#ProductReview: #LG Wing will help you spread your wings and fly! #SouthAfricaBlog

Smartphones can be a little boring. They mostly all look the same with the only real upgrade being the number of cameras on offer. 

And then there's the LG Wing, an odd-looking futurist phone that swivels to offer two screens. While the main standout feature is that this is essentially a double-screened device, what's even more unique is that the second screen rotates, so it sits on top of the first, creating an innovative T-shape.

But you don't actually need to use it with the second sitting horizontally; it works just as well sideways or with the longer screen positioned at the bottom. (And yes, it's also fun to open and close because the mechanics do feel very smooth.)

Why a landscape screen? While a regular double-screen device offers more screen space, just like a tablet, this design is better to hold. 

And when you use it flipped out to watch a movie or use maps or play a mobile game, it makes even more sense. The LG Wing enables you to enjoy video content and perform another task below at the same time. It's fun at the top, business on the bottom, and that makes multitasking an absolute pleasure. 

The exciting form factor also means some newfangled video recording and photography modes are included (did we mention the cute pop-up selfie camera?), but it still has everything you'd expect from a new smartphone – a decent-sized battery, a bright OLED display and 8 GB of expandable RAM. 

It's IP54 certified (a high level of water- and dust resistance), and, as the name suggests, a 5G smartphone. While the LG Wing is a little heavier than other smartphones, you have to give it credit for being a conversation starter and a completely original take on what smartphones could be if more brands were willing to think outside the box. RRP R19 999 technomobi.co.za

Zoe Modiga claims her throne. #SouthAfricaBlog #MondayMotivation

Zoe Modiga's music is proudly African and that is what she is leading with when it comes to her music sessions.

"I have definitely been lucky enough to still do my own shows. It has really been such a devastating time for everyone and especially the entertainment and music industry because we are in the business of putting people together. I have a series called An Intimate Story with Zoë2 Modiga and Banda Banda and that is one of the things I have kept myself occupied with and it has helped me to stay in the mix. I have been able to share music with people and be entertained by that."

The series was founded together with Banda Banda, an artist and music producer, and the two have toured major cities performing at sold-out shows.

"I think it is really just beautiful because it is an intimate story relating to our music but it is in such a sense that people relate to the music as well as the stories behind them. It's not just performing on stage with lights and costume changes. It's really getting into the stories that we are telling. Our music is both proudly African and that's what we lead with," said Modiga.

The songbird said the series explored the modern meaning and the modern world of being a young African and what that looks like.

Kamo Bombe bounces back.. #FridayFeeling

TV personality and poultry farmer Kamohelo Bombe is just an ideal host for the SABC2 agriculture show Living Land.

The vibrant farmer and qualified butcher had sought this presenting job for years until her prayers were answered when she landed the gig last year. A farmer at heart, Bombe wants to use Living Land to advance her knowledge in agriculture while educating and inspiring young people to get their hands dirty working the land.

After a year's break, the show returned to its Saturday 1pm slot on May 1. It educates, inspires as well as empowers the public with all things agricultural. It showcases the many success stories of smallholder and commercial farmers.

Bombe, who has been farming professionally since 2015, says the show will feature exciting new technological advances in agriculture as well as career options for young viewers. The agriculture sector is diverse, with careers in agro-processing, marketing, communication, engineering and research.

Bombe's TV career predates her farming as she began at Soweto TV in 2009. She later moved to YoTV before her big break when she joined Shift, a youth talk show. 

Why Zenande Mfenyana wants cyber bullies fined. #SouthAfricaBlog #GirlTalkZA #TheQueenMzansi

Zenande Mfenyana has been a victim of cyber bullying and wants more to be done to those who deliberately cause emotional harm to others.

As a celebrated actress, Mfenyana is a public figure who has had to deal with a lot of scrutiny from people.

She is one of the actors on popular telenovela The Queen, which trends every day on social media.

Mfenyana took on a new role as a mom and while she was pregnant and still working on the telenovela, she was cyber bullied for the way she looked.

