ProBenny

Benny gets full time work in media world even as it collapses around him.

2009-11-30T04:12:00.000-08:00

Well, it seems that this blog has become somewhat redundant ever since I managed to score myself a full time gig with the publishers of SA Shipping News and Fishing Industry News SA (no websites as yet).

It's been awesome, really it has but the editorial policy at my new place of work is not to let any content leak out that we can charge for. Drop a mail to abwritesales@telkomsa.net if you need a subscription to either of these fine bi-monthly publications.

All the best!
Benny

Cape Easter shopping

2009-07-03T02:36:00.000-07:00

Easter in the Cape, Cape Times 31/03/2009

Well, this kind of stuff is vital information for a surprising amount of people.

CAPE SHOPPING CENTRES CATER TO YOUNG ONES AND YOUNG AT HEART

The favourable exchange rate over the years has helped Cape Town create a few amazing shopping experiences that continue to draw in the visitors with great value and true Cape style. This Easter Cape Town’s major malls are providing entertainment to make shopping even more pleasant with a focus on the little ones.

Canal Walk in Century City currently holds the title of Africa’s largets shopping centre. With over 400 stores and open until 9pm every day, Canal Walk offers the most comprehensive and compelling lifestyle shopping experience in South Africa. This Easter, 3rd and 4th April moms and dads can spoil the kids and themselves with two days of jam-packed fun at the Canal Walk Kids World Fun Time. The Central Court at Canal Walk will be transformed into a fairytale playground with jugglers and a whole troupe of entertainers There will be stilt walkers, South Africa’s first noiseless, pollution-free ‘steam’ train, jumping castle and tasty treats on offer.

On the 5^th of April, NKD will be launching their latest album, kicking off their nationwide road show. Nicky, Kesha and Deidré are the former Idols contestants who form the well-known girl trio. Having already enjoyed success with their debut album “What’s That Noise”, which featured the Top 10 hits “What I Believe” and “Snakebite”,

The Proteas, South Africa’s National Cricket Team will be giving Capetonians the opportunity to meet their Cricket heros and have their favourite memorabilia signed by members of the squad on the 7th of April from 14:30-15:30.

For more information on these and other events click on www.canalwalk.co.za or telephone 021 52 9699/8.

Situated between Robben Island and Table Mountain in the heart of Cape Town's working harbour, the V&A Waterfront has become South Africa's most visited destination. The V&A features exciting shopping and entertainment venues set against a backdrop of magnificent sea and mountain views.

Over the Easter period, the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour 2009 will be live at the Waterfront. Visitors to the V&A will be joining African football fans in Nigeria, Algeria and Egypt, that will be afforded the ultimate experience, to be able to see, and for a few lucky ones to touch, this famous Trophy between the 11^th and 12^th of April. All fans will be welcome to see the Trophy on display, and to enjoy live entertainment at the Heineken Village throughout the weekend, including UEFA Champions League memorabilia displays, free-styling soccer performances, music and much more. Famous players drawn from the history of UEFA Champions League will accompany the Trophy.

For the third time in the event’s history, the Two Oceans International Friendship Run will take place on Good Friday morning, 10 April 2009 at 09h30. Marathoners from all around the world are invited to come along and have a leisurely 5 km jog or walk from the Good Hope Centre to the Waterfront.

International participants’ family and friends are welcome to take part and can purchase an entry for R50, which includes a special PUMA T-shirt. Registration takes place at the Expo at the Good Hope Centre two days prior to the event. The International Friendship Run takes participants on a scenic route through the city centre past historical landmarks and key points of interest.

Check out www.waterfront.co.za for more information or telephone 021 408 7600.

In the Southern Suburbs, discerning shoppers head for Cavendish Square, a 200 unit shopping centre that offers top stores in stylish, exclusive trolley free surroundings. Kids will be well looked after at the Enchanted Garden at Cavendish’s Centre Court. It’s a secure drop and shop zone where parents can leave their children in a safe, environment with professional child minders while they shop. Keeping the little ones entertained is Buggles. Buggles the official Cavendish mascot and will be visiting Cavendish every school holiday with lots of fun and exciting activities for the kids to do in the Enchanted Garden. On 6, 7, 8 & 13 April - Kiddies are invited to come and meet Buggles in person between 12-1pm daily. They can have their picture taken with him, and join in fun activities in the enchanted garden. On 9, 11, 12 April, the Enchanted Garden will be hosting a special Easter egg hunt with the Easter Bunny over the Easter weekend. Come join in and you may find some yummy treats!

For further information: 021 657 5620 or www.cavendish.co.za

In Helderberg, Somerset Mall has gone all out this Easter holiday with their very own Mad Hatters Fun Zone. From 04 to 14 April, 10am to 4pm kids can look forward to a zone where everything will be bright, wacky and fun. From face painting, crafts and activities in the Drop & Shop zone to a free daily show by the Mad Magician Monty. Easter egg hunts are also planned and the Easter Bunny should be around there somewhere. Try www.somersetmall.co.za or telephone 021 852 7114 for information.

Adventure Sports in Easter

2009-07-03T02:30:00.000-07:00

Easter in the Cape, Cape Times 31/03/2009

CAPE TOWN DELIVERS EXCITEMENT BY AIR, SEA AND LAND

There are always people up for a little adrenaline jolt over the Easter holidays and Cape Town isn’t short of opportunities to get the blood pumping. The spectacular scenery and gorgeous terrain of the City and Peninsula can provide an awesome backdrop for some thrilling and unique adventure and sports activities.

Some might complain about the persistent south-easterly winds, but to Kitesurfing enthusiasts the local climate provides perfect conditions for one of the world’s fastest growing sports. The idea behind kitesurfing is very simple. A kitesurfer stands on a board with foot straps or bindings and use the power of a large controllable kite to propel him and the board across the water. This simplicity also makes kitesurfing challenging. Your body is the only connection between the kite and the board and you have to control them both at the same time: piloting the kite on the sky and steering the board on the water. Kitesurfers describe the sport as ‘an unbelievable rush’ and wax lyrical of the sense of freedom and exhilaration they experience skimming over the water at speeds of up to 60km/h.

As the initial learning curve is rather steep and the equipment quite expensive to buy beginners are strongly advised to get some expert tuition to ensure a cost effective and injury free introduction to the sport.

Blaawberg strand is regarded as the best kitesurfing spot in Metropolitan Area due top the predominantly “sideshore” wind direction. A world rated spot, is the Langebaan lagoon about an hour and half drive north of Cape Town. There the flat surface of the lagoon and near continuous wind, create perfect conditions virtually every single day.

For kitesurfing advice, rentals, and tuition try Cape Sports Centre Tel: 022 772 1114 www.capesport.co.za or Windchasers Tel: 082 079 0500 www.windchaserssa.com

Providing stunning and unique views of Cape Town and the Peninsula, Tandem Paragliding has been a unique choice for visitors who want to literally fly with the birds. Launch sites include Lion’s Head and Signal Hill, Noordhoek Beach and the top of the jaw-dropping wall of rock that is Franchhoek. Powered Paragliding experiences take off from Dolphin Beach and fly to Melkbostrand and back. No experience is required to enjoy this absolute freedom of flight.

Try Parapax, South Africa’s oldest tandem paragliding company at www.parapax.com or phone 0828814724

Absailing with Absail-Africa offers the world’s highest commercial absail off Table mountain. Repel down an amazing 1000 metres of vertical rock as you take in stunning views of the city and peninsula. The company also offers guided tours up the rugged river gorge arriving at a series of secluded rock pools. Here you can try your hand at Kloofing, jumping from 3 metres to 22 metres at the famous Kamikaze Kanyon. Perhaps only for those looking for some adrenaline fuelled adventure.

Cantact Absail-Africa at 021 424 4760 or www.abseilafrica.co.za

Cape Town offers a wide array of Surfing spots to suit all skill levels from daredevil professionals to absolute beginners. The jagged Cape Peninsula coastline that stretches from Kommetjie to Cape Point and then along False Bay to Muizenburg, always have an excellent wave to offer for surfers and bodyboarders. The shape of the Peninsula means that regardless of wind direction there is always a beach with an on-shore wind. Those interested in trying their hands at the sport and wouldn’t mind a little expert tuition are spoiled for choice, as Cape Town boasts numerous established surfing schools, some of which have been training aspiring waveriders for decades. Lessons usually last between two and three hours and it’s entirely possible for a complete novice to catch his first waves standing by the end of the session.

Try Gary’s Surf School, established in 1989 is located in Muizenburg, arguably the best beginner’s beach in the Cape. Tel. 021 788 9839 or log on to www.garysurf.com

Downhill Adventures also offers half & full day surfing courses as well as other board related activities such as sandboarding. Tel. 021 422 0388 and web, www.downhilladventures.com

Scuba Diving is surging in popularity as people wake up to amazing variety of environments found along the Cape Coast. The reason for this is the meeting of two ocean currents, the warm Indian and the cold Atlantic, on our doorstep resulting in an explosion of marine species. Completely different environments are ready to be dived just a few minutes drive from each other, ensuring there is always somewhere spectacular in season. The rough seas around these shores have also played their part and provided a long list of easily dividable wrecks to explore, suitable for every skill level.

Marine life around our waters include Stingrays, Great White Sharks, Octopus and other invertabrates, a dazzling variety of fish, Seals and many more.

The diving community in Cape Town is well serviced from equipment rental to PADI instruction, and dozens of suppliers and tour operators compete for the visitor’s patronage.

Table Mountain National Park FYI

2009-07-03T02:21:00.000-07:00

Easter in the Cape, Cape Times 31/03/2009

THE TABLE MOUNTAIN CHAIN A WILDERNESS WITHIN A CITY

The inhabitants of Cape Town are indeed fortunate that geography has gifted them an a vast recreational area including mountains, forests, beaches and oceans in the form of the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP). Stretching from Lion’s Head and Signal Hill in the north to the windswept cliffs of Cape Point in the south, the park is fragmented somewhat by the surrounding urban areas and private land. It is however a mostly open access park with only three pay-points and partially for that reason welcomes over 4.2 million visitors annually.

