A South African Christmas - An American Perspective

With less than one month to go before we celebrate Christmas with family and friends, I thought it may be interesting to see our celebrations through 'foreign' eyes. This letter was posted on the Global Ministries website by two American missionaries living in the Eastern Cape. No matter what your religious leanings, this makes for interesting reading! As a South African I find great encouragement from this fresh perspective :

We are not dreaming of a white Christmas, but rather a day at the beach with family and a big barbeque grill! Christmas here in South Africa is in the height of summer time and is celebrated somewhat different than in the United States. Since it is summer time all the children are on a month long break from school and many people take this time off from work as well.

Some businesses shut down for the month of December. Even the home office of the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa, our partner church here, is closed for the month. People take this holiday very seriously and are intent on truly relaxing. And you will find that most people celebrate Christmas Day outside in their backyards, down at the beach or anywhere that they can be together with family and friends. Christmas in South Africa is about being with family and friends, sharing a meal together and about relaxing. It is not about a Christmas tree, gifts or Santa Claus. Quite a contrast to our culture of Christmas in the USA!

We often say that there is much for us, as Americans, to learn from our brothers and sisters here in Africa. And this is one of those things! The first Christmas we spent here in South Africa was just the two of us. We put up our fake Christmas tree, while sweating, and listened to "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" on CD. We were forcing what we know as Christmas into our lives here. We exchanged gifts on Christmas day with each other and then went to eat lunch with our friends. We found them with their entire family out on their front porch eating, chatting, laughing and relaxing together. Then we all headed down to the beach for a walk and a dip. We quickly learned our lesson about what Christmas here means! It was not about "what did you get for Christmas or from Santa Claus?" on Christmas morning. It was about sharing relationships with the ones that you love.

The other lesson that we have learned and that we can all learn from is that giving here in South Africa is done year round...not just at Christmas. So often, we in the US, tend to gear up for our giving at Christmas...we give to the needy, the poor, the orphaned. We make special efforts to make sure people "have" something at Christmas time. But what about the rest of the year? What about sharing ourselves with others and spending time with people? South Africans give of themselves right straight through the year, day in and day out. We have seen so many instances: a granny who gives endlessly to 25 orphaned children, a lady who shares her food with a neighbor who does not have any, a boy who shares his 2 Rand with a friend to buy a bag of chips, people giving others that they do not know a ride into town, a woman giving of her time, skills and talents to an organization without any monetary compensation and knowing there is no income for her family, and the list could go on. Here in South Africa, you can show up at someone's house, totally unexpected, and get the warmest welcome with tea and biscuits, and a readily listening ear available to hear your news or problems. People do not worry about their own agenda; rather it is people and the relationships that are important. People here give when there is nothing to give but themselves.

We have much to learn from our African brothers and sisters. Why do we not change our theology of giving and even our traditions of the holidays? Let us focus this year on our relationships, on giving of ourselves to others and on relaxing. Whether we are buried in snow or sand...may your holidays be blessed!

Revs. Jon and Dawn Barnes

Source - Global Ministries

Airports - Get There Early!

Solomon Makgale, communications manager for ACSA (Airports Company South Africa), has urged passengers to get to airports early during the coming holiday season as they expect passenger volume to increase by 10% to 9.5 million passengers over the next three months. Read the report here.

It is well and good asking people to arrive early but I do hope that the various airlines and ACSA have also employed more people to handle the extra pressure. Having competent people at check-in desks and helping passengers find their way around will go a long way in preventing frustrations.

I was recently at OR Tambo International in Johannesburg at a particularly busy time of the morning and waited in the very long queue to get through the security check. Only two gates were open. From what I can remember there are at least another 4 that could have been opened had staff been available. It is this kind of forethought that will help ACSA regain some lost confidence from the flying public.

A good experience at the airport relies on many factors but I do hope that in light of Mr Makgale's word, ACSA will play their part as well!

PS - Anyone flying into, out of or around South Africa on Christmas Day? I would love to post your experience on this blog. Leave me a comment and I will contact you!

South Africa Is Doing Okay In Closing Gender Gap - WEF report

Every year the World Economic Forum releases a list that ranks countries on the basis of gender equality.

The report measures the discrepancies between the sexes in four categories :

1) Educational attainment

2) Economic participation

3) Political empowerment

4) Health and survival

This years report shows that the United States has slipped from 22nd place in 2006 to 31st place. It is pleasing to see that South Africa sits at position 20 - ahead of countries like Switzerland (40), France (51) and Singapore (77).

According to the analysis published by the World Economic Forum the reasons for South Africa's good performance are :

1) Political empowerment (more than 40% of government ministers are women and more than 33% of parliamentary positions are held by women)

2) Economic indicators such as labour force participation and wage equality are slightly improved

As our country continues to face the challenges of a developing economy and social reconstruction it is good see how we lead the way for Africa in many other areas of development - a good news story!

Winnie Mandela For President?

Mother of the nation Winnie Madikizela-Mandela is ready to join the leadership race of the African National Congress (ANC), the Sowetan newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Madikizela-Mandela's publicist Malcolm X said "if the ANC nominates her, she will not say no, she is the loyal servant of her people."

The Sowetan said it had learned that several senior ANC members had been streaming to her Orlando house since last year to request her to accept nomination or to support them. Despite reports that branches have nominated President Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma, the ANC is still to officially announce the names of leaders nominated for the top six positions.

In fact, Madikizela-Mandela could be nominated from the floor, as happened during the 1997 conference for the deputy president's position. Then she declined the nomination, allowing Zuma to become the deputy president.

- Source - IOL

Does Oprah Promote Materialism?

It is that time of the year when many around the world begin buying presents for loved ones. The Christmas season has already begun - the decorations in stores bear testimony to that.

Another way to know that Christmas is near is to tune into talk-shows. Oprah and Ellen are two that are shown here in South Africa and both have a loyal following. Both of these ladies host shows that are entertaining and there is nothing inherently wrong with either. However I do become upset during their shows at this time of the year when they have massive give-aways to their respective studio audiences. Let me explain why...

Upon hearing that they are to receive free gifts the studio audiences react like small children being told they have free access in a candy store. It is sad for me to see the screaming and shouting of grown men and women who cannot wait to get their hands on their gifts. From their dress one can safely assume that they are from a demographic that will not go without creature comforts during the holiday season and yet they carry on as if they are deprived of all that is worthwhile. It is sad.

