The Newspaper - April Edition 2017

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THE NEWSPAPER

stories that are life changing

April 2017

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WESTERN CAPE PEAK EVENTS PERIOD CONTINUES

RETIREMENT Page 5

BEAUTY Page 7 Photo: 2017 ABSA Cape Epic Prologue held at Meerendal Wine Estate

The Western Cape’s peak events period continues, with a range of events taking place across the province. During the month of March the Cape Town Carnival, one of the city’s biggest street celebrations, took place along the Fan Walk in Green Point entertaining viewers with floats and vibrant dance routines under the theme, AMAZA– Ocean Odyssey where 2 000 performers lined the streets of Cape Town. On 19 March 2017, the Absa Cape Epic, one of the world’s greatest mountain bike stage races started at Meerendal Wine Estate in Durbanville, attracting local and international riders, international viewership on live stream, as well as local fans following the race. The race took place from 19-26 March from Hermanus with the final stage for the first time at Val de Vie Estate near Franschhoek. Continue Reading Page 3

Western Cape Drought Update As at 20 March 2017, dam levels have dropped to 28,6 % which is 1,4% down from the previous week. With the last 10% of a dam’s water mostly not being useable, dam levels are effectively at about 18,6 % of usable water with approximately 103 days of useable water left at current consumption levels. The City of Cape Town thanks those consumers who continue to find new ways of saving water but challenges Team Cape Town to see if they can get much closer to the usage target. The Mayoral Committee on 20 March 2017 recommended for noting by Council the declaration of a local state of disaster as a result of the drought. “We are in the midst of one of our worst droughts of the past century. Cape Town is in a waterscarce region, and is experiencing the impacts of climate change with an increased frequency of drought events.” The two consecutive years of drought have severely reduced stream flows into the dams of the Western Cape Water Supply Scheme (WCWSS). The dams are likely to reach extremely low levels by the onset of the 2017 winter, and are unlikely to recover satisfactorily should average to below average rainfall be experienced over this coming winter. The City’s contingency plans include further intensified restriction measures and the possibility of intermittent supply to conserve available water should dams drop to dangerous level, which would require emergency procurement of additional equipment and involve increased operational expenditure. Continue Reading Page 3

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REALTY Page 9

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NEWS

THE NEWSPAPER

City Elaborates on Foreshore Freeway Precinct Evaluation Process The City unveiled the six proposals from the private sector for the development of the Foreshore Freeway Precinct in the Cape Town central business district. The exhibition of these models marks a historical moment in the city’s urban development.

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“We – the City, residents and developers – now have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape one of the most valuable, vital and iconic precincts in the Mother City. The three unfinished highways on the western, central and eastern side of the Foreshore Freeway Precinct are almost as iconic as Table Mountain itself.” At the centre of this precinct is a strip of City-owned land – 6 ha in size and

Photo L-R: Melissa Whitehead (Commissioner: Transport and Urban Development Authority; Cllr Brett Herron (Mayoral Committee Member: Transport and Urban Development); and the City’s Executive Mayor, Patricia de Lille

EDITORIAL

140 m wide – that is located under and between the existing and unfinished highways between the city’s northern edge and the Cape Town Harbour.

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“The proposals for this strip of land must address Cape Town’s traffic woes and affordable housing needs. It must materialise our vision of transit-oriented development. Moreover, it must leave us with a lasting legacy – one that will add to the attractiveness of Cape Town as an international destination, and at the same time assist us to address the challenges of a steadily growing city centre. The development of the Foreshore Freeway Precinct will be on a scale never seen before in Cape Town. We expect it to resolve some of the challenges that are currently preventing us from realising the city’s full potential – the lack of mobility being key.”

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“This venture is the City’s first TOD project and will serve as an example of how the City can use development as the catalyst for spatial transformation. It sets the scene for what we can achieve when we think out of the box. It demonstrates what could be possible elsewhere in the city where we intend to implement TOD projects in creating efficient, inclusive and sustainable communities. With the development proposals now open for public viewing, all of us have the opportunity to participate in reengineering Cape Town.”

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The BEC will, after the conclusion of the public viewing period, assess and evaluate the six development proposals. This process will take approximately four months due to the technical complexities and scale of the development. During this time, the bidders will be requested to present their proposals to the BEC where they will have to unpack all of their plans and respond to questions.

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EXCITING TIMES FOR WC TOURISM SECTOR

Once the presentations have been made, the BEC will deliberate and announce the recommended qualifying bidder(s). The qualifying bidder(s) will sign an agreement with the City of Cape Town which will set out the conditions and requirements of the rest of the process to be followed – including the technical parameters, the prerequisite financial guarantees, phasing, and investment plan. The next six-month phase will commence on the date of the signing of the agreement. During this time the preferred bidder(s) will have to secure the financing for the project, determine phasing and dependencies, and refine the technicalities. A formal review of the progress will take place after three months, and the qualifying bidder(s) will have to provide the BEC with a detailed progress report.

TRAVEL Page 5

FOOD & DRINK Page 6 & 7

Photo: Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens - Photo Credit: SANBI/Kirstenbosch

Public Urged To Comment

The Western Cape has taken its place as a global big-hitter amongst tourists, with arrivals and infrastructure spend reaching record levels.

The City of Cape Town’s Transport and Urban Development Authority has published a draft Cycling Strategy which aims to increase the percentage of commuter trips made by bicycle from the current 1% to 8% by 2030, and has committed substantial resources over the past eight years to pursuing the vision of a cycling-friendly city. Currently cyclists have access to at least 450 km of cycle lanes across the city, some of which are separate from the road.

Alan Winde, Minister of Economic Opportunities, and Wesgro, the official tourism, trade and investment promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape, revealed key facts on the state of the Western Cape’s tourism sector.

On City’s Draft Cycling Strategy

“Although some of these lanes are popular for recreational cycling, we still have not seen the growth in commuter cycling which is required to have a noticeable impact on traffic congestion, greenhouse gas emissions and to improve mobility in the lower-income areas.” “We evidently need a new approach, together with some key interventions from both the City and the private sector, to realise our goal to increase the percentage of commuter trips by bicycle to 8% within the next 13 years,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member: Transport and Urban Development Authority (TDA), Councillor Brett Herron.

REALTY Page 9

Minister Winde said that the Western Cape has entered a exciting period in the tourism sector. Nine of out ten key attractions reported record visitor numbers for the 2016 peak season, and these increases speak to the emergence of the Western Cape as one of the world’s leading tourism destinations.

Continue Reading Page 4

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The outcome of the BEC and Bid Adjudication Committee procedures will determine the subsequent planning processes and future public participation. Ideally, we would like to see the first work on site to be happening within two years after the contract has been awarded.

DESIGN & ART Page 14

Thus, the City would like to see the planning and approval processes concluded within two years. Formal public consultation processes will take place in accordance with the Municipal Planning By-law and Municipal Finance Management Act during this time and as the project is implemented.

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NEWS

PAGE 3

Cape Racehorse Prices Drop

Western Cape Drought Update

by 45% at Annual Auction

(Continue from Page 1)

Over a hundred prospective racehorses changed hands during the annual Cape Yearling Sale held by Bloodstock South Africa (BSA), the sales arm of the Thoroughbred Breeder’s Association (TBA). The sale, held at the Mistico Equestrian Centre in Paarl, saw prominent racehorse owners gathering to bid on some of South Africa’s finest young Thoroughbreds. A total aggregate of R 6.12 million was generated during the auction with an average of R 60 594 paid per horse. This was down by 45% from the 2016 sale, giving astute buyers the opportunity to walk away with aspirant racetrack champions at comparatively low prices. A sales topping price of R 350 000 was paid by Bass Racing for The Cyclades, a bay colt sired by 12 time winner and 2009 Champion European Racehorse - Twice Over. Milnerton based Bass Racing stables purchased a further three lots, emerging as the sale’s top buyer - with a total spend of R 590 000. The top vendor emerged as Wilgerbosdrift, from the small town of Piketberg in the Western Cape, who sold a total of 17 lots to realise an overall aggregate of R 1 million. Comments Catherine Hartley, responsible for breed affairs at the TBA: “The sale saw many promising, and very well priced, young racehorses progressing to the next stage of their careers, where they will undergo the training required to pursue success on the racetrack. They will follow in the footsteps of previous graduates of the Cape Yearling Sale including horse racing legends like Pocket Power who won over R 10 million and 20 races, including the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate four times, during his illustrious career.” Buyers will automatically be entered into the BSA Added Value Stakes Programme which will see R 40 000 awarded to every qualifying BSA graduate that wins their maiden juvenile plate.

Western Cape Peak Events Period Continues (Continue from Page 1)

Photo: Theewaterskloof Dam taken in March 2017 As a further mitigation measure in the short- to medium-term, the City intends accelerating its water resource augmentation programme to increase water supplies. In order to accelerate various small-scale emergency water supply schemes, earlier this month the Executive Mayor, Patricia de Lille, declared a local state of disaster. The declaration of a disaster is an essential step to assist in management and control of the current severe drought and resulting water crisis. The City is now considering the construction of various small-scale emergency water supply schemes to increase supplies in the short term. The emergency supply schemes include: Emergency drilling of boreholes into the Table Mountain Group Aquifer (TMGA) with a yield of approximately 2 million litres per day, a small-scale desalination package plant, located along Cape Town’s north-western coastline with a yield of approximately 2 million litres per day, and intensifying the City’s Pressure Management and Water Demand Management programmes to further reduce water demand. In the event that there is another winter of below average rainfall, the City will be expanding the above-mentioned emergency schemes and accelerating further schemes as follows: Expanding the emergency TMGA scheme by incrementally adding boreholes for an additional yield of 10 million litres per day. Expanding the emergency seawater desalination package plant for an additional yield of 2 million litres per day, a smallscale water re-use for drinking use plant with a yield of 10 million litres per day and incrementally drilling and expanding a wellfield into the Cape Flats Aquifer with a combined yield of 5 million litres per day. The capital costs of the emergency schemes are currently estimated at R315 million over three financial years (2016/17 to 2018/19). The City’s Water and Sanitation Department will be funding these projects primarily via internal re-prioritisation. “It is during this month that the Western Cape becomes the meeting spot for sportspeople, especially cyclists and cultural enthusiasts from across the world.” “The Absa Cape Epic, the International Tennis Federation Young Seniors World Championships, the Cape Carnival, the Zabalaza Theatre Festival and the Fleur du Cap Awards, showcase the diversity of the Western Cape and promote the province as the sport and cultural destination of South Africa.”

Photo Credit: Julian Goldswain At the end of March Capetonians also experienced the International Jazz Festival, referred to as “Africa’s Grandest Gathering - the largest music event in sub-Saharan Africa. Western Cape Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Anroux Marais said the month of March is a global highlight on the calendars of both the sport and cultural sectors.

“More importantly, these world class events bring people from all spectrums of society together and ultimately accelerates unity, fosters tolerance and acceptance, reinforces healthy living and rebuilds civic pride and community participation,” Minister Marais said. Events for April and May include the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon, Decorex Cape Town, The Safari Half Marathon and the FNB 12 One Run.


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THE NEWSPAPER

NEWS

Medical Disaster Relief

Laureus Continues

Unit Assists Hout Bay Fire Victims

To Enrich The Youth!

With a recent fire destroying 2 200 homes and leaving about 10 000 people displaced in Mandela Park Hout Bay, the community was left traumatised and in desperate need of support. The Cipla Foundation installed a disaster relief medical unit, which is now fully operational and located on the Hout Bay sports grounds in close proximity to the affected area to provide assistance to community.

