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Samsung’s popular Buy & Get Summer’s on Us promotion has made a comeback

By
LnT Desk
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JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – 15 November 2022 – Samsung’s popular Buy & Get Summer’s on Us promotion has made a comeback, just in time to reward Samsung customers with incredible vouchers this Summer. This promotion that has been running for eight (8) consecutive years now, is Samsung’s way of thanking customers for their loyalty and support throughout this year.

This 2022 Summer’s on Us Promotion with thank you rewards is offering consumers who purchase any of the participating products the opportunity to select a reward up-to the value of R10 000*. The promotion will run from 21 October 2022 until 09 January 2023 and participating products will be available while stocks last. These rewards have been carefully selected to allow families and friends to gather and enjoy them together.

Consumers can choose rewards from the following brands: Protea Hotels, Uber Eats, FlySafair and Dischem. This incredible promotion will also include the latest Samsung appliances such as selected Fridges, Washing Machines, Dryers, Dishwashers and the AirDresser.

These customer rewards which include holidays, flights, food and entertainment come in different tiers:

  • Gold Tier – R10 000 FlySafair, Africa Pride Bonus Break, Uber/Uber Eats and Dischem.
  • Silver Tier – R6 000 FlySafair, Protea Fire & Ice! Bonus Break, Uber/Uber Eats and Dischem.
  • Blue Tier –  R3 000 FlySafair, Protea Hotel Bonus Break, Uber/Uber Eats and Dischem.

“Eight years of running this promotion is a confirmation of our commitment to offering a range of innovative products that make life easier for our customers combined with the added benefit of reward vouchers. As Samsung, we continually strive to offer the best products and rewards that show our customers just how much we appreciate them.

“We have carefully selected products that customers want to buy, and we are making sure that all those that participate in this promotion will have an extra special festive season with their families,” says Mike van Lier, director of consumer electronics at Samsung South Africa

There are three simple steps for redemption of voucher: Buy, Scan and Claim by submitting the required information to the dedicated WhatsApp number. Below is the full and detailed Registration and Redemption Process:

  1. BUY: Purchase your participating model.
  2. SCAN: Use your phone to scan the QR code or save the dedicated WhatsApp number (+27 87 240 7081) as a contact on your mobile phone and send an initial message of ‘hi’. Follow the prompted WhatsApp messages to complete the registration process. Information required includes product model code, product serial number, name and surname, ID number/ passport number, clear copy of ID, email address, purchase date, store name, clear image of proof of purchase and a clear image of the serial number on product (not on the box).
  3. CLAIM: Once your entry is verified, you will receive your reward registration pin code via SMS, call our concierge service to choose your reward (the concierge service telephone number will be in the SMS received).

For more, please see the full process as well as terms and conditions (Ts&Cs) on www.samsung.com/za/offer. The Buy & Get promotional products and offers will be available at participating dealers nationwide. The full list of participating retailers is available here.

Samsung proudly supports Busan’s bid for the World Expo 2030

Anglo American source 100% renewable electricity supply for Australia operations

By
LnT Desk
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Anglo American has sourced the supply of 100% renewable electricity for its operations in Australia from 2025, agreeing terms for a 10-year partnership with Stanwell Corporation, the Queensland Government-owned provider of electricity and energy solutions. The deal will effectively remove all Scope 2 emissions from Anglo American’s steelmaking coal business in Australia from 2025, supporting Anglo American’s progress towards carbon neutral operations by 2040.

Dan van der Westhuizen, CEO of Anglo American in Australia, said: “Sourcing 100% renewables supply from Stanwell Corporation, linked to two major wind and solar projects in Queensland, is a big step towards our target of carbon neutral operations in Australia – and globally – by 2040. We are committed to playing our part to help combat climate change, including accelerating a number of technologies to abate our on-site emissions, from electrifying our truck fleet and other mobile equipment to capturing the methane from our steelmaking coal seams.

