Skyways Magazine August 2013

august 2013

freedom for executives on the moveaugust 2013

TM

Your free take-home copy - exclusive to Airlink passengers

A Red Hot Chili Peppers classic pg. 70

Football helps change lives Boom time in Beira Teamwork in business Locavores in the Lowveld School in the cloud Cooking for charity Axed for doing the Harlem Shake

I will bravely go to battle if it’s your love I win.

A war so worthy that I cannot dare lose,

for you are my everything,

my very soul, my every thought, my full devotion.

For you my love, there is nothing I wouldn’t do.

I will go to the end of the earth for you, fight for your honour,

protect your heart and obey your every wish.

I will never love another as I do you.

I am your king and you are the queen of my heart. www.brownsjewellers.com

+27 11 438 7920

Introducing the “Queen of my Heart” engagement ring

REG

ISTE

RED

DES

IGN

A20

12/0

1708

Browns Queen of my heart_DPS 275x426 - July.indd 1 2013/05/29 5:52 PM

Lanzerac Dining Room Suite

Interact freedom for executives on the move

Your complimentary copy to take away!

HEAD OFFICE: Tel: 011 451 7300 / 010 590 3170

Fax: 011 451 7367AIRLINK CARGO:

Tel: 011 390 9900 Fax: 011 390 9906

SAA CENTRAL RESERVATIONS 011-978 1111

COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS:[email protected]

CUSTOMER RELATIONS:[email protected]

Antananarivo (Ario Town office) 00261-20 223 5990 (Airo Airport) 00261-20 224 5734

Beira 00258-2 330 1570Bloemfontein 051-408 4848Bulawayo 00263-971 337/8/9East London 043-706 0211George 044-801 8431Harare (SAA Call Centre) 00263-4 794 511/2/3/4Kesane 00267 625 2354 Kimberley 053-838 3339Lusaka (Call Centre) 002601-254 350 Manzini 00268 251 86 155Maputo 00258 214 65487Maseru 00266-22-350 418/9Maun 00267 686 5230Mthatha 047-536 0024Nampula 00258 262 16770Nelspruit KMIA 013-750 2531/2/3/4Ndola 00260-2612206Pemba 00258-2722 1700Phalaborwa 015-781 5823Polokwane 015-288 0166Port Elizabeth 041-507 7201 Pietermaritzburg 033-386 9286Tete 00258-2522 0394Upington 054-332 2161Vilanculos 00258 29382482

PUBLISHED BY Panorama Publications (Pty) Ltd.Private Bag X4, Kyalami, 1684, South Africa. 92 Campolino Road, Kyalami.Tel: 011 468 2090 Fax: 011 468 2091

Skyways Magazine is published monthly and distributed via Airlink. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this magazine in whole or in part is prohibited without prior written permission of Panorama Publications (Pty) Ltd. Copyright © 1994-2013 Panorama Publications (Pty) Ltd. The views expressed in Skyways Magazine are not necessarily those of Panorama Publications or Airlink, and the acceptance and publication of editorial and advertising matterial in Skyways Magazine does not imply any endorsement or warranty in respect of goods or services therein described, whether by Skyways Magazine or the publishers. Skyways Magazine will not be held responsible for the safe return of unsolicited editorial contributions. The Editor reserves the right to edit material submitted and in appropriate cases to translate into another language. Skyways Magazine reserves the right to reject any advertising or editorial material, which may not suit the standard of the publication, without reason given.Skyways Magazine is published by Panorama Publications on behalf of Airlink.

Skyways is printed on partially recycled paper

Jan-March 201318676 (total)

PUBLISHER Urs Honegger

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Gerard Peter

MANAGING EDITOR Deanne Dudley

SENIOR SUB EDITOR Vanessa Koekemoer

SUB EDITORS Noleen Fourie, Nicolette Els

EDITORIAL CO-ORDINATOR Mariska Van Wyk

DTP STUDIO MANAGER Paul Kotze

DESIGNERS Cronje du Toit, Kate Jackson, Roelof Meintjes, Mauray Wolff

TRAFFIC & PRODUCTION MANAGER Celeste Jacobs

ADVERTISING [email protected] +27 11 468 2090

GROUP ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER

Deborah Bishop-Williams

SENIOR ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVE

Arlene Sanford 083 473 5002 [email protected]

ENGLAND/WALES/SCOTLAND: Interactive

Airline Partnerships, James Rolls.

13 Brook Business Centre, Cowley Mill Road, Uxbridge UB8 2FX

Tel: +44-1895-258008 Fax: +44-1895-258009

SWITZERLAND/GERMANY: Imm Inflight Media Marketing

Marcel Wernli, Gellertstrasse 18, 4052 Basel

Tel: +41-61-3199090 Fax: +41-61-3199095

SUBSCRIPTIONS [email protected]

Tel: 011 468 2090 Fax: 011 468 2091

FINANCE [email protected]

PRINTERS Ultra-Litho, Johannesburg

DISTRIBUTION Republican News Agency

ISSN 1025-2657august 2013


TM




Football helps change lives the Lowveld School in the cloud School in the cloud Cooking for clarity Cooking for clarity Axed for doing the Harlem Shake Axed for doing the Harlem Shake



Football helps change lives Boom time in Beira Boom time in Beira Teamwork in business Teamwork in business Locavores in Locavores in the Lowveld School in the cloud Cooking for clarity Axed for doing the Harlem Shake

SkyAug Cover NEW.indd 1 2013/07/16 6:37 AM

Red hoton page 70

Hats off to the unsung heroinesEvery weekday, for the past two years, I’ve driven past a sign that reads Best Boerie Rolls. It’s an advertisement for a roadside stall managed by a woman who sells this South African favourite. I often stop by to buy a quick lunch. There’s nothing special about her setup – just a gas stove, a cooler box, a table and a chair. There’s no access to the internet, no smartphone and no electricity. On one occasion I asked her if she ever gets bored while waiting for customers and what is it that she really aspires to be in life. With a beaming smile on her face she told me that this is what she has chosen to do and will continue to serve others in this way for as long as she can. It gives her immense gratification to know that motorists stop to buy her boerie rolls and keep coming back for more. That is her chosen path in life.Often in life we pay homage to those who are constantly in the limelight. As we celebrate Women’s Month, let us also remember those females who make a difference in our lives without getting much recognition for their good deeds. Let’s not forget our female educators, bus drivers, nurses, air stewardesses and the woman at the roadside stall. This August let’s show our appreciation for all the women of the Rainbow Nation.

Gerard PeterEditor-in-Chief

29278 Airlink_Ndola Mine_Skywaysp.indd 1 2013/06/07 4:07 PM

contentscontents

REGULARS8 Out and about Events calendar10 African anthology Unique ways to explore the continent14 Bits and bytes News from around the world32 Panorama The world in pictures76 In-flight entertainment Sudoku and Battleship 84 Flight plan Your Airlink timetable88 Rebel without a clue Quotes by Ozzy Osbourne90 Didya know? Put your grey matter to the test92 Maritime history 10 things you didn’t know

about the Titanic96 Talespin Musings about nothing in particular

SOUL20 Port of call Boom time in Beira

what did he say? 88

20 port of call

608 13

cook club 44

african anthology 10 24 Upington South Africa’s frontier town70 Lyrically speaking A Red Hot Chili Peppers classic73 Read right Latest book reviews

MIND28 United we stand Building cohesive teams in your business34 Negotiation table What is a shop steward?42 Thought for food Locavores in the Lowveld50 Firm foundation Building a property portfolio57 Sisters are doing it for themselves Cape women sew to success

SPECIAL REPORT: CORPORATE SOCIAL INVESTMENT60 Field of dreams Football gives young learners new hope64 School in the cloud An innovative education programme68 A helping hand Airlink gives back to the community69 Gift of sight Celebrating 60 years of assisting

visually impaired individuals

BODY44 Cooking for a cause Chefs get together for charity48 Sky cellar Wines from the Northern Cape

MOTORING52 An honest all-rounder Volvo’s new Cross Country

range put to the test 54 G whiz New generation Merc SUV

touches down in SA

TRADE36 Tech review 38 Gadgets and gizmos40 App your life

The average number of people who are killed by a vending machine every year

10 The time it takes for sunlight to reach the Earth492 seconds

street party and vintage car rally. 30 to 31 August 2013 Calviniai www.hantamvleisfees.co.za, Lizette Lambrechts 083 355 8155

K W A Z U L U N ATA L

The Good Food & Wine Show This prestigious tasting event allows you to sample some of the best alcohol and foods from around the world. There will be cooking workshops, a wine theatre and representatives from restaurants, wineries and breweries. Celebrity chefs James Martin, Anjali Pathak and Mellissa Morgan (aka Ms Cupcake) will also be there. 8 to 11 August 2013 Durban Exhibition Centrei www.goodfoodandwineshow.co.za

W E S T E R N C A P E

Mike and the Mechanics in concertLegendary English rockers Mike and the Mechanics visit our shores in August. The tour is a 25th anniversary celebration of their hit song The Living Years. You can also expect to hear classics such as All I Need Is a Miracle, Word of Mouth and Looking Back (Over My Shoulder). The band has also joined forces with the M-Net Naledi Children’s Literacy Project and concertgoers are encouraged to bring books along to donate. Part of the proceeds from ticket sales will also go to the cause. 20 August 2013 Grand West Casinoi www.computicket.com

CALENDAR

G A U T E N G

Robertson Wine Valley FestivalSample fine wines from Excelsior, Rietvallei, Van Loveren and Zandvliet to name a few. Wine will be sold at great prices and there will be food, fun and entertainment for the whole family. 3 to 4 August 2013 Kievits Kroon Country Estatei www.webtickets.co.za,

www.kievitskroon.co.za, www.robertsonwinevalley.com

The Tenors live in SAA blend of classic and contemporary pop delivered by four incredibly powerful voices with diverse vocal styles. Clifton Murray, Victor Micallef, Remigio Pereira and Fraser Walters join forces with a unique repertoire sung in English, French, Spanish and Italian. 8 August 2013 The Lyric at Gold Reef City Casino i www.computicket.com

N O R T H E R N C A P E

Hantam VleisfeesCalvinia is known as sheep country and this festival celebrates meat in all shapes and forms – whether on a braai or in a stew, curry or potjie. The festival, first held in 1990, also features a music concert,

808 13

DRAW DATES27 July 2013 @ 11am | 28 September 2013 @ 11am | 30 November 2013 @ 11am

25 January 2014 @ 11am | 29 March 2014 @ 11am

*Entrants must be present!

Cnr Smith & Van der Linde Rd, Bedfordview, JHB-26.187547 S 28.12573 E | Tel: 011 622 1840

See www.bedfordcentre.com for terms and conditions

WIN AWIN A

Spend R350 on a Bedford gift cardor at any Bedford store and stand to win a R1 MILLION BEDFORD SHOPPING SPREE!

Millions - Skyway-advert.indd 1 2013/06/28 1:42 PM

The number of years that summer lasts on Uranus

21Of all birthmarks gradually fade away if left alone

70%

There is no need to travel to far-off places to experience the perfect African safari. An African Anthology offers four lodges that allow you to enjoy the continent’s great wilderness right here in Southern Africa.

Elephant Valley LodgeChobe is home to the world’s largest population of wild elephant. This is estimated to be approximately 120,000

individuals. Elephant Valley Lodge lies between the Chobe National Park in Botswana and the equally impressive Matetsi wildlife conservancy south of the Kazungula border crossing and within the Kasane Forest Reserve.

Sturdy acacias reach high above the camp, forming large canopies of shade, under which are 20 custom-built Meru-style luxury safari tents. Given the concentration of elephant in this wildlife sanctuary, the camp is fenced and ensures peace of mind while not limiting the cacophony of night sounds as you drift off to sleep after an exhilarating day of game viewing.

The camp can accommodate a maximum of 40 guests in spacious and tastefully furnished tents. Each features an en-suite shower and toilet as well as tea and coffee making facilities, a fan and a mini safe. Included is a family tent, of which the second bedroom is ideal for children.

All guest areas are focused around the busy watering hole, including the game viewing hide, lounge and dining areas. The activity at the watering hole provides an almost endless procession of animals. The unique lodge location provides guests with game viewing opportunities throughout the day and night. In addition, freshly prepared meals are served in a variety of locations including the dining deck, a bush venue and the boma located at the watering hole.

Activities at Elephant Valley Lodge include daily safaris

Escape to a lap of luxury in the African

wilderness

great wide openVisit for a time. Reminisce for eternity

Into the

1008 13

The number of hours that a newborn baby usually deprives each of its parents of sleep in the first year

350 to 400 Is the only number that has the same amount of letters as its actual value4

and boat cruises into the Chobe National Park. Morning boat cruises along the Chobe River will allow guests to get close encounters with elephants going for a morning drink while the afternoon game drive allows guests to experience all the other sights and sounds in both the Chobe and Kasane Forest Reserve.

Deception Valley LodgeDeception Valley Lodge is a pristine oasis deep in the Kalahari Desert of Botswana and not far from the famous Okavango Delta. Here one can experience the vastness of the Kalahari while enjoying abundant bird life, game viewing and star gazing.

Boasting comfortable and vibrant, rustic interiors, Deception Valley Lodge accommodates 16 guests in luxury. Set amid the arid and remote Kalahari bush, the lodge and each of its units are raised on stilts and connected by wooden walkways. Every attention has been given to detail to ensure a completely novel guest experience and an environmentally pleasing haven consistent with its natural surroundings.

The main complex incorporates a dining room, lounge and bar area. Views from the deck include the nearby watering hole. A small library lies in wait for the book lover while the curio shop provides some retail therapy. By day the swimming pool offers a cool refuge from the warm African sun while the boma offers a social fireplace to warm oneself over a drink when the sun goes down.

Six of the eight chalets consist of luxury twin-bedded rooms with an en-suite Victorian-style bathroom, an outside shower and a private spacious lounge. There is also a chalet with two inter-leading rooms for families. All units are fitted with ceiling fans and mosquito nets and a private mini-bar. After a night-cap, turn in for peaceful sleep nestled among the comfortable and safe surroundings of the lodge.

For something more private, the property also offers the exclusive Kalahari Manor House. This is within walking distance of the lodge but complete with its own private guide and private chef.

Deception Valley Lodge is not only a picturesque retreat but both informative and educational as well. Take a walk with the San Bushmen and learn essential survival skills. Discover the movements of the nocturnal wildlife on a night drive and witness the hunting technique of the elusive leopard or spot

the famed Kalahari lion take on a kudu. Whatever activity you decide to engage in – Deception Valley Lodge offers complete seclusion from the hustle of everyday life.

Impalila Island LodgeThe rush of the Mambova Rapids casts a soft blanket of sound over Impalila Island Lodge. Nestled close to the junction of four countries – Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe – Impalila Island Lodge is a water-bound wonderland.

Deception Valley Lodge accommodates 16 guests on a sharing basis

1108 13

The distance that a lion’s roar can be heard from

8kmThe time depicted on all the clocks in the movie Pulp Fiction

4:20

The thatched main complex consists of an elevated deck built around an ancient baobab, with a lounge, dining room, bar and swimming pool. Eight luxury en-suite chalets all with river views echo the colours of Africa. Here, long days and longer nights hold the promise of tranquillity and relaxation. Each room is complete with a king size bed, en-suite bathroom and ceiling fans.

With over 100km of waterways to traverse, Impalila lies a mere 80km upriver from the Victoria Falls. Surrounded by rippling beds of pink-tinged water lilies, the lodge lies beneath the branches of a 700-year-old baobab tree under which, it is said, David Livingstone camped.

Light arching through long-stemmed wine glasses throws colour onto crisp linen. An attentive team produces culinary art and meal times become a ritual of their own. The seductive rivers invite one to explore further. Encounter Africa’s big game and bird life by boat or challenge the legendary tigerfish on fly. Follow the island’s

footpaths for an intriguing village visit and learn of the medicinal uses of the indigenous plant life.

Easily accessible, Impalila Island Lodge offers enjoyment of the natural flows of life, the rivers, the varied floodplain habitats, the constellations and more.

Ntwala Island LodgeIntricate floating walkways surrounded by wild and powerful waterways link an untouched Namibian cluster of islands in the heart of the Mambova Rapids. Situated 70km upriver from the Victoria Falls – where white sand beaches and palm trees add to the romance – Ntwala Island Lodge is a wonderfully secluded Caprivi destination.

The main complex features an indoor and outdoor lounge, bar and walk-in wine cellar. There is also a small reference library, a curio shop and an elevated viewing deck for uninterrupted views of the magnificent landscape. Full English breakfasts, lunches and candle-lit dinners are all served on

Try your hand at fly fishing at Impalila

Island Lodge

Please refer to the Johannesburg Kasane schedule on page 84www.flyairlink.com

How to get there

1208 13

The number of references to gems and precious stones in the King James translation of the Bible

1,700The number of times your ribs move every year

5 million

the deck or in the dining room in the main lodge.Ntwala Island Lodge comprises four ultra-luxury styled

suites, each inclusive of a private plunge pool and viewing deck, annex bath feature, indoor and outdoor shower as well as a private sala extending enticingly out over the water. Ntwala offers exclusivity and intimacy within a complete holistic African experience.

Meander between the multiple waterways with a personal guide and private boat, cruise the quiet backwaters or revel in an exclusive Chobe sunset cruise while viewing a plethora of game. Visiting anglers, beginner and experienced alike, have access to many kilometres of the Zambezi and adjacent waters. These waters have a deserved reputation for excellent fly-fishing for the legendary tigerfish, nembwe, catfish and a variety of bream species.

Text and photography | Supplied

For more information contact AN AFRICAN ANTHOLOGYTelephone: 0861 010 200International: +27 (0)11 781 1661www.anthology.co.za

1308 13

The number of dimples on a regulation golf ball

336The number of sandwiches that Charles Lindbergh took with him on his famous transatlantic flight

4

T E C H N O L O G Y

Japan on track for 500km/h bullet trainJapan’s ‘floating’ trains of the future, designed to travel at speeds of 500km/h, recently underwent their first test on the tracks.

The new generation L0 Series trains, which employ the latest magnetic levitation

technology instead of conventional wheels, will begin commercial services in 2027.

The new train, designed by Central Japan Railway Co (JR Tokai), will initially link central Tokyo with Nagoya Station, cutting current bullet train journey times by more than half, from 90 to 40 minutes.

Each train will comprise 16 carriages carrying up to 1,000 passengers at a time, with plans under way to extend the line to Osaka by 2045.

Source: The Telegraph

N AT U R E

Chimpanzees have five personalitiesNew research published in the American Journal of Primatology provides strong support for the universal existence of five personality dimensions in chimpanzees: reactivity/undependability,

dominance, openness, extraversion and agreeableness with a possible sixth factor, methodical, needing further investigation.

“Understanding chimpanzee personality has important theoretical and practical

implications,” explained lead author Hani Freeman, postdoctoral fellow with the Lester E. Fisher Centre for the Study and Conservation of Apes at Lincoln Park Zoo.

“From an academic standpoint, the findings can inform investigations into the evolution of personality. From a practical standpoint, caretakers of chimpanzees living in zoos or elsewhere can now tailor individualised care based on each animal’s personality thereby improving animal welfare.”

