Ringo set for Birchwood

The Birchwood Hotel’s Ekurhuleni Comes Alive Jazz Festival will be bringing South Africa’s finest talent to the fore on August 5 by providing Joburg-locals with a lyrical line-up of artists who aim to motivate, inspire and highlight life’s lighter side through music and comedy.

The Birchwood Hotel has selected a new line-up of soul-soothing local artists, including the gifted Ringo Madlingozi, who will be headlining the evening with his inspirational, spiritual rhythms.

The Fergusons back with new show #MzansiMagic

Actors and producers Connie and Shona Ferguson are back at it with a new show. And it promises to be yet another hit on our TV screens.

With Igazi and Rockville both being massively successful we knew it was only a matter of time before Ferguson Films would present us with something new, and it wasn’t even long before word broke about their new The Queens on Mzansi Magic.

#MTV VMA Awards... And the Nominees are

The 2016 VMA Nominations are in and guess what Taylor Swift has been snubbed for the first time since 2009. Could this be the end of Taylor Swift Ms goody two shoes as we know it?

Beyonce, Adele and Kanye West lead in nominations and the infamous FAMOUS video is nominated for the biggest awards of the night, Video Of The Year. I hope whatever Kanye West does when he accepts one of his awards (I am sure he will win one or two) he should not even breathe the TS words!

PUMA strides on

Since it’s debut in 1968, the PUMA Suede has become a benchmark for footwear design.  Made famous by athletic greats -  60’s trackstar Tommie Smith and 70’s basketball legend Walt "Clyde" Frazier, the Suede hit new levels of fame during the '80s dawn of b-boys and hip hop beats, taking over New York City blocks.

Queen B talks about education and entertainment

Ever wondered what it takes to be in SA entertainment? Well not education, according to media personality Bonang Matheba.

Speaking to a crowd for The Masters of Success project in Namibia earlier this year Bonang said that “Honestly in entertainment you don’t need to be educated,” she then went on to say that “although you can be educated, this is my belief, you have to be born to do it.”

Your absence from work is costing South Africa cash

Phew its nearly August - That time of the year when you feel all fatigued up and don't feel like going to work.

But then in this epoch governed by high unemployment figures you quickly remind yourself that skipping work is not ayoba. "Strue, ijob yijob" Did you know your absenteeism costs the South African economy R16 billion, annually.

Food tricks just for you, her and him!

Tjooe the other day I was inside a large retail outlet scanning for "bargain" food to buy. Things are rapidly shooting up and very soon good food will be the preserve of those that can afford.

I am a breakfast person. Hey, I just love my breakfast and I always make the most of my morning meal by cooking up a storm, especially during weekends. But do you know that there are some food tricks that you can try out?

Cassper Nyovest ready to fill up Orlando Stadium

Cassper Nyovest is confident he will fill 40 000 seats at Orlando Stadium on October 29.

This week, the rapper whose real name is Refiloe Phoolo, told City Press that for him to deliver a three-hour, world-class show, he’ll need at least R25 million.

Last year, he became the first local artist to fill up the 20 000-seat Ticketpro Dome in Joburg.

Rabada racks it all

Did he really just do that?

26 July will undoubtedly be carved on Kagiso Rabada's memory lane for a very long time after he scooped nearly every award that was on offer at the 2016 Cricket South Africa Awards.

The 21 year old seamer has made a very impressive start to international cricket and capped off a fine season by becoming the first South African cricketer ever to scoop not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, definitely not 5 but 6 individual awards on one night.

5 saving tips from Cassper Nyovest

Relax guys, Cassper Nyovest is not broke! Having a ton of money doesn’t mean you have to spend it unwisely! While there are countless examples of celebrities who have spent outrageously, Cassper has taken things up a notch and has been exercising caution and frugality when it comes to handling his money.

Celeste Ntuli to host one woman comedy show

Comedian Celeste Ntuli will be  hosting her , Black Tax,  On August 5 – August 6 at the Lyric Theatre, Gold Reef City.

Celeste  will tackle  everything from yellow bones, fifty shades to socio – economics.

CNN Multichoice African Journalist finalists 2016

Finalists in the prestigious CNN MultiChoice African Journalist 2016 Competition were announced today by Ferial Haffajee, Chair of the independent judging panel. This year, the competition received 1637 entries – a record number – from 38 countries across the continent, including French and Portuguese-speaking Africa.

A chink in the Crusaders defence?

