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The delicious taste of spicy chai has been enjoyed for thousands of years, with its roots established in the fabric of Indian tea culture. Chai, which is actually the Hindi word for tea, has more recently become a popular choice in many countries, with the traditional Chai being reimagined in various ways. One of the …
KwaZulu-Natal’s Durban Shongweni Club will once again play host to the Ignition Group Polocrosse World Cup from 17 to 28 July 2024, with South Africa joining 7 other top world-ranked sides in competing for the cup. The fast-paced action will captivate spectators, with live entertainment and music, food and beverage vendors, and pop-ups keeping the …
South African long distance sensation Elroy Gelant put on a tactical masterclass on his way to setting a new lifetime best time of 27: 47 to win the iconic Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K on Sunday 7 July. “It’s great to get my first Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series win. It took a lot …
With the signing of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill by President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier this year, the spotlight on South Africa’s healthcare system has never been more intense. Amidst fears that this bill could precipitate a mass exodus of healthcare professionals and potentially threaten the stability of the healthcare system, there is a renewed …
Recent research highlights that more than 52% of fraud now happens over digital channels, surpassing conventional fraud for the first time, with South African businesses reporting a 49% increase in the 12 months preceding the survey. These fraudulent activities cost South African businesses nearly four times (3.64x) the lost amount to report, investigate, recover, and …
3 July 2024, Johannesburg: We are thrilled to announce that Telkom has been honoured as one of the 30 most admired South African brands that have significantly shaped South Africa’s global reputation and competitiveness over the past 30 years. This prestigious recognition was awarded at the Brand Africa 100 annual rankings of the best brands …
CAPE TOWN: Cricket South Africa (CSA) and KFC take immense pride in the annual KFC Mini-Cricket Seminar, which takes place this...
The Battle of The Choirs Golden Walk Shopping Centre Get Ready for the Ultimate Community Showdown at The Battle of The Choirs finale! It’s time to bring the community together for the most thrilling event of the year! Join us for the Battle of the Choirs finale, where our local stars will rock the stage …
Elizabeth Arden Continues Commitment to Empowering Women Through Collaboration with Non-Profit Organisation Sparrow Society The eight-year relationship employs women from underprivileged communities in South Africa to source the beauty brand’s hand-crafted cosmetics bags. Elizabeth Arden is proud to announce the continuation of its longstanding relationship with Sparrow Society, a South African non-profit organisation dedicated to …
The Proteas are ready to fight for the 2024 Ignition Group Polocrosse World Cup, having narrowly missed out on their 3rd win to Australia in 2019. With KwaZulu-Natal’s Durban Shongweni Club hosting the competition from 17 to 28 July 2024, the South African polocrosse team will enjoy a home-side advantage as they take on the …
Reaching any midpoint, whether it's to catch one's breath on a ultra-marathon to gear up for the next stretch, or a project team reflecting on their progress and making necessary modifications – it's all about positioning for success. So too a mid-year retail check-in offers valuable insights into some of the latest developments shaping how retailers connect with consumers and drive innovation in the second half of this year.
Overview | Global & Local
The rise and rise of ecommerce, the integration of online and offline, platforming sustainability, contactless and convenient quick and easy payment options, price-sensitive pricing strategies and building customer loyalty – dominated the past six months.
So too, and no surprises here, but the broader classification of the consumer is changing yet again. If 2023 was the year of the resilient consumer, it seems that 2024 is seeing the year of the empowered consumer. Mastercard Data & Services [May 2024] reported that despite rising interest rates, inflation and the threat of a recession, consumers still confidently spent in 2023. This year however, consumers are carefully prioritising resources – with many people worldwide now looking for more deals and discounts to carefully balance their household budgets. Technology is also playing a bigger role in bringing innovation and efficiency to retailers and consumers, reflecting a more concerted shift towards a customer-centric and digitally driven retail landscape.
“Don't blink was my pennies worth at our trends check in November 2023,” said Mike Smollan, Chief Growth Officer, Smollan. “We've seen the rapid changes this year, from powerful tactical retail that has global brands amping up the flavour and integration experience for consumers. To local shifts in South Africa for example, with 61% of Gen Zs finding their feet and telling us via a recent Trade Intelligence report, that social media influencers are their best source of information when it comes to shopping. It's about meeting consumers wherever, whenever, and however they prefer to shop, and being cognisant of and embracing the shift to empowered consumerism.”