To gain a better understanding of chimpanzee personality, the authors developed a new

personality rating scale consisting of 41 behavioural descriptors including boldness, jealousy, friendliness and stinginess. Seventeen raters who work closely and directly with chimpanzees used the scale to assess 99 chimpanzees in their care at the Michale E. Keeling Centre for Comparative Medicine and Research, UT MD Anderson Cancer Centre in Bastrop, Texas.

Source: News24

T E C H N O L O G Y

Facebook can make you fatSocial network sites can cause users to lose control and may lead to violence, obesity and debt.

Browsing for just five minutes on social networks can boost a user’s self-belief

so much that they become more impulsive. Effects can include an increase in binge-eating, loss of concentration and lack of application, a recent US study showed.

Users were likely to focus on presenting positive images of themselves which were reinforced by supportive responses. Having had their self-esteem boosted, the self-control of users was weakened and resulted in different types of behaviour.

Volunteers taking part in one test were instructed either to spend a few minutes browsing social network sites or to look through CNN.com and TMZ.com.

Participants were then asked to choose between a healthy snack and a chocolate-chip cookie and it was found that those using social network sites were more likely to opt for the unhealthy option.

A similar test in which volunteers were asked to solve anagrams after going online showed that the Facebook users were more likely to lose concentration and give up.

Source: IOL

1408 13

B I Z A R R E

Dog mess sent back to offending hound owners A Spanish town has come up with an ingenious way to keep its streets clean of dog mess – by sending the offending deposits back to the owners in an official box marked ‘Lost Property’.

The council of Brunete, a small town some 30km west of Madrid, launched the campaign to crack down on irresponsible

dog owners. During the course of a week a team of 20 volunteers patrolled the town’s streets on the lookout for dog owners who failed to scoop. They then approached the guilty owner and struck up a casual conversation to discover the name of the dog.

“With the name of the dog and the breed it was possible to identify the owner from the registered pet database held in the town hall,” explained a spokesman from the council.

The volunteers then scooped up the excrement and packaged it in a box branded with town hall insignia and marked ‘Lost Property’ and delivered it by courier to the pet owner’s home.

In all, 147 ‘express poop’ deliveries were made during the course of the week in February and the town with 10,000 residents has since reported a 70% drop in the amount of dog mess found in its streets.

Source: The Telegraph

F I N A N C E

Can Wikipedia predict the stock markets?Wikipedia could have been used as an early warning sign of stock market movements, according to a new study published in UK journal Scientific Reports.

Researchers led by Dr Suzy Moat, senior research fellow at Warwick Business School in the UK, found that changes in how

often financially related pages were viewed on Wikipedia could have been linked to subsequent movements of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Their historic analysis detected increases in views of financially related Wikipedia pages before stock market falls.

Barbie’s measurements if she were life-size39-23-33

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

skyways advert 2.pdf 1 3/18/13 2:49 PM

Cars can drive side by side on the Monumental Axis in Brazil

160 The lifespan of a dragonfly 24 hours

Moat said: “These results provide evidence that online data may allow us to gain a new understanding of the early stages of decision-making, giving us an insight into how people gather information before they decide to take action in the real world.”

Moat and her team looked at how often the 30 pages describing the companies listed in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, such as Procter & Gamble, Bank of America, and The Walt Disney Company, were viewed between December 2007 and April 2012.

They found that a simple trading strategy based on changes in the frequency of views would have led to significant profits of up to 141%.

Similarly, a strategy based on views of 285 pages relating to general financial topics, such as macroeconomics, capital and wealth, would have also generated profits of up to 297%.

Source: IOL

H E A LT H

What’s the best way to dry your hands?Scientists have worked out the best way to dry your hands – and paper towels win hands down.

It appears that paper towels not only dry hands more quickly than electric driers, but are

also more hygienic. While the importance of washing hands is obvious, the benefits may be undone if they are not dried properly, experts believe. This is because wet hands are better at passing on germs than dry ones, biomedical scientist Cunrui Huang explained. His review

of 12 studies found that, overall, paper towels were ‘superior’. One study found they leave

hands 96% dry after just 10 seconds. After 15 seconds, the hands are 99% dry. By contrast, a drier takes at least 45 seconds. The amount of time is important because most people spend only a few seconds on drying their hands. One study found men spend 17 seconds using hot-air driers and women 13.3 seconds – a fraction of the time needed. Paper towels also scored higher because the rubbing motion may physically remove germs. By contrast, air driers may blow them onto the body – a concern in public toilets, where regular flushing of cisterns disperses germs in the air.

Source: IOL

Get the answerJust in case our puzzles are sending you around the bend, here are the solutions. Puzzles can be found on page 76.

BattleshipMediumEasy

SudokuChallengingEasy

1608 13

Dalucon Insulated Products specializing in the manufacture of Insulated paneling using Polyurethane, Polystyrene, Rock wool, Polyphen insulation cores, cladded with chromadec, zink Alum, stainless steel outer faced skins.

All our panels use tongue and grove joining systems, manufacturing processes of the highest quality ISO systems CAD designs, state of the art machinery and facilities. Manufacturing of: Wall panels from 40mm up to 300mm thick, up to 13.5mt lengths in total.

For: Cold and Freezer rooms, Insulated modular buildings, mortuary cabinets, insulated telecommunication containers. IBR roof insulated panels

Doors, windows, trims and chassis can be supplied with panels all in Kit (Flat Pack) form

Insulated paneling

95, Park Ave, Rooihuiskraal, South AfricaTel: +27 12 661 8480/1/2 | Fax:+27 12 661 0354 Email: [email protected] | www.dalucon.co.za

Gambia

Djibouti

Ethiopia

Sudan

AT L A N T I CO C E A N

I N D I A NO C E A N

Chad

Niger

Algeria

TunisiaMorocco

Western Sahara

Libya Egypt

Nigeria

Mali

Mauritania

Senegal

Ghana

Cote D’Ivore

Benin

Equatorial Guinea

Liberia

Guinea

DRC

Kenya

Tanzania

Malawi

Mozambique

Madagascar

Zambia

Angola

NamibiaBotswana

Zimbabwe

South AfricaLesotho

Swaziland

SierraLeone

Burkina Faso

Togo

Zanzibar

Cameroon

CongoGabon

Eritrea

Somalia

Uganda

RwandaBurundi

Cnrt. African Rep.

Kwikspace is the largest manufacturer of prefabricated accommodation in Southern Africa,

with over 40 years experience in mobile and site erected Offices, Accommodation Camps,

Dormitories, Ablutions, Clinics and Classrooms.

Whether it ’s a purchased or rented option, Kwikspace is your dependable choice in Africa.

Need space in a hurry?

We’ll Accommodate You!Int Tel +27 11 617 8000 www.kwikspace.co.za

In Flight Advert Jan 2013.indd 1 5/2/13 14:17:30

Entries in Webster’s Dictionary are misspelled

315The only month in recorded history not to have a full moon

Feb 1865 micronutrient deficiencies and 1.4 billion people were overweight – of which 500 million were obese.

In low- and middle-income countries, a rapid rise in obesity was affecting associated costs, it said. FAO said rising urbanisation, sedentary lifestyles and the increased availability of packaged foods meant policymakers faced significant challenges in reversing obesity. The agency urged global leaders to enhance nutrition in food systems – in part through agricultural policies – and promote behaviour change through education.

Source: News24

B I Z A R R E

Axed dancing workers get their jobs backTwo workers at a New Zealand dairy company who were fired for doing the Harlem Shake dance at work will get their jobs back, the Employment Relations Authority in that country ruled six weeks ago.

The Fonterra company had sacked Henry Taufua and Craig Flynn after finding

videos of them on YouTube re-enacting their version of the online dance craze at the company’s Auckland factory. Fonterra had argued that the videos showed health and safety breaches which constituted serious misconduct and that this justified their summary dismissal. It said Taufua “rode a paper trolley or pallet jack in an unsafe manner” and that Flynn put himself and others at risk by “dancing with a shovel between his legs (and) hosing water where another employee was dancing.”

However, the Employment Relations Authority said there was no evidence of accident, injury or damage to property, and ordered the two men’s interim reinstatement pending a substantive hearing.

Earlier this year, 15 Australian mineworkers were sacked after posting a video of themselves performing the Harlem Shake underground at a gold mine on the west coast of Australia.

Source: Daily Mail

E C O N O M Y

Junk food hurting the world economyThe UN’s food agency claims obesity and poor nutrition weigh heavily on the global economy.

Lost productivity and spiralling health care bills linked to malnutrition “could account

for as much as 5% of global gross domestic product (GDP),” equivalent to R30 trillion a year, the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) said.

The agency said in its annual report that 12.5% of the world’s population (about 868 million people) were undernourished in terms of energy intake, while 26% of children worldwide were stunted by malnutrition.

About two billion people suffered from

A R C H A E O L O G Y

French wine has roots in ItalyThe French may have the reputation for being expert winemakers, but they learnt everything they know from the Italians, new research suggests.

Chemical analysis of two large-handled pots used to transport produce around

2,400 years ago, found on the site of ancient French port Lattara by researchers from Pennsylvania, shows they were imported from an old civilisation north of Rome.

The pots – also known as amphoras – are the earliest evidence of winemaking in France and suggest that the French relied on Etruscan merchants from Italy to deliver the first batches of wine before making their own.

Scans also showed a limestone platform that was later used as a wine press for crushing transplanted, domesticated grapes – the first time winemaking is known to have been carried out on French soil.

The findings suggest the winemaking industry in France was fuelled by imported wine from the Etruria region of Italy as early as 525BC.

The Gauls were then lured into the Mediterranean ‘wine culture’ and began making their own as early as 425BC, reported Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Source: Daily Mail

1808 13

011 552 3900www.tempestcarhire.co.zaA Level 2 BBBEE rated company

OSF

F 70

3963

Gauteng: Johannesburg O.R. Tambo International Airport; Braamfontein Park Station; Centurion; Midrand; Pretoria East;

Randburg; Sandton Radisson Blue; Southgate Mall; Lanseria Airport; Sandton Parkmore; Soweto; East Rand. Western Cape: Belville; Cape Town City; Cape Town International Airport; Eastern Cape: PE Airport; George Airport; East London Airport. Northern Cape: Kimberely Airport; Upington Airport; Upington Protea Hotel. Freestate: Bloemfontein Airport. KwaZulu-Natal: King Shaka Durban International Airport; Durban City. Mpumulanga: Nelspruit Airport. Limpopo: Polokwane Airport.

The city was founded about the same time as Johannesburg in the late 19th century, after having been identified as a potential port by the Portuguese explorer Paiva de Andrada. This activity and the rush to create a port and a town occurred during the scramble between the Portuguese and the British over the occupation of land in eastern Southern Africa, both having a strong interest in securing a sea link for the newly chartered lands of Rhodesia (modern-day Zimbabwe). Beira prospered as a cosmopolitan port with different ethnic communities – Portuguese, Indian, Chinese and

With its white sands, azure waters and temperate climate, the port city has all the ingredients to attract tourists from all over the world. And tourism aside, it also offers plenty of lucrative investment opportunities.

Located in the central region of Mozambique, where the Púngoè River meets the Indian Ocean, Beira is testament to the economic boom that the country is experiencing at the moment.

Port of callBeira is bringing business to the land of smiles

Beira is fast becoming a popular coastal

tourist destination

2008 13

free | mind

indigenous Africans – employed in administration, commerce and industry. A large English-speaking population was the result of being a favourite holiday destination for white Rhodesians. One reminder of this is the Grande Hotel, built by the Portuguese near the shore of the Indian Ocean.

Mozambique was ravaged by a civil war from 1977 to 1992. In addition, famine and disease caused the poverty-stricken country to collapse. In the city, its famous Grande Hotel was occupied by around 1,000 homeless Beirans and by the end of the civil war it was in near ruins.

The city is a cultural melting pot that has been influenced by Chinese, Indian, Portuguese and indigenous African residents

Then, in 2000 a flood devastated Beira and the surrounding region, leaving millions homeless and severely damaging the local economy. Now, the city is being re-established after years of destruction and abuse.

History in the cityThe influence of its cosmopolitan residents, past and present, is clear to see in Beira. Must-see tourist spots include:

PraçaThe city square, Praça, is in the heart of the city and is surrounded by shops, banks, supermarkets, a post office and travel agencies. On the southeast side of the square is the marble municipality building that has a tile mural of the historical Sofala Castle in the entrance hall.

The lighthouseLess than 10km from the city centre is the lighthouse as well as the shipwrecked Macuti. The palm-lined Praia de Macuti is north of the lighthouse and is the most popular beach. The old part of the port contains the ship graveyard on the banks of the Púngoè River.

Torture artThe artists of the Makonde tribe in the north produce detailed and bizarre carvings known as ‘torture art’.

Praia de MacutiMacuti is the residential area fringing Beira’s small stretch of beach. Praia de Macuti is one of the better

2108 13

places in town to relax, though it can’t compare with the coastline further south or north.

The cathedralBeira’s spired cathedral, southeast of the city centre, was built in the early 20th century with stones taken from the ruins of the San Caetano Fort in Sofala.

Boomtime for businessAs Mozambique’s second largest city, Beira is an important commercial centre with its large port used for import and export from Mozambique and neighbouring Zimbabwe and Malawi.

The city is also the central hub of the Beira Railroad Company, the country’s longest established railway system. The Machipanda line extends to Harare in Zimbabwe, creating a cost effective route to the port for land-locked Southern African countries. The Sena line links the port to the lucrative and nationally important coal mining province of Tete, providing a low cost export route for companies such as Vale and Riversdale Mining.

On the sea side the port is accessed via the Mancuti Channel, which was dredged between 2010 and July 2011 ensuring that the port can now receive deepwater vessels.

Just like the rest of Mozambique, Beira is enjoying steady economic growth from natural resources. A case in point is the Mezimbite Forest Centre. Located about 50km west of Beira, it promotes sustainable conservation of the surrounding area by maximising the forests’ benefits to local residents. It trains artisans and

craftspeople to be competitive in quality at high levels, producing exclusive furniture designs, jewellery and other items that are marketed internationally.

The Beira Agricultural Growth Corridor (BAGC) initiative is a partnership between the Government of Mozambique, private investors, farmer organisations and international agencies. It was launched in 2010 and aims at promoting increased investments in commercial agriculture and agribusiness within the Beira Corridor – Tete, Sofala and Manica Provinces.

Thus far, the initiative has benefitted more than 10,000 smallholder farmers and raised substantial amounts of money for irrigation and small farmer support services. It has launched Mozambique’s first ever weather-index insurance product, protecting farmers against extreme drought conditions and also funds research and development of locally-adapted seed varieties for basic crops.

From strength to strengthSince achieving political stability in the mid-1990s when the spate of economic reform began, Mozambique has enjoyed continuous growth, strongly supported by the Port of Beira. In 1998, just 15% of total traffic through the port was generated by Mozambique. Today, it accounts for 55% of the traffic, Malawi for 22%, Zimbabwe for 15% and Zambia for 8%. With the region’s economic growth set to continue, the Port of Beira is well placed to provide a cost effective and efficient import and export route for future trade.

Text | Lida-Marié Saayman Photography | Supplied

Airlink offers convenient daily flights to Beira.

www.flyairlink.com

How to get there

Mozambique is starting to enjoy the fruits of political and

economic reform

2208 13

free | mind

PREFABRICATED CONSTRUCTION SYSTEMS

Design, engineering and turnkey camp and office solutions

in remote environments across the African continent

www.kingspace.com | +27 (0)86 054 6477 | [email protected]

ALPINO® FLATPACK SYSTEMA rapidly deployable

multipurpose accommodation system

requiring minimal site preparation.

INSULATED ON-SITE ACCOMMODATIONKingSpace specialises in construction camps in remote areas for a wide spectrum of projects on all terrain.

CiBCLINIC IN A BOX These clinics provide doctors’ consulting rooms as well as circumcision clinics and pharmaceutical dispatch units, constructed on a lattice base.

HOUSING UNITSCost-effective permanent housing constructed in light steel frame. Available in 1, 2 or 3 bedroom units.

PREFABRICATED CONSTRUCTION SYSTEMS

Design, engineering and turnkey camp and office solutions

in remote environments across the African continent

www.kingspace.com | +27 (0)86 054 6477 | [email protected]

ALPINO® FLATPACK SYSTEMA rapidly deployable

multipurpose accommodation system

requiring minimal site preparation.

INSULATED ON-SITE ACCOMMODATIONKingSpace specialises in construction camps in remote areas for a wide spectrum of projects on all terrain.

CiBCLINIC IN A BOX These clinics provide doctors’ consulting rooms as well as circumcision clinics and pharmaceutical dispatch units, constructed on a lattice base.

HOUSING UNITSCost-effective permanent housing constructed in light steel frame. Available in 1, 2 or 3 bedroom units.

Upington is one of the Northern Cape’s largest towns, an off-the-beaten-track traveller’s destination of choice that welcomes you to life in the semi-desert of the Kalahari

at first glance, Upington may seem an unremarkable town with little to offer tourists. However, dig a little further and you will find that it is steeped in history and tells a fascinating Wild West-type tale of missionaries, diamond smugglers and horse rustlers.

finalA trip to Upington will leave you pleasantly surprised

frontierThe

along the Namaqua Route, bordering the Orange River. An original frontier town, Upington simmers and swelters in 40°C temperatures during summer.

No place for the meek, it started out as a mission station, established by Reverend Christiaan Schroder. A church was erected in 1875 and is today the Kalahari-Oranje Museum, complete with all its period furnishings. The museum displays articles and dioramas depicting life along the Orange at the beginning of the 20th century. Upington was originally called Olyvenhoutsdrif (‘Olive wood drift’) due to the abundance of olivewood trees in the area. It was renamed Upington in 1898 after the Cape Colony’s attorney general at the time, Sir Thomas Upington.

2408 13

free | soul

Ode to the donkeyIn front of the Kalahari-Oranje Museum in Upington in the Northern Cape is the figure of a donkey harnessed to a crushing mill. This donkey memorial is dedicated to the many beasts that worked – and died – during the early days of the Lower Orange River Valley development. Back in 1929, while South Africa was in the dual hardship grip of drought and the Great Depression, the Government decided to build the Buchuberg Dam about 120km southwest of Upington to tame the lower reaches of the Orange River, South Africa’s longest river, for irrigation purposes.

The 350 men employed here worked by hand, using

picks, shovels and wheelbarrows. Toiling in extreme daytime temperatures, they often called upon the assistance of donkeys in their efforts.

Like Wild West towns, Upington had its share of skirmishes and its share of fortune-seeking scoundrels. One of these was a man called George St Leger Gordon Lennox, alias ‘Scotty Smith’. An adventurer born in Scotland, he bought and sold illegal diamonds, stole horses and masterminded highway robberies. His gravestone is one of Upington’s tourist attractions.

Another historic attraction is the spectacular Date Palm Avenue. Two rows of more than 200 date palm trees escort visitors over 1,000m to the entrance of Die Eiland Holiday Resort on the banks of the Orange River.