Hikers are spoilt for choice with numerous trails for all fitness levels, from the casual stroller to overnight camping trails. The raised elevation offers spectacular views of the city, mountains and sea amid lush vegetation, rooikranz and fynbos. Most of the popular hikes up Table Mountain such as Platteklip Gorge (north face), Nursery Ravine and Skeleton Gorge (the latter two being accessible from Kirstenbosch) are fairly strenuous, while Silvermine, the Cape of Good Hope and the Constantaiburg offer easier options. The Cape of Good Hope trail is a 33km hike that offers overnight accommodation in three cottages. The TMNP is also one of the few national parks in the country that permit dogs to be walked on certain routes.

For those that want to enjoy their views without breaking a sweat, you could always take a ride up the Table Mountain Aerial Cabelway. The view from the top is a must-see for any visitor to Cape Town and roughly 2km of trails offer stunning vistas that take in the whole Peninsula, the Cape Flats, the CBD and surrounding country. The flat expanse of Table Mountain hosts over 1500 species of plants, some found nowhere else on earth and roughly the same number as are found throughout the entire British Isles. The indigenous birds that can sometimes be seen are the Black Eagle, Rock Kestrels and Sunbirds. Mammals are represented by the dassies (rock hyrax). Though small and rodent-like in appearance these animals are actually distant relatives of the elephant. A visitor centre and restaurant have been built near the upper cable station. Although there are numerous world-class routes for Rock and Sports Climbing, the most famous is surely Africa Face, just beneath the cable station.

Mountain Biking is an option growing in popularity and the steep slopes and complex terrain provide numerous challenging trails for the enthusiast. The environmental impact places certain restrictions on where cycling can take place, but the Tokai Pine Plantation and Silvermine should be more than enough for a day of two-wheeled fun.

A range of surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing opportunities present themselves to board riders. Secluded and uncrowded surf spots can be found in the Cape of Good Hope Reserve, but the Atlantic swell provides numerous rocky reefs, points and beaches along the coastline. There’s always a good wave to be caught somewhere in the Cape. The World famous Red Bull Big Wave Africa is held at Dungeons just of Hout Bay and attracts top big wave surfers from all over the world. Fishing is also popular in the Table Mountain National Park Marine Protected Area, and anglers can fish from the shoreline or use one of several slipways to launch boat-based expeditions, although permits are necessary.

If you enjoy Scuba diving then the TMNP has a much to offer you. Particularly rewarding are the numerous wrecks that scatter the coastline as well as the six "no take" zones that have been established as breeding and nursery areas for marine species. Popular dive sites include Maori wreck off the Sentinel in Hout Bay, Oudekraal on the Atlantic Seaboard and Miller's Point in the False Bay.

Cape Point in the Cape of Good Hope Reserve is a breathtaking rock formation and the most south-western point of Africa. The sheer cliff faces plunging into the foam flecked Atlantic will make it obvious why it has been called “the fairest cape in all the world”. The reserve itself also has much to offer in terms of picnicking, hikes, beaches and wildlife and will give visitors an idea of what the Cape must have looked like when the only inhabitants were the nomadic San herders roaming through the endless fynbos. Animals in the reserve area include several species of buck such as Grysbok and Klipspringer, larger antelopes such as Eland, Cape Fox, Baboons and many more.

As the Park is serious about protecting it’s wildlife and flora and is keen to preserve its World Heritage Site status, numerous restrictions apply to most activities in the park. It’s always better to find out a little bit about how you can help protect this treasure. The official website at www.sanparks.org/parks/table_mountain is a good place to start.

World off Birds, a feathery puff-peice

2009-07-03T02:14:00.000-07:00

Easter in the Cape, Cape Times 31/03/2009

MEETING THE BIRDS IN HOUT BAY

A birder’s paradise can be found at The World of Birds in Hout Bay just twenty kilometres from the centre of town. The largest bird park in Africa and one of only a few large bird sanctuaries in the world, this well established attraction and tourist favourite consists of a series of interlocking aviaries covering four hectares, housing over four hundred species of birds, reptiles and small mammals. It is a unique setting that allows visitors to come within touching distance, and lock eyes with, and photograph rare and endangered species that could only be seen through zoom lens till now.

The World of Birds offers and experienced guides and staff are on hand to educate visitors on the breeding, mating and feeding habits of their charges. The unique ways in which each species socialises, sings, feed their chicks and build their nests are sure to fascinate young and old alike, providing an unforgettable educational experience.

The World of Birds is instrumental in breeding programs for birds on the brink of extinction and provides what might be the only realistic chance of ever encountering many rare species. The avian residents include Turacos, Hornbills, several species of Owl and Eagle, Vultures, Cockatiels, Softbills, Peafowl, Swans, Buzzards, Crowned Crane, Ostrich, Goshawks, Spoonbills, Secretarybirds and literally hundreds more.

The mammal enclosures are not to be missed either and children and adults alike will delight in being able to finally come face-to-face with creatures that used to exist only on the television. The family of cheeky Spider Monkeys will compete for your attention with the famous Meerkats, who breed well in captivity. Feeding time is not to be missed if you want some unforgettable photos of your time in South Africa. Also waiting to be seen are Mongooses, Baboons and Foxes among others. Our reptilian friends also make an appearance, represented by the Green Iguana, Tortoises and the Blue-Tongued Skink.

Facilities include a lovely grass picnic area next to swan-filled ponds and visitors can enjoy lunch as graceful Peacocks and Indian Blue Peafowl stride along the footpaths. The park has run a highly successful breeding program for some species and is proud to host one of the largest flocks of the South African National bird, the Blue Crane as well as programs for endangered Bald Ibis and Great Horned Owl.

For opening times and directions log into www.worldofbirds.org.za or telephone 021 790 2730.

Cape wines in Easter

2009-07-03T02:10:00.000-07:00

Easter in the Cape, Cape Times 31/03/2009

CAPE WINES SET TO FLOW THIS EASTER

When Jan van Riebeek, first Governor of the Cape, planted the first vineyard in 1655, he could hardly have dreamed that the Cape would one day become one of the world’s leading New World wine regions. Today over 400 wine estates produce everything from sturdy Rhone-style red wines to aromatic Sauvignon Blancs thanks to the marvellously varied climate and soil conditions. Stretching from the Table Mountain range with it’s cool Atlantic breezes, to the semi-arid Klein Karoo viticulture hidden from the heat in green river valleys, the Cape wine region offers something for everyone.

The Constantia Wine Route, situated just 20 minutes drive from the centre of the City has three of the oldest wine estates in the country, namely Buitenverwachting, Groot (great) Constantia and Klein Constantia. Groot Constantia is an especially fine example of the iconic Cape-Dutch Colonial architecture and has been lovingly restored to house a fascinating range of exquisite antiques including stoneware from 500BC. The verdant gardens are ideal for picnics and hikers can enjoy walks in the valley that produced some of Napoleon and Frederick the Great’s favourite wine. Klein (small) Constantia Estate is set amid trees and lush greenery on the upper foothills of the Constantiaberg. With its historic Cape Dutch Homestead and superb views across the valley and False Bay, it has frequently been described as one of the world's most beautiful vineyard locations. Wine tasting and sales are available daily.

Log on to www.constantiavalley.com for information

Only 20 km north of Cape Town, the Durbanville Wine Route, like Constantia, is very close to the mother city but frequently overlooked, though this would be a mistake.The Tygerberg hills host a total of nine estates and a highly variable terroir and climate have produced a wide variety of fruit-driven and stylish wines. Some estates date from the 1600’s while others boast of ultra-modern facilities for wine tasting and sales. Durbanville Wine Valley will host the Feast of the Grape on the 28 & 29th of March 2009. This harvest festival is a complete package of wine, great food & fine music – from picking a bunch, making your own wine, in addition to the usual wine tastings and cellar tours. Try www.durbanvillewine.co.za for more information on the festival as well as links to the estates.

Centred around the quirky town of Darling, an hours drive from Cape Town, the Darling Wine Route includes five wine cellars, all of which benefit from the cool breezes off the Atlantic Ocean and the long, hot summers to produce some stunning wines with concentrated flavour, depth and intensity. The rugged West Coast has recently been recognised as a viticultural region to compliment it’s numerous other attractions such as the annual blooming of the spring flowers and Buffulsfontein Game Nature Reserve. As they say, see for yourself why it’s called Darling at, www.darlingtourism.co.za

The Stellenbosche Wine Route is the granddaddy of South African wine routes and represents over 140 wineries and estates, most of whom offer tours and wine tasting. The town of Stellenbosch itself, which lies at the heart of this winemaking area, is a gorgeous, historical university town with some of the best-preserved Victorian and Georgian buildings along oak-lined Dorp Street, itself a national monument. The name ‘Stellenbosch’ is almost synonymous with the wine industry. Not only does it have the oldest wine route in the country, and the most famous, but the town has one of the most modern experimental wineries in the world, and the only viticultural and oenological department in the country at the university.

Due to the vast size of the wine route it is sub-divided into smaller routes each with their own particular flavour and character. Bottelary Hills for example lies on the slopes of the lush Bottelary Mountain range with most of its vineyards facing north, thus producing excellent red wines. Simonsberg-Stellenbosch is known as ‘Cabernet country’ though some of the smaller wineries produce premium white and sparkling wines. Log on to www.wineroute.co.za to find out more.