I know that Oprah's philanthropic efforts particularly in the field of education are worthy but I still cannot help feeling that her hosting of this type of show flies in the face of her professed love for the downtrodden and less fortunate.

Is the reaction of the studio audience typical of the average American? I would like to believe not as I have several close friends in the US who are nothing like as materialistic as these audience members seem to be. Let us be clear that giving of gifts is part of the joy of the Christmas season and reminds us of the greatest gift given to us but let us also remember that even if we were to receive nothing but the companionship and warmth of friends and family we would have received something far greater than anything Oprah or Ellen could give their studio audiences.

PS - Readers in the US : Watch Oprah on Nov 20 to see her "Favourite Things of 2007" show - once you have , please leave a comment with your impressions of the show.

World Champions - Again!

Go Bokke!

An unattractive game possibly but the result is undisputed - the South African rugby team win the World Cup for a second time!

Well done to all involved - a magnificent effort after four years of planning and hard work.

New Zealand 2011 - we're on our way...

Patriotism Spurred On By World Cup Final

It is interesting to see the incredible effect sport has to unite the nation. With the rugby World Cup final happening on Saturday between South Africa and England there is that euphoric feeling in the country that seems to invade our collective consciousness whenever our national sports team achieve.

I have listened intently as people from all socio-economic and racial groups have called into radio stations pledging support for the Springbok team. One old lady from Soweto called into Talk Radio 702 and spoke of how she has come to love the game during this World Cup and how she would be sitting in front on her television on Saturday evening.

If you would like some ideas of how to give support to the team make sure you stop in at my good friend Eish's blog. He has a post entitled "10 Ways To Show Your Support To The Bokke" - well worth a visit!

What concerns and frustrates me is how all and sundry are so patriotic due to the successes of the national rugby team but when Monday comes and we are faced once more with the stark realities of living in a country with so many challenges, will those who sang "Let us live and strive for freedom" be willing to knuckle down to building the country together?

I remember fondly the incredible sense of nation-building after South Africa won the Rugby World Cup on home soil in 1995. However that was one year into a new democratic dispensation and in a sense, with the eyes of the world focused on the miracle of transformation in our country, it was easier to be totally engaged in the euphoria. 13 years on and we continue to struggle to shake the shackles our past - how easy will it be now to make this World Cup a vehicle of nation-building?

Let's join together and give unequivocal support to our boys for the Final and lets enjoy putting aside the challenges we face daily in our beautiful country. Let's not however forget the fact that there is a reality to face when the final spectator has left the stadium and the final beer is drunk in celebration or disappointment. Each of us has a role to play in nation-building - we cannot expect the success or failure of national sports teams to determine the state of our national psyche over an extended period.

What A View - Great Accommodation In Simons Town, Cape Town

Regular readers of this blog will know by now that I love the city of Cape Town. One of the challenges when visiting this wonderful city is deciding where to stay. Personally I love the sea and enjoy being able to wake up in the morning and look out over an expanse of ocean.

It is for this reason that I am pleased to present Glenmarine Lodge to you. These self-catering apartments are situated high on the slopes overlooking False Bay and historic Simons Town. Visitors enjoy panoramic views of False Bay -



These superb views and stunning sunrises can be enjoyed over breakfast from the comfort of your apartment or the spacious timber deck.

With so many wonderful tourist attractions in the vicinity, this will become your home from home. Take a look at the home page for further information. This could be a great place to spend Christmas with the family.

Mistaken Priorities Of Springbok Rugby Fans

I am a passionate South African rugby supporter. I will make every effort to watch every game and will engage in conversation around the team whenever I have the opportunity. With that out of the way, let me get to the reason for this post...

Yesterday's Sunday Times ran a story of how hundreds of Springbok supporters were paying sky-high prices for tickets for the World Cup Semi-Final and Final now that South Africa had progressed so far in the tournament. They quote prices of over R40 000 for tickets advertised on eBay and highlight several local travel agencies that have seen significant increased demand for packages ranging from R35 000 to R200 000. A group of 12 SA businessmen are forking out almost R72 000 a day to hire a 25m luxury yacht - R3000 per hour rate!

It is inconceivable to me that people are willing to take out second mortages on their homes to buy tickets for a rugby match. It concerns me deeply when corporate South Africa says there is no more money for social responsibility projects in the fields of education and health-care. Those travelling to Paris and spending these exorbitant amounts of money will argue that they are being patriotic by supporting their team in a major tournament. I would counter that by saying that true patriotism begins at home when those who have the resources contribute to the greater good of nation-building. Of course fingers will be pointed at those in positions of power who misuse public funds to their own end - yes, this needs to be dealt with severely but is the corruption of public officials sufficient cause to stop the rest of us working at making the country a better place for all?

I do not resent those who will be present at the World Cup final this coming Saturday when South Africa takes on the English. I do not sulk in my lounge armchair and wish that it was me who was there at the game. However, I do question the wisdom of those who in a rush of green-blooded patriotism risked everything to afford a ticket as much as I question those who are spending hundreds of thousands on luxury accommodation and thousands on a ticket to the game.

With recent studies showing that around 5.41 million people in South Africa are living with HIV(including 257,000 children) (source) , the massive housing backlog, the struggle to provide quality education for all children, the need for continued roll-out of basic services to rural areas and the concern for aging infrastructure, it is clear that government, corporate South Africa and individual citizens need to be prioritizing spending to provide 'a better life for all'. It is also clear that those in public office and corporate high office need to be held accountable for money spent inappropriately.

French Visas Needed . . .

With the Springbok rugby team having reached the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup, the French Consulate has reported a massive increase in the number of applications for visas from South Africans wishing to visit France.

Why the sudden interest? Did rugby fans not have faith in the team that they would progress this far in the tournament? It seems that the biggest demand has come from travel agencies - surely this is a little late in the day to be organising group tours?

The French Consulate in Johannesburg has the following disclaimer on its website - Due to technical reasons or busy circunstances, the Visa Section could be closed without prior notice, either forced to limit the number of applications daily accepted.

I suggest that if you would like to travel to Saint Denis for the final (whether or not the Springboks are playing), you start making application for your visa today!

