Taraji P Henson says yes!

Empire actress Taraji P Henson says "yes" to athlete partner Kevin Hayden

After being together for a little over two years, Hayden got down on one knee and proposed. He gave his partner a Cartier love bracelet to go with it.

Alongside a photo of her gorgeous ring and some chocolate-dipped strawberries, Henson wrote: "I said yes y'all!!! He started with the Cartier love bracelet BUT that was my #Mothersday gift and then he dropped to his knee and I almost passed out!!!"

 

I said yes y'all!!! He started with the Cartier love bracelet BUT that was my #Mothersday gift and then he dropped to his knee and I almost passed out!!! #sheisofficiallyoffthemarket and she is sooooooooooooo HAPPY!!!!!! #GODIS

A post shared by taraji p henson (@tarajiphenson) on May 14, 2018 at 5:29am PDT

After keeping their relationship under the radar, Henson only confirmed that she had been dating Hayden for two years during an episode of Essence's podcast Yes, Girl! in December.

When asked why she decided to confirm her relationship, she said: "It wasn't even about talking about my life, he just asked me if I was happy and I said, 'I'm very happy' and they just ran with it."

CONGRATULATIONS!

 

– Channel24

Top 5 songs for week ending 12 May #Billboard #PostMalone #Drake #Bebe #ArianaGrande #NiceForWhat

We're on the move with the five most popular songs in the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles chart, for the week ending May 12, 2018.

This is one of those exciting weeks when we welcome a Hot Shot Debut in the Top Five.

Number 5: Post Malone & Ty Dolla $ign "Psycho"

Let's open in fifth place, where Post Malone and Ty Dolla $ign dip a notch with "Psycho."  Post's "Beerbongs & Bentleys" album tops the latest Billboard 200 chart, after posting 2018's best first-week sales. It opened with 461,000 total copies — the best showing since Taylor Swift's "Reputation" became an instant million-seller last November.

Number 4: Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line "Meant To Be"

Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line weaken a slot to fourth place with "Meant To Be" — which continues to rule the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. From Nelly to the Backstreet Boys, Florida Georgia Line has ruled the charts with their pop collaborations. Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley are working on their fourth album, and tell People magazine that they'd love to cut some music with Migos and Cardi B.  

Number 3: Ariana Grande "No Tears Left to Cry"

We mentioned we get a Hot Shot Debut this week, and it happens in third place. Everybody, welcome back Ariana Grande with "No Tears Left To Cry." It's her best countdown showing since 2014, when "Bang Bang" with Jessie J and Nicki Minaj also made it to No. 3. Ariana has titled her upcoming fourth album "Sweetener," and we should get it in July. It's her first album since last May's bombing following an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England. The tragedy claimed 22 lives.  

Number 2: Drake "God's Plan"
We have back-to-back Drake hits again this week, and there's no sugar-coating this: His favorite sports team again went down in flames.  Drake is a big fan of his hometown Toronto Raptors basketball team. For the second straight year, LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers swept the Raptors in the NBA playoffs. The Cavs have beaten the Raptors in 10 consecutive playoff games dating back to 2016. That's the longest streak of its kind in league history. We do have some good news for Drake: He's still the champion of the Hot 100, as "Nice For What" spends a third week at No. 1.  
Number 1: Drake "Nice For What"

Drake reigns atop the Billboard Hot 100 for a third week with "Nice For What." Rihanna recently told Vogue that she and Drake were no longer friends … and he promptly unfollowed her on Instagram. Maybe they'll be friends again by next week. In any event, we'll return and we hope you will, too.

#Vodacom revenue up 6,3% to R86,4bn

Mobile phone company Vodacom said on Monday that its revenue grew by 6,3 percent to R86,4 billion and it added seven million customers in the year to March.

Headline earnings per share remained constant at 923 cents per share, and the company declared a final dividend per share of 425 cents.

Vodacom's sustained investment in customer and network experience across its operations was a major factor in attracting an additional 4,5 million customers in South Africa and 2,5 million internationally, group CEO Shameel Joosub said.

Despite a tougher economic environment in South Africa, big data-led innovations contributed to robust demand for personalised bundles and a 4,9 percent growth in service revenue.

Strong device sales, cost optimisation measures and the effective execution of Vodacom's pricing transformation programme also played a major role in the sound commercial performance in its largest market.

"Our accelerated rural coverage programme was instrumental in Vodacom becoming the continent's first operator to reach 80 percent population coverage on a 4G network," Joosub said.

