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We have all found that the last 24 to 36 months have messed with our focus and lives. Our lives as entrepreneurs and corporates have changed drastically, even now, there is uncertainty how to proceed.
I too was challenged by this phenomenon and had to dig deep to find an answer and solution.
I found that I had to reset and refocus.
Easier said than done as it brings new challenges in itself. My answer to this was to reassess my thoughts, my vision, my way of doing business, how I see my clients, and many more issues.
Out of all these thought processes then emerged another factor called “New Opportunities”
My vision has always been and still is based on a “From Me to You” attitude. I always ask the question; How much do I care? And not how much do I know? That goes for my business and for business that I am proposing you should do with me.
I have come to realise that doing a lot of things does not mean I get a lot of things done. I believe like myself, we don’t need “divine intervention” to take growth seriously, you need to reset and focus on growth opportunities around you and your clients. You can be a victim waiting for divine intervention or reset, focus and meet the challenges head-on. If it does not work then reset and refocus again. Remember you are currently where you are because of who you are and what you are. When you are in a storm you need to keep your focus and resetting may become a never ending task. When I became very disillusioned with redoing, rethinking, and replanning a true friend and business colleague said to me, “losing is milestone to winning.”
RESET means to me, A new way of thinking, seeing things differently, and taking advantage of all opportunities coming my way.
This is a new “Future” and we need to have the intention to build our businesses successfully by giving it a new purpose, intensity, a sense of urgency, and most importantly “ACTION.”
What we and our business will become in the future is based on our attitudes and what we want to become in life.
Publisher
CEO Global (Pty) Ltd
Tel:+27 82 883 4901 info@ceoglobalgroup.com www.ceoglobalgroup.com
Chief Executive Annelize Wepener annelize@ceoglobalgroup.com
Patron for CEO Global Foundation Lucy Quainoo
Mobility Correspondent Niki Louw Nikilouw68@gmail.com Tel: +27 66 244 1062
Development
Vishnu Singh Tel: +27 71 851 2066 Production
61 048 0084
(Pty)
Tel: +27 21 507 9030 Fax: 086 509 2749
FOR RAJESH GUPTA, TWO OF THE GOLDEN RULES IN BUSINESS ARE TO KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS, AND OFFER THEM AN AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCE. AND CONSIDERING THE STAGGERING SUCCESS OF MAHINDRA SOUTH AFRICA UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP, IT IS CLEAR THAT HE IS ONTO SOMETHING.
BY SALOME POSTHUMUSWhen Gupta took over the reigns as CEO of Mahindra SA in 2018, he knew that a challenging journey lay ahead. South Africans have a notorious love affair with their SUVs and pickup trucks (locally called ‘bakkies’), and Mahindra was a relatively new entrant in an already flooded market. What he did not foresee was that his tenure would coincide with some of the most significant challenges the South African economy has ever faced, due in large part to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Yet despite the rough terrain, Mahindra SA has achieved beyond expectations. The company’s compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the last five years stands at around 25%, whereas the average for the South African automotive industry is –3%. Mahindra SA ended its 2022 financial year with an average sales increase of over 37%, and it consistently breaks its own 1,000-unit-per-month sales target. At its Durban assembly facility, which only opened its doors in 2018, the 10,000th bakkie recently rolled off the line.
But it’s about more than just the numbers – both for Gupta and for Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), which is Mahindra SA’s India-based holding company. “When M&M asked me to come to South Africa to take over as CEO of Mahindra SA, my brief was simple: Make South Africa a second home. And this applied both to the business and to me personally,” says Gupta, who moved to South Africa along with his family.
When asked why South Africa in particular was earmarked to become Mahindra’s second home, Gupta is quick to mention the longstanding ties between the two countries. “South Africans and Indians have much in common – from our social and economic challenges, all the way through to liberation leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. My personal experience has been of a country that is warm and approachable, and I have made many good friends here. After all, a home is not a house; it’s not a matter of brick and mortar. A home is where you belong,” explains Gupta.
And Mahindra has indeed made South Africa as ‘homely’ as possible. Over the past few years, while many global automotive businesses were closing their South African assembly lines, the Mahindra assembly line has been going from strength to strength. In fact, local demand for Mahindra bakkies is projected to soon outstrip supply, and production will be expanded to help shorten waiting lists. Mahindra SA also boasts a local national parts warehouse and a network of over 70 dealers across the country. Acting from its second-home base, Mahindra has expanded into other countries in sub-Saharan Africa; it has a presence in Swaziland and Lesotho, and is currently exporting vehicles to Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Swaziland and Namibia.
Mahindra SUVs and bakkies have had tremendous success in South Africa, and Gupta attributes this to the fact that South Africans and Mahindra place equal importance on ‘authenticity’. “I started my career with the biotechnology company
Monsanto, where I worked with Indian farmers. Farmers are no-nonsense people, and for them the proof of the pudding is in the eating. I find that South Africans are similar; they want a brand they can trust to get the job done, and that has always been key for Mahindra. A customer’s experience of the vehicle must live up to expectations; it must deliver what it was designed and engineered for.”
But Mahindra takes authenticity beyond engineering. Gupta explains that when it comes to SUVs and bakkies, there is an important partnership between man and machine. “The machine must enable customers to reach what they aspire to, and for many people, that aspiration is to explore. The local market for off-road vehicles in large part consists of people who work long hours during the week; over the weekend, they want to be active and get away from it all. Our machines must enable the customer to do this – to explore the unknown, in partnership with a machine that always has your back.”
This partnership between man and machine is perhaps best illustrated in the 2022 launch of three special-edition bakkies that represent Mahindra’s brand positioning of ‘Unleash The Explorer In You’. The bakkies – called Karoo Dusk, Karoo Dawn and Karoo Storm – were inspired by a very special place in South Africa. “The Karoo is a semi-arid region characterised by extreme temperatures, cloudless skies, and a diversity of succulent plant species. It is close to the hearts of many South Africans, and the mere mention of the word conjures up the smell and feel of it.
The design of each edition reflects a particular characteristic of the Karoo – the pitch-black of the Karoo dusk, the beiges and oranges of the Karoo dawn, and the black–grey–blue of the rare Karoo rainstorms,” explains Gupta.
But the ‘special’ in the special-edition Karoo bakkies extends beyond the aesthetics. “These are some of the most capable machines in the country, and they were engineered and designed for exploration. So we decided to put them to the test. We gathered a group of bakkie enthusiasts and asked them to do what they love most – explore. Over 21 days, the three-bakkie Karoo convey travelled over 8,500 km in three countries. Not only did the Karoo Dusk, Dawn and Storm surpass expectations from a performance perspective, but some of the drivers explained that their journey through rough, rugged and seldom-seen environments has been life-changing. That is a man–machine partnership. That is authenticity.”
In hearing Gupta talk about Mahindra – and especially the Karoo range – one would be forgiven for assuming that he is an automotive-sector man through and through. But his experience spans the biotechnology, logistics and automobile sectors, and he has worked in both product- and service-based businesses. He has a particular interest and penchant for marketing.
“For me, marketing is what links your business to the minds of your customers. To succeed, you need to really connect with your customers. You need to know how they think, how they consume, what they like and dislike, and whether they have a need for your product. There is a clear need for authentic SUVs and bakkies in South Africa, and that is what Mahindra is all about. And I believe that adding a local flavour – like we did in the special-edition Karoo range – shows just how committed and aligned we are with our local customers,” says Gupta.
Mahindra SA started operations a mere 18 years ago, but its performance over the past few years demonstrates that it has gained significant traction as a truthful, honest, household brand in South Africa.
Nonetheless, Gupta does not rest on his laurels. “The world changes quickly and continually, and what worked yesterday will not necessarily work today. So you need to constantly reinvent your approach. Luckily, experimentation is the way at Mahindra, and as Mahindra SA we are grateful to have the full support of the M&M Board. We were given the freedom to decide our own path in South Africa, and the direction we chose was to really understand the heart of South Africans. And this extends beyond our customers – we are equally passionate about our employees, associates and channel partners.”
Gupta believes that Mahindra SA’s success is the result of its largely South African team. He is adamant that decisions are made here, by the people who know the market best – and in this he has M&M’s backing. He is also passionate about the larger Mahindra network. “I firmly believe that what you do in business must lead to prosperity for all; that your business model must be one of win-win partnerships. As Mahindra SA gains traction as a homegrown brand, our employees, dealers and salespeople must be able to share in that. They need to realise increased personal prosperity as the brand prospers,” says Gupta.
As a true innovator, Gupta believes that neither businesses nor their leaders should be allowed to stagnate. This means that there often comes a time when leaders should move on to new challenges, making way for fresh perspectives in the business. “For me, life is like a relay race in which our ultimate shared goal is to create growth and prosperity for all. Someday I will pass the Mahindra SA baton on to someone else to continue the journey, and in turn I will accept the baton for a new adventure of my own,” explains Gupta.
When asked what advice he might have for his successor, Gupta’s response is simple. “Remain grounded, and do things in a sustainable and scalable way. The best success comes from sometimes-small increments of organic growth. And never forget that you are here to serve your customers. To gain customer loyalty, your brand should be seen as a member of the family; it must resonate with people’s joys and sorrows, with their challenges and aspirations. Your brand should represent home.”
What began as a steel-trading venture in 1945, steadily turned into a global brand, spanning nations and industries. This is a story with an upward curve, narrating how an Indian company paved its way to become a global powerhouse.
Mahindra SA was established in 1996, bringing both our global name and expertise to South Africa. Since then, we have become the country’s fastest growing passenger vehicle and bakkie brand. Our success also led to the opening of our first local assembly plant in 2018.
We strive to continue to make our Mahindra mark, offering the people of South Africa world-class SUV, bakkie and commercial vehicles.
TEL: + 27 (0) 66 264 8461 OR + 27 (0) 60 547 6308
The information contained in this document does not constitute advice by Liberty. Any legal, technical or product information contained in this document is subject to change from time to time. If there are any discrepancies between this document and the contractual terms and conditions, or where applicable, any fund rules, the contractual terms and conditions, or where applicable, the fund rules will prevail. Past performance cannot be relied on as an indication of future performance. Investment performance will depend on the growth in the underlying assets, which will be influenced by prevailing market conditions. Any recommendations made by an adviser or broker must take into consideration your specific needs and unique circumstances.
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Duration is an important concept describing the behaviour of bonds and measures the sensitivity of a bond’s price to interest rate changes where a longer duration indicates a higher sensitivity to interest rate fluctuations. Duration is a function of payment structure and maturity where, if two bonds are otherwise the same, a longer maturity bond will have a higher duration. If two bonds are the same in all other ways except coupon rate, the bond with the lower coupon will have a higher duration and a bond whose coupon is linked to interest rates will have a duration of zero.
By managing the duration of the portfolio, directional views can be taken on income
instruments, whether this is to maximise the benefit of falling interest rates, to protect against rising interest rates or to take a position on interest rate spreads or volatility. To best capture the expectation on income instruments, the New Road BCI Income Fund-of-Funds (FoF) increased the duration of the overall portfolio. The success of this position can be seen in the following graph. The sharper increase seen in the second half of July in the New Road BCI Income FoF comes as a result of the higher portfolio duration.