"I experienced cyber bullying during my pregnancy. Night after night during the show, people would make so many hurtful comments about my appearance on TV.

"They would take screenshots, circle my dark neck, big nose and even make fun of the way I was walking.

What is worse is that they would tag me in these nasty comments, which meant that they intended for me to see them."

Her self-esteem suffered from the constant negative comments she received on social media and believes that it is important for those who have experienced the same, to be supported through counselling.

"Social media networks are definitely not doing enough to address cyber bullying. It's not enough that someone's account gets temporarily suspended, we need more drastic measures put in place to address these social media ills that we face daily.

"People need to get fined, and even have their accounts permanently suspended," she said.

#ProductReview: The latest drink offering in a can. #SouthAfricaBlog #Vawter

Whether you call it a seltzer, hard seltzer, alcoholic water or a spiked seltzer, all refer to the latest drink offering in a can. 

In short, seltzers are a combination of sparkling water, alcohol and fruit flavours, and are meant to be light in alcohol and low in calories. 

Distell's ready-to-drink 440ml and 300ml offering, Vawter, is the perfect alternative to carb-loaded beer, heavy wines and excessively sweet cocktails. 

It is a fine balance as your tongue is lightly tickled by the infused natural fruit flavours (grapefruit, cucumber and lemon & lime), gently caressed by the guilt-free dash of vodka (3.5% alcohol content) and kissed by the carbonated water.

Vawter is not for those who demand bold and punchy flavours — such as beer, wine, cocktail and spirits — but for those content with muted sensations. It's a bit like that small part of the population who claim to love a loud time but attend silent headphone parties, or those who are into the thrill of motorbikes only to purchase a trike.

I am almost certain that seltzers are about to create a new style of light refreshment for people who opt to embrace the ideals of moderation and conscious consumption. 

Luckily, for those who want a bit more punch, seltzers can be enhanced by adding mouth party starters such as mint, thyme, shiso and even various berries.

Vawter Hard Seltzer costs R69.95 for the 440ml four-pack, while the 300ml six-pack retails for R79.95. 

Thembisa Mdoda's star continues shinning in #TheQueenMzansi

Thembisa Mdoda-Nxumalo is a reminder to never be afraid to create your own destiny and jump in at the deep end.

Her unstoppable trajectory and triumph in the past four years after departing Our Perfect Wedding (OPW) echoes William Shakespeare's famous phrase: "It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves."

When the 38-year-old performer, at the top of her game, exited OPW in late 2017, many thought she was mad and doomed to fail.

The Mzansi Magic show had turned Mdoda-Nxumalo into a household name and won her several accolades – SA Film and Television Award and DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Award.

Succeeding Tumi Morake in 2015, MdodaNxumalo quickly became a television darling with her signature signing-off catchphrase, "Sifike! Sabona! Satshatisa!"

She was mesmerising to watch, even out-staging the many brides she profiled at times.

The vibrant African print designs she donned on the show turned her into a style icon and the SA Style Awards gave her recognition for it. Her outfits became reference for many women recreating her sartorial picks as they attended weddings from all corners of SA.

#Grants triple wood blended whisky with soda water and ice is always a winner! #FridayFeeling

When William Grant first launched the Grant's signature blend, it was called "Stand Fast", the war cry from Clan Grant to which William belonged. 

This sexiness of Grants lives on in Grant's triple wood blended, the backbone of the Grant's whisky brand.

On the nose it has fresh notes, with a floral edge, subtle smoke, dark chocolate, ginger and orange. 

The palate is full of sweet citrus flavours, orange and lemon, followed by brown sugar, waffles and syrup. 

The finish is warming and sweet with a gentle smokiness.

Add soda water and ice to the situation and the beauty of whisky will whisk you away. 

Bottle Size: 750ml, 43% ABV

#Gumtree warns South African users about latest scam. #SouthAfricaBlog #FridayFeeling

Online marketplace site Gumtree has warned shoppers to take notice and guard against the latest scam that has come to their attention.

