GENERAL
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THE NEWSPAPER
South African Roelof Botha to head US venture capital giant which backed Apple
South African Roelof Botha has been named the head of the storied US venture firm Sequoia Capital. Sequoia has backed many of the world’s leading companies, ranging from Apple to Airbnb to Zoom. Botha is the grandson of the late politician Pik Botha. Born in Pretoria, he was raised in Hout Bay and attended Hoërskool Jan van Riebeeck in Cape Town. In 1996, he graduated from the University of Cape Town with an actuarial science degree. He worked at US consulting firm McKinsey & Co in Johannesburg in the late 90s, before moving to the US to do an MBA at Stanford. Botha later became chief financial officer of PayPal, and worked there alongside fellow South African Elon Musk. Botha’s “keen instinct for innovation has made its mark on our partnership and on our industry,” Sequoia’s current chief Doug Leone wrote in a Twitter message. He also said that Botha will “set the overall tone and oversee the global centralised functions” of the firm, including its finance and culture, and that Botha will continue to lead Sequoia’s US and Europe business as managing partner. Sequoia has backed many of the world’s leading companies, ranging from Apple to Airbnb to Zoom. Founded by one-time semiconductor executive Don Valentine, it is one of the few venture firms to consistently out-perform the broader stock market decade after decade.
Workcation and luxury trends will lead tourism recovery The much-anticipated WTM Africa event in South Africa’s Mother City, Cape Town has officially come to an end, and it has been absolutely electric. How wonderful it was to see old friends face-to-face once again, celebrating the resilience of our industry and looking forward to the revival that’s clearly on the horizon. Cape Town’s CTICC was buzzing with travel professionals looking to unlock the ideas set to shape the world’s dreams and plans for the future of travel. Here’s a recap of the show highlights: The long-stay business traveller and the luxury traveller will lead the recovery for tourism to Africa in 2022. This is according to a travel review presented by ForwardKeys at WTM Africa. Luis Millan, Head of Research at ForwardKeys, explained that long-stay travellers have shown the most resilience over the past months. Next in line has been the luxury, high-end market, with travellers willing to spend more on premium services to Africa. Millan said that whereas global markets have relied heavily on inter-regional travel, the situation for Africa is very different. He explained that African tourism is driven mainly by long-haul travel, with the top three source markets currently leading the recovery for Africa being France, the US and the UK. Interestingly, African tourism performed above the global benchmark in 2021. In 2021, arrivals to Africa were down 64% compared to 2019 as opposed to 74% internationally. Global recovery picked up pace in 2022, and arrivals for Africa are currently only 33% down compared to 2019.
South African National Figure Skating Championships to take place at GrandWest
Visitors are welcome to come and watch the South African National Figure Skating competition taking place on Monday, 9 May and Tuesday, 10 May at the Ice Station at GrandWest. All eligible skaters were invited to take part in the South African National Figure Skating Championships 2022 by the Western Province Figure Skating Association and the South African Figure Skating Association (SAFSA). Figure Skating in the Western Province: “As the largest skating community in the country, we are fortunate to be able to offer Free Skating (solo), Pairs Skating, Ice-Dance and Synchronised Skating as well as a robust “Learn to Skate” program. Full-time coaches as well as dedicated ice time help our skaters achieve high levels of competitiveness, with many of our skaters representing Western Province at a National level, and some of these representing South Africa on the international circuit.” Figure skating is a complex sport, both technically (on the ice) and understanding how a skater progresses through the ranks. SAFSA (WP) has recently introduced an induction program for new members, giving skaters and parents vital information and points of reference to help smooth this process. Spectators can look forward to seeing incredibly talented skaters competing across a number of categories such as singles, pairs and synchronised skating teams. Tickets are R90 per person and payable at the door. Tickets are R50 each for pensioners and children under 10 years of age. For more information visit www.wpfigureskating.co.za
Photo Credit: Weston M/Unsplash.com