After the expectation played out, the New Road BCI Income FoF reduced portfolio duration to lock in on the gains and moved to a more protective position as seen in the following graph. The reduction in portfolio duration is achieved by reducing exposure to higher duration funds and increasing exposure to shorter duration funds.
In addition to capturing the upside in capital value, the change in the profile of duration exposure also allows the fund to capture the high yields— 9.34% as of the start of August—the benefit of which would be passed on to the investor. Although the duration has now been reduced, this has come with very little decrease in the yield of the fund.
The management of exposure to interest rate movements, as measured by duration, is an important factor in income fund management. By increasing duration
to capture upswings and decreasing duration to protect against downswings, the return profile of the fund becomes asymmetrical in favour of the investor.
New Road Capital (Pty) Ltd, 2017/650486/07 and FSP number 50488, is an authorised discretionary financial services provider under the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act (No. 37 of 2002). The information and any opinions displayed herein are of a general nature and do not constitute advice. New Road Capital takes all care to provide current and accurate information as at the date of publication but accepts no liability for errors, omissions or subsequent changes. Any references to data, assumptions, targets, benchmarks or examples are as indicators or illustrations only and are not fixed or guaranteed and clients should not assume any performance or guarantees apply unless such has been explicitly confirmed in writing.
Past investment performance is not necessarily indicative of future performance. As clients remain responsible for the investment, product and counterparty risks of their decisions, they should consult with their advisors and independently assess and confirm all material information before taking any action.
The NEW ROAD CAPITAL co-named funds (as defined in BN 778 of 2011) are registered under Boutique Collective Investments (RF) (Pty) Ltd (“BCI”), a registered Collective Investment Schemes Management Company in terms of the Collective Investment Schemes Control Act 45 of 2002, supervised by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (‘FSCA’). New Road Capital (Pty) Ltd, is the FSCA approved and appointed investment manager of the co-named CIS funds.
Boutique Collective Investments (RF) (Pty) Ltd (“BCI”) is a registered Manager of the Boutique Collective Investments Scheme, approved in terms of the Collective Investments Schemes Control Act, No. 45 of 2002 and is a full member of the Association for Savings and Investment SA. Collective Investment Schemes in securities are generally medium to long term investments. The value of participatory interests may go up or down and past performance is not necessarily an indication of future performance. The Manager does not guarantee the capital or the return of a portfolio. Collective Investments are traded at ruling prices and can engage in borrowing and scrip lending. A schedule of fees, charges and maximum commissions is available on request. BCI reserves the right to close the portfolio to new investors and reopen certain portfolios from time to time in order to manage them more efficiently. Additional information, including application forms, annual or quarterly reports can be obtained from BCI, free of charge. A fund of funds is a portfolio that invests in portfolios of collective investment schemes that levy their own charges, which could result in a higher fee structure. Income funds derive their income from interest-bearing instruments in accordance with Section 100(2) of the Act. The yield is a current yield and is calculated daily. Boutique Collective Investments (RF) Pty Ltd retains full legal responsibility for the third party named portfolio. Performance figures quoted for the portfolios are from Morningstar, as at the date of this document for a lump sum investment, using NAV-NAV with income reinvested and do not take any upfront manager’s charge into account. Income distributions are declared on the ex-dividend date. Actual investment performance will differ based on the initial fees charge applicable, the actual investment date, the date of reinvestment and dividend withholding tax. Annualised return is the weighted average compound growth rate over the period measured. Investments in foreign securities may include additional risks such as potential constraints on liquidity and repatriation of funds, macroeconomic risk, political risk, foreign exchange risk, tax risk, settlement risk as well as potential limitations on the availability of market information. Although reasonable steps have been taken to ensure the validity and accuracy of the information in this document, BCI does not accept any responsibility for any claim, damages, loss or expense, however it arises, out of or in connection with the information in this document, whether by a client, investor or intermediary. This document should not be seen as an offer to purchase any specific product and is not to be construed as advice or guidance in any form whatsoever. Investors are encouraged to obtain independent professional investment and taxation advice before investing with or in any of BCI/the Manager’s products.
Ransomware gangs have really upped their game in the last few years, generating billions in paid ransoms from public and private sector organisations. The gangs have increased attacks on critical infrastructure operators, hospitals, manufacturing companies and pharma companies. Ransom demand amounts have gone up as well, with victims such as CNA Financial paying out a record $40 million.
So, is this still just the same old ransomware we are talking about? Well, sort of. Once the niche of sprayand-pay spam and drive-by campaigns,
you’re now more likely to find ransomware tacked on to the tail-end of an highly crafted attack sequence we define as RansomOps–ransomware in its most pernicious, pervasive and professional form.
RansomOps are less like the old “spray and pay” methods and a lot more like stealthy nation-state APTs. What sets them apart is their technical sophistication, data exfiltration for double extortion, specialised players and attraction to big-name targets.
conducting largely nuisance attacks to a highly complex business model ...with an increasing level of innovation and technical sophistication,” according to a recent report titled RansomOps: Inside Complex Ransomware Operations and the Ransomware Economy.
Gartner noted that the threat of new ransomware models was a top concern among executives last year, and when you look at the stakes, the evolving landscape, and the publicised RansomOps attacks this far, you can see why.
The Five Most Advanced RansomOps Attackers Black Basta Ransomware Gang
The Black Basta gang emerged in April 2022 and has victimised nearly 50 companies in the United States, United
Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Organisations in English speaking countries appear to be targets. Cybereason assesses the threat level of Black Basta attacks against global organisations as HIGHLY SEVERE.
Since Black Basta is relatively new, not a lot is known about the group. And due to their rapid ascension and the precision of their attacks, Black Basta is likely operated by former members of the defunct Conti and REvil, the two most profitable ransomware gangs since 2021.
Cybereason researchers have been tracking BlackCat since its emergence in 2021.
Having attacked the “telecommunication, commercial services, insurance, retail, machinery, pharmaceuticals, transportation, and construction industries” among at least six countries, it was called 2021’s most
sophisticated ransomware.
Interestingly, it is built in Rust (an unusual language for ransomware) and is not above triple-extortion techniques. Believed to be a descendent of BlackMatter and targeting no less than 60 organisations in March alone, BlackCat caused enough trouble to warrant its own FBI flash alert.
The Conti ransomware group has caused a great deal of damage in a relatively short period of time—making headlines around the world.
It didn’t come from nowhere, though. Ransomware gangs constantly shift and evolve and rebrand over time, and Conti is identified as a successor to
Ryuk ransomware.
The FBI released an alert around Conti in February of this year, warning that “attacks against U.S. and international organisations have risen to more than 1,000.” This prodigious gang is known for not only infecting machines, but spreading through the network via SMB and encrypting remote files as well.
Raking in over $25 million since 2020, NetWalker earned a global remediation attempt by the US Department of Justice. Per court papers, the group operates a “so-called ransomware-as-a-service model,” or RaaS, in which developers write the malicious
code, affiliates find and attack victims, and the two parties split the proceeds.
According to the Cybereason threat research team
Nocturnus, “NetWalker encrypts shared network drives of adjacent machines on the network” and presents a HIGH threat, already having been “employed in attacks across a variety of industries around the world.”
The Darkside Gang was responsible for the infamous 2021 Colonial Pipeline attack that boldly targeted America’s critical national infrastructure and disrupted the East Coast oil supply for several days. Believed to be “likely former affiliates of the REvil RaaS
[ransomware-as-a-service] group,” so much pressure was put on Darkside after the attack by the U.S. government, the group disbanded with members forming new gangs or catching on with other gangs such as Black Basta, LockBit, BlackCat and others.
DarkSide targeted organisations in English-speaking countries while avoiding those in countries associated with former Soviet Bloc nations. This gang appeared to have a code of conduct that prohibits attacks against hospitals, hospices, schools, universities, non-profit organisations and government agencies.
It’s possible for organisations to defend themselves at each stage of a ransomware attack. In the delivery stage, for instance, they can use malicious links or malicious macros attached documents to block suspicious emails. Installation gives security teams the opportunity to detect files that are attempting to create new registry values and to spot suspicious activity on endpoint devices.
When the ransomware attempts to establish command and control, security teams can block outbound connection attempts to known malicious
infrastructure. They can then use threat indicators to tie account compromise and credential access attempts to familiar attack campaigns, investigate network mapping and discovery attempts launched from unexpected accounts and devices.
Prevention always costs less than the cure, and that is particularly applicable when it comes to ransomware.
An effective ransomware prevention plan includes actions like:
• Following Security Hygiene Best Practices: This includes timely patch management and assuring operating systems and other software are regularly updated, implementing a security awareness program for employees, and deploying bestin-class security solutions on the network.
• Implementing Multi-Layer Prevention Capabilities: Prevention solutions like NGAV should be standard on all enterprise endpoints across the network to thwart ransomware attacks leveraging both known TTPs as well as custom malware.
•
Deploying Endpoint and Extended Detection and Response (EDR and XDR): Point solutions for detecting malicious activity like a
RansomOps attack across the environment provides the visibility required to end ransomware attacks before data exfiltration occurs, or the ransomware payload can be delivered.
Assuring Key Players Can Be Reached: Responders should be available at any time of day as critical mitigation efforts can be delayed during weekend/holiday periods. Having clear on-call duty assignments for off-hours security incidents is crucial.
• Conducting Periodic TableTop Exercises: These crossfunctional drills should include key decision-makers from Legal, Human Resources, IT Support, and other departments all the way up to the executive team for smooth incident response.
• Ensuring Clear Isolation Practices: This can stop further ingress into the network or
the spread of ransomware to other devices or systems. Teams should be proficient at disconnecting a host, locking down a compromised account, blocking a malicious domain, etc.
Evaluating Managed Security Services Provider Options: If your security organisation has staffing or skills shortages, establish pre-agreed response procedures with your MSPs so they can take immediate action following an agreed-upon plan.
• Locking Down Critical Accounts for Weekend and Holiday Periods: The usual path attackers take in propagating ransomware across a network is to escalate privileges to the admin domain-level and then deploy the ransomware. Teams should create highly secured, emergency-only accounts in the active directory that are only used when other operational
accounts are temporarily disabled as a precaution or inaccessible during a ransomware attack. For more information on Weekend and Holiday ransomware threats, refer to another study, Organisations at Risk: Ransomware Attackers Don’t Take Holidays.
Remember, the actual ransomware payload is the tail end of a RansomOps attack, and there are weeks or even months’ worth of detectable activity prior where an attack can be arrested before there is serious impact to the targeted organisation.
The FBI released an alert around Conti in February of this year, warning that “attacks against U.S. and international organisations have risen to more than 1,000.” This prodigious gang is known for not only infecting machines, but spreading through the network via SMB and encrypting remote files as well.
BY BRANDON ROCHAT, CYBEREASON SALES DIRECTOR OF AFRICA
Av ril Elizabeth Home was officially opened in 1970 by Sheila Suttner, a social worker. Before opening the Home, Sheila worked at the Selwyn Segal Centre, a home for intellectually disabled people of the Jewish faith.
Shelia was inundated with desperate pleas from non-Jewish parents to admit their children to the Centre. She was so moved by their plight that, with the assistance of a hard-working committee, she set about establishing a pilot scheme which allowed five or six children to live in a home environment while attending day-care at the Selwyn Segal Centre.