The company said it was encouraged by the renewed economic and political stability in South Africa and larger international operations, including Kenya, but warned that unexpected volatility in political environment, economic growth, currency and regulatory uncertainty continued to pose a risk.

– African News Agency  

Legendary photographer who took iconic Hector Pieterson picture dies

South Africa is mourning legendary photographer, Sam Nzima, who took the iconic picture of a wounded young Hector Pieterson.

He died at the age of 83 on Saturday night.

Nzima was working for the World Newspaper when he took the famous photograph.

The image displayed the brutality of the apartheid government to the world.

Nzima endured harassment by security police, who accused him of portraying South Africa in a bad light.

He was forced to leave Soweto for his village of Lilydale, in Mpumalanga and never again used the lens.

Nzima was honoured with the Order of Ikhamanga in Bronze in 2011.

#CellC take a girl child to work day 2018 launched

 South Africa's Public Protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, leading South African businesswoman Phuti Mahanyele, Miss South Africa Adè van Heerden and social media expert Emma Sadleir were just some of the women at an event held today to launch the 2018 Cell C Take a Girl Child to Work Day® and the #morethanaday campaign.
 
Cell C Take a Girl Child to Work Day® takes place nationwide on Thursday, May 24.
 
Cell C's Take a Girl Child to Work Day® has become one of the most important life changing campaigns for schoolgirls around the country. The much-lauded initiative – which celebrates its 16th anniversary this year – has had a powerful impact on the lives of more than a million girls, preparing a core of future women leaders who will be vibrant contributors to the economy, and leading job creators for our country.
 
However, this year Cell C is encouraging South Africans not to host girls on one day only, but to be involved throughout the whole year, driving its #morethanaday initiative.
 
Annually, Take a Girl Child to Work Day® is hosted by more than 750 corporates and continues to spark the debate on the role of socio-economic development and the promotion of gender equality.
 
Says Suzette van der Merwe, Cell C Managing Executive: Corporate Social Investment: "This year's theme encourages us all to do more. Cell C intends to extend its one day to four days this year. We have partnered with high schools in close proximity to our various regional offices and will host the same high school pupils for various workshops throughout the year. This will enable us to develop a meaningful and sustainable programme that will extend over a period of time, improving their skills and knowledge of the workplace.
 
"We complement our gender development programme with bursaries for girls via the Cell C Girl Child Bursary Fund as well as our robust internship programme. We encourage other corporates to consider adopting a longer term and sustainable approach too, inviting young women to their place of work, allowing them to job shadow and explore various careers and interests."
 
The 12 current Miss SA 2018 finalists also joined today's event.
 
Year-on-year since 2014, Cell C has been offering internship opportunities to the finalists, many of whom have become full time employees following their internship year.
 
 
JOIN THE MOVEMENT
 
Register for the 2018 Cell C Take a Girl Child to Work Day® viawww.cellcgirlchild.co.za
Follow the conversation by using #GirlChild2018 and #morethanaday.
Social media links:
Ø  www.cellcgirlchild.co.za
Ø  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CellC.SouthAfrica/
Ø  Twitter: @CellC
Ø  Instagram: @cellcsa

Tips for managing your #inheritance

An inheritance can be a great financial bonus; but if not managed correctly will also pose a few challenges. Receiving a windfall is great and the urge to just spend it quickly is quite tempting.

"Resist the urge to use the money, let it sink in first and put the money in a short-term bank deposit while working out what you want to do with it. Don't tell anyone about your windfall. It's amazing how people suddenly want to be part of your best friend circle once they find out about your inheritance," says Ester Ochse, FNB Financial Advisory Product Specialist.

She suggests the following tips to managing your inheritance:

Say no to impulse purchases:Rather wait to get a full financial plan from a financial advisor which will help you ascertain where your money should be invested.Understand the implications of your inheritance: This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that will put you on the path of wealth creation. Research and understanding on how and when to use your inheritance is an important initial step in this process.Do not resign from your job: Money does not last forever. For example; If you draw an income of R30 000 per month from R2 500 000.00 - you could run out of money in 10 years which is not ideal and a good place to be in. The golden rule is to stay in your job. This will help ensure you are financially secure in the long-term.Have a personal finance day:Conduct a dipstick and determine what your priorities are, and ask yourself the following questions: What is your financial position and do you have debt; both short term and long term?Make a list of who you owe and what the rate of interest is. If you have short term debt, like store cards, pay these off first especially the high interest amounts. Then put these funds away for three months' worth of expenses.Portion the funds: Part of your funds can go to retirement funding, education and then to true wealth creation.Diversify, diversify, and diversify: It is important that you diversify; which will help you get exposure to all sorts of asset classes and will ensure that your goals are met over the long term. This will happen by including growth assets like shares and property.Enlist the help of a financial advisor:A qualified financial advisor will help you ensure that there is proper planning and investment for your long and short term goals. Managing finances can be complex but the financial advisor will help you direct your money towards your needs.