Currently, the Northern Cape relies heavily on tourism and Upington is the gateway to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Augrabies Falls National Park, the flowers of Namaqualand and the Richtersveld. The town also offers many activities, including 4x4 adventures in Spitskop Nature Reserve, which is stocked with gemsbok, springbok, ostrich, eland, hartebeest and mountain zebra.

Upington offers convenient access to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

2508 13

free | soul

JOB OPPORTUNITY

Junior and Senior sales positions available

Johannesburg based

Detailed job requirements at www.panorama.co.za/jobs

A river runs through itUpington is situated on the banks of the Orange River, one of the largest rivers in South Africa. It is this area that has given rise to the Orange River Wine Route.

The Route covers South Africa’s largest wine-producing region. Centred around Upington, the Orange River Cellars comprise six wineries representing nearly 900 producers. Travellers on the Orange River Wine Route are invariably amazed by the dramatic contrast between the arid desert and the lush vineyards growing on the edge of the Orange River. The wine farms of the area depend on this mighty body of water for every drop of their fruity, easy-drinking wines.

In a region where summer daytime temperatures can reach 37°C and dramatic thunderstorms often accompany the nominal spring-summer rainfall, the influence of the Orange River on the wines produced here is immense.

The river regulates the cool microclimate necessary for wine farms to produce quality grapes. Soil types deposited here over millennia, including alluvial deposits and granite, dolerite and shale, contribute depth and structure to the wines produced here.

With abundant water, sunshine, and a dry, virtually disease-free environment, conditions along the Orange River Wine Route are ideal for the mass planting of Sultana, Colombard, Chenin and Hanepoot grapes. All of these go into the Orange River Cellars’ award-winning dessert wines and bestselling blended and semi-sweet wines.

Since its formation in the 19th century, Upington has expanded rapidly and is now the commercial, agricultural and educational centre of the Gordonia district. Agriculture forms a very important part of the local economy and significant volumes of produce are exported to Europe. Transportation of goods is made easy thanks to the fact that the main roads are linked to all major South African cities by air and road. The airport has the longest tarred runway in the Southern Hemisphere measuring 4,900m.

In addition, Upington and the Northern Cape have come into the international limelight thanks to a land speed record attempt due to take place in 2015 and plans to build a multi-billion rand solar park in the region. Both bring with them the prospect of employment opportunities and socio-economic development. Granted, it may not be on every tourist’s bucket list, but a visit to Upington offers an experience rarely had in other parts of South Africa.

Text | Arno Visagie Photography | Supplied

The camels you occasionally spot wandering through the Kalahari region are the descendants of a noble line of crime-busters that used to venture far into the arid lands on patrol. But with the arrival of the pickup truck and later the 4X4, they were set free on early retirement. Outside the Upington police station in the Northern Cape you will see a large statue of a rider in a pith helmet astride a camel.In this day and age of fast cars and blacktop highways, it’s strange to think that a few decades ago the only way to catch fugitives in the Kalahari or to visit far-flung outposts was on the back of a camel. The Cape Mounted Police sourced their camels from South-West Africa (now Namibia), and many of them had done military duty patrolling the boundaries of South Africa during World War II.

One of the difficult tasks of the Cape Mounted Police units was to venture far out into the Kalahari and register various Bushman (San) families they came across. Sometimes these indigenous people would hide in the dunes from the mounted patrols. One sure way of tracking them down and adding them to the national census was to wait until dark, put ears to the ground and listen as the women pounded away at their tsamma melon suppers. They would approach the sound, round up the startled melon eaters and register them – for which the mounted police were paid a bonus shilling a head.When the robust pickup truck was introduced into the Kalahari in the 1950s, the camel constables were retired and let loose into the desert.

Ships of the desert on police duty

DID YOU KNOW?Date Palm Avenue in Upington is one of the longest, densest palm avenues in the Southern Hemisphere

Airlink offers daily flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town to Upingtonwww.flyairlink.com

How to get there

2708 13

free | soul

After all, with so much literature on the subject available, and so many experts having talked about it for so long, teamwork should not be as rare as it is in today’s organisations. However, that is the reality. Most of the organisations where we live and work are marked by underperforming, often dysfunctional teams. From the sports field to the executive suite, politics and confusion are more the rule than the exception.

Why? First, the term teamwork has been overused and has lost much of its meaning, like so many other buzzwords in the corporate world. Second, people over-complicate teamwork. The fact is teamwork is simple – in theory, anyway. Most of us already know what it requires. But in practice, teamwork is difficult. That’s because human beings are messy, fallible creatures, and when you put enough of us in a room and ask us to work together, problems arise.

To overcome those problems, teams must be willing to invest significant time, energy and discipline.

For those teams willing to do what it requires, the rewards are great.

Functional teams make higher-quality decisions and accomplish more in less time, with less distraction and frustration. Furthermore, they avoid wasting time talking about the wrong issues and revisiting the same topics over and over again because of lack of buy-in. Additionally ‘A’ players rarely leave organisations where they are part of a cohesive team.

Facing dysfunction and focusing on teamwork is particularly critical at the top of an organisation because the executive team sets the tone for how all employees work with one another. Without effective teamwork at the top, without a cohesive group of people leading an organisation, a company cannot begin to tap into the potential that it has in any other area.

A founder of a very large company best expressed the power of teamwork when he said, “If you could get all the people in the organisation rowing in the same direction, you could dominate any industry, in any market, against any competition, at any time.”

Whenever leaders hear this adage they nod their

IN IT TO WIN IT

How do you build a cohesive functional team?TO How do you build a cohesive functional team?

Let’s face it. Teamwork should be better by now.

This is part three of a series on ‘Gaining

the advantage for your business through

sound organisational health’. Should

you wish to read previous articles, visit

skywaysmagazine.co.za

2808 13

free | mind

heads, but in a desperate sort of way. They seem to grasp the truth of it while simultaneously surrendering to the impossibility of actually making it happen.

Fortunately, there is hope. Counter to conventional wisdom, the causes of dysfunction are both identifiable and curable. However, they don’t die easily. Making a team functional and cohesive requires levels of courage and discipline that many groups cannot seem to muster.

Addressing the dysfunctionsTo begin improving your team and to better understand the level of dysfunction you are facing, ask yourself these simple questions:• Do team members openly and readily disclose

their opinions?• Are team meetings compelling and productive?• Does the team come to decisions quickly and

avoid getting bogged down by consensus?• Do team members confront one another about

their shortcomings?

• Do team members sacrifice their own interests for the good of the team?

Although no team is perfect and even the best teams sometimes struggle with one or more of these issues, the finest organisations constantly work to ensure that their answers are ‘yes’. If you, the reader, answered ‘no’ to many of these questions, your team may need some work.

The Five Dysfunctions of a TeamThe first step toward reducing politics and confusion within a team is to understand that there are five dysfunctions to contend with, and each must be addressed as an integrated part of the whole.

Dysfunction #1: Absence of TrustThis occurs when team members are reluctant to be vulnerable with one another and are unwilling to admit their mistakes, weaknesses or need for help. Without a certain comfort level among team members, a foundation of trust is impossible.

The first step is to identify those obstacles that prevent teams from functioning at optimum levels

2908 13

Dysfunction #2: Fear of ConflictTeams that are lacking in trust are incapable of engaging in unfiltered, passionate debate about key issues, causing situations where team conflict can easily turn into veiled discussions and back channel comments. In a work setting where team members do not openly air their opinions, inferior decisions are the result.

Dysfunction #3: Lack of CommitmentWithout conflict, it is difficult for team members to commit to decisions, creating an environment where ambiguity prevails. Lack of direction and commitment can make employees, particularly star employees, disgruntled.

Dysfunction #4: Avoidance of AccountabilityWhen teams don’t commit to a clear plan of action, even the most focused and driven individuals hesitate to call their peers on actions and behaviours that may seem counterproductive to the overall good of the team.

Dysfunction #5: Inattention to ResultsTeam members naturally tend to put their own ego, career development and recognition ahead of the collective goals of the team when individuals aren’t held accountable. If a team has lost sight of the need for achievement, the business ultimately suffers.

In a nutshell, team members who trust one another, engage in conflict, commit to decisions and hold one another accountable are very likely to set aside their individual needs and agendas and focus almost exclusively on what is best for the team.

Taking the first stepsMake sure you hire people who are capable of being strong team players. Team members should fit the company’s culture, be committed to the team and be capable of being genuinely vulnerable and selfless. Then once the team is in place, make teamwork an ongoing priority, not just a slogan. Front-load the team-building process by scheduling a meaningful offsite gathering. It is important to remember, however, that effective team-building has to be done in the context of real work, not tree climbing exercises.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get to know one another on a personal level and understand people’s different personalities and their life experiences though. Team-building exercises have to be grounded in the realities of doing our jobs. That’s what makes the team-building process stick.

The rewardsStriving to create a functional, cohesive team is one of the few remaining competitive advantages available to any organisation looking for a powerful point of differentiation.

Successful teamwork is not about mastering subtle, sophisticated theories, but rather about embracing common sense with uncommon levels of discipline and persistence. Ironically, teams succeed because they are exceedingly human. By acknowledging the imperfections of their humanity, members of functional teams overcome the natural tendencies that make teamwork so elusive.

So, how long does it take to build an effective team? It depends. If a team works together over a relatively short period of time, they can achieve this kind of team dynamic in a matter of weeks. But that means they talk about being a team, both in terms of interpersonal dynamics and specific goals and results. The fact is, some teams can work together for years and still be dysfunctional, and others can come together over the course of a month and become remarkably cohesive.

Building a team is a process that never ends. Like a marriage, it requires a constant investment of time and energy. For those leaders willing to make teamwork a priority, they will enjoy a powerful competitive advantage that is essential for manoeuvring in today’s marketplace.

Text | Grant Ashfield Photography | Shutterstock

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

Inattentionto Results

Avoidance ofAccountability

Lack of Communication

Fear of Conflict

Absence of Trust

LeadershipWorks is the official partner for The Table Group and

Patrick Lencioni content in Southern Africa.

The company provides training and consulting

services to leaders and their organisations in the Patrick Lencioni content. Their core purpose is to

provide the ideas and tools to build healthy

organisations and great business teams.

For more information contact: Grant

Ashfield, Telephone: 011 463 4788SMS: 082 894

4288, Email: [email protected]

Website: www.leadershipworks.co.za

About LeadershipWorks

3008 13

free | mind

panorama

A postcard perfect image of the Taj Mahal at sunset. Situated in Agra, India, this immense mausoleum was built on the orders of Shah Jahan, the fifth Muslim Mogul emperor, to honour the memory of his beloved late wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Built out of white marble and standing in formally laid-out walled gardens, the Taj Mahal is regarded as the most perfect jewel of Muslim art in India. The emperor was consequently jailed and, it is said, could then only see the Taj Mahal out of his small cell window.

A gift of love

3208 13

3308 13

A person elected as a TUR can have substantial influence over other employees. For example, he can be mandated by the union members to negotiate annual wage increases with the employer. If the elected TUR does not understand business economics and has a militant attitude, he could ferment work stoppages, go-slows, work-to-rule, protests, premises blockades, sit-ins or

even industrial sabotage. This can be disastrous for the employer and employees.

A less militant and more insightful shop steward will be able to represent employee interests effectively without unduly risking the viability of the business and the job security of the employees.

However, it is important to note that even when employees belong to trade unions, it is not always compulsory for the employer to recognise shop stewards. That is, the employer does not always have to agree to accept the election of and to interact with shop stewards.

Before the trade union can legally force the employer to recognise shop stewards as worker representatives the trade union first has to gain recognition itself from the employer and show that the trade union on its own (or in conjunction with other trade unions) has as members the majority of the employees at the workplace. In addition, the union must have at least 10 trade union members on its own or jointly with other unions in that particular workplace.

Shop stewards differ from trade union officials in that union officials are not normally elected from among the workers. Such officials are usually appointed and paid by the trade union. On the other hand, shop stewards

a shop steward is a vital link between

an organisation and its workforce. Interestingly, the Labour Relations Act does not use the term ‘shop steward’ at all. Instead, the term trade union representative (TUR) is used. Such a person is an employee elected by the trade union members employed at the workplace. That is, the TUR is an ordinary employee chosen by his fellow workers to represent them in their dealings with management.

Ivan Israelstam is Chief Executive of Labour

Law Management Consulting. He may

be contacted on 011 888 7944 or ivan@

labourlawadvice.co.za. This article first appeared in The Star.

Man in the middleWhat is a shop steward?

3408 13

free | mind

are elected by the union members and are not paid by the union for acting in this role. The significance of this for the employer is that it has to pay the shop steward as an employee of the company. When the worker puts aside his duties as an employee and carries out his shop steward duties the employer must still pay him.

This is a key reason for the fact that it is vital for the employer to enter into an agreement with the union before recognising the union and the shop steward. The purpose of this recognition agreement is to enable the employer to keep tight control over the activities of the union and of the shop stewards. Without such an agreement the shop stewards can run riot. That is, they can stir up trouble and squander valuable production time dealing with union issues instead of earning the money they are paid.

Working two jobsShop stewards have a number of trade union duties that can take them away from their normal production work, including:• Wage negotiations. This may involve the

shop steward in leading or assisting with the negotiations and in numerous preparatory and feedback meetings.

• Hearing employees’ grievances and negotiating in this regard with the employer.

• Representing employees at disciplinary hearings. This does not only use up time at the hearing itself. It can necessitate the shop steward spending protracted periods of time preparing for the hearing and dealing with appeals brought against the discipline meted out.

• Attending training courses and conferences arranged by the trade union for purposes of developing the shop steward’s knowledge and skills.

• Holding meetings with members regarding union issues.

• Representing members at the CCMA or bargaining council.

Where the trade union has complied with the three requirements mentioned earlier the employer cannot stop the shop steward from doing his union duties. However, the employer can and should refuse recognition of the shop steward until a properly drafted union recognition agreement has been signed.

It is also vital for an organisation to join a reputable employer’s organisation in order to gain access to expert legal advice and representation.

Text | Ivan Israelstam Photography | Shutterstock

4529 AVIS - SKYWAYS AUGUST AD - DRAFT01.indd 1 2013/06/28 10:11 AM

Does the arrival of Glass make you feel that everyone else can finally catch up to your way of seeing the world? Yes. Real smartphones didn’t really come out until the mid-2000s. For [wearable-computing advocates], the smartphone was kind of a letdown, because it’s something that takes your attention off the real world. It’s something that’s very hard to use effectively while walking down the street. It’s so fast for me to get information in and out [of the wearable computer] that it’s much less socially obtrusive.

How is Glass less obtrusive than a smartphone? You’re wearing something on your face.For me to go back and look for a message I sent you last takes me a few seconds. It’s something I can do all the time. It’s not something you can do all the time with a smartphone.

There’s already been a backlash, in large part because people can use Glass to make hands-free videos of their surroundings. Users are being called ‘Glassholes.’ Does this surprise you? I’ve been seen with interactive systems since 1993. There’s nothing I’ve heard [about Glass] that I haven’t heard before. And most of the time people, when they

Thad Starner

Skyways with MIT’s Technology Review

brings you the latest innovations

in the tech field

free | range

talk about these issues – they haven’t actually used one. They’ve never actually seen somebody use one. Can bystanders notice you’re using it? As a matter of fact, Glass does a very good job of that. You can actually see what the person is doing. You can actually see there’s a camera on. Glass makes a horrible, horrible spy device.

Still, a lot of people think it’s ridiculous. So were most new devices when they were introduced. So were cellphones, right? So were eyeglasses. So were cars.

That’s lofty, isn’t it, to compare Glass to things like the automobile? I believe if we reduce the time between intention and action, it causes a major change in what you can do, period. When you actually get it down to two seconds, it’s a different way of thinking, and that’s powerful. And so I believe, and this is what a lot of people believe in academia right now, that these on-body devices are really the next revolution in computing.

If I want a wearable computer, couldn’t I just get a wristwatch device like Pebble? They don’t quite have the functionality. How do you take the picture of your baby’s first steps with a wristwatch?

You can take out your phone. Isn’t it okay to get a photo of the third step? It takes 20 seconds to get that picture. Then it’s already happened, it’s already passed. The same thing with a wristwatch. You don’t really have a good way of taking a good picture with a wristwatch from a first-person perspective. I think the heads-up display is a better interface for most things you want to do.

How will Glass change the way we interact with each other? Well, now you’ll actually be able to capture your baby’s first steps.

But in terms of having a conversation with your wife or your kids, you don’t think people will find it distracting? If I walk by my students at Georgia Tech and you ask them, “Was he wearing it or not?” they can’t tell you. It’s just so a part of me, they don’t even notice it anymore.

What other applications would you like to see Glass have in the future? I’ll tell you one thing I found compelling early on – this

Few gadgets have generated as much excitement and hostility as Google Glass, a voice-activated computer-monitor combo worn on eyeglass frames. Now being tested by early adopters, Glass is an ambitious attempt to advance ‘wearable computing.’ It’s also a milestone for Thad Starner, a Georgia Tech professor who has been building and wearing head-mounted computers since 1993. A decade ago, he showed Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin a clunky version of such a device; in 2010 they hired Starner to be a technical lead for Project Glass. Starner told IT editor Rachel Metz why he thinks people will soon crave the ultrafast communication that the device makes possible.

3608 13

is something from 1993, called the Remembrance Agent. Imagine that as you’re, say, writing up this article, as you’re typing along, it pulls up articles from your past, or notes from your past, that might be relevant to what you’re currently typing. Having something that’s continually watching what you’re typing that will help pull up your past memories is really surprisingly powerful.

There’s a lot of ways to improve it. A lot of it is going to be in how people use it, how people integrate it into their lifestyles. People always talk about the killer app, but this is more a killer lifestyle. It’s a killer existence.

Portrait | Audra Melton

Top: Peter Schrider was declared endangered in 1974, when there w

Left: ya provide an elastic fibre with a crimp that is perfect for knitted fabric, while Suri is

SOUTH AFRICA

Hall 4 Stand H4.330

Printers are probably the dullest appliances one could ever buy for a home or office. They are also the most expensive pieces of equipment to disgrace the USB ports of a computer. But Epson’s latest inkjet printer promises to change all of that by doing what’s been due since inkjet inception: hoofing the cartridges.

The Epson Inkjet Photo L800 uses Epson’s new ink tank system. Unlike normal printers, the L800 uses bottles of ink, one for each colour. This is a new approach to desktop printing outside of the former Soviet Union but one that Epson claims can yield up to 1,800 10x15cm colour photos from the colour inks and 9,900 10x15cm photos from the black ink. The ink bottles cost around R170 with the L800 using six colours (yellow, magenta, cyan, black, light magenta and light cyan). Not the smallest amount of cash to outlay but with such a large yield it will over time be more than reasonable, since photos will cost 0.56c each.

The L800’s print quality is likely to be the stuff songs are written about. There is a slightly noticeable and adjustable bias towards red and yellow tones but overall the results are superb. That print quality is thanks to the 90 nozzle heads for each colour which deliver a printing resolution of 5,760dpi.