The site's management warned that fraudsters use 'spoof' sites, resembling Gumtree's online presence, to trick people into paying large sums of money for products that do not exist.

Gumtree said the scam originated in the UK and came to their attention earlier this week.

Scammers obtain contact details from classified ads on the site and contact unsuspecting sellers via WhatsApp or text message.

They then tell the person that posted the advert a direct payment has been made via Gumtree's shipping and delivery service, and provide them with website details where they can enter their banking details to receive the payment.

However, Gumtree does not provide such a service.

Customer service supervisor for Gumtree SA, Louis Bosman, said instances of the scam have been reported locally over the last 48 hours.

"Gumtree does not currently offer a delivery service of any kind. While these types of scams are very convincing, note that an official Gumtree page will contain gumtree.co.za in the URL and https:// at the beginning.

"Gumtree will never ask you for your credit card details over the phone, or via WhatsApp or text message," Bosman said.

He urged all customers to report suspicious buyers to the Gumtree help desk at help.gumtree.co.za

South Africa now has its own laptop brand thats made ekasi #MondayMotivation #SouthAfricaBlog

With the lockdown enforced on SA and most of the world due to Covid-19, many creative ideas were conceived in all sectors of the economy.

For his part Mpumelelo Mahlangu, 27, thought of finding a solution for a growing need for laptops as more people started working from home, while students had to continue with their studies from home as well.

He therefore created his own entry-level laptop to help those who can't afford the models in the market. The lad from Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, is the owner of Dot Connect Electronics, through which his laptop is designed and manufactured in the township.

"The Dot Connect laptop was inspired by the national hard lockdown last year. With movements restricted and many people working and learning from home, I decided to design a laptop that would be affordable for everyone, especially the students. I thought about the students who depended on internet cafés because they could not afford to buy laptops," Mahlangu said.

He said he thought about his own experience as an IT student at Unisa when he would make use of internet cafés to get his school work done.

Afro Poetry Times May edition will take your breath away. #poetry #digitalmagazine

The world is not a mirage.  It is an oasis of love were dreams come true. 

The wise always stroll with that extra bit of motivation. For some, it comes naturally while for others It comes through poetry. 

Poetry doesn't just make the world go round, it makes it a better place to live through its thought provoking nature. 

The Afro Poetry Times knows just how important poetry is and it strives at promoting poetry and the literary arts. 

The April 2021 edition is now out and available on PressReader.

This edition will get you into the lives of poets and what it means to be a poet. 

It also has Somme unpublished poetry. Don't forget that extra short story bonus and lots more. 

Get your copy now from anywhere in the world you are. 

http://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/afro-poetry-times/20210401

#poetry #poems #poet #Africa #digitalmagazine #poetryporn 

Gauteng to experience a taste of Durban this weekend! #VisitDurban #SouthAfricaBlog

Durban is set to hit Gauteng by storm this week as the City's interprovincial destination promotion national roadshow kicks off.

Durban Tourism will embark on a series of nation-wide roadshows to meet operators, media in the market and as well as to promote the destination to consumers as they rollout their Winter Campaign. 

The roadshow will see the City's destination promotion agency visiting Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the Western Cape provinces.

The Durban Tourism Roadshow is a collaborative effort between Durban Tourism and some of its key partners in the industry and is centred around the call to visit Durban and to rediscover the hidden gems that Durban has to offer all year around as well as a precursor to the Vodacom Durban July VIP Experience. 

This year, Durban Tourism  has partnered with its home team AmaZulu FC, who have enjoyed a dramatic rise to the number two spot of the Premier Soccer League (PSL).

The campaign elements include a mix of mall and petrol stations activations, stand consumer activations, media activations, City parades with the renowned Rickshaw Bus and Amazulu FC, trade & media networking sessions.

South Africa #TikTok content creators get massive boast! #SouthAfricaBlog

TikTok content creators might have received a cold shoulder from the South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas), but they are getting big thumbs up from the leading short-form video platform.

In a first for TikTok South Africa, the inaugural Rising Voices class of 2021 has been announced featuring 100 black creators.