Airline Woes! Don't Think It Only Happens Here!

A few minutes scanning local consumer websites will reveal a general feeling of unhappiness at the lack of customer service and professionalism experienced by many travellers at the hands of airlines. While one understands the needs for extra precautions in terms of security in this age of global terrorism, there is no need for airline staff or airport staff to treat passengers, regardless of which class they are flying in, with disdain.

It has almost become customary for South Africans to dismiss this type of service as "typical in Africa". This type of South African pessimism is uncalled for, unhelpful and possibly could even be construed as racist. The poor service levels experienced by many in the airline industry have become common-place the world over. I came across this account of a gentleman from San Diego who missed his flight to Johannesburg due to unbelievable hassles at the San Diego airport. Go ahead and read his story and realise that these problems happen all over the world.

I am convinced that our service levels need drastic improvement in many areas but let's not fall into the trap of thinking that poor service is unique to our country!

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New Blog Of The Week - #9 (Is it a bird, a plane? No - it's a UFO!)

So where have these people been all this time? Why do we not hear more of them? They need greater publicity!

So here we go ...

This week's "New Blog Of The Week" is from the South African UFO Resource and gives a local perspective to this phenomenon. If unusual sightings of flying objects interest you this site is worth a visit.

As for me, I will just keep looking up and wondering...

Springbok Rugby - Historical Tales #2 (video - RSA vs ENG)

It was on 24 October 1999, the quarter-final of the Rugby World Cup, that South Africa removed England from the competition thanks in no small part to the boot of flyhalf Jannie de Beer.

Not only did he add a world record 5 drop goals to the scorecard, he also struck five penalties and two conversions to ensure an historic win for the Boks.

Let's hope that our boys can repeat their winning ways against England on Friday!

Facebook in South Africa - Are You Being Paid?

Social networking online has fast become the darling of the internet. The South Africa network on Facebook now has over 260 000 members! It had to happen sooner than later that some bright spark realised that with millions of people logging in every day and the resultant advertising revenue increasing, those who were making use of tools such as Facebook and MySpace should be benefitting too. After all, it is the users who make these sites so successful - why not reward regular users for their efforts?

Enter Yuwie - a Web 2.0 social networking site that pays users for their normal everyday activities and links this to network marketing model that pays 10 levels down!

Think of how many times you log into Facebook during the course of a week. Imagine getting paid every time you altered your profile, invited friends, left messages on your friend's walls, participated in a group... Not only that - what if you were paid every time one of your friends participated in activities such as these as well - down to 10 levels? This is the magic of Yuwie.

Some questions answered :

1) Is it legal? Yes Yuwie is completely legal.Yuwie is marketed as a Social Networking site with a Multi Level Marketing business structure. You see Pyramid schemes involve users paying a fee to join, and that fee gets divided up and paid to the users above them...and Yuwie is not one of these. Yuwie is free to join. It costs nothing, so there is no way it can be considered illegal, or a pyramid scheme.Yuwie gets it's revenue from advertising

2) How is my income calculated? Your income is determined by the Yuwie - Revenue Sharing Rate (RSR). Here's how it works. After each month, a report will be generated in your earnings area...See your "Control Panel" and look for the money bag. It will show exactly how many views your referral tree accumulated on each level. It will also show your earnings for each level. Here's the actual calculation:

RSR x (Page Views/1000) x Level Percentage = Your Earnings

3) How long has this been around? The Yuwie.com Domain was Created on May 21, 2007 and the business is run by a gentleman (Korry Rogers) out of Norman, Oklahoma


This is a great tool for buiding a business network with the benefit of being paid at the same time! Its like having an advertising agency pay you for using their services!

Why not head over to my Yuwie profile and get the ball rolling! I really do believe that this tool will be become as popular as Facebook over time - get in now! Sign-ups are over 1000 per day - you really don't want to miss this opportunity!

Check it out now...

Swop A Kiss For An iPod!

How creative is your kissing? Fancy winning an iPod in return for some creative kisses?

South African author Bridget McNulty is giving away a brand-new iPod Nano 4GB with video on her blog. To be entered into this competition requires photograph of you being creative in a kiss. She puts it like this

It doesn’t have to be a romantic smooch, it can be you kissing your super-adorable child, or your pet hamster, or your favourite popstar’s poster. But for it to be the winning photo it has to be something special.

The Top10 will be displayed on her website for the world to see.

So for a new iPod or simply bragging rights about your smooching ability, enter now!

Find the info here.

To read Bridget's latest book, click on the cover below :

Springbok Rugby - Historical Tales #1

As the Rugby World Cup launches in France later tonight, I have decided not to follow the general blogging trend and write match previews, reports and express opinion on the on and off field antics of players and management - the mainline press will do enough of that!

Instead I am going to be writing a series of small posts highlighting something interesting from the history of the South Africa Springbok rugby team.

Today I give you a quote from a book entitled "The Bob Scott Story" by R. W. H. Scott and T. P. Mclean published in 1956.

In the days before teams were flown around this country South Africa had an advantage with distance and altitude which we used to good advantage. In 1949 between the First Test in Cape Town and the second at Ellis Park in Johannesburg we packed the New Zealanders off by train to what was then Rhodesia forcing them to spend 8 out of 11 nights on the train. On their way back their train collided, in the middle of the night, into the rear of a Goods Train. This caused some players to be thrown out of the upper bunks, with one player, Charlie Willocks, a forward, so badly damaged his shoulder that it affected him for the rest of the tour.

And today they moan about food poisoning!

It seems this book is out of print. If anyone knows where to find a copy, please leave a note in the comments.

50% To The People

On this, the 50th post for OnlineTrek, it is fitting that we feature an organisation which is making a significant difference in the lives of many in this country and beyond.

The organisation's name is "50% For The People" and offers folks the opportunity to work in South Africa in a volunteer capacity with a number of NGO's and other non-profits. The big difference with this organisation is that 50% of the monies paid are ploughed straight back into the NGO benefitting from the volunteer work.

The company promotes responsible volunteerism -

* minimises negative economic, environmental, and social impacts;

* generates greater economic benefits for local people and enhances the well-being of host communities, improves working conditions and access to the industry;

* involves local people in decisions that affect their lives and life chances;

* makes positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage, to the maintenance of the world's diversity;

* provides more enjoyable experiences for tourists through more meaningful connections with local people, and a greater understanding of local cultural, social and environmental issues;

* is culturally sensitive, engenders respect between tourists and hosts, and builds local pride and confidence.

