneys. • Don’t take over-the-counter pain or anti-inflammatory pills regularly. Long term, frequent use of medicine, like Ibuprofen, can harm your kidneys. • Get your kidney function checked regularly if you have any of the ‘high risk’ factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, a family history of kidney disease, and being overweight or obese. A silent disease: What damages kidneys and how? Discovery Health’s data show that around 75% of renal (kidney) failure is a result of diabetes or hypertension (high blood pressure). Data from the National Kidney Foundation mirrors this with up to 65% of kidney failure in South African adults being attributed to hypertension and up to 25% due to Type 2 Diabetes.” “Uncontrolled diabetes can damage the blood vessels in your kidneys and can gradually decrease the functionality of this vital organ. And untreated high blood pressure experience damage to their kidney tissue as a result of blood vessels being exposed to a higher than normal blood pressure,” adds Professor Gottlich. – Other causes of kidney disease include living with HIV and other infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, and structural abnormalities. Dr Ngubane-Mwandla adds, “There is also a relatively high incidence of kidney problems among South African children. Some of these problems are congenital, which means that children are born with them, but several conditions are caused by malnourishment and gastric issues.” This passionate doctor adds, “It would be great to implement screening programs at schools or at primary health care facilities – in particular to ensure blood pressure and urine screening – to detect the early onset of kidney disease, especially those born prematurely, at a low birth weight or who have a family history of kidney disease.” The National Kidney Foundation notes that up to 80% of chronic kidney failure may be preventable, making it vital to keep up regular screening checks that will identify signs of chronic diseases like kidney disease and others, as early as possible, in adults and children alike. Catch the onset of kidney disease early on – simply screen! The good news is that, for most people, screening for kidney disease can be done as part of regular health check-ups. “It’s really as simple as going to your primary healthcare provider and doing a screening test for high blood pressure, blood glucose levels and kidney functionality,” says Professor Gottlich. “Essentially, your urine is an easily accessed window to your kidney health. A dipstick into the urine sample will show markers of possible kidney health issues.” Treating chronic kidney disease Once a person has chronic kidney disease, they will need to undergo chronic dialysis (an average of three sessions per week), explains Professor Gottlich. Patients may either undergo: – Peritoneal dialysis, which uses the lining of their abdomen to filter the blood inside their body. – Haemodialysis, which uses a dialysis machine and a special filter, called an artificial kidney or dialyser, to clean the patient’s blood. “In addition to dialysis treatment, it is critical that patients live a healthier lifestyle and take prescribed medicine to control blood pressure, improve anaemia and bone health,” adds Professor Gottlich. Chronic kidney disease is a complex illness that is expensive to treat. – In 2021, Discovery Health paid out R1.5 billion in kidney treatment related claims for about 3,000 members – of which 0.6% was for members under the age of 18, reflecting the way in which kidney disease affects children too. – Interestingly in 2020 Discovery Health paid out a slightly higher R1.6 billion in claims from about 3,500 medical scheme members for kidney treatment. The 14% drop in members claiming between 2020 and 2021, shows the decrease in screening and treatment for kidney disease and other chronic treatment over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is due to the fact that people have stayed away from healthcare facilities out of fear of exposure to COVID-19, due to stay-at-home measures imposed to curb the spread of infection, and also due to the redirection of resources in healthcare towards COVID-19 care, especially during peaks of infection. Organ donation a lifesaver for people who live with kidney disease “The most ideal therapy for chronic kidney disease is a kidney transplant,” says Professor Gottlich. “However, there’s been a significant decrease in organ donors over the past two years because of COVID-19 and very few kidney transplants have been done during this time.” Dr Ngubane-Mwandla adds, “There is a great need for organ donation and transplantation for kids too, particularly for those children treated in the state sector. Until transplanted, these children must stay on a chronic dialysis programme. Some, we transition to haemodialysis which is both costly and needs regular visits to the hospital so really affects and defines a child’s life. The sooner a child in need receives a kidney transplant, the better for the child and their family.” One organ donor can save seven other lives. Your heart, liver and pancreas can save three lives and your kidneys and lungs can help up to four people. And, one tissue donor can help up to 50 people by donating their corneas, skin, bones, tendons and heart valves. – Sign up to be an organ donor – Organ Donor Foundation of South Africa. References National Kidney Foundation of South Africa Paediatrician puts spotlight on kidney conditions in South African children Discovery Health Medical Scheme Kidney Care Programme Organ Donor Foundation

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. 