The names spread across voices that have showcased content in TikTok's various categories that include comedy, fashion, beauty, meme, body art, singing, dancing and healthcare.

The 100 will participate in a six-week incubator programme, empowering them with digital skills that will further amplify their content creation.

Social media influencer Nadia Jaftha, filmmaker Mmabatho Montsho and DNA Brand Architects founder Sylvester Chauke are some of the industry players that will offer their expertise to the selected crop.

"We were thrilled to have received over 2,000 entries during the application period, with so many of the video submissions showcasing the incredible talent of black content creators in South Africa," Boniswa Sidwaba, content operations manager for TikTok Africa, said.

"As we start the programme, we wish all candidates the best and look forward to seeing how each creator brings the skills they learn to life."

Some of the content creators chosen for the programme are local fashion creator with her own fashion line, Kayla-Kim.

Memer and super-mom Semone Skosan also made the list. Dancer Mooya Musunga, makeup artist known to fans as Slim Girl Supreme as well as TikTok sweetheart Witney Ramabulana, also made the cut.

The #Oppo Reno5 is any creator or journalists dream. #ProductReview #SouthAfricaBlog

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Oppo entered the SA market six months ago with three low- to mid-range devices.

Its newest high-end release, the Reno5 5G, is going after Huawei's premium customers who don't have access to crucial Android services like the Play Store, Chrome, Google Maps and YouTube.

The Reno5 is powered by a Snapdragon 765G processor, the same chip found on Google's Pixel 5 and two other models we've reviewed, the Vivo X50 Pro and LG Wing. 

It has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage (which is not expandable) and supports 5G through its integrated modem. Near-field communication is built in to support tap and pay services.

It features a large 6.43-inch Amoled display with a 90Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling and gaming, and a 2400x1080p screen resolution.

The rear quad camera has 64MP main, 8MP ultra-wide, 2MP macro and 2MP mono lenses. It takes good landscape images with HDR and decent macro shots. 

The 32MP selfie cam has a ton of unrealistic settings to adjust the size of your nose, eyes, chin and face, or smooth the skin. 

It has a dualview video mode similar to Samsung's Director's View that offers three ways to shoot — useful for journalists or content creators.

The 4300mAh battery is powered by Oppo's proprietary SuperVooc 2.0 charging technology that charges it from flat to full in just 36 minutes. And a quick five-minute charge yields four hours of usage.

The Reno5 costs R14,299 on Vodacom, available in galactic silver or black. It is bundled with the W11 wireless earbuds worth R1,299 and includes Oppo Care, a six-month free screen replacement service.

Anele Zondo makes the most of her three presenting gigs #MotivationMonday #SouthAfricaBlog

Anele Zondo plans to be the "flyest" presenter in the world and she's on track with three current presenting gigs.

The 26-year-old starlet is the co-presenter for Friday night show Massive Music on Mzansi Magic, The Next Big Trender on new DSTV channel Honey and Celeb Rides on Ignition TV.

Last year, she hosted season 3 of Open Mic on SABC1. Not bad for a starry-eyed ingénue who arrived in Joburg in 2013 from Newcastle, KZN, looking for a career in showbiz.

But her parents were not having it, so to appease them she obtained a diploma in media studies from Boston Media House. When she graduated in 2016, she worked as a PA for her sister, a chef. 

It didn't quite work out after a year.

When season one of telenovela The River launched in 2018, she got her big break playing spoilt rich girl Faith.

Around the same time she started shadowing Lalla Hirayama on Massive Music and waited almost a year before she made her presenting debut when Hirayama was off.

Life with Kelly Khumalo is back and jucier #FridayFeeling #SouthAfricaBlog

Kelly Khumalo's reality TV show not only scooped a nomination at this year's SA Film and Television Awards (Saftas), but it's coming back for a second season that promises to just be as explosive as the first.

The dramatic trailer for the second season of Life With Kelly Khumalo premiered online this week. 

The 13-part series will return on Thursday. "My reality show is my way of owning my reality and embracing who I am," Khumalo says.