Aimed at people living outside South Africa, this opportunity opens doors for future tourism and investment. Impacting the lives of those whom they serve, the volunteers are exposed to experiences they may not have had otherwise and so they too grow from the experience.

Each trip generates over R75 000 for the NGO with whom the volunteers serve.

I believe totally in what this organisation is doing but I do have two questions :

1) Is any follow-up done with the NGO's which receive monies to ensure the income is put to good use?
2) Which NGO's are chosen and what process was used to determine their worthiness?

Notwithstanding these questions, I think that 50%FTP is a model which could be replicated the world over and I am delighted to think that the people of South Africa are benefitting from this initiative.

The latest OutSurance advertisements showing members of their staff giving their time and expertise to the community has also made an impact (watch some of the ads here). The act of doing something tangible rather than throwing money at a project is of far better value to the recipient and the giver.

My prayer is that more organisations and people would move from the comfort of their living rooms and the safety of their cheque books and get into communities that need assistance - not to give hand-outs, but to empower. The future success of South Africa does not rest in the hands of the powerful but in the hearts and hands of ordinary people.

South African Government And Internet Censorship - Busted!

A free media is central to democracy - the voice of the people needs to be aired and made public so that all, including those in power, have a sense of the mood of the people. It is consensus among most South Africans (my opinion, not based on research!) that the SABC is the government mouthpiece. It was under the apartheid regime and continues to be so under ANC rule. What we don't need, or want for that matter, is for the electronic media to become the voice of government and we certainly don't want government interference or censorship in online publishing.

It was therefore pleasing to see action taken last Friday against a government official for censoring a Wikipedia entry on South Africa's HIV/AIDS policies. The official had vandalised the entry in the online encyclopaedia from a computer that was traced to the offices of Statistics SA, the government statistics headquarters that are situated in Centurion. The offices are part of the State Information Technology Agency.

The interference in the Wikipedia article was discovered by two ITWeb journalists who tracked the deletions to Statistics SA using the IP address of the machine which the editing took place on. Further investigation by Statistics SA then led to the culprit being identified. The employee faces a disciplinary hearing.

According to Carey Finn of IOL the changes to the wikipedia entry were detected by other users and reversed within three minutes. The government official had deleted the topic and supporting references, replaced this with a profane comment, and then removed the effects section of the entry as well as references to an article by Pieter Fourie and the AIDS Portal SA website. All that remained was the section detailing the government’s actions against the spread of HIV/AIDS. Wikipedia’s policy describes vandalism as "any addition, removal, or change of content made in a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of Wikipedia".

The very nature of the internet dictates that it is a place where all voices can be heard. Wikipedia taps into this and provides a platform for anyone to contribute to the global knowledge base. It should be a place of fact not opinion and so one would want to keep a check on what is being written. However it is not up to government officials who disagree with a posting to abuse the democractic nature of the site and make alterations to articles which don't suit the official stance of government.

It is pleasing to see government take action on this matter - now let's work at a truly democratic public broadcaster...

Make Way For The Pram!

I realised this past weekend while browsing the new Exclusive Books branch in Sandton City, that those responsible for the layout of stores do not take much cognisance of the need for space to manouver with a pram. My 1 year old was forced to endure bump after bump as I carefully negotiated my way around the store. At places I was forced to double back on myself so as to find the correct path through which I could carefully push the pram. Heaven knows what those in wheelchairs do!

As I went into other stores I noticed a similar trend. Very few shops seem to have given thought to accessibility. It seems to be a case of getting as much stock on the floor as possible so as to bring in greater revenue. What they seem to forget is that a pleasant shopping experience means repeat business!

Come on Exclusive Books! Make some space for those of us (dads and moms!) with our little ones in prams! Consider those who cannot walk into your store and need to use wheelchairs! We are all your customers!

New Blog of the Week - #8 - SA Medical Community Uncovered

Although not technically a "New Blog", with all the furore going on around the antics of our dear Health Minister, I thought it good to give you a blog focused on the South African medical community.,

Describing itself as a blog where one can discover what's under the gown in the South African medical fraternity, All Scrubbed Up covers doctors, surgeons, practices, hospitals and the funny, sometimes controversial stories that go with them.

The site is well written and laid out and has some nice medical videos to peruse - some serious and some funny. It is this mix of the serious and humorous that makes this blog so appealing. At the time of writing there are several posts on male pregnancy - seriously!

With the embarrasment of our national health minister making the headlines, perhaps it is good to focus on other things in our medical fraternity!

Great White Sharks - Be Careful Where You Swim!

I have always enjoyed the sea - watching it that is! Although I grew up in Cape Town I have never enjoyed swimming in the ocean that much. I love being at the sea and have snorkelled at Boulders and other areas from time to time. However I don't really enjoy swimming out in the sea as much as many of the city's residents.

Now I know why! The City of Cape Town issued a white shark warning on Tuesday as we head into what is traditionally a period of greater shark activity in the waters around the city.

"Although white sharks are present in our waters all year round, we are approaching the time of the year when the possibility of encountering one of these animals is much greater," Gregg Oelofse of the city's environmental resource management department said.

Oelofse said that sharks moved from the waters around Seal Island in False Bay in the winter, to the coastal inshore areas during the summer.

Statistics over the past five years show that the period of mid-August to end September had seen the highest numbers of interactions between white sharks and recreational users of the sea.

People using the ocean should be "extra vigilant" over the next few months.

This past Monday (20 August) shark spotters sighted a shark at Fish Hoek beach just after midday - the first in the area in months.

I definitely won't be swimming this season!

For those who wish to get a little closer to these apex predators, take a look at this opportunity to go Great White shark cage diving

For some incredible footage of False Bay sharks take a look at this documentary from the Discovery Channel -

New Blog of the Week - #7 - Rugby World Cup Guide

With the 2007 edition of the Rugby World Cup only a few weeks away I was delighted to find a blog which is not based on the ramblings of an uninformed fan but is rather written by someone who clearly has a love for the game and is genuinely interested in providing information to others around this fantastic tournament.