The only issue with the L800 is its printing speed. Epson claims that the L800 can knock out a 10x15cm photo in a time of 13 seconds but during testing, the speed was more in the region of 30 seconds with a full A4 page taking upwards of a minute. That said, only an impatient man would consider this a long time to wait for a photo.

The L800 is a single function printer aimed at those who want to print out a lot of photos, DVD covers, postcards and the like. Epson has also designed the L800 to be carted around and the user can lock the choke valve on the ink tanks to prevent leakage during transport. This is a handy feature since just moving house can cause your standard inkjet to act like it’s mortally wounded. A weak point for Epson is its drivers which are still clunky and feel like you are installing a printer from the ‘90s, but this is a small issue.

R4,000 is a lot of money to spend on a printer, especially one that does nothing but print. For some, the L800 won’t be high on the wish list, but for those who are passionate about actually printing photos this is a game-changer.

Score: ★ ★ ★ ★ Text | Michael Reed, PCFormat

Price R3,900

Web www.epson.com

Interface USB

Wireless No

Colours Six

Multifunction No

Stats

Drip, drip, dripCan we now afford to print photos?

free | mind

3808 13

Since 1994

Don't miss a single issue with www.Coolmags.co.za. It's never been easier to

subscribe to your favourite magazine. Simply log on to www.Coolmags.co.za

and subscribe to a host of interesting and entertaining magazines.

4008 13

BlackBerry MessengerThe BlackBerry Messenger service is nothing new and might not have ever been mentioned on this page if it wasn’t for recent updates. The simple IM now incorporates BBM Voice which allows users to call each other through VoIP. On top of this new voice feature is the BBM Video Chat which allows users with BlackBerry 10 devices to video call one another, similar to Apple’s FaceTime. The biggest change to BBM is the announcement that BlackBerry will be bringing it to Android and iOS. As of yet there is no indication when this will happen but within the next year is a safe bet with a release before the end of the year possible. The interesting part is that BlackBerry has stated that other phone manufacturers are interested in pre-loading the app onto their phones which could make life very difficult for WhatsApp.

ClozeCloze’s tag line is ‘The inbox is human again’ and in this case the slogan is spot on. Cloze is a reinvention of the inbox but instead of being focused just on emails Cloze is aimed at handling all forms of incoming communications and making them easier to manage. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Microsoft Exchange, Gmail and numerous other email services are supported.

All incoming messages and emails are sorted according to the sender and primarily the importance that sender has to you and your life. Emails and messages from your wife and CEO are far more important than emails from your accountant (unless it’s tax season) and should be treated differently. The other benefit is that Cloze stores all your contacts in one central location making it easier to find the person you are looking for.

WordWebWordWeb is an app for anyone who works with words on a daily basis. The WordWeb database includes over 285,000 words and phrases and includes synonyms and related words so it serves a dual purpose of dictionary and thesaurus. One of the biggest features of WordWeb is that it is 100% offline and doesn’t need an internet connection to deliver pronunciations or definitions. The WordWeb app is free and is available on Android and iOS.

Vine and InstagramOwned by Twitter, Vine is a video sharing service that limits users to six seconds of footage. The time limit is intended to spark creativity in the users like the 140-character limit has helped to deliver some very creative

tweets. The Vine app is currently limited to iOS with other versions of it in the works. Vine has quickly gained a large following but is now under attack from Instagram, which is owned by Facebook. Instagram has now introduced a video feature that allows up to 15 seconds of video to be uploaded. On top of that the Instagram videos can be tweaked with the filters and effects available in that app.

FleksyFleksy is a keyboard replacement app that incorporates a powerful autocorrect feature. The app was originally designed for blind and visually impaired people but it has the ability to make typing a quicker experience for the average person. The app is in beta at the moment which means it still has a lot of bugs. The keyboard lacks a spacebar or a delete key and instead uses gestures; a simple swipe left erases the word and a swipe right inserts a space. Fleksy is able to predict what word you wanted to say even if you miss every key but because it’s still young it does mess up words on occasion. Overall, Fleksy is a fantastic app with lots of promise and a real world application for both the able-sighted and those who are visually impaired.

Text: Michael Reed, PCFormat

The ability of technology to assist in everyday lives is limited only by human imagination and innovation. Fleksy is one such app. As it stands it makes typing easier for smartphone and tablet users but it has huge benefits for visually impaired and blind people who don’t have a Braille keyboard on hand. Vine and Instagram are fighting over the attention of those who like to record their lives on their phones but whether two almost identical services can survive in this small market is unknown; only time will tell.

Make the most of your smartphone

App your life

free | mind

26573 SwaziAirlink 275x213 p 10/14/11 2:53 PM Page 1

Composite

C M Y CM MY CY CMY K

A new way of living is gaining momentum

in the Lowveld42

08 13

free | mind

The locavore concept refers to the growing worldwide movement regarding the food we eat and the distance it travels from farm to fork. Locavores are the people concerned about not only the distance their food travels to reach them, but also how it is grown and managed. They keep things local and seasonal. It was introduced to the Lowveld in 2012 when Filo Mooney, founder of Body Mind & Soil, got together with Kate Barnett, Tamar Mason and Viv Rossaak, and sprouted Local-Lish-Us. According to Mooney, the idea behind the concept is to promote the sourcing and eating of food grown locally, within a radius of 150km from Nelspruit/White River.

The concept originated in San Francisco in 2005. Four friends set themselves a challenge to eat only locally produced food for a month, and coined the word ‘locavore’ to describe what they were doing. Hard on their heels, Canadian Alisa Smith and her partner, JB MacKinnon, wrote The 100-Mile Diet, describing their year of local eating. Locavores were up and running, and here to stay.

Reducing the carbon footprint of their food is a major factor in choosing to become a locavore, but it’s not the only reason. Many locavores want to know which pesticides and fertilisers are used for growing the fruit and vegetables, as well as the living and slaughter conditions of the livestock that ends up on their table.

One definition is to only eat food produced within a 150km radius of where they live. Some locavores extend this to include an entire region or province, or make exceptions for certain items which are impossible to grow locally, such

as spices, tea, coffee and chocolate. Luckily for Lowvelders, coffee and many spices are grown in the region.

Will it make a difference?Kathy Rudy, in an article for The Journal of American Culture entitled ‘Locavores, Feminism, and the Question of Meat’ described being a locavore as “a hope and a shared dream that we can regain a balanced relationship with nature through our food choices.”

The issue has attracted its fair share of opponents, arguing against the movement to eat locally. James McWilliams, in his book Just Food – Where Locavores Get It Wrong and How We Can Truly Eat Responsibly, says that we need to think beyond food miles, and that there are many other energy-sucking factors in food production. He suggests that cutting out red meat one day a week and reducing the amount of dairy consumed in your home will have a far greater positive impact on the environment.

Supporters, however, say that the positive gains extend beyond the transportation issue. The boost eating and shopping locally gives to the local economy encourages entrepreneurs and provides more jobs, as wells as eliminating excess packaging. Building a more personal relationship with the farmers who are providing the fruit, meat and vegetables we eat, enabling the consumer to get back to the beginning of the food chain, promotes a better community spirit and environment.

Mooney, Barnett, Mason and Rossaak are determined to keep up with planet-friendly initiatives. Because however you practise it – reducing your food miles, supporting farmers who treat their livestock with compassion and who add minimal chemicals to livestock feed, fruit and vegetables and supporting local businesses to keep your hard-earned rands close to home, can only be good for the community.

Text | Tracy Brooks Photography | Supplied

A new animal has arrived in the Lowveld – the locavore. This fresh lifestyle is capturing attention and fans all around the area. What is a locavore and what does it mean to live as one?

• Start your own vegetable patch with plants that are simple to grow like herbs and tomatoes.

• Preserving foods for use out of season is one way of ensuring a year-round supply of local items – freeze, preserve, can or dry your surplus for year-round use.

• Swop or sell your excess produce at a local community market.

• Expand the concept beyond food and support local craftspeople and artists for gifts, furniture and clothing – great for the local economy.

• Find out if your neighbourhood supermarkets and restaurants support local suppliers. If they don’t, start nagging!

• Visit local farms and get to know your farmer.

Living a locavore lifestyle

4308 13

4408 13

free | soul

Rudi Liebenberg

Raising money for charity can be a difficult task but here’s a novel idea – why not create a star-studded gala evening with 14 acclaimed chefs pairing up to create delicious dishes for guests, seven adept sommeliers to pair up those dishes with local wines and seven celebrated artists to round off the event?

In September Chefs Who Share will treat guests to an evening of glamour, culinary artistry and fine art – all for a worthy cause. All the monies from the ticket sales and the proceeds of an art auction will go towards two youth development charities: Make a Difference Foundation (MAD) and Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.

Two of the chefs who will be cooking for the guests have agreed to share their recipes with Skyways readers – just a taste of what you can experience.

Cooking for a

New food, wine and art extravaganza to benefit underprivileged children

Cure 1 carrot, ½ leek, 1 piece of fennel, 1 stick of celery, ½ onion, ¼ cup sugar, ¼ cup sea salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper and ½ teaspoon lemon rind.

Crust ¼ teaspoon freshly grated lemon rind, ¼ teaspoon fresh orange rind, ½ teaspoon toasted mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame, ¼ teaspoon coriander seeds, ½ teaspoon black pepper and ¼ teaspoon Maldon salt.

Lentil salad 100g cooked lentils, 1 teaspoon picked parsley, 1 teaspoon sliced spring onion, ½ lemon juice, 50mℓ olive oil, ½ teaspoon mustard, ½ teaspoon honey, salt and pepper.

Sour cream dressing50mℓ sour cream, 2 tablespoons chopped chives, lemon zest to taste, salt, 20mℓ lemon and lime, water as required and watercress leaves as required.

MethodCureLiquidise all vegetables and combine with salt and sugar.Lay fish in the vegetable brine for one hour, remove and rinse under running water. Pat dry.

RUDI LIEBENBERG’S SPICE CRUSTED TROUT AND LENTIL SALAD Ingredients2 fresh trout fillets (serves 4)

4508 13

free | soul

Spiced trout

Marthinus Ferreira

CrustCombine and blitz in a food processor for a couple of seconds. It must look like coarse black pepper. Brush one marinated fillet with vodka and crust. Leave until assembly. Smoke the second fillet with oak wood chips. Do not over smoke. Leave to cool down.

Lentil salad Combine honey with lemon, mustard and olive oil. Add herbs and season. Add lentils and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

For assembly Arrange two sliced pieces of crusted trout and two pieces of smoked trout on a plate. Sprinkle lentil salad.Place parfait and sour cream dressing. Place dressed watercress and serve.

MARTHINUS FERREIRA’S LAMB TERRINE Braised lamb shoulder, minted pea purée, confit new potatoes, roasted beetroot, spring onions, tomato lamb jus and beetroot paper (serves 4)

IngredientsLamb rack 120g lamb rack, 200ml minted lamb sauce and 200g lamb shoulder.

Lamb shoulder1.5ℓ white wine, 35g thyme, 45g rosemary, 5g bay leaves, 5g garlic and 1 whole lamb shoulder.

Lamb sauce5kg lamb bones, 1ℓ red wine, 20g mint, 10g thyme, 10g rosemary, 1g bay leaves and 5mℓ cabernet sauvignon vinegar.

Roasted parsnip purée 5 parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped, 50g butter and 100mℓ milk.

Pomme Lyonnais 10 potatoes, peeled, 300g caramelised onion, 500mlℓ reduced chicken stock, 100g butter, salt and pepper.

Lamb veg100g Brussels sprouts, 200g beetroot, 50g butter, 2g salt and 2g pepper.

4608 13

free | soul

the remaining butter and milk to the boil in a large pot. Add the roasted parsnips to the milk and boil covered for one to one and a half hours until soft enough to purée with your finger. Blend and strain through a chinoise.

Pomme Lyonnais Slice potatoes on a mandoline as thin as possible. Place chicken stock on heat and melt the butter into it. Remove from heat. Layer potato slices in a large tray, seasoning with salt between each layer and placing a thin layer of caramelised onion and a little pepper every third layer. Continue this process until there are six layers of onion. After the sixth layer, place a further six layers of potato without pepper and caramelised onion in between. Cover the tray with greaseproof paper and another tray the same size as the layered tray. Bake in the oven at 160°C for two hours or until soft. If there is no colour remove the greaseproof paper and place under the grill until brown. Cover again with greaseproof paper and the tray and press. Use a heavy weight on top of the covering tray to compress the potatoes. Put in the fridge. Once cooled, cut into 4x4cm cubes.

VegetablesBlanch the Brussels sprouts in boiling water for two and a half minutes and place in a hot pan with butter. Season accordingly. Roast the beetroot in the oven until soft. Peel beetroot and cut into cubes approximately 1x1cm. Heat in butter and season accordingly.

MethodLamb rack Take the rack, take off most of the fat and clean the bones with a boning knife. Season and pan. Fry to get colour and cool, then when needed cut in half and place in the oven at 250°C and cook until done to your liking:rare – 5 minutes / medium rare – 6-7 minutes / medium – 8 minutes / medium well – 9-10 minutes or well-done – 10-12 minutes.

Lamb shoulderPlace the lamb shoulder in a deep oven tray, place all the ingredients in the tray and cook for 18 hours at 110°C. When cooked debone the lamb and shred.

Lamb sauceRoast the lamb bones until golden brown and divide into two big stock pots. Add around 20ℓ of water to each pot and boil for eight hours. Strain the bones out and reduce further for one hour. Add red wine as well as three big spoons of mirepoix to each pot. Reduce further for ±4 hours or until the right consistency and strain. Finish with mint leaves, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves and cabernet sauvignon vinegar. Strain out the herbs after 10 minutes.

Roasted parsnip purée Use 20g of butter to roast off the parsnips in a pan until light golden brown. Do this in small batches to get an even colouring on the parsnips. In the meantime bring

Lamb terrine

of the pioneering spirit that characterises the local people to this day. The aim was to add value to the grapes grown by the farmers as well as to prove to the rest of South Africa and the world that fine wine could also be made in this challenging environment.Since the early ‘70s, the wine production activities have been extended significantly with the addition of cellars at Groblershoop, Grootdrink, Kakamas, and Keimoes. Grape juice production is managed from a separate, specialised facility at Kanoneiland, and is also done at the wineries of Grootdrink and Kakamas.The intake of the cellars has grown from 5,182 tons in 1968 to a record of 184,000 tons in 2004.Over the past few years, the focus has shifted from volume to quality wine production. With Orange River Cellars not only marketing wines under its own labels but also selling wine to some of South Africa’s leading wholesalers, much more attention has been placed on vineyard management as the adage ‘good wine can only be made from good grapes’ remains relevant wherever wine is produced.This has resulted in various new grape varieties being planted. With the Colombard and Chenin Blanc varieties still forming the backbone of the region’s wine industry due to the fruit complexity of these wines, the noble variety Chardonnay has also been planted in recent years, with great success.In addition, classic red cultivars such as Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Ruby Cabernet also flourish in the Orange River wine region and are producing wines of superb quality.

Many of the world’s great wines are made in regions that are dissected by the watery force of a famous river.

Sky cellarNorthern Cape vineyards enjoy great success

In France the Gironde and Rhône Rivers are at the heart of the Bordeaux and Rhône regions respectively. The famed Portuguese wine industry nestles on the banks of the Douro. And in Australia, the Margaret River has a major influence on that country’s viticultural landscape.In the north-western region of South Africa, around the Northern Cape town of Upington, the Orange River forms the backbone of the Northern Cape’s internationally renowned wine industry. Here some 17,000 hectares of vines are planted along a 350km stretch of the Orange River, and it is in this unique vineyard landscape that some of the world’s most exciting wines are being produced.Most of the region’s wine industry falls under the auspices of the Orange River Cellars, the largest winery in South Africa and one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. Some 890 grape farmers spread over this vast vinous landscape provide the finest grapes from which primarily wine and grape juice are made. With the annual grape harvest varying between 140,000 and 160,000 tons per year, it is no surprise to learn that the load is spread between five separate cellars in the Orange River Cellars stable.Orange River Cellars was established on 23 December 1965, with Upington Cellars harvesting wine grapes for the first time in 1968. While traditionally an excellent area for the growing of grapes – for consumption as table grapes and sultanas – the decision to begin a wine cellar was the result

free | soul

4808 13

ELEPHANT POINT AD Skyways 2 4/11/13 9:42 AM Page 1

Composite

C M Y CM MY CY CMY K

Getting startedThe best place to start when it comes

to establishing your property empire is probably in understanding how

leveraging – the strategy of borrowing capital to grow your investment – works.

It’s possible to borrow money for a number of types of investments, but property is arguably

one of the safest. High levels of consumer indebtedness and high interest rates have left South African banks wary of lending but getting finance for an investment property is possible, especially if you apply through a mortgage originator, which will give you a better chance of securing a home loan. Banks commonly offer loans up to 80% of the purchase price, meaning you can start building wealth from a fairly small base. The larger the deposit you put down on an investment property, however, the more you save on compound interest in the long run. Putting down a large deposit is advisable.

Do your homeworkBuilding your property portfolio begins well before you sign the contracts on your first investment purchase. Property

investors dedicate a considerable amount of time to watching the market and new investors should set aside up to a year to research areas, types of property and prices before looking at properties with a view to buy. The more research you do, the more you know, and the less likely you’ll be to make common beginners’ mistakes along the way.

GoalsMake sure you have well-defined long-term goals before beginning to build your property portfolio. Whether you’d like added day-to-day income or to fund your retirement, set your goals down on paper. Then it’s time to work out the steps you can take now to reach that goal. Affordability is usually the biggest concern for a first-time buyer. Factors like cash flow, the time you have to build your property portfolio, the ability to service loan commitments and your earning potential all influence the size of the investment that is best suited to you. Added costs like attorneys’ fees, levies, property maintenance and insurance need to be taken into account too. Once you’ve determined a realistic budget, you can start hunting for your first investment property.

Buy smartWhen laying the foundation of your property portfolio capital growth is everything. You need to look for property that will grow in value quickly, or which could grow in value quickly through renovation. The aim is to build equity quickly and move on to property number two as fast as possible. A high risk choice is not the best bet for your first property. You want to have as high a chance as possible of growing your portfolio from your first investment. The ideal property is the kind that is always in demand but that is finite in supply. A home should be close to infrastructure like schools and public transport, for example, and not too far from a central location where people work. Imagine yourself as a tenant in the property. Would you want to live there? If not, it’s likely not the best investment choice.

Building your portfolioOnce enough equity has built up in your first investment you can use it as a resource to fund another purchase. The one risk with this method of growing your portfolio lies in the fact that the mortgage on your first property will be higher and a second loan will also impact your cash flow. The greater your leveraging, the greater your risk.

With careful planning, it’s possible to build a small portfolio within 15 years. As with any investment, though, there’s no reward without some risk. Just make sure your risks are calculated.

Text | Lew Geffen Photography | Shutterstock

with the increased popularity of buy-to-let in South Africa, many

people aspire to owning an investment property. However, an investment portfolio is considered by many to be the holy grail of wealth building. A property portfolio, done well, can increase not only your personal wealth, but also your day-to-day income and, if you are very successful, can even become your primary source of income. Even the most impressive property portfolio starts with a first purchase, so how can you make sure you lay the best foundations for success?