Laureus recently launched its sixth annual Youth Empowerment through Sport (YES) programme with an educational training camp hosted from 26 February to 4 March 2017 in Cape Town. 17 young leaders from various Laureus-funded and affiliated programmes participated in a 7-day interactive training workshop where young leaders from across the country were provided with the necessary tools to ignite positive change in their lives and local communities. The list of influencers involved in motivational sessions included Laureus SA Chairman Morné du Plessis, Laureus ambassador and one of South Africa’s leading female mountaineers, Deshun Deysel as well as members from the Laureus SA Foundation Board of Trustees and YES programme funders Mercedes Benz. Some of the themes explored at the training camp included: sport for development, the importance of personal development, the art of goal setting and conflict resolution. A number of training and skills focused agencies were recruited to assist with the training component at the camp, including: Laureus’ global partner, Active Communities Network (ACN) and eta College. The training camp also provided a platform for young leaders to transfer knowledge and share different ideologies.

The Cipla Foundation, guided by the Western Cape Department of Health and local community leadership, will help to alleviate the administrative task of replacing the victims’ documents needed to access vital medication and necessary healthcare services. Paul Miller, Cipla Medro South Africa CEO, pointed out that due to this massive disaster earlier this month, many residents have lost important medical documents such as Road to Health booklets and Clinic Cards and now have to face the struggle of getting back into the health system. “Consequently, some of these residents are now not able to get their much needed regular chronic medication for treatment of HIV, TB and other chronic conditions. The community leaders also advised that patients’ chronic medicine were destroyed in the fire and they therefore need their medicine to be re-issued.” “Following consultation with all stakeholders, this initiative is re-connecting displaced people back into the established healthcare system. The Cipla Foundation is providing this temporary facility as well as nursing staff to service the community under the guidance of the Western Cape Department of Health,” says Miller. “We are confident that this Cipla Foundation disaster relief medical unit will provide the assistance needed during this difficult time to help the fire victims to regain access to quality healthcare as soon as possible,” he concludes.

Some of the YES graduates were selected to be a part of the YES Expert group and formed part of the content delivering team. Two of the 2016 YES Experts, Bongi Nhleko and Katlego Malaka, took on the role as Head Facilitators this year. Launched in 2012, the programme focuses on equipping the youth with the technical, vocational, entrepreneurship and life skills needed to develop sustainable livelihoods. The programme targets school leavers, ages 18 to 25 with particular attention given to young people who are passionate about sport and the upliftment of local communities.

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The overriding goal of the programme is to create a critical mass of youth leaders who have the skills to use sport to champion social programmes in their communities with the aim to progress into further education and employment. YES is based on the belief that young people are the greatest force to bring about social change in other young people that these youths are potential champions for positive social change, and are essentially able to inspire and motivate other youths to become positive role models. The YES training camp forms part of the first phase of the 2017 YES programme. These young leaders will now go back to their respected communities and seek to do good, using the knowledge and tools gained at the YES training camp, to help tackle some of the most pressing issues facing their communities. The group will meet again later in the year to complete the second phase of the programme before finally graduating from the programme by the end of 2017.

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THE NEWSPAPER

RETIREMENT

PAGE 5


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FOOD & DRINK

Uber Evolves Beyond Rides The Evolution From Uber To Ubereats First, Uber made it simpler for South Africans to get around. Next, they applied the concept of getting a ride at the touch of a button to bringing South Africans their favourite meals at their fingertips. “In the six months since UberEATS first launched in the country, we have learnt some fascinating insights into the habits and appetites of South Africans. You’re a classic bunch, with the most-ordered dish for 2017 being the cheeseburger. As UberEATS has food options to match all budgets, we have noticed certain trends throughout an average week.” Efficient businesspeople are pre-scheduling breakfast orders to arrive at work at the same time they do and offices are ordering in food or coffee for their business meetings. However, not everyone in the office is indulging. Many are turning away from canteen food in favour of ordering a healthy, nutritionally-balanced lunch! UberEATS is also changing the way South Africans entertain. Instead of slaving over the stove and dirtying a sink of dishes, groups of friends are ordering in large quantities of small dishes to share on Friday and Saturday nights. Sundays are times when families gather, often ordering in their favourites for the Sunday night movie. Observant eaters cottoned on to the fact that they are now able to order alcohol, something that we’ve not officially announced.

THE NEWSPAPER

A PhD Just About Biltong for Maxine

When Maxine Jones received her doctorate in Food Science from Stellenbosch University (SU), she achieved a unique first that is distinctly South African - a PhD for research focusing exclusively on how to make good quality biltong. In the process the 27-year old can say she developed a scientifically proven recipe for making consistently delicious biltong. Her parents, June and George Jones, share her love of biltong. They are now enjoying the direct benefits from all of her hard work. This Capetonian who matriculated from Wynberg Girls’ High handed over her recipe to her parents so that they can make biltong themselves. Maxine received her doctorate in Food Science on 14 March 2017 from Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Agri Sciences. Her industry-based research project focused on different aspects of biltong processing, such as the use of standardised drying procedures to dry the meat at best. She took note of factors such as temperature, humidity and air movement. She also investigated the presence of different yeasts, moulds, and even bacteria that often occur on biltong, which play a role in its shelf life. “Quality and consistency is important to both the consumer and the biltong industry,” says Maxine, who believes the local industry needs to standardise drying guidelines to ensure more consistent quality and to sidestep food safety issues. “There are currently no processing guidelines for biltong production in South Africa, and this leads to vast differences in the end product.” Maxine also investigated export opportunities that are available to South African producers, and the certification processes and laboratory guidelines that they need to consider. Maxine knows her way around a good cut of meat. This is because learning how to debone and process meat into salami, polonies, biltong and bacon, is part for the course when SU postgraduate students do meat-related research under the guidance of Prof Louw Hoffman of the South African Research Chair in Meat Science: Genomics to Nutriomics in the Department of Animal Science. Her research path crossed with biltong during her MSc studies.

However, eaters are responding well to this offering, requesting drinks for dinner parties and sun downers. Like most of our competitors one is able to order alcohol through UberEATS if it’s on the restaurant’s menu, and they have a ‘off premise license’. Uber has a strict policy that an ID must be provided to the courier upon delivery. Over 700 local restaurants are also benefitting from the ease of UberEATS as they use its intelligence for everything, from serving their customers better to deciding on the location of their next store. “We have, for example, already seen how successful some businesses that are not ‘restaurant based’ have been. Restaurants are now exploring fascinating new business models, such as running their entire business online.”

Her field of research has subsequently landed her a job as the quality and food safety manager for Cape Deli Biltong in Cape Town. Her research has also taken her places, from Namibia and the Wageningen University in the Netherlands to an international conference in Thailand. She even travelled to Reunion Island, a remote French territory near Mauritius. There she tested the spicing of biltong with ultrasonic equipment and its subsequent drying. “Biltong isn’t such a simple matter as we may think; there’s a science behind it,” says Maxine. “With the increased popularity of biltong the research opportunities are vast, and this research is just the beginning of things to come.” In the course of her project, Maxine consistently dried biltong at temperatures around 25°C, at a relatively low humidity of 30%, and an air speed of about 0.2 meters per second.

Now, with the help of a new ‘restaurant manager’ restaurants are able to take their businesses to the next level. The newly unveiled UberEATS Restaurant Manager is becoming the one place restaurants need to go to manage and grow their business. As a first for South Africa and by partnering with UberEATS, restaurants have access to real-time data, which gives them access to their sales, performance, and customer sentiment data in an easy-to-understand format. With some restaurants increasing their sales by 20-50%, there is no doubt that UberEATS is great for business. Restaurants are employing extra chefs and runners specifically to meet the extra demand that UberEATS is generating. “We have also welcomed over 1000 courier partners since our launch in South Africa.” UberEATS will continue to evolve to suit the needs of the eater and restaurants that use the App. “Our data helps us to understand which areas are more popular at different times of day and week, which we communicate to our courier partners accordingly in real-time. The impact of the weather has been a great learning curve for us, as we learn how to manage the increase in demand while prioritizing the safety of our courier partners.” The UberEATS app is giving restaurants the opportunity to get real-time feedback from their customers on their service experience and favourite dishes. “The learnings we have gathered around kitchen structures will also assist restaurants in making the most of their assets to drive new revenues.” “We are also responding to our customer’s needs through analysing which campaigns they love most and listening to which services would make life easier. For example, we are currently exploring the possibility of offering freshly made, frozen baby food through the app for new moms.” “We are getting requests from both eaters and restaurants in all major cities, requesting launch dates, and our goal is to be in all major cities by end of the year or early 2018.” Article by Jambu Palaniappan, Regional General Manager for UberEATS in Europe, the Middle East & Africa

Here are some of her findings: Adding vinegar in the salting/spicing step of beef biltong did not increase the time that the meat takes to dry out. Therefore, adding vinegar does not make meat dry faster. Vinegar does however help control the levels of microbes on biltong for at least a month after production. It therefore has an influence on shelf life. Overall, it is useful to add vinegar in a spice formulation to ensure a consistent product that is safe for consumption. Drying rates depend on the type of meat muscle being used, and also the source of the meat. Given the specific parameters used throughout the study, gemsbok topside took 76 hours to dry, fatty beef topside 118 hours, while beef topside and silverside both required about 96 hours to dry. Yeasts and moulds, which often cause a problem during storage, generally become visible after six weeks. Although not visible to the naked eye, they can already be present in high levels at the end of drying. Weight loss or adding vinegar does not influence the salt content of the dried meat. Beef biltong without vinegar has a pH of 5.56 to 5.75, while the addition of vinegar to biltong lowered its pH to 4.89 to 4.93, which prevents the growth of microbes.


THE NEWSPAPER

BEAUTY

PAGE 7

Le Riche Naturals - Uplifting Skin Care & Hand Poured Artisan Perfumes Tell us about the Products in the Le Riche Naturals range? Luxe Oil Cleanser - This cleanser penetrates deeply into the pores of the skin, hydrating and effectively removing impurities without drying or leaving a feeling of ‘tightness’. We have quite a few teenagers using this product, as it has been shown to balance the skin, while preventing bacteria from adhering to the skin surface.

Founder Lushinka Louw, owner of Le Riche Naturals dedicated years of research to create the finest in natural skin care products that promise elevated skin health and provide exceptionally fast results through best formulations, ingredient preservation, innovation and expert recommendation. How did the Business start? Le Riche Naturals started with two troubled skins needing special attention! My 18 month old daughter was suffering with severe eczema, which she inherited from me. I refrained from using cortisone creams on her skin, since I had my own battle to get my eczema under control, and I knew it would only be a temporary solution. I changed her diet, washed her clothes with soap nuts (berry shell that naturally contains soap), which helped, but her skin was still very dry and scaly. I therefore decided to formulate a cream that would suit her skin. It was important that the cream enrich her skin, replenish, moisturise and keep it nourished, without forming a sticky layer. As a result – the Rich Hand and Body Ganache was born. I soon observed that less cream is required as your skin is replenished. The bug bit me to formulate and produce my own product range. I am grateful that I had the skills to establish the business based on my scientific background, being an industrial engineer and a trained manufacturing specialist.