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.”

Grey Matters – Putting the Grey Entrepreneur First

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NORTHERN BUSINESS REVIEW

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September 2020 – Middle-aged professionals and entrepreneurs have consistently shown to form the economic engine of our country. Their capacity to drive economic growth by creating employment opportunities, generating consistent tax revenue, and being substantial consumers in their personal capacity is far greater than their younger counterparts.

In the wake of the COVID19 pandemic, The Grey Incubator is pioneering a new approach to help the economy recover by saving our biggest economic contributors, middle aged entrepreneurs. They develop more mature entrepreneurs, fondly known as grey entrepreneurs, referring both to their grey hair and the collection of grey matter in the brain and the knowledge it represents.

Not only do many grey entrepreneurs begin with more financial capital or an asset base to start their enterprise but the worldwide average age of a successful start-up owner is 47 years old. Showing an international trend towards successful entrepreneurs being consistently middle-aged.

Their experience, skills, networks, and assets represent an incalculable value that grey entrepreneurs have generated through years of working. Not to mention that they have often faced stress, and failure before, making them more resilient.

After noticing that entrepreneurs between the ages of 30 and 60 have been overlooked and ignored by most entrepreneurship programs, founders Willem Gous and Eugene Beetge began using their 50 years of joint experience to enable these grey entrepreneurs to start and build their ideas into a business with minimal risk.

The Grey Incubator combines expert consultants in entrepreneurship, with a business community of Grey entrepreneurs to facilitates the learning process at all entrepreneurial levels.

“Although the internet provides abundant access to information, courses, and training, it lacks cohesion,” says co-founder of The Grey Incubator and entrepreneurial expert Eugene Beetge. “Information is organized into small isolated silos with little to no knowledge sharing on how the components required to run a successful business come together. Learning how to be an entrepreneur using all these isolated bits of information, is possible but it is an inefficient and time-consuming journey.”

Beetge believes that to be a successful entrepreneur you need a roadmap, guidance, vision, motivation, support, and skill.

“Combine these elements with accountability, sound boarding and masterminding, and it is possible to avoid big financial risks,” he says.

For the grey entrepreneur, a start-up often requires risking their last available capital, and guidance from conception to fruition in the current economic environment can be invaluable in preventing failure.

The Grey Incubator program pairs small, carefully curated groups of individuals into cooperative teams that work together with experienced overseers and mentors to help develop their businesses and ideas. These groups are guided to make sure they stay on track while helping them avoid costly mistakes. As each group progresses and achieves their weekly goals, third party specialists are made available to help groups go through the natural growth phases of a start-up.

The Grey Incubator uses a subscription-based model that allows start-up founders to invest in themselves and their business without long term commitment thereby reducing their financial risk.

Although many mature professionals’ livelihoods have been disrupted by the COVID 19 pandemic, learning how to start and grow a successful business in your middle age can be an invigorating experience.

Like any first venture into entrepreneurship, it can be overwhelming, risky, and costly without the correct guidance. By creating a business community in which older entrepreneurs are surrounded by like-minded peers and can be guided by experienced mentors, The Grey Incubator is investing in our economy, inspiring people to rediscover their dreams, and providing a path for them to rebuild their lives.

ENDS

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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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It’s the fear of failure that destroys innovation in small businesses

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NORTHERN BUSINESS REVIEW

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Innovation is the development and application of ideas that improve the way things are done or what can be achieved. Innovation can help your business grow by improving productivity and efficiency. Your ability to innovate will also help your business to remain competitive and respond to changes.

