The Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG)’s Black Friday specials have landed, with South Africans able to save up to 50% on their 2023 travel to top-selling destinations.

“This is the first Black Friday we have had to look forward to in a couple of years,” said Sue Garrett, General Manager Supply, Pricing and Marketing at the Flight Centre Travel Group. “Last year, we pulled all of our Black Friday deals after it was announced that South Africa had been put back on the dreaded red list, leaving many travellers stranded and devastated as their long-awaited holiday was cancelled or postponed. Now, it’s all systems go! We can travel freely, unmasked, and most of the restrictions from COVID -19 have been lifted,” said Garrett.

“Like the rest of the world, South Africa is still suffering from limited air capacity, although we are encouraged that more and more airlines are increasing their frequencies and routes in and out of the country. The best tip for travellers is to book early. Due to reduced flight frequencies, there is still a limited supply of seats, and an immense pent-up demand, so if you book too late, you may be disappointed or pay significantly more. For example, bookings for the December peak season are almost at capacity, so if you want a last-minute holiday to popular destinations, such as Mauritius, the UK and Europe, you’d better book quickly.”

“Flight Centre’s Black Friday deals for 2022 are geared toward travel in 2023, so you can book now, save and secure your trip,” said Garrett.

Deals are released every day from 21 November until Friday 25 November.

South Africans can look forward to the following specials:

• Save up to 50% on touring
• Save up to 50% on cruising
• Save up to R19 500 on island holidays
• Save up to R4 660 on Middle East & Asia holidays
• Save up to R1 320 on local holidays
• 2023 School holidays – Save up to R17 450

Top tips for snagging a Black Friday deal

Research – do your research in advance. What factors do you need to consider with your chosen holiday? Think about visas, health jabs and other entry information. Visit fctgtravelnews.com for information.

• Create a wish list – research what holidays you would like to have and include nice-to-haves-but-not-essentials. This way, you can quickly make a call if it’s the right holiday for you.
• Up-size your holiday – Now is the time to upgrade and save.
• Know the average price of packages for your chosen destination/s and your preferred dates.
• Have the 2023 school and public holiday calendar handy.
• Read the Terms & Conditions.
• Have your passport information ready.

“We encourage all our customers to shop safely and responsibly this Black Friday,” said Garrett. “Our customers can choose how they wish to shop this year – virtually on our website or face-to-face with a Travel Expert in-store.

Shop Flight Centre Black Friday specials here.

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Shoprite and Checkers looks forward to offering customers a wide range of Black Friday deals between Thursday 24 and Sunday 27 November 2022. 

This year several of the new specialist Checkers stores – including Checkers Little Me and Checkers Outdoor – will all take part in Black Friday for the first time.  

It is guaranteed to be the supermarket retailer’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. 

Checkers & Checkers Hyper 

• Philips Essential XL Airfryer2kg/6.2L for R1 999 each – save R1 000
• Baby Soft 2ply toilet paper (18 rolls) for R89 – save R50 
• 2 x Jacobs Krönung/ Gold Instant Coffee 200g for R150 – save R120  
• 2 x Huggies Gold Disposable Nappies/Pants (Jumbo Pack) for R299 – save up to 40% 
• HTH Granular Chlorine 8kg for R279 – save R120

Shoprite 

• Ottimo 4.3l Airfryerfor R699 – save R600 
• Pampers Nappies/Pants (Value Pack) for R129 – save R101 
• 2kg Omo Handwashing Powder for R50 – save R25
• 1l UltramelCustard for R20 – save R13 
• 2 x Sta Soft 500ml Refills for R45 – save 50%

Checkers LiquorShop and Liquorshop Online 

• 2 x 750ml BeyerskloofPinotage for R140 – save R60  
• 2 x J.C. Le Roux Sparkling Wine (Vivante Range) for R110 – save R60
• 750ml Johnnie Walker Black Label 12-Year-Old Blended Scotch Whisky for R299 – save R100
• 2 x (24 x 410ml) Castle Lite Beer (Cans) for R410 SAVE R150
• 2 x (6 x 440ml) Windhoek Premium Draught Beer (Cans) 2x for R150 – save R60 