“I am delighted that we are able to support Stanwell Corporation in its investment in 650MW of renewables capacity for Queensland. Today’s deal brings significant environmental benefits and is NPV positive compared with our current energy mix, while underwriting a large investment in renewable energy generation for Queensland.”

Anik Michaud, Anglo American’s Group Director of Corporate Relations and Sustainable Impact, said: “We are working tirelessly across our global footprint to reduce emissions. Many of the metals and minerals we produce are critical to the infrastructure and technologies required to decarbonise the world’s energy and transport systems – and this includes the ingredients needed for steelmaking. Our commitment to being part of the solution to climate change begins in our own business by meeting our emissions reduction targets and our 2040 operational carbon neutrality goal.

“Combined with the agreements we already have in place for all our South America operations, from 2025 we expect to be drawing 60% of our global electricity requirements from renewable sources, transforming our Scope 2 emissions profile. We are committed to producing the metals and minerals that we need to mitigate the extent of global warming in the most responsible and sustainable way.”

The partnership between Anglo American and Stanwell underwrites investment in the two major Queensland renewable energy projects – Clarke Creek Wind Farm in Central Queensland, and Blue Grass Solar Farm near Chinchilla.

The Top 100 Most Valuable Brands in 2022

By
Carmen Ang Article/Editing: Nick Routley Graphics/Design: Pernia Jamshed
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Given the elusive nature of brands, determining a brand’s financial value is a difficult task.

Despite a brand’s intangibility, it’s hard to deny just how effective a strong one can be at boosting a company’s bottom line.

With this in mind, Brand Finance takes on the challenge of identifying the world’s most valuable brands in the world in its annual Global 500 Report. The graphic above, using data from the latest edition of the report, highlights the top 100 most valuable brands in 2022.

Editor’s note: This ranking measures the value of brands, which can be thought of as marketing-related intangible assets that create a brand identity and reputation in the minds of consumers. It attempts to measure this in financial terms, calculating what the brand is worth to the company that owns it. For more information on methodology, calculations, and sourcing, go to the bottom of this article.

A Full Breakdown of the Most Valuable Brands

With an increase of 35% since last year’s report, Apple retains its top spot on the ranking as the world’s most valuable brand, with a total brand value of $335.1 billion.

This is the highest brand value ever recorded in the history of the Global 500 report, which has been published each year since 2007.

As one of the world’s largest tech companies, Apple dominates the smartphone market, especially in the U.S., where more than 50% of operating smartphones are now an iPhone.

Here’s a complete list of the 100 most valuable brands according to the report:

 

After Apple, coming in a close second is Amazon with a brand value of $350.3 billion. This is not surprising, considering the tech giant has often found itself neck-and-neck with Apple in the rankings, and has even come in first place in previous editions of the report.

One other brand worth highlighting is TikTok. The social media company saw a 215% increase in its brand value year-over-year, making it the fastest-growing brand on the entire list.

Between 2019 and 2021, the platform saw its userbase skyrocket, growing from 291.4 million to 655.9 million in just two years. If this growth continues, TikTok could reach nearly one billion users by 2025, according to projections from Insider Intelligence.

Most Valuable Sectors

Over a third of the brands on the list fall into the tech and services sector. Combined, this category has a brand value of $2.0 trillion.

Sector Brand Value % of Top 100
Tech & Services $2.0 trillion 36.8%
Media & Telecoms $1.0 trillion 19.2%
Retail & Consumer Goods $910 billion 16.8%
Banking & Insurance $634 billion 11.7%
Energy & Utilities $411 billion 7.6%
Automobiles $400 billion 7.4%
Healthcare $33 billion 0.6%

Media is the second most valuable sector—19% of the top 100 brands fall under the media and telecoms sector, including Google, Facebook, and WeChat.