Miracle Day Cream - This light moisturising day cream combines the intensive hydrating properties of Hyaluronan, the toning properties of Frankincense essential oil and utilises phospholipids for enhanced skin elasticity. Leaves your skin velvety soft. Polishing Face Scrub - This scrub polishes the skin surface while removing dead skin cells. It has three different exfoliants for achieving gentle yet effective stimulation. This scrub contains Real Nuts (almond flour) and is not suitable for nut allergy sufferers. Regenerating Night Balm - The balm is naturally rich in Omega 3, 6, 7, 9 and Vitamin A, with added Vitamin E and C. It is an exceptional product that delivers consistently excellent results for our customers. Those who try it are instantly smitten with the sheer sumptuousness of this balm. Cape Mountain Youth Elixir - This limited edition serum, infused with indigenous African botanicals, combines exotic natural and organic oils with time-stopping antioxidants like co-enzyme Q10. Rich Hand & Body Ganache - Le Riche Naturals offer four variations of our Rich Hand and Body Ganache: Peppermint Crisp Tart, English Summer Garden, Lavender and Chamomile, Chocolate and Spearmint, Lemon Meringue Pie, Fragrance Free for Sensitive Skin. This product is a blend of sumptuous organic and natural ingredients that deeply nourish, protect and restore moisture to the skin. We call it a Ganache. It contains real Cocoa Butter, and is made in a similar way than this classic Chocolate and Cream filling it is named after. It is like melting chocolate on your skin...only better. Brightening Face Mask - Containing the bio-flavonoid Hesperidin (Vitamin P), this mask works on strengthening the tiny veins in the skin, while deeply nourishing and brightening the complexion. Tropical Day Spa - Bath Soak and Scrub - Transform your bath into a luxurious mineral and anti-oxidant rich infusion, enhanced with pure essential oils that condition, perfume and revitalise your skin and is ideal for pampering.

What makes your product different from other products? It’s vastly different. It’s like comparing a mass produced bleached white bread to a stone ground whole wheat sourdough bread that takes 8 days to make with natural yeasts. It’s probably the most nutritious “food” you can give your skin. When someone tries it, they no longer need convincing. They soon notice the difference. It’s called the “Le Riche glow”. What are the Health Benefits of your products? The essential oil blends have been designed to be uplifting, which is a great feeling and surely beneficial to your health! As a range, there are certain things we have found very beneficial to skin health. Firstly, the range is very high in EFA’s (essential fatty acids). Secondly, it is designed to be absorbed by your skin naturally, thereby respecting your skin’s natural barrier function. This sounds like the opposite of the norm, which is all about penetration, but in practice we have seen skin becomes less sensitive, much more robust to environmental stressors and customers report that for the first time their skin feels really nourished while only using a small amount of product.

Extrait de Parfum - We have three perfumes each with a distinct note: VERT - is green with a variety of fynbos essential oils and a hint of jasmine and pink pepper. ARGOUSIER - is sea berry, with a salty top note, classic neroli, lavender & patchouli. ÉPICER - is to spice, and is a very lively gourmand style perfume with a sophisticated dry down. I think the secret ingredient here is the Frangipani Absolute essential oil, which binds all the other ingredients together very harmoniously. All these perfumes are unisex, as husbands and boyfriends have been known to use them as well. (Mine included.) We also sell these perfumes in 1ml sizes for sampling. What do you still want to achieve with your products? I recall being in a previous edition of The Newspaper and said I wanted to design a Hand Poured Perfume Range... Well, it’s done and I loved every moment. I have customers who never used to wear perfume, who enjoy using these natural perfumes. The feedback I’ve been receiving is that it makes them feel refreshed, it’s gentle yet longwearing enough and does not have the unpleasant side-effects they have experienced with some commercial perfumes. It has made their lives better and I treasure that. My passion is developing amazing natural products, and I have a few great projects lined up, but I’ve recently had requests to do workshops teaching people how to make their own products at home. I’ve done some workshops, and it has been so much fun, I’ll definitely do more. Where can you buy Le Riche Naturals products?

It has been a game changer for our customers who experience post-menopausal thinning of their skin. Thirdly, we use generous amounts of active ingredients, because we believe that although the range is natural, we want to our customers to feel a marked positive impact on their skin health. There is also a lot to say for what the range leaves out. We welcome customers to have a look at the ingredients we use, as we disclose it on our website. Every ingredient is extraordinary , but the synergy we have achieved with this range is something very special. I would say that is beneficial to your health!

We supply our skin care range for face and body, with innovative salon treatments, at hand-picked salons. We also have a very strong online platform for internet shopping, with a 28 day no-quibble returns policy on all sales, which gives customers confidence to purchase online. For more information contact us at 082 725 9832 or shop online at www.lerichenaturals.co.za Le Riche celebrates skin by blending cutting-edged natural, non-toxic ingredients to create highly synergistic formulations that yield dramatic results.


EDUCATION

PAGE 8

THE NEWSPAPER

Western Cape Youth Gear Up For Global Skills Competition Young people from the Western Cape will represent South Africa at a global skills competition. The sixteen young people won medals at WorldSkills South Africa, which was held in Durban last month. Of this group, eight gold medalists will represent South Africa at the international competition in Abu Dhabi later this year. WorldSkills awards excellence in technical expertise in careers such as electrical work, bricklaying, plumbing, autobody repair, graphic design, restaurant service, IT system administration, IT network solutions, hairdressing, Computer Numerical Control (CNC) turning and beauty therapy. The students represent institutions such as Northlink TVET College, College of Cape Town, False Bay TVET College, International Hotel School, NX Hair Academy and 124 Wireless. In total, South Africa will send 23 participants to the competition. Globally, 76 countries will compete in the 44th WorldSkills competition, which takes place between 14 October and 19 October 2017.

Music Means Something To Everyone SRH Music School

Music means something to everyone. It can provide a creative outlet for often inexplicable emotions, give inspiration in moments of loneliness and sorrow, connect people, and communicate beauty. Regardless of what music means to you, chances are that it adds colour and splendour to some area of your life. Playing a musical instrument is likely to add a dimension of creativity and joy to your day while stimulating your mind. SRH Music School are based on a holistic educational approach, and strives to facilitate enjoyment during the learning process. We understand that lessons should be altered to the individual’s specific needs and cater for all age groups. Whether you are interested in learning music for the first time, pursue a new instrument, or brush up on your skills, or engage in ensemble playing, SRH Music School will be able to assist you in the musical journey.

Photo Credit: Ivan Swart, Northlink College

Winners will receive medals, certificates of achievement and the title World Skills Champions. Alan Winde, Minister of Economic Opportunities, hosted a breakfast for the winners, and offered them encouragement ahead of the global competition later this year. “Skills creates job opportunities for young people. The young winners of WorldSkills South Africa are the future of our economy. I was especially encouraged that many of them are planning to start their own businesses, and in this way, will create jobs for others. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is showing us how technology is disrupting the economy. We see this in accommodation with Airbnb and in transport, rideshare services are changing the way people get around. We need to make sure that our skills programmes are responsive to these changes,” says Minister Winde.

#YouthStartCT 2.0 Gives Entrepreneurs An Opportunity to Shine The City of Cape Town’s Social Services Directorate is once again giving young people an opportunity to realise their entrepreneurial potential, with its #YouthStart Challenge. The competition is open to South African citizens aged 18 – 35 who reside in Cape Town and have existing businesses or start-up ideas that have the potential to create sustainable job opportunities or are already creating jobs. This year the competition will also include a digital solutions category to cater for entrepreneurs dabbling in technology.

Madaleen Botha, the Director of SRH Music School, is a PhD candidate with a fervent interest in Music Psychology. Her experience in music education includes teaching saxophone and piano at various private and public schools and lecturing at the University of Pretoria from 2015-2016. Her qualifications include BMus (UP); BHons (Psych)(NWU), MSc (Psych) (Lond.) and MMus (UP).

“The rationale behind the competition is quite simple. Unemployment, poverty, and inequality are some of the biggest challenges in South Africa, and young people in particular are bearing the brunt. Entrepreneurship has been identified as one of the ways to tackle it. So, in the spirit of making Cape Town an opportunity city for all, we’re providing an opportunity to access resources and skills that will help young people to develop their business ideas and provide services and products to consumers, while at the same time growing the economy and aiding job creation efforts,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security; and Social Services, Alderman JP Smith. #YouthStart was born from research around the challenges young entrepreneurs face, including: access to capital, equipment/tools and space (many work from home), lack of experience and mentorship/guidance, as well as lack of confidence, and contacts to promote their business.

The competition is an accelerator programme for start-up entrepreneurs and supports youth capacity development and job creation. It provides a further benefit by offering support to the entrepreneurs in commercialising, expanding and monetising their solutions/businesses. The level of support will vary, but will be focused on developing both the entrepreneur as well as the idea through a robust training and mentorship programme. To be considered for #YouthStart, entrepreneurs will be required to complete an online application form and upload a short video to pitch their proposal and why they think it has the potential to succeed. The top 100 entries will be offered 10 weeks of after-hours mentoring and training to help them assess whether there is a place in the market for their products and services, after which 20 finalists will be selected for the play-offs. This group will be offered further mentoring and then 10 will be selected at a hackathon to participate in a ‘demo day’. During June 2017, the top three will be announced at a gala event. Various prizes as well as business support will be on offer, including access to a network of partners that will provide the winners with business support and mentoring.


ISSUE #

09

A P R / M AY/J U N 2 0 1 7

Q U A R T E R LY N E W S PA P E R

2

PEOPLE Spier is home to a diverse bunch of people. We’d like to introduce you to them.

1692 4

WINE Witness 300 years of winemaking heritage in action at the Spier Werf Cellar.

5

SUSTAINABILITY Conserving our most precious resource.

6

EVENTS What’s been happening on the farm.

FARM HOUSE ORGANIC Our Farm House range of organic wines is made from grapes handpicked from the certified organic vineyards at Spier. Now exclusively available from our Wine Shop.

Visit us:

Spier Wine Farm

@spierwinefarm #spiermemories t: 021 809 1100 w: www.spier.co.za b: www.spier.co.za/blog


PEOPLE

MEET OUR FAMILY SPIER IS HOME TO A DIVERSE BUNCH OF PASSIONATE PEOPLE, DOING WHAT THEY LOVE, AND COMMITTED TO MAKING A DIFFERENCE EVERY DAY. WE WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO A FEW OF THEM.

IVAN STIGLAND | TRACTOR DRIVER

Tractor driver Ivan Stigland and his mom have worked in the Spier vineyards for more than 36 years combined. “I work in the vineyards, doing compost and spraying,” he says. He enjoys the variety of his work. “In addition to the vineyards, we’ve now got chickens, sheep and pigs. I love learning about how these animals are farmed,” he says. He likes to share the things he’s learnt on the farm. “I encourage people in my community not to litter. We need to keep our country nice and beautiful.”

PETRONELLa ‘NANA’ MALGAS | LAUNDRY MANAGER

“MY LATE DAD IS A GREAT INSPIRATION. HE ALWAYS TOLD ME TO NEVER GIVE UP, TO ALWAYS GIVE A 100%.” A father of three daughters, Ivan used to play soccer until he got injured so now he sometimes cycles instead to let off steam. “I also help around the house, cleaning,” he says with a smile.

Petronella Malgas – affectionately known as “Nana” by her colleagues – is Spier Hotel’s laundry manager and has worked here for the past 15 years.

In her time off, she coaches girls netball in Tafelsig, where she lives. “It doesn’t matter how tired I am when I come home from work – they will say, ‘Let’s practice!’