© Oom Rugby

Hi guys.

For today I wanted to look at the very exciting quarter final between the Lions and the Crusaders coming up this weekend. The Crusaders seems like a team who does not make mistakes and has no vulnerabilities, but we know that everybody have a weakness somewhere… When I watch the Crusaders game against the Hurricanes there was one little opportunity I notice, and maybe it is worth to talk about it to see what you think.

Stormers set to target Chiefs set piece

Stormers captain Schalk Burger says his side is excited to play against the Chiefs at Newlands this weekend.

The Stormers will take on the Chiefs in the quarter-finals at home on Saturday and Burger says they are keen to finally play against a New Zealand team in this competition.

Other household uses for toothpaste that will surprise you

Toothpaste does a great job of keeping our teeth sparkling clean, but have you ever wondered if it does an equally good job cleaning other things? Well, you’re in luck! Toothpaste actually has many surprising uses you’d never have guessed, and it’s conveniently also something everyone always has in the house.

Cinema lovers get ready for Wonder Boy For President

Wonder Boy for President is a political satire directed by John Barker.

The flick features comedy heavyweight Kagiso Lediga, actress Thishiwe Ziqubu, Ntosh Madlingozi, Tony Myiyambo; Akin Omotoso, Loyiso Gola, Mary Thwala to name a few.

The film tells a story of a charismatic young man from the Eastern Cape who is persuaded by two corrupt characters into leaving his village life and head for the city of lights, Johannesburg to run of for presidency.

Life is sooooo unfair! Deal with it

The fact of the matter is life is unfair. There is injustice in the world. We see it in the newspaper every day. Even as small children, we’re aware of this fact. From the first time some kid got an ice cream cone and you didn’t, or you were punished for something you didn’t do, you were dealing with it. But there are ways you can follow to get past the unfairness of life. See them below….

Will history repeat itself #SuperRugby

The heavyweights from the New Zealand Conference know what it’s like to battle their South African counterparts, and Saturday won’t be the first time that the Crusaders and Hurricanes line up against the Lions and Sharks.

World economic outlook lowered to 3.1%

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) lowered the world economic outlook to 3.1 percent from 3.2 percent as the global economy is being threatened by Britain’s decision to leave the European Union (EU). surroundings. The IMF released its World Economic Outlook Update, Tuesday, its first report since Brexit.It expected the global economy to grow 3.1 percent this year, down 0.1 percentage point from its previous estimate in April. It also lowered the projection for the next year to 3.4 percent from 3.5 percent.

Whose made Manchester United's China pre-season squad

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has announced his 25-man squad for the Red Devils’ pre-season tour of China.

Out of the notable figures missing the trip to the Far East is left-back Cameron Borthwick-Jackson. The 19-year-old made his first team debut last November, under the guidance of Louis van Gaal.

Terry Pheto covers Destiny mag in style

Terry Pheto covered the front page of Destiny mag looking stylish in black leather and lace, with a sultry smokey eye to match, finished up with a nice trad touch of accessories.

Terry Pheto shared picture of the mag on her Instagram on Monday, captioned, “What an honour to grace the cover of @destinyconnect for Woman’s Month issue. Get your copy today.”

Young South African selected for The Global Changemakers 2016 Summit

Courtney, a Geography student passionate about the environment, gender equality, youth empowerment and sustainable development from South Africa  has been selected to attend the Global changemakers 2016 Summit In Switzerland  which is a network created in 2007 with the aim to empower youth to catalyse social change. In its seven year existence it has become a close knit network of 100,000 young social activists. Global Changemakers supported 280 youth-led projects in 128 countries with 200,000 people directly involved and benefiting over 4 million people.

The ground breaking EPPEI

There isn't a better time to equip yourself with critical skills in most industries than now. Employment doors are opening guys and you definitely wouldn't want to be left in the cold.

Anyway listen to this - Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown has revealed that the Eskom Power Plant Engineering Institute (EPPEI) will collaborate with six local universities, in an attempt to harness critical skills in the industry. Hmmmm that's promising!

Pearl Thusi slays it once again

South Africa’s one and only first lady of entertainment Pearl Thusi the ‘Real Black Pearl’ always slays everything she sets her hands on.

Her most recent achievement was landing an international gig on an American series ‘Quantico’.

Icardi heading to Arsenal?