The Olifants River Valley Wine Route starts about two hours drive from Cape Town in the historic farming town Trawal and stretches for a 120km along the Olifants River which supplies most of the water to the dry region. The area around Lutzville is regarded as one of the most ideal wine growing areas due to its mild climate, misty mornings, sunny days and south westerly sea breeze. The soil varies from sandy to red clay loams. While one of the smaller routes with only three major estates, the area has become known for it’s innovative and award winning boutique cellars building on a tradition of easy-drinking wines. Other attractions in the area such as nature trails, river rafting and 4X4 routes make the area worth lingering in for a day or two.

Try www.olifantsriverwineroute.com for information.

History of Easter

2009-07-03T02:06:00.000-07:00

Easter in the Cape, Cape Times 31/03/2009

EASTER: A VERY BRIEF HISTORY

Christians believe that Jesus Christ, their Saviour, was resurrected on the third day after his crucifixion at the hands of the Romans, somewhere between 26 and 36 A.D. These events are now celebrated on Good Friday and Easter Sunday in the most important days in the Christian calendar year.

There is no evidence that the early Christians celebrated Easter, nor that Jesus or his Apostles mandated the celebration of this or any other festival. The earliest surviving mention of Easter was only recorded in the mid 2^nd century by the Byzantine Saint Sardis, though he did give the impression that the celebration was a well established one. The shifting date on which Easter is celebrated gives some credence to the theory that it was originally derived from the Jewish Passover, as the Holy days in that faith are calculated using the lunisolar calendar, one of several calendars in use in the ancient world at the time. It was in fact, the Passover that Jesus and his disciples were celebrating at the Last Supper shortly before his crucifixion.

While the exact beginnings of Easter are still a matter of historical debate, the Holy day was undisputed tradition by the end of the 2^nd century, though controversy still raged between Christian factions as to the exact date to be used and periods of fasting to be observed. Many of the objections centred around the wisdom of relying on Jews, who were then still consulted to compute the lunar calendar and the exact date of Easter. Not that the Jews always agreed with each other either and differences in their methods would see Passover celebrated in on different days in different cities and sometimes twice in one year.

Luckily, the matter did not prove to be schismatic and major bloodshed was avoided until the First Council of Nicene in the mid 3^rd century AD, where it was resolved along with other issues that saw Christianity installed as the official state religion of the Roman Empire. The Resurrection was decreed to be henceforth celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon, following the vernal equinox, computed independently of the Hebrew Calendar. For most Christians this settled the matter.

The widespread reach of the Christian faith has however left pretty much every other detail concerning Easter to the sectarian convictions of individual denominations. From the Eastern Orthodox Church, Coptics, to Catholics through to the Protestants and their Evangelical offshoots, modern Easter is celebrated with a huge variety of fasting, almsgiving, special hymns, prayers, rituals and ceremonies. Some, such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses and some Pentecostal denominations do not observe Easter at all. These groups point to vague links with pre-Christian festivals such as the Roman Bacchanalia, a springtime orgy of excess condemned even in Pagan times.

Modern capitalists have conversely taken to celebrating Easter with considerable enthusiasm, and use the holy day to market a range of egg and animal shaped chocolates, baked goods and even mundane household items such as margarine and washing powder.

Music and Flora in Kirstenbosch

2009-07-03T02:01:00.000-07:00

Easter in the Cape, Cape Times 31/03/2009

MUSIC AND FLORA MEET AT THE BOTANICAL GARDENS

The annual series of summer concerts held at Kirstenbosche Botanical gardens are drawing to a close but there are a few items yet to draw the crowds. Held every Sunday between November and April the music events are a lovely way to spend a summer afternoon, having a picnic on the lawn to music, after a morning exploring the botanical gardens.

On March the 29^th, The Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing. Conducted by Dr. Corwin Matei, the orchestra will be playing a classical presentation of Holst’s “The Planets”, Mussorgsky’s “Night” and Ludvig van Beethoven’s “No 5”.

This is a departure from the more modern, high energy performances during the rest of the season and is sure to attract a large adience.

On April 9^th the garden will reverberate to the sounds of Hip-Hop Pantsula. Winner of the SAMA award for best Rap act and the Best African Act at the 2007 MTV Awards, the fresh Hip-Hop performer needs no introduction to fans of modern, urban sound.

Kirstenbosche of course is much more than a concert venue and nature enthusiasts will find the gardens provide a delightful day out. Established in 1913 and covering 36 hectares on the slopes of Table Mountain, the garden is a haven of bio-diversity and is home to tens of thousands of Southern African plant and animal species.

The Botanical Conservatory is one of the largest in the world and hosts the plants that cannot survive in the Cape’s climate, includes the huge Baobab (Adansonia digitata), the central and largest plant in the conservatory and now very well established. There are displays featuring plants from the Bush Veld, the arid Karoo as well as Coastal Fynbos and the Namib desert of Namibia among others.

Tours are available to guide visitors around the wide variety of regions in the Garden, although the beautiful plantlife is unfailingly well labelled and highly accessible even to lay persons. Kirstenbosche is especially noted for its Cycads and Cape Fynbos.

Footpaths wind their way between lush landscaped lawns, streams and ponds and the tranquil nature of the Garden has made it a family picnic favourite for generations. Hikers use the Garden as a starting point for hikes up Table Mountain.

More information id available at www.sanbi.org or telephone the Information Office at 021 799 8783. Concert tickets go on sale the Tuesday before each concert at the Visitor’s Centre, can be booked at 021 761 2866 or purchased at the gate.

Boulders Penguins and Kayaks

2009-07-03T01:56:00.000-07:00

Easter in the Cape, Cape Times 31/03/2009

MEETING THE JACKASS PENGUIN FROM A KAYAK

Boulders Beach, Simon’s Town, used to be famous for it’s setting alone, a series of golden sandy coves and picturesque beach huts, all surrounded by the huge granite boulders, but can now also claim World Heritage status thanks to the colony of endangered Jackass Penguins. The Penguin colony continues to grow. While the first breeding pair was spotted on the beach back in 1983, since then has grown to over 2500 birds. The Penquins have probably come to False Bay because of the good fishing available since commercial purse seine fishing has been banned in the Bay.

Although Simon's Town is very proud of its penguins, nearby residents suffered badly as the birds invaded their gardens, destroyed the undergrowth and were generally very noisy and messy. The management of huge tourist numbers has also been a problem. As a result, the area has now been taken over by the Table Mountain National Park and the birds have been restrained from wandering inland by a fence. Board walks and an information room has all been established.

One of the best ways to see the penguins is from a sea kayak. Kayak Cape Town is based at the Simon’s Town Waterfront and offers guided tours of the local coastline and Boulders. The double-bottomed kayaks are very stable, require no experience and are not terribly taxing to paddle. Paddlers get the opportunity to come within touching distance of the birds as the swim around and under the kayaks.The tour departs from the Waterfront, passes the civilian and naval harbours and after the penguins stops on a secluded beach for refreshments and snorkelling.

Boulders still remains the only place in the world where one can actually swim amongst the penguins as they have continued to invade more beaches. They are remarkably untroubled by people but one should avoid harassing them by getting too close or chasing them. Watch out! They have a vicious bite. Needless to say, adoption is not an option. February to August is breeding season and the beach now reverberates to the harsh braying sounds of the Jackass males, which is also responsible for their name.

Simon’s Town is less than an hour’s drive from the centre of Cape Town and well worth a visit on it’s own. Find out more about kayak tours at www.kayakcapetown.co.za or phone 082 501 8930. The Table Mountain National Park, of which Boulders is a part, has its website at www.sanparks.org/parks/table_mountain

Cape Town's amazing museums

2009-07-03T01:53:00.000-07:00

Easter in the Cape, Cape Times 31/03/2009

EXPLORING CAPE TOWN’S AMAZING MUSEUMS

The first signs of human habitation in the Cape date from 12 000 years ago, although recorded history effectively begins in the 17^th century with the arrival of white settlers. The Dutch colonisers brought the native San the dubious package deal of European civilisation, Christianity, science and writing as well as the standard colonial features such as taxes, slavery, plague and oppression. The 350 years since then have been turbulent and varied, the best and the worst of times, but it has all contributed to the development of one of Africa’s great cities. Here is a small selection of what Cape Town has to offer visitors.

If you want to start at the beginning, try The South African Museum of Natural History located in the Company Gardens. Specialising in natural and pre-history, the collections pack the huge building with a vast array of exhibits. View 700million year old fossils, including complete dinosaur skeletons at the recently opened first phase of the African Dinosaur Exhibition, or spend hours in the marine exhibits which include a full size Blue Whale skeleton, Shark World, and a life size model of Architeuthis, the Giant Squid. The vast arrays of exhibits devoted to living and once-living creatures, from the primates, to avian evolution, to ocean trench dwelling oddities are all beautifully displayed and highly informative.

Human history gets a look-in as well, with realistic dioramas depicting lifestyles of the nomadic peoples that once dominated the Cape, as well as displays of San rock art and very current displays on indigenous knowledge in the age of copyright.

The sheer volume and variety of exhibits can be overwhelming and there is certainly far too much to see in a single visit, even for hyperactive kids.

Log on to www.iziko.org.za/sam or telephone 021 481 3800 for more information.

While you’re at the South African Museum you might want to catch a show about our southern stars at the Planetarium. Shows catering to children and adults are shown daily. For bookings and schedules log on to www.iziko.org.za/planetarium or telephone 021 481 3900

The Castle of Good Hope is the oldest surviving building in the country and it’s not hard to see why it has managed to weather the centuries. Begun in 1666 as the second major VOC fortification at the Cape. It is a five pointed structure with six foot thick, stone-clad walls and built according to early 17th century Dutch fortification principles. It is a very well preserved building and currently houses a series of art and historical exhibits, notably the Fuer collection of 17^th-19^th century oil paintings, furniture, ceramics, metal and glassware. There are tours and displays that tell visitors about the highs and lows of early colonial life, the Dutch era and the British occupation. Web www.iziko.org.za/castle or telephone 021 464 1260/4

To see how the other half lived in colonial times, you can visit the Slave Lodge in Adderly st. The Cape was an integral part of the Indian Ocean slave trade almost until the middle of the 19^th century and imported human beings from Ceylon, Madegascar and Indonesia among other places. They were transported to the Cape by the VOC, the Dutch East-India Trading Company and exhibits give insight into the lives of these people with multi-media displays and objects from their respective cultures. Visitors can experience the cramped conditions they were transported in with an installation replicating the cargo hold of a slave trading ship.