“In the hotel, we’re committed to using only as much as we need, so I come up with lots of ways to re-use old linen,” she says. This includes turning old covers into laundry bags and cot protectors.

“THEY INSPIRE ME. I’M TRYING TO CHANGE THEIR LIVES FOR THE BETTER.”

“I’m very good at listening – especially to the staff when they’ve got problems. I give them advice,” she says.

When she’s not cooking, Nana loves going window-shopping. Cooking for her children and spending the day with them makes her happy.

Meet more of the Spier family on our blog: spier.co.za/blog

NOW YOU CAN BUY SPIER WINE ONLINE | WE DELIVER TO YOUR DOOR

Become a member of the Spier Wine Club and enjoy

Sign up by visiting store.spierwines.co.za

a fantastic range of benefits – including discounts on our wine, hotel and farm to table restaurant, Eight. Membership also gives you exclusive access

or at Wine Tasting.

to special events.

PAGE 2


ART

VISIT THE SPIER MOSAIC KRAAL SOUTH AFRICA’S FIRST OUTDOOR MOSAIC EXHIBITION Spier is now home to the country’s first permanent outdoor exhibition of mosaic. Situated between the Wine Collection Point and the Tasting Room, the Spier Mosaic Kraal features the works of 16 contemporary South African artists. The Kraal brings together two art initiatives that Spier supports: the Creative Block project (which supports both established and emerging artists through purchasing work that it sells to collectors) and the Spier Arts Academy (which offers employmentbased training in professional mosaic and ceramics). 16 images from the Creative Block project were interpreted as mosaic artworks by the Academy’s apprentices – in close consultation with each artist. Taking an average of two months to produce, SPIER IS NOW HOME TO each mosaic artwork was THE COUNTRY’S FIRST crafted by one leader PERMANENT OUTDOOR and four apprentices – EXHIBITION OF MOSAIC. in total, a group of 25. Together the artworks illustrate the variety and vibrancy of mosaic as a medium. The Spier Mosaic Kraal is a way of demonstrating how proud Spier is to support the Academy and the wonderful work its apprentices and graduates produce.

PAGE 3


Sustainability

GETTING WATER-WISE SAVING OUR MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCE It’s no secret that the Western Cape is really struggling with water shortages. At Spier we’ve spent the last decade doing everything we can to save as much of this precious resource as possible. In 2007 we committed to halving our municipal water consumption over the next 10 years. We installed 400 water-saving devices on showers, basins and toilets in our hotel, conference centre, restaurants and other public spaces. We monitor and measure water consumption per guest – constantly looking at ways to improve efficiency. Consumption per guest in the conference centre has been reduced by 55% and by 15% in the hotel. Spier believes the plant is a first of its kind in South Africa. “It combines environmentallyfriendly cleansing and natural ‘healing’ techniques to bring life and energy back to the water,” explains Heidi Newton-King, Spier’s sustainability director. “After initial treatment through an activated-sludge process and in a bioreactor, the water passes through a reed bed into a yingyang shaped pond where it is driven through a number of ‘flow forms’ before being transported to a nearby irrigation dam.” The plant can process up to a million litres of wastewater at any given time – purifying 50 million litres of clean water annually. It would take a river 350km to purify what the treatment plant can do in one day. The clean water is then used for flushing in the washrooms and to irrigate our gardens and grounds. The plant resulted in Spier receiving the Getaway Award for Leadership in Water Conservation at the 2015 Nedbank Green Wine Awards. The clearing of thirsty invasive species and the replanting of millions of indigenous plants has also helped reduce consumption.

DID YOU KNOW? Spier’s commitment to water conservation goes well beyond the farm gate.“We believe it’s crucial to work together with government, other businesses and communities in the region to achieve a meaningful positive impact,” Newton-King says.

Since 2007, we’ve also recycled 100% of our wastewater through an eco-friendly treatment plant – the first of its kind in South Africa.

This approach has resulted in Spier cochairing the Stellenbosch River Collaborative which was launched in late 2013 to restore the health and water quality of rivers in the Eerste River Catchment which forms a vital lifeline for communities in the area.

PAGE 4


WINE

THE SPIER WERF CELLAR WITNESS 300 YEARS OF WINEMAKING HERITAGE IN ACTION The Spier Werf Cellar is home to our first estate wine, made from organic vineyards that grow on the Spier farm. Cellarmaster Frans Smit handcrafts these wines with as little interference as possible. Natural fermentation occurs within a combination of open-top fermenters, French oak barrels and ceramic eggs to express the true essence and terroir of Spier. Spier started the organic conversion process in 2008 and was certified in 2015. Farm House Organic Wines

Our Farm House range of organic wines - including the Farm House Chenin Blanc 2016, RosĂŠ 2016 and Straw Wine 2015 is exclusively available from our Wine Shop.

DID YOU KNOW? An estate wine is grown, made and bottled on the farm - it never leaves the farm during fermentation, aging or bottling.

free taste

Congratulations, Natalie! Wine Shop wine educator Natalie Mouton obtained merit upon completing the WSET Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits recently. The course covers everything from how wine is made and factors influencing wine style, to pairings and different varietals and wine regions.

of

Spier Secret Sparkling Cut this ad out and present it at the Tasting Room for your free taste of Spier Secret Sparkling, our vivacious, salmon-pink bubbly.

PAGE 5


Hotel guests only.

EVENTS

APRIL

MARCH

25

earth hour

14

MAY

14

EAGLE ENCOUNTERS EASTER EGG HUNT

In-house guests only. Raise your glass to sustainable living as we switch the lights off at Spier Hotel! Enjoy MCC and oysters on arrival in the candlelit lobby as a pianist serenades you. Then tuck into a buffet dinner..

All guests. The Easter Bunny finds his way around the Eagle Encounters, delivering yummy chocolate eggs for all the visiting children. For more information please visit www.eagle-encounters.co.za.

Time: 20:30 onwards

Place: Eagle Encounters

Place: Spier Hotel Restaurant Cost: MCC and oysters – R195

Buffet – R285

APRIL

14

good friday dinner at eight

All guests. Enjoy hearty dishes from a harvest table groaning with goodness. Time: 18:30 Place: Eight Restaurant Cost: R400 per person

14

GOOD FRIDAY DINNER AT SPIER HOTEL

In-house guests only. Feast on the finest the ocean has to offer: a sustainably-sourced seafood buffet at Spier Hotel. Time: 18:30 Place: Spier Hotel Restaurant Cost: R400 per person

FOR MORE EVENT DETAILS VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW.SPIER.CO.ZA/EVENTS

Time: 09:30 - 17:00

MOTHER’S DAY LUNCH

All guests. Spoil mom with lunch at Eight, our acclaimed farm-to-table restaurant. Our harvest table offers a range of dishes all prepared with fresh, home-grown, seasonal ingredients sourced from our farm and nearby, trusted suppliers.

Cost: Adults: R75 per person

Place: Eight Restaurant

15

14

EASTER BRAAI DINNER

Time: 18:30

MOTHER’S DAY HIGH TEA

All guests. Treat Mom with a decadent high tea at Spier Hotel. Enjoy a glass of Spier Secret Sparkling on arrival, followed by a wide ranges of teas and coffees and a cake-stand crammed with sweet and savoury treats. Time: 14:30

Place: Spier Hotel

women’s day harvest lunch

All guests. Spoil the women in your life with lunch at Eight. After a complimentary glass of our crisp MCC, head to the harvest table. Time: 12:00 Cost: R400 per person

september

7

secretary’s day

All guests. Treat your Secretary to a delicious two-course lunch with a glass of wine.

Time: 12:30 Place: Eight Restaurant Cost: R200 per person

Place: Spier Hotel

Cost: R395 per person

Cost: R320 per person

EASTER SUNDAY HARVEST LUNCH

JUNE

All guests. Enjoy a harvest table at Eight, our farm-to-table restaurant, before helping the kids hunt for Easter eggs on the Bamboo lawns.

18

FATHER’S DAy lunch

All guests. Spoil Dad with lunch at Eight restaurant. Our harvest table offers a range of dishes all prepared with fresh, home-grown, seasonal ingredients sourced from our farm and nearby, trusted suppliers.

Time: 12:00 Place: Eight Restaurant Cost: R400 per person

16

9

Cost: R400 per person

In-house guests only. It’s braai time! Discover the taste of good farming, with a selection of Farmer Angus’s pasture-reared meat, along with all your favourite, seasonal sides.

16

august

Place: Eight Restaurant

Time: 12:00

Children (ages 3 - 12): R65 per person

All guests Open to public.

EASTER SUNDAY SPIT BRAAI

All guests. Tuck into meat roasted on the spit, accompanied by fresh, seasonal farm-to-table sides. Then help the kids hunt for Easter eggs on the bamboo lawns.

Time: 12:00 Place: Eight Restaurant Cost: R400 per person

Time: 12:30 Place: Old Wine Cellar Cost: R395 per person, Easter hunt included

24

national braai day at eight

All guests. Celebrate South Africa’s culinary heritage. A feast featuring pasture-reared meats and fresh veggies from the farm at our acclaimed farmto-table restaurant, Eight. Lunch includes a Hoghouse draught beer or glass of Spier Signature wine. Time: 12:00 Place: Eight Restaurant Cost: R400 per person

24

heritage spit braai at spier hotel

In-house guests only. Tuck into meat roasted on the spit along with fresh farm-to-table sides. Includes a Hoghouse draught beer or glass of Spier Signature wine. Time: 18:30 Place: Spier Hotel Cost: R395 per person

KIDS

EASTER SPECIAL Book now at Spier hotel and enjoy 25% off your 4 night stay. Use promo code: STAY 4 Dates valid from 1 April - 17 April 2017.

PAGE 6


HAPPENINGS

conferencing showcase

festive fun

On 25 January, we invited media and special guests to experience first-hand our refreshed conferencing offering. As live music set the tone, guests sampled our farm-to-table food pods and wine and beer tasting stations, getting a taste of our chefs’ latest inspirations.

The festive season was packed with good times! The Spier Hotel hosted a number of popular eating events, including a Farmer Angus braai, a seafood feast with live jazz, a Malay dinner, African drumming and potjie evenings, and make-your-own burgers and games nights. Christmas Day was celebrated the traditional way with a delicious buffet, while guests saw the New Year in with a party on the Werf.

cape town race week

Valentine’s Day Movie Night

Spier Wine was the official sponsor of the Maserati Cape Town Race Week held from 15 to 20 December 2016 as well as the 2017 Cape2Rio race between Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro.

Love-struck couples enjoyed a romantic evening picnic under the stars at Spier this Valentine’s day, watching the screening of the ‘The Best of Me’.

Cape Town Race Week has already established itself as South Africa’s premier regatta, attracting entries from around the country and sailors from around the world.

INSTAGRAM

theleadingwinesoftheworld: Shared dining accompanied by the wines of Spier, Stellenbosch #stellenbosch #southafrica #spierwines #spierwinefarm #theleadingwinesoftheworld

wparky87: Top sunset on the segway tour #instaparky #thisisafrica #segwaytour #spierwinefarm

FOLLOW US @SPIERWINEFARM

adrianallen22: Wine and wildlife! #badass #eagle #southafrica #stellenbosch #spierwinefarm #spierbirdsanctuary

viviennebuffkins: @marieb.photography #kobusdippenaarweddingcouture #bride #weddingdress #capetown #spier #sawedding

PREVIOUS #SPIERNEWS WINNER

WIN Take a picture of yourself AT SPIER using the hashtaG #SPIERNEWS9 AND stand a chance to win a lunch for 4 at Eight RESTAURANT TO THE VALUE OF R1000 AND your picture COULD be featured in the next edition of the newspaper.