“Being innovative takes a lot of hard work and a little bit of risk. But, if you want to thrive and stay ahead of the game, it’s an essential part of being a business owner”, Mike Anderson: NSBC Founder and CEO

There are many sources you can use to help generate new ideas for your business. Suppliers, customers, employees, and strategic alliances can all make valuable contributions to the creative process, as well as providing support and encouragement.

“Your employees are a vital asset in generating innovative ideas. To get the most from them, you need to create an innovative environment and encourage creative thinking. Most ideas never get off the ground because business owners are afraid to take a risk and fail, and employees are not permitted to try new things and take some risk. Those who have achieved real success have overcome the fear of failure and often risked the most to get there.”, says Anderson.

To succeed, you have to move out of your comfort zone, continuously challenge the status quo and innovate. Always be on the lookout for new ideas and new ways of doing things that will improve your business. Do things differently, walk on the wrong side of the road, swim upstream, and always keep looking for the next big thing.

Winners always look at the bigger picture while losers cannot go beyond the way things are at the time. If it doesn’t work you can always go back to the drawing board. This is far better than not trying and doing things differently.

John Maxwell asks why so many people work so hard without ever achieving or making an impact, while fewer who don’t seem to work hard achieve so much. The reason is simple – it is because of conformity. Research has shown that only five percent of the people in the world are able to achieve their life goals. Why? Because the remaining ninety-five percent are blind conformists who go through life accepting the way things are. Doing things differently is the most powerful key to success.

You also need to listen to Albert Einstein who said, ‘Doing things the way we have always done them and expecting different results is one of the definitions of insanity.’ If you want to experience a change, you must do things differently. Stop following the crowd and you can be among the top five percent.

“If you want to live an impactful life, you must break the mould. Stop being a blind conformist who just keeps to tradition. Challenging the status quo gives you the seeds of vision and opportunity. There are always better ways of doing things. Strive to be the one who will discover the better way. When you do this, windows of opportunity and abundant wealth will open widely for you”, concludes Anderson.

Here are 10 success-boosting innovative tips for your business:

  • Get your team on-board. Have them involved in the entire innovation process, such as solving problems during a meeting and providing a suggestion box. Reward innovation and celebrate success. Appropriate incentives can play a significant role in encouraging staff to think creatively.
  • Make innovation a routine. Schedule an hour or so each week to brainstorm and exercise you and your team’s creativity, and establish goals that encourage you to improve your business. 
  • Encourage suggestions. Ask or survey your employees, customers, and even, suppliers if they have any suggestions on how you can improve your business.
  • Create a supportive atmosphere in which people feel free to express their ideas without the risk of criticism.
  • Encourage risk-taking and experimentation – don’t penalise people who try new ideas that fail. Remember, fear destroys innovation.
  • Stress that people at all levels of the business share responsibility for innovation, so everybody feels involved in taking the business forward. The fewer the layers of decision-making in your business, the more people feel their ideas matter.
  • Look for imagination and creativity when recruiting new employees. Remember that innovative thinkers aren’t always those with the most impressive list of qualifications.
  • You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Keep innovation simple by improving your existing products or services, trying out a new marketing strategy, or finding a supplier that is offering you a better rate.
  • Invest in innovation. Purchase technology and equipment that can improve your business operations. Also, invest in developing new products and services
  • Educate yourself. Continue to learn new skills or information by attending workshops, webinars, conferences, local industry events, and reading everything from blog posts to books.

‘Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do’. – Steve Jobs

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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Paper industry encourages people to continue recycling amid challenging times

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NORTHERN BUSINESS REVIEW

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“Getting Big Business South Africa and Government to pay their small business suppliers on time is one of the biggest challenges facing small businesses and when the problem persists too long, it can ultimately shut down a small business. More than ever before, now is the time to ensure that all your small business suppliers are paid quickly. We are urging Big Business South Africa and Government to release these all important payments now”, That’s the urgent plea from Mike Anderson: NSBC Founder & CEO.