Inter striker Mauro Icardi’s future has come under intense speculation in the media over the past few weeks. Arsenal are reluctant to pay over €90m for Gonzalo Higuain and have set their sight on the Inter Milan striker instead.

Writing interns wanted at Just Curious

From Just Curious

Things are getting hectic on our side, we are struggling to keep up with our 9-5 jobs that we also love and attending events. We are looking for 2 interns to do event coverage for us.

There are no qualifications needed besides passion, a great sense of humour and good writing skills. You know what JC is about so if you have what it takes, then this is an opportunity for you to explore your talent and give us dosage of your skills.

The interns have to be based in Johannesburg. We know there are a lot of Journalism students that would benefit from this but we won’t limit it to them.

Here’s how to apply:

Send an email to kiki@justcurious.co.za and tell us about yourself, and also give us a brief on what content (basics) will be included on your articles when covering an event for JC. No long emails bahlali, just get straight to the point. 🙂

Closing Date: Friday 22 July 2016

Good Luck!!

Why not have a problem free life?

It’s not about avoiding problems. That has never been the goal. It’s about learning to handle problems, obstacles, and challenges with ease. Problems aren’t causing you trouble; you are using problems to cause yourself trouble. A problem for you may not be a problem for your best friend. And a problem you had a year ago may not be a problem any longer, even if it is still present

10 signs you are extremely addicted to social media

While Twitter and Facebook may seem less harmful that nicotine or alcohol, studies have shown that people with higher usage of social media sites may have lower levels of self-esteem a higher rate of depression..

But is there a point where the obsession with the modern phenomenon goes from harmless fun to an intrusion on your life?

If you’re guilty of any of the following then maybe it’s time for you to take a step back from social media…

8 ways to help your overweight child

By Vida Li Sik

Changing habits to help your child lose weight can be as simple, and can be done one at a time so it doesn’t overwhelm the adults or their children, says Dr Brian Wansink, author of Mindless Eating (Why We Eat More than We Think, 2006).

Bonang listed as one of the world's most stylish icons

Queen B, Bonang Matheba is not just slaying in Africa, her sense of style is as well recon with all around the world as US mag Essence list the media maven one of the world most stylish personality.

Stimorol announces refreshing new look & the addition of its first female Ambassador

This year, South Africa’s number one gum will continue in its’ quest to encourage consumers to pick up the refreshing habit of chewing Stimorol with the introduction of its bold new logo and packaging design.

Emtee releases tribute song to mark #MandelaDay

Celebrities are reaching out in every way they can to keep Nelson Mandela’s day and memory alive. Somizi recently revealed his plan to support matric boys in providing matric dance suit to mark Mandela Day while Rapper Emtee is doing his bit by releasing a tribute song.

Which type of laptop should you buy

By Martha Chauke

Buying a laptop is getting relatively more difficult, taking the different types available to choose from into account, there are desktop replacements, 2-in-1s, gaming, portable workstations the list is endless. Laptops are not made the same and it is critical to choose one that caters for your needs. Are you aware of the different types of laptops and what makes them the best kind and most suitable to your needs? Let’s start by defining a few and touch on which key components you should look out for when purchasing a laptop.

Griezmann officially becomes a superstar

France forward Antoine Griezmann has been producing as a top player for the last few seasons at Atletico Madrid; however, his 2015/16 season in Spain, along with an outstanding Euro 2016 with France, has propelled the 25-year-old to stardom.  The pint-sized striker netted 32 total goals for his club, a significant jump from 25 a year ago and 20 two seasons ago, and has also taken France to the final of this summer’s Euro tournament.  Griezmann hasn’t just been a solid performer for France during the competition, he’s been the best player in the entire Euro 2016, and will almost certainly finish as the tournament’s highest scoring player.

Make everyday #MandelaDay

The Nelson Mandela Foundation, Suzuki, and SA Taxi kicked off a joint Nelson Mandela Day awareness campaign by encouraging taxi operators and commuters to turn the unofficial day of philanthropy inspired by Nelson Mandela’s life and his speech to the United Nations on his 90th birthday into a daily opportunity to show compassion for others.

Globally, on 18th July, people are asked to devote just 67 minutes of their time – one minute for every year of Mandela’s public service – to making a small gesture of solidarity with humanity.

How to motivate your child to play sport

What do these people have in common - Cristiano Ronaldo, Serena Williams, Usain Bolt, Novak Djokovic?