COVID-19 is partly the reason for this, as media consumption increased throughout the global pandemic. For example, in the first nine months of 2021, Snapchat’s daily usage grew by 77%. Despite increased traction with users, it’s worth noting the company is now feeling the sting as the real world competes for attention spans once again and advertisers begin to ghost the app due to recession jitters.

As pandemic restrictions fade out around the world, and murmurs of a global recession threaten global economic growth, next year’s report could see some big shifts in brand value.

The Geography of Valuable Brands

When looking at where these brands are based, we see that the United States and China account for 73 of the top 100 brands on the ranking. Even more surprising—just six countries make up 94% of the list.

The growth of Chinese companies on the global stage is reflected in this visualization. As a point of comparison, a decade ago, only six Chinese companies made Brand Finance’s Top 100 ranking, and none of them were in the top 30 for brand value.

most valuable brands by country

Interestingly, European countries only make up 14% of the list, which is a testament to just how much Europe’s economic dominance has dwindled over the last few decades.

Back in the 1960s, Europe accounted for nearly a third of the world’s total GDP. But by 2017, it had dropped down to 16%. According to a forecast by the Pardee Center of the University of Denver, the EU’s share of global GDP is expected to drop down to 10% by 2100.

Of course, if history has taught us anything, it’s that a lot can change over the span of a century. How a ranking like this will look in coming decades is anyone’s guess.

Where does this data come from?

Source: Brand Finance Global 500 Report

Important note: The values shown above are brand value calculations as opposed to market capitalization. See below for more details.

How is brand value calculated? In simple terms, the methodology for calculating “brand value” is a formula that is as follows:

Brand Strength (BSI) x Brand Royalty Rate x Brand Revenues = Brand Value

Brand Strength Index (BSI) looks at brand investment, brand equity, and brand performance. The brand royalty rate is determined based on sector. Lastly, forecast brand-specific revenues are determined based on the proportion of parent company revenues attributable to the brand in question. Brand value itself is discounted to net present value.

We recommend visiting page 94 and 99 of the report to view the full explanation of the methodology.

Source:Ranked: (visualcapitalist.com)

Huawei reveals the top 30 regional shortlisted apps

By
LnT Desk
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Johannesburg – 14 November 2022: Huawei, one of the world’s largest technology providers, has announced Apps UP’s top 30 shortlisted apps for the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. Under the theme “Together We Innovate”, Huawei’s Global App Innovation Contest invited all developers from the Middle East and Africa to bring their most creative ideas to life and build cutting-edge apps by integrating HMS Core. The success of Apps UP 2022 is verified by the numbers: the total registrations reached 5,000 apps and a total of 2,500 apps were successfully submitted, demonstrating the widespread interest among developers globally.

With a total prize pool of US$230,000 awaiting the best apps of this year, Apps UP 2022 enters its next phase. The region’s top 30 apps are here and the list includes the following: A Gum’s Life, Advanced English Dictionary, Alsaree3, Anti-Terrorist Shooting Game, Arabic Voice Keyboard, Calorie Diet, CardioCam, Cava.tn : Vente/Achat en Tunisie, CodeFellow, CVBox, DigCV, Driver Companion, Dubai Police, emPay, FilGoal – في الجول, Find, Fit Gym, Foodicious, Golootlo, لثغة: علاج اللثغات و مشاكل النطق, Messiah, Mowash, Panda بنده, Pregnancy App : MAA, QMobile, Real Prado Parking Free Games: Offline Driving Car Games 2021, Safe Community, Taleemabad School App, Survival Quest, نَحنُ وهٌم. The apps were shortlisted based on their innovation, social impact, business value, and overall user experience.

Anyone can now vote for their favorite apps from 8th November to 20th November (GMT+8) through Apps UP’s 2022 dedicated website. Each email ID is eligible to vote up to ten times per day with a maximum of three votes per app. The public vote will account for 10% of the final rating, the app’s open capabilities and application scenarios will account for another 40%, and the judges’ votes will account for the remaining 50%. The Apps UP 2022 judging panel is composed of renowned and experienced professionals across the gaming, technology, and financial sectors, bringing a wealth of knowledge to the contest.