Checkers Little Me 

• DoonaLiki Trike (red or grey) up to 17kg for R3 999 – save R1 000 
• Little Me Car Seat 360 EZ Fit 0-36kg for R1 999 – save R1 000
• Fisher-Price 4-in-1 Learning Bot for R899 – save R450
• TommeeTippee Electric Single Breast Pump for R999 – save 50% 

Checkers Outdoor 

• SnoMasterCamping Fridge 45L for R6 499 – save R1 500 
• Weber Kettle Braai Master-Touch 57cm for R3 999 – save R2 500
• Bushtec3 x 3m Meerkat Tent & 6-Man Gazebo both for R9 999 – save R7 000 
• 2 x BushtecMeerkat Spider Chairs for R 1 199 – save R600 
• Nebo rechargeable headlamp 1000 Lumens R 499 – save R 400

No electricity – no problem 

All Shoprite and Checkers stores have diesel generators on site to provide backup power during load shedding or electricity interruptions. 

There are also Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) units to ensure continuous power supply to tills and other essential equipment. 

As SMBs face increasing attacks, Check Point Software Technologies explores what three things can be done to improve their cybersecurity

Just like larger companies, small and medium businesses (SMBs) emerged from the pandemic ready to invest and grow. A recent survey we did with Analysys Mason showed that, in particular, SMBs are looking to grow by hiring staff, adding sites and investing more in IT. Today, SMBs are investing in all areas of IT, embracing cloud, mobile and SaaS technologies to both gain a competitive edge and adapt to new, more remote ways of working.

However, cybercriminals know that, for many, these investments are new territory. They recognise that SMBs struggle with the expertise, manpower and IT budget needed to properly secure their critical assets. And they’re taking advantage of these vulnerabilities, targeting them more aggressively with phishing attacks, malware, credential theft and ransomware.

In Africa in 2022, Check Point Software Technologies found that the average number of organisations impacted by ransomware – per week – currently sits at 1 out of 21. Compared to the global average of 1 in 40, this makes Africa the most attacked region in the world. In Kenya alone, SMBs lost Sh106 million (equivalent to Sh208,000 daily(equivalent to R15 million) in 17 months to March 2021 to cybercrime.

SMBs are well aware of the growing threat and are investing in cybersecurity where they can. Last year, SMBs worldwide spent USD68 billion on security solutions – with that figure expected to increase to USD105 billion in 2026. Yet despite this, IT managers still don’t feel adequately protected.

SMBs, the service providers that support them, and the vendors that develop security solutions, can all do more to protect the lifeblood of our economies from cyber attacks. Not only are these attacks detrimental to SMBs, resulting in loss of revenue and customer trust, but they put larger enterprises at risk too. With the increase in supply chain attacks, cybercriminals are increasingly using more vulnerable SMBs as an entry point into larger enterprises.

So, what can be done?

1. Improve access to specialist cybersecurity skills

In our survey, we found that only a minority of SMBs around the world have internal security specialists. This means that a large number of SMBs either have no security products in place, or these products are managed by non-specialist staff.

SMBs are struggling to find – and keep – the security expertise they need. Where talent is available, it’s often swallowed up by larger enterprises that can afford to pay larger salaries

To solve this, we need to make the talent pool bigger. Cybersecurity vendors and their partners can play a critical role here, offering more skills development programmes across the continent. This is something Check Point is actively engaged in with our SecureAcademy initiative. Together with universities across Africa – including Strathmore University in Kenya and the University of Chouaib Doukkali in Morocco – we’re providing the future workforce with cybersecurity skills and employable certification. Our local partners are also very on board with our internship programme, which has provided over 100 previously disadvantaged students with cybersecurity training and internships, leading to many obtaining permanent jobs within our ecosystem.