In 1970, Sheila officially opened the Avril Elizabeth Home in Pandora Road, Kensington, for 21 intellectually disabled children. The home has since moved and today is situated on five hectares of well-groomed grounds on Fisher’s Hill, in Germiston.
The main buildings accommodate the children, and those with severe disabilities who require 24/7 care while four cottages each accommodate adults whose disabilities are less severe, yet who could not fend for themselves in society.
Over the years, a modern Stimulation Centre has been developed, where our staff help each resident realise his or her full potential. Many of the pioneer residents are now veterans of the Home, which has become the focal point of their lives.
The Home owes its survival to the cuddly teddy bear. In the 1980s, after the home moved to Germiston, funds were so short that the Home was on the verge of closing down, but a gentleman donated 100 teddy bears to the Home, and the proceeds from their sale was enough to cover the rent.
The Teddy has since become our mascot and teddies of all shapes and sizes are found throughout the Home. Not only do the teddies add extra life to the Home and boost morale, but they are a constant symbol of the security and stability provided by the Home for its residents.
T he Home was named after Avril Elizabeth, a bright, bubbly young girl who was struck down by encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain. The illness left her in a twilight world: a world that she never left until her death eight years later. Avril was on the waiting list for entry into the first home in Kensington when she died. Her name has become synonymous with outstanding care of the intellectually disabled.
Tel 011 822 223 3 P O Box 40155 Cleveland 2022
The first task from a CEF perspective is to understand our role. We are accountable for the security of supply of energy in the country. This energy includes the fuels that we use for transportation, and electricity used by various customers such as in the manufacturing and services sectors,” explains group chairperson, Ayanda Noah. The second task, she notes, is to understand and recognise that the CEF is owned by government and therefore has a dual mandate. The first mandate is a commercial one, where the focus is on profitability to ensure the sustainability of the enterprise. The second mandate deals with the issues of South Africa’s developmental state.
“In other words, we have an obligation to support government in dealing with the issues that it is seized with such as unemployment, poverty and challenges that can have a multiplier effect in the economy such as rising prices of electricity and other forms of energy,” reveals Ayanda.
SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN THE 1950S, THE CENTRAL ENERGY FUND (CEF) GROUP HAS PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE IN ENSURING SOUTH AFRICA’S SECURITY OF ENERGY SUPPLY, AS WELL AS MAKING A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE SOUTH AFRICAN ECONOMY AND SERVING AS A STRATEGIC PARTNER TO THE DEPARTMENT OF MINERAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY (AND ITS PREDECESSORS), BY PROVIDING INSIGHTS TO SUPPORT POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND REGULATION.
It’s a broad remit that the group has to fulfil provide strategic insight to its principal; ensure independence and profitability; support government’s broad objectives; provide thought leadership and ultimately secure reliable energy supply chains. At the best of times this would be a challenging set of responsibilities. Presently, this task is more vexed than usual with the global energy market in a state of transition and the local supply of electricity constrained.
Appointed in 2020, as group chairperson of the CEF Board, Ayanda took the opportunity to immerse herself in the group’s challenges and bring strategic clarity to the role of the company. Since her appointment, the South African gas development business iGas, the South African state oil corporation PetroSA, and the Strategic Fuel Fund (SFF), all subsidiaries of the CEF, have been seized with merger activities aimed at the formation of the South African National Petroleum Company that may take place in the future.
It signalled an important shift in the strategic approach of the CEF in which it is actively seeking to strengthen its subsidiaries. It is an approach that Ayanda, who has three decades of experience in the energy sector, believes will see the CEF make a strong contribution to assisting with the country’s energy challenges.
impactful yet flexible strategy is simple: “I believe one should always be focused on finding the best benefit for the end-user, the customer. This means our stewardship of resources and how we apply them to resolve the energy chal lenges of today and the future, needs to be approached holistically. The work that we do in supporting the state needs to be done in such a manner that the generations who follow in our footsteps know that we showed our support while being cognisant of not limiting their future options through our current actions.”
The group’s strategy is one of the key factors in this regard, as is its shareholder compact and its corporate plan. These plans provide a way to not only cascade the group’s strategic intent through the various levels of the organisation but also help its management and executive team to align their activities in pursuit of organisational goals.
Ayanda is also of the view that the group’s vision and values are critical elements in its overall success: “Values anchor an organisation and help it focus on the approach that needs to be adopted to move the company forward.”
Internally the CEF refers to its values as BRICS, wherein the acronym reflects the various aspects of its values as follows:
Batho Pele - a commitment to working
all stakeholders in high esteem.
Integrity – doing things the right way all the time.
Continuous improvement – the pursuit of operational excellence, innovation, agility and quality in all activities.
Stewardship – to lead in a responsible manner.
“Our values are critical at so many levels,” says Ayanda. “COVID-19 has hampered dialogue both internally and with our external stakeholders. We have recently started with those open dialogues again in an effort to help the public understand what it is that we do and how we go about our work.
“Fortunately, all stakeholders can see that even during this period when dialogue could not flow easily, we worked towards staying true to our values while implementing our strategies. Thereby underscoring the importance of the values to the group.”
The group is active throughout the energy sector value chain through its wholly owned subsidiaries and minority interests it holds in renewable energy ventures.
The group’s subsidiaries are:
Petroleum Agency SA – which is the national petroleum and gas promotion and licensing agency.
Ayanda points out that the activities of the companies within the group are in a large part influenced by the precepts of government’s Integrated Resource Plan. Launched in 2019, this is a strategy for the development of energy infrastructure based on the least-cost power supply and demand balance, while also considering supply security and the environment through the reduction of negative emissions.
African Exploration Mining and Finance Corporation – which mines coal in Mpumalanga for Eskom.
The Petroleum Oil and Gas Corporation of South Africa (also known as PetroSA) – this is the group’s main company and operates a gas-to-liquids refinery using indigenous gas as feedstock. It also has a stake in an oil field in Ghana.
“It guides us in terms of the type of thinking that we need to have in terms of the energy mix we need to establish over a period of time,” shares Ayanda. “On the one hand it is about taking a collaborative approach and engaging with an entity like Eskom to determine how we can partner with them to support their future endeavours. On the other hand, the plan also demands that our investments in the energy value chain support a diverse energy mix and not have a narrow focus.”
The South African Gas Development Company (also knowns as iGas) –this company owns a stake in the Mozambique-to-South
Strategic Fuel Fund Association - which handles vital crude oil infrastructure and reserves, as well as providing oil pollution control services in
One of the group’s objectives is to be the leading diversified energy investment company in the country. In fact, it has a R67 billion project pipeline in the energy value chain, which has the potential to significantly alter the energy landscape in the region. To maximise the value of this investment pipeline the group is constantly weighing a variety of investment approaches.
These include: the importance of coal in future electricity generation as the country has significant coal reserves; the potential of gas powered technology, nuclear energy; renewable energy and even investments in regional power generators that utilise hydro-electrical systems.
The group approaches all of these investment opportunities through the lens of baseload capacity building while being cognisant of the importance of moving from high carbon intensity to low carbon intensity. In other words securing electrical supply for those industries that need electricity on a 24/7 basis in order to manufacture goods for the market and keep the economy productive.
“We look for acquisitions all the time and where we can, aggressively explore opportunities in the market. We look at any opportunity that aligns with our vision of a secure and sustainable energy supply, so that we can meet the requirements of the future,” says Ayanda.
This includes looking at nuclear energy generation which has developed a controversial reputation. Ayanda acknowledges that the capital costs of getting nuclear energy system established are unfortunately very high. But points out on the positive side, “This type of energy generation is one of the most economical to operate”.
She is of the view that to manage the establishment costs one can approach it on a modular basis where initial investments are made into systems that provide for immediate energy needs and allows for scalability as needed.
“It is also a clean, safe and very reliable energy source. Therefore, one does not have the environmental challenges associated with a coal fired energy plant,” adds Ayanda.
While the group believes there is potential in older and established energy generation systems it is not ignoring future possibilities and is considering the role it can play in the energy transition phase South Africa has entered.
Gas to power is an important aspect in this regard. As part of South Africa’s transition there are coal-fired power stations that will be decommissioned. These can be converted to gas to power systems, thereby maximising the value of existing infrastructure investments and smoothing a transition to a new energy future.
This is evidenced by the investment that the group has made in Renergen’s project in the Free State and the establishment of a gas trading company partly owned by the Mozambique government, which will bring a new and essential source of energy onlin e at a time when South Africa is experiencing serious energy constraints.
The CEF is also active in the midstream sector of the energy value chain. This is the part of the oil and gas business that is in charge of the processing, storage, and transportation of goods including crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids.
It connects remote petroleum production regions with population centres where consumers can be found. The midstream petroleum industry includes transmission pipeline companies. Bulk terminals, refinery tanks, and holding tanks for crude oil and refined liquids are examples of storage facilities for crude oil and refined liquids.
Midstream development and investment by the CEF are vital as they are an important link in the energy chain.
The future beckons Ayanda shares that the group is cognisant of the need to explore new approaches to energy generation and highlights its investment in a concentrated solar energy producer in the Northern C ape as one of the steps it has taken to embrace a green power generation future.
In fact, solar (photovoltaic, solar thermal), wind, biogas (such as landfill gas/wastewater treatment digester gas), geothermal, biomass, low impact hydroelectricity, and various emerging technologies such as wave and tidal power are all renewable power technologies, that are under consideration by the group.
“Renewable energy has environmental and economic benefits such as producing energy with no greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels and lowering some forms of air pollution, diversifying energy supply, and reducing reliance on existing energy production systems.
“Additionally, renewable energy systems can provide affordable energy systems and as with all of our initiatives, it allows for entrepreneurs, particularly from previously disadvantaged backgrounds, to participate in a sector that was previously dominated by a number of large operators,” says Ayanda.
The debates that take place within the energy sector and amongst the South African public in general, place a significant onus on the CEF to use its R67 billion project pipeline in a way that contributes to addressing immediate challenges and future concerns.
“The CEF has accepted the challenge and in the same way that we have taken the baton from previous leaders at the group, we are committed to handing the baton over to future leaders, knowing that we have positively contributed to taking important steps in resolving South Africa’s energy security challenges,” Ayanda concludes.
MARKETERS OFTEN FOCUS MOST OF THEIR ATTENTION ON DESIGN AESTHETICS, IGNORING THE MANY OTHER FACTORS THAT COULD TURN WEBSITE VISITORS INTO HOT PROSPECTS. LEAD GENERATION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER, COMPANIES SHOULDN’T UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF WEB DESIGN SKILLS WHEN PREPARING TO INVEST IN A NEW LEAD GENERATION WEBSITE.
Many companies spend most of their time crafting a headline and very little of the time on the actual content. One needs to understand what content is going to work for your specific audience. Weak content and good headlines can work short term and generate leads, but one should rather think longer term and make sure content is consistent with the quality of everything
Digital events such as webinars, concerts and livestreams are now at an all-time high, enabling marketers to drive traffic to their platforms. These events are a unique way to generate leads and collect quality data. Creating engaging digital experiences meets customers’ needs and captures their attention, consumers who may otherwise be unwilling to share information are glad to provide an email address and opt-in to cookies when they get something in return.
The rapidly changing digital world creates unique new opportunities for digital marketers, it provides an excellent opportunity to gather quality data on potential leads.
