Current Edition >> Archives Section >> Spot Coverage >> 19 Jun 2007
Nuwe Ouvolk-kronkeltoerismeroete in Noordoos-VS: Die nuwe Ouvolk-kronkeltoerismeroete oftewel Sungazer Meander in die Noordoos-Vrystaat is pas bekendgestel. Dit loop van Heidelberg in die noorde tot Vanreenen in die suide en van Memel in die ooste tot Heilbron in die weste. Met al die afdraaipaaie word beoog om ook Villiers, Frankfort, Edenville, Roadside, Vrede, Verkykerskop, Harrismith, Bethlehem, Reitz, Petrus Steyn en Lindley in te sluit. Dit beloof om 'n opwindende roete te wees vir binnelandse sowel as buitelandse toeriste, met leersame afdraaipaaie na kerke, slagvelde en monumente asook ateljees, galerye en kunssentra. Vir buitelugliefhebbers is daar avontuurroetes na o.a. watersport, wildplase, roofvoëlsentrums, ens. Die saamroeper vir die vestiging van die roete is mnr. Leon Zeelie.
Lesotho Diamonds tops in world: Mining Weekly is reporting that the Letseng diamond operation in Lesotho, the world's highest diamond mine, is also producing the diamonds with the world's highest value. Gem Diamonds owns 70% of Letseng with the Lesotho government 30%. The diamonds produced are selling at 23 times the industry average. While diamonds in general are averaging $82 / ct, Letseng diamonds are averaging $1 889 / ct.
Ethanol Africa investors await state's final policy on bio-fuels: Potential investors in Ethanol Africa's R1 billion maize-to-ethanol plant in Bothaville are reluctant to commit to the project until South Africa finalises its policy environment on bio-fuels, Ethanol Africa chief executive Johan Hoffman is quoted in Business Report recently. Construction at the Bothaville plant was halted in February this year, apparently due to restructuring of the project. Ethanol Africa denied reports of funding problems at the time. SA's draft bio-fuels strategy aims to achieve a market penetration of bio-fuels of 4,5% of the petrol and diesel market by 2013 through mandatory blending.
Sandsteenfees in Paul Roux: Die Paul Roux Sandsteenfees 2007 word op 6 Oktober deur die NG Gemeente Paul Roux vir die hele plaaslike gemeenskap aangebied. Reeds op die program is kontreistalletjies, 'n toerismebemarkingsprogram, sportitems, vermaak, ens. Die vorige Sandsteenfees in 2004 was 'n groot sukses en het veel daartoe bygedra om Paul Roux opnuut op spreekwoordelike kaart te plaas. Inmiddels het die belangstelling in eiendomme op die dorp skerp toegeneem en is bv. 'n kaal erf onlangs vir R150 000 verkoop. Vir meer inligting oor die Sandsteenfees, skakel Emmerentia van Aarde by 084 513 8717.
Erwe te Kroonstad verkoop ondanks hofinterdik: Die VF Plus het op 8 Februarie 2007 'n interdik teen die verkoop van 200 erwe te Elandia, Kroonstad, deur die Moqhaka Munisipaliteit in die Hooggeregshof verkry. Die interdik was gegrond op die feit dat die munisipaliteit nie die korrekte wetlike prosedure gevolg het nie. Die munisipaliteit het destyds nie die hofbevel geopponeer nie en aangebied om alle koste van die VF Plus te betaal. Nou blyk dit egter dat die munisipaliteit voortgaan om die erwe teen slegs R5 000 stuk aan dieselfde SEB maatskappy, Island House Trading 61 (Pty) Ltd., te verkoop. Dit word ook gedoen ondanks 270 beswaarskrifte van plaaslike inwoners, welke beswaarskrifte steeds nie voor die raad gedien het nie. Die VF Plus neem tans weer stappe teen die munisipaliteit oor die onwettige optrede.
Budget approved for Kopanong Municipality: The budget for 2007/08 for the Kopanong Local Municipality to the total amount of R90 million has been unanimously approved by the council. Based at Trompsburg, the municipality covers also Jagersfontein, Fauresmith, Reddersburg, Edenburg, Bethulie, Springfontein and Philippolis – the largest geographic local municipality in the Free State. More than 50% of the expenditure of the municipality is earmarked for upgrading of infrastructure at the nine towns. The payment rate for service recipients within the municipal area is 85%.