COVID-19 and the economic downturn has and will continue to have a devastating  impact on small businesses throughout South Africa. Small businesses need to pay their workers, their rent, suppliers and other key operating expenses, and survive as a family. What they don’t need right now, or at any time in fact, is that additional burden of not receiving payment on outstanding invoices. We have limited control over how long the pandemic will disrupt our nation, but we are in control how quickly we can pay our small business suppliers , says Anderson.


For any business, the amount of money flowing in or out is critical to its success. When money is tight, paying basic bills can get challenging. But when cash is plentiful, a business can invest in its future by expanding, buying new equipment, hiring key staff or retaining key staff by rewarding them further.  


Anderson continues, through the Prompt Payment Code, a National Small Business Chamber (NSBC) initiative, the NSBC is challenging the way small businesses are being paid. We are championing the importance of big business and Government paying small business suppliers within 30 days or much quicker. It’s a highly recognised process where Business South Africa and Government openly commit to paying small businesses on time.


The findings of the recent COVID-19 National Small Business Survey clearly indicates that late payments are at an all-time high as small businesses are waiting too long to get paid. The average amount owed to each small business is now at its highest level. Big Business and Government are mainly to blame for small businesses waiting for payment. More than half of all small businesses in South Africa are burdened with late payments. The result is that small businesses are going out of business due to late payments.


Intentional late or non-payment is totally unacceptable, says Anderson, as in most cases when a small business goes out of business a family goes out of business. Procurement policies urgently need to be changed to accommodate for early payments. Late payments to small businesses coupled with the current crisis and the economic downturn spells out disaster for many small businesses, the mainstay of our economy, the very engine of our society and the future of job creation.


We see small businesses going out of business every day, in many cases due to cash flow as a result of late or non-payment. Prompt payment is vital to the cash flow of every business, and especially to smaller businesses. The Prompt Payment Code is about encouraging and promoting best practice between government, larger organisations and their small business suppliers.


“We all have a collective responsibility to do whatever we can to keep small businesses in business and their workers employed. By paying small businesses quickly, this is the most meaningful step in the right direction


Media contact:
Twané Gouws
Email: twane@nsbc.africa
Website: www.nsbc.africa
Cell:  084 603 1763