Salesforce is one example of a company that has enjoyed huge success from its digital events. When their event schedule was uprooted, they adapted quickly and as a result, their virtual World Tour event brought over 1.2 million views to their social channels. That’s 1.2 million potential leads.
Casting a wide net catches the most fish, but it’s also the most expensive. Identifying a niche audience is a key component of any digital strategy. Targeted marketing is therefore the key to success because online communities are becoming niche spaces.
Offer value to niche customers in terms of insight and advice, this will earn dividends in terms of data and trust. Furthermore, use account-based campaigns to target specific customers with personalised messages. Strengthen your existing connections and pursue new relationships by incorporating account-based campaigns into your digital strategy.
Also, as the walls between personal and professional lives are coming down, many business people are looking for a more personal touch in their digital strategy. People want to feel like they’re doing business with unique individuals. Don’t be afraid to show off your unique personality through distinctive personal branding and personalised services.
Personalise the experience, use dynamic content to tailor your email marketing to individual leads. Remember that people want to have their needs met, and if your marketing can speak to those specific needs, your product will sell itself.
Retargeting enables marketers to speak to visitors who left the site. The first thing you want to make sure to do is drop a retargeting cookie. Tools like Adroll are very simple to setup and use, it covers both web retargeting and Facebook retargeting. You can also do web retargeting in your Google AdWords account.
The useful thing about retargeting is that you can show different ads based on what pages people saw on your site. For example, if they went to the checkout page but didn’t buy, you can target them with ads that shows them a whitepaper that talks about cost saving. If they browsed the site generally and viewed 5 pages on the site, you can show them an ad that lands them on general educational content.
If someone downloaded a pdf aimed at finance companies, you can show them ads around how the product works well for finance companies. Or if someone starts a free trial, you can target them during the 14-day free trial period with content aimed at getting them to convert into a paid customer.
Live chat services are becoming more sophisticated and most consumers expect them when visiting a site. It could be a major lead generator, companies should install a live chat tool on the pages where customers need the most assistance or information. It also allows marketers to col lect and log insight on their product needs.
One can integrate the customer service team with the live chat feature, ensuring that every visitor has their needs addressed no matter where the conversation goes.
Solutions like Optimizely have a range of products and plans to empower you to provide winning digital experiences to your potential leads. Whether you’re working on dynamic landing pages, A/B testing, AIpowered content recommendations or any other facet of your content management system, Optimizely specialises in helping you take your customer’s digital experi ence to the next level.
In the face of imminent economic downturn, it is very tempting for investors to try to avoid market drawdowns by disinvesting their funds and move to more secure positions. If implemented perfectly, such a strategy may indeed offer asymmetric return profiles by minimising losses and capturing most of the returns; however, the problem is that markets are notoriously difficult to predict with any degree of consistency.
A practical example illustrating the difficulty in predicting equity price movements is shown in the following figure. The true price movements of the S&P 500 for the first half of an unknown year are shown in orange. Thereafter follows four possible outcomes of the price level for the second half of the year. All four of the possible outcomes look highly plausible because they are—each of these are the actual price movements observed in the second half of some year for the S&P 500. It is easy to convince oneself that any of the options match the preceding graph, so an investor faces a difficult decision at the end of June: do they remain invested and suffer
a potential loss, or do they take their money out of the market and take the risk of missing out on returns?*
*Follow this link to vote on the outcome
The unfortunate truth is that most active decisions made by investors to enter or exit a market turn out to be incorrect. By considering the nett fund flows of the largest ETF tracker in the US, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust, one can estimate what percentage of investors correctly predicted market downturns, and conversely, market upturns. The nett fund flows in the first half of the year were compared to the subsequent returns in the second half of the year between 2000 and 2022 to establish market participant sentiment. In only 8 of the 22 years did investors accurately predict upcoming market swings by investing more when future returns are positive, and by withdrawing before market downturns. What this means is that, on average, most active investors underperformed the market to some extent and would have been better off not adjusting their position at all.
To support the idea of remaining invested further, the following figure illustrates the likelihood an investor had to grow their capital, or to experience a loss over a given holding period. It can be seen that, in the very short term, the chance of an equity index going up or down is almost equal. Over any one day holding period between 2000 and 2022, the S&P 500 only had a 54% chance of closing in the green. However, the longer an investor stays in the market, the more certain the positive outcome becomes—in fact, over the period considered, if the investor decided to invest for 10 years or longer, they would be 100% certain of receiving a positive return.
Considering the alternative, staying invested in the market regardless of one’s intuition about what may come, would appear to be the more logical approach. Even though it sounds less safe not to protect one’s wealth from downturns, or even less exciting by not being able to attribute some of the gains to personal predictive skills, it is the statistically optimal strategy.
If an investor truly seeks to avoid losses, it is clear that they should remain invested regardless of their current market sentiment. Not only are active decisions more likely to be wrong than right, but given enough time, the buy-and-hold strategy is virtually guaranteed to yield a positive return and would most likely outperform any alternative.
BY GARRETT NEL, NEW ROAD CAPITALDisclaimer: New Road Capital (Pty) Ltd, 2017/650486/07 and FSP number 50488, is an authorised discretionary financial services provider under the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act (No. 37 of 2002). The information and any opinions displayed herein are of a general nature and do not constitute advice. New Road Capital takes all care to provide current and accurate information as at the date of publication but accepts no liability for errors, omissions or subsequent changes. Any references to data, assumptions, targets, benchmarks or examples are as indicators or illustrations only and are not fixed or guaranteed and clients should not assume any performance or guarantees apply unless such has been explicitly confirmed in writing. Past investment performance is not necessarily indicative of future performance. As clients remain responsible for the investment, product and counterparty risks of their decisions, they should consult with their advisors and independently assess and confirm all material information before taking any action. The NEW ROAD CAPITAL co-named funds (as defined in BN 778 of 2011) are registered under Boutique Collective Investments (RF) (Pty) Ltd (“BCI”), a registered Collective Investment Schemes Management Company in terms of the Collective Investment Schemes Control Act 45 of 2002, supervised by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (‘FSCA’). New Road Capital (Pty) Ltd, is the FSCA approved and appointed investment manager of the co-named CIS funds. Boutique Collective Investments (RF) (Pty) Ltd (“BCI”) is a registered Manager of the Boutique Collective Investments Scheme, approved in terms of the Collective Investments Schemes Control Act, No. 45 of 2002 and is a full member of the Association for Savings and Investment SA. Collective Investment Schemes in securities are generally medium to long term investments. The value of participatory interests may go up or down and past performance is not necessarily an indication of future performance. The Manager does not guarantee the capital or the return of a portfolio. Collective Investments are traded at ruling prices and can engage in borrowing and scrip lending. A schedule of fees, charges and maximum commissions is available on request. BCI reserves the right to close the portfolio to new investors and reopen certain portfolios from time to time in order to manage them more efficiently. Additional information, including application forms, annual or quarterly reports can be obtained from BCI, free of charge. A fund of funds is a portfolio that invests in portfolios of collective investment schemes that levy their own charges, which could result in a higher fee structure. Income funds derive their income from interest-bearing instruments in accordance with Section 100(2) of the Act. The yield is a current yield and is calculated daily. Boutique Collective Investments (RF) Pty Ltd retains full legal responsibility for the third party named portfolio. Performance figures quoted for the portfolios are from Morningstar, as at the date of this document for a lump sum investment, using NAV-NAV with income reinvested and do not take any upfront manager’s charge into account. Income distributions are declared on the ex-dividend date. Actual investment performance will differ based on the initial fees charge applicable, the actual investment date, the date of reinvestment and dividend withholding tax. Annualised return is the weighted average compound growth rate over the period measured. Investments in foreign securities may include additional risks such as potential constraints on liquidity and repatriation of funds, macroeconomic risk, political risk, foreign exchange risk, tax
settlement
on the availability of market information. Although reasonable steps have been taken to ensure the validity and accuracy of the information in this document, BCI does not accept any responsibility
any claim, damages, loss or expense, however it arises, out of or in connection with the information in this document, whether by a client, investor or intermediary. This document should not be seen as an offer to purchase any specific product and is not to be construed as advice or guidance in any form whatsoever. Investors are encouraged to obtain independent professional investment and taxation advice before investing with or in any of BCI/the Manager’s products.
FIRTECH HAS INTRODUCED ROBOTICS-AS-A-SERVICE (RAAS), A FORM OF OUTSOURCING WHERE FIRTECH DEPLOYS CLOUD-BASED SOFTWARE ROBOTS THAT USE MACHINE-LEARNING, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) AND DOCUMENT UNDERSTANDING TO HELP BPO COMPANIES AUTOMATE REPETITIVE AND HIGH-VOLUME TASKS.
RaaS is a cloud-based automation system that allows users to select the capabilities they require when they need them. It’s the perfect solution for SMEs that offer outsourced finance services, largely because of its flexibility, scalability and lower cost of entry than traditional business process outsourcing platforms.
FIRtech CEO Ugan Maistry says it is 80% cheaper to automate. “It’s a no-brainer, customers only pay for what they use. They consume bot hours as required by their processes - there is no software, infrastructure setup or procurement required.”
“This means a short time to deployment, most often only days to convert to the RaaS platform. More importantly, no investment in software, hardware, in-house maintenance teams or security. It is the easiest way of scaling your operations without incurring capital expenditure,” he adds.
According to a report published by Coherent Market Insights, the global Robot as a Service market is expected to surpass $41.3-billion by 2028. It says the ongoing advancement in technologies is propelling the market growth during the forecast period.
Typical operational finance processes that can be managed with RaaS include:
• Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable
• Statement Reconciliation, Bank Reconciliation
• VAT 201 Submissions and Reconciliations
• EMP 201, EMP 501 submissions
• Data migration and data entry
• Mass emailing campaigns
• Data extraction and validation from documents (legal, contracts, etc.)
Maistry says RaaS allows SMEs to benefit from robotics, AI and automation without the initial investment or knowledge on robotics. It gives them the ability to scale up and down rapidly and easily in response to client needs and changing market conditions.”
BY UGAN MAISTRY, FIRTECH CEO
a specialist engineering and mining supply company based in South Africa, has received its second private equity investment of 2022.
The cash injection puts the group in pole position to maximise growth in a commodities boom that has spurred massive interest in mining.
Headquartered in Boksburg, Gauteng, GiGi Investments was started in 2014, as a holding company which now includes five highly focused firms, each a specialist solution provider. GiGi has built a comprehensive network of distributors and partners throughout sub-Saharan Africa and key customers include the likes of Glencor, Transnet, Sasol, Anglo, Kamoa Copper Mine and De Beers.
GiGi’s portfolio includes global brand names such as Grindex, Fogmaker, ELGi, FS-Elliot, Voith and Faggiolati, amongst others. The company offers a host of mining solutions including slurry pumping and dewatering, fire detection and suppression, compressed air in addition to comprehensive rental offerings for those customers who prefer rental over ownership.
GiGi engineering expertise extends beyond mining to forestry, steel, and marine engineering.
The business services clients beyond South Africa’s borders, including in Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Clearwater Capital transaction will increase GiGi’s black ownership and allow the company to better penetrate and service the regional mining industry.