"Advice from a professional financial advisor will help you manage your inheritance better. If invested correctly; you and your family will benefit greatly in the long term," concludes Ochse. 

#Mahindra joins Survivor South Africa, one lucky fan poised to #win brand new car

This year, one lucky fan of the Survivor series will win a brand-new Mahindra XUV500 W8 Automatic, thanks to the sponsorship agreement between Mahindra South Africa, DStv and the series' producers.

The agreement sees Mahindra join as vehicle sponsor and advertiser for this highly popular production that was filmed in the Philippines and which started airing last week. During the series, 18 contestants compete for the title of South Africa's Survivor.

Says Rajesh Gupta, the newly appointed CEO of Mahindra South Africa: "Mahindra landed in South Africa in 2004 to challenge the large, established vehicle manufacturers with its range of tough and rugged, reliable and value-for-money pick-ups and SUVs.

"When DStv presented us with the opportunity to associate ourselves with Survivor, whose fundamental purpose is to put contestants to the test in the harshest conditions where they have to outwit, outplay and outlast their fellow competitors, we saw a strong connection between the spirit of the game, the Mahindra brand and our range of vehicles."

Nikki Lewin, Managing Director at Mahindra's media agency Alphabet Soup, agrees: "This sponsorship is an ideal fit for Mahindra. It will help the brand to gain greater penetration into the South African vehicle market and will for the first time be associated with a reality series that delivers to a uniquely South African audience. The partnership will be leveraged across M-Net and other channels, as well as digital and social media platforms. We are excited to be a part of this opportunity."

To best make use of the new opportunity, Mahindra has partnered with the award-winning agency, Joe Public United, to create an integrated marketing campaign that will also introduce the public to Mahindra's campaign slogan, 'Always up for the challenge'.

"Mahindra drivers and their vehicles are always ready to accept a challenge, be it braving the great outdoors, starting their own business or navigating the urban jungle.

From our research, it is clear that Mahindra owners value their cars' tough and rugged persona, performance, unmatched value for money and the quality of Mahindra's support and service - so we believe that this sponsorship campaign will connect Mahindra with even more like-minded South Africans," says Gareth Leck, CEO of Joe Public United.

Joe Public United and Alphabet Soup will be joined by Red September, which will support all the digital campaign elements.

"Starting life as a relatively unknown brand, has forced our team to be responsive and responsible in the way we spend our advertising budget. In this, we are very thankful for the help and support of our core agencies and the feedback we receive from our loyal family of Mahindra owners," says Avinash Bapat, Chief Financial Officer at Mahindra South Africa.

The integrated Survivor-campaign will incorporate a nationwide test-drive programme where Survivor fans can improve their chances of winning an XUV500 by test driving the vehicle at one of Mahindra's more than 60 dealers.

Hans Greyling, the National Head of Sales for Mahindra, says: "We are leveraging this association with Survivor by integrating a unique test-drive opportunity for all viewers. Interested Survivor fans can visit their nearest dealership, test drive the Mahindra of their choice and so earn 10 extra entries into the Survivor competition. The campaign will run for the duration of the series."

The XUV500 is available in four model derivatives with a choice of a six-speed manual or automatic gearbox. Mahinda also offers buyers the choice of two- or all-wheel drive, while even the entry-level model is very well equipped.

Pricing for the XUV model range starts at R282 995 incl. VAT for the W4 model to R397 995 for the automatic W8-version.

#Tips : How to pay off your home loan

Statistics indicate that the average homebuyer spends R800 000-R1 million on their first home.

Working with an example of a R1 million home loan, Botha says home-owners can expect to pay over R1,3 million in interest over a 20-year period.

Ideally no-one wants to spend that much money on interest alone and that's why it's so important to throw any windfall you may receive into your bond – even if it's just an extra R200, it will go a long way to reducing your home loan period.

According to Botha, if you can spare an additional R3 565 per month, you could finish paying off your bond in a decade and save over R700 000 in interest while you're at it.