Lu Geng, Vice President of the Middle East and Africa, Huawei Global Partnerships & Eco-Development, Huawei Consumer Business Group, said, “The overwhelming response to this year’s Apps UP Global Innovation Contest justifies Huawei’s determination to continue investing in innovative creators and supporting local talent. We are so proud to have the MEA region rank No. 1 globally in number of registrations outside of China. Our confidence in the ability of the regional developer community to resolve pressing social issues and build globally applicable solutions has been reinforced by the high quality of the submitted apps. Groundbreaking ideas combined with the robust and ever-evolving capabilities of the HMS Core set the stage for a smarter and brighter future for people all around the world.”

Huawei’s Apps UP Innovation Contest is a global event that brings together developers from all over the world to build an app ecosystem that intelligently links everything. It aims to inspire developers to innovate, connect people, devices, and scenarios together, and build consistent app experiences while exploring seamless AI integration.

At the same time, Apps UP provides developers with unrivaled opportunities. Participants get exclusive workshops and hands-on coaching from Huawei’s top experts, enabling them to bring their product to market faster, and with more technical support. In addition to the attractive cash rewards of US$230,000 for the MEA region, developers have the chance to achieve global recognition and get the attention of people who matter, such as the 730 million Huawei device users and potential partners or investors.

The 2022 edition of the Apps UP Innovation Contest spanned over 100 days and covered the regions of Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Middle East & Africa, and China. 5,000 teams submitted their apps worldwide, while Huawei secured more than US$1,000,000 in total cash prizes for the winners of the five regions combined. Individual award amounts in the MEA region vary from US$5,000 to US$15,000, and participants compete in the following categories: Best HMS Innovation Award, Best App, Best Game, Best Social Impact App, All-Scenario Coverage Award, Best Arabic App, Tech Women’s Award, and Student Innovation Award.

The winners of the Apps UP 2022 Innovation Contest will be unveiled in the month of December.

Checkers rolls out trolleys made from recycled milk bottles

By
LnT Desk
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Checkers is rolling out new shopping trolley baskets made from 100% recycled plastic – mostly old milk bottles – thereby diverting more than 40 tons of recyclable material from landfill.

The retailer’s trolleys have contained at least 35% recycled content since 2018. Now it is the first major South African retailer to have trolley baskets made from 100% recyclable material.

The new trolley baskets come in classic and mini sizes, each made from 180 and 110 old milk bottles respectively.

“We’ve set ambitious targets to reduce our environmental impact and will continue to step up our efforts to reach these as part of our wider sustainability strategy. This change is just one of several initiatives we have introduced across our operations,” says Sanjeev Raghubir, Group Sustainability Manager.

This move is part of Checkers’ ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability and promoting a circular economy.

Checkers has introduced several other environmental initiatives:

Empowering farmers to farm smarter in Africa

By
Shameel Joosub is CEO of Vodacom
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Shameel Joosub, CEO, Vodacom

COP27 may take place this year against a different news background this year given the conflict in the Ukraine and the fuel crisis in Europe, but the agenda has not changed. With global temperatures rising to record-breaking levels, the need for meaningful progress at this year’s UN climate conference has never been greater.

Across Africa, the accelerating climate emergency is jeopardising food security, driving more people into hunger and starvation. As the Horn of Africa continues to battle a four-year long drought, one person dies of hunger every 36 seconds. Although the African continent contributes the least to climate change, it will be disproportionately affected by the effects. By 2021, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported that around 346.4 million Africans suffered from severe food insecurity, while an additional 452 million endured moderate food insecurity. Yet, by 2050, the population of Africa is expected to double in size. At this point, the continent is likely to be unable to sustain food production for its own people, let alone export for profit.