Ancillary mining businesses like GiGi are benefitting from a boom that has seen demand for specific commodities, notwithstanding the impacts of the war in Ukraine and the Chinese slowdown. GiGi believes its diversified product range, which caters to the ongoing needs of mining communities, will see it prosper beyond the so-called supercycle.
GiGi says dewatering of mines is one such example and underscores the long-term opportunity for mining growth.
GiGi Investments CEO Graham Russell said the transaction was another investment in a sector that is the bedrock of the South African economy. “Private business investment at this scale is a positive indicator of confidence in our economy.
“The real story of GiGi is the breadth of our basket of global brands. It is an unusually wide, all-encompassing array of products and services that add enormous value to important industries and talks directly to safe operations and environmental protection.”
Executive Director of Clearwater Capital Keval Mehta said the fund’s portfolio spans industrial supplies, auto components, agricultural inputs, waste management, telecommunications, medical and now mining.
He said GiGi’s products and expert services were sought after in neighbouring countries like Zambia and DRC, areas with some of the wettest mines in the world.
ACCORDING TO FORBES, THE US WAS HOME TO 735 BILLIONAIRES AT THE START OF 2022, MAKING UP JUST UNDER 28% OF THE TOTAL 2668 BILLIONAIRES IN THE WORLD. THE COMBINED WEALTH OF THESE US BILLIONAIRES ADDS UP TO A SUBSTANTIAL $4.7 TRILLION—OR 3.4% OF THE TOTAL WEALTH OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST ECONOMY.
However, even though this number is so large that it is difficult to fully appreciate its value, it is small in comparison to the total wealth that could have been concentrated in just a few families if the millionaires of the past had invested their money the correct way.
In the year 1900, there were approximately 4500 individuals in the US with a nett worth of more than a million dollars. At this stage, a million dollars was worth $37.5 million in present value terms. Although these individuals were some of the wealthiest in the world, there exists no clear linkage between the millionaires of 120 years ago and the majority of the billionaires of today. In fact, even the world’s first billionaire, John Rockefeller, was unrelated to the millionaires of his childhood. This raises the question: where could all the wealth have gone?
Consider what could have happened if every millionaire in 1900 invested one million dollars in a broad market index such as the S&P 500. Assuming that the lineage of the initial 4500 millionaires continued
to grow at the same rate as the rest of the US population, their offspring today would be 19605 individuals—each with their own equal claim to their family fortune. Due to the growth of equities over this period, the current figure of 735 billionaires in the US would have been dwarfed. The following graph shows the growth of the actual US billionaire population since 1985, versus the population of billionaires that could potentially have existed if they had inherited the entire fortune of the millionaires in 1900.
Each one of the hypothetical 19605 individuals would inherit enough wealth to become a billionaire today and together they would make up 96% of all billionaires in the US. The value of each dollar invested in the broad market index in 1900 would have increased by nearly 77 thousand times up to 2020, assuming all dividends were reinvested. The result of this is that, even though the fortune is now split up among 4.4 times more people than in the past, the power of compound growth has led to each great-great grandchild receiving 17.63 billion dollars.
All this wealth was accumulated in spite of two world wars, numerous recessions, and every stock market crash in the last 120 years. Most notably, the period includes the Wall Street Crash of 1929, which lead to the Great Depression and a loss of nearly 90% in the US stock market—even this could not prevent the growth of today’s wealth.
The example given here is purely hypothetical and clearly impractical in the real world. A capitalist society allows those who take risk to be rewarded themselves, thus the reason for the existence of new billionaires and not just those who have inherited from the past. There are many variables to consider when explaining the dissipation in the wealth of the 1900s millionaires, including limitations in liquidity and the use of these funds for expenditure. However, the mistakes of the past and the long run returns of equities give us a clear solution to protect our investments today: the easiest way to maintain and to grow wealth is simply to remain invested with discipline.
BY GARRETT NEL, NEW ROAD CAPITAL
AS PART OF ITS GOAL TO REDEFINE SUSTAINABILITY, XPERIEN HAS PARTNERED WITH YOU MADE THIS (YMT) TO DRIVE CORPORATE AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AROUND EWASTE AND THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY.
YMT is an art-based and artled public engagement and awareness initiative that responds to the insatiable demand for new electronic devices and the resultant eWaste that fills up landfills, pollutes the environment and poses severe health risks.
Through disruptive art installations, exhibitions, events interventions, auctions and various other means of engagement, YMT aims to educate the public about the negative environmental impact of eWaste and the correct disposal of thereof. It also
encourages participation in the circular economy of refurbished computers and electronic equipment.
Dominic Humphry-Arewa, Xperien marketing director and founder of the non-profit You Made This, says the future of our planet depends on sustainable practices. “The main drive of this initiative is to educate and encourage corporates to dispose of eWaste responsibly as well as the financial and ethical benefits of participating in the circular economy.”
“We believe in the value of art and the role of the artist to create impactful and meaningful change towards a sustainable future for both humans and the planet. We collaborate with artists, providing them with access to a range of eWaste material to create artwork that facilitates awareness, education and dialogue around eWaste,” he explains.
YMT creates an experience that engages the public through art. It cultivates a space for meaningful dialogue around eWaste and encourages action through providing tangible information. The name summarises how everyone is directly involved in the generation of eWaste and its devastating impact on the planet’s ecosystems.
“By acknowledging that ‘you did this’, we can encourage accountability. Environmental and social responsibility awareness is at the heart of our name because eWaste is everyone’s problem,” he stresses.
YMT is impact driven, with the core goal of changing consumer behaviour and intervening in the inevitable trajectory of electronic devices into landfills. The aim is to reduce our harmful impact on the environment and to show how the public can act immediately to make a difference so that the artists can help spread the message.
“We believe in the intrinsic value of art and the role of artists in creating impactful and lasting meaningful change for a sustainable future for people and the planet. We provide artists with a variety of eWaste materials to create their artwork with, and to collaborate with us to spread the message,” he adds.
Arewa says as part of the effort, they are involved in creating and facilitating various programs. “Our Artist Program provides artists with access to hard-to-find eWaste materials to create artwork. We work with
artists to bring their creative visions to life while providing a platform for them to be recognised.”
YMT plans to work with individuals and groups to create workshops that engage various communities on eWaste and its environmental impact. They are currently collaborating with South African artist Francois Knoetze on the Indigenous Youth Technologies Workshop organised by LoDef Film Factory and Russel Hlognwane.
Additionally, YMT deploys disruptive artbased awareness campaigns into public spaces within the greater Johannesburg metropolitan area to engage and educate the public, spread awareness and inspire action.
As a parallel program complimentary to its Artist Program, YMT plans exhibitions and exhibit opening events at various venues, galleries and public spaces to raise awareness, educate, engage with various stakeholders, showcase artist work and inspire action.
“Artwork auctions go a long way in supporting artists, awareness campaigns, raising awareness for our organisation and furthering the mission at hand,” he concludes.
BY DOMINIC HUMPHRY, AREWAXPERIEN PROVIDES COSTEFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS TO COMBAT THE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH DATA LOSS AND TO MITIGATE REPUTATIONAL RISK. OUR COMPLIANCE MEETS THE NIST 800-88, DOD 5220.22-M AND CEGS CRITERIA,
SUBSEA CABLE CONNECTIVITY IS THE KEY TO ACCELERATING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN AFRICA. GOOGLE RECENTLY LAUNCHED ITS $1-BILLION EQUIANO CABLE, A CONNECTION BETWEEN WESTERN EUROPE AND SOUTH AFRICA.
this announcement also coincides with Meta-backed 2Africa, the world’s longest subsea cable which is expected to come online in 2024.
The Equiano 144Tbps, 12 fibre pair cable will ensure faster internet speeds and reduced internet prices when it is switched on before the end of the year. It will be Africa’s highest capacity cable and stretches more than 15000 kilometres from Portugal to South Africa.
Subsea cable connectivity will help governments throughout Africa achieve their digital transformation goals and objectives. In South Africa, it will contribute considerably to Government’s NDP2030 and SA Connect strategies.
Infrastructure development and digital and socio-economic transformation were the key topics at the 2022 GovTech conference, the annual meeting platform for representatives from government and industry to connect in serving
citizens to better use information and communications technologies.
Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, promised that Government was committed to delivering on broadband objectives as key enablers for the delivery of an economic step change for South Africa.
BY MATONE DITLHAKE, CORRIDOR AFRICA TECHNOLOGIES CEO
Corridor Africa Technologies (Pty) Ltd is a leading and innovative smart technology and solutions provider. We are driven by a sound commitment to digitalization, ongoing innovation, excellence and open collaboration.
We deliver excellence in Smart Technologies across multiple disciplines in Digital Advisory, Telecoms Infrastructure Solutions and Smart Building Solutions. Corridor Africa Technologies is able to deliver complete end-to-end solutions through ample experience, sheer brilliance and strategic leverage.
Government is implementing a broadband connectivity drive through SA Connect and its goal is to ensure that all South Africans have access to the internet. According to Google, the Equiano subsea cable will lead to the creation of 1.6 million jobs and it expects data prices to drop by at least 20 percent.
Through SA Connect, Government plans to connect over 400 sites in the Eastern Cape and the Northern Cape and then provide internet access for everyone across the country in phase two. This programme aims to connect over 33 000 community Wi-Fi hotspots over three years.
Ntshavheni recently said a revised model for SA Connect would include a partnership with ISPs, access network service providers, and mobile virtual network operators in the SME space. She referred to this collaboration as part of Government’s commitment to the transformation of the telecoms industry.
Digital transformation involves the ongoing application of the latest technology to improve a government’s performance and help meet the expectations of its citizens. There is no doubt it is important, digital transformation offers many solutions to e-Government services as it addresses most of the challenges in e-Government.
It is clear that the Government has put policies in place to support digital transformation and with advances in infrastructure and digital technologies, it might successfully address its challenges to realise its global digital strategy successfully.
South African Government is certainly lagging behind with digital transformation in realising its goal for e-Government. It needs to work in close cooperation with stakeholders to achieve e-Government through digital transformation. Citizens will be seeing more and more of this digital transformation over the next few years.
uplicate capturing was their biggest challenge. Tshikululu was running various systems that weren’t integrated and the data needed to be captured manually across these systems. They had to capture everything in their external system and then accountants had to recapture all that information into Sage 300.
Tshikululu Social Investments CFO Alistair Wagner says they partnered with Lorge to standardise and automate our management accounts across all our clients. “Firstly, we looked at a new system for our back office that integrates with Sage 300. We then started off by automating
our payments, this was a small part of the process, but the impact was significant.”
He says they managed to recover the costs of the initial project within months. “The time it takes to authorise and process a payment is now a fraction of what it used to be. Because all the systems are now integrated, the data is automatically shared across systems - the data resides in our core line of business system and none of it goes into Sage 300. The entire process is now automated,” he explains.
Lorge CEO Neville Govender says in today’s competitive business environment,
like Tshikululu Social
Investments need to extract optimal value from their data and software. “Lorge understands the dynamics of automated processing. We help our clients to keep operating with precise, seamless and refined integration across a full spectrum of business processes.”
“That is why we provide financial services software to help businesses in credit union, banking, investment, insurance, brokerage, title and other financial services institutions to meet the challenges of today’s dynamic and competitive environment,” he adds.
Wagner comments: “Unlike the previous inefficient paper-based processes,
automation enables us to track any payment at any stage of the process. The final step in the process is automating procurement by creating creditors.