They are all multi millionaire sports super stars who have inspired billions all over the world through what they do. Sport has evolved from being just a favorite pastime to being a massive income earner. Err talk of earning big bucks from doing what you love .....doing.

Jobless men who hunt for career women

One of the biggest criticisms men in South Africa receive today is that they are lazy and don’t want to find a job or do any work. How true is that? Are men getting too complacent and far too comfortable for women? Ladies, are you dating a lazy man, a good for nothing kind of man?

Entrepreneur Tip - How franchising works

By Vida Li Sik

Question: I’d like to invest in a franchise but I don’t know how it works. Please enlighten me.

Answer:  A franchise is an agreement between a franchiser (who grants the franchise) and a franchisee (the recipient of the franchise). The franchisee is allowed the right to use the franchiser’s brand, proven business model and copyright, among other things, and in turn, pays royalties to the franchiser.

10 simple steps for a killer body

Want to have a great body ? How to Get a Bikini Worthy Body. Getting your body ready for bikini season will take some hard work and dedication, but it doesn’t have to be torture Try these quick and easy tricks.

SA robots get international attention #RyonicRobotics

Ryonic Industries this week launched its RMIS robot, which has generated huge interest from around the globe in less than 48 hours after its release, with a number of blue-chip international companies indicating their intention to visit South Africa to view the technology and discuss potential strategic partnerships. The company aims to start exporting this state-of-the-art technology in the coming weeks.

The RMIS robot, designed and built by Ryonic Robotics (the in-house robotics division of Ryonic Industries), is the company’s first project and has been under development for the last two years. It has been designed for heavy industries and confined space inspections and analysis, such as pipelines and mines.

The RMIS robot aims to remove humans from dangerous situations and incorporates state-of-the-art industry and world-first technology, such as 3D modelling with virtual reality integration, to address the challenges that these harsh environments present. It also has the ability to integrate an array of other sensors for analysis and testing. Ryonic Robotics both designed and built the unit in South Africa, as well as producing the majority of the necessary components locally (and are working towards a long-term goal of producing 100% of the components locally).

Ryonic Robotics has already started development of its next project, a magnetic robot that cleans ship hulls at sea, minimizing in-port costs. Cleaner hulls reduce drag and improve fuel efficiency by as much as 8%.

In addition, Ryonic Industries is actively involved in participating in attempts to develop a world-class IoT industry in South Africa.

Top Chef South Africa heats up SABC 3's kitchen

The popular American cooking-show competition Top Chef starts its first South African season at 8 pm on Tuesday 12 July on SABC3. Top Chef is an unscripted show which sees 14 cheftestants compete against each other in a number of culinary challenges to escape elimination and win the title. The Emmy Award-winning series first aired on US TV channel Bravo in 2006 and is now aired in 21 territories including France, Spain, Poland, Mexico, the Middle East and Vietnam.

Work related stress under spotlight #CorporateWellnessWeek

Episodes of occupational or work-related stress are a problem most people will encounter at some point in their professional lives. The effects of work stress, if it is not well managed, can spill over into one’s home life and have the potential to negatively affect our loved ones.

“Stress is not always a bad thing, and a reasonable level of stress can actually be healthy as it keeps one stimulated. Highly stressful conditions sustained over a long period affect individuals differently, but are generally regarded as unhealthy,” says Dr Jacques Snyman, Director of Product Development at Agility Health.

What is workplace stress?

UJ seek Varsity Football redemption #ShowYourColours

Varsity Football is gaining recognition!

Having missed out on qualification last year, the University of Johannesburg have re-focused as they bid for Varsity Football redemption from July 18.

The UJ team were runners-up to University of Pretoria in the 2014 tournament and not playing last year will have hurt their pride.

Infiniti Insurance: From login to policy in under 10 minutes

We all know the importance of insurance and many of us have signed for different policies that are tailored to suit both our pockets and needs.

But is there an easier way to get your policy online?

Well some time last week, short term insurer, Infiniti Insurance announced the launch of the pioneering Infiniti Online – a secure online insurance platform, offering clients the autonomy to manage their personal and business insurance requirements however and whenever they choose.

Get ready for Ridiculousness Africa! #MTVAfrica

Its here, its fresh and it will definitely keep your sides hurting through laughter. Ladies and gentlemen, get ready to laugh laugh and laugh some more as MTV introduces Ridiculousness Africa right into your living room.