A recent survey, conducted by Savanta Comres and commissioned by Vodafone, estimates that 94% of farmers in Africa surveyed across Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Egypt said that recent droughts had impacted the viability of their farm. In Egypt and Kenya, this figure rose to almost 100%.

Despite these challenges, the survey found that pockets of farmers in Africa were optimistic about the future. To a large extent, this optimism is rooted in the potential offered by digital farming technology. From reducing the use of fertiliser to increasing profit margins, technology can play a central role in boosting the resilience, productivity, and sustainability of our food systems.

Many of these farmers said that digital technology could help farming succeed in the future and they intended to invest more. The research also found that some of these farmers are already employing digital tools to help reduce their water usage and to improve soil health among other uses.

This kind of technology adoption is key to both economic development and the mitigation of climate change for farmers in Africa. Connected Farmer (developed by Mezzanine, a tech start-up, with the support and scale offered by Vodacom) serves as a prime example of this. The digital platform allows small-holder farmers to engage with a broader customer base, seek advice, access important information and even secure credit.

Meanwhile in South Africa, Vodacom’s Women Farmers Programme is making agriculture more accessible and profitable for women by teaching them how to use apps to connect to potential customers and unlock enormous economic opportunity.

In Kenya, DigiFarm leverages mobile and digital technology to offer farmers one-stop access to a suite of products, including financial and credit services, quality farm products and customised information on farming best practices, all from the most basic phone. Vodacom Tanzania’s M-Kulima platform provides a digital marketplace where farmers can list their produce; enabling them to connect directly with buyers without any need for an intermediary. And in Egypt, the venue for this year’s iteration of COP27, Vodafone is empowering local communities through agricultural guidance services via mobile.

However, despite the clear benefits of technology in Africa’s farming sector – and farmers’ enthusiasm for it – they face significant barriers. The cost and availability of devices, poor mobile coverage or fixed connectivity, and the lack of digital skills impede adoption. Farmers in Africa want help and support from the government. However, it’s not just about money. Farmers in Africa are also calling for training on how to use digital solutions, better mobile connectivity and better fixed Internet connectivity.

We all have a responsibility to ensure that farmers in Africa are supported to adopt digital technology. How can we go about it?

We need to ensure access to digital devices and smartphones to drive innovative, resilient, and climate-proof farming in Africa. In 2022, over 2.3 million of Vodacom’s low-cost smart feature phones were sold – testament to the demand and need for more affordable handsets. With this in mind, policymakers should consider reducing or removing import duties and taxes to accelerate smartphone adoption in Africa which would support economic inclusion of many including farming communities.

At the same time, policy and regulatory reforms must incentivise investment in critical digital infrastructure to ensure that farmers receive the connectivity they so desperately need. Governments should also prioritise reliable network coverage and ubiquitous digital infrastructure to allow for efficient data transmission.

Finally, we must transform restrictive regulatory policies and practices around digital, cloud and data services. These hamper the growth of Africa’s digital economy. By creating an enabling regulatory environment that supports the secure flow of data between countries through innovations like cloud computing, farmers will have the opportunity to access the critical agricultural insights they need to farm more effectively.

The war in the Ukraine and disruption caused by COVID-19 have exacerbated an already dire food security picture. But the underlying and long-term threat remains climate change. It is critical that we get technology in the hands of farmers in Africa to ensure they are well placed to face this existential thread. A coherent policy platform implemented by governments and industry can help farmers adopt this and create an innovative, climate-proof farming sector in Africa. If we do that, we can help ensure long term food security across the African continent.

Checkers Sixty60’s bumper early Black Friday deals include 40% off air fryers

By
Partner Content
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The early Black Friday deals will be available exclusively on the Sixty60 app, and only for Xtra Savings members. Customers can easily link their Xtra Savings rewards card to their Sixty60 profile. Singing up for Xtra Savings is also super easy and paperless, which customers can do online in minutes.  