Global retail examples always provide a relevant yardstick to illustrate these shifting dynamics on a larger scale. Take Walmart for example who despite relatively little store growth, has maintained its number one ranking with a robust online marketplace and a range of new financial resources for shoppers. Costco expanded its warehouse format this year to a range of countries while Ikea is reinventing, by opening smaller-format stores around the world.
So too, the ecommerce world continues to baffle the brain – with relative newbie Temu topping US$5 billion in sales in 2023, just one year after they launched. With Statista reporting that their app has been downloaded over 52 million times as of May this year.
A wild ride and evolving storyline as we watch the disruption of this sector.
Closer to home, Shoprite South Africa (SA) have adapted in 2024 to serve customers who want more promotions, combo deals and collective buying. They also noted that their customers are switching to private labels. Furthermore, they have expanded their premium stores and on-demand delivery services, as well as venturing into mobile services and financial offerings. On the ecommerce front Tech Safari, reporting on Amazon's entry into SA in May this year, have suggested a possible pricing war benefitting consumers with faster deliveries, more products and better support. This space in the spotlight from now until year end and beyond, with competition on the up as Takealot, in response to Amazon's entry, launched a free delivery service with a monthly subscription.
At A Glance | Four Trends
Accelerated ways to enable retailers to anticipate, experiment, adapt and satisfy consumers, even before they are aware of them, will be the golden thread. With Forbes identifying four evolving trends for the second half of the year:
Sustainability
Customers want organisations to step up and show proof of their eco stance however they have “green fatigue” and are quickly on the scent of businesses that are simply ‘greenwashing'.
AI
This is constantly evolving and retailers need to use AI to improve efficiencies and processes, and balance this with a human touch.
Personalised Communication
Consumers want messages tailored to them and their purchasing behaviour and not to be bombarded with general marketing messages. Shifting tactics from purely transactional to empathetic.
Social Commerce
CRM Essentials showed that 37% of consumers trust influencers more than brands. This year social commerce and creator economies present a perfect symbiotic relationship as brands are now more focused on telling stories on social platforms that conclude with a commerce moment.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Smollan.
2024 marks the 30th anniversary of Joekels Tea – a KZN-based business that went up against the tea giants and is now a leading tea manufacturer. What many may not know, however, is that Joekels Tea entered the coffee game several years ago with the launch of their Society Cappuccinos brand. And to make their …
Eastern Cape women entrepreneurs aim high
A Sara Baartman District Women Entrepreneurs Awards (WEA) winner aspires to be a fabric design factory owner who will in turn be able to employ the local people of Makhanda.
Kholiswa Seti of Kholi Designs was named the best smallholder in the rural development category, during the WEA ceremony hosted by the Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR) in the Sarah Baartman and Amathole districts.
As part of the annual Women Entrepreneur Awards, the provincial department has been recognising top performing women who are contributing to economic development and job creation through the agricultural sector.
The objective of the awards is to empower and honour women in agriculture and agro-processing sectors by recognising their contributions.
The awards are an instrument through which the contribution of women in the fight against poverty, hunger and joblessness is recognised to increase participation and visibility of women in the sector.
Expressing her joy in winning the award, Seti--who was displaying her products at the National Arts Festival held this week--said her win happened at the time when she “just identified my niche market.”
She said it was only on Monday when she got great reviews about the quality of her work when she decided to have two pop-ups stalls to showcase her products in a solo marketing venture.
Government assistance
“Just when the excitement got the better of me about this idea, the question was ‘where are you going to get the money girl?’ So, this prize money (R20 000) will make me pull-off this idea of pop-up stalls and I am grateful. Slowly but surely my dreams are coming true [and] soon I will be able to employ more people and have a factory, thanks to the government,” an elated Seti said.
Seti, who received an overlocker and straight industrial sewing machines last year from DRDAR, said before the assistance, she only had one domestic machine and was working alone. Now, she has been able to hire someone on a full-time basis and another part-time.
“I call the industrial machine I received from the department ‘magic machine’ because it is fast and delivers great quality while the overlocker is doing wonders,” she explained.