Ridiculousness Africa is a spin-off of the US show that we all love. In the African version, which starts on Thursday, local comedian, Thomas Gumede, TV personality, Boity Thulo, and Nigerian comic, Basketmouth, will dish out the 'laughs' as the hosts.

Why are we hungrier in winter?

As South Africa heads toward its winter months, many are gearing up for the hunger and food cravings that occur as the days turn colder. As temperatures fall, our appetite begins to spiral out of control - but why is it that we are hungrier in winter?

Studies have shown that as outdoor temperatures drop, the body temperature drops and that is what actually sets up a longing for foods that will warm you the quickest. Shivering triggers a self-preservation mode that sends our body a message to heat up fast. Although all food, including fruits and vegetables, will help create the extra heat we crave, for most it's the traditional comfort foods that we turn to when it gets colder.

#Careers24 supports Future of HR Summit and Awards

Following the success of the first Future of HR Summit and Awards hosted in 2015, leading online career portal Careers24, has pledged its support for the 2016 gathering of HR professionals as gold sponsor. The 2016 Future of HR Summit and Awards will be held in Johannesburg on 20 and 21 July.

The summit will address the transformation of the HR function in South African business, forecasting trends, sharing innovative and strategic approaches to overcoming challenges and discussing practical methods of employee engagement, talent acquisition and empowering leadership.

e² Young Engineers under new management

By Rachael Martins

e² Young Engineers is going through some positive transformations that will see the company on an upward climb in its endeavours for success.

The company indicated that its edutainment program (education and entertainment) will be assisting children, age 4 and up, with the help of specialized Lego® brick kits and K’NeX to enhance the learning of STEM subjects. (Science, technology, Engineering and Mathematics.) This provides a hands-on practical application of what is learnt, making these difficult subject, a lot of fun and much easier to understand. It also assists children in developing critical problem solving skills, fine motor skills, interpersonal relationships, leadership and more.

“We have developed special programs and workshops suited to children at both ends of the learning spectrum, from gifted children to those with learning disabilities. Unlike traditional teaching methods, our use of stories, experiments and demonstrations ensures that all children joining our enrichment programs will learn while they have fun. In fact, they’ll have so much fun they may not even realize they’re learning.

e² Young Engineers enrichment programs are recognized worldwide. In 2011, we were awarded the title of ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ by Youth Business International (YBI), a network of international not-for-profit organizations which is overseen by HRH Prince Charles, who is the organization’s president. The award took note of the positive effect that the company’s work has achieved, and is still achieving, and for our business performance and worldwide financial potential.” [i]

We offer weekly classes and holiday programs in Pretoria Central AND Pretoria North. We are also looking for young, vibrant people to be employed as instructors, to grow the business.

Four things to consider when shopping for a tablet

By Martha Chauke

When shopping for anything these days, one needs to do extensive research on the benefits and features of the product. Purchasing an item solely based on its popularity can turn out to be rather disappointing at times. You’ve been using a smartphone and feel it’s time to tap into the tablet world but seem clueless on how to go about it.  Worry not, we’ve put together this quick and easy tablet shopping guide to help you choose a tablet that will meet your needs.

Pogba set for Manchester United return

Get this right! In his first press conference as the Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho hinted that more signings are on their way.

Well, news has it that Manchester United are closing in on a transfer for Paul Pogba. And it could happen by the end of this week.

#Euro2016 Final - France vs Portugal Preview

They came, they played and only two nations are left to conquer. That is the reality on the ground as an expectant host nation begins as favourites to lift the Henri Delaunay trophy against largely unfancied opponents, who have doggedly fought their way to the final despite little attacking fluency.

Some have billed it as a Cristiano Ronaldo vs Antoine Griezmann showdown while others have even put Lionel Messi's nae somewhere in between.

But European Championship finals do not always follow the script - as the Portugal players involved in their shock defeat by Greece in 2004 can testify. Twelve years on and it is the Portuguese cast in the role of unfashionable underdogs and their opponents France who must withstand the pressure and capitalise on home advantage.

Stormers secure #SuperRugby home playoff berth

The Stormers secured a home quarter-final after claiming a deserved 22-3 victory over the Western Force in Perth on Saturday.

The match was played in atrocious weather conditions with heavy rain restricting play mostly to the forwards -especially during the first half – but when the ball was played to the backs, however, the Stormers were the more enterprising side and they outscored their hosts three tries to zero.