As safe as houses

How to build a property portfolio

5008 13

free | mind

28917 AirlinkCargo 275x213mm ad_p.indd 1 2013/05/20 2:15 PM

free | range

The V40 Cross Country, introduced to the South African market in April, represents the first in the range. Based on the V40 station wagon, the CC has very few but well placed modifications for gravel, light sand and mud driving.

So, while Volvo’s XC range is ‘purpose-built crossovers’, senior vice president of product strategy, Lex

The new Cross Country range from Volvo signifies a shift from large SUVs to off-road capable hatches and station wagons. Since the majority of SUVs see dirt roads once a year, it makes sense to optimise vehicles that are already popular with buyers to be off-road capable, negating the need to buy an SUV at all.

all-rounderUnlike SUVs that claim to be capable of going off-road but have very little ground clearance, the Cross Country from Volvo does not pretend. We drove the new V40 CC to Madikwe Hills to test the limits of the newest model.

Volvo V40 Cross Country Elite D3

free | soul

An honest

Kerssemakers, explains that the V40 CC was developed to optimise the existing V40 on-road vehicle.

The range starts at R319,900 and goes to R419,800 with AWD and FWD options, so it is certainly not a budget-alternative to SUVs. Having a lower centre of gravity and less weight, however, has its benefits for a wagon-sized off-roader.

The standard V40 station wagon is already a good quality vehicle. The space, strong and modern design and reputation for safety have been big selling points. Now Volvo has raised the ground clearance to 145mm and added side and rear scuff plates and a roof spoiler, giving it that little bit of extra capability.

On launch at the Madikwe Game Reserve, the V40 CC being tested was the Elite D3 Gearshift – notably not an all-wheel drive vehicle. The DSTC system, however, is highly capable on gravel roads. The program is a dynamic stability traction control system that varies the power supply to the wheels, with a gyroscope that senses the

5208 13

Additionally, being a station wagon, the V40 CC has a much lower visibility rating than SUV drivers might be used to, and the sloping roofline not only makes getting in and out a bit awkward, but means that the window surface area is reduced and rear visibility is especially limited.

Still, it’s a highly practical vehicle, with a cooled glovebox, sunglasses holder, pen holder, storage behind and next to the seats and a large luggage compartment with a hidden floor for groceries. The rear seats can be split 40/60, the front seat can be collapsed and the luggage compartment made flat for extra-long objects.

With safety still Volvo’s biggest selling point, the V40 CC range includes ABS, EBD, EBA, DSTC and seatbelt pre-tensioners with Isofix points in the rear.

City Safety – a program which can brake at city speeds if the driver has not seen an obstacle – is also available, as is a blind spot information system and Cross Traffic Alert. The latter warns a driver who is backing out of a parking place of traffic approaching from the sides for up to 30m. A whiplash protection system reduces the risk of injury. This is activated when the CC is hit from behind. It cradles the passenger’s neck and spine and absorbs the impact as far as possible.

Airbags include knee (driver), driver and passenger dual stage units. There is also a side impact protection system including dual chamber airbags. The unique Volvo pedestrian detection system and airbag, which pops out on the outside of the vehicle over the windscreen, is an option.

Text and photography | Anzet du Plessis

Seventeen-inch Larenta dark grey glossy alloy wheels; power door mirrors; heated; puddle lights; rain-sensing wiper activation; side and rear scuff plates and roof spoiler; bi-xenon headlights; rear park assist; cruise control; front and rear reading, footwell and front door sidestep lights; two 12V sockets; lumbar support; power seats with driver seat memory; satellite audio controls; DVD/radio with Bluetooth, USB, aux input, eight speakers and 7-inch display.Optional: Navigation system, first aid kit, rear park camera, remote control for audio, 19-inch Alecto wheels, heated seats, Cross Traffic Alert, ACC, collision warning system, blind spot information system, pedestrian detection and airbag. (Packs available from R16,000 to R25,000.)

car’s direction and compares it to the movement of the steering wheel. It can reduce skid, brake one or all four wheels and can be turned off when not needed.

One of the more sophisticated systems on the market, it lends capability to a front-wheel drive vehicle usually reserved for those with power to all four wheels.

The D3 was surprisingly stable on the long gravel roads to the reserve – at all speeds – and handled very much like an all-wheel drive vehicle. The traction control kicks in so quickly that most drivers would not be aware that wheelslip had occurred, and the low centre of gravity makes it easier to handle on gravel bends than most SUVs might be.

Power delivery from the 2ℓ diesel engine is consistent, which is partly due to a truly smooth, six-speed automatic gearbox. Gear change depends on the ‘mode’ chosen, and having driven it in ‘eco’ mode for more than 600km, we can say with confidence that this is one of the few vehicles that don’t become frustratingly languorous when in a fuel-efficient based setting.

There’s no doubt that the performance mode is dynamic and entertaining, to say the least, but this is a vehicle that will keep drivers happy and engaged in every setting. Still in ‘eco’ mode, the engine delivers optimum torque at very low r/min across a wide range. Gearshifts, however, occur at equally low revolutions, making for high torque delivery during almost every driving situation.

As a game-viewing vehicle, then, creeping around a herd of 40 elephants, relying on the engine compression, was a breeze. But despite the refinement of the engine, noise insulation seems to have taken a back seat and it is really quite loud.

5308 13

5408 13

The GL, however, manages to pull off this near-impossible feat. Sure, you’re not going to tackle Baboons Pass in a GL, but it can handle surprisingly difficult obstacles. This is thanks to an off-road system similar to Land Rover’s Terrain Response, as well as maximum ground clearance of more than 300mm. We tackled some ugly ditches and dongas during the launch, and the Merc never struggled.

However, the GL is at its best on the road. It doesn’t matter if it is being driven on an open highway, a

twisting country lane or a bad gravel road. For a vehicle of its size, it feels surprisingly stable and nimble. The GL is massive, but it doesn’t feel like it.

The cabin is predictably plush. Build quality is impressive, and noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels are very low.

Merc’s aim was to provide the GL with a cabin as quiet and comfortable as that of the S-Class. Did it succeed? It certainly seems like it.

Three versions of the GL are available. The first is a 350 BlueTEC model that offers 190kW of power and 620Nm of torque. If you plan on using your GL as a leisure vehicle on a regular basis, this is the model to opt for. It promises decent fuel economy, is priced well within the segment (R966,246) and can be purchased with 18-inch wheels.

The second model is the GL 500 BlueEfficiency, which offers 320kW of power and 700Nm of torque.

The final model is the top-of-the-range GL 63 AMG, which develops 410kW of power and 760Nm of torque. As you’d expect, this AMG version is not designed for off-road driving. It doesn’t boast an off-road package and comes with massive rims that are not ideal for dirt roads. On tar roads, though, the GL 63 AMG is sublime.

All engines are mated to a seven-speed automatic gearbox.

Yes, the GL is expensive, but within its class, it is an excellent SUV. It provides just about everything you could ask for in a luxury SUV. It is fast, capable and comfortable. Moreover, it has a third row of seats that can actually accommodate a pair of adults. Vehicles such as the Cayenne, Q7, LX570 and Range Rover have some serious competition.

Text | GG van Rooyen

Like vehicles such as the Range Rover and Lexus LX570, the Mercedes-Benz is supposed to combine true off-road ability with unparalleled on-road performance and refinement. This is obviously difficult to accomplish, since good 4x4 ability generally demands a sacrifice in on-road driving dynamics.

Leisure wheels is South Africa's foremost adventure motoring magazine. For this reason Skyways has chosen

to work with Leisure

wheels when it comes to providing you with motoring

information. For more on the topic of adventure

motoring, look out for the current issue of Leisure

wheels, on sale now. www.leisurewheels.com

The S-Class of SUVsMercedes-Benz recently launched a new version of its uber-luxury SUV, the GL. The manufacturer says it is the most refined and luxurious SUV on the market. Is it really that good? Well, it is certainly a most impressive vehicle.

Mercedes-Benz GL-Class

free | soul

We are wherever you need us to be.

With 46 branches nationwide, including all major airports, and a wide selection of vehicles from budget to luxury all at highly competitive rates, you can rely on First Car Rental to be exactly where you need us to be.

46

A member of the

First in Car HireFirst in Service

Braamfontein - Park Station

0861 1ST CAR | 0861 178 227 www.firstcarrental.co.za

SEE thE rEality BEforE it‘S too latE The endangered African penguin needs your help. Act now and help change this picture. adopt a penguin today at www.sanccob.co.za and support SANCCOB and their partners in conservation to save our proudly South African penguins.

SANCCOB Animal Titles Full Page 210x275 V5.indd 1 2013/06/21 5:12 PM

It is for this reason that Tracey Chiappini-Young and Karen Jansen, founders of the soft toy maker Taunina, are on a mission to promote job creation in South Africa through the art of seamstressy. Granted, the range of toys are on the expensive side – ranging in price from R1,780 to R5,320 – but keep in mind each one is handmade by women who come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Chiappini-Young and Jansen began their business with a strong focus on sustainable development and sustainable luxury. Of the profits from sales, 30% goes to the seamstresses – 20% through the Bear Essentials Fund to pay for their housing, health care and education, and 10% in productivity-related bonuses.

Labour of loveThe two entrepreneurs founded Taunina in Cape Town in 2011 to help meet the growing needs of disadvantaged communities for employment and empowerment. “Taunina toys range from teddy bears to rabbits and puppies. The women who make the toys are incredibly talented seamstresses and embroiderers,” Chiappini-Young explains.

The toys are made with the strictest quality control from the finest fabrics from reputable textile houses such as Liberty of London, supervised by Chiappini-Young. Each toy takes four to seven days to make. The women must wash and powder their hands every 90 minutes to ensure the cotton stays clean. The completed toys are inspected carefully before they are shipped off in a one-of-a-kind Taunina hatbox. “We like to call the work we do a labour of love… it’s a brand with soul and feeling,” adds Chiappini-Young.

The toys are marketed as heirlooms rather than as toys for play. The idea is that they become a part of a family and are treasured for generations.

Lions of their destiniesThe name Taunina comes from ‘tau’ meaning ‘lion’ and ‘NINA’ which is an acronym for the business term ‘no income no asset’. “The idea behind the name is that

Taunina toys have already found their way into some of New York’s most exclusive departmental stores

As we celebrate Women’s Month, there will be much talk about gender equality. First and foremost, gender equality is a human right. Women are entitled to live in dignity and in freedom from want and from fear. At the same time, empowering women is also an indispensable tool for advancing development and reducing poverty. Empowered women contribute to the health and productivity of whole families and communities and to improved prospects for the next generation.

The bear essentialsCape women sew up success

SEE thE rEality BEforE it‘S too latE The endangered African penguin needs your help. Act now and help change this picture. adopt a penguin today at www.sanccob.co.za and support SANCCOB and their partners in conservation to save our proudly South African penguins.

SANCCOB Animal Titles Full Page 210x275 V5.indd 1 2013/06/21 5:12 PM

5708 13

free | mind

Taunina gives women who once had no income and no assets the power to become lions of their own destinies,” Jansen explains.

Chiappini-Young believes that the women who make the toys are artists in their own right. They are taught which patterns and colours go together so that a uniform aesthetic is achieved, but they are still given a large amount of creative freedom. “We afford our artists the opportunity to use their unique cultural heritage and artistry to not only earn a living, but also be recognised as the creators of some of the most sought-after teddy bears and other collectable soft toys in the world, and to be valued for their artistic contribution to the company,” she says.

The company says that each creation is marked with the seamstress’s initials and is a display of her inspiration and dreams for the future. The work gives her financial security and the ability to transform her own life and that of her family.

When you receive a Taunina soft toy, the idea is that you are exposed first-hand to global and social issues, prompting a desire to change the world. “The unique beauty of each collection piece lies in how it transforms

the life of the woman who made it and establishes a lifetime connection between the artist and the purchaser,” adds Chiappini-Young.

Taunina also believes strongly in education and children of some of the staff are at school in Cape Town where they can keep a close eye on academic progress, offering support or intervention if needed.

Beyond bordersTaunina is a new company, but the founders have no doubt that it will be successful. The toys are sold online and in only three places: the Taunina shop in Woodstock in Cape Town, the exclusive children’s store, Bundle, in New York and New York’s iconic luxury department store, Barneys.

“While we are working away in our studio in Cape Town, we love to daydream about where our bears will be travelling to, who they will meet first,” says Chiappini-Young. Recently, the Taunina collection was included in the Barneys Easter display. The collection made its New York City debut in September 2012 at Bundle, and flew off the shelves within a week. The company also released a home décor range in July.

Text | Cadine Pillay Photography | Supplied

Do you know of a worthy cause that

will benefit from exposure in Skyways?

Email: [email protected].

The Taunina project gives disadvantaged

women access to housing, health care

and education

5808 13

free | mind

advert_curves.indd 1 2013/07/09 09:19:03 AM

For thousands of young learners across the country, school has become more fun thanks to DreamLeagues.DreamLeagues are run by Dreamfields, which was launched on a wet and windy day in Orange Farm, in the far south of Johannesburg, in 2007. So far R34.2 million has been invested in school football. It is the brainchild of journalist and talk show host John Perlman, and consists of supplying primary schools with DreamBags. A DreamBag is a large bag filled with 15 pairs of boots and shin guards, and 15 sets of socks, shirts, shorts, and three footballs. Kit is supplied in the colour chosen by the schools, with boots given in the sizes requested.

The schools play weekly football in well-organised leagues, and the standard of play is showing marked improvement. Children in the DreamLeagues derive enormous benefits from sporting activity that is regular and predictable – as opposed to one-off tournaments and knockout competitions. For example, they learn that losing is not disastrous, because the next week and the next game provide an opportunity to work hard, improve and grow as a player and a team.

More than 2,200 teams around the country so far have pulled out their kit from DreamBags, bags ‘full of possibility and promise’, with DreamLeagues being

A host of corporate sponsors have come

on board to support the DreamLeagues initiative

Fields of dreamsChanging lives through football

6008 13

focus | CSI

played in the far corners of each province. Perlman says he started thinking about the idea in early 2006, prompted by the football World Cup in 2010 for which South Africa was preparing at the time.

The idea is to supply schools outside of the country’s major cities, in far-flung rural areas where the need is often greater. And although only a fraction of the 20,000 primary schools countrywide have benefited so far, Perlman is happy with the progress, saying it’s been important to break it down into ‘do-ables’.

PartnersThe dream is shared by several partners. The major sponsor is BHP Billiton, one of the world’s largest resource and mining companies, with major operations in Mpumalanga, Gauteng, the Northern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

“BHP Billiton was the first company to get behind the Dreamfields Project and has committed to supporting

schools and youth football until the end of 2015,” explained Perlman. The company first invested R6.5 million in Dreamfields in 2007, with a three-year contract, and then renewed its support in 2010 with a five-year contract worth R15 million. In addition, BHP Billiton has built fields in Richard’s Bay in KwaZulu-Natal and Kuruman in the Northern Cape, and another football pitch is being created in Ogies in Mpumalanga.

Other sponsors have come on board, like financial services giant Old Mutual, the Development Bank of Southern Africa, clothing retailer Edcon, banking and insurance provider First Rand, and Absa bank. Funds have also been raised from small businesses, as well as from children in more affluent schools. More than 95% of funds have been raised in South Africa. Other partners are the Department of Basic Education, the Department of Sports and Recreation as well as the South African Football Association, with coaching support.

Delivery of DreamBagsDreamfields focuses on children between the ages of 10 and 12. The delivery of the DreamBags to a school is an exciting event. The contents of the large bag are laid out, a bundle per player. Then each player is given his or her bundle, and that’s when things slow down a bit.

When the bag is opened, there is a collective “Wow!” from the kids, states Silas Mashava, who heads Dreamfields’ Sustainable Football Programme. The kids have seen football heroes on TV and have aspired to be footballers all their young lives, he says, and now to see the dream laid out in front of them is something hard to contain. “To make that dream a reality is just so magical.”

“What I love most about Dreamfields is the way the opening of the DreamBags seems to change the mood of the children. They arrive at the DreamEvent looking tentative and quite shy – and then somehow, as each of them gets kitted up, the growing sense of themselves as a team takes hold and confidence begins to flow,” says Perlman.

He recounts an event in Cape Town when a team opened their DreamBag and tried on their kit. The kids said the shoes didn’t fit them, although Dreamfields always gets shoe sizes from the school beforehand. It was a puzzle until he put his hand into the boots, and realised they hadn’t taken the tissue paper out of the toe of the boot. “I realised that they had never had new anything, they had always got hand-me-downs.”

He adds: “DreamBags cost R7,500 but the inspiration they provide is priceless. We never stop being inspired by the way a DreamBag transforms a group of shy youngsters into a confident team of 10-foot-tall footballers.”

It costs R7,500 to provide a team with a DreamBag

6108 13

It’s important that the kids realise they’re part of a collective, he emphasises. The trophy is given to the winning team; there are not best player prizes, although each kid gets a participation medal. The kits belong to the school, and are left at the school, so that other kids can use them for their games.

There are no knockout tournaments, but rather leagues, so they know that every week there’ll be a chance to play a game. “If you win this week, you’re not a winner, if you lose next week, you’re not a loser, you’re just taking part, and it’s up to you next week, you can do better. I think children instinctively understand that,” he explains.

“But the world has got to give them both the predictable and the exceptional. You know that every Wednesday there will be a game, every Tuesday a practice; the exceptional is what you can make of it. If you can get that mix, it’s a recipe for uplifting schools, communities, families, and children in a positive way.”

But many more people benefit from the beautiful game coming to their community. Local women set up food stalls when matches are played; taxi drivers get business from transporting teams; and local artisans get work in the form of making goalposts and stands. Kids not playing may be given paint to emblazon a wall with a message, or make a banner for their team.

Local league obstaclesThere are several obstacles that have to be worked through in local school leagues before schools get to play one another in DreamLeagues, where it’s hoped they will learn the valuable lessons of discipline, determination and teamwork.

Transport is always an issue, particularly in the far rural areas. Getting dozens of kids from one side of town to the other to play another school is costly, for schools and parents whose budgets are stretched anyway. And, in some small towns there is no taxi service, so arrangements have to be made to bring in transport.

Another issue is who is going to organise the games. Teachers often commute long distances to schools, so are not prepared to stay for extramural activities, in itself a disputed issue with the Department of Basic Education.

But there are solutions, says Perlman. There are teachers who want to be involved, and see the children play and reap the benefits of confidence and school performance. And for these teachers, that means more job satisfaction – teaching in schools where kids are performing well. Dreamfields invests in these teachers, giving them coaching training, equipment and information, like helping them to draw up fixtures. And, there are government schemes for stipend-based jobs for coaches, aimed at unemployed youth.

But perhaps the biggest solution is that Dreamfields won’t make big arrangements with huge promises that can’t be fulfilled. “We promise against a timetable,” says Perlman, with achievable goals. “We need some money, some will, and with a lot of systemic solutions we can get things done.”