Competition ends on 20 June 2017. Terms & Conditions apply. travelsisi: Stellenbosch, South Africa // My stylish and comfy room for tonight #spier #spiermemories #wineestate #stellenbosch #capetown

joubertdane: picking grapes #spier #grapes #vineyard #peekaboo

lukemullan_: Last day in @spierwinefarm. Probably the best scrambled eggs I’ve ever had on top of their own homemade sourdough! #spiernews PAGE 7


1 Eagle Encounters

2 Craft Market

5

3 Segway Tours

4 Wine Tasting

6

7 Eight to go

Spier Mosaic Kraal

8 Eight Restaurant

9 Werf Cellar

12

11 Manor House

13 Old Wine Cellar

14 Conference Centre

15 Amphitheatre

TAKE HOME A PIECE OF THE FARM LIFE

BUY LOCAL

Spier Hot

20

18

A carefully curated selection of products both for the home and for the body is available in the shop adjoining Spier Hotel’s reception and at the Tasting Venue, allowing you to take home a piece of the Spier farm life.

19. SPIER SHOP

Enjoy a glass of wine or a cocktail on the terrace with bar snacks, or breakfast, lunch or dinner at the Spier Hotel restaurant. Both the restaurant and wine bar strive to source the freshest available produce for the menus from a range of local suppliers and our farm. Contact: +27 (21) 809 1100

18. SPIER HOTEL RESTAURANT AND WINE BAR

The craft market at Spier is situated under the trees, along the banks of the dam, right next to our Tasting Room. Opening hours: from 10:00 - 17:30 during the summer months (to the first week of May).

Spier Hotel Restaurant & Wine Bar

Wastewater Treatment Plant

16

17 Spier Spa

Spier Shop

19

14. CONSCIOUS CONFERENCING

Wine Collection Point

10

10. THE WERF

Hoghouse BBQ & Bakery

6. Mosaic kraal

The Werf

1. EAGLE ENCOUNTERS

Surrounded by beautiful Cape Dutch Buildings, Spier’s historic farmyard - the Werf - has been meticulously restored.

16. WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT

Spier has an open air venue hosting artistic and corporate events with a capacity of 1100 people.

ART - The spaces of the Spier Hotel and conferencing rooms are adorned with art from the Spier Collection - one of the most extensive collections of contemporary South African art in the country. Spier believes that the visual arts can provide both guests and staff with new insights, and challenge us to take a fresh look at our world and environment.

20. SPIER HOTEL The 1822 historic Manor House has been extensively restored and three different meeting rooms are available. The building features artworks from the Spier Collection - one of the largest collections of contemporary South African art in the country.

In 2007, Spier installed a pioneering centralised wastewater treatment plant which is the embodiment of our approach to waste management. It recycles 100% of our wastewater, treats it using only environmentally friendly methodology and the clean water is then used to irrigate the garden and grounds.

15. AMPHITHEATRE

12. THE HOGHOUSE BBQ & BAKERY

17. SPA AT SPIER

Our spa offers an indulgent array of massages and facials that will ensure you leave rejuvenated and relieved of stress. Contact: thespa@spier.co.za.

The 4-star Spier Hotel is next to the calming waters of the Eerste River. The rooms are situated in village-style buildings grouped around six private courtyards, each with its own swimming pool in a design reminiscent of the Bo-Kaap or Mediterranean villages where pedestrians have right of way. Contact: Reservations@spier.co.za The wood-fired oven and bakery kitchen, located in the historical Jonkershuis on the Werf, serves fresh bread, pastries and treats – which can also be pre-ordered 48 hours in advance. Chef PJ Vadas’s barbeque-focused lunch and dinner menu includes flavoursome grass-fed beef, pork, lamb and free-roaming chicken supplied by Spier’s Farmer Angus, perfectly paired with Spier wine or Hoghouse’s craft ales. Contact: +27 (21) 881 3174 or howdy@hhbc.co.za

Spier’s Old Wine Cellar is South Africa’s oldest dated cellar building (1767), and is used for conferences & private functions.

13. OLD WINE CELLAR

WALKS AND TRAILS - Stroll around our peaceful water-wise gardens or visit the River Walk on the Eerste River’s south bank, which showcases our national flower. Download the VoiceMap app and listen to our two audio tours on your phone: Walk the Farm (which starts at the Hotel entrance) and the historic Gables tour (which begins at the Tasting Room). 5km and 10km running route maps are available from the Spier Hotel reception.

11. MANOR HOUSE

The country’s first permanent outdoor exhibition of mosaic features the works of 16 contemporary South African artists – all crafted by the Spier Arts Academy.

7. EIGHT TO GO AND PICNICS

At the Eagle Encounters raptor rehabilitation centre, get up close and personal with birds of prey, and find out how these magnificent animals keep the Spier farm healthy and balanced.

2. CRAFT MARKET

Conferencing includes an auditorium that seats 430 people and three breakaway rooms, which can be used separately, or combined, to seat 250 people. Conference rooms are adjacent to the Eerste River and have views of the Helderberg mountains. Contact: Conference@spier.co.za

From fridge magnets to masterpieces, the Spier Craft Market, right next to our Tasting Room, offers a wide range of art and crafts, made with a diverse range of materials, including mosaic, beads, textiles and ceramics.

Witness our winemaking team in action at the Spier Werf Cellar as they handcraft Spier’s first estate wine, made from organic vineyards that grow on the Spier farm.

9. WERF CELLAR

Eight is a farm-to-table eating experience in a beautiful setting next to the Eerste River. Like its name, the restaurant is an expression of balance, cycles, harmony, infinity and abundance. The produce used at Eight is either grown on the farm or sourced from nearby farmers. Natural and organic ingredients are preferred and combined to create nourishing, healthy, and delicious food. Contact: +27 (21) 809 1188 or at eight@spier.co.za.

8. EIGHT RESTAURANT

Eight to go offers ready-to-eat food, prepared according to the same principles as Eight. Local, natural and organic produce is used wherever possible, and food grown on the Spier farm is preferred. Wholesome picnics and sandwiches are available to be enjoyed with a bottle of award-winning Spier wine on the lawns of the farm. Contact: +27 (021) 809 1188.

3. SEGWAY TOURS The Segway PT (Personal Transporter) is a two-wheeled, self-balancing electric vehicle. The tour is a beautiful glide through the farm to the vineyards with some interesting facts about Spier’s farming practices and wastewater treatment plant on the way. Contact: 021 809 1157 or visit www.segwaytours.co.za.

4. WINE TASTING Our Tasting Room on the banks of the Spier dam pairs our award-winning wine with delicious snacks. Relax in the airy lounge area, or take your glass outside onto the patio which has stunning views of the Helderberg mountains. Contact: 021 09 1143/7

5. WINE COLLECTION POINT


THE NEWSPAPER

PAGE 9

REALTY

Acquiring a 2 nd citizenship - in Europe Having dual citizenship is becoming something that many South Africans want to attain. The primary reason is to assure their family’s future by protecting against political risk and economical instability. Dual citizenship in Europe offers the unique opportunity to enjoy unlimited access to the whole of the EU & the UK – meaning you and your family have complete freedom of movement in all European countries. Cyprus, an ex-British colony, full EU member and not part of Greece, currently has the most attractive 2nd passport plan on offer: citizenship is granted in 3 months via Cyprus’ “Citizenship through investment” programme. The programme applies to the main investor, the spouse and all dependent children up to 28 years of age who will all secure their EU citizenships and passports. Protect yourself, your family and your assets from unpredicted events by taking advantage of the opportunity to secure EU citizenship before the programme closes: it is open for a very limited time. Think of getting dual citizenship as guaranteeing your family’s future. Some other attractions that having an EU passport offers:

a. Effective tax planning to safeguard your wealth; b. Increased financial and personal privacy; c. Exponential investment opportunities; d. More choice on where to live and retire; e. Visa-free travel to more than 169 countries; f. Freedom to conduct a business with no exchange control; g. Freedom of education including access to vocational & continuous training plus the right to possibly receive free compulsory education; h. Public and private health care in the EU of a high standard and available to everybody. Your EU Health Card provides insurance for emergency treatment when visiting other participating EU countries. Cyprus is a very popular choice not only because of the very quick time for the EU passports to be issued, but because of the following 7 benefits that are predominant differentiators to other citizenship programmes: 1. You are investing – not donating - your wealth! After 3 years, you can sell the entire investment as long as you retain a single property valued at min €500,000. With a conservative appreciation of 5% per annum and the same annual rental returns, you’re looking at min 75% ROI after 3 years. 2. Dependent children up to the age of 28 qualify, thus giving your adult children the ultimate access-key to travel, live and work anywhere in the world’s largest economy: in Europe. 3. Citizenship is passed on by descent, offering a real legacy to future generations. 4. You can rent out the property to earn a Euro-based income. Some properties are zero Vat-rated and some come with a rental guarantee for long-term rentals.

An astute offshore property investment that works for you in the short, medium and long term is the achievement of a lifetime. In Cyprus investing in the “Citizenship through Investment” programme not only makes financial sense, but it will tangibly benefit your family for generations to come. Can you afford not to take advantage of this while the programme is still open? Cypriot Realty – a proudly South African company in operation for nearly 9 years – can assist you. We are recognised and respected as Southern Africa’s authoritative offshore investment specialists, promoting Cyprus as an ideal destination for acquiring EU citizenship or permanent residency, property investment, immigration or retirement and starting an EU-based business - we understand investor’s needs.

5. No need to ever stay/live in Cyprus! 6. Secure immunity against future changes in immigration rules. With the legal right to own assets you are guaranteed a safe environment for you and your family. 7. No inheritance tax: on your death you can dispose of your assets to your loved ones without having to pay the Cypriot government any tax. This is advantageous for legacy planning. LOGO

Contact us for a confidential meeting to discuss how we can help you realise your and you family’s Plan B in Europe.

c ypriot y pr iot

Realty

YOUR KEY TO LIVING IN BEAUTIFUL CYPRUS

For more information contact Jenny Ellinas on +27 83 448 8734 email jenny@cypriotrealty.com Visit www.cypriotrealty.com


PAGE 10

ENVIRONMENT

THE NEWSPAPER

OMTOM To Pilot #Gogreen

Anti-Littering & Waste Management Campaign The 2017 Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon (OMTOM) has officially launched their #GOGREEN campaign – an anti-littering movement, coupled with a waste management plan that offers a sustainable way to collect and process the nonorganic waste generated during race week.

Save water and Save money! Our dams are empty. Contrary to electricity, there is no alternative for water. We can make a significant difference through using water more than once.

Grey Water enters this chamber

#GOGREEN was developed by Wildlands and is supported by Old Mutual, and aims to provide a practical solution for collecting waste from athletes and spectators at endurance events, while educating them about not littering, as well as recycling and upcycling. Old Mutual is encouraging all runners to throw their waste in the specially made #GOGREEN troughs at THROW ZONES along the route, or to hold onto it until the end of the race. In addition to the #GOGREEN campaign and waste management plan, the Two Oceans Marathon will also collaborate with title sponsor Old Mutual, through Wildlands, on a new project of transforming event waste into Green Desks. It is currently estimated that the waste collected at the OMTOM will contribute to the manufacturing of approximately 500 school desks. The desks have been made possible through a partnership between Wildlands and POLYCO (Polyolefin Recycling Company NPC).