Whose getting the cheese? The Sharks or Bulls #SuperRugby

The curtain is slowly but surely coming down on the Vodacom SuperRugby competition and this weekends nail biting fixtures will go down a long way into deciding who will advance to the knockout stages.

Tjooooe, its a tough call if you may ask me as the third team from the South African group will be either the Sharks or Bulls, and the winner will probably be decided at King’s Park on Saturday.

18 petrol saving tips for every motorist

Motorists have endured a series of fuel price hikes since the year started and from midnight on Tuesday will have to fork out more for petrol and diesel.

95 ULP and LRP petrol will increase by 8c/l, while 93 ULP and LRP will go up by 11c/l, while diesel will rise by between 41 and 42 cents, the department of energy announced.

More ways to use #chicken

By Esther Malan

Cut down on the stress of preparing meals for supper by making and freezing food.

Here is how you can make and use chicken in different ways by just adding a sauce or a few ingredients:

Do you know how often you touch your phone?

Fact: Our phones occupy most of our time!

We are living in 'Trending' times that require us to spend most of our time on these innovative gadgets that the revolutionalized world prefers calling "Smartphones".

A new study has found the average person touches their phone a whopping 2,617 times a day, totalling around a million times a year. <br>

DStv launches new #Guinness World Records Show

DStv has introduced the brand new Guinness World Records Smashed UK show on Discovery Family – channel 136. The new show will premiere on July 12 at 9pm.

The new show brings human achievement to life in front of a live studio audience, inviting famous faces and members of the public to rise to the challenge and attempt new world records.

5 easy ways to get smooth legs! #BeautyTips

The summer season is rapidly approaching and that means getting ready to show them off again. Frightening, isn’t it? But don’t worry, with a few tips and tricks, you’ll be dying to bare them in that super short mini you scored on sale! Here’s our advice on what you need to get sexy, ready-to-bare legs.

Miss SA graduates with an Honours Degree

Miss SA is a beauty with a brain! She is officially an Honours graduate! Miss SA 2016, Ntandoyenkosi (Ntando) Kunene, has graduated with an Honours degree in Curriculum Issues. on Monday. Taking to Instagram in excitement, Kunene posted a pic of herself in her graduation gown on Instagram, quoting the late Nelson Mandela.


“It always seems impossible until it’s done – Nelson Mandela. Bachelor of Education with Honours in Curriculum Issues #MissSA2016 #2ndGraduation.”

Ntandoyenkosi Kunene was crowned Miss South Africa at a glitzy ceremony held at Carnival City in Johannesburg on Saturday night. Making her the 58th Miss South Africa. 23-year-old Ntando was radiant as the exquisite tiara was placed on her head, signalling the start of her reign as Miss South Africa.

Congratulations!

Enrol: Six months photography programme

In an economic climate where entrepreneurship and specialized skills are more important than ever, the Orms Cape Town School of Photography wants to render a generation of well-equipped, highly-skilled and business-savvy photographers ready to build their own, successful businesses as practicing photographers.

We will be running, for the first time, a comprehensive 6-month part-time course in Digital Photography for photography enthusiasts of beginner and intermediate level in need of key skills to become well-rounded and successful photographers in South Africa.

#Media24 to celebrate #MandelaDay with a difference

Media24 will be celebrating international Mandela Day by hosting a 32-hour readathon of Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom.

Media24 invites all celebrities, musicians, artists, sports stars and writers to join in on the celebration.

Media24 Chief executive, Esmaré Weideman says that the aim of the readathon is to encourage a culture of reading in South Africa saying, “Our Mandela Day readathon supports the Department of Basic Education’s national Read to Lead campaign to foster a culture of reading amongst South Africans”. She went on saying, “What better way to pay tribute to Madiba on his birthday than to read his story, in his words, in a place that meant home to him”.

An auction will also take place at the readathon, where two copies of the autobiography will be signed by all of the readers who took part in the event.

The funds of this auction will go towards a reading series which is aimed at foundation phase learners.This series is by WeCan24 and Via Afrika, an educational publisher.

The readathon will take place on the grounds of Phefeni Secondary School in Soweto and will start on the 17 July at 09:30 and end on the 18 July at 17:30.

R3bn for loans and skills development - #Barclays Africa

Commercial bank Barclays Africa will raise close to R3-billion in this financial year.

The money is set aside for small and medium enterprises in Africa, making it possible for them to receive loans at better rates, through corporate supply and distribution chains at cheaper rates using innovative technology, reports Times Live.