Keep recycling, urges RecyclePaperZA JOHANNESBURG – February 17, 2020 – More than 12 million tonnes of paper and paper packaging have been recovered for recycling in South Africa over the past decade. This, according to RecyclePaperZA, the country’s paper recycling association, has ensured that waste paper is diverted from landfill and recycled into new products – tissue products, newsprint and paper packaging for the agricultural, manufacturing and retail sectors. In 2018, South Africa collected 71.7% of recoverable paper and packaging*, amounting to 1,285 million tonnes. “South Africa is in the enviable position of being able to use up to 90% of its recovered waste paper locally by recycling it into new paper, packaging and tissue,” says Anele Sololo, general manager of RecyclePaperZA. The balance of waste paper is exported.A difficult time for paper industry, but don’t stop recyclingCurrently, the global paper recycling industry is faced with over-supply. “This means there is more waste paper available than there is use for it,” says Sololo. There are various economic factors at play, not least of which is China’s stricter requirement for cleaner waste imports since 2017. This means that around 30 million tonnes of waste paper from around the world needs to find a new home and use. In South Africa, the severe drought in fruit-growing regions has had a knock-on effect for the paper packaging sector. “Corrugators produce less boxes for fruit with the result being that mills produce less paper which affects waste paper consumption rates,” explains Sololo.“It is important to understand that collectors are paid for the recyclables they collect, and the higher the value of that recyclable, the more likely they are to collect it,” says Sololo. The lower demand in the market will effect a price drop as mills need to ensure they remain commercially viable, and unfortunately this affects recycling collectors and traders.The South African paper industry is however investing in research and development of alternative uses for recycled paper to ensure that recyclable paper and paperboard continues to be diverted from landfill and help improve demand for recycled paper fibre. Different recycled paper products need different ingredientsOn the home front, some citizens may be a little confused about why some types of paper – such as newspapers – are not wanted by collectors. Just as chocolate cakes may differ slightly in terms of their ingredients, so too does paper. Printing paper, tissue, cardboard boxes, paper bags and sacks all require different types and quantities of raw materials. “The difference in paper recipes may even be customer-specific which makes papermaking an exact science,” says Sololo.Historically newspapers were required as a raw material for newsprint manufacturing. The declining newspaper consumption, largely due to online media, has resulted in the closure of newsprint machines in South Africa, leaving only one operational newsprint machine. “In 2011, South Africa produced 316,725 tonnes of newsprint,” says Sololo, adding that in 2018, the annual newsprint production was less than half the 2011 figure at 113,912 tonnes. This in turn has reduced the demand for used newspapers by paper mills. Newspapers are still used in the manufacture of moulded fibre products such as egg cartons, takeaway cup holders and fruit trays. “This is where brand owners and retailers can help make a difference – by moving from plastic to paper for their packaging,” notes Sololo. A classic example are polystyrene vegetable and fruit trays – these can be made effectively from paper pulp.Some grades of paper are in higher demand than others. As an example, there is more use for white paper as it require less deinking and cleaning than newspapers and magazines. White paper also contains better quality fibres for “paper recipes”. What are the various types of paper recycled into?White office paper is made from certified, sustainably produced virgin wood fibre, especially if it is made in South Africa. White paper, which contains good quality fibre, is recycled into tissue products and is also added to the other paper recipes. Brown cardboard boxes are repulped into new cardboard boxes and brown kraft paper which in turn can also will be converted into sacks and bags.Liquid packaging board (beverage cartons and paper cups) comprises long, strong virgin fibre, also from sustainably managed forests, which is a great ingredient for paper products that require strength. The plastic and foil layers in liquid packaging board are separated from the paper in the recycling process and can be used in a range of applications such as plastic garden furniture.Common or mixed paper and cardboard packaging (cereal and dry food cartons, coloured paper, magazines, toilet roll cores) are classifed by the industry as “common mixed waste”. These go into recipes for various paper products even tissue – if the mill has a deinking plant. What should we do with “old news”?Fortunately newspaper is very versatile and can be used for many things. Here are our top five but you can find a more comprehensive list on www.recyclepaper.co.za. Animal shelters – donate your old newspapers to animal shelters who will use them to line the kennels and catteries. Compost and worm farms – earthworms love a tasty snack of newspaper. Add dampened, shredded newspaper to your compost heap or worm farm. Fruit and vegetable drawer liners – place sheets of newspaper at the bottom of the fruit and vegetable drawer in your fridge. They will absorb any mess from rotten produce, and will also keep the drawer free from odours. Gift wrap – use newspaper to wrap gifts and decorate with some string and sprig of rosemary or lavender. Table padding – lay newspaper underneath a table cloth. It’s an excellent replacement for expensive padding, and will help protect your table from spills and other damage.Where should I take my paper recyclingIn November last year, Mpact Recycling, a RecyclePaperZA member, announced the discontinuation of its kerbside collection programme. While we recognise that this causes inconvenience to a number of its loyal supporters, there are other options available:Visit www.recyclepaper.co.za – Check out our “Where to recycle” page for some useful links.Support your neighborhood recycling collectors – find out what they collect and put this in a separate bag for them. You may opt to support the same person each week or simply put a bag out on your pavement on a first come, first serve basis.Support a school or community centre under the Mpact Recycling paper bank programme. The company is in the process of upgrading some of its sites so separation is key: white paper in one bag, cardboard in one bag, beverage cartons in one bag, cereal boxes, coloured paper and where applicable magazines in one bag. Look for your nearest paper bank here. Support recycling collection businesses which offer a paid service. Do a web search for “recycling collection services” for your area.Explore your local shopping centre and find out if they have a recycling zone.So keep up with those recycling efforts! And keep your paper clean and dry, and separate from other waste. * Recoverable paper excludes paper which is unrecoverable or unsuitable for recycling. For example, toilet tissue and sanitary products, cigarette paper and archive material.