"Looked at another way, you would need to add a total of R427 800 to your bond repayments over the first 10 years (120 months) of your 20-year bond to save R730 350 in interest, which is like getting a 70% return on your investment," Botha says.

At this point, the property would be fully paid up.

As idyllic as this sounds, the reality is that most South Africans simply don't have an extra R4 000 at their disposal so a way of getting around this would be to consider a less expensive property in order to reduce your monthly repayment amount.

Botha says that if you buy a property for R750 000 as opposed to R1 million, your bond repayment is already R2 400 cheaper than the R1 million bond and if you wanted to settle your bond in 10 years, you'd only need to pump in an extra R2 700 per month.

"Thus buying a cheaper property might well create the necessary budget leeway to pay it off in 10 years and once again save a huge amount of interest," he says.

"If the property is then too small, for a growing family for example, it can be sold and all the proceeds used to pay a really substantial deposit on a bigger, more expensive home, which will once again give the owners the opportunity to pay it off faster."

Here are a few more strategies to help you pay off your bond faster:

Rent out unused space

Home-owners in South Africa are increasingly latching onto the Airbnb property rental business and some are earning a pretty penny through the business. If you have a granny flat or garden cottage that is standing empty, think about renting it out. Remember that an extra R1 000 put towards your bond monthly will shave off almost five years on your bond.

Find a secondary source of income

Consumers may generally be feeling the need to supplement their income just to keep up with Vat, petrol and cost of living increases.

"Take extra shifts at work, make and sell something at your local weekend market or look for something, holiday or freelance work to bring in additional income that you can put straight into your bond," Botha advises.

Make earlier payments

You can also consider making your bond repayments earlier on in the month because interest on your home loan is calculated on a daily basis, meaning that the earlier in the month you make the payment, the less interest you end up accumulating.

President #Ramaphosa🤐 Concerned Over #Trump's Withdrawal from #Iran #Nuclear Deal

President Cyril Ramaphosa has noted "with deep concern" the decision by the United States to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, calling it a step back.

US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his country would withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between the P5 +1 and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The P5 + 1 was made up of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council which are China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States—plus Germany.

Ramaphosa, in a statement released on Wednesday said: "As a matter of principle, and deeply rooted in its foreign policy, South Africa supports multilateral diplomacy and the peaceful resolution of conflict."

"The JCPOA is a significant achievement in this regard. It provides a framework of confidence under which the Islamic Republic of Iran can pursue the development of its nuclear capabilities for civilian purposes."

He said the agreement was established in the interest of regional and international peace and security.

"It is important that the progress made over many years of negotiation should not be lost," Ramaphosa said.

"Since its adoption, the JCPOA has contributed significantly to the reduction of tensions over Iran's nuclear programme and still has an important role to play in promoting peace, stability and the normalisation of relations."

Ramaphosa said the South African government urged the other parties of the JCPOA to continue to honour their commitments under the agreement.

Exciting times for newly branded #Riboville

Riboville (formally Tintswalo at Waterfall) hit the ground running this last month with a plethora of activities, functions and events as they marked the beginning of life as the newly branded Riboville.

Situated in the tranquil Waterfall country estate, this versatile boutique hotel, conference venue and restaurant has played host to socialite milestone birthday events, 3 day high level directors' strategy meetings for an A-listed corporate giant, Jazz Epistles commemorating the late Hugh Masekela and played home to the management of Alitalia as they celebrated the return of their flights to South Africa after 17 years!

"It has been a busy firstmonth" said enthused George Sinovich, owner of Riboville.  "We believe we have a high-end product here that can cater to many special events and we look forward to building relationships with top businesses and like-minded individuals in order to partner with them here at Riboville."

An event that has taken on a new guise is the Sunday Jazz and Lunch.  Hosted on the first Sunday of every month, visitors can enjoy a delectable three-course lunch out on the rolling lawns whilst swaying to the sounds of contemporary jazz bands such as Funk'D Jazz.  Pre-bookings are essential for this monthly event and it is already set to become a definite 'brag factor' calendar item for discerning Jo'burgers. 

Newly appointed Head Chef at Riboville Guy Kleynhans has added a new dimension to this event and is looking to grow the interest in the culinary interests of the visitors to Riboville.  Present at this Sunday's Jazz and Lunch, Guy expressed how excited he was to cater for other regular events to attract more visitors to this gem of a venue north of Johannesburg.