“The system will then automatically create a creditor on approval of the invoice. Security controls have been built in to deal with duplicate payments etc. This will finalise the automation process and integration with the back office completely.”
“Biggest saving has been on people and time. Automation has made our business scalable, the volumes we are processing now in a fraction of the time is massive
compared to what it used to be. If we hadn’t followed this route, we would have had to employ an army of people, there would have been many mistakes e.g., wrongful payments. These errors would also incur huge costs,” he explains.
Commenting on the partnership with Lorge, Wagner says: “Automating certain processes are complex, but the team at Lorge always managed to find a solution for any challenge. They understand our chart of accounts and our financial systems. Over a period of 24 years, we have solidified our partnership with Lorge, their support has been phenomenal, they are always there and always deliver.”
Many companies that rely on mainframes are now migrating to modern cloud-based platforms in order to stay relevant and ultimately, to save costs.
However, one of the biggest challenges when migrating from any mainframe is moving transactional and master data. These large-scale migrations normally take longer than 18 months and given the scale and complexity of these projects, businesses have been slow to adopt these automated migration tools.
Data migrations always seem simple on paper, but the reality is that 1:1 mappings end up becoming 1:n:1 mappings, with more exceptions than rules. The reasons behind this include the fact that modern enterprise systems, model data objects very differently to how mainframe systems were designed.
The fact is that many of these data migrations that are sold as being ‘automated’ end up being executed by teams of human data capturers and developers. They spend much more time on programming for the deviations in the data than the fields that can map 1:1.
Imagine if one could replace the team of human data capturers with a humanoid robot. It could be trained on exactly the same principles and exceptions that necessitated the use of humans over data migration programs in the first place.
Well, it’s now possible with FIRtech’s Robotics as a Service (RaaS) solution. It’s an automation tool that makes this task almost effortless, a proven mainframe data migration and modernisation tool that helps companies mitigate their mainframe risks in the shortest possible time and with the least amount of risk.
The data migration robot uses front-end GUI’s to retrieve data from the mainframe and automatically migrate and capture the data into a new system. This removes any risks, where business rules that are built into the system GUI or terminal, are overwritten by the use of back-end scripts.
More importantly, it also ensures that exceptions are caught, fixed and recaptured before any data inconsistency
is created in the new system. A single robot can work up to 24 times faster than a human and doesn’t need any rest or sleep. Effortless, errorless data migration in a matter of hours, not days or months.
RaaS provides business leaders with better access to the data captured in these legacy systems. Mainframe data, which contains many years of business transactions, can now be used to feed analytics or machine learning initiatives that can deliver competitive advantage.
By taking advantage of the multiple protocols and interfaces available on cloud services, they can unlock core business processes and data in their mainframe. Companies can now access mainframe data instantly, RaaS will help them move away from rigid monoliths and remove outdated interfaces and protocols.
Cloud is the future, it offers access to advanced analytics, AI, machine learning and data lakes. It also offers horizontal scalability with virtual unlimited capacity to increase scalability and elasticity.
BY FANIE BOTHA, FIRTECH COOONLINE GROCERY PURCHASING HAS GONE THROUGH THE ROOF, TRADITIONAL OFFLINE SHOPPERS ARE NOW DISCOVERING AND SWITCHING TO ONLINE. MANY CONSUMERS STARTED BUYING GROCERIES ONLINE OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO IN FUTURE. REPORTLINKER STATES THE GLOBAL INSTANT GROCERY MARKET SIZE IS EXPECTED TO REACH $418.7 BILLION BY 2028.
this is largely as a result of many new technologies being introduced that have improved the convenience, speed and personalisation of online grocery shopping. A plethora of mobile apps and e-commerce websites and platforms that are used for online grocery shopping have increased drastically.
Customers can now order groceries through these platforms and have their orders delivered instantly. Consumers are seeking value and convenience from multiple suppliers, moving away from a single retailer. There has also been a change in customer shopping behaviour, the growing cost of living has resulted in a trend towards shopping smaller baskets. McKinsey’s research states that one-third of consumers who shop online weekly now buy their groceries from three or more e-grocers. The report says the most prominent new online market segment is instant delivery. It offers the fastest and most convenient delivery of a reduced assortment at a higher price per item, similarly to what convenience formats offer in the offline channel.
With these more differentiated online offerings, consumers are starting to split their online purchases across different online shops. The more often consumers shop online, the more online grocers they use. As the online market matures, more online formats will evolve and value propositions will coexist and compete for consumer baskets.
In this reshaped economic marketplace, the many new users and their new behaviours offer challenges and opportunities for experimentation programs.
Many grocery retailers are looking for new profit pools to combat current economic pressures. This is largely achieved through advanced analytics and artificial intelligence – allowing them to acquire new revenue streams. Leading retailers are already using advanced analytics to inform their business decisions, especially pertaining to price and promotions.
There is a lot of untapped potential in this area with many breakthroughs in personalised offers and localised, storespecific assortment. This could certainly add a new level of value to improve sales and profitability.
Technology is disrupting the entire online value chain, from user experience to logistics around order preparation to the last mile. With these advancements, many business models and retail operations that are unprofitable today could become more sustainable in the future.
For example, advanced personalisation has the potential of increasing order sizes and automation could transform the cost model for order preparation and last mile delivery.
Due to the convenience, consumers have embraced instant delivery, making it one of the fastest-growing segments in grocery. Retailers can use this to capture market share in addition to their many other e-commerce propositions. The instant delivery market will likely continue to grow and evolve at a fast pace, requiring an agile response from both retailers and instant delivery players.
To carve out a winning and sustainable market position in the future, retailers need to take decisive action and make strategic investments today.
Dunnhumby suggests that in-store grocery consumers may be more loyal, but with online and omnichannel shoppers buying where and when it is most convenient for them. The omnichannel shopper is a
more loyal shopper and whilst they spend more on groceries, they also shop at more retailers on average (estimated 3.9 to 6.6 a month across all channels).
Conversely, in-store only customers shop an average of 3.2 retailers a month. This indicated that in-store shoppers may be more loyal customers, and that omnichannel shoppers are potentially harder to pin down, buying where and when it’s convenient for their busy lives.
Although technology has improved the consumer retail experience, consumers are still required to re-introduce themselves to a brand at too many touchpoints. There is more emphasis on frictionless engagement, making the process of discovering, buying and returning products significantly easier than ever before. There is certainly a lot of room for innovation when it comes to streamlining the discovery to purchase process, and a targeted focus on frictionless engagement is what will help achieve that vision.
Website visitors expect some form of personalisation when they visit a site, websites should not be offering a onesize-fits-all experience where every visitor sees the same thing. Busy customers increasingly demand content that is already filtered to their preferences and interests. They have a growing expectation that sites should know about them and engage them in a relevant way.
To keep the preferences of consumers in sight during all these processes, retail executives are relying more and more on agile platforms – and that’s where an optimisation-led mindset comes in. Optimisation is about constantly refining the whole process, including personalisation, experimentation, content management and ecommerce, and introducing new elements based on what you’ve learned.
Adjusting to today’s online grocery shopping environment means retailers continuously need to build new experiences that can meet the expectations not only for consumers as they are today, but as they will be tomorrow. Moving fast has its benefits, but it can’t yield long-term results without dedicated optimisation..
Multichannel experiences involve many joined up channels through which visitors engage with brands. But historically, each channel represented a silo of data and behaviour that were not connected to each other. In-store data was not shared with online data, for example, and vice versa.
Omni-channel takes visitor experiences one step further. It represents the development of a coherent strategy where data and learning in each channel are shared and consolidated. It presents a single view of the business to each visitor, regardless of the channels they decide to use.
While retailers think in channels, customers don’t. They pursue whatever they are interested in according to their time, convenience and availability. They can buy everywhere, and in many ways and that brings both challenges and opportunities.
Retailers can now capitalise on personalisation in all the channels that customers engage with, including onsite, in-store, mobile, call centres, emails, marketplaces and print. This omni-channel environment is complex, but understanding customers’ buying preferences and their ways of multiple engagement is critical to sustaining customer satisfaction, loyalty and long-term value.
COME RAIN OR SHINE, THIS SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO GENERATE ENERGY.
néole, a company based in Ronchin, France, has designed the ideal renewable energy generation system by combining wind turbines and solar panels in just one setup. The innovative design is ideal for urban buildings that have high energy demands but little space to accommodate the required infrastructure.
The demand for renewable energies is bringing a lot of innovation to the market. While companies like Siemens are making giant wind turbines that can tap into the flowing energies over the seas, there are companies working on windows that can generate power with the sunlight they receive.
SEE ALSO
Countries that are keen to reduce their carbon emissions are building giant solar and wind farms that will power millions
of homes, while individual homeowners have the option to go solo and pick smaller energy systems that produce enough energy to keep the house and even the electric car off the grid.
Even after devising multiple ways of harnessing renewable energy, the major problem of intermittency of power generation still persists. One truly cannot prepare for the impact of a cloudy sky on a solar farm or look for an alternate when the winds slow down over the sea.
Power utilities are investing in giant batteries to overcome this hurdle, but when the world goes fully renewable, conventional batteries might not mature enough to fit the task. Unéole’s design has a built-in backup in case renewable energy
production drops. It can simply switch to another renewable source or use the partial power of both to address the energy need.
As seen in the video above, the designers have turned to vertical-axis wind turbines to harness wind power without having to build tall structures. Interesting Engineering has previously reported how vertical-axis wind turbines could make it easier to harness wind energy.
Unéole’s genius does not lie in just combining the two technologies in one setup but in going above and beyond existing technologies to make the setup truly eco-friendly. The vertical turbines are built using materials such as aluminum and stainless steel that are either recycled or can be recycled after their life cycle.
BY AMEYA PALEJA First published in Interesting Engineering
President Buhari and President Paul Biya of Cameroon, performed the joint inauguration of the 1.5 km Ekok/Mfum Bridge and Joint Border Post (JBP) at Mfun, Cross River State on Thursday. Buhari who was represented by the Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Zubairu Dada, said the 1.5km project would enhance the interconnectivity of “our people and communities, improve living standards, reduce barriers to interregional trade and strengthen border security.” According to Buhari, it will also serve as a vital link between the Western and Southern African regions. The Federal Republic of Nigeria also expects that this Joint Border Post and bridge will enhance security patrol and facilitate effective cooperation in this part of our border with the Republic of Cameroon. “It is also our hope that it will complement the efforts of the Governments of Nigeria and Cameroon to combat the scourge
of terrorism and violent extremism in our region”, he added. He said the completion of the project had made both Nigerians and Cameroonians living around the area jubilant. “Such excitement symbolizes the resolve of our people and governments to remain connected in spite of our seemingly artificial boundaries.” “The completion and commissioning of this project could not have come at a more auspicious time than when Nigeria has signed and ratified the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement. “Therefore, we expect that the commissioning of this Joint Border Bridge and Post will not only strengthen the existing cordial relations between Nigeria and Cameroon, but also enhance cooperation between the ECOWAS and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). and Nigeria are AfCFTA member countries
BY MARK-ANTHONY JOHNSONThe aim is to show present positions, as well as how economies can improve market frameworks to bolster investor access and sustainable growth. The index assesses countries according to six pillars: market depth; access to foreignexchange; market transparency, tax and regulatory environment; capacity of local investors; macroeconomic opportunity; and enforceability of financial contracts.