The blog is entitled myrugbynews.com and is an independent site giving readers a huge amount of information around the RWC 2007. Categories of information include

- Fixtures / Schedule
- Glossary
- History of The Cup
- Match Summaries
- Pool Stages - Results
- Stadiums
- Statistics
- Supporters Gallery
- Team Odds
- Teams
- Ticket Information
- World Rankings

Details of upcoming friendlies are also posted.

This is the blog of a true fan and I look forward to seeing its development in the weeks to come.

Let's Drink Some Wine In Soweto

13 years into a democratic South Africa there are still many white South Africans who have not ventured into a township. They don't know what they are missing! There is a vibe, a truly South African essence, that is not found in the suburbs. Many tourists have found this to be so and have found much joy at being able to interact with township residents.

Living in Johannesburg for the past 10 years has given me opportunity to visit Soweto on several occassions. Interestingly Soweto is the largest township in South Africa with a population of 1.5 million mainly black residents - 40% of Gauteng's population. It is a vibrant metropolitan area and is known for setting trends in fashion, politics, language, dance and music. Like every other urban area it has its problem areas and yet, from a safety perspective, I often feel safer in Soweto than in Sandton! It is far removed from the images of the 1980's that we saw on the SABC as the residents protested the apartheid regime - it is truly a great place to visit!

Various initiatives have been in place for several years now to entice more South Africans to come into Soweto. One of these is the Soweto Wine Festival which began in 2005. This year the festival has Standard Bank has its headline sponsor and will showcase over 800 wines from 125 wineries.

The festival will be held at the Main Hall, Soweto Campus at the University of Johannesburg on Old Potch Rd, Soweto on 7 & 8 September and is being hailed as the most exciting Soweto-based initiative in years.

To assist those not wishing to travel into Soweto in their own vehicles on the two evenings Jo’burg Tourism is providing branded buses from the Cape Wine Academy offices, Conference Centre, 114 Grayston Drive, Sandown, Sandton

Transport Times:
Friday 7th September – 3:30pm & 6pm & 7pm
Saturday 8th September – 4:30pm & 6pm & 7pm

These busses will be available to return from the festival as well. There will be a special combi that will take back those that need to leave the festival earlier.

This is a great initiative that is helping to make Soweto a preferred destination for Johannesburg tourists and locals alike. I do hope that if you are in the Joburg/Pretoria region you will consider coming along for two wonderful evenings.

New Blog Of The Week - #6 - A Golfing Blog

Golf I once tried my hand and golf and discovered that it really wasn't my thing! I would far rather spend the day on a cricket field than chasing a small white ball into a hole! What I discovered during the months I spent trying to perfect my swing is that golfers are some of the most passionate people you will ever meet. They live for their game. They want to read about it, learn about it, play it every day and they will spend hours discussing what to the rest of us, seem inane details.

This week's featured blog, Robin On Golf, is written by a true golf fan - Robin Thomas (handicap 18). What makes this blog special though is that although it is clearly written by a passionate participant in the game, it is well-written enough to appeal to those with just a passing interest in the sport, such as myself.

It is still fairly new so there is not a large amount of content. My prediction is that this blog will become very popular over the coming months as long as the content continues to be regular and have wide appeal.

Well done Robin! Keep up the good work!

Blue Train Colour - Does It Matter If Its Yellow?

For the past 70 years the Blue Train has travelled the breadth of South Africa giving those who have travelled in her memories of five-star luxury that is regarded as one of the most luxurious train journeys in the world.

However this post is not designed to expound the virtues of this magnificent train - to download a brochure to read all about the Blue Train click here; for a PowerPoint slide show click here.

I came across a news article about a passenger, Ian Crowhurst, who lodged a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority because the locomotive which pulled the Blue Train on his journey happened to be orange!

Now I will agree that the iconic image of the Blue Train is spoiled by the sight of an orange locomotive, but to lodge a complaint with the ASA just seems a step too far! Quite correctly the ASA responded by saying that the complaint was illogical as this logic would imply that the Green Truffle restuarant would have to serve green truffles and Blue IQ would have to prove that its consultants have Blue IQ's!

What I do not agree with though is their contention that because the customer is paying for the experience of travelling in the Blue Train, the colour of the locomotive is immaterial. Of course it matters! The Blue Train is an icon of South Africa and the sight of the blue locomotive speeding through the Karoo is part of the South African experience. If I had forked out R10 000 to travel from Cape Town to Pretoria I would want the full experience which includes the iconic blue locomotive.

The Blue Train should be pulled by a blue locomotive - period. When this does not happen, a letter expressing disappointment should be sent to the train operators. If enough travellers write to the operator, to travel magazines and other tourism publications, the negative publicity will begin to ensure that the train operator begins to think again before changing the colour of the locomotive.

For a visual experience of this magnificent train, take a look at this DVD :

South African Airways - A Hard Look In The Mirror

For many years South African Airways held its head high as a leader in the field of airtravel. Over the past few years though there has been a steady decline in the profitability of the airline and an increasing perception among the flying public that they really are not an airline in which to put much trust. Besides the ongoing complaints about bad service and a frequent flyer program that has been beset with problems, there has not been empirical research to show why the decline has happened - until now.

Synovate has released their report into the state of South African Airways and it does not make for happy reading. A few of their findings :

1) Of the airlines with less than 60 planes in their fleet, SAA offers the lowest number of destinations, 34.

2) SAA has a relatively high number of employees: 11000 for 58 planes and 34 destinations. To compare, Polish Airlines has 3500 employees for 51 planes and 58 destinations.

3) SAA employs 190 people per plane per fleet — very high, compared to the likes of world-class airlines … which [typically] employ less than 100 heads per plane.

4) In March of this year SAA reported a R603-million operating loss.

Basically poor planning in terms of recruitment and route management are two of the main causes for the decline in what used to be the pride of Africa's skies.

How is it possible that an airline supposedly run by competent managers could allow such poor business planning and management? Why does it take an external company to show those in the business that their recruitment strategy is flawed? Surely senior management at SAA have the lastest international comparatives to hand?

The results of this survey will mean yet another restructuring at SAA and yet more people will find themselves unemployed as the airline cuts staff to reduce operating expenditure. South Africa cannot afford this kind of corporate mismanagement. Will senior management be held accountable? I doubt it. The cynic in me tends to foresee this happening all over again in 5 years time although I would hope things would be different this time around.