Some of the early Black Friday deals* on Sixty60 include:  

  • Platinum digital air fryer 4.3L for R849.99 (save R650);
  • 2 x 56 per pack Finish regular dishwashing tablets for R220 (56% saving);
  • 500g Bonnita Salted Butter for R49 (save R30);
  • Any 750ml Krone Borealis Brut/Brut Rose/Night Nectar Demi-Sec/Rose for R144.99 (save R35);
  • 66kg HTH Floater+ for R99 (save R70).

*These deals are only available on the Checkers Sixty60 app. 

Details regarding in-store deals will be revealed on Shoprite and Checkers’ social media channels in due course. 

Customers can look forward to some incredible in-store Black Friday deals at Shoprite, Checkers, Checkers Hyper, Checkers Foods and LiquorShop stores nationwide with up to 50% off on everyday essentials, groceries and more.  

It is guaranteed to be the Shoprite Group’s biggest Black Friday ever, with plenty of stock, extended shopping hours and additional employees on hand to ensure a rewarding shopping experience for customers. 

 

Pilates: research shows how this low-impact workout can benefit your health

By
Lindsay Bottoms -Reader in Exercise and Health Physiology, University of Hertfordshire
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Pilates can be performed using minimal equipment – even just a yoga mat will do. Krakenimages.com/ Shutterstock

The ConversationPilates has seen a jump in popularity recently thanks to a spate of celebrity endorsements, including the Kardashians, model Hailey Bieber and actress Kate Hudson. Even elite athletes such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Andy Murray incorporate some form of pilates into their training to improve performance.

Pilates is said to be good for your balance, posture, strength and flexibility, as well as improving your core strength. And the best part about it is that anyone can do it, not just celebrities and athletes. But does research show that it’s as good for your health as many people claim?

There are two main types of pilates. The simplest is mat pilates – which you only need a yoga mat to do, and can be done both at home or in a class. The other type of pilates (which is becoming increasingly popular) is reformer pilates. This uses a specialised apparatus (called a reformer) – a bed-like frame with a flat platform on it.

The platform moves forward and backwards on wheels within the frame. The platform is attached to one end of the frame by springs and these produce tension. Most reformer pilates involves pushing or pulling the platform, or holding it steady as it’s pulled on by the strings. This movement engages several muscles – particularly the core.

What the evidence says

Pilates is a form of muscle strengthening exercise, which is well-known to be important for maintaining good health. Strength training is important as it helps us prevent the slow muscle deterioration that occurs as we get older. It also increases muscle mass, which can in turn increase metabolism – which is important for maintaining a healthy weight.

There’s some evidence that doing eight weeks of pilates for one hour a day, four times a week can increase metabolism and reduce obesity in obese women. In older adults, a review of research showed pilates training improved balance and helped prevent falls.

Another study even showed that inactive women who began performing only one hour of pilates a week for ten weeks had improved muscle mass, flexibility, balance and core strength. Research also shows that pilates may even be used to treat low back pain and improve balance in adults with multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s’s disease.

The evidence shows us that pilates can certainly lead to several health benefits. While more intense types of strength training – such as weight lifting – are likely to confer even greater benefits, pilates can still be a great way for people to control their weight and build strength. The best part about it is that this workout can be done by almost anyone anywhere, and doesn’t require a lot of equipment or a gym membership.

Two women and one man perform a pilates move using a pilates reformer. They are lunging forward with one leg and holding their arms out.The pilates reformer may help add more resistance to your movements. Photology1971/ Shutterstock

Reformer v mat pilates

Among people who do pilates, there’s a lot of discussion about which type is superior: mat or reformer pilates.

There’s actually little research out there comparing the two types. One study looking at the treatment of low back pain found that both reformer pilates and mat pilates worked equally well to improve back pain in people who did the workout for six weeks.