Current collections at the museum include early 20^th century ‘scientific’ artefacts that catalogued the characteristics of the ‘inferior races’, such as face casts and voice recordings and there is a exhibit on the life of Steve Biko, anti-Apartheid and Black Consciousness icon. Find out more at www.iziko.org.za/slavelodge or telephone 021 460 8242.

The Iziko Maritime Centre features an overview of shipping and maritime history in Cape Town and can be found on Dock Road at the V & A Waterfront. There is a collection of ship models and objects associated with shipping in Cape Town, in particular the era of mail-ships, with the emphasis on the Union-Castle Line. There are displays on Table Bay from the 17th to 20th century to tell the story of the development of the harbour. Web www.iziko.org.za/maritime or telephone, 021 464 1261.

The Heart of Cape Town Museum at Groote Schuur Hospital in Observatory, is a small museum that honours all those who played a major role in the world’s first heart transplant. Led by Professor Chris Barnard – the team performed a surgical feat that pushed the boundaries of science into the dawn of a new medical era. The museum itself includes the original A and B operating theatres where the transplant took place. Phone 021 404 1967 or log on to www.heartofcapetown.co.za

Easter in the Cape- Welcome

2009-07-03T01:35:00.000-07:00

Easter in the Cape, Cape Times 31/03/2009

The following few articles all appeared in the Cape Times's Easter in the Cape supplement. It was a case of the phone ringing...
Editor: Hi Ben, could you write up 8000 words spread over 12-16 articles on all the marvelous things tourists can get up to this Easter in Cape Town?
Me: Urm, sure, when do you want it by?
Editor: A week from now.
Me:...
Editor: You there?
Me: Of course Madam. That would be no trouble at all!

WELCOME TO THE CAPE THIS EASTER

Cape Town is bracing itself for the rapidly approaching Easter weekend and the inevitable flood of visitors both international and domestic. Tourists and locals alike scramble to take advantage of the Cape’s gorgeous blue-flag beaches, pristine nature areas, world-class attractions, all the while enjoying the splendid scenic beauty that surrounds you wherever you go.

Easter holidays are regarded by locals as the de facto ‘last weekend of summer’. For them it’s a chance to visit relatives and friends, play some sport and have a braai, preferably in a family-friendly setting, but the Cape’s attractions are plentiful and varied and everyone is sure to find something that will make theirs a holiday to remember.

If you’re visiting the Cape this Easter holiday season then we have some amazing experiences and activities in store for you. No matter how much or how little energy you want to burn, no matter how many tastes, sounds and sights you want to sample. From the top of the mountain to beneath the waves of our restless coastline, the Cape can provide the experiences that will forever leave their mark on you.

2010 HOME RENTALS

2009-07-03T01:30:00.000-07:00

Score FIFA World Cup supplement 11/06/2009

HOME RENTAL FOR FIFA 2010 IN DEMAND- BUT NOT EVERYWHERE SAY AGENTS

Property and rental experts agree that there is a general perception among Cape Town property owners that the FIFA 2010 World Cup presents an irresistible opportunity to make a lot of money, but caution that this perception isn't accurate in many cases. First time landlords that want to rent out their houses or flats on a self-catering basis were advised this kind of plan needed clear headed consideration.

Lloyd Nasi, Marketing Manager at Trafalgar Properties said the main problem with the event was it's short duration and pointed out that only eight matches were going to be played in Cape Town. “Yes, there is this view that the Cup is a goldmine [for property owners] and in some cases it will be... but only in certain areas”.

Craig Williams, an agent working for Remax said that, “the rental property most in demand is centered around the Atlantic Seaboard and City Bowl” and added that prospects for rentals to World Cup visitors dropped off sharply as you moved away from these areas.

All the experts we spoke to expressed concern that Cape Town's reputation could be harmed by greedy individuals that overcharged visitors and provided poor value for money. While the wide variety of properties and areas prevented him from from giving detailed breakdowns, Williams felt that generally a World Cup rental premium that did not exceed the usual seasonal daily rate by 25%, might be justified.

Ian Slot, a Managing Director with SEEFF, confirmed that his organisation was taking a lot of enquiries for accommodation but said that proximity to the World Cup venues and the practicalities of getting to the matches were the most important factor for obvious reasons. He added however that while there would only be eight World Cup matches played in Cape Town and that the rental window for the event was narrow, many visitors were planning to extend their stay in the Cape beyond the duration of the event as part of a longer holiday. He said he knew of visitors that had already booked accommodation in the Stellenbosche Winelands and planned to drive in for the matches.

The main advantages of approaching an agency to manage the property were that tenants could be secured more quickly and reliably and that the process was safer for the property owner as they had the expertise to conduct proper screening and manage deposits and credit checks. “Also, keep in mind these people are here to party,” said Slot.

Therese Botha, a specialist working for established upmarket rental agency Icon Villas, warned homeowners that without the backing of a reputable agency there were plenty of problems and headaches that a first time landlord could stumble into. She did concede that homeowners could make more money going it alone but added, 'this is a serious shortcut as there are so many loopholes and issues that could occur'.

She said homes that were best suitable to self-catering accommodation were owned by house-proud owners, had de-personalised and clean, uncluttered décor and that were well secured and situated in safe areas. “Having said that, anything simple and tastefully done should suffice.”

One option for homeowners wanting to go it alone is to register their property with MATCH services, which is the first FIFA endorsed accommodation services provider in the history of the tournament to include non-hotel accommodation such as B&Bs, guesthouses and lodges. Contacts for the service can be obtained through the MATCH website at www.match-ag.com/accom2010.html.

VISITOR CENTRE TOUCHSCREENS

2009-07-02T05:33:00.001-07:00

Score FIFA World Cup supplement 11/05/2009

Lately I've been helping out with the City of Cape Town funded FIFA World Cup supplement, which is published monthly in the Cape Times and the Cape Argus.

VISITOR CENTRES TO BE UPGRADED WITH MULTIMEDIA TOUCHSCREENS

Cape Town Tourism deals with approximately 3 million enquiries per year through its network of well positioned Visitor Information Centres (VICs) and Call Centre. Over the next few months both existing and new VICs should be getting a hi-tech upgrade in the form of digital touchscreen media facilities.

Cape Town tourism in association with tourist authorities from Stellenbosch, Paarl Overstrand, Kwazulu-natal, Knysna and Plettenburg Bay have contracted Cape Town based Shout Media to undertake a rolling implementation that should see more than thirty of the machines installed in an program lasting until December 2010.

Bianca Dupont of Shout Media described the systems. “These platforms are branded and geared specifically for each Tourism Body and their unique needs. We not only offer Tourists easy access to vast and detailed Tourism information (ranging from Accommodation, Attractions, Activities and Events & Conferences through to Tours and Operators, Local Information, Restaurants Bars and Clubs, Shopping, Transportation, Wine Farms & Game Reserves) but also offer a cost effective means of marketing exposure for members within the Industry. “

Dupont said the facilities should prove useful to small businesses such as Bed and Breakfasts, that couldn't afford large marketing budgets and for whom new media was too expensive to add to their marketing efforts. She added that the system would eliminate the need for printing endless amounts of “brochure-ware”.

More than ten units have already been installed in locations in and around the city such as Cape Town Tourism's Burg street VIC, Cape Town International Airport, Mandela-Rhodes Place, Robben island, Somerset, Cape Gate and Tygervalley Shopping centres, the Cape Town International convention Centre and the V&A Waterfront, among others. Six Metrorail stations on the Simon's Town line, Cape Town, Observatory, Newlands, Kalk Bay, Muizenburg and Simon's Town are also scheduled to receive stand-alone touchscreens by the end of July 2009. The systems already installed recieve exposure to an annual foot count of 95million people.

Those units already installed will eventually benefit from a redesigned interface that has been developed for more advanced features such as video, virtual tours and enhanced ad pages. A real-time bookings and ticketing facility will also be added in the near future.

A spokesperson for Cape Town Tourism, Marisah Smith, said she was excited about the digital expansion of services that her organisation would soon be able to offer at their visitor centres. “One of the principles of our visitor centres is to provide continuously improving service levels through tools like the e-business platforms and touchscreens and stay attuned to market demand”

In the coming months, installations are scheduled to take place at the Willowbridge Lifestyle Centre, Cavendish Square and Canal Walk shopping centres and up to fifteen other high traffic locations that are yet to be announced. Proposed locations for future installations include Kommetjie, Blaauwberg Strand and Big Bay. All the systems are expected to remain operational and continue providing tourist information services well beyond the FIFA 2010 World Cup.

WEST COAST ENGINEERING FIRM EXPORTS NEW DREDGER TO ANGOLA

2009-07-01T07:16:00.000-07:00

Weslander 02.04.2009

My first hard news article, hopefully the first of many.

WEST COAST ENGINEERING FIRM EXPORTS NEW DREDGER TO ANGOLA

Saldanha engineering firm Dredgeco Engineering launched it's first completed dredger last week as part of an R8million, two unit order for Angola's Hidroportos,(The National Company of Hydraulic Works and Ports). The as yet unnamed, 16 meter, 50 ton vessel features special adaptations to enable it to be towed the 1300 nautical sea miles up the west coast of Africa to Luanda. It departs from the box-like shape of most dredgers with a twin, rounded, pontoon hull system that provides extra stability.