Some may say that the explosion of low-cost carriers into the South African market has been responsible for the decline of SAA. I say "rubbish!". Corporate mismanagement and the lack of interest in the paying passenger has been the cause of its decline. Lets hope that this hard look in the mirror will serve as the final wake-up call for our national carrier. If not, it will just be yet another nail in its coffin.

Rubbish Monster - Clean Up Or Else!

I remember very clearly the anti-littering campaign in South Africa during the 1980's - Watch the Zap It In A Zibi advert here and bring back the memories. The message was very clearly etched in my mind after countless SABC screenings of the ad, the posters in schools and around the suburbs and in the general print media.

In 2007 there is clearly a need for a renewed campaign against the scourge of littering. Our beautiful country is becoming a giant repository for junk as an attitude of social irresponsibility takes hold.

Enter - The Rubbish Monster! Watch the ad here (7.8MB).

This is the creation of Braam Jordaan of the Computer Graphics Society. The back story to the creation of this ad makes for interesting reading. I have not seen this ad on TV yet but I do believe it should be shown. Perhaps this character will hold as much sway in the minds of today's youth as the Zap It In A Zibi Can ostrich did for me back in the 1980's.

New Blog Of The Week - #5 - Escape Gauteng

Following on from my post about the Pilanesberg Game Reserve, I have decided to award this week's "New Blog Of The Week" to Scapeout. The intention of this blog is to give those of us who live in Gauteng information about breaks away from the city which will refresh and recharge.

The writing style is informal and makes for easy reading. The personal anecdotes from each place remind the reader that these are personal recommendations not just a list from a tour guide.

There are plenty of pictures to give the reader a sense of the place reviewed. A very helpful feature is the box giving travel directions to the attraction.

I would love to see this idea being expanded into other cities around South Africa. Any takers?...

50 Top Websites - End Of Survey

On July 11 I began a survey / campaign to source the top 50 South African websites based on user votes. This has certainly been an interesting exercise! There have been those who have entered into the spirit of the exercise and those who have seen it as nothing more than a waste of time and a tool to weaken the South African blogosphere. I have had messages of affirmation and others critical of this initiative.

Running this survey has never been a scientific exercise and in no way can the results claim to be conclusive. There has been no control group, no minimum vote count, in fact it is been a singularly unscientific approach! Readers were asked to vote for their favourite site - end of story!

You will see from the results that the big players have received many votes - indicative of their usefulness to the South African internet user perhaps. However there are a number of relatively unknown sites/blogs that deserve greater attention. Some voters unashamedly voted for their own sites/blogs. Where I picked this up, I have taken away their vote! Please do yourself a favour and visit the lesser known sites - you may just pick up a gem! In fact, why not feature some of them in a blog post to raise their profile.

The top ranked sites were (in alphabetical order) -

* Amatomu
* Grabble
* iBlog
* Keo
* Muti
* MyBroadband
* News24
* SA Good News
* SA Rocks
* SA-Venues

I guess there is not too much surprise in these nominations. These are sites that will be popular with internet regulars because they provide useful and informative content that is updated regularly.

However the following sites also received nominations - although some are corporate and others are seemingly odd nominations, it has to be remembered that this is cyberspace democracy! They all received votes whether we agree with their nomination or not! Take a look here :

* Afrigator
* Bed On Bricks
* BizCommunity
* Blue World
* Cape Gateway
* Cape Town Daily Photo
* Charity Wines
* Cherry Flava
* EishCoZa
* Friends of JZ
* Golfers Information
* Goldfish
* Good Citizens Club
* Grow South Africa
* Hunter of Genius
* iMod
* IOL News
* Jonga
* Jump
* Mahala Media
* Mail & Guardian
* Mnet
* Modelbase
* MoneyWeb
* Mweb
* My Kinda Prices
* MyVideo
* News Phorum
* Pixels For Charity
* Private Property
* SA AirForce
* SA Property
* SA Rugby
* South Africa - sourcing cheap flights to,from or within SA
* SuperSport
* Tertia
* The South African Insult
* Think Money
* Tomorrow Today
* Urban Mamas
* Vottle
* Weather SA
* Webtrepreneur
* Yeigo
* Yuppie Chef

Please leave a comment with your thoughts on this list. I have my own thoughts but will leave these for another post - let's hear what you have to say first!

Pilanesberg Game Reserve - Family friendly and fun

One of the joys of living in Johannesburg is the proximity of some of the country's finest game parks. Just a 2 hour drive away in the North-West Province is the Pilanesberg Nature Reserve. Situated right next door to Sun City, this peaceful, well-run park is a joy to visit.

This past weekend we packed up the motorhome and headed out to the Pilanesberg. Arriving on Friday morning we spent time setting up the caravan site in the Manyane Resort, had lunch and headed out into the park for some game viewing. We were able to spot rhino, giraffe (right next to the car), hippo, warthog, impala, a number of bird species and wildebeest. It did take some time though to find all these animals and I was terribly disappointed not to find any elephant or predators. Still it was a great way to spend an afternoon.

The permit to enter the park cost us R100 - that included entrance for 2 adults, 2 pensioners, 2 children under 5, the entry cost for the vehicle and a park map. The permit was valid for 2 days. This seemed a reasonable cost to me. Bearing in mind that the camp site cost was R100 per day, this is a very reasonably priced family get-away.

The Manyane camp and caravan park is a lovely family-friendly resort to have as base camp while visiting the reserve. The facilities are clean and well-maintained. The ablution block we used was cleaned regularly by friendly staff who also were on standby to assist with the setting up of tents and so forth. There is also a mini-golf course and walk-in aviary on the property. Unfortunately on Saturday morning there was nobody manning the mini-golf course so my 4-year old and I just enjoyed a morning stroll!

There is something very special about being away from the city and communing with the bush. It is almost as though the worries and stresses of daily life are lifted as you enjoy taking it all in.

This is a great weekend get-away. We will be going back regularly!

New Blog Of The Week - #4

(A day earlier than normal - going way until Saturday!)

This week's featured site deals with a subject that generates much discussion and debate, perhaps more so in the South African context - Transracial adoption.