Both types also equally improved people’s ability to undertake daily activities, such as getting out of bed or doing the dishes. But when participants were followed up four and a half months later, the reformer pilates group continued to experience improvements in their daily life compared to the mat pilates group.

Another study from Brazil also showed both reformer pilates and mat pilates used the same number of muscles and activated them to the same extent – suggesting there’s no difference between the two methods, and that both are equally effective. But this conflicts with the findings of another study, which showed reformer pilates caused people to burn more calories (2.6 calories per minute) than mat Pilates (1.9 calories per minute).

The reason for the slight differences between these two types of pilates comes down to how they’re performed. While mat pilates uses your body weight as resistance during the movements, reformer pilates uses the unstable platform and springs to create resistance. This might create greater resistance and activate more muscles. Though this wasn’t supported by the Brazilian study, they only looked at one movement, so more research is needed.

Although research can’t quite agree on whether mat pilates or reformer pilates is better for you, that doesn’t mean that reformer pilates isn’t still great for your health. For example, one study showed that people who did reformer pilates for nine weeks had improved cholesterol levels and lower insulin resistance, suggesting that it can help maintain weight and lower the risk of certain diseases, such as type 2 diabetes.

As you can see, pilates is becoming popular for good reason as it provides many health benefits. People of all ages and abilities can do it, including pregnant women. How you decide to do it is entirely up to you, but if you have health difficulties or are pregnant, you may want to consult your doctor first.

Source:Pilates: research shows how this low-impact workout can benefit your health (theconversation.com)

New Look upgrade for Kwafubesi Safari Camp

By
LnT Desk
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Kwafubesi

The Greater Mabula Game Reserve’s smallest and most intimate tented camp reopened the 1st week of November2022 with a fresh and contemporary new look that enhances its special private location within this reserve in the Waterberg.

Sporting five refashioned luxuriously appointed tents, each on a raised platform with their own private decks and incredible views of the surrounding savannah, Kwafubesi Tented Safari Camp is delightfully small and profoundly intimate. Ideal for couples and small groups, it allows for a fully immersive experience in the captivating African bush, just two hours’ drive from Johannesburg.

A new waterhole, strategically placed between the expansive plains and comfortably furnished dining and lounge areas of the lodge, promises blockbuster views of wildlife and birdlife when guests are not exploring the reserve early morning and evening with their dedicated field guide.

Guests can settle into a lazy afternoon with a gin and tonic keeping a keen eye out for the wildlife grazing or cool down in the refreshing pool watching the resident African grey hornbills hop around the camp – this is their home too.

Natural fabrics and shades of earthy cream, white and olive-green create a tranquil backdrop for the lodge that blends beautifully with the tones of the bush beyond, with extra care taken to provide the perfect environment within which guests can enjoy their own personal bushveld escape, courtesy of the small, but dedicated team at Kwafubesi.

Says Mabula and Kwafubesi Resident Manager Kim Allen: “Kwafubesi has always been our smallest and most serene retreat within the Greater Mabula Game Reserve. In addition to giving her a fresh new look, we have upgraded the entire experience – guests can expect all the hallmarks of Kwafubesi they’ve come to love, but with some great new additions.”

Signature South African cuisine served in a beautifully refreshed space with stunning views of the reserve, a fully stocked bar, and personal and attentive service are just some of the guest favourites that Kwafubesi offers.

The new safari tents are well spaced out, large and comfortable, with queen-size beds and fully appointed bathroom and outdoor showers, along with comfortable seating on private timber decks, so that guests can enjoy their surroundings in complete comfort and privacy.

“There’s an informality and gentleness about Kwafubesi that is difficult to capture. With this upgrade, we have retained what has always made her special, but have also made a concerted effort to add features that will enhance the luxurious feel and tranquil experience and make her an even more exclusive and intimate bush retreat than before,” Allen concludes.