The Angolan capitol city is currently experiencing an oil money driven construction boom and the Dredgeco machine will be put to work preparing the seabed for a new freeway running nine kilometers along the shoreline of the Luanda Lagoon. The road will connect a new 'Dubai style' artificial island hotel and office complex planned for Luanda's waterfront to outlying suburbs of the city and cut current travelling time from four hours in some cases, to mere minutes.

The dredger itself is a formidable piece of equipment that comes equipped with a cutter/suction attachment capable of displacing 1000 cubic meters of sand and sediment per hour and pumping it up to 300 meters away. The three man vessel is powered by a refurbished 1300 horsepower diesel plant, recycled from a recently decommissioned fishing trawler and a boasts a locally manufactured Rockeater pump system.

Part owner of Dredgeco, Mr Roland Burke, praised the professionalism and hard work of his twenty-two man team of wielders, artisans and mechanics and said the team managed to take the vessel from blueprint to launch in only nine weeks. Dredgeco is subcontracting for North-South Engineering of Langebaan. “Saldanha is in an excellent position to develop more industry like this. We have the skills, the materials and the backup, all on our doorstep,” added Burke.

IT Business Campus # 3

2009-07-01T07:01:00.000-07:00

Cape Times 28/03/2009

WHY YOU NEED TO GET IT CERTIFIED TO SUCCEED
IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Even in hard times there are new opportunities in
the IT industry and demand for IT professionals across all experience
levels. Companies however, are growing wary of graduates with so-called “grey”
qualifications of doubtful and variable quality and are increasingly seeking
those that have internationally recognized qualifications. The trend now is to
insist in internationally recognized certification such as the Microsoft and
CompTIA family of certification options.

The benefits to employees and employers alike are
numerous as explained by Faizal Mukadam, CEO of IT Business Campus. “You can
travel anywhere in the world with this certification and it will be recognized, China, Dubai, Europe, anywhere. We have corporate clients
who are desperate for internationally certified graduates and they are starting
to make international certification a prerequisite for job applications. They
need universal measures by which to judge if a prospective employee is able to
fulfill the tasks which he is being employed for, and a generic diploma from a
random college just can’t do that,” said Faizal.

Faizal’s IT Business Campus is at the forefront of
international certification and the largest provider of certified IT training
solutions, with the largest choice of courses, in South Africa. It has developed
relationships with Microsoft, CompTIA (Computing Technology Industry
Association) and EC-Council, whose
certifications are highly sought after in the IT
industry. IT Business Campus is a Microsoft IT Academy Program Member, CompTIA
Gold Partner Member and a CompTIA Cornerstone Partner.

ITBC’s size and reach has enabled them to achieve
Pro-Metric Testing Centre status for all their campuses and to offer massively
discounted Pro-Metric Testing Vouchers. “We’re 50% cheaper than anybody else
when it comes to testing, shop around and see for yourself,” said Faizal, and
added, “The testing fees have always been a major expense for students and the
discounted prices are sure to be a great help to those who want to get ahead in
IT. There simply isn’t any other IT college in the country that can offer the
huge range of training options at the prices we are.”

IT Business Campus has earned the privilege to
serve blue-chip and government clients including: Arivia.kom, Acer, Internet
Solutions, Nashua Mobile, Department of Health, Old Mutual, Telkom, Metro Rail
and much more.

Apart from the vastly improved prospects of
landing a job, international certification holds numerous other benefits for
graduates. “Studies show that employees with International Certification can
expect improved promotion prospects, higher pay and improved benefits,” says
Faizal. “The certification system makes it easy for employees and employers to
figure out exactly where the employee’s skills are adequate and where there are
gaps in their knowledge. This makes additional training requirements easier to
identify and helps the candidate move up the ladder far quicker than he would
otherwise,” he added.

Faizal also pointed out that, “graduates feel a
lot more confident about their skills when they get certified and that
confidence translates to less stress and better customer service for clients.
Businesses are really starting to get the message that certification means
lower costs, less staff turnover, more efficiency and higher customer
satisfaction and they are changing their hiring policies
accordingly.”

IT Business Campus has been running a Million Rand IT course
give-away on Good Hope 94-97 FM’s Nigel Pierce Show and 5 listeners will win
courses to the value of R100,000 each and 25 people courses to the value of
R25,000 each. Prospective students can also earn a 50% discount by entering the
Competition entry. Log onto www.itbc.co.za and enter the competition.
Interested prospective students can complete a free 3-day demonstration course.

THE LAUREN BEUKES INTERVIEW

2009-07-01T06:04:00.000-07:00

Probe 12.2008
Probe is the bi-monthly fanzine of Science Fiction South Africa (SFSA). The interview was really just an excuse for me to meet prize-winning journalist, writer, columnist and novelist Lauren Beukes. Lauren had come out of nowhere to become 33% of South Africa's conventionally published Science Fiction authors with her clever, groundbreaking, cyberpunk riff, Moxyland. As a long time Sci-Fi nerd I couldn't resist the opportunity to pick her brain.

THE LAUREN BEUKES INTERVIEW

For a nation with such an increasingly uncertain future and a reasonably well-developed literary culture, South Africans have been surprisingly slow to develop a speculative fiction tradition for themselves. Apart from a few blips, speculative fiction set in, and about South Africa has been thin on the ground.
Lauren Beukes's Moxyland explores a kind of Africa we haven't seen or read about before. It is a technological, futuristic, hyper-urban, dark continent that rises beyond the condescending visions of romantic primitivism that seems to pervade so much fiction set in Africa. The Cape Town 2018 setting is kind of a statement in itself, reminding us that the future is going to happen to us too.

One can argue with Lauren's conclusions. That we're headed for a fascist dystopia of mass distraction, a future of corporate apartheid and omnipresent surveillance and oppression enabled by the very same shiny consumer gadgets the masses are clamouring for right now. SF's record is not very good at predicting specifics. But then again, what IS going to happen if the gulf between rich and poor continues to widen at the current rate? What will happen if we give up our freedoms of movement expression in exchange for an orderly police state? Why is Lauren Beukes the only one asking these questions?
I asked Lauren Beukes to tell us about Moxyland and herself over coffee and a few emails.

BA: What are your influences?

LB: I've always loved speculative fiction. I love authors like Neal Stephenson (Snow Crash) and Bruce Sterling (Globalhead), David Mitchell (Cloud Atlas), Jonathan Lethem (Wall of the Sky, Wall of the Eye), Margaret Atwood (Oryx & Crake) and especially Alan Moore (Watchmen). As a kid, I read a lot of 2000AD. I still have all the old comics.

BA: Where do you get your ideas from, the cellphone thing in particular?

LB: The story is inspired by all the interesting places technology and culture intersect and the socio-political stuff happening in South Africa, but I didn't want to write just another apartheid novel.

The novel is about surveillance society and scary epidemics and slippery online identities, among a whole bunch of other things. I took inspiration from real-life events, like the fascinating way people are interacting online, from the Belgian woman who reported the virtual rape of her online avatar in Second Life as a real crime to real-world police or the Chinese guy who killed his former partner over a virtual sword. There seems to be this weird schism developing in how people experience online life.
As for the cellphone taser, it was inspired by yobs in the movies who won't stop talking and how great it would be to just zap them. It would be great for personal safety too, if you could zap muggers with your phone.

BA: Where does the developing world feature in all this?

LB: Well, the developing world is part of the high-tech economy too, except there the focus is a little different.

BA: You mean like child coltrane miners risking their lives to mine materials for the latest cellphones in the DRC?

LB: Exactly, but it doesn't have to be real mines, you get virtual mines and sweatshops too. In online games like World of Warcraft you can make real money by performing the tedious tasks like mining gold or earning artefacts or building up characters for rich and lazy players who just want to have fun. It's happening a lot in China at the moment. And actually, China is a very interesting place to watch generally. Take the Great Firewall of China for example – the way the government censors websites and has these adorable cartoon cops who pop up to warn you if you're venturing into restricted space. It's really crazy, evil Big Brother-style censorship mixed up with this cute factor.

BA: So, what do you think is going to happen when the technology needed to play in online virtual worlds filter down to the very poor as cellphones have today?

LB: All these online worlds and games, like World of Warcraft (and projects like Amazon's micro-task outsourcing agency Mechanical Turk) presume you have leisure time and access to a computer with decent bandwidth. The poor in SA have a lot of free time, but limited access to the technology. But wouldn't it be fantastic if we could get some virtual sweatshops going here, provide employment playing games?

BA: The media is mostly a source of disinformation and a tool of
control in Moxyland. If you consider the unequal access to mediums such as the internet and satellite television today, do you think that
the 'info-rich' are less susceptible to being manipulated by
propaganda and misinformation through the media than the 'info poor'?
Or, does having vast amounts of information about every conceivable topic at your fingertips merely make you susceptible to more sophisticated forms of disinformation?

LB: We're in a very interesting time where you can tailor your media to suit your opinions and reinforce them. You don't ever have to be exposed to a TV channel or a website that disagrees with you or challenges you (unless you're going there to troll).

I can relatively easily filter Fox News or rabid right wing sites right out.

But on the flip side, Google is a great equaliser. Do a search on
reproductive health and you'll get as many anti-choice websites coming up (some disguised, appallingly and packed with disinformation) as pro-choiceones. So, it's important to be savvy too, to play the rational sceptic andreally do your research.

We see it a lot with people STILL falling for (and forwarding) email scams, petitions, Microsoft giveaways, 419s, urban legends and how-to-avoid rapewarnings, all of which could be debunked with one click through to Snopes.com or a simple Google search.