Even as challenging market conditions weighed on performance in the index, 19 of the 26 countries improved their scores relative to last year, according to the report. This was largely due to broadbased progress in developing sustainable financial markets, which is becoming increasingly important to global investors. The report noted that Namibia, Uganda and Kenya are among the countries with the greatest increase in scores.
In case you missed it: These are the 26 African countries with the most developed financial markets in 2022, according to Absa: The Absa Group, in association with OMFIF, recently released its Absa Africa Financial Markets Index 2022 report, which evaluates financial market development in 26 countries, and highlights economies with the most supportive environment for effective markets.
They have bolstered their environmental, social and governance market frameworks, and, in Kenya, climate risks have been incorporated into financial stability regulation. Greater product diversity has also lifted scores for most countries, including Angola and Lesotho, which both issued their first initial public offerings over the past year. Further findings from the report showed that SouthAfrica, Mauritius and Nigeria maintain their positions in the top three this year, as they continue to score highly on measures of market depth, transparency and enforceability of legal agreements.
BY MARK-ANTHONY JOHNSON
When it comes to thinking of a single word to describe a vehicle, there are many difficulties and on many occasions, the answer tends to be repetitive.
Well, not with this one.
When experiencing the launch of the latest Facelifted Citroën C5 Aircross and driving it through different terrains, the C5 really showcases what it is all about, and the single word to best describe what you will get with this vehicle is Companionship.
Let’s break that down a little bit to get the feel of the car through this read.
We live in a beautiful country, and most of us love to enjoy it, whether you take a trip down to the beach, into the farmlands, or are in town experiencing city life.
There is so much that you can do, and with all this said, there is one common denominator in it all, you get into a vehicle and go.
Now, why not have a companion to best suit that commonality to be able to do it all and put a big smile on your face.
The Citroën C5 Aircross does an excellent job of ticking this box, and I can vouch for it.
During the launch, we had a magnificent route planned for us, where we started our drive at O.R Tambo and drove to the outlying areas of Parys in the Free State.
We got to experience all the different terrains that you would expect to get on your adventurous travels, from in town driving, to highway, Gravel and dirt roads, and the breath-taking passes through our
green hills in SA, and let me just say, the C5 Aircross truly showcases what it is all about, the comfortable magic carpet drive that you want in those long travels.
This car will surely give you a reason to visit the folks that are hundreds of kilometres away!
The previous Citroën C5 Aircross really did a fantastic job providing motorists with a great drive, and it is phenomenal to see that Citroën took an excellent car and made it better with this facelift!
To pair with the already impressive use of the Progressive Hydraulic Cushions that are on the C5 Aircross, which gives the car that Magic Carpet effect, Citroën really took attention to detail to make this facelift even more comfortable.
With the updated version the “Citroën Advanced Comfort Seats” are introduced, giving your tush an extra thickness of 15mm of foam, making these seats extra plush, and comfortable, this, in turn, gives those hours and hours on the road a seamless and pleasant experience.
A great pairing to really nail the hammer on the head!
Let’s not forget about the rear seats though!
What is rare and quite unique is that in the back of the C5 Aircross you get 3 individual seats, it is so rare that what you just read sounds off, right?
Exactly!
So, what I mean by this is, you get 3 individual seats, that can each on their
own go flat, instead of a 2-1 set-up, but it doesn’t end there, all 3 seats are on sliders, meaning, that the passengers at the back are free to move their seat back and forth just like those in the front!
And to top it off, all 3 individual seats are reclinable by merely pulling a tab, making a long trip equally comfortable for your passengers in the rear.
Now, the facelift has other changes within the cabin to add to its signature of comfort.
You get an updated e-toggle shifter which is tucked nicely into the centre console with a drive mode selector.
This gives the interior a very sleek look, especially with the repositioning of the air vents in the centre, which are now on the bottom of your infotainment system instead of on either side.
I would like to make a quick note here, and really applaud Citroën for this, personally, I like my infotainment system on a darker theme, bright white lights don’t mix well on the eyes even during daytime driving.
The issue with this is, there are many screens that you can set into a darker theme but at the cost of visibility.
Not with this one!
You can see that Citroën really took pride in their work and gave the C5 Aircross high quality screens.
Looking at the infotainment system, the colours are rich and deep, giving the screen great visibility that is not intrusive on your eyes, and overall, with the higher positioning, it really grants you a fantastic experience.
The same goes for the 12.3-inch Digital cluster, great quality with loads of customisation, for you to create a driving experience that is unique to you.
And another plus feature, who doesn’t love it when you can pull your navigation onto your cluster, so you don’t have to roam your eyes around looking for when the next turn is coming!
We have spoken a lot about the interior and underbelly of the facelift C5 Aircross, and let’s not forget that it is a facelift, so that means, visual upgrades on the exterior!
With the update, the C5 Aircross has moved away from a round design and has become more assertive and sophisticated, by this I mean you now get, well defined lines and shapes, giving this facelift more character and depth.
Starting up front, you get V-shaped Daytime Running light signatures that add to the LED headlamps which follow those sharper lines making the front end a very pleasing sight.
At the back, you find attention to detail within the taillights. The new design is well thought out and put together to give you a piano effect. Imagine yourself playing the most beautiful tune on a piano, and with every key, you press the key lights up.
The same thing happens with the taillights of the C5 Aircross, as you switch your lights on, brake, and turn on the indicators, it is as if you are playing the piano on your car and the taillights show the keys that you press. A really artistic, beautiful, and elegant touch.
To bring the entire package together, the 1.6 Turbocharged Petrol engine across both derivatives, produces 121KW of power and 240NM of torque.
Why change something if it works right?
Where elegance and comfort lay, comes peace of mind allowing you to sleep well at night.
The Citroën C5 Aircross comes standard with a comprehensive maintenance plan covering all service and maintenance items.
This entails a 5-year/100 000km maintenance plan; a 5-year/100 000kkm warranty; and a 5 year/100 000km roadside assistance. With Stellantis being in charge of Citroën in South Africa you can rest assured that all will be well with the brand and its quality of service.
Jumping into your new C5 Aircross you can happily drive away knowing that you are taken care of.
The Citroën C5 Aircross only comes in 2 derivatives being the “Feel” derivative and the “Shine” derivative
The Citroën C5 Aircross Feel has an official launch price of R633 900; and the Citroën C5 Aircross Shine has an official launch price of R683 900. “Companionship” has been the word used to best describe the new Citroën C5 Aircross, and I mean it.
This car is suited to your everyday needs, from home-to-work driving during the week, trips to lodges and getaway destinations on the weekend, and even those long trips over a holiday period to your loved ones, the C5 Aircross does it all in comfort, making this vehicle a great addition to the family, and a great companion.
These awards are about you, your contribution, your influence and not about the organisation you represent
n-line. It sounds like it has some weight to it, doesn’t it?
Maybe a nice little way of holding your chin high at a party and strutting that confident walk as you get approached because you are a magnate!
Well… the latest Hyundai Venue N-Line will “
hands down” strut alongside you giving you that confidence boost.
So, a quick little back story, I’ve never really been a big fan of Compact SUVs/ Crossovers, maybe I’m a 1 percenter in SA as there are so many of them putting smiles on motorists’ faces all over the country
Let me tell you this, the Venue N-Line… It changed my mind and put an ear-to-ear smile on my face!
I think I might just have joined a new fad!
Hyundai has this month, launched their face-lift Venue range, and just let me add, bum-lift as well, the rear end is noticeably different and sexy!
As you can tell, we are diving into the styling changes.
On the front end, you get a Dark Chrome grille which is substantially larger than the previous model, and boy oh boy does it look aggressive.
The latest Venue N-Line is keeping up with the times as it has LED headlamps with static bend to have a great vision going into corners at night.
Right at the bottom, you have a revised skid plate that is bolder than before, tying up the front beautifully.
Let’s just say you will find the person in front of you staring a little longer than usual in their rear-view mirror.
I’m sure you are wondering about that bum-lift I mentioned earlier and what makes it so sexy.
All the way up top, you get a beautiful N-Line spoiler adding to the sportiness of the Car, moving down to the taillights it looks modern and sleek with dark highlights, beautiful black trimming below the tailgate, and down to my favourite part…
A very decent size dual tailpipe that adds some spice to a magnificent sound.
Ladies and Gentlemen, my jaw dropped when I heard what this 1.0-liter Turbo sounds like with those pipes at the back, an absolute pleasure, especially because you don’t have to take your new ride down the road to Frikkie to get ‘‘em pipes done!
The interior of the car is just as impressive, you get a fully digital cluster with great graphics.
Personally, I think Hyundai got it right on the cluster.
It is attractive but not overwhelming, you will definitely not get bored of it or even worse, overwhelmed!
The steering wheel is gorgeous with dark leather and charcoal grey colouring on the controls, there are very nice subtle hints of texture and depth as well giving you a sporty feel when driving.
The climate control though is bold, and I love it.
You get three large circles below the infotainment system, the middle being a digital screen indicating what you’ve
set your AC to and your actual controls to either side of the screen are practical. Though simple, it feels like it has got that little extra!
Oh, before I forget, you get a lot of “N” branding throughout the car which adds to that nice, personalized touch!
Clearly, it is a good-looking car and sure to turn heads
But will you turn your head back to the dealership as you drive away in your new Venue N-Line, thinking, was this the right choice?
The answer is a big NO.
The Venue looks great yes and rest assured that the drive is great too!
I did a total drive of 240km during the launch, and I enjoyed every moment of it.
Powering the 2022 Hyundai Venue N-Line is a 1.0Litre Turbocharged petrol engine with a 7-speed DCT gearbox.
You are looking at having 88.3KW of power and 172Nm of torque underneath the hood. It seems low but don’t doubt when you drive it, it is a lot nippier than the specs make it out to be.
You get to choose between three different driving modes, Normal, Eco, and sport.
I will warn you now, it is very hard to keep out of sport mode!
I did about 70% of the drive in sport mode and let me tell you, I had more than enough nip to get around those trucks on long drives.
The gearbox is responsive and very smooth, a hard acceleration on the Venue
N-Line shows you just how eagerly the car wants to go. With that being said there are 3 key points to mention here.
Point 1, the drive is smooth and comfortable.
Point 2, Hyundai claimed 6.9litres/100km and I got that exact figure… in Sport Mode!
Point 3, you can have fun without guzzling fuel.
Petrol is expensive these days, and what a refresher it is to get a capable car that is a joy to drive and that is light on your pocket.
Now I know that I have described somewhat of a little pocket rocket but don’t get me wrong, the Hyundai Venue N-Line is capable in many different ways.
To the parents of SA, if you are looking for that extra thrill of taking your kids to school every day then this might just be the car for you.
On top of everything I have mentioned, you get a compact family car, with your ISOfix points on the rear seats and a 6-airbag system to ensure safe travels for the family.
The space inside the vehicle is enough so that you don’t feel cramped.
The boot is a decent size for your everyday needs as long as you don’t expect to fit the farmers market in there.
However, there is a bit of a lip to get over when loading your goods.
Sounds like the whole package, right?
There is still more to it!
