Smartfill is proving that sustainability isn’t just good for the planet, it’s better for the bottom line too. By cutting packaging and logistics costs, Smartfill’s refill stations are making everyday essentials more affordable for township shoppers and more profitable for brands. Now, FMCG partners have a chance to join this mission to transform Thembisa into a global case study in cost-efficient, refill-based retail.

Following a major boost from the TRANSFORM partnership – a joint initiative between Unilever, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, and EY – Smartfill is rapidly scaling its township refill footprint focusing on Thembisa (Gauteng) and Mtendere (Lusaka, Zambia).

“We believe affordability is the bridge to sustainability,” says Nevo Hadas, CEO of Smartfill. “In emerging markets, your product’s price point determines its accessibility. By eliminating unnecessary packaging and breaking bulk safely, we’re giving brands a way to compete where it counts: in neighbourhoods where consumers shop daily and cash flow matters.”

Townships account for over 30% of South Africa’s basic retail market. Yet brands continue to miss out on this massive opportunity because of traditional price-packaging and distribution constraints. Smartfill’s flips this model by offering products in precise quantities by weight or by value through powerfully branded digitally enabled dispensers, helping brands engage price-sensitive consumers without compromising on margin. Brands get to place themselves in prominent positions in the stores driving trials and promoting larger purchases. Pilots have shown 2x volume increases for participating brands and hundreds of monthly sales.

Today packaging and logistics costs restrict consumer choice and push prices higher. By removing packaging, Smartfill not only lowers environmental impact but makes everyday essentials significantly more affordable.

“Affordability isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s how people manage their cash flow every day,” says Hadas. “Smartfill gives brands a way to serve these customers profitably while reducing waste. It’s a win-win for business and for the planet.”

Smartfill’s success isn’t just with large brands like Unilever. With snack brand, ‘Big Nuts’, the model also works: Big Nuts now supplies peanuts through Smartfill dispensers into spaza shops, growing their sales volume 500% in just 3 months. The price point and flexible serving sizes have been a runaway hit with the spaza consumers.

But Smartfill is more than just a smart dispenser. It’s a full-service platform that handles logistics, stock tracking, and customer engagement. Local ambassadors drive adoption and consumer education, helping brands gain traction fast in communities they might otherwise struggle to reach.

With existing infrastructure, TRANSFORM funding, and Smartfill awareness in Thembisa already in place, partners joining now can:

• Leverage existing infrastructure and brand affinity in Thembisa and Lusaka.

• Tap into early deployment insights and real sales data.

• Expand into underserved markets with minimal onboarding friction.

Products currently available through Smartfill include rice, maize meal, oats, peanuts, cooking oil, washing powder and dishwashing liquid.

Smartfill is actively onboarding brands ready to engage township consumers with this affordable format, offering an advantage through circular innovation. “If your product fits the township market – and you’re ready to rethink pricing, packaging, and distribution – let’s talk,” says Hadas.

Interested partners can find out more about Smartfill via www.smartfill.store or leave your details here (https://smartfill.store/bring-your-brand-to-the-township-refill-revolution/ ) and someone from our team will contact you.

Staying active during the colder months can be challenging if you don’t love running in the dark after work or getting up early in the freezing cold to go to gym. There’s a wide range of Android apps that help you to stick to your goals in the winter months. TCL recommends some of the best apps for indoor exercise, any time and any place.

5 Minute Yoga

5 Minute Yoga is ideal if you want to do quick daily yoga workouts. Each session is created from a selection of simple but effective yoga poses, making it ideal for beginners. Every pose features clear images and detailed instructions ensuring all poses are performed correctly.

Asana Rebel

Asana Rebel is a yoga and fitness app for anyone who wants to get fit, lose weight, and start a healthy lifestyle. This app can help you lose weight, burn calories, strengthen your core, and increase flexibility. It’s also great for balancing the body while focusing the mind, letting you leave the stress of the day behind.

The Body Coach

Transform your fitness with The Body Coach app by Joe Wicks, an all-in-one workout and fitness app packed with quick home workout sessions, HIIT workouts, Pilates and yoga for beginners. The app also features a personalised meal planner and daily progress tools to keep you motivated.

Centr

Train like the MCU’s Thor with an app backed by actor Chris Hemsworth. Centr’s Fitness app provides personalised training based on your personal goals, preferences, and skill level. Whether you prefer home or gym workouts, Centr offers training options for every skill level.