I do think those who don't have easy access to information and the Internet
(or heck, a solid education) are at a serious disadvantage where they're at
the mercy of popular media, politicians and community leaders. Look at the
recent xenophobia attacks or the popular support base for Jacob Zuma that
would ignore the constitution and our justice system and throw out even the
possibility of a corruption trial.

There's a reason countries like China and Zimbabwe clamp down on the
Internet and restrict information.

What the world, and South Africa especially, needs most is education, and
not the paint-by-numbers syllabus stuff either. We need to teach kids to
think, to interrogate the world, to understand context, to fully explore the
spectrum of greys that falls in between the black and white of core issues
and make their own, thoroughly informed choices.

BA: The virtual violence seems to escalate through the book. From
kiddies fantasy land to immersive Quake style first person shooter
until it eventually breaks into the real world through Scorpions
Elite. Are you saying virtual violence leads to the real thing?

LB: Absolutely not. It's the other way round. The violence in the games, even in
a kids' gameworld as saccharine and innocent as KiwiPop (what Toby calls
Moxyland) is a reflection of the real world. That's really what the book is
about, this glossy cute pop veneer over the dark undercurrents of our
society that rush fast and deep and will suck you under.

As Toby says (p116 I think), "What, like the kids' games? That Moxyland
shit? Murder and mayhem. Training them to be savage, don't you think? It's
not about making friends with kids all over the world, it's about getting
ahead, getting one over.'

The hackneyed old video-games-leads-to-violence argument is a grossly
specious one.

Violent games might attract more violent or unhinged personalities (ditto
with horror movies, metal bands and hey,kitchen appliances) but there are
millions of people who use games like Resident Evil or GTA or rock out to
crappy American hard rock bands to defrag from their day and vent their
aggression.

And there was a recent study that showed, contrary to what you'd expect,
that most players actually find it a relief to get killed in a game because
it relieves the tension.

For most of us, it's cathartic. For the very, very, very few who veer that
way already, it *might* wind up their antisocial tendencies or reinforce
violent thinking and behaviour.

Video games, music, movies, guns, samurai swords, bad parenting and Satan
don't kill people. People kill people. (although it's certainly easier if
they have guns. I'm a big fan of gun control)

BA: The concept 'corporate apartheid' has been used by several
reviewers to describe the setting for your book. Do you think such a
state is any more resilient to change than the racial apartheid that
we have (at least in law) just abolished?

LB: While Original Apartheid was an evil, racist national state policy, the
conceit of the novel, corporate apartheid, or its real-life equivalent
economic apartheid, where the rifts between rich and poor are growing
exponentially, may well be more insidious and, in the long term, more
damaging. (This is something British economist George Monbiot holds close to
his heart, if you're interested in further reading)

It's easy to identify an oppressive regime and fight against it (a little
harder to actually overthrow it, if the 46 years we spent trying is any
indication).

But how do you fight against an emergent socio-economic trend? This isn't
government-imposed policy. Who is the enemy? How do you take down the big
bad wolf if the big bad wolf is something as huge and nebulous and seemingly
insurmountable as growing poverty?

Again, it comes down to education and giving people choice and agency in
their own lives. Educating the poor, empowering them to get jobs or training
them in practical skills (like good farming practices, rotating fallow land,
not cutting down trees so as to avoid deforestation and desertification),
educating women about reproductive rights and contraception and giving them
an education full stop.

And, of course, curtailing rampant corporate interests and reinforcing
corporate responsibility.

I think genetically modified crops could be exactly what Africa needs, for
example (inconclusive studies about health factors notwithstanding, we've
always tampered with genes with selective breeding of animals and crops, we
just do it in a lab now). Crops that are bred to withstand harsh and arid
conditions, that can supply a bigger yield to feed more people - that's a
good thing. Monsanto creating crops that don't seed, so people have to keep
buying them year after year after year - not so good.

Ditto big pharmaceutical companies that refuse to release generics of
life-saving medicine or try to patent gene sequences.

Or Arms Corporations who knowingly sell weapons and defense systems to
countries that don't need them and can't afford them. (refer Mark Thomas' As
Used On The Famous Nelson Mandela about BAE Systems selling impoverished
Tanzania a military air control unit that wouldn't suit their needs and that
they couldn't afford or knowingly supplying a corrupt Iraqi regime with
weapons that they knew Saddam couldn't pay for to the tune of 100 million
pounds, knowing also that they'd be fully covered for the loss by the
British taxpayers AND that they could then add that loss to Iraq's war debt,
crippling the country and doubling their profits!)

Or companies (and countries) that just don't give a fuck.

BA: Moxyland has been warmly received and reviewed.
What does all this success and positive critical attention feel
like when you add in the incoming kid and the ludicrously hip job of
cartoon scriptwriter ?

LB: Ridiculously privileged all round. I've been wonderfully surprised by how
well the book has gone down and the amazing buy-in from people like HoneyB
at African Dope to make it more than just words on a page.

My job is fantastic, best I've ever had, creative, collaborative,
challenging and energising every day with the best bunch of people you ever
met.

Where I am now, it feels like the start of things.

I know the incoming alien queen (just call me Ripley) is going to be very
absorbing and my biggest handicap at the moment is finding time to do
everything I want to do anyway, but it'll work out as long as the words keep
coming. It's about discipline as much as inspiration.

BA: You sound like you lead a pretty intense life. What, if anything,
do you do to make sure you smell the flowers and relax?

LB: If you'd asked me five years ago, I would have been able to say
skydiving, but I gave that up - any sport that involves jet fuel becomes an
expensive habit. Um. Reading, hanging out with my fantastic and hilarious
friends whose own whimsies and creative endeavours from animation to design
are really inspiring, watching movies and smart TV like The Wire or Invader
Zim or The Mighty Boosh, more reading, spending time with my best friend and
tuning fork (more useful than a sounding board) and creative partner, my
husband, Matthew and our soon-to-be baby daughter aka The Alien Queen.

Lauren Beukes spends her time writing cartoon TV shows (Pax-Africa for Clockwork Zoo), books, short stories, columns and the occasional magazine article. Her previous book, the rollicking non-fiction Maverick: Extraordinary Women From South Africa's Past (Oshun 2005) was nominated for The Sunday Times Alan Paton award. She lives in Cape Town.

Benny Alberts is an occasional freelance journalist and full time security infrastructure consultant based in Saldanha.

Creative Commons-Benny Alberts 2008

Investgold

2009-07-01T04:19:00.000-07:00

Saturday Argus 29/02/2009

INVESTGOLD OFFERS SAFE HARBOUR IN THE ECONOMIC STORM

For the first time in generations, conservative analysts are seriously
and openly debating the prospects of global financial meltdown and the
inevitable economic catastrophe that would be sure to follow. It is
beyond dispute that we find ourselves today in an economic environment
beyond living memory in terms of uncertainty and volatility. The
spectre of the first truly Global Depression hovers over the world's
economy.

Major currencies are faltering.
Globally, the safe haven of hard currency has found itself wanting as
investors were dashed against the rocks by the economic turmoil
unleashed by the credit crunch. The US Dollar and British Sterling,
traditional Reserve Currencies, have plunged in value as the banking
systems in those countries have found themselves mere hours from total
collapse. In the near-collapse of the US banking system on 18
September last year, the US Federal Reserve's emergency stimulus
proved ineffective and only a shut-down of the money markets prevented
investors stampeding over the cliff, dragging South Africa and the
world with them.

In all, over US$40 Trillion of wealth has simply evaporated from
global markets since the start of the credit crunch and share prices
on virtually all stock markets are showing a relentless spiral
downward. Last October, the Icelandic banking system gained the
dubious honour of being the first to completely implode, plunging the
entire island nation into destitution.

Is South Africa safe from the turmoil?
Some analysts believe the South African economy is already in a
recession, with every indicator from manufacturing output, employment
and vehicle sales showing painfully sharp declines. It is becoming
increasing difficult to find profitable investment opportunities.

Property, regarded as an investment with virtually guaranteed returns
during the boom years, has shown negative growth for the last year and
house prices dropped 11 percent in real terms in 2008. Although a few
analysts dispute this, officials deny that South Africa has a
speculative bubble in property on a scale that caused the US sub-prime
crash.

Share prices are falling even faster with the All-Share-Index plunging
26 percent over the same time period. The big name companies from
virtually every industry are taking a hammering and showing negative
growth and turnover. The South African Rand is considered one of the
very poorest performing emerging market currencies.

Where is it safe to Invest?
Investors all over the world are now searching for alternative hard
asset investments with gold coins and bullion, such as SA's iconic
Krugerrand, at the top of the list. Gold is valued as a safe haven for
wealth due to its inherent scarcity and certain limited-edition gold
coins enjoy a premium over bullion prices due to the near
impossibility of producing forgeries profitably.

The Financial Times of London quote analysts as saying that demand for
Gold Bullion coins have reached their highest level in 21 years. They
predict that the Gold price itself, around US$940 on Tuesday the 12th
of February, is set to pass US$1000 soon, and that demand for physical
gold could double in 2009 compared to 2007.

For the past nine years, the well-know gold coin dealer INVESTGOLD has
proudly served the growing market in SA for gold coins. As the largest
supplier of SA MINT gold coins in SA and member of SAAND (South
African Association of Numismatic Dealers), INVESTGOLD can boast of
amazing returns for it's rapidly expanding client base. Staggering
profits of up to 567% over four years have been recorded for some
coins. INVESTGOLD clients who, in 2004, obtained the limited edition
10-year Anniversary of a Democratic SA Proof Set for ZAR4 950, can
currently sell this set back to INVESTGOLD for ZAR33 000!

What is Co-ownership?
INVESTGOLD's Co-Ownership Plan offers an affordable solution for those
who have the desire to own a variety of coins but who lack the
financial means to do so. Investors can buy 10% 'shares' in various
gold coins, spreading their risk throughout a portfolio of investment
options. To their knowledge, INVESTGOLD is the only gold coin broker
to offer the benefit of their investment experience and security
procedures in such a way.