Kwafubesi Tented Safari Camp is a member of extraordinary, a collection of lodges and hotels in Southern Africa. For more information about extraordinary, please contact [email protected]

How to protect your personal data against fraud

By
Andrew Bourne
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Andrew Bourne, regional manager of Zoho Africa

According to the Kepios Digital 2022: South Africa report, 41.19 million of South Africa’s population are active internet users and as such are at risk of at some point encountering online financial fraud.

While banks and fintech platforms spend billions of rands each year to prevent fraud, it is still important for consumers to be aware of the range of tools used by scammers in order to protect themselves.

Due diligence is important

According to Tony Mallam, Managing Director at upnup, investing in cryptocurrency is relatively new to the everyday person, and scammers often try to take advantage of people’s lack of knowledge to make them buy into a crypto scam.

Scammers usually trick people who don’t know what they’re doing by giving them a false sense of legitimacy. They do this by making fake websites, crypto trading platforms that look like real ones, or investment schemes that claim to have endorsements from celebrities or people with a lot of power in the finance industry.

Other common crypto scams include rug pull scams, where investors cannot withdraw funds after buying in, romance scams through relationships that are built online, phishing scams that aim to trick people into providing their personal or legitimate cryptocurrency wallet information, or giveaway scams.

As with any other investment, potential investors should perform their due diligence and conduct research into the site, platform and company they’re looking to invest in and make sure that they have legitimate backers and are sold by reputable firms before buying in.

It is also less risky to invest in very well-known cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and avoid lesser known coins, especially if they are experiencing a sudden upsurge.  Using trusted, and well established, investment platforms such as upnup, which aims to simplify the process of investing in Bitcoin, will help to reduce the risk of falling into the clutches of the rising number of crypto scams around the world.

Education is vital

African business owners should not hold back on making their businesses digital because of fear of digital, according to online booking platform and travel data repository Jurni.

Head of Marketing and Communication, Tshepo Matlou says that travel businesses are embracing technology in their marketing efforts but their underlying fear of tech, mostly among travel operators in localised areas and townships, is from a data safety perspective. This includes the fear of fraud and having their data in the cloud, which they do not have control of.

Matlou says educating customers on the subject is vital. “Our clients are small businesses and we’ve been demystifying this old notion by creating workshops nationally and educating small businesses owners regarding the safety aspect of using a tech-based platform. We also provide the client with a signed agreement that speaks to maintaining the safety and integrity of their data when they are onboard.”

Lead from the front

According to Andrew Bourne, regional manager of Zoho Africa, businesses may unintentionally provide third-party services access to not only their own data but also that of their staff and even consumers. Employees may fill out forms or click links that share information with third parties, especially if they work remotely.

There are ways to avoid sharing private information with cybercriminals, says Bourne. It is essential that businesses constantly communicate their data collection and monitoring processes. They should also do privacy audits for third-party solutions, particularly given how much video conferencing and other forms of remote collaboration are used. In light of this, Bourne says potentially invasive monitoring tools to measure output or background activity should be used judiciously. “Rather look at productivity and output as a form of qualitative monitoring.”

It’s also important to lead from the front by making it company policy to block third-party trackers and only use software service providers with a similar approach. “This will go a long way to protecting your business and developing employee loyalty as they know that their personal information is also protected.”

Collect the right data, then keep it safe 

“Navigating an increasingly complex technology and regulatory landscape where customer data is concerned  is a key challenge for business in general and for marketers in particular,” says Zuko Mdwaba, Area Vice President and Country Leader, Salesforce South Africa. He points to Salesforce’s latest State of Marketing report that shows although 71% of South African marketers still invest in third-party data, 73% say they have a fully defined strategy to shift away from this approach.

“This is positive news but more can and must be done to protect customer data at all costs.

Even where regulatory frameworks are already in place to ensure customer data is handled with integrity and in a transparent manner, the collector of the data should always differentiate between collecting data that can be applied to enhance the customer experience, and merely collecting data for the sake of it.”

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