Theunissen vier eeufees: Die dorp vier vanjaar sy honderdste bestaansjaar gedurende Augustus en September. Op 14 Augustus tree die Kovsiekerk se Karpos-dans-en-dramagroep by die Hoërskool Theunissen op en 'n Kultuuraand by die hoërskool vind op 16 Augustus plaas. Die volgende dag word 'n entrepreneursdag by die skool aangebied. Op 17 Augustus hou die Theunissen-boerevereniging 'n osbraaigeselligheid en boeredansparty. Die vlotoptog word op 13 September deur die strate gehou, terwyl 'n Jazz-fees ook gehou word. Die res van die maand is ook propvol vermaak met o.a. pluimbal, 'n manne-aand, modeparade, verskeidenheidskonsert, ens. Die vieringe word op 30 September met 'n opelug-kerkdiens afgesluit. Vir meer inligting skakel 083 285 8905.
Upmarket estate planned: It has been announced that the new Mangaung Valley Estates (MVE), an upmarket, closed, 24-hour security, 23 ha development, is to be constructed east of Bloemfontein between Shannon and Bloemspruit. It will be a mixed development with sectional as well as full-title stands, with a 500-seat conference centre, service station, restaurant and entertainment facility. Clisa 14 Property Development is responsible for the development at an estimated cost of R45 million. The privately funded project has 13 full-title stands and 21 townhouses. Construction on MVE will start in August this year and should be completed within 18 months.
Strike costs SA R3.4bn: The civil service strike, which has already lasted two weeks and lost 7 million worker days, could have cost the economy R3,4 billion to date in direct costs alone, according to Azar Jammine, chief economist at Econometrix. These costs included heightened inflationary expectations, which could prompt further and sharper interest rate increases; possible loss of investor confidence in South Africa; and damaged relationships between striking workers and their employers.
Eunice High School for Girls has won for the second consecutive year the annual competition presented by SAGE (Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship). SAGE is an international network that links secondary school student organisations to mentors from local universities and businesses. The mission of SAGE is to advance entrepreneurship education and communities service-learning across the world. In the competition, members of SAGE judge high school teams on a range of criteria, thereafter testing the students in problem solving skills and abilities to think on the fly. Instead of just learning how to write a business plan, students put their newly acquired knowledge to use by operating their own businesses, such as a café on the school premises or selling self-manufactured products. To reach the finals, teams from Free State high schools have to submit a business report based on authentic data gathered from a successful entrepreneurship project. At the Free State finals on 20 and 21 April 2007, Eunice came out tops, followed by Welkom Technical High School in second place and Tsoseletso High School of Mangaung in third place. At the national championships on 25 and 26 May at Cape Town Eunice again took top honours. The Eunice team is trained by Ms. Mag Marais, vice-principal of Eunice. Eunice is now to represent South Africa at the world championships to be held at Odessa in the Ukraine from 2 to 5 August 2007.
Reviewing at this stage the national strike as it manifests in the Free State, the following are salient features coming to the fore:
• An overriding feature is that the strike is basically a power posturing in the quest for the next presidency of South Africa, thus forming part of a larger power political game. The wide gap between the main negotiating parties – starting off initially at 6% and 12% respectively – reinforces this view.
• On the part of employees and union members it would seem there are indeed some valid grievances, especially as regards the salaries of teachers, who are leaving this critical sector in droves for greener pastures elsewhere.
• In the Free State the strike has had a considerable impact without really disrupting normal services and day to day living.
• In the Free State some firm counter action was taken against the strike, for instance by the Department of Health, with a policy of no work, no pay and having essential services protected by the police and the defence force where necessary.
• It would seem that the majority of employees do want to work and are by heart not in favour of the strike. It is as if there is a realisation that life has to go on and there has to be bread on the table.
• On the whole it would seem that the situation of a widespread national strike needs to be managed much better, both from the side of the unions as well as the side of government. South Africa cannot afford such serious detrimental actions because of not such big differences. But again there is the political factor.