Starting from 2006, INVESTGOLD revolutionised the gold coin market
when it introduced the Golden Mile Plan (GMP). With as little as R300
per month and with freedom from monthly interest and admin charges,
investors can enter into 3-20 year agreements. Clients can take
possession of their gold coins purchased during the contract period
and can even trade it privately or sell it back to INVESTGOLD.
Golden Miles, of up to 19% of the monthly instalments paid, can be
earned and used to obtain discount vouchers which are used when
purchasing more gold coins. Clients are also able to earn free
Krugerrands on long term contracts.

Clearly, the time to invest in the safety of gold and rare gold coins
is now. Contact an INVESTGOLD broker immediately on 011-234-1626 (Jhb)
or 044-877-1096 (George) or log on to www.investgold.co.za

IT Business Campus # 2

2009-07-01T04:04:00.000-07:00

Cape Times 23/02/2009

IT BUSINESS CAMPUS OPENS REAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS AND
RESELLERS

Even in hard times there are new opportunities in the IT industry and
demand for IT professionals across all experience levels. IT
certification is the edge jobseekers need to get to the front of the
jobs queue or secure that salary increase or promotion. In fact, 71%
of IT managers say
certification is an "important" factor they consider when deciding to
hire or promote an employee, in other words, an indispensable
advantage.

If you are an employer that uses IT in your business, you probably
already know that there is no substitute for keeping yourself and your
staff up to date with the latest IT training. The proven benefits of lower
support costs, increased efficiency and even improved morale and
your enterprise flexible and able to roll with the punches in today's
rapidly changing economy.

ITBC is the exclusive distributor of the eLearning program in South Africa
and Southern Africa and is now offering opportunities for those who
want to supply the popular eLearning Training System and Portal.
eLearning license holders have almost unlimited opportunities for
growth in partnership with ITBC and enjoy lucrative earning potential
even as they help their students equip themselves for the IT
challenge.

IT Business Campus has been helping thousands of individuals and
companies achieve certification and map out their training goals since
1998. As a privately owned BEE IT training provider, IT Business
Campus has earned the privilege to serve blue-chip and government
clients including: Arivia.kom, Acer, Internet Solutions, Nashua
Mobile, Department of Health, Old Mutual, Telkom, Metro Rail and much
more.

Over the years ITBC has forged partnerships with all the main players
in the software and computing industry to ensure that their clients
are never left at a disadvantage with outdated or inappropriate
qualifications. It has developed relationships with Microsoft, CompTIA
(Computing Technology Industry Association) and EC-Council, whose
internet security certifications are highly sought after in the IT
industry. IT Business Campus is a Microsoft IT Academy Program Member,
CompTIA Gold Partner Member and a CompTIA Cornerstone Partner. The IT
Business Campus training modules incorporates the approved curriculum
for our partners, and all ITBC branches are now authorized Prometric
Testing Centres.

IT Business Campus is able to help its clients devise a roadmap to
suit their different career and productivity goals, by being able to
match job descriptions, levels of responsibility and salary
expectations to specific certification options. The mix of
training strategies include, expert-led instructor training,
multi-media presentations, demonstration labs, practice tests and exam
simulations. IT Business Campus's self-paced e-learning courseware is
designed to give you the freedom to proceed through each training
class at your own pace. For corporate clients, IT Business Campus
offers the ability to monitor their employees as they undergo training
in the virtual campus, ensuring control of learning time but also
enabling employees to have the freedom to set their own schedules

IT Business Campus also offers demonstrations and labs where students
can practice what they have learned in a simulated environment and
gain hands-on experience of the course content. With any purchase of
IT Business Campus training material, you are guaranteed access to our
staff of training and support professionals. Accessible by phone and
email, our staff is here to help you get the most out of your training
or to answer technical questions.

Listeners to Nigel Pierce's show on Good Hope FM might have heard that
ITBC is offering a R1 million in certification courses with a daily
course giveaway of R25000. 5 listeners will win courses to the value
of R100,000 each. Log onto www.itbc.co.za and enter the competition.
Starting Monday students can also earn a 15% discount by registering
online and students that enroll right now for any bundle deal are
eligible for a 20% discount as well as a free international
examination valued at R1500. Interested prospective students can
complete a free 3-day
demonstration course. Contact Mishka at mishka@ITBC.co.za for more
information.

Clearly, the opportunities for a bright future in IT are multiplying,
no matter if you are a private student, corporate client with staff
training needs or even a Reseller that wants to offer a recognized
training solution to your students.
With over 200 courses on offer, seven training centers and an online
virtual campus, IT Business Campus is well placed to you to meet the
challenge of IT certification. You could not ask for a better partner
to help you meet the training challenges of the 21st century. Those
interested in becoming resellers for the eLearning system should
contact Faizal Mukadam on faizal@ITBC.co.za

Piazza Da Luz

2009-07-01T03:58:00.000-07:00

Saturday Argus 31/01/2009

PIAZZA DA LUZ SHINES THE WAY TO A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR SEA POINT

A few years ago the area around the corner of Kings and Regent roads
found itself at the lower end of the business and development cycle.
With consistent effort from local government, ratepayers, law
enforcement and the Sea Point City Improvement District, an upswing of
the SBD is now an undeniable fact. Reclaiming space for the young and
fashionable professionals who used to set the tone for one of South
Africa's most desirable places to live, numerous developers have
succeeded in renovating local landmarks and firmly established a
positive trend in the area. Sea Point and surrounds is home to some of
the most valuable real estate in the country –with a resident
population of similar spending power- and the transformation of dull,
tired space into vibrant multi-use precincts is long overdue.

Slowly arising from what used to be the old Kings Hotel, Sea Point
residents have watched with anticipation as the most recent high note
in the ongoing regeneration of their area takes shape. They call it
the Piazza Da Luz, or Piazza of light, the product of two years of
building activity that finally ended this January with the opening of
an eye catching multi-purpose development sculpted in sandstone and
steel. A breezy glass atrium in a contemporary industrial style now
forms the focus of a multi-million rand shopping, office and hotel
lifestyle complex that brings back what Sea Point used to be about.
Good design, contemporary, cutting-edge style and city living on the
edge of the Atlantic.

The Super SPAR is still there, but the extensively renovated
supermarket now boasts a gourmet deli section so successful, that SPAR
send their trainee managers to this branch to take notes. Woolworths
food has also opened a branch in the Piazza Da Luz, so between the two
there should not be any excuse to go home with a bag of groceries that
don't comply with the ideal of high-quality, healthy food and produce.
Naturally, everything is Kosher to help serve the needs of Seapoint's
Jewish community, and the complex is served by two levels of
underground parking as well as 24-hour security.

For those too busy enjoying the Atlantic Seaboard's social scene to go
home and cook, the sun-kissed atrium provides the ideal venue as well
as the reason to meet friends and connect with the people most
important to you. Top-end franchises such as smoothie kings oSumo,
noodle bar Simply Asia and coffeehouse Vida E Caffe cater to
discerning tastes. Lifestyle shopping meets convenience with a branch
of PostNet, boutique beach gear outlet Watermelon and flowers from
Daluca Lifestyle and Flowers. Intimo, Sea Point's only outlet that
specializes exclusively in designer underwear for men, rounds out
gifting options for guys who need that little bit of extra support to
project total confidence.

The natural quest for excellence in all aspects of urban living isn't
confined to what we eat of course, appearances count for quite a bit
these days and Piazza Da Luz has the image conscious urbanite
well-covered. On the first floor award-winning hair maestro Stephen
Kavanagh and his team will ensure you have a good hair day at
Kavanagh's Hairdressing. Around the corner you can find the Dante
Wellness Centre, run by the radiant Stefanutti sisters. Daniela (the
"Dan" in "Dante") and Theresa (the "Te") offer a wide range of
pampering spa and cosmetic medical treatments designed to erase the
damage of a hectic urban lifestyle and help restore your normal
youthful and vibrant self. Dental Practitioner Dr. Toni Bedford will
soon open her doors to keep Seapoint smiling.

Above it all of course is the old Kings Hotel, now arisen as the New
Kings Hotel. Oozing sophistication, the New Kings lives up to its
convenient Sea Point location and breathtaking views of Lion's Head
and the Atlantic with an extensively refurbished interior. Whisked up
from the atrium floor in two scenic lifts, guests at the New Kings
Hotel will easily relax in the simplistically chik style notable in
all aspects of the hotel's design, from the beech wood floors to the
integrated I-Pod docks. The 42 hotel rooms with their bespoke
interiors are complimented by a cocktail bar terrace with a sea view,
conference facilities, private boardroom and personalized service.

The Piazza Da Luz is likely to be remembered as a milestone in the
regeneration of Cape Town's Atlantic Seaboard. Pointing the way
forward for Sea Point, the latest chapter in the sought-after area's
resurgence has now put it undeniably on the upward curve of
redevelopment. Piazza Da Luz and the New Kings Hotel aims to recapture
the glory of the past by seizing the future of sophisticated urban
living.

IT Business Campus

2009-07-01T03:51:00.000-07:00

Cape Times 26/01/2009
Techno Times 27/01/2009
Weekend Argus 31/01/2009
Saturday Star 31/01/2009

IT BUSINESS CAMPUS HELPS STUDENTS MEET CERTIFICATION CHALLENGE

With hard times looming, everyone in the IT trade is thinking about
what they can do to stay ahead of the competition. There is always a
demand for IT professionals across all experience levels, but these
days certification might be the only thing that separates those with
secure, well paying opportunities from the unemployed. In these tough
times you need an edge to get to the front of the jobs queue or secure
that salary increase or promotion. In fact, 71% of IT managers say
certification is an "important" factor they consider when deciding to
hire or promote an employee, in other words, an indispensable
advantage.