R1.3-billion of this budget will be used to bankroll SMEs.

R1.4-billion will be invested in education and skills training.

Barclays Africa chief executive Maria Ramos said “We hope to help improve the chances of many young people to find employment or to eventually start their own businesses”.

Black child, love yourself!

We have all grown to love Boity Thulo because of her ever inspirational words and achievements in the media world. #OwnYourThrone

"Black Child, Love yourself. Celebrate yourself”, these are the latest wise words from our favourite girl Boity. Doesn’t Boity Thulo inspire you to be better and do better in life though? She’s confident in her own skin and we totally love all of her inspirational advice’s that she dishes out for her fan everyda

The difference between #saving and #investing

Tjoooe its July already! Funny how time flies and very soon it will be Christmas.

At the end of every year, people will be getting their bonuses and stokvel payouts. Many of them don’t know exactly what to do with the money, so they spend it instead of saving or investing it. The words “saving” and “investing” are often used interchangeably, but that is incorrect. “Understanding these concepts will go a long way towards ensuring your financial future,” says Eunice Sibiya, Head of Consumer Education at FNB.

Master the art of networking!

There are right ways and wrong ways to network. It’s possible to be draining to others while networking with them. How can you be a life-giving networker rather than a drain on those with whom you are connecting? Follow these five tips from a self-proclaimed masters networking:

1. Take Time to Make a Real Connection

When you and a new acquaintance seem attuned, take time to explore how you might help each other out. “A lot of people figure that coming back from a networking opportunity with just one contact makes it a failure,” Horowitz says. “But my hour with one good contact makes it a success.”

2. Make Your Case for Building a Relationship

Recognize that if you’re between jobs, you probably have more discretionary time than most of your valuable networking contacts do. “People are overrun with requests,” Haver says. “Unless there’s a compelling reason for someone to meet with you, they won’t make the time.” So work hard to make yourself useful.

3. Exchange Stories

Don’t forget that you are more than the professional objective at the top of your resume. “Networking is about telling your story, describing your human competitive advantage — what you do that nobody else can do,” Akande says. And ask a new contact to tell you her story. “At the start of a professional relationship, I ask questions to get unique pieces of information about the person,” Haver says.

4. Respond to Others’ Challenges

There’s no better way to establish a business networking relationship than to contribute to the solution of your new contact’s pressing problem. “If someone states a challenge that they’re facing, respond — no later than the next morning — with something of value that addresses their issue,” says John Felkins, president of Accelerant Consulting Group , an organizational development consultancy in Bartlett, Tennessee.

5. Set Yourself Up for the Next Contact

If you intuit that a new contact will have lasting value, start building a bridge to your next exchange before you say your first good-bye. “I ask people what they’re working on right now, which gives me a segue to another contact,” says Akande. “I make notes so that the next time I can say, ‘You mentioned in our last conversation…’

#SABC3 is looking for new presenters #Auditions

Calling all aspiring presenters, this one is for you!

Insync Productions is on a hunt to find two fresh faces to host a show on SABC 3.

The Cape Town based production company started in 2004 and has been growing ever since. The company is looking for two youthful presenters to capture the minds of teenagers on a new tech show that will be making its debut this month.

The two best candidates have to be well clued up in the world of technology and also be in the know when it comes to the media. This call for new hosts is aimed at people who are able to engage with a young audience.
Entrants must be based in Cape Town and be between the ages of 19-25. The audition is open to both male and female.

If you got what it takes then send a 90 second video saying why you should be considered along with your CV to info@insyncproductions.co.za

#IUGA2016: Women's health straight talk!

The female pelvic floor is not often a source of conversation but, for the 1200 urogynaecologists from all over the world who will be meeting in Cape Town in August, it is an area to which they have devoted their working lives.

“There is a huge burden of disease among women in Africa terms of incontinence due to damage of the pelvic floor, especially during unsupervised childbirth,” said Dr Peter de Jong, a Cape Town urogynaecologist who is the Africa representative on the board of the International Urogynaecological Association (IUGA) and one of the organisers of the conference.

“Women are being crippled, but there is little being done about it,” he said. “In most countries in Africa if there are one or two urogynaecological specialists that is a lot. That is why it is so important that this conference is being held in Africa for the first time.”

The female pelvic floor is a complex combination of muscles and ligaments that does far more than just support the pelvic organs. Women are predisposed to pelvic organ prolapse and faecal and urinary incontinence and this is exacerbated by childbirth, menopause and ageing.