1. Make cybersecurity solutions simpler and more affordable to deploy

Most concerning in our survey is the finding that many SMBs do not have even the simple security products in place. Where products are used, it’s most often basic anti-virus software. The reasons for this are linked to the point above: SMBs either lack an understanding of their security options, or are looking for solutions that are quick and easy to deploy by non-specialist staff. There’s also the issue of tight budgets. Many SMBs simply can’t afford the prices behind the advanced threat protection they need today.

Again, this is where cybersecurity vendors and service providers can step up to the table, offering bespoke ‘all-in-one’ security packages that meet SMB needs. And what exactly do they need? Looking at our SMB Security Report, survey results showed that:

• For SMBs, the number one must-have when considering security gateways is threat prevention performance, followed by solutions that are quick and easy to implement, manage and report on.
• SMBs are looking for bundled offerings, specifically requesting mobile security, incident response management, cloud and email security, and endpoint protection.
• In terms of budgets, SMBs would rather take on providers with more flexible payment options, leaning towards monthly payments or pay-as-you-go subscriptions for broadband access, security and service support.

1. Engage more with managed security service providers (MSSPs)

If talent and budget constraints continue to be a challenge, SMBs can also consider outsourcing their security to  third party managed security service providers (MSSPs). With an MSSP, SMBs can gain access to experienced cybersecurity professionals at an affordable cost. Third party advisors can provide expert advice on the best security solution for each SMB, along with training and ongoing support.

We see the use of MSSPs becoming a growing trend, leaving SMBs free to focus on what matters: growing their business. But there’s one thing SMBs want more of when working with third parties – and that’s more proactive help with upgrading their security to cover new problems. SMBs are very open to this support and to buying additional security services from their IT, telecoms or technology suppliers – as long as it’s available.

Let’s all do more

Today’s cyber-landscape is tough for SMBs. But no matter their size, security is far too important for SMBs to ignore. Service providers and security vendors in Africa can do more to help SMBs access the best security available. By developing more skills and creating more accessible solutions that don’t require extensive expertise or time to get high levels of protection quickly, we can give SMBs the adequate protection they need.

About Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. 

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (www.checkpoint.com) is a leading provider of cyber security solutions to corporate enterprises and governments globally.  Check Point Infinity´s portfolio of solutions protects enterprises and public organisations from 5^th generation cyber-attacks with an industry leading catch rate of malware, ransomware and other threats. Infinity comprises four core pillars delivering uncompromised security and generation V threat prevention across enterprise environments: Check Point Harmony, for remote users; Check Point CloudGuard, to automatically secure clouds; and Check Point Quantum, to protect network perimeters and datacenters, all controlled by the industry’s most comprehensive, intuitive unified security management; Check Point Horizon, a prevention-first security operations suite. Check Point protects over 100,000 organisations of all sizes.

About Lifestyle and Tech

Lifestyle and Tech is at the forefront of current news and trends covering business, technology, personal finance, travel, fashion and smart living. We aim to deliver quality content that inspires your life and influences the way you decide to live it

Lifestyle and Tech, School-related gender-based violence (SRGBV) affects millions of children, families, and communities. It involves acts or threats of sexual, physical or psychological violence occurring in and around schools, perpetrated because of gender norms and stereotypes, and enforced by unequal power dynamics. SRGBV has very real consequences in learners’ lives, ranging from low self-esteem and depression to early and unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections such as HIV. This violence also has a serious impact on educational outcomes, with many students avoiding school, achieving below their potential, or dropping out completely.

Last year, Vodacom partnered with the Department of Basic Education to place psycho-social professionals in a number of schools across the country to help fight the scourge of violence plaguing schools in this country.

To commemorate 16 days of activism against GBV,  Professor Pumla Dineo Gqola,  author, and gender activist, best known for her 2015 book Rape: A South African Nightmare, which won the 2016 Alan Paton Award will be a guest speaker. She is a professor of literature at Nelson Mandela University, where she holds the Research Chair in African Feminist Imagination. In her talk, she will explore ways society can use to address violence in schools in SA.