Kholi Designs produce traditional wear, smart to causal wear, as well as matric dance attire. She said the designs catered for specific seasons, adding that she is currently displaying and selling winter wear at the festival.
Seti is not new to winning awards having won the Best Designer range at the 2017 Nelson Mandela Bay Fashion Week.
Farming for the future
Another winner, Bongeka Gebuza from Khanyisa Agro-organics in Ngqeberha, was awarded the Youth Special Award for her sterling work in her rabbit farming enterprise.
Speaking about her love for rabbits and organic farming, the Bachelor of Science Honours in Agriculture student at Nelson Mandela University, said she was “always interested” in rabbits, especially their nutritional value and how to take care of them.
“When I was gifted three rabbits, I managed to breed them until I had 72,” Gebuza said.
The 34-year-old Gebuza is currently busy with her honours degree research on rabbit manure.
She said her research seeks to look at the soil nutrition where she is planting spinach, using rabbit manure on one side and chemical on the other one.
Gebuza, who casually eats and sells her rabbits, said the prize money will assist her with buying the expensive rabbit feed and improve their cages.
She said she will continue with farming.
“One day I want to be the supplier of rabbit manure. I do not have interest in working as I am more interested in entrepreneurship, but we need funding for that as young people,” an optimistic Gebuza said.
Gebuza encouraged the youth to look into the farming sector, as it has more job opportunities.
“They need to explore and start small while looking for funding,” she said.
The district winners will compete for silverware at the provincial awards ceremony to be awarded by new DRDAR MEC, Nonceba Kontsiwe. The contestants will later represent the province nationally at the awards ceremony to be held in August. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Fri, 06/28/2024 - 09:33
By Alwyn Pretorius, GM at Infinitus Reporting Solutions No, this is not another rant about AI taking jobs from finance professionals, topical as the subject may be right now. Rather, it’s a commentary on the finance industry at large and the increasingly and crucially central role that financial officers in particular play in businesses. We …
Dream Hotels & Resorts (Dream) and CityBlue Hotels (CityBlue) (www.CityBlueHotels.com) are proud to announce a strategic sales and representation partnership aimed at fortifying their market presence across Africa.
Embodied by the tagline, ‘Collaborating for a Brighter African Hospitality Future', the alliance marks a significant milestone in bringing together two renowned African hospitality companies with a shared vision of sustainable growth.
Considered a prominent player in South Africa's hospitality industry, Dream's portfolio comprises 23 mixed-used properties. CityBlue, Africa's fastest-growing local hotel chain with properties across Accra, Dar es Salaam, Juba, Kampala, Kigali, Lamu, Mombasa and Nairobi plans to reach 50 operating hotels by 2028.
“Collaboration is a powerful force that brings together diverse perspectives,” says Nick Dickson, Director of Dream Hotels & Resorts. “By combining our resources, expertise, and extensive networks, we're establishing a unified approach to market expansion, while delivering even greater value to our guests.”
According to Jameel Verjee, Founder & CEO of CityBlue Hotels, their East & West-meets- South partnership will include joint marketing campaigns, co-branded promotions, combined trade show representation, and the exchange of contracted agents, wholesalers, and clients to ensure a diversified market reach.
“A rising tide lifts all boats,” he adds. “By working together in complementary markets, we are endorsing the opportunities of pan-African collaborations, which ultimately leads to a more resilient, robust and unified industry.”
An official Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Dream and CityBlue will take place at the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) in Windhoek the week of 25 June 2024. Their cohesive partnership aligns with AHIF's mission of fostering investment, collaboration, and growth in African hospitality.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of CityBlue Hotels.
About Dream Hotels & Resorts:
Founded in 1988, our mission at Dream Hotels & Resorts is to deliver dynamic and exceptional hospitality solutions in Africa that connect local and global travellers to our communities in a sustainable and relevant manner. With a growing portfolio of over 23 properties, including exclusive membership and ownership opportunities, we have adopted a more purposeful approach to the guest experience, leading with greater compassion and intent, while creating a healthy balance between our actions, our communities, and the environment.