Dream fieldsCreating dream fields can be a challenge, considering the maintenance required for a grass field. As a result, most fields the organisation has created are soil fields. Perlman stresses that fields are only built in communal spaces, so that the local municipality can take responsibility for them. Dreamfields has assisted one school to build its own field, after it raised the money.

The first two soil fields in the project were built in Tshisahulu in Limpopo, with funds supplied by businessman Vhonani Mufamadi, who grew up in the village. One of these fields has been converted to a grass pitch. Subsequently 10 more pitches have been built, two of them in Elliotdale in Eastern Cape, two in Driekoppies in Mpumalanga, and one in Richard’s Bay in KwaZulu-Natal. Two soil fields in Gopane in the North West Province, and two in the Bushbuckridge area in Limpopo, have also been created. A soil field at the Soul City informal settlement near Krugersdorp in Gauteng has been built, funded by Germany and Bayern Munich star Philipp Lahm.

The DreamLeagues concept teaches young

learners the importance of perseverance in

order to achieve success in life

6208 13

focus | CSI

So far 16 dream fields have been built around the country, 13 of them in small towns and rural areas. “Our fields act as hubs for football in disadvantaged communities and as focal points for community upliftment and pride.”

Particular pleasureWhen asked what gives him particular pleasure

working for Dreamfields, Mashava goes back to when he was a 12-year-old. “I aspired to be a footballer but we had no kit at school. The first time I played I got boots from my brother; I know the importance of kit.”

This is a dream job for him, he enthuses, that gives him a great sense of pride, to see what the game brings to the kids – “the greatest joy”.

Perlman says in response to the question: “I get really excited when we put together all the parts. I love the children and their excitement. The positive energy and intent often draws in positive people. We have just encountered amazing people with amazing ideas.”

For him it is not just about the next player for Bafana Bafana, the national team. It’s about growing the next

Constitutional Court judge, or the next entrepreneur who creates 20 jobs in his panel-beating operation, or the next woman who runs a chain of stores, or the next person who goes to university and becomes a civil engineer. “Football in particular has the potential to make them feel positive about themselves. You learn about winning, you learn about losing.”

“At Dreamfields, we believe we’re doing much more than providing the equipment and opportunity to play football, important as that is. Young people need positive activities to complement and reinforce what they are trying to achieve in the classroom. They need positive groups to belong to and constructive activities to fill up their days. They need dreams, all kinds of dreams. And while none may go on to be professional players, the lessons learned on the field as part of a team will help guide them in their later lives – as lawyers and panel beaters, doctors and carpenters, family members and citizens,” he concludes.

Text | Lucille Davie Photography | Dreamfields / Daniel Born /

Old Mutual foundation / Mark Wessels

DreamLeagues is the brainchild of well-known talk show host John Perlman

Barloworld Power has been the Caterpillar dealer for southern Africa for 85 years. Represented across Southern Africa, the Company is a leading provider of engineered solutions in the Electric Power, Marine, Petroleum, Industrial and Rental sectors, driven by Caterpillar’s extensive proprietary suite of diesel, heavy fuel oil, gas generator and engine configurations.

For more information call Barloworld Power on 011 898 0222 or visit www.barloworldpower.com, or email [email protected]

SWITCHED ON POWER SOLUTIONS

Power Corpoarte (1-2 H).indd 1 2013/01/26 3:29 PM

6408 13

focus | CSI

What if a community-based medium, which combined group management along with delivering education to outlying schools, could be merged with fundraising? In short, to enable everyone to enable others and themselves. He called the initiative 2Enable.

It took him half a day to explain to software development company Singular Systems exactly what he wanted the programme to do: the near impossible step of being accessible in both on- and offline modes; delivering learning content via video, MP3 and PDF formats; allowing up to 10 students to work independently at the same time from one computer; managing the members of his CMDA and fundraising for an assortment of community NPOs through event ticket sales. All this would be at no charge to students and NPOs – all costs and funding for the platform would be covered by donations and sponsors.

Six months and a very long list of wrinkles to iron out later, 2Enable has begun its first rollouts at two of the CMDA’s hubs in White River, Mpumalanga, thanks to the Dell Development Foundation, RMB and some other savvy donors.

So how does it work? Melissa Adey, 2Enable’s fundraiser, explained the 2Enable platform simply as “a

creativity, curiosity and self-motivation

are key personality traits for an engineer, and Mike Matthews has these aplenty. So when the Casterbridge Music Development Academy (CMDA) he and some friends established two years ago needed a programme to teach academy students from rural schools music theory and to manage the activities at the music hubs, his mind drew a ‘what if’ picture.

A school in the cloud

An innovative education initiative for rural learners

6508 13

road that we’ve built, now we can choose the vehicles that drive along it – whether science, maths, music or career guidance.”

2Enable is a facility which enables the CMDA to manage its members, track their progress and organise the contact sessions (face-to-face gatherings like practices, lessons or events). The platform also delivers educational content such as music theory, grade 8 to 12 maths and science, English and business studies with more to come. It allows fellow NGO groups like Brainwaves or Studietrust to upload their own specialist material, for example learning matter or bursary application forms.

Community serviceAnd it goes even further – by facilitating ticket sales for community events organised by the CMDA or other NGOs, a percentage of the ticket value is directly donated to selected community beneficiaries nominated by the event organisers, up to a maximum of five beneficiaries per event. Keeping it local and close to home, purchasers can opt for the charity of their choice when buying their tickets.

The programme’s track and trace abilities enable demographic data collection and also keep track of the individual members’ academic results. The learning subjects are given multiple choice tests, each test randomly selecting 10 questions from a hundred loaded

per learning step. So if the test is repeated, different questions pop up. In addition, a congratulatory SMS message is sent to the students when they pass. This facility enables corporate sponsors to purchase a bundle of SMS messages, which are sent out as if from the sponsor.

Learning content is uploaded by subject teachers, and once uploaded is there forever. 2Enable is not intended to replace a teacher, but to act as a teaching support. “Every year the teacher repeats the same lesson for a different class of learners. If that lesson is uploaded online, that opens up teaching time for the teacher to spend with individual students, or to further develop the lesson,” Matthews added.

“A once-off donation of R38,300 will load up an entire grade of maths or science content,” explained Adey. “It comes with a certain number of tests. Once the tests have been used, the original sponsor is not obligated to sponsor more; we can look for another sponsor.”

According to Matthews, “2Enable is unique because the learning platform is free for members and NGOs. It’s based on the new Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), so covers both Government and IEB curricula. It’s targeted at rural areas with limited internet access, so can be used offline. Quite frankly, there’s nothing else like it anywhere in the world.”

How much money will get 2Enable to where they envision it to be? According to Matthews, about R3.5 million will ensure that they can employ 10 educators for a year, to create all the content needed from grade R to grade 12 in every subject, and more computer infrastructure. He further explained that the sponsorship packages cover a wide assortment of options and benefits, fitting a range of budgets, and that the programme has been warmly received by the corporate sponsors, NPOs and education specialists that they’ve approached so far.

Meanwhile, the small team get on with the installation of 2Enable and the 20 Dell computers to schools scattered in the rural areas around White River and Nelspruit, and getting the next subject loaded using the sponsorship already obtained. The ‘cloud of learning’ concept now enters its next phase – implementation – as they address the different community needs and establish a model that works.

A single solution to the country’s education woes is unlikely, but 2Enable is ticking many boxes as a practical, affordable and far reaching solution which fits the diverse levels of education and communication infrastructure in South Africa.

Text | Tracy Burrows Photography | Supplied

Tel: 013 751 3171Mobile: 076 147 7670Web: www.2enable.org,

www.mpuma-music.org.za

Email: melissa @2enable.org.za

Info

6608 13

focus | CSI

Looking Good!

6060

ANNIVERSARY

1953-2013

www.see.za.orgCalls cost R10 • Network charges apply • 6060

ANNIVERSARY

1953-2013

Calls cost R10 • Network charges apply •

ANANA NIVERSRSR ASAS RARA

YRYR

1953-2013

6060

ANNIVERSARY

1953-2013

www.see.za.orgCalls cost R10 • Network charges apply •

www.see.za.orgCalls cost R10 • Network charges apply • 6060

ANNIVERSARY

1953-2013

media

Please SMS ‘R10’ to 38051Thank you

GDA A4 Portrait.indd 1 2013/05/20 3:51 PM

Founded in 2000, Operation Anti-Freeze is an inner city upliftment project that reaches the underprivileged, orphaned and abandoned children in the Ekurhuleni districts of Benoni, Brakpan, Boksburg, Germiston, Kempton Park, Nigel, Springs, Bedfordview and Edenvale. The organisation’s feeding scheme currently supports more than 1,200 men, women and children a month. It also runs school projects where learners receive a cooked breakfast and lunch on a daily basis. For some of those children the meal they receive at school is the only meal they will have for the day. Included in the parcels to the schools are hygiene products such as toothpaste, soap, Vaseline and deodorant.

This year Operation Anti-Freeze also provided warm clothing and winter school uniforms and blankets to adults and children in need. Looking ahead, the organisation hopes to provide school uniforms to a whole school instead of providing to only one classroom and would like to build warehouses to accommodate the food and clothing that it collects to ensure effective management and distribution of these items. The warehouse project is also aimed at providing opportunity for skills development as this would

enhance employability prospects and create opportunities for self-employment to the very children that Operation Anti-Freeze is now sponsoring.

Teaching people to live againCompass is a charity organisation that believes that it is not enough to feed and shelter the less fortunate. For this reason, it has developed a one-year programme that nurtures the people in its care back into society as whole, independent and self-sufficient individuals where they in turn can be a benefit to society once again, thus stabilising the socio-economic climate of the country.

The organisation has four houses where it feeds, trains, educates and nurtures abused and abandoned women, children and families. Thanks to generous sponsorships from corporates such as Airlink, Compass has been able to provide an unemployment upliftment programme, counselling, spiritual upliftment through its church and arrange for the distribution of food and clothes to people living in the street.


Operation Anti-Freeze and Compass are in

need of monetary and product donations.

For more information contact: Operation Anti-Freeze, Juanine du Toit, [email protected]

CompassAnnatjie Hammon,

[email protected].

Airlink, the largest independent regional feeder airline, provides reliable and convenient air travel to more than 30 destinations within Southern Africa. In addition, the company places a strong emphasis on giving back to those who are less fortunate by supporting various charity organisations. Among those organisations that receive financial support from Airlink are Operation Anti-Freeze and Compass.

focus | CSI

Reaching outMaking a difference to those in need

6808 13

SAGA is the only organisation of its kind in Africa to provide guide dogs, service and social dogs and orientation and mobility training. More than 1,400 visually impaired people have been trained since 1953. A visit to The Seeing Eye in the early 1950s by Gladys Evans, the founder, convinced her that with her failing eyesight, a Seeing Eye dog could make life better for visually impaired persons. Evans was trained with her dog Sheena at the GDBA Training Centre in Leamington Spa, UK. On her return to South Africa, she founded The South African Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind in 1953. In 1955, the first guide dog, Pluto, a Labrador and Collie cross, was presented to Eddie Dix of Durban.

In 1974, after considerable investigation into providing other forms of independent mobility for blind people, the Orientation and Mobility School was opened by SAGA, thus providing another dimension to independent travel by blind people. This school has trained sighted instructors of all racial and ethnic groups, who in turn return to their own areas and train their own people, in their own language, according to their own customs.

Most people applying for a guide dog have generally had some contact with a guide dog owner, and this has persuaded them to apply. The criteria for acceptance for guide dog training are simple: the physical and mental ability to be able to work and control a guide dog and the need for one.

It is interesting to note that all SAGA puppies are bred from specially selected stock, very often from dogs already bred by the Association. At about six weeks of age, the pups are placed in private homes to begin their Puppy Development Programme. The dogs come back from the Puppy Walking Scheme at approximately 12 to 18 months of age, dependent on the breed. They spend two weeks in the Approval Block to ensure that they are free from all external and internal

parasites and at that stage are allocated to a trainer. The trainer does the basic training and the dogs are then taken over by a guide dog mobility instructor who does the final polishing of the dog’s work.

Once the blind applicant has been accepted for training with a guide dog, it is then a matter of waiting until such time as SAGA can fit him or her into its programme with a matching dog. Over the past few years, the waiting list has varied from 18 months to two years, but it is hoped that this will eventually be cut down to six to nine months.

The cost of training one guide dog is R80,000 which involves breeding, puppy rearing, veterinary bills, formal training, aftercare and support for the rest of the dog’s working life which is on average eight to 10 years.

SAGA relies on the generosity of the public to ensure that it can continue to provide assistance to visually impaired individuals. The Association welcomes both monetary donations and donations in kind. It also sanctions initiatives to raise funds and awareness by third parties. An example of such an initiative is Friend in Harness, a magazine that reports on the activities and successes of SAGA. Published by Panorama Publications (publishers of Skyways magazine), Friend in Harness is distributed to all SAGA members every quarter. Furthermore, companies can support SAGA through charity golf days, payroll giving or sponsorship of a dog.


SAGA is currently raising awareness and funds through its annual See Me Campaign. You can support this worthy cause by texting ‘see me’ to 38051. Each SMS costs R10 which will be donated to SAGA. For more information visit guidedog.org.za or email [email protected].

Freedom and independence mean different things to different people. For a visually impaired person it largely means the ability to go where he or she likes, when they like. For 60 years the South African Guide-Dogs Association (SAGA) for the Blind has ensured the safety and independence of visually impaired people using a guide dog as a mobility aid.

Leading the waySAGA has been giving sight to the blind for six decades

6908 13

Cr ssingA song about beating addiction over

free | soul

7008 13

Rock stars often make drug and alcohol abuse look glamorous. However, once in a while one of them speaks out about the realities of these destructive habits. This is the case in the 1991 song Under the Bridge by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

I don't ever wanna feelLike I did that day

Take me to the place I loveTake me all the way

The song was written by the band’s vocalist Anthony Kiedis. In fact, it started out as a poem and Kiedis originally never meant for it to become one of the band’s songs as he felt it was private, too emotional and would not fit the Peppers’ style. He was convinced by the band’s producer Rick Rubin, who accidentally came across the poem and thought it was beautiful and worthy of being a song for the band.

Under the Bridge is all about Kiedis’ road to sobriety, how distressed this made him feel, as well as his regrets about what he had done and what he had lost because

Cr ssing

7108 13

• ThiswasoneoftheRedHotChiliPeppers’greatesthits,despitebeinga

balladwhichdoesnotreallyfittheband’sstyle.

• Evenrockerslovetheirmoms.TheguitaristJohnFrusciante’smother

sangback-upvocalsonthesongalongwithtwoofherfriendsfromthe

churchchoir.

• BeforeleavingthebandinMay1992,Frusciantesometimesimprovised

introsandexaggeratedhisbackgroundvocalswhenperformingthesonglive,

becausehewasgettingfed-upwiththesong.

• ThemusicvideowasdirectedbyGusvanSant,thesamepersonresponsible

fordirectingthemoviesGood Will HuntingandFinding Forrester.• In1998thesongwascoveredbytheUKgirlbandAllSaints,whobasically

changeditintoalovesong.Changesweremadetothelyricsandthewhole

lastversewiththedrugreferenceswasremoved.

of it. The song features on the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik, and while working on this album the band often smoked marijuana together. In his efforts to stay sober Kiedis didn’t take part, and this made him feel distanced from his bandmates and friends, as seen in the very first lyric: “Sometimes I feel/ like I don’t have a partner.”

During this time Kiedis felt that the city of Los Angeles

Interesting facts

free | soul

was his only friend: “Sometimes I feel like/ My only friend/ Is the city I live in/ The City of Angels/ Lonely as I am/ Together we cry.” He explained this in an interview: “I felt an unspoken bond between me and my city. I’d spent so much time wandering through the streets of Los Angeles and hiking through the Hollywood Hills that I sensed there was a nonhuman entity, maybe the spirit of the hills and the city, who had me in her sights and was looking after me.”

According to the musician he felt a deep sense of loss driving home from a rehearsal one day in 1991; a feeling that somehow his bandmates resented him. This depressed state of mind led him to think back about his heroin and cocaine addiction. As it often happens, the drugs destroyed the relationship he had with his then girlfriend, Ione Skye, and he experienced a lot of regret about this: “The loneliness that I was feeling triggered memories of my time with Ione and how I had this beautiful angel of a girl who was willing to give me all of her love, and instead of embracing that, I was downtown with gangsters shooting speedballs under a bridge.”

The bridgeSo what does ‘under the bridge’ actually refer to? According to Kiedis, this is a reference to one of the worst events of his life, as described in the last verse of the song: “Under the bridge downtown/ Is where I drew some blood/ Under the bridge/ I could not get enough/ Under the bridge/ Forgot about my love/ Under the bridge/ I gave my life away.”

This is all about how Kiedis attempted to enter a gang’s territory, which was under a certain bridge, in order to buy drugs. To gain entrance he pretended to be the fiancé of one of the gang members’ sister, and he managed to get his drugs. Today he feels like that event is telling of how far he was willing to go to get his fix.

Kiedis has admitted that the bridge where this happened is in downtown Los Angeles, but he refused to ever reveal its exact location. However, using clues from previous interviews and Kiedis’ autobiography Scar Tissue, writer Mark Smith concluded that the bridge that inspired this song was located in the city’s MacArthur Park.

Fortunately for Kiedis he achieved a happy ending. He told Rolling Stone magazine that even though it was difficult, his life was much better without the drug addiction. “No matter how sad or lonely I got, things were a million percent better than they were earlier when I was using drugs all the time. There was no comparison.”

Text | Noleen Fourie Photography | Shutterstock

7208 13

The Verwoerd Who Toyi-Toyied By Melanie Verwoerd

As a Stellenbosch schoolgirl, Melanie met Wilhelm Verwoerd, grandson of the ‘father of apartheid’, HF Verwoerd, and at age 20 she married him. In the turbulent early 1990s, the two young Verwoerds did the unthinkable by joining the recently unbanned African National Congress. When she openly supported the ANC, the Verwoerds disowned her and her family but Melanie persisted on her chosen path. She served in the first non-racial parliament under Nelson Mandela and as South African ambassador to Ireland and eventually head of UNICEF Ireland. She also found personal happiness with Irish celebrity broadcaster Gerry Ryan – until his premature and shocking death shattered not only her heart, but also her career. This is the story of a modern woman who made her own choices and lived by her own truth. It also goes to the heart of media, politics and power in the modern world.

✶✶✶✶✶

See South Africa By Dawid van Lill

Where regular trivia and fact guides consist of list upon list of information, author Dawid Van Lill takes a different route here and represents facts about the country at a glance with an innovative visual approach. Van Lill curates interesting and important information that every South African needs to know: from the symbolic meaning of the country’s shield, to the location and height of every lighthouse on the coast of our country.