Pictured, one of the highlights of the nationally-called strike in the Free State, strikers’ procession in front of Lebohang Building in St. Andrew Street, Bloemfontein, on 7 June 2007.
A new Protea Hotel, called the Hotel Protea Willow Lake, will be erected on part of the premises of the Bloemfontein Zoo – the first zoo in South Africa to have a hotel on its grounds. Eizon Investments (Pty.) Ltd. of Bloemfontein is developing the 94 room hotel in conjunction with the Protea Hotel Group at a projected cost of R60 million. The new hotel forms part of a range of building activities taking place at the zoo which also include a new animal hospital, offices, stores, facilities for zoo workers and a meeting venue for the Friends of the Zoo also being built by Eizon Investments. The entrance to the new hotel will be on Charles Street across from Eskom, while the animal hospital is more to the south at the corner of Kings Way and Parfitt Avenue. Strict ecological and environmental requirements are being applied with the construction of the hotel, which is expected to be finished by April 2008.
60% of consumers in emerging market countries would buy a local brand over an international brand if both products cost the same. Consumers in these 'hotspot' countries have the same brand preferences for cars (Toyota), fast food (McDonalds) and hotels (Hilton) as developed market consumers, reveals global market research company Synovate on their website.
Synovate surveyed over 13 000 consumers in 20 hotspot markets around the world to gain a better understanding of their relationships with brands and their brand preferences across a range of product categories. The results show that, regardless of the nationality of the product or the consumer, brands matter strongly to all consumers and provide a functional and emotional point of reference for purchasing behaviour for rich and poor alike. \
Only 47% of South Africans believe that locally manufactured brands are of the same quality as international brands, thus dealing a blow to the Proudly South African campaign. Luckily, this doesn't translate into purchasing behaviour, as almost 60% of these same consumers said they are more likely to buy a local brand over an international product if both are of equal price. This provides a clear message: It is not the nationality of the brand but the brand itself that matters.
When it comes to cars, Toyota is the preferred automobile brand, with Ford, Volkswagen and BMW also making a strong showing.
Hilton was selected as the best overall hotel chain among consumers in both emerging and developed markets, along with other popular hotel brands including Holiday Inn, Marriott and Sheraton.
Fast food giant McDonald's was seen as the preferred quick serve restaurant by most consumers surveyed. However, KFC is considered the superior fast food chain among consumers in South Africa.
Emerging market consumers feel that Nokia and Motorola are the best mobile phone brands, but are divided on the best Large / Flat screen TV manufacturer. Asians and Eastern Europeans see Sony TVs as the best, as do the Turks, but Latin Americans prefer Philips and Panasonic. Samsung was considered the favourite among consumers in Russia and Hungary.
For more info on Synovate's research on emerging markets and available reports, visit www.synovate.com/knowledge/publications/hotspots.
The Free State Department of Tourism, Environmental and Economic Affairs (DTEEA) have confirmed a three-year backing of the F1 Powerboat Grand Prix Series, which will guarantee an event for 2007, 2008 and 2009. This year Round 8 of the 2006/07 South African F1 Powerboat Series took the teams to the Bloemhof Dam in the Sandveld Nature Reserve on 2 and 3 June. From pole position, current champion Paul Shepard (Team Cedar Vadek) extended his championship points lead by racking up another hat-trick of victories. The event saw Shepard reign supreme while the fastest in the remainder of the pack shuffled positions in an electrifying weekend of competition. The event also provided entertainment for the whole family, with supplementary activities such as a beer tent with a big screen television, children's activities, and additional activities such as parachute jumping, a flea market and various food kiosks. Spokesperson for the DTEEA, Mr Kgotso Tau, was upbeat about embracing the Free State F1 Powerboat Grand Prix, “We see it as a huge opportunity to push sports tourism in the Free State, as this has naturally become a big integral aspect of the local economy. As a 3-year initiative, we plan to build up F1 Powerboating to an interest level in the Free State community that is on a par with local sporting icons such as the Cheetahs Rugby and Bloemfontein Celtic soccer teams.” The next round of the series takes to the tropical setting of Mozambique for the Maputo F1 Powerboat Grand Prix from 22 to 24 June 2007.
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