Air supply to keep water fresh – no smell

Filtered water in this chamber

Inlet Filter

Grey Water System

Maskam Water builds Grey Water Systems that are designed to link up to existing irrigation systems. You can therefor re-use your grey water with no nuisance and minimal maintenance. Air supply keeps the water fresh thus no smell. The Clarus Fusion is a factory-built, activated sludge waste water treatment plant (black and grey water). It is specifically designed for urban use as well as rural and remote areas.

Fusion ZF450 (1700 lit/d)

To achieve greater diversion of plastics from landfill and meet Governments Industry Waste Management Plan Requirements, POLYCO is involved in supporting the recycling industry by funding collection, recycling, and new end-use growth projects. The OMTOM is the first mass participation event where the #GOGREEN waste management system will feature. It is envisaged that it will be rolled out to other Old Mutual-sponsored events like the Comrades, Om-Die-Dam and Soweto Marathons.

Steenberg Vineyards Champions #WaterlessWednesday

The Clarus Fusion, model ZF4000, can treat sewage on-site at R1.88/ kl for non-potable applications. It lowers the pressure of our water sources and at the same time saves you thousands of Rands.

effluent

Encouraging people to drink more wine and less water is one way to embrace #WaterlessWednesday, but for the team at Steenberg Vineyards saving this precious resource means serious business.

Nedbank Financing available.

True champions of water conservation, Steenberg reduces its dependence on municipal water by leading water from mountain contours into the farm dam and harnessing rain and grey water for irrigating water wise gardens and vineyards. The winery also has plans to step up its usage of rain water and has come up with some novel water saving solutions such as using squeegees rather than hoses in the cellar whenever possible. “Saving water is core to everything that we do, from curbing evaporation by mulching, and irrigating the vineyards at night as much as possible, to relying on special probes that measure water levels between the vines,” says farm manager Johann de Swardt.

086 12 WATER (92837) www.maskamwater.com info@maskam.co.za

The Steenberg tasting room has joined fellow #WaterlessWednesday activists, saving every precious drop by becoming extra vigilant. Wine lovers will welcome No-Ice-Bucket Wednesdays as icy temperatures can mask a wine’s complexity and flavour profile. Instead, all wine will be served at optimal temperatures directly from the fridge. Refilling rather than replacing water carafes and encouraging guests to taste the wines from a single glass are some of the other water saving measures put into place.


THE NEWSPAPER

LIFESTYLE

PAGE 11

What To Expect At Decorex Cape Town 2017 Fashionable fabrics, inspired interiors and wall-to-wall trendsetting décor will adorn the Cape Town International Convention Centre from the 27-30 April 2017 as Decorex Cape Town – co-sponsored by Plascon and Caesarstone – takes over the city. In line with the 2017 theme, ‘Make your space your living dream’, visitors to South Africa’s premier décor, design and lifestyle exhibition will be immersed in natural fabrics, revitalising tones and quality products all centred around a vision of reclaiming a space of sanctuary, disconnected from the relentless noise and distraction of the modern world.

Not to be missed this year is one of the show’s highlights, ‘We are Cape Town’ which is a dazzling standalone exhibition within Decorex Cape Town. And, for the first time, Decorex Cape Town unveils an exciting new feature – the Retail Trade Hub. Meeting a growing demand in the Mother City, the Retail Hub is specifically aimed at gift and décor traders looking to purchase high quality, 100% locally manufactured gift and décor products. Decorex SA constantly seeks to create usable networking opportunities for every décor sector, organisers have provided this dedicated retail trade platform, giving the buyers a much-needed trade only day. Here, retailers will be able to participate in a real business-to-business exchange where the best products can be matched with the ideal store, on the trade specific day Friday, 28 April. Tickets available at www.computicket.co.za

Demand for hobbyist drone training grows in SA

With the cost of hobbyist drones ranging from under R1,000 for miniature versions such as the Blade Inductrix to around R25,000 for the popular DJI Mavic Pro and even R35,000 for the DJI Phantom, it’s clear people are forking out substantial amounts of money for this modern-day hobby. For many however, actually getting to grips with flying a drone is not as easy as they anticipate and the result is invariably a damaged drone and more costs incurred. Cape Town, which leads the way in décor excellence nationwide, can expect to see only the highest quality products and décor set to international standard, as well as the country’s most creative designers who will be showcasing the latest trends. Visitors can interact with the country’s top designers where the latest trends will be accessibly featured in a variety of room settings.

Following an influx of requests for a fundamental drone flying course from hobbyists around South Africa, Drone Racing Africa (DRA) have designed a certificate course aimed at giving a complete beginner a sound knowledge and understanding of local hobbyist drone legislation and the physical competency to fly a drone.

Anyone looking for a change in hue can visit the Plascon stand where the highly anticipated 2017 colour palette will be revealed. And for the latest in internationallevel kitchen products and appliances, visitors are invited to Franke Kitchen Design Project where four local kitchen designers will compete to create the ultimate ‘Simplicity in Design’ kitchen.

Eikendal and Peace Parks partnership bears fruit

African conservation efforts were given a small boost this week thanks to eco-conscious Stellenbosch wine estate Eikendal as well as its customers who purchased Eikendal Pinotage 2015 over the past year. Highlighting the winery’s ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability, Eikendal committed a portion of sales from the wine that was handed over to the internationally renowned Peace Parks Foundation this week. Since the launch of the campaign in May last year, funds were raised for this worthy cause by committing 5% of every bottle of Pinotage sold at the Eikendal tasting centre, in addition to a generous donation by the estate’s proud owners, the Saager Family, which brought the total contribution to R173 000. “As Eikendal wines is a product given to us by nature, we as a company have a responsibility to protect it and to play our part in ensuring future generations have access to the wonders of nature too,” says Eikendal cellar master Nico Grobler. “With this in mind Eikendal partnered with Peace Parks Foundation, a non-profit organisation that has done immense work in helping to preserve and protect southern Africa’s natural heritage. Eikendal is proud to be able to contribute to this effort. “Furthermore, we look forward to building our partnership with the Foundation and being part of this great initiative.” Peace Parks Foundation CEO Werner Myburgh expressed his gratitude at the generous donation from Eikendal. “Peace Parks Foundation wishes to thank Eikendal and the Saager family, not only for this contribution towards transfrontier conservation, but also for the loyal support they have shown the Foundation since its inception 20 years ago. “We are proud to be associated with a business that shows true commitment to giving back through its various Corporate Social Investment initiatives.” Pinotage, a uniquely South African grape varietal, has a natural fit with Peace Parks Foundation, which facilitates the establishment of southern Africa’s transfrontier conservation areas and develops human resources, thereby supporting sustainable economic development, the conservation of biodiversity and regional peace and stability.

Simon Robinson, Drone Racing Africa CEO explains, “The course takes place over 1.5 days and consists of theory, simulator and practical modules. Classroom components include navigation and planning, air law and procedures and principles of flight, among others. Simulator training concentrates on line of sight flying, throttle management, hover control and turning over axes.” In order to obtain the certificate, students will need to pass a flight test, examined by a SAMAA certified Instructor. On a global scale, drone racing has been quoted as ‘the sport of the future’. For Robinson and his team, the main objective is to be the driving force behind the growth of the sport in South Africa, and to open up the opportunities of drone flying on a social and professional level to both formal and informal communities around the country. Industry calls for constant innovation - Technology is constantly developing, and there is no doubt that what is common practice now may be soon outdated. For this reason, DRA will ensure that its courses stay on top of and ahead of the development curve. In addition to the certificate flying course, DRA is launching a Drone Building course in the coming months that will teach students not only to fly correctly and safely, but also offers the technical know-how behind the assembly of a drone. The devil in the detail - According to Greg Donaldson, SAMAA certified Instructor, it’s getting acquainted with small details that can take a beginner to a competent recreational pilot, “The average newbie to drone flying won’t have an understanding of, for example, the KP Index. This is the global geomagnetic storm index. He adds, “Understanding the KP Index is crucial to understanding the macro elements of drone flying and highlights the importance of knowing one’s craft and possessing the required skills to fly a drone correctly and safely.” Drone racing league - the new ‘book club’ or ‘poker night’ - For drone racing pilots keen to compete against their local drone racing community, the DRA racing league is open to anyone who has completed a course with DRA or is already a competent drone flyer. Leagues are currently running in Johannesburg and Cape Town with racing events in each city taking place twice a month. This relatively new industry means that few people are aware of air laws and could easily find themselves in contravention of these laws as set out by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA). Learning how to fly a drone properly and staying on the right side of the law is a no-brainer for anyone keen to get involved in this exciting new techno-sport. For more information visit www.droneracingafrica.com


PAGE 12

CONSERVATION

THE NEWSPAPER

New Software Will Standardise Data Collection For Great White Sharks The lack of a standardized procedure for collecting data about elusive and hard to find species like the great white shark has to date seriously hampered efforts to manage and protect these animals. But now a marine biologist, an applied mathematician and a software developer from Stellenbosch University joined expertise to develop a custom-made software package, called Identifin, which may offer a solution to this problem. Dr Sara Andreotti, a marine biologist in the Department of Botany and Zoology at SU, have collected over 5000 photographic images of the dorsal fins of white sharks along the South African coastline as part of her research. This is because the trailing edge of the dorsal fin provides a unique trade, analogous to a human fingerprint. Over six years she managed to manually build a database with information on when and where an individual white shark was sighted. In those cases where she was able to collect a biopsy from the shark, the genetic information was linked to its profile.

Eland Released at Blaauwberg Nature Reserve

The City of Cape Town’s Blaauwberg Nature Reserve celebrated a momentous occasion as the last of eight eland were released into the reserve on Wednesday 8 March 2017. An eland (Taurotragus oryx) that was released into the City’s Blaauwberg Nature Reserve last week is the last of eight eland that were earmarked for translocation from the Koeberg Nature Reserve. “The other seven eland were introduced to the Blaauwberg Nature Reserve in December 2016 and in February this year. The animals were donated by the Koeberg Nature Reserve as part of their management of the eland population in that reserve. In September 2016 we also released five red hartebeest in the Blaauwberg Nature Reserve that were obtained from a private game owner,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Transport and Urban Development, Councillor Brett Herron.

The custom-made software uses the complete database for comparing the matches and then organises them in order of similarity, from left to right. There is also an embedded function in the software to create a matrix of the history of recaptures. This information can be used to estimate population numbers. Photo Credit: Dr Sara Andreotti

But she was doing all this manually on her personal computer. “I nearly lost my head. I quickly realised that in the long term updating the database was going to consume more and more of my time. That is when I headed over campus to the applied mathematics division and asked for help. I was stunned when they became all excited about my data,” she laughs. Prof. Ben Herbst, a specialist in machine learning, and Dr Pieter Holtzhausen, a software engineer then busy with his PhD in Applied Mathematics, were literally overjoyed to be able to work with Dr Andreotti’ s data base. Dr Holtzhausen explains: “We used an algorithmic technique called dynamic time-warping to match the fingerprints. With this technique, any data that can be turned into a linear sequence can be analysed. The technique is often used in speech recognition software.” The image recognition software they developed, called Identifin, compares a semi-automatically drawn trace of the back edge of the dorsal fin to existing images in the database. The images in the database are then re-arranged and ranked by probability of match. If there is a match, the database photograph in the first position will be the correct one. However, while working with Michael Meyer, a marine scientist from the Department of Environmental Affairs, and shark conservationist Michael Rutzen from Shark Diving Unlimited, Dr Andreotti realised that the software needed some more tweaking if it were to fit the ideal of sustaining a large database for the long-term monitoring of the white shark population. “The software had to be capable of quickly matching the fin identification of a newly photographed shark with a possible existing match in the database, and to automatically update the sharks’ id catalogue. The database also had to be userfriendly and structured in such a way so that different researchers can use it over the long term,” she explains. While there is still room for improvement, the success of the first trials boosted their hope that in the near future they will be able to use Identifin to monitor white shark populations on a large scale.