Fiit

Whether you want to lose weight, get strong, improve flexibility or simply de-stress, Fiit lets you take high quality workouts with leading personal trainers on your phone or tablet.

FitOn

Achieve personalised health and fitness goals with unlimited access to the best home workouts and exercise videos. From cardio to strength training to HIIT, yoga, Pilates, Barre, and much more. This app will get you sweating in a class that you love.

Home Workout

Home Workouts provides daily workout routines for all your main muscle groups. In just a few minutes a day, you can build muscles and keep fit at home without having to go to the gym. No equipment or coach needed because all exercises can be performed with just your body weight. The app has workouts for your abs, chest, legs, arms and butt as well as full body workouts.

Nike Training Club

Unlock 300+ workouts with Nike Training Club. Work out with expert tools and set a new, personal best with the support of NTC’s fitness diary, workout tracker, scheduling and more. Beyond training, this app covers mindfulness, nutrition, rest and connection for a holistic approach to mental wellness and physical health.

Pilates

Practicing Pilates has many benefits for health and weight loss. Similar to yoga, these Pilates exercises for Android can not only help weight loss, enhance muscle strength, and improve balance and flexibility, but can also enhance energy, promote relaxation, and even improve sleep quality.

Sweat

Sweat, a personal training app featuring co-founder and elite head trainer, Kayla Itsines, is made for women. The app offers a broad suite of challenging, yet achievable programs with workouts you can do anywhere, anytime to progressively build your fitness. New programmes give you more ways to push yourself and get you closer to reaching your goals.

Winter is often seen as a quiet time in the gardening calendar. In reality, though, it’s far from idle, so you can’t put your feet up altogether. Depending on your local climate, it can be a time for rest or continued growth. From frosty inland mornings to Cape drizzle and KZN’s mild subtropical coast, winter presents different challenges and opportunities for gardeners.

“This is the season that offers the ideal time to reset your garden, whether clearing, maintaining, or preparing,” says Timothy Isabirye, Marketing Manager for Husqvarna South Africa. “You’re not battling pests or heat, so while your garden catches its breath, winter is a great opportunity to get ahead.

Every region has its own rhythm. Whether you’re dealing with dry air, frost, damp soil or winter growth, knowing how to respond to your local conditions and which tasks to perform when will keep your garden healthy and resilient.

With this in mind, Isabirye offers some region-specific advice to help you tackle your garden’s winter needs:

Southwestern Cape: Root Down and Reset

With its Mediterranean climate and cool, rainy winters, growth may slow down, but weeds, moss and rot certainly don’t, taking full advantage of the damp. Focus on these key tasks:

• Clear and control: Wet leaves and debris create the perfect breeding ground for moss and rot. Use a Husqvarna leaf blower to keep paths, beds, and hardscapes clear and safe.
• Prune with purpose: Moisture-loving fungi thrive in tangled, unpruned plants. Grapevines, fruit trees and roses benefit from careful winter pruning using Husqvarna hand pruners or hedge trimmers to ensure clean, disease-resistant cuts.
• Revive your soil: Aerate compacted beds, mix in compost, and apply mulch to suppress weeds and nourish roots – made easier with a Husqvarna tiller.

Subtropical Regions: Trim, Tend, Thrive

Along the KZN coastal belt, Mpumalanga’s Lowveld, and parts of Limpopo, mild winters allow for growth and provide a window to focus on pruning, planting, and pest control.

• Trim and train: Winter mildness means hedges and shrubs are still growing. Continue to trim them and keep them shipshape with a Husqvarna battery-powered hedge trimmer for precise, effortless cutting.
• Moisture management: Mulch beds to retain moisture, suppress weeds, and keep roots warm, especially for winter crops or flowering shrubs.
• Spray winter crops: Use a Husqvarna Battery-Powered Sprayer for easy, efficient application on winter citrus and avocado crops to control pests during the fruiting season.

Inland – Gauteng and Beyond: The Frost Frontier

Frosty mornings and dry air mean lawns go dormant, but garden care doesn’t stop.

• Avoid walking on grass: Frozen blades become brittle and can easily break underfoot. Consider a Husqvarna Automower® robotic mower to quietly maintain and protect your turf from spring patchiness by minimising foot traffic.
• Pruning: Winter is the ideal time to prune trees and shrubs, removing any dead or diseased branches. This encourages strong, healthy growth when spring arrives. A Husqvarna chainsaw or hand pruners make the job quick and efficient.
• Protect sensitive plants: Use garden fleece or hessian to shield delicate plants from frost.