The site is known as Adoptree and is a place for those with adopted children to share their stories, gain inspiration from the stories of others and find resources to assist them in their parenting.

Visitors can choose between these pages :

* Articles, TV, Plays etc
* Adoption Around The World
* Who can I contact about adopting?
* Upcoming events
* What can I do to help?
* Stories
* Interesting Reads

This site has tremendous potential to become the place to go to for those considering adoption or who may already be parenting an adopted child.

I really also want to highlight what is on the Upcoming Events page as the event to raise funds for the Princess Alice Children's Home in Johannesburg has been organised by two Grade 7 boys from The Ridge School -

Family Kite Day - 29 July 2007 - Fundraising for Princess Alice
Adoption Home.

Bring your own kites and picnic baskets. We are holding a kite flying
and family picnic day to raise funds for The Princess Alice Adoption Home. Not
only is it a kite flying day but also a day for young boys and girls to
socialize.

Soft drinks and Danish hot dogs will be on sale to supplement your
picnic basket.

All profit from this special day will go to The Princess Alice Adoption
Home’s babies in need.
This will be a great day for all!

Date: Sunday 29th July 2007
Venue: A beautiful farm south of
Johannesburg (± 30 minute drive) see map attached.
Time: 10.30am-
15.00pm
Entrance fee: R15 Adults R10 Children

For bookings and collection of tickets please contact
Jackie/Cheryl
011 646 5641 or
Michele 082 883 2411
Noelle 082 568 2226
Please RSVP by
the 22nd July 2007

This event has been initiated by Nicholas Benecke and Murray Conway,
two Grade Seven boys at The Ridge School as part of their Leadership Programme.

NPO no. 000566

Looks like a great way to have a fun day with the family and help a worthy institution. Why not make it a day with the family this coming Sunday?

Airport Communications - When It Suits Them

On 11 July I posted about an experience I had while visiting the OR Tambo International Airport

I wrote to the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) for a response to my blog post via their website and was promised a reply within 72 hours (a bit long in my opinion but nonetheless). Needless to say I have not yet received a response - almost 2 weeks later!

I see today that the ACSA Communications Manager, Nothemba Noruwana, has been quick off the mark to quell rumours that the airport is to be scrapped and another built. Given that a public participation meeting regarding the airport expansion was attended only by the public on June 19 (no ACSA officials present), one would think that public relations would be high on the agenda, not just when a media report is circulating.

This is the struggle I have with monopolies. ACSA controls the major airports in South Africa and so Joe Public has to utilise their facilities as do the major domestic and international airlines. To ignore the public, in a community forum or through the medium of their website, shows blatant disregard and disrespect for those whose use the facilities

To see recent comments by travellers through OR Tambo, take a look at this forum on the SkyTrax site.

I generally enjoy visiting the airport but this non-communication has left a sour taste in my mouth! Come on ACSA! Give your customers a little bit more respect!

As always, comments welcome. I would love to hear your experiences of South Africa's airports (good and bad!).

Audio Tour Guides For Cape Town

Whenever I have travelled to a foreign city for longer than one day, I have always taken along a guide book such as the Eyewitness Travel Guide I used in London. This has entailed packing yet another item into an already full backpack. Now things are changing ... Just pack your iPod or other MP3 player into your kit with previously downloaded audio tours already installed.

This way you can listen to a friendly voice guide you around the city at your own pace. These audio tours can be downloaded from a variety of sources. I happened to come across a company that has tours for Cape Town in their inventory. The tours cost about R70 to download and range from 22-49 minutes in length. There is also a free introductory tour available as soon as you register - no cost for registration either.

This is a marvelous resource even for those who live in Cape Town. It is a city so full of interesting things to see that even the locals can miss out if not guided. An added bonus is a map which becomes available for you to download and print once you have downloaded your mp3 file.

Tour guides from a particular city are able to sign up with Tourcaster and produce their own tours in their areas of expertise. At present the only South African city represented on Tourcaster is Cape Town. I am sure there are plenty of tour guides in our other cities to produce some outstanding audio tours - come on guys....

Just so that those up north don't feel neglected, I also managed to find this iPod guide to Johannesburg!

Now if only I could find my car keys . . .

New Blog Of The Week - #3

I love seeing ordinary people attempting extraordinary things to make an extraordinary difference in the lives of others. The author of this week's "New Blog Of The Week" is certainly doing that.

Taken from the heading of his blog :

Ordinary people tri-ing to do extra-ordinary things to make a difference in the lives of others. We are a group of amateur athletes who have each chosen an extremely difficult event that we will 'tri' and complete in order to raise money for our chosen charity. Our chosen charity is The Smile Foundation, another group of ordinary people doing extra-ordinary things to make a difference in the lives of children in South Africa.

The blog is entitled "Tri-ing To Make A Difference" and details not only the physical journey of the author towards SA Ironman 2008 but also gives an insight into how difficult it is from an emotional point of view.

I will be putting the feed of this blog into my Google Reader to track the author's progress.

Why not drop the author a quick email to give him a wish of encouragement?

I salute those athletes taking part who are putting themselves on the line to help those less fortunate. Well done to them - my best wishes and support to them.

How To Stop Traffic Fines - But Don't Complain About Crime

Fact #1 - South Africa's crime rate is unacceptably high.

Fact #2 - Many of the people who complain about Fact #1 are the same who regularly flout the law by speaking on their cellphones while driving, by cheating on their taxes, by offering bribes to police, and so on.

Fact #3 - Many of the people mentioned in Fact #3 think they are clever/smart by breaking the law and getting away with it. In fact they are contributing to a mindset of lawlessness in the country and are the first to complain when they are affected by a crime such as burglary or mugging (or rape and murder).

We need to stand together against crime. There are some fabulous initiatives in South Africa that stand together with law enforcement to create a better future for ourselves and our children. Of course there are problems in the South African Police Service and various Metro police units but let's stand with them and support them.

For these reasons I am disgusted by the promotion through various media of a product which blocks the reading of number plates by traffic cameras. It works by reflecting the flash of the camera back to the camera thereby rendering the photograph useless.
This is a clear way to subvert the law and gives the user licence to drive at any speed along our roads without fear of being issued with a camera fine.

What sickens me is that everyday families are robbed of their loved ones by drivers travelling at excessive speeds and yet there are people getting rich by selling this product. There is something not right here.