About CityBlue Hotels:
CityBlue Hotels, Africa's fastest-growing local hotel chain, operates properties across some of East and West Africa's major cities. Renowned for its modern, comfortable accommodations and strong focus on business travellers, CityBlue's mission is to open African doors and extend care to everyone through the celebration of diversity. CityBlue aims to build the future of African hospitality by harnessing the power of technology to democratise travel.
The Battle of The Choirs Boulders Shopping Centre Get Ready for the Ultimate Community Showdown at The Battle of The Choirs finale! It’s time to bring the community together for the most thrilling event of the year! Join us for the Battle of the Choirs finale, where our local stars will rock the stage and …
The 2024 Future of Leadership Summit took place on the 16th of May at Wanderer’s Stadium. The Forum, designed to inspire and promote sustainable leadership in South Africa played host to many high-profile captains of industry. Some took the stage with keynote addresses and others joined panels that discussed futurism in all aspects of South …
Just like sports, art is an effective way to connect people from all backgrounds through a common purpose. The 55th Ballito Pro Presented by O’Neill is a celebration of this, connecting South Africans throughout the event festival running in KwaDukuza from 25 June to 8 July. This is evidenced by the innovative Painting on Purpose …
As we navigate through the winter season and brace for the coldest month of July, Canega EquiPlus takes the reins in ensuring the well-being of South African horses with the release of their latest comprehensive guide, “Winter Ready? The Essential Winter Horse Care Guide for South African Horse Owners.” Winter brings unique challenges to horse …
In days gone by we would market our businesses in a number of ways: Yellow Pages Listings were a must Cold Calling was acceptable Adverts in the Daily Newspapers – Herald, Evening Post, Weekend Post, Die Burger, PE Express etc. Paid for Advertorials or to e quoted in Press Releases Branding on Radio – Radio …
The National Musuems of Kenya (NMK) and CityBlue Hotels (CityBlue) (www.CityBlueHotels.com) are proud to announce a new partnership to co-promote tourism and culture in Kenya.
This alliance marks an exciting opportunity for sponsorship, co-branding, co-marketing and other forms of collaboration.
NMK was established by an Act of Parliament, the Museums and Heritage Act 2006, as a multi-disciplinary institution whose role is to collect, preserve, study, document and present Kenya's past and present cultural and natural heritage. This is for the purposes of enhancing knowledge, appreciation, respect and sustainable utilization of these resources for the benefit of Kenya and the world, for now and posterity.
CityBlue Hotels, Africa's fastest-growing local hotel chain, operates in Kenya (Mombasa, Nairobi and Lamu with new properties opening soon), Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Ghana. CityBlue also has a collaboration arrangement with more than twenty hotels in South Africa and Mozambique.
Professor Mary Gikungu, Director General of the NMK, stated that, “This arrangement is a step for NMK to engage with the private sector with a group that is established, growing, dynamic and cares, like we do, for the welfare of mankind and the conservation of the biological diversity of the East African region and that of the entire planet. The story of NMK and our cultural heritage will be enhanced by this collaboration”.
Jameel Verjee, Founder & CEO of CityBlue Hotels, explained at the Africa Hotel Investment Forum 2024 that “NMK manages many Regional Museums, Sites and Monuments of national and international importance alongside priceless collections of Kenya's living cultural and natural heritage. As an institution that must respond to the growing needs of the society, NMK is striving to contribute in a unique way to the task of national development and we cannot wait to be a partner of NMK on this journey”.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of CityBlue Hotels.
Are you ready to gain more skills and take your professional communication to the next level? Look no further than the short courses offered by the Communication Lab (Comms Lab) at the Stellenbosch University (SU) Language Centre. In today’s digital marketplace, effective communication is the name of the game. That’s why the Comms Lab’s short …
Zena Brand Builders, an innovative outdoor media company based in the Eastern Cape, is making waves under the visionary leadership of CEO of Zena Brand Builders Yonwaba Pangeni. As a young South African woman breaking new ground in an industry traditionally dominated by established media giants, Yonwaba’s tenacious approach and dynamic leadership are transforming the …
As the winter chill sets in, there’s nothing quite like wrapping your hands around a steaming cup of coffee. Whether it’s the warmth seeping into your fingers or the rich aroma enveloping you, coffee is a winter staple for many. However, with the growing concern for environmental sustainability, our beloved takeaway coffee habit faces scrutiny. …