General Winter Garden Hacks

• Tool maintenance: Empty fuel from petrol-powered equipment, sharpen blades, and oil hinges before storage. No need to worry about fuel degradation or engine prep if you’re using Husqvarna battery equipment.
• Test your soil: Aim for a pH near 6.5. Testing and adjusting now ensures easier, more successful spring planting.
• Turn your compost: Layer dry leaves and food scraps to speed up decomposition and create rich compost by spring.
• Clean garden furniture: Winter is ideal for deep cleaning. Use a Husqvarna pressure washer to remove dirt and apply some oil to protect wood and wrought iron furniture.

 “The beauty of winter,” concludes Isabirye, “is that whatever your climate, it gives you time to nurture, prepare, and create the conditions for your garden to flourish. And come spring, it shows.”

To view our range of power tools, please visit your local Husqvarna dealer or go to    https://www.husqvarna.com/za

Starting ‘big school’ is a major milestone – and not just for your child. It’s also the start of a long-term financial commitment for parents. With the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) announcing that online admissions for Grades 1 and 8 will open from 24 July to 29 August, and some private schools already accepting enrolments for 2026, now’s the time to start preparing financially for your child’s schooling journey.

“With the right planning and the right school, you can give your child a strong educational foundation,” says Natasha Vellieux, Finance Manager at SPARK Schools. “Once you’ve decided where you want to enrol your child, the next step is to work out how you’re going to pay for it. It’s critical to plan ahead.”

Here are five practical steps to help you get financially ready for your child’s first year of school:

1. Start budgeting now:“It’s never too early to start planning,” says Stian de Witt, Executive Head of Financial Planning at advisory firm NMG Benefits. De Witt also encourages parents to involve their children in the budgeting conversation early on, using a colourful and memorable system: the three piggy banks. Assign each piggy bank a colour and purpose:

• Red Piggy Bank – Save: This is where kids learn the value of saving for emergencies or special items.
• Green Piggy Bank – Spend: Everyday spending money, allowing kids to make small financial decisions.
• Orange Piggy Bank – Give: Money set aside to help others—whether it’s for a charity, someone in need, or their place of worship.

“This system helps children understand the basics of financial discipline, generosity, and delayed gratification – skills that are invaluable in the long term,” says De Witt.

2. Create a school-specific savings plan:De Witt advises parents to include fees, uniforms, aftercare, transport, and stationery in their monthly budgets. “Putting even a small amount of money into a high-interest savings account each month will help when payments are due.”

3. Look for transparency, flexibility, and partnership:Knowing what to expect financially can help you avoid surprises later on, so look for a school that’s open and upfront about its fee structures. Some schools offer monthly payment plans or discounts for paying in full at the start of the year. Another important consideration is a school’s willingness to ‘walk the journey’ with parents and scholars alike.

4. Shop smart for uniforms and supplies:School expenses go way beyond fees. Save by checking second-hand stores and exchanges, and online marketplaces for discounted supplies and ‘gently worn’ uniforms.

5. Prioritise quality, not just price:“A low-fee school may seem cheaper upfront, but you can’t put a price on the quality of the education your children receive,” says Vellieux. “It’s long been perceived that private schools are the only way to go but they can be expensive. Some private school networks now offer this same high-quality education at a more accessible price.”

“In addition, the 21^st century requires scholars to possess a mindset and skills for lifelong learning, empowering them to succeed in all aspects of their lives,” says Vellieux.

Look for a school that offers:

• Data-driven instruction that tracks each scholar’s progress so that teachers can provide personalised and targeted support.
• Young, energetic teachers whose professional development is taken seriously and who are constantly upskilling themselves in education innovations.
• A globally competitive curriculum. Curriculum Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) is the basis for most South African schools, but some also incorporate international benchmarks, offering data-driven instruction, evidence-based practices and personalised learning, and a focus on real-world workplace and emotional skills.

Getting your child ready for Grade 1 is about more than enrolling at the closest school, or finding the right uniform. It’s about setting up healthy financial habits to help you consistently pay school fees for the next 12 years. By budgeting early and choosing a school that aligns with your financial situation and educational goals, you’re setting your child – and your wallet – up for long-term success,” says Vellieux.