✶✶✶✶✶

BOOKS

8115: A Prisoner’s Home By Alf Kumalo

In his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela describes his house at 8115 Vilakazi Street, Soweto, as “identical to hundreds of others. It had the same standard tin roof, the same cement floor, a narrow kitchen, and a bucket toilet at the back.”Little did Mandela know when he first moved into the house in 1946 that it would

become the stage for some of the most important political events in South Africa’s turbulent history and, in recent times, a cultural landmark visited by thousands of tourists each year.Renowned photographer Alf Kumalo captured the day-to-day life of the Mandelas – the raids by the security police and intimate family moments, both of joy and sorrow, as well as Mandela’s return to his home after his release from prison in 1990, 28 years after he had left it. 8115: A Prisoner’s Home collects some of Kumalo’s most historically important and beautiful images of the Mandela family and their home, giving us a unique insight into the life of the family who would have a profound effect on South Africa’s political landscape.Alf Kumalo is one of South Africa’s greatest photographers and his work has been exhibited all over the world. He was awarded the Order of Ikhamanga, South Africa’s highest award for excellence in the creative arts.

✶✶✶✶✶

What Dawid Knew By Patricia Glyn

This is an eco-adventure with a difference. What Dawid Knew explores the personal history and heritage of a remarkable family and what the Bushmen have to teach

us about respect for, and responsible management of, our natural resources.Dawid Kruiper was an old Bushman with a secret that had been kept in his family for over a century, and which he wanted to hand on to his sons before he died. But he didn’t have the means to take his children back to the place where his grandfather had witnessed the horror that silenced him. So Dawid asked Patricia Glyn to

help him mount the great – and final – odyssey of his life. For two months in 2011, three generations of the Kruiper family, Glyn and her expedition crew travelled through the Kalahari, visiting and documenting places where Dawid and his forebears had roamed when they were ‘wild’ and free in the decades before the outsiders arrived in their homeland. Their journey culminated in Dawid releasing his secret to the world. This is the story of how Glyn’s assumptions about and relationships with the Kruiper family were tested to the limit before they trusted her with their knowledge and stories. Patricia slowly gains an understanding of the depth of the Kruipers’ pain after centuries of genocide, prejudice and dispossession. The result is a candid but compassionate account of how this historical trauma manifests in the everyday lives of a contemporary Bushman family.

✶✶✶✶✶

7308 13

panorama

Some call the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas a work of art while others simply say it is a desert graveyard for cars. It was created in 1974 by Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez and Doug Michels, who were a part of the art group Ant Farm, and consists of what were either older running used or junk Cadillac automobiles, representing a number of evolutions of the marque from 1949 to 1963, half-buried nose-first in the ground, at an angle corresponding to that of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. In popular culture, Pixar’s 2006 animated film Cars depicts a Cadillac range as a mountain formation.

Caddy shack

7408 13

7508 13

chal

leng

ing

easy

sudoku

Easy

Medium

Puz

zles

sup

plie

d by

Co

ncep

tis,

ww

w.c

once

ptis

puzz

les.

com

Each Battleship puzzle represents a section of ocean with a hidden fleet of one battleship, two cruisers and three submarines.

The ships may be oriented horizontally or vertically within the grid such that no ship touches another, not even diagonally. Any remaining squares in the grid contain water segments, which are shown as a symbol of water or as an X.

The numbers on the bottom and on the right of the grid show how many squares in the corresponding rows and columns are occupied by ships. The object is to discover where all six ships are located.

battleshipTry the addictive game of Sudoku. The aim is to fill each block with a number from 1 to 9. Each number must not appear more than once in each row, column and square.

If you can’t finish this puzzle during your flight, please take this free copy of Skyways with you. The cabin attendant will make sure that the next passengers get their own magazine, with a clean Sudoku for them to puzzle over!

Puzzles taken from www.krazydad.com

Solutions can be found on page 16

The amount that Lee Harvey Oswald’s cadaver tag fetched at an auction in 1992

$6,600The time displayed on a watch in most advertisements

10:10

1 x Battleship

2 x Cruisers

3 x Submarines

7608 13

This

is yo

ur c

ompl

imen

tary

cop

y of

Skyways.

Sho

uld

you

wish

to h

ang

on to

any

info

rmat

ion,

ple

ase

take

this

copy

of t

he m

agaz

ine

with

you

.

THRIFTY_SkyCafe_180x245_AUG_PR.indd 1 2013/07/02 5:06 PM 7708 13

sky | cafe

GORDON MILLARPGA Teaching Professionalat Verwey Golf RangeFourways Johannesburg

Offers lessons for:Individual, Private, Ladies Clinic, Chipping, Pitching, Putting, Groups, Couples, Corporate and Video Analysis

Call Gordon

082 957 3375

Cappuccino’s Exclusive Guest Lodge, Situated in Kitwe the hub if the Copperbelt, easy access to Ndola, Mufulira, Chingola, Chililabombwe, Solwezi, Lumwana, Kalimbila, and Kasumbalesa.Fully Licenced Bar, Restaurant, swimming pool, Sauna, All en-suit, DSTV, Air-con, Mosquito nets, hospitality trays, All facilities for Lodge guest and there guest only.We look forward to seeing you.

Tel+ 260 969407237 +260 071252080 | Email [email protected]

KITWE ZAMBIA

www.tentco.co.za

The BIGGEST selection of real canvas tents in Africa

Tel: +27 11 397 6451/2Fax: +27 11 397 6421

[email protected]

Manufacture • Wholesale • Retailers

7808 13

sky | cafe

This

is yo

ur c

ompl

imen

tary

cop

y of

Skyways.

Sho

uld

you

wish

to h

ang

on to

any

info

rmat

ion,

ple

ase

take

this

copy

of t

he m

agaz

ine

with

you

.

7908 13

sky | cafe

Mendola, situated in the Midlands Meander, is a new upmarket wedding venue that offers bespoke packages to make your special day one to cherish.

Mendola can take care of your entire wedding requirements including flowers, décor, invitations, photography, videography, non-religious celebrant with marriage certificate, music, catering, bar, waitrons , wedding gowns, bridemaids gowns, vintage car for photo shoot and midnight snacks or braai. There are also special honeymoon packages on request.

The venue seats 120 guests comfortably, but will seat up to 150. There is also a beautiful Gazebo for the ceremony and Mendola offers the option of a marquee for inclement weather, which is tastefully decorated with chandelier lighting, fairy lights and a white carpet for the aisle. In addition, there are gardens for pre-reception drinks and snacks with tables, beautiful linen and umbrellas.

Mendola’s wedding package includes 6 up market self-catering chalets for the bridal retinue and family, with under cover parking, security, and adequate guest parking within the grounds. For any overflow of guests, there are many top quality B & Bs in the vicinity that are close by for convenience, for which accommodation can be readily arranged.

Gill Patterson-RobertsEmail: [email protected]

Tel: +27 33 330 5623Cell: +27 82 771 3444

www.satinandroses.comMembers of ABIA South Africa

Members of BNI Midlands

Wedding co-ordination and Planning• Decor • Floral Art

Contact Us for Reservations and Enquiries: [email protected] | Mobile: 079 287 1619

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

CI2793 - Vsolution Skyways Ad (134X79mm) R.pdf 1 2012/08/29 4:58 PM

www.Kruger Real Estate.co.zaLive a Wild Life

Hoedspruit 015 793 1686 • Phalaborwa 015 781 7177

8008 13

sky | cafe

This

is yo

ur c

ompl

imen

tary

cop

y of

Skyways.

Sho

uld

you

wish

to h

ang

on to

any

info

rmat

ion,

ple

ase

take

this

copy

of t

he m

agaz

ine

with

you

.

8108 13

sky | cafe

Leisure & corporate rentals in and around Cape Town & Johannesburg

A PA RT M E N T R E N TA L S

Why stay home when you can stay with us?

• StudiosfromR500perapartmentpernight,orR6000permonth

• 1bedroomapartmentsfromR750perapartmentpernight,orR8500permonth

• 2bedroomapartmentsfromR950perapartmentpernight,orR10000permonth.

Notimewastedwithourreal-timeavailabilitycalendars,andreservationsbookingenginewithinstantconfirmation.

Try it LIVE... www.fzp.co.za

FZP Apartment Rentals+27 (0) 21 426 1634www.fzp.co.za [email protected]/fzpapartments

Call +27(0)61 408 3235 or +1.888.645.4689 to order or visit our website www.wikiglobal.netDistributors Nationally and Southern Africa should email [email protected]

The new WIKI Droid dual SIM Android smart phones

• Free one month DSTV mobile subscription. T&C apply.

• Use discount code “SKYWAYS” when ordering online

to receive 5% discount off.

• This offer is valid while stock lasts.

• Payment terms available.

• Reseller kit available.

facebook.com/wikiglobal twitter.com/wikiglobal youtube.com/wikiglobal

8208 13

sky | cafe

This

is yo

ur c

ompl

imen

tary

cop

y of

Skyways.

Sho

uld

you

wish

to h

ang

on to

any

info

rmat

ion,

ple

ase

take

this

copy

of t

he m

agaz

ine

with

you

.

8308 13

sky | cafe

Golf Bags: 1 bag at 15kg free baggage allowance – golf bags must be pre booked with your booking agent.

TIMETABLE effective 01 AUGUST 2013

Whe

n pl

anni

ng y

our n

ext f

light

, fo

r bus

ines

s or

ple

asur

e, th

is fli

ght s

ched

ule

will

com

e in

han

dy.

Take

this

FREE

cop

y of

Skyways

with

you

.F L I G H T S – Domestic

Cape Town - George - Cape TownSA8621SA8625SA8639SA8641SA8635SA8622SA8630SA8638SA8642SA8636

SA8617SA8615SA8618SA8616

SA8663SA8664

SA8645SA8647SA8646SA8648

SA8531SA8535SA8537 SA8532SA8536SA8538

SA8515SA8514

SA8507SA8505SA8508SA8506SA8510

SA8823SA8827SA8843SA8841 SA8845SA8829SA8849SA8824SA8828SA8842SA8830SA8846SA8844SA8848

SA8851SA8853SA8857SA8852SA8854SA8858

Cape Town - GeorgeCape Town - GeorgeCape Town - GeorgeCape Town - GeorgeCape Town - GeorgeGeorge - Cape TownGeorge - Cape TownGeorge - Cape TownGeorge - Cape TownGeorge - Cape Town

Cape Town - KimberleyCape Town - KimberleyKimberley - Cape TownKimberley - Cape Town

Cape Town - NelspruitNelspruit - Cape Town

Cape Town - UpingtonCape Town - UpingtonUpington - Cape TownUpington - Cape Town

Durban - BloemfonteinDurban - BloemfonteinDurban - BloemfonteinBloemfontein - DurbanBloemfontein - DurbanBloemfontein - Durban

Durban - GeorgeGeorge - Durban

Durban - NelspruitDurban - NelspruitNelspruit - DurbanNelspruit - DurbanNelspruit - Durban

Johannesburg - NelspruitJohannesburg - NelspruitJohannesburg - NelspruitJohannesburg - NelspruitJohannesburg - NelspruitJohannesburg - NelspruitJohannesburg - NelspruitNelspruit - JohannesburgNelspruit - JohannesburgNelspruit - JohannesburgNelspruit - JohannesburgNelspruit - JohannesburgNelspruit - JohannesburgNelspruit - Johannesburg

Johannesburg - PhalaborwaJohannesburg - PhalaborwaJohannesburg - PhalaborwaPhalaborwa - JohannesburgPhalaborwa - JohannesburgPhalaborwa - Johannesburg

Cape Town - Kimberley - Cape Town

Cape Town - Nelspruit - Cape Town

Cape Town - Upington - Cape Town

Durban - Bloemfontein - Durban

Durban - Nelspruit - Durban

Johannesburg - Nelspruit - Johannesburg

07:1509:3013:3014:3016:4508:3010:4514:4515:4018:10

16:3016:5018:3018:45

10:0013:15

09:4510:4511:3012:50

06:5015:1516:3508:1517:3018:00

09:4011:50

06:4513:4508:2515:1017:35

06:3009:0010:0011:1015:3016:2517:3007:4010:1013:3515:0516:4015:4518:45

06:2511:4516:1008:0013:1517:50

08:0510:2014:2015:2017:4009:2011:3515:3516:3019:05

18:0518:2520:0520:20

12:3515:55

11:0512:0512:5014:10

07:5516:4017:4009:1518:3519:00

11:3013:15

08:0514:4509:4516:1518:35

07:2009:5010:5011:5516:1517:1518:2008:3511:0514:2516:0017:3016:4019:40

07:35 12:5517:2009:2014:3519:10

1 2 3 4 5 61 2 3 4 5 6 71 2 3 4 5 71 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 71 2 3 4 5 7

1 2 3 4 5 71 2 3 4 5 7

1 2 3 4 5 6 71 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 2 3 4 5 7 71 2 3 4 5 7 7

1 2 3 4 5 71 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 71 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 6 71 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 2 3 4 51 2 3 4 5 6 71 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 2 3 4 51 2 3 4 5 6 71 2 3 5 61 2 3 4 5 6 71 2 3 4 5 6 7 71 2 3 4 51 2 3 4 51 2 3 4 5 6 71 2 3 4 5 6 7 71 2 3 4 5 6 71 2 3 5 61 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 71 2 3 4 5 71 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 71 2 3 4 5 7

ER3ER3ER3ER3AR8ER3ER3ER3 ER3AR8

ER3ER3ER3ER3

AR8AR8

ER3ER3ER3ER3

ER3J41ER3ER3J41ER3

ER3ER3

J41ER3J41ER3ER3

ER3ER3ER3AR8AR8ER3ER3ER3ER3AR8ER3AR8ER3ER3

J41 J41J41J41J41J41

AirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlink

AirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlink

AirlinkAirlink


AirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlink

AirlinkAirlink

AirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlink

AirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlink


FLIGHT ROUTE DEPARTURE ARRIVAL FREQUENCY AIRCRAFT OPERATED BY

Durban - George - Durban

Johannesburg - Phalaborwa - Johannesburg

8408 13

Airlink's REGIONAL AND DOMESTIC flights check-in Terminal B counters B89 - B101 at OR Tambo International Airport.

Whe

n pl

anni

ng y

our n

ext f

light

, fo

r bus

ines

s or

ple

asur

e, th

is fli

ght s

ched

ule

will

com

e in

han

dy.

Take

this

FREE

cop

y of

Skyways

with

you

.


F L I G H T S – Domestic

SA8801

SA8809

SA8817

SA8815

SA8802

SA8810

SA8818

SA8816

SA8747

SA8735

SA8741

SA8739

SA8730

SA8732

SA8736

SA8742

SA8761

SA8767

SA8769

SA8762

SA8768

SA8770

SA8480

SA8488

SA8481

SA8489

SA8751

SA8753

SA8755

SA8752

SA8754

SA8756

Johannesburg - Polokwane




Polokwane - Johannesburg




Johannesburg - Pietermaritzburg




Pietermaritzburg - Johannesburg




Johannesburg - Upington



Upington - Johannesburg



Port Elizabeth - East London

Port Elizabeth - East London

East London - Port Elizabeth

East London - Port Elizabeth

Johannesburg - Mthatha



Mthatha - Johannesburg



06:35

11:40

13:15

17:05

07:55

13:00

14:25

18:15

07:00

11:30

15:30

18:15

06:45

08:30

13:30

17:00

07:10

11:00

15:30

09:25

12:50

17:20

07:00

16:15

08:05

17:20

06:15

08:20

16:10

07:50

09:55

17:45

07:25

12:40

14:05

17:55

08:50

14:05

15:20

19:10

08:00

12:50

16:30

19:15

07:45

09:30

14:55

18:00

09:05

12:30

17:00

11:25

14:25

18:55

07:45

17:00

08:55

18:10

07:30

09:35

17:25

09:05

11:10

19:00

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 2 3 4 5 7

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 2 3 4 5 7

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 2 3 4 5 7

1 2 3 4 5 7

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 6

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 2 3 4 5 7

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 2 3 4 5 7

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 2 3 4 5 7

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

6

1 2 3 4 5 7

1 2 3 4 5

6

1 2 3 4 5 7

ER3

J41

ER3

ER3

ER3

J41

ER3

ER3

AR8

J41

AR8

AR8

AR8

AR8

J41

AR8

J41

ER3

ER3

J41

ER3

ER3

J41

J41

J41

J41

ER3

ER3

ER3

ER3

ER3

ER3


Johannesburg - Polokwane - Johannesburg

Johannesburg - Pietermaritzburg - Johannesburg

Johannesburg - Upington - Johannesburg

Port Elizabeth - East London - Port Elizabeth

Johannesburg - Mthatha - Johannesburg

Durban - Maputo - Durban

F L I G H T S – RegionalFLIGHT ROUTE DEPARTURE ARRIVAL FREQUENCY AIRCRAFT OPERATED BY

SA8290SA8291

SA8252SA8253

SA8214SA8215

SA8110SA8111

SA8303SA8304

SA8870SA8871

Durban - MaputoMaputo - Durban

Johannesburg - AntananarivoAntananarivo - Johannesburg

Johannesburg - BeiraBeira - Johannesburg

Johannesburg - BulawayoBulawayo - Johannesburg

Johannesburg – KasaneKasane – Johannesburg

Nelspruit - LivingstoneLivingstone - Nelspruit

10:1011:45

10:0015:00

11:3013:30

10:4012:50

11:4514:00

11:3513:45

11:2513:05

14:1017:40

13:1015:20

12:0514:25

13:2515:50

13:5015:25

1 2 3 4 5 71 2 3 4 5 7

1 2 3 4 5 6 71 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 2 3 4 5 6 71 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 2 3 4 5 6 71 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 3 5 71 3 5 7

1 2 3 5 61 2 3 5 6

J41J41

AR8AR8

ER3ER3

AR8AR8

ER3ER3

J41J41

AirlinkAirlink

AirlinkAirlink

AirlinkAirlink

AirlinkAirlink

AirlinkAirlink

AirlinkAirlink

Johannesburg - Antananarivo - Johannesburg

Johannesburg - Beira - Johannesburg

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Airlink

Johannesburg - Bulawayo - Johannesburg

Johannesburg - Kasane - Johannesburg

Nelspruit - Livingstone - Nelspruit

8508 13

MEMBER

EXCESS BAGGAGE AND SPORTING EQUIPMENT: Refer to www.flyairlink.com Important information & Conditions of Carriage Clause 8 Baggage 8.3Whilst every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of content of the published timetable, both operational and strategic issues cause timetable changes.Due to the forward lead time required for publication, these often cannot be duly reflected. Should this occur, Airlink and its agents are not responsible for any errors, omissions, losses or detriments arising from the publication.

• Flight schedules subject to change • Contact your booking agent for these conditions

For reservations visit www.flyairlink.com, your travel agent or SAA Central Reservations on +27 11-978 1111


Whe

n pl

anni

ng y

our n

ext f

light

, fo

r bus

ines

s or

ple

asur

e, th

is fli

ght s

ched

ule

will

com

e in

han

dy.

Take

this

FREE

cop

y of

Skyways

with

you

.