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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Understanding your credit report: the 8 most-asked questions

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Jeannine Naudé Viljoen, General Counsel at TransUnion

Johannesburg – If you’re not reading your free credit report, you could be putting your financial health at risk. But you’re not alone: according to the Credit Bureau Association, only 188 000 South Africans access their credit report every year – out of a total of 25 million credit-active consumers.

Regularly reviewing your credit report should be at the top of the list of your personal financial habits. It can tell you the state of your financial background, your personal payment history, and your creditworthiness. It even flags identity theft and consumer fraud. But to benefit from reviewing a credit report, you have to not only read and understand it, but know how to use the information it contains to your advantage.

What is a credit report?

A credit report is a record of your credit history and payment behaviour that is maintained by credit bureaus, such as TransUnion. It reflects a 24-month view on your account history and payment behaviour. It contains both positive and negative information about how you manage your credit. Your report details:

  • Personal information: Your name, ID, address, marital status, employment information and contact details.
  • Account information: A list of every bank and business that’s lent you money; your credit limits, loan amounts and how you are managing them in terms of payment.
  • Current financial information: Your level of debt, and how many times you’ve applied for credit recently.
  • Enquiries: Who has viewed your credit profile and for what purpose.
  • Negative information: Accounts where you have made late payment or no payment at all, court judgment and notices to name a few.

How does it get created?

Every month, lenders send information on your credit and loan history, and your payment record, to credit reporting companies like TransUnion. This information is then analysed to create your credit report.

What’s the difference between a credit report and a credit score?

Excellent question. Your credit score is formulated from the information contained in your credit report.

  • A credit report is a document that contains information about your financial history, and payment behaviour which could be both good and bad.
  • A credit score is a three-digit number provides a snapshot, is one of the factors that helps lenders evaluate how safe or risky you are as a customer. Remember, each lender will have their own criteria on how to assess your risk for your credit application.

Why is it important to have a good credit score?

Having a high credit score might help you to get a lower interest rate on credit products such as a house or vehicle loan. A credit report with negative listings such as defaults and judgments; as well as too many enquiries for loans or credit over a short period of time could result in a low credit score, which means you may pay a higher interest rate, or even be denied credit.

What affects my credit score?

The biggest influence on your credit score is your account payment history – that is, how you manage your accounts and whether you pay your accounts on time. Focus on paying the full instalment of every bill on time, so you’re offsetting past negatives with more recent positives. It also helps to maintain a healthy mix of credit – store accounts, credit cards, home loan, and service contracts such as cell phone accounts – to establish a good credit history.

Who views my credit report, and why?

When you apply for credit – like a home loan, a car loan, a new credit card, a clothing store account or a new cellphone contract – banks and lenders will access your credit report as one of the factors to assess if you’re suitable for credit. Other companies that may view your profile include insurance companies, landlords and even employers. But they need to get your permission first.

How do I access my credit report?

Good news: your credit reports are easy to obtain. You can download your Credit Report once every 12 months for free from TransUnion and other credit bureaus in the country.

Who do I speak to if I want to dispute items listed on my credit report?

Often, consumers have errors on their credit reports that affect their credit scores. Request your report and check for mistakes, such as payments marked late when you paid on time or negative information that’s out of date. If you see errors or discrepancies, you can contact either TransUnion on 0861 482 482 or the credit bureau you got your credit report from to lodge a dispute. Provide as much supporting documentation as possible, like receipts or evidence of payment. TransUnion will investigate and respond within the legislated 20 working day period.

What are you waiting for, download your Free TransUnion Credit Report today!

Editorial Contact:

ByDesign Communications

Motlotlo Mosiuoa

Tel: 010 593 4509

m.mosiuoa@bdcomms.co.za 9

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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CredoLab jumpstarts financial inclusion in SA using smartphone data

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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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