With Hyundai you get a 7 Years/200 000km manufacturer’s warranty; 7 years/150 000km roadside assistance; and 3 years/45 000km service plan ensuring reliability with your fun-packed family car.
There is also an optional maintenance plan to give you even more surety should you want it.
I’m sure there is curiosity as to the price tag on the Hyundai Venue N-Line.
The entry-level Hyundai Venue 1.2 Motion MT official launch price is R294 900.
With the N-Line being the top of the range, the official launch price is R449 900.
All in all, there are many derivatives for you to choose from based on your budget.
We live in a time where competition in this category is massive amongst many different brands in a similar price range.
It ultimately boils down to value for money, what you get for your hard-earned cash and the quality of the vehicles you consider.
I can honestly say that the 2022 face lifted Hyundai Venue is a top runner in this category.
In conclusion, you get an excellent vehicle for the price, and it will surely bring a smile to your face.
BY NIKI LOUW
hen you think Volvo, you think Swedish, excellent quality, safety and driving pleasure.
The Volvo XC60 range has been one of the Sweden’s best sellers in South Africa. With the
Volvo XC60 T8 Recharge AWD R-Design
I believe it has really gone a step further in bringing to market a vehicle that makes sense in South Africa with our electricity problems. Why do I say that?
This Volvo can be charged by plugging it in or while driving it can recharge itself.
The fact that new energy, greenhouse effects and emission control are becoming much stricter throughout the world, will be relevant to us as well. I know we do not have the infrastructure, this is Africa and all those things seem a long way off. Believe me, we will have to adapt soon as 99% of
vehicles manufactured are for the world market and we are not even a drop in the bucket, number wise, for them to consider our specific circumstances or needs. That is why it is so great to see models that do cater to or can be used in our country.
Styling has never been way out with Volvo and the XC60 is easily recognised as a Volvo. I have found the LED-style lights the only feature that brightens up the styling.
What has always been a given is that the interior is always of premium quality, inviting and the leather and other trim being superbly brushed aluminium trim makes for a very pleasant and relaxing interior. Even sitting in the back gives you the premium feeling as all occupants in the front and second row seats have ample leg and shoulder room. Luggage space is around 37 litres less due to the battery pack but still comes to 468 litres. Loading
from the back is still easy and is a plus, especially with children and animals.
I am going to quote some “Fast Facts” about the Volvo XC60 T8 AWD R-Design as I could not state it better myself.
“As the flagship variant in the strong-selling XC60 range, the plug-in hybrid T8 AWD boasts lofty combined peak outputs of 340 kW and 709 Nm, courtesy of the turboand supercharged 2.0-litre petrol engine, and an uprated electric motor positioned on the rear axle. That makes it the most powerful XC60 yet. Thanks to its 18.8 kWh lithium-ion battery (which can be charged via a cable or regenerative braking), the XC60 T8 AWD’s pure electric range tops out at a useful 81 km. It also boasts a clever one-pedal driving mode – just like a fully electric vehicle – that allows the driver to slow the vehicle to a complete stop by simply lifting off the accelerator. The XC60
T8 AWD offers the best of both worlds, with its 0-100 km/h sprint time coming in at just 4.8 seconds and its combined fuel consumption sitting at a rock-bottom 1.6 L/100 km (the latter a weighted figure between electric and petrol driving according to EU/ WLTP regulations for PHEV vehicles). This variant can be seen as an attractive first step for South Africans who are considering making the switch to electric (or indeed those who used to drive diesel vehicles), combining ultra-low tailpipe emissions with brisk performance. Like other XC60 derivatives, the T8 AWD ships standard with the company’s marketleading Android-powered infotainment system, complete with built-in Google apps and services. That means you can use the “Hey Google” voice function to perform tasks such as switching on the air conditioning or getting a weather forecast. Standard safety equipment includes the Intellisafe Assist package (with pedestrian, cyclist and large-animal detection as well as front and rear collision warning with fully automatic braking) and a lane-keeping aid. This particular test unit is furthermore fitted with air suspension, a graphical head-up display, a 360-degree camera system and the Pilot Assist system. The latter incorporates adaptive cruise-control technology that automatically makes small adjustments to the steering and is able to support the driver in stop-and-go traffic as well as out on the highway.
I have mentioned that the XC 60 is a very comfortable vehicle and this was further helped by the optional extras that were part and parcel of the test model Included were the air suspension which lowered the body when we stopped, a graphical headup display, a 360-degree camera system and a very functional Pilot Assist system. With its adaptive cruise-control system that automatically makes small adjustments to the steering and is able to support the driver in stop-and-go traffic, it came to use when a pedestrian was fatally hit by a car in front of us. The Intellisafe Assist package with pedestrian, cyclist and large-animal detection as well as front and rear collision warning kicked in and we could avoid the accident. The android system boasts the latest technology and was easy to (master) use with Google apps and other services.
It took me a bit of time to get used to the “Hey Google” voice command system. Once mastered it became a very nice feature to use changing stations, aircon and getting information. Taking new unknown roads was great and the XC60 handles exceptionally well on gravel. We found no rattles, squeaks, or dust when traveling on gravel. The 360-degree camera system is excellent and I used it frequently just because it is so great.
I was pleasantly surprised by the power delivered by the XC 60. There is no turbo lag. It does not matter at what speed you step on the peddle the XC 60 accelerates fast and with ease.
We travelled over 800 km. Although the claimed figures of the manufacturers seem great, I believe it can be for town driving.
On the open road, our consumption varied between 8.7 litres to 9.8 litres depending on wind conditions that affected the consumption. All in all, it compares well with vehicles with much less power than I have tested.
Pricing for the Volvo is typical of the upper premium brand. Add to that the latest technology and additional equipment, you start to see high numbers.
(incl. VAT)
Volvo XC60 B5 Momentum R 796 900
Volvo XC60 B6 AWD Inscription R 1 058 200
Volvo XC60 T8 Recharge AWD R-Design R 1 436 000 (As tested) R1 278 900 + R157 000
Volvo XC60 T8 Recharge AWD Inscription R 1 282 400
Volvo XC60 T8 Recharge is covered by a five-year/100 000 km maintenance plan.
I enjoyed the Volvo and I believe it is one of the best options for new energy around South Africa for the upper premium market.
BY CARL WEPENER
BY BAIC
n the year 2022, where inflation is a reality, the affordability aspect of a new car becoming more and more masked by higher balloons and bigger deposits. We live in a time where entrylevel cars are becoming expensive, but, and boy is it a big but. We can be grateful for those who dare to challenge, those who compete to bring South African motorists the best bang for their buck, those handfuls of brands that have each other by the throat…
Ladies and Gentlemen, we can give a warm welcome to the latest contender, one that is a warrior not ever seen, the one whose name will not be forgotten.
Welcome, the Beijing X55 by BAIC.
I got the pleasure of previewing this car before its anticipated launch, and let me just say, it is nothing but a wow factor! There are a lot of talking points around the X55 so let’s dissect it bit by bit.
The car is very stylish, looking at the front bumper you may think that it is an EV of some sort but you are pleasantly surprised to find out that it’s not!
The entire theme of this vehicle is actually that of a spaceship and BAIC did a great job of implementing the theme and making it functional at the same time.
Looking at the front you can’t help but feel a sense of galaxy with the very wellcalculated spacing of the fine details and color play in the transition from the X55’s body color to that of a piano black in the bumper.
The LED lights up top are elegant yet aggressive with their sleek design, complementing the car and its theme.
One of my favourite features here is actually the hidden induction door handles.
It makes the side of the car look extra sleek and to be completely honest, it makes you feel super fancy, and I believe that it gives
you some bragging rights there, purely for the fact that this feature is usually found on high-end luxurious cars!
BAIC has thrown in some nifty tricks with these handles to top it off, such as the handles popping out as you approach the car with your keys in your pocket. FANCY!
Second to that is the anti-pinch feature, so to all the parents out there, don’t think you can pinch your kid’s fingers if they’re giving you a hard time!
The third and final feature of the door handles which I personally think will become handy down the line is the
Ice-breaking mode.
Now hear me out, 2022 has been cold!
There have been many times when I got into my car in the morning and it was iced, it may not be iced on thick, but as history shows, we could expect colder winters with every year to come, and this feature might just save you from being late for work!
Ultimately what it does is, if the car detects that it is “frozen”, the door handles will pop three times to break the layer of ice that is around it.
“Cool” right?
I think it’s time to chat about what happens after the door handles, coming into the 2022 X55 it does nothing but screams modern at you.
All three trim levels come with zero gravity Urus-inspired leather seats, which are very comfortable and hug you in nicely.
The level 3 trim will come with heated and ventilated seats which are beautiful for our unpredictable weather.
The cluster and infotainment system are completely digital, keeping up with the times.
What’s nice about the whole setup is that you can control your infotainment through your steering wheel which means that you don’t have to reach over and try to touch your way through to adjust the aircon.
That is a massive plus from BAIC as where that would normally be an issue, BAIC did not allow it to affect their latest vehicle.
True out-of-the-box thinking!
It doesn’t end there though, you get a floating center console above the gear tunnel which gives you extra space underneath your gear lever, now this is really difficult to describe how great it is because to pair with that, you get an aircraft-inspired gear shift lever.
It is sleek, compact, and ergonomically designed to ensure that with your space-craft-themed X55, you can have a comfortable ride in more than one aspect.
Not to mention that this car is extremely spacious on the inside!
Let’s get to the real talk of the show though, what makes this already fantastic car even better?
From the infotainment system you have 4 different modes that you can select for your driving pleasure: Eco, Comfort, Sport, and Smart.
Now you may be asking yourself “what is a smart driving mode?”
Let me enlighten you, this is an interesting mode, when you select it, the X55 is able to read your driving habit and what you intend to do, this allows the system to be able to switch between the other three modes on a dime so you don’t have to toggle through them when you get that spontaneous itch in your foot to give a little gas!
“But Niki, what is powering this car?” you may be asking.
Let’s just say it is impressive!
Underneath the bonnet, you have a 1.5 Litre turbocharged engine which will very pleasantly surprise you!
This little 1.5 turbo has a whopping 130KW of power and 305NM of torque which is unrivalled by its competitors.
To make this surprise of an engine even better it is accompanied by a 7-speed DCT 380 transmission which will give you a 0-100km/h acceleration in just 7.84 seconds, and smoothly to top it all off!
BAIC, you have outdone yourselves with this one.
The X55 is a compact SUV with a frontmounted engine that is front-wheel drive but somehow BAIC managed to give this car an exceptional center of gravity with a 51:49 front-to-rear axle load ratio which is comparable to a BMW sports car!
This in turn gives you excellent handling which I can vouch for, the car handles well on the road, and on the track, the body roll is minimal.
All in all, BAIC has sat down, they have put together a killer recipe for success, and their latest contender that is entering the ring will surely shake up the market.
The official launch is due to happen in the second week of November, and yes I do know the price range of the X55, but the official figures will be announced at the launch.
To give you a little bit of a hint, you get a lot of car for not a lot of money.
Trust me if you are looking for a new ride for yourself, I recommend you wait until the Beijing X55 is released, or until the next issue of CEO Global, where you will get a more in-depth dive with the official pricing.
It will blow your mind!
BY NIKI LOUW MOBILITY CORRESPONDENT: CEO GLOBAL MAGAZINE