"What I've learnt is that it gives me power to own my story. No one can ever use my story against me because I have owned it. This is me, who I am, whether good or bad."

Season 1 is nodded for best soap structured reality TV show at the Saftas, competing with Lebo M: Coming Home and Somizi and Mohale: The Union. 

"Fans have been asking for Season 2 of Life With Kelly Khumalo since it first aired last August, so we're delighted to be able to deliver it nine months later," says Candice Fangueiro, Showmax's head of content.

"Life With Kelly Khumalo became the fastest Showmax Original to top one million views, so renewing the series was an easy decision to make."

The Empini hitmaker's dating life takes centre-stage in the trailer. Khumalo has had public romances with the late Senzo Meyiwa and Prosper Mkwaiwa; baby daddy Jub Jub and ex-fiancé Chad Da Don. 

"I'm not in a relationship; I am playing with someone," Khumalo teases in the trailer.

Her turbulent relationship with her mother once again comes under the spotlight. "With the new season, Kelly is going through a healing process from all she encountered in Season 1," says executive producer Legend Manqele.

Zimbabwe social media comedienne Madam Boss joins UBettina Wethu #TrendsMzansi

SABC 1'S UBettina Wethu is doing well in terms of audience measurement. 

They are now about to add another flavour in the mix by incorporating some Zimbabwean flair. 

The drama is set to unleash popular Zimbabwean social media sensation Madam Boss. 

Madam Boss rose to prominence through her online videos on various social media platforms. She uses comedy to empower Zimbabweans. 

Even though her talent never won her any roles in Zimbabwe, she was cast in a Nigeria Nollywood movie and the rest is history. 

She has now landed on Mzansi shores proving just how ones life can change if they showcase their talents on social media. 

Zimbabwean agent Becky Dube of Becky Casting Agency confirmed the latest development in an interview with the media. 

Becky, who facilitated the deal, said Madam Boss was going to play the character Aminata, a foreign hairdresser.

"I realised that she (Madam Boss) is talented the first time I saw her Netflix video and being in a position of casting for any talent on television, I discovered that she was talented enough to be cast on any series in South Africa," she said.

Becky added that another Netflix production was awaiting Madam Boss as she grows her brand in the togh entertainment industry. 

How and where to watch #Safta2021. #SouthAfricaBlog

The award body is hosting its 15th annual awards this year celebrating the best in film and television. Last year, the awards show was delayed for a month, then ran virtually after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The frontrunner is 1Magic, which got 12 nominations, including The River with Best Actress in a telenovela for Sindi Dlathu and Best Actor. Dlathu is now an executive producer for the show.

In previous years, The River was also a strong contender. Supporting actors Lawrence Maleka and Meshack Mavuso Magabane received nominations for their supporting roles on the show.

M-Net's new telenovela, Legacy, from the same production house, Tshedza Pictures, also got 12 nominations. The awards will be moved from SABC2 to SABC3 and will air on 22 May at 6.30pm.

The biggest snub in the nominations was the absence of Mzansi Magic's The Queen in the acting awards.

It was only nominated for best TV soap/telenovela, an award voted for by fans.

The shows that received the most nominations were The River, Scandal, Skeem Saam, Netflix's Blood and Water, M-Net's Still Breathing, Inconceivable and Legacy.

Are you too hot to be single? Then SABC has your back #MondayMotivation

Too hot to be single is a new reality show that airs on SABC 1.

Lawrence Maleka reveals that hosting a reality gameshow is trickier than viewers realise. 

"Every day on set is different, but if there's one constant, it's that there's always a rush. When everyone behind the scenes has done their bit, which they get very little credit for, it's up to talent like me, not to mess up. So no pressure at all," adds Lawrence, who had taken a four-year hiatus from presenting to focus on his acting work.

While Lawrence started his TV career as a presenter, hosting gaming series The Gadget Show (2009-now) on community channel Soweto TV (*251) in 2009 and talent competition Clash Of The Choirs South Africa (2013-now) in 2015-2016, he become a household name for playing the villainous Zolani who is an enforcer and outright thug.