Day 1 = Monday, Day 7 = Sunday

F L I G H T S – Regional

SA8160SA8162SA8164SA8161SA8163SA8165

SA8100SA8102SA8102SA8101SA8103SA8103

SA8012SA8992SA8994SA8014SA8996SA8998SA8013SA8991SA8997SA8993SA8995SA8015

SA8050SA8052SA8062SA8060SA8051SA8053SA8063SA8061

SA8300SA8301

SA8230SA8230SA8231SA8231

SA8158SA8154SA8156SA8159SA8155SA8157

SA8204SA8205

SA8220SA8221

SA8260SA8261

Johannesburg - LusakaJohannesburg - LusakaJohannesburg - LusakaLusaka - JohannesburgLusaka - JohannesburgLusaka - Johannesburg

Johannesburg - HarareJohannesburg - HarareJohannesburg - HarareHarare - JohannesburgHarare - JohannesburgHarare - Johannesburg

Johannesburg - ManziniJohannesburg - ManziniJohannesburg - ManziniJohannesburg - ManziniJohannesburg - ManziniJohannesburg - ManziniManzini - JohannesburgManzini - JohannesburgManzini - JohannesburgManzini - JohannesburgManzini - JohannesburgManzini - Johannesburg

Johannesburg - MaseruJohannesburg - MaseruJohannesburg - MaseruJohannesburg - MaseruMaseru - JohannesburgMaseru - JohannesburgMaseru - JohannesburgMaseru - Johannesburg

Johannesburg - Maun Maun - Johannesburg

Johannesburg - NampulaJohannesburg - NampulaNampula - JohannesburgNampula - Johannesburg

Johannesburg - NdolaJohannesburg - NdolaJohannesburg - NdolaNdola - JohannesburgNdola - JohannesburgNdola - Johannesburg

Johannesburg - PembaPemba - Johannesburg

Johannesburg - TeteTete - Johannesburg

Johannesburg - VilankulosVilankulos - Johannesburg

06:3508:3015:4509:0011:0018:20

06:3016:1516:1508:5018:4518:45

06:5010:0512:4016:0517:0018:3008:0508:0508:0511:1013:5017:10

06:4009:4514:4513:3008:1011:0016:0014:45

11:2513:45

10:5510:5514:0014:00

06:2009:4515:1509:0013:0017:55

11:3014:50

10:3513:25

11:3013:45

08:3010:2517:4011:0513:0520:25

08:2018:0518:0510:3520:3020:30

07:3510:5013:2516:5017:4519:1509:0009:0009:0012:0514:4518:05

07:3510:4015:4014:2509:0511:5516:5515:40

13:0015:30

13:2513:2516:3516:35

08:3012:1517:2511:1515:3020:10

14:2017:45

12:4015:45

13:1015:30

1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 71 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 7

1 2 3 4 5 3 4 1 2 5 71 2 3 4 5 3 4 1 2 5 7

1 2 3 4 51 2 3 4 5 6 71 2 3 4 5 6 71 2 3 4 5 7 6 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 71 2 3 4 5 6 71 2 3 4 5 6 71 2 3 4 5 7

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 71 2 3 4 5 6 7 6 71 2 3 4 51 2 3 4 5 6 71 2 3 4 5 6 7 6 7

1 2 3 4 5 6 71 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 2 3 4 5 6 71 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 5 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 5

1 3 4 5 61 3 4 5 6

1 2 3 4 51 2 3 4 5

1 3 51 3 5

ER3ER3ER3ER3ER3ER3

ER3AR8ER3ER3AR8ER3

ER3ER3ER3ER3ER3ER3ER3ER3ER3ER3ER3ER3

ER3ER3ER3ER3ER3ER3ER3ER3

AR8AR8

AR8ER3AR8ER3

ER3AR8ER3ER3AR8ER3

ER3ER3

AR8AR8

ER3ER3



Swaziland - AirlinkSwaziland - AirlinkSwaziland - AirlinkSwaziland - AirlinkSwaziland - AirlinkSwaziland - AirlinkSwaziland - AirlinkSwaziland - AirlinkSwaziland - AirlinkSwaziland - AirlinkSwaziland - AirlinkSwaziland - Airlink

AirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlinkAirlink

AirlinkAirlink



AirlinkAirlink

AirlinkAirlink

AirlinkAirlink


Johannesburg - Lusaka - Johannesburg

Johannesburg - Harare - Johannesburg

Johannesburg - Manzini - Johannesburg

Johannesburg - Maseru - Johannesburg

Johannesburg - Ndola - Johannesburg

Johannesburg - Pemba - Johannesburg

Johannesburg - Tete - Johannesburg

Johannesburg - Vilankulos - Johannesburg

Johannesburg - Nampula - Johannesburg

Johannesburg - Maun - Johannesburg

8608 13

Jetstream 4100 - Regional Turboprop AirlinerNumber of aircraftMaximum PassengersLengthWing SpanHeightFuel capacityMaximum Operating AltitudeCruising Speed

2919.25m18.29m5.74m2 600kg25 000ft500km/h

ERJ 135-LR - Regional Jet Airliner and Corporate JetNumber of aircraftMaximum PassengersLengthWing SpanHeightFuel capacityMaximum Operating AltitudeCruising Speed

3726.34m20.04m6.75m5 000kg37 000ft800km/h

Avro RJ85 - Regional Jet AirlinerNumber of aircraftMaximum PassengersSeating ClassesLengthWing SpanHeightFuel capacityMaximum Operating AltitudeMaximum Cruising Speed

83228.60m26.21m8.61m9 362kg35 000ft780km/h

29183 Airlink 275x213 Skyways Fleet Page_P.indd 1 2013/05/22 3:54 PM

The number of verses in the Greek national anthem

158The number of ways you can play the first four turns in a game of chess 318,979,564,000

Being sober on a bus is, like, totally different than being drunk on a bus.

To be a liar, you’ve got to have a great memory, and I don’t have a memory.

I have a saying. ‘Never judge a book by its cover.’ I say that because I don't even know who Ozzy is. I wake up a new person every day.

All that stuff about heavy metal and hard rock, I don’t subscribe to any of that. It’s all just music. I mean, the heavy metal from the seventies sounds nothing like the stuff from the eighties, and that sounds nothing like the stuff from the nineties. Who’s to say what is and isn't a certain type of music?

I knew it was time to get off of reality TV when someone asked me if I sang as well as acted.

Somebody said to me this morning, “To what do you attribute your longevity?” I don’t know. I mean, I couldn’t have planned my life out better. By all accounts I should be dead! The abuse I put my body through: the drugs, the alcohol, the lifestyle I’ve lived the last 30 years!

I couldn’t be a royal. It’s like living in a supersonic goldfish bowl.

Bats, booze and

He’s known as The Prince of Darkness and famed for his long hair, black clothing, odd glasses, cursing and dabbles with drugs. Ozzy Osbourne is a character indeed. Here are some of his often slurred and mumbled quotes.

Black Sabbath

8808 13

The age that most people will have lost half their taste buds

60I’m a very simple man. You've got to have, like, a computer nowadays to turn the TV on and off... and the nightmare continues.

Sometimes I think my whole career and life has only been about a bloody bat!

The only black magic Sabbath ever got into was a box of chocolates.

My mother was an amateur singer; my father was an amateur drunk.

Last year I sang for the Queen of England, met the president of the United States, and got an Emmy and a star on The Walk of Fame. And what did I do? I was just being myself.

Could be worse... I could be Sting.

Recalling an LSD trip: “There were these horses in a field. They were talking to me.”

It wasn’t as if I had a list, I didn’t have a résumé saying Tuesday – have a pint, strangle the wife; Wednesday – get bail.

People thought The Osbournes was scripted but it wasn’t. They’d sit there with five cameras pointing in all directions just for you to slip on a dog turd or something.

I can honestly say, all the bad things that ever happened to me were directly, directly attributed to drugs and alcohol.

I’m not in the band anymore because of musical differences. They were musical. I was different. (On leaving Black Sabbath.)

Hating people isn’t a productive way of living. So what’s the point in hating anyone? There’s enough hate in the world as it is, without me adding to it.

I’m a lunatic by nature, and lunatics don’t need training – they just are.

My father always said I would do something big one day. “I’ve got a feeling about you, John Osbourne,” he’d tell me, after he’d had a few beers. “You’re either going to do something very special, or you’re going to go to prison.”And he was right, my old man. I was in prison before my eighteenth birthday.

Black Sabbath

Since 1963, B&D has taken off as an innovator in both South Africa and the global freight logistics industry. We’re also proud of being commissioned to manage the complex process of transporting materials used to build specialised projects throughout Africa. These include projects such as renewable energy solutions, mining, oil and gas, and resorts and hotels.

Our Logistics offerings include Supply Chain Management, Sea and Air Freight, Customs Clearing, Warehousing, Cartage and Marine Insurance. For more information on our Renewable Project Cargo Logistics offering, visit www.berrydon.co.za

GETTING TURNKEY

PROJECTS OFF THE GROUND

Established 1963G L O B A L F R E I G H T L O G I S T I C S

B E R R Y & D O N A L D S O N(Pty) Limited

The number of taste buds that a catfish has; it is more than any other animal

27,000The number of engineer drawings it took to build the first Boeing 747-100

75,000

PigsQuestions1. What mountain range are guinea pigs native to?2. Who competes against sheepdogs in a movie that

shares his name?3. What leader did the Bay of Pigs invasion fail to oust?4. Amscray is Pig Latin for which word?5. How many toes do pigs have on each foot?6. What prized fungus are pigs particularly good at

smelling?Answers1. Andes2. Babe3. Fidel Castro4. Scram5. Four6. Truffle

Philosophy and thoughtQuestions1. What mythical island, said to have sunk beneath the

ocean, did Plato write about?2. In Monty Python’s Philosophers’ Song, what

philosopher is the ‘bugger for the bottle’?3. Which German philosopher famously declared “God

is dead”?4. What does this

symbol stand for?

5. What is the theory of knowledge known as?6. According to whose paradox can Achilles never win a

footrace against a tortoise?Answers1. Atlantis2. Aristotle3. Friedrich Nietzsche4. Anarchy5. Epistemology6. Zeno

BeerQuestions1. In what bohemian town was Pilsener lager originally

developed in the 19th century?2. What is the name of the tavern frequented by Peter

Griffin and friends on The Family Guy?3. In what year did Iceland officially legalise beer –

1901, 1954 or 1989?4. In David Lynch’s film Blue Velvet, when Frank Booth

asks Jeffrey Beaumont what kind of beer he likes, what is his answer?

Didya know?

Did you know that pigs are one of the most intelligent animals

on the planet?

9008 13

The year that the first guide dog in SA was trained

1957The true cost of training a guide dogR80,000

5. What advertising slogan has been used by De Beers Diamonds since 1948?

6. What beer gave the world ‘Wassup’?Answers1. Pilsen2. The Drunken Clam3. 1989. 1 March, the anniversary of the end of beer

prohibition, is known as Beer Day.4. Heineken. Booth is not impressed, and expresses a

preference for Pabst Blue Ribbon.5. A diamond is forever.6. Budweiser

Text | Mariska van Wyk

Fidel CastroIn April of 1961 the United States Government sponsored an attempt by Cuban exiles to assault Cuba and overthrow Fidel Castro and the communist government he led. The exiles were well armed and trained in Central America by the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency). The attack failed because of the selection of a poor landing site, inability to disable the Cuban Air Force and overestimation of the Cuban people’s willingness to support a strike against Castro. The diplomatic fallout from the failed Bay of Pigs invasion was considerable and led to an increase of cold war tensions.

9108 13

The distance that cyclists cover during the Tour de France

3,680km

THINGStenYOU DIDN’T know about…

the TitanicOn 14 April 1912 – the day the Titanic hit the iceberg – a lifeboat drill was scheduled to take place.

For some unknown reason, however, Captain Smith cancelled the drill. Incidentally, though many believe the Titanic had a shortage of lifeboats, it actually carried more than the 16 it was required to by law.

The Titanic had its own newspaper. The Atlantic Daily Bulletin was printed on board every day and

included news, advertisements, stock prices, horse-racing results, gossip and the day’s menu. But that wasn’t the only luxury available. The ship was reported to have a Turkish bath, libraries, a squash court, a heated swimming pool and even an infirmary with an operating room.

Despite all these ostentatious amenities, only the two promenade suites in first class had private

bathrooms. Everyone else had to share. But no one had it worse than the third class passengers who had to make do with two bathtubs between over 700 passengers.

When the Titanic sent out its distress signals there was another ship closer by than the Carpathia. The

Californian, though nearer, never responded until it was too late to help. The reason? The ship’s wireless operator had already gone to bed so they only got the messages in the morning.

Two dogs, a Pomeranian and a Pekingese, were rescued from the ship. They were among nine dogs

that were on board.With the money generated worldwide by James Cameron’s Titanic movie, nearly five actual Titanics

could have been built. It is estimated that the Titanic would cost around $400 million to build today – the movie has grossed $1.84 billion.

Author Morgan Robertson wrote a novella called Futility 14 years before the Titanic sank. The plot is

a creepy coincidence – the ship is called the Titan, it is the largest ship ever built and billed as unsinkable, but then it

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

The ratio of people to ants1 to 1 million

9208 13

Born and bred right here - Bell is Africa’s very own global equipment supplier. With Bell you get machines built tough for our harsh environment and support from Africa’s most comprehensive network of people dedicated to your success. Best of all, while you are creating infrastructure and jobs, so are we.

Choose Bell as your equipment partner and enjoy the pride of knowing you’re not just boosting your business but helping make Africa a better place too.

Tel: +27 (0) 11 928 9700E-mail: [email protected]

STRATEGICPARTNERS

hits an iceberg and sinks into the Atlantic. Due to a lack of lifeboats more than half the people on board die. Given, real life strayed a little from the book’s plot when a hero doesn’t wrangle with a polar bear aboard the iceberg, but the resemblance is otherwise quite eerie.

Violet Jessop must be one of the most unlucky seafarers ever born – or the luckiest survivor depending how you look at it. She was aboard the

Olympic when it collided with another ship in 1911, she was among those rescued from the Titanic and a few years later she was on the Britannic when it hit a mine and sank in 1916.

Some of the wealthiest people in the world were on the Titanic when it sank, but two lucky tycoons didn’t make it aboard – financier J.P. Morgan and

chocolatier Milton S. Hershey. Both cancelled their voyage at the last minute. Millvana Dean was the youngest passenger on the ship. She was just nine weeks old when the ship sank and she was rescued from a lifeboat. She died

in 2009 at the age of 97, just a month after Titanic stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet helped pay her nursing home expenses.

Text | Deanne Dudley

8

9

10

The number of credit cards for every person in the United States

Two

panorama

9408 13

A blanket of thick snow imprisons abandoned boats and vessels in the Warta River Harbour in the village of Jaszkowo, Poland (Europe). With a length of approximately 808km, the Warta is the country’s third longest river. The first historically documented ruler of Poland, Duke Mieszko I, had his palace on an island in the Warta River.

The big freeze

9508 13

The truly quick-witted and attentive come back with things like: “I guess that depends on whom you ask.” I know then that the person has a good sense of humour and is interesting enough to get to know better.

About half the time, people do not even hear that I have departed from the usual scripted version of what passes for conversation these days. I know then that they really didn’t even bother to listen to my reply, and I could probably tell them my hamster mauled my pet iguana and both are now in hospital on life support and they would not even bat an eyelash.

“Oh that’s nice, and isn’t the weather just lovely/awful/cold/hot/beastly?” they would answer.

That is the other line that drives me to distraction. It is like the listener just beamed in from Cuba courtesy of the Enterprise, and has no idea what the sky is doing right now.

It would seem we all need these little phrases that make us feel cosy and safe, that simply saying hello or making a meaningful enquiry is just too bold and might lead to some fatal faux pas.

I watched two people circle each other recently at my favourite coffee house, in this amusing little verbal dance.

“How are you?” he asks.“Oh fine thanks, and how are you?” she replies.Pause, while he stands waiting at the end of the table

hoping to be invited to sit. She does not want to be the one to invite, so she pipes up.

“Pretty cold out tonight, huh?” she asks.“Yup, should be warming up by the weekend,” he

replies. This last bit interested me, as I had no idea he was a meteorologist.

By the time they finished this verbal tête-à-tête, the bill for the young woman came and she rose to leave. I was devastated. A lovely relationship destroyed by a wordy lack of communication. Why not just walk up and say what you have to say?

“Hi there Nefertiti, I had hoped I might see you here, may I join you for a few minutes?” he could have asked.

Yes or no, plain and simple. Everyone knows what is being communicated and there is no room for misunderstandings.

I can see the fireworks already, and yes, I want an invitation!So, the next time you find yourself reverting to those tired

old standby clichés and questions, see if you can be a little more direct and to the point. Say what is on your mind or simply wave a friendly hello.

You might be surprised how well things will go when you decide to really communicate instead of just talking. That acquaintance might prove to be a very interesting person and you might even make a new friend.

Text | Peter DeWolf

‘How are you?’

It is one of those innocuous little phrases that we utter every day in polite conversation.

It must be my advancing age and perhaps a realisation that I only have a limited number of breaths left in this tired old body, but for the past year or so this question has really been bugging me.

I am sure that 99% of the people who ask me this question really could not care less how I feel. Nor do they really expect or want an honest answer.

“I am very ill, funny you should ask!” is not what they want to hear. “My doctor told me I have three months left, otherwise I feel quite well considering the 28 pills I have to take every hour,” would leave them open-mouthed and gasping for air.

Even a trip to the doctor will elicit a “How are you?” I thought it was their job to tell me! If I knew I was fine, I wouldn’t be wasting my time coming to see you, now would I?

Recently, I have quite consistently been answering the question with my own brand of rather warped humour.

“How are you?” the innocent and unwary ask.“I am good thank you,” I reply. “At least that is what

I’m told.”Most are so confused that they have no quick reply, not

sure what I really mean by this unexpected departure from decorum. Please note that I said ‘good’ and not ‘well’ or ‘fine’. That will give you some hint of the true meaning.

Tough talk makes no enemiesNo holds barred

9608 13

talespin

I will bravely go to battle if it’s your love I win.

A war so worthy that I cannot dare lose,

for you are my everything,

my very soul, my every thought, my full devotion.

For you my love, there is nothing I wouldn’t do.

I will go to the end of the earth for you, fight for your honour,

protect your heart and obey your every wish.

I will never love another as I do you.

I am your king and you are the queen of my heart. www.brownsjewellers.com

+27 11 438 7920

Introducing the “Queen of my Heart” engagement ring

REG

ISTE

RED

DES

IGN

A20

12/0

1708

Browns Queen of my heart_DPS 275x426 - July.indd 1 2013/05/29 5:52 PM

For more info please contact India Tourism

Cnr of Jan Smuts & William Nicol, Hyde Park Lane Manor, Lancaster Gate, Hyde Park, Johannesburg 2196

Tel: 27-11-325-0880 • Fax: 27-11-325-0882 • E-mail: [email protected] • Website : www.incredibleindia.org

The ghats of Varanasi. To know more, log on to www.incredibleindia.org

See candles float

See hope float

Find what you seek

www.europcar.co.za

More business, less us.At Europcar, we do our best to get you on the road as quickly as possible. With our knowledgeable staff, a Ready Service that is actually ready and a rental experience that is both personal and ef� cient, it’s our way of ensuring that you get the most out of your business trip.

2708

4

27084_More Business Less Us_275x213.indd 1 2013/05/15 11:40 AM

Skyways Magazine August 2013

Documents

Transcript of Skyways Magazine August 2013