“If men got pregnant, things would be different,” was De Jong’s wry comment. “But female problems are not prioritised in developing countries right now, and these problems are just going untreated. We are hoping that by highlighting the issue at a major international conference like IUGA 2016, we will begin to see the political will that is needed for the change to happen.”

Change happens as the general public becomes more aware of the issues, so it is with this in mind that IUGA2016 will also play host to a special Women’s Forum which will be open to the public. Admission will be free. This event, which will be held on Monday August 1, the day before the congress opens, will see four top urogynaecological specialists discussing the following topics:

Does caesarean delivery protect your pelvic floor?
Does vaginal birth cause sexual problems?
Surgery for prolapse and urinary leakage; and
Menopause and bladder function.
Another of the highlights of IUGA2016 will be the live surgery which will be conducted at Groote Schuur by world experts.

“There will be two theatres running concurrently and the operations will be screened live to conference delegates in the Groote Schuur auditoriums,” De Jong said. “The audience will be able to communicate with the surgeons as the procedures are being done.”

The strong educational theme that runs through IUGA2016 will be further enhanced by ‘Meet the Expert’ and ‘Stump the Professor’ as well as a series of workshops.

IUGA2016 will be held at the CTICC on August 2 – 6. For more information, visit http://www.iugameeting.org/

#PayFast and Xero partner to include South African payments

As a leading online payment service provider, PayFast offers merchants the ability to receive funds via a variety of payment methods including credit cards, debit cards, Instant EFT and mobicred.

Xero has fast become a leader in the online accounting arena with a particular focus on small businesses.

The significant growth of e-commerce and strong SME market in South Africa, makes Xero a natural fit to add to PayFast’s extensive list of over 70 integrated platforms.

Customer centric businesses are the name of the game, and technology is offering more ways to create a positive customer experience. It is no surprise that businesses are looking for more ways to streamline their systems and offer more convenience to customers.

Connecting PayFast and Xero does just that by allowing a “pay now” link to be included on any invoice. Customers can immediately settle invoices creating a quick and seamless experience. Small businesses get paid faster with the added benefit of no longer needing to manually reconcile invoice payments.

“Xero is one of the leading cloud based accounting platforms used by hundreds of thousands of small businesses around the world. We wanted to make it even more useful for South African businesses, by providing local payment options. Through integrating our great services, Xero and PayFast now provide a best of breed and locally relevant accounting, invoicing and payment solution for small businesses in South Africa” says Jonathan Smit, Founder and Managing Director of PayFast.

“Having freshly launched in South Africa we’re thrilled to now welcome PayFast – an innovative local business, to our growing ecosystem of third party tools,” comments Gary Turner, Xero MD EMEA.”South African small businesses will have access to an easy and secure payments processing service that is seamlessly integrated within their accounting software.”

With the recent official launch of Xero in South Africa, PayFast is looking forward to a partnership of continued support for the SME market.

What to teach your child about #money

Money is the reason most of us wake up in the wee hours of weekday mornings. But enough is often never enough! *SadFace*

Parents, don't you think its high time you start now teaching your child about money to make sure he or she will have a good relationship with cash when they are adults. Yes, catch them young.

Finance is a big part of an adult’s world but it’s not given the attention it deserves during childhood, says Eunice Sibiya, Head of Consumer Education at FNB.

Take extra care to not only teach but also to demonstrate good money habits to your children.

Eunice suggests three things to teach your child:

Separate money from your emotions. As your child learns to detach emotions from money, they will make logical decisions about how to spend their money. ”Help your child understand why they need to purchase something, rather than doing so without thinking it through; it will go a long way to helping them in the future.”

The value of money. Until your child earns their first salary, money is usually an abstract concept.  “Discuss what they want to have, whether it’s clothing, a toy or even airtime,” says Sibiya. “Use that in relation to something you use as a family every day, such as milk or bread.  If they want a R50 item, discuss how many loaves of bread that could be. You can even put something like their school fees in context by making them work out how many loaves of bread it would take to pay.”

They are in control of their finances. You control money; your money does not control you. Eunice says children must learn that every financial decision, even seemingly small and insignificant, has an impact on your money.
“The control exerted over finances will determine if they have a solid savings plan or are swimming in debt,” she adds.

So there you have it. Groom your child to be more responsible when handling small money so that when hard cash comes £..€.. $.., they will be ready for it.