If you are an employer that uses IT in your business, you probably
already know that there is no substitute for keeping yourself and your
staff up to date with latest IT training. The proven benefits of lower
support costs, increased efficiency and even improved morale and
retention of key staff can only help you hold the bottom line and keep
your enterprise flexible and able to roll with the punches in today's
rapidly changing economy. Undoubtedly, well trained employees are
vital to utilise every last drop of value and productivity from the
business and beat your competitors in the race for market share.

When you make the decision to get IT certified, it pays to get help
from someone who knows what it takes to gain certification from the
big names in the software and networking world. Microsoft, Cisco,
Oracle, and other established brands in IT do not make gaining
accredited certification in their software products easy, and the
reason is simple. If you manage to achieve the coveted title of
Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) or Cisco Certified Network
Technician (CCNT), to name just two among a bewildering array of
acronyms, you've proven that you are able to compete with the best.
There is no substitute for certification to ensure mastery of the
tools of modern business.

IT Business Campus has been helping thousands of individuals and
companies achieve certification and map out their training goals since
1998. As a privately owned BEE IT training provider, IT Business
Campus has earned the privilege to serve blue-chip and government
clients including: Canon, IBM, Fujitsu, Sharp and the Department of
Defense.

Over the years IT BC has forged partnerships with all the main players
in the software and computing industry to ensure that their clients
are never left at a disadvantage with outdated or inappropriate
qualifications. It has developed relationships with Microsoft, CompTIA
(Computing Technology Industry Association) and EC-Council, whose
internet security certifications are highly sought after in the IT
industry. IT Business Campus is a Microsoft IT Academy Program Member,
CompTIA Gold Partner Member and a CompTIA Cornerstone Partner. The IT
Business Campus training modules incorporates the approved curriculum
for our partners, ensuring that their students receive the appropriate
information to achieve certification.

IT Business Campus is able to help its clients devise a roadmap to
suit their different career and productivity goals, by being able to
match job descriptions, levels of responsibility and salary
expectations to specific certification options. The "potent" mix of
training strategies include, expert-led instructor training,
multi-media presentations, demonstration labs, practice tests and exam
simulations. IT Business Campus's self-paced e-learning courseware is
designed to give you the freedom to proceed through each training
class at your own pace. For corporate clients, IT Business Campus
offers the ability to monitor their employees as they undergo training
in the virtual campus, ensuring control of learning time but also
enabling employees to have the freedom to set their own schedules.

IT Business Campus also offers demonstrations and labs where students
can practice what they have learned in a simulated environment and
gain hands-on experience of the course content. With any purchase of
IT Business Campus training material, you are guaranteed access to our
staff of training and support professionals. Accessible by phone and
email, our staff is here to help you get the most out of your training
or to answer technical questions.

IT Business Campus is also aware that we live and work in a rapidly
evolving IT environment and that a qualification gained today might be
replaced by a newer version before you know it. That's why IT Business
Campus is pleased to be able to offer a free upgrade on CD-ROM for a
whole year after you complete the course. This ensures that your
investment is never wasted on outdated training.

With over 100 courses on offer, seven training centers and an online
virtual campus IT Business Campus is well placed to help companies and
individuals meet the challenge of IT certification. You could not ask
for a better partner to help you meet the training challenges of the
21st century.

Reynold's Group

2009-07-01T03:46:00.000-07:00

Cape Times 8/8/08

REYNOLDS GROUP CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF GROWTH THANKS TO EXPERT CUSTOMER SERVICE

It's been two decades since Seumus Reynolds opened the doors of what
has since become Reynolds Group, one of South Africa's most successful
tool and equipment hire companies. It all started from humble
beginnings, consisting merely of a small unit in the Blairgowie area
of Johannesburg, a driver and a mechanic. Seumus's father-in-law,
helped out at the end of the month with the books. 'I was more glad
than usual I had married Helen,' says the Glasgow-born Seumus,
referring to his wife of 27 years.

Randburg was undergoing a building boom in those days and Seumus, with
his years of working in the On-site Hire trade, was well placed to
keep his fledgling firm growing. His main advantage was intimate
product knowledge which helped him to achieve the key aims of
cost-effectiveness and product reliability. As a qualified artisan
himself, with a background in the carpentry trade, Seumus has never
been shy to share his extensive experience with clients, 'The best
extra we offer is simply free, expert advice on how to use the
equipment,' he says.

Soon they had expanded into an additional workshop behind the unit and
hired a controller and bookkeeper. This early success brought it's own
problems. Neighbours complained about the noise created by the testing
of machines in the back. Before long, the municipality had descended
on them and they were forced to open another branch in Kya Sands which
had a large workshop for testing purposes. Seumus had to add more
staff as the firm continued its explosive growth.

It was around this time that Seumus started to leverage his growing
reputation for excellent hire service into power tool sales. He
started selling the same kinds of tools he rented but added the
reassurance of his capable backup and support services into the
package. Before long, the sales part of the business had grown so
much, that Reynolds Power Tools was launched to take care it. They
offered sales and support for AEG, Milwaukee and Huddy Diamond Blade
and Drills, as well as repairs on all makes of power tools.

By 1992 Reynolds Hire had it's own stand at the Rand Show and a year
after that struck a pivotal distribution deal with AEG Power Tools, a
close relationship that continues to this day. In fact, their success
so impressed the German giant that soon they asked Reynolds Hire to
take on their warranty claims as well, a considerable achievement for
such a young firm.

It was 1996 and the opening of the branch in Cape Town in however,
that saw the company experience some trying times. 'That was a tough
time. People were saying that we would never make it, that the Cape
market was too tough for anyone from Johannesburg.' But Reynolds Hire
doggedly applied the same hard work and expert knowledge formula and
soon the company was expanding quickly again, in part due to its
success in adapting its range of DIY and construction equipment to
Cape Town conditions.

In 1999 Reynolds Group took over African Access which has since become
the market leader in access equipment rentals in the Western Cape.
Putting his son Byron at the helm, they partnered from the start with
top rated access supplier JLG. African Access have since added
equipment from NIFTY to supply a large variety of scissor and personal
lifts, electric and diesel powered boom lifts and trailer mounted
access platforms. As the Western Cape's number one, it's not
surprising that African Access is a popular supplier to the demanding
and deadline sensitive Cape Town film industry, as well as the more
traditional marine and construction sectors.

'The safety aspect is our biggest priority. We insist on it, our
suppliers insist on it,' says Seumus. He adds that access equipment
market leader NIFTY flies in instructors from Europe on a regular
basis to train Reynolds staff in the latest safety and maintenance
procedures. At the moment a staff of 31 employees include 6 mobile
maintenance teams for on-site repairs and support for clients. To
ensure total compliance with safety standards, African Access has a
complete stock turnover for its fleet every five years.

When he is not hard at work, Seumus is very involved with his church
and the community and even sings in the local church choir. Otherwise,
he is busy planning for the next 20 years in the Reynolds Group
success story. Lately, he has being considering a franchising strategy
and recently the company acquired the licence to distribute the
impressive Macdonald compressor range. But he will never forget the
reason the company has made to the top in the first place. As he puts
it, 'the number one reason they come back. We know our stuff.'

Maestro's on the Beach

2009-07-01T03:26:00.000-07:00

Top of the Times 11/06/08

Maestro's on the Beach: Atlantic diamond of SA-Italian cuisine gets a polish

The highly popular a-la-carte restaurant Maestro's on the beach, is
set to broaden it's appeal even further beyond it's loyal local and
international customers with a newly completed multi-million rand
upgrade. The spacious new layout has been designed to take full
advantage of Maestro's Woodbridge Island location, perched as it is
just a few steps from Bloubergstrand's high tide line.

Diners can now fully savor the view of shimmering white sands meeting
a band of rolling surf and Atlantic blues stretching to the horizon.
The 180 degree panorama of Table Mountain, the City and Robben Island
seems to leap into the classically stylish interior, thanks to the
floor-to-ceiling patio doors. The magnificent refurbishment of the
restaurant, already renowned for it's succulent Hollandse Biefstuk,
Stuffed Calamari and legendary pizzas, is the brainchild of the
flamboyant restaurateur, Mark Tarika. "The progressive transformation
of Meastro's is designed to let everyone experience the pleasure of a
great meal in total peace and comfort," says the Italian descended
Mark with obvious pride. "We're continuing to build on the success of
Meastro's on Kloof, which we opened six years ago. Since then
Meastro's has evolved into something truly unique."

Thirty years in the business has taught Mark what it takes to create
an unsurpassable setting for a superb meal. Regular guests will notice
that there are now three separate bars, which will include the
Bacardi-Coke Beach Bar under retractable awnings. The wind sheltered
patio section in particular is set to get very busy over the summer
months, hosting sizzling beach braais and a beach kiosk serving ice
cream and Cape Town style fish n'chips directly to sun worshippers on
the sand.

Sumptuous buffets form part of the upgraded menu, starting at
breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays (9-11) and lunch and dinner Mondays
to Sundays (14:30-15:30 ,18:30-21:00).
Smokers have not been forgotten and can now relax in an enclosed 80
seat section of the 200 seat venue, equipped with highly efficient
extractors and air-conditioning to keep them fresh.

Hard work and thoughtful design seems to have made sure everyone is
catered for at Maestro's, but Mark has his own take on what has made
Maestro's top-of-the-league."In the end a restaurant is nothing
without it's guests. They are the ones that allow me to do what I love
most and I have nothing but extreme thanks and gratitude for their
amazing support over the years."

Welcome

2009-07-01T01:27:00.000-07:00

Hi All

Welcome to my professional blog where I will be posting all my professional writing, including commercial features, copywriting, "harder" and "hard" news peices. This blog is intended for prospective clients and collegues and not for entertainment or information purposes.

Thanks a bunch
Benny