The release of these animals is part of the reserve’s game introduction management plan that will serve to enhance management of the vegetation cover and other ecological processes. Apart from the red hartebeest (Aloelaphus buselaphus) and eland, grey rhebok (Pelea capreolus) is also earmarked for re-introduction. “Thus far, eight eland and five hartebeest have been reintroduced. We plan to release more of the designated species in future, depending on the numbers that can be allowed,” said Councillor Herron.

“Previously, while at sea, I had to try and memorize which shark is which, to prevent sampling the same individual more than once. Now Identifin can take over. I will only need to download the new photographic identifications from my camera onto a small field laptop and run the software to see if the sharks currently around the boat have been sampled or not. “By knowing which sharks had not been sampled before we can focus the biopsy collections on them. This saves us both time and money when it comes to genetic analysis in the laboratory,” she adds.

The game introduction plan conforms with the historical incidence of larger mammals in the area, a description of the habitat and habitat conditions, suitable species for introduction and species review, habitat and game introduction management implications, and wildlife management and monitoring. “The eland and the other large mammals will increase biodiversity in the reserve as their presence will assist other species in appearing. One of the eland has been collared for vegetation and habitat use monitoring within the reserve.” “Monitoring is critical as we need to ensure that the reintroduced animals also do not impact negatively on the reserve’s critically endangered vegetation types,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Area North, Councillor Suzette Little. Apart from assisting with the management of vegetation in the reserve, the addition of the eland and red hartebeest will be an added attraction to those visiting the reserve. The reserve is approximately 2 000 ha in size. “It has a rich mosaic of natural, cultural and historical elements and with it being so close to Cape Town, the reserve has the potential to become an open-air classroom that is easily accessible. The reserve also has a self-catering unit which sleeps up to four guests. The unit was designed to be sustainable – photovoltaic panels charge the batteries that provide light, there is a gas stove, fridge and freezer, and an outdoor shower with a gas geyser and a self-composting toilet, which in itself provides for a unique experience,” said Councillor Little. For more information contact 021 444 0454 or Blaauwberg@capetown.gov.za

This is what the interface of the Identifin - fin matching - program looks like. A researcher takes the original photograph (a) and indicates the top and the bottom of the fin. The software then automatically traces the notches pattern (in red). Photo Credit: Dr Sara Andreotti

Dr Andreotti says to date the lack of standardization of data collection has been a major limitation to combining datasets of worldwide distributed species: “We hope Identifin will offer a solution for the development of a South African and then global adaptive management plan for great white sharks.” The next step is to adapt Identifin for the identification of other large marine species and help other researchers facing the same kind of struggles. The research was made possible with funding from Shark Diving Unlimited, the University of Stellenbosch, White Shark Diving Company and the Explorers Club. The research article, ‘Semi-automated software for dorsal fin photographic identification of marine species: application to Carcharodon carcharias’ was published in the journal Marine Biodiversity. A YouTube video with interviews and an animation of the technique is available online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JNMnjVcXaI&feature=youtu.be


HEALTH & WELLNESS

THE NEWSPAPER

PAGE 13

Doctors Could Save Economy In Excess of R4-Billion Yearly Despite the fact that the use of generic medicine has increased over time, many healthcare practitioners in South Africa continue to prescribe expensive brandname medication when cheaper generic alternatives are available. This is costing the SA economy around R4-billion a year. Based on the latest Mediscor data, about one in five prescriptions for medical aid patients in the past year were for branded medication where generic equivalents were available. Erik Roos, CEO of Pharma Dynamics – one of the leading generic medicine providers in the country – estimates that for patients with hypertension (high blood pressure) alone, substituting brand-name prescription medication for generics, would save millions. “Generic hypertension medication is on average 44% cheaper than brand name medication, while a further 79% can be shaven off the price of brand name antidepressants if a generic alternative is used. Failing to substitute with a generic, means that many patients are paying over R350 for a product that could be costing them in the region of R75.” Roos adds that pharmacists are obligated by law to offer patients a generic alternative, if the prescribed medication is substitutable. The majority of peer-reviewed studies found that generic equivalents produced similar clinical outcomes when compared to their brand-name counterparts, but despite this some patients still express concern that generic medications are less effective. In response, Roos cites a meta-analysis of 47 studies which compared the effectiveness of generic and brand-name medicines in nine classes of cardiovascular medications, which found no evidence of superiority of brand-name medication. “The reason generic manufacturers can sell medication at a lower cost is not because it is of inferior quality, but because of the increased competition among generic manufacturers, who don’t have to go through the expensive research and development phase that brand companies have already gone through,” remarks Roos.

“Frequency Therapy”? Often somewhat puzzling - so let’s explain the basics. Science has proven that everything in the universe vibrates and resonates with a distinctive sound. Every single object has a unique frequency (called “natural frequency”) … even if we can’t hear it. A singer can break a glass by singing at a certain pitch. HOW? The frequency of that tone matches the natural frequency of the glass, shattering it.

“Increasing the use of quality-assured generic medicine plays a key role in sustaining SA’s healthcare system and ultimately leads to improved access to essential treatments. Doctors play a critical role in realising this ideal. By adopting a more generic-prescription-based model, healthcare practitioners could see medicine expenditure drop significantly, whilst providing patients with effective and affordable medication. It is estimated that every 1% increase in generic usage equates to a saving of R270 million. “Another stumbling block could be patients that perceive lower-cost generics as inferior and may as a result insist on having doctors prescribe the more expensive brand-name product, therefore more awareness also needs to be created among consumers.” He says another factor doctors should consider is a patient’s long-term adherence to essential treatments. “This could be significantly enhanced when a generic is prescribed, since brand-name medicines are likely to go uncollected, because of its high price tag. The price differential between originators and generics is now as much as 80%.” Generic medicines now account for roughly 56% of medicines dispensed in the private sector, yet they only amount to 40% of the more than R22-bn South Africans spent on medicines last year. Elsewhere in the world, generic usage stands at 80%.

Hair Removal The Easy Way Why put up with the nuisance and pain of shaving or waxing your unwanted hair if you can have it removed pain-free and hassle-free by laser. No more shaving bumps, redness or ingrown hair. Chameleon Aesthetic & Laser, based in The Sanctuary Shopping Centre in Somerset West, offer the very latest technology in laser hair removal with their world-renowned, award winning Alma Sprano Ice diode laser (Not IPL). The Soprano Ice won the World best laser hair removal platform for two consecutive years for 2015 & 2016, and offers breakthrough client comfort, procedure speed and consistent efficiency and results. The exceptional procedure speed makes it possible to have your 1/2 leg including your knees done in your lunchtime, taking a mere 20 minutes, for both legs.

Photo: Charl de Villiers

Virtually pain-free permanent hair reduction is achieved with In-Motion technology with no burning, dermal damage, downtime or pigmentation. This laser is efficient on all skin types and all hair colour with the exception of grey hair. The laser shoots a beam of highly concentrated light into the hair follicle and destroys it completely. The process is repeated in a number of sessions around 6 weeks apart, and will get rid of around 90% of your hair.

This is exactly how Frequency Therapy works. Modern technology has expedited the classifying and cataloguing of countless frequencies of viruses, bacteria, toxins, tumours etc. Using the right equipment we can target and destroy them with these designated frequencies. The safe, non-invasive Non-linear Scanner (NLS) used by SoundWaves Health Clinic detects changes/anomalies in the resonance of body tissue. It can even track the root cause of a condition in the chromosomes, genes or DNA - implying early detection! The scan is followed by a schedule of treatment to eliminate the problem. HOW? By using the appropriate frequencies. Remember the broken glass….? There can be no “accidental” blasting of the wrong target. The frequencies are unique and do not run around randomly. (Just as your cell phone number only allows access to your phone, no one else’s.) Viruses, bacteria, tumours etc. can be destroyed without affecting any other organ tissue, as the applied frequencies do not match those of other objects. At SoundWaves Health Clinic you are in the expert and extensively experienced care of Therapist Charl de Villiers, assisted by his wife Anne-Marie. The positive outcomes they witness daily fuels a passion for their work - inspiring others to discover “the alternative pathway to sound health”! The following link demonstrates some amazing qualities of sound/frequencies: https://goo.gl/cxXBuX

Article by Anne-Marie de Viliers For more information visit: SoundWaves Health Clinic, Suite 6, 33 Beach Rd, Gordon’s Bay, Call 083 267 9745 e-mail: admin@soundwaves.capetown or visit www.soundwaves.gettimely.com

Chameleon offer a free consultation and provide prospective customers a complimentary test patch to make sure their skin does not react to the laser. The prospect of never ever shaving or having ingrown hair again? Tell me you’re not smiling! Visit Chameleon Aesthetic & Laser on First Floor, Sanctuary Shopping Centre, Somerset West For more information contact 021 851 8434, lilanie@chameleonwellness.co.za or www.chameleonwellness.co.za


PAGE 14

TRAVEL & TOURISM

THE NEWSPAPER

Excitement builds for Africa Travel Week Various sectors of the inbound and outbound travel trade have demonstrated their excitement for the upcoming Africa Travel Week to be held in Cape Town from 19-23 April 2017. Three travel industry events all held at the Cape Town International Conference Centre, will take place over the course of an action-packed week including WTM Africa, IBTM Africa, and ILTM Africa. WTM Africa is delighted to announce that it has been awarded the title of Best Joint Trade Exhibition in the 6 001 - 12 000 sqm category at the Association of African Exhibition Organisers (AAXO) ROAR awards in Johannesburg on 26 January 2017. The AAXO ROAR awards, a showcase of excellence within the exhibitions industry, was established in 2016 with the aim of providing an inclusive and representative set of awards to recognise successful exhibition strategy incorporating marketing, public relations, operations, activation, social responsibility, and sustainability. Focusing on the meetings industry in Africa, IBTM Africa has announced a collaboration with both the Southern African Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI), as well as Meetings magazine. The latter will aim to provide better quality information on the industry and how to improve your business dealing within it, while a new Career Progression Programme will aim to better skill those working in the meetings sector. Both partnerships strive to enhance awareness around IBTM Africa as an educational programme, but also further collaboration between industry bodies to facilitate growth within the meetings industry, and outside of, the African continent.

finest luxury travel brands from the continent in pre-scheduled meetings with international agents. Buyers confirmed include US based Brownell Travel, Silktravel from the Netherlands and Brazilian luxury specialists PHD Travel. With around 90% of buyers new to ILTM Africa, and a third completely new to the ILTM Portfolio, it promises to be an event of great new business connections and opportunities. For more information visit www.africatravelweek.com

Luxury travel exhibition, ILTM Africa has confirmed it will host up to 100 of the

The Silo Hotel - the latest addition to The Royal Portfolio The Silo Hotel occupies a very special location in the heart of Cape Town and has been built in the grain elevator portion of the historic grain silo building which was originally built in 1924. The Silo Hotel has 28 keys across seven room categories, including a spectacular penthouse. David Green, CEO of the V&A Waterfront said, “We have no doubt that The Royal Portfolio will bring to this hotel their impeccably high standards and offer its guests an exclusive experience quite unlike any other.”

Facilities at the hotel include The Silo Spa (with five treatment rooms, a manicure and pedicure area, a sauna as well as a state of the art gym), The Willaston Bar and Granary Café on the sixth floor and the rooftop bar and restaurant. With panoramic views of Table Mountain and Robben Island in the Atlantic Ocean, The Silo Hotel welcomes both international guests and local visitors. Since first opening Royal Malewane in 2000, the vision of the Biden family has been to give guests a complete experience and a perfect stay. The opening of the new hotel completes The Royal Portfolio’s circuit of quintessentially South African luxury travel experiences that includes Royal Malewane in the Greater Kruger National Park, La Residence in Franschhoek, Birkenhead House in Hermanus and The One Above penthouse in Cape Town. The Silo Hotel is situated above Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) which will house the single largest collection of contemporary African art in the world. London based Heatherwick Studio was responsible for the reimagining of the exterior of the grain silo building, which contains both the museum and the hotel above. The greatest visible change to the grain silo’s monumental structure is the addition of the pillowed glass windows, inserted into the existing geometry of the upper floors. These windows bulge outward as if gently inflated. By night, this will transform the building into a glowing lantern or beacon in the harbour.

Photo Credit: The Royal Portfolio

Liz Biden, the owner of The Royal Portfolio, has meticulously designed and decorated the interiors of the hotel. Each of the 28 rooms is unique. Liz explains: “We always wanted to open a hotel in our home city of Cape Town. The Silo Hotel is an exciting and ambitious project which we believe will perfectly complement our existing properties and rank among the very best hotels in the world. The building is modern and industrial so the interior design contrasts that with the addition of comfortable, colourful and more playful touches.”

Cape Town International Airport Voted Africa’s Best & 19th in the World Airline passengers have voted Cape Town International Airport as the best in Africa. Alan Winde, Minister of Economic Opportunities, said Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) was named as the continent’s best airport at the 2017 Skytrax World Airport Awards, which was held at the Passenger Terminal Expo in Amsterdam on 14 March 2017. Voted for by passengers, the awards are among the most prestigious accolades in the aviation industry. Overall, Cape Town International Airport was also voted as number 19 in The World’s Top 100 Airports 2017. Minister Winde congratulated CTIA, which is Africa’s most award-winning airport. “The Skytrax World Airport Awards are the benchmark for excellence in aviation. These awards are significant because they are based on customer satisfaction. Travellers have selected Cape Town International Airport as one of the world’s best.” “I would like to commend Deon Cloete and the CTIA team for the great work they are doing in contributing to the growth of the tourism sector. CTIA is also a partner in our Cape Town Air Access initiative, which has landed seven new routes and facilitated ten route expansions for our region, since its launch in 2015. This has increased capacity at CTIA by over 600 000 seats and generated over R3 billion in tourism spend for the Western Cape. In 2016, CTIA also achieved a major milestone when they reached the 10 million passenger per year mark. These trends speak to CTIA as a world-class airport, which is setting the standard for customer service.”


EVENTS

THE NEWSPAPER

PAGE 15

Pinotage & Biltong Festival Celebrates Two SA Food Icons From kudu to grass fed beef and chilli chicken to rooibos & honey; biltong is the one food item most South Africans don’t see themselves giving up, even when they emigrate! Capetonians are invited to indulge in these SA favourites on Saturday, 22 -23 April 2017 at the third annual Pinotage & Biltong Festival, which takes place at L’Avenir Wine Estate just outside Stellenbosch from 11h00-17h00. Boschendal’s The Werf Butchery is bringing their Traditional Biltong and Droëwors to the event, with naturally produced interesting new flavours like Rooibos and Honey, Lemon Pepper and Herb Biltong and Smoked Paprika Droëwors making up their selection. Dad’s Choice Biltong and Braai is owned by Jannie Kotzé who personally visits his suppliers all over South Africa to choose the perfect products for his busy store in Somerset Mall and his mobile Biltong Bar which is a well-known sight at many big events around the Western Cape. Dad’s Choice is bringing their Lean and “Yellow Fat” Beef Biltong to the festival with Chutney Bacon, Chilli Chicken and Kudu Biltong rounding off the selection. The biltong is paired with wines from some of South Africa’s top Pinotage producers for each tasting, including red, rosé’s, bubblies, blends and even a white Pinotage! The participating wineries are: Altydgedacht Estate, Anura Vineyards, Badsberg Wine Cellar Beyerskloof, Doolhof Wine Estate, Flagstone Winery, Kaapzicht Wine Estate, Knorhoek Wines, Lanzerac Wine Estate, L’Avenir Wine Estate, Leipzig Winery, Mellasat Vineyards, Namaqua Wines, Overhex Wines International, Perdeberg Wines, Simonsvlei Winery, Stellenbosch Vineyards, Vriesenhof Vineyards, Wellington Wines, Windmeul Kelder. The event is family-friendly with live music, food trucks, light meals and casual seating under the trees next to the dam or on the lawns in front of the cellar. The charity beneficiary is Anna Foundation who will be present to entertain the kids and raise funds for their many worthy projects. Tickets available at www.plankton.mobi or www.computicket.com

2017 South African Cheese Festival! Spoil yourself with a ticket to the award winning South African Cheese Festival and discover an amazing selection of the best and unique cheeses, other cheese products and delicious preserves that perfectly complements cheese as well as supreme wine and gourmet food. Cheese Festival goers will be treated to the sounds of the very popular Kurt Darren, exclusively on Friday, 28 April 2017 and the famous BlackByrd on Sunday, 30 April 2017. Both performances take place at the Stellenbosch Vineyards Muzik Gazebo on the festival grounds. An attractive Connoisseurs Experience is available for those who prefer exclusivity and a bit more privacy amongst the thousands of cheese lovers attending the festival. This package includes VIP parking, VIP access, an exclusive Nataniël show in the Cooking Pot and many more. Three theatres further enhance the entertainment value for cheese festival goers with Nataniël, Carmen Niehaus and Leon the Milkman in the Cooking Pot this year. Nic van Wyk and Reto Jagger, a master brewer, present in the Standard Bank Tasting Room and Aviv Liebenberg and Charné Loubser of the Private Hotel School cooking up delicious treats in Cape Made Kitchen.

The Taste of Darling Darling might well be a small town but therein lies diversity and an abundance of attractions. Come the last weekend of April, the long weekend of the 29th, the organizers are once again pulling out all the stops and presenting a Taste of Darling. This is your invitation to join them for the day, or better still spend the weekend, and be spoiled with music, food, beer, wine, arts and crafts – a feast for the senses – which are all those things which reflect the variety and ingenuity of this small West Coast town. Darling is a special place, where time is still measured by the Church clock and only last week a cow was strolling the Main Street. Most special is that this town (or maybe “dorpie”) which on the surface may seem time - warped, has not only a huge heart but a bellyful of innovation, creativity and talent, but what else would one expect with a First Lady like Evita, a theatre like the Perron, and a train which toots its way through two or three times a day? The “Taste of Darling” is an opportunity to put the spotlight on hidden talents. There will be no charge for admission to the Taste of Darling, although some music performances will require payment of a fee, as will the live shows at various venues, and of course nibbles and drinks, but the street music comes free!

“So park your car and wander the town on foot; there is so much to see, and so much to do, for young and old alike. Come and treat yourself to a real taste of Darling where we promise There will be great prizes and of course some delicious cheese to be won in the you the warmest welcome and Ladismith Cheese carving competition, that takes place daily at Blossom’s Gazebo. a generous serving of Platteland The SA Cheese Festival takes place from Friday, 28 April to Sunday, 30 April 2017 hospitality.” at Sandringham, Stellenbosch. For more information visit For more information visit www.cheesefestival.co.za

www.tasteofdarling.co.za


SPORTS NEWS For the dedicated fans

April 2017

Tel: 021 852 6500

www.thenewspaper.co.za

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Sanlam Cape Town Marathon awarded IAAF Gold Label Status Sanlam Cape Town Marathon organisers announced it has been awarded IAAF Gold Label Status. “A first for Africa, and with less than 35 IAAF Gold Label status marathons internationally, this is a huge honour and achievement,” comments race director Janet Welham. To achieve gold, a host of requirements ranging from the event’s attractiveness (history and heritage of the race, city, country and continent); event marketing; athlete line-up (number of participants, elite field, prize money, equality and safety) together with technical issues including official times and results, route measurements, water stations, road closures, medical and doping requirements, amongst other, need to be complied with. A stringent process, requiring a new application each year, ‘going for gold’ has been one of the marathon’s key goals since its relaunch in 2014. To have achieved IAAF Gold Label Status adds a level of credibility that is unsurpassed, providing a perfect foundation for organisers to shatter even more records across the board this year. “I have always been inspired and motivated by achieving excellence,” says Elana Meyer, race ambassador. “Today, I feel privileged and honoured to be an ambassador of the IAAF Gold Label Sanlam Cape Town Marathon. It takes us a step closer to achieving our dream, and I will continue to embrace this event as a platform for change.” One such example being the Run4Change Legacy Program that aims to support and raise awareness for charities, health and wellness issues, environmental concerns, peace and development. It is open to anyone wanting to pledge their support irrespective of whether they are actively participating in the race, joining the festivities as a spectator or would simply like to make a positive difference. Organisers are also hoping to increase the number of entries to 25 000 participants across all race distances and disciplines on offer. The event will once again host a 10km Peace Run, 22km and 12km Peace Trail Runs and a Fun Run, in addition to the flagship 42.2km standard marathon. “The aim is to grow international support of the event from 8.5% to 10%, and attract more foreign runners from around the world after 67 countries were represented in the Mother City last year,” says Welham. Aside from ensuring a better experience for participants, there will again be plenty of focus on spectator engagement at the latest edition of the annual road running festival, with an expected increase in supporter activations along the route. For more information visit www.sanlamcapetownmarathon.com

FNB Cape Town 12 ONERUN set to take the Mother City by storm

The streets of Cape Town will be buzzing with excitement on Sunday, 21 May 2017 with eager runners and fun seekers toeing the line to partake in the action of the 3rd annual FNB Cape Town 12 ONERUN. A proudly Cape Town event, the FNB Cape Town 12 ONERUN celebrates everything that this beautiful city has to offer - the vibe, the city and the people. This fast paced, flat 12km run brings together runners from all walks of life, businesses entering teams as well as outrageous free spirited individuals that take the dress up option to the next level. Starting at Woodbridge Island in Milnerton, the route follows the coastline through the Harbour, past key city landmarks, including Cape Town Harbour, Grand Parade and the V&A waterfront, before finishes at the Portside building in the heart of Cape Town. When entering online, runners can choose to support either or both the FNB Cape Town ONERUN Charities: The Cape Of Good Hope SPCA and Die Burger Kersfonds. For more information visit www.thecapetown12.com

Photo Credit: Tobias Ginsberg

Winemaker’s Dinner with Johann Fourie Benguela Cove’s head winemaker | 1 June Experience an evening of fine wine, impeccable cuisine by Chef Jean Delport and insights from 2015 Diners Club Winemaker of the Year, Johann Fourie.

087 357 0637 | onmain@benguelacove.co.za | Benguela on Main, c/o Main Road and Coronation Avenue, Somerset West, 7130, Cape Town


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