According to the Photoblocker website, South African law allows for this product to be used! Isn't it time this was declared illegal?

What do you think?

Rugby World Cup Guide For Wives / Girlfriends

The 2007 edition of the Rugby World Cup is a mere two months away. While I am certainly no male chauvinist, I do realise that the couch is going to become a popular place of residence for most South African males. I also realise that this is bound to cause some upset for some relationships!

For the cause of domestic bliss, allow me to direct you to Rugby World Cup Rules For Women - a wonderful piece of writing I found on the SA Rugby Blogs site.

To whet your appetite, here is Rule #1 -

1. From 7 Sep to 20 October 2007, you should read the sports section of the newspaper so that you are aware of what is going on regarding the World Cup, and that way you will be able to join in the conversations. If you fail to do this, then you will be looked at in a bad way, or you will be totally ignored. DO NOT complain about not receiving any attention.

Making A Point In The Cape

The drive from the Southern suburbs of Cape Town around Cape Point and along the coast to the city is one of my favourite drives in South Africa. Depending on the season, you will encounter whales, baboons, quaint antique shops, penguins at Boulders Beach, lighthouses, farm stalls selling delectable eats, camel rides at Imhoff Farm, glorious sea views and so much more.

It is truly a delightful way to spend an afternoon with the family. I was thrilled to see the website Cape Point Route which gives locals and visitors more than enough information to keep them busy. With accommodation, sightseeing, activities, travel guides and more, this site should be the first port of call for anyone wanting to tour around this part of the Cape.

The site is neatly laid out and has excellent navigation. Icons guide your accommodation decision-making and the sightseeing guides are well-written and very useful.

Cape Point Route now boasts its own blog - unfortunately it only has two posts! The last one dated 1 June 2007. I really do hope this blog is updated regularly. It would be a wonderful companion to a truly well-run site.

Next time you're in Cape Town and want something to do with the family, take a look at this site - you'll be glad you did!

I Am An African (video)

If this doesn't stir your patriotic blood, nothing will! It is so important to keep our heads high, claim our African identity and work towards making our rainbow nation the place to be on the world stage.

Thabo Mbeki - president of the Republic of South Africa

New Blog Of The Week - #2

The South African Internet Guide blog is designed

to focus attention to South African web sites, blogs and entrepreneurs

The few posts that are already up do make for interesting reading. It is a pity that the weekly posting guide mentioned on the blog does not seem to have been followed. I think that if this was done it would make this blog a daily must-read. I understand that this is a labour intensive process but the designers may be able to develop a system whereby guest bloggers could give submissions to fill the required space.

It would be really good to see this blog take flight into the blogosphere! I look forward to seeing this happen in the near future.

(Update 14/07 - a response was received in the comments - this blog is now self-hosted - click here)

Spread The Love

Need to send a quick e-card to someone special? Don't want the hassle of registration and confirmation emails? Head over to Spread The Love where you can choose from a large selection of creative and quirky images.

The process is extremely quick and efficient. Make someone's day special - send an e-card today!

50 Best South African websites

Time.com recently released their "50 Best Websites of 2007". I thought it would be fun to generate our own list of 50 Best South African Websites of 2007.

I invite you to leave your suggestions in the comments of this post. I will collate the responses at the end of this month and post the results in August.

Rules :

1) The site must be based in South Africa
2) The site must be a current site - regularly updated

There are some awesome South African sites out there - lets honour them by giving them our vote!

(Update - 12 July - I have created a Facebook group for this project - click here - feel free to join this group and leave your recommendations there)

I look forward to reading your recommendations!

Where Can I See The Aeroplanes?

I am a commercial aviation fan! Fun on a Sunday afternoon involves packing the family into the car and heading off to either Lanseria or OR Tambo International Airports!

I was very disappointed at OR Tambo yesterday when I discovered that at least 50% of the available space to stand and watch aeroplanes landing and taking off has been taken away. There is already precious little space to watch the planes and this has just made it even harder. You can now barely see the international section and the view of the domestic planes is restricted too.

I cannot understand this - surely ACSA must realise the economic effect of having people stay longer in the airport to see their loved ones take off to some or other destination? Many people come along to watch the planes with their children and I have seen plane spotters there armed with cameras and logbooks on many occasions. The longer they stay in the airport, the more likely they are to spend money at the various stores.

The international security climate aside, surely it is in the interests of ACSA to make the viewing of the comings and goings on of its airports accessible?

Planespotting is a hobby enjoyed by thousands all over the world. Take a look at some of these sites to get some idea of its popularity :

1) Aircraft Spotting.net
2) Plane Spotting World
3) Plane Spotting.com

Schools - Is There Hope?

Schools come with a reputation - either it is a school to which you would like to send your child or it isn't - its that simple! The reality is that many school in South Africa find themselves understaffed, battling dwindling resources, trying to maintain aging facilities and struggling to keep up staff morale in light of poor state salaries and increasing class sizes.

It is not all doom and gloom however. Throughout our country schools in various socio-economic settings are making a difference. Learners are receiving good education, educators are going the extra mile and true holistic education is happening.

So what then differentiates the really good schools from the mediocre ones? What is the "x-factor" that makes the difference between a great school in a rural setting and one which is falling apart?

I believe that the difference lies with the person responsible for the school - the headmaster/headmistress. The key is leadership. In 2001 the Sunday Times reported on a school in a remote area of the Eastern Cape, Sandi Senior Secondary School, which improved its matric pass rate from 4% to 93% in just three years! At that time the school did not have electricity, telephones or running water and could only be reached by travelling 40km on a rough gravel road. A young headmaster, 24 years old at the time, Bongi Penyana, began to make some significant changes in the school which brought about this change. He personally recruited 75% of the school's teachers. He encouraged his learners to take subjects at higher-grade level and instilled a love of teaching into his staff. So much so that his team of educators go way beyond expectation to build into the lives of the learner - they come in during the holidays to give extra-lessons, they give their pupils English newspapers to help develop language skills, they take their learners to the doctor when needed and some even bring in chairs from their homes for their classrooms.

If it can happen at Sandi Secondary, why not everywhere else? I truly believe to my core that the key lies with the person at the helm.

This view is shared by the previous headmaster of Westerford High and Queens Park High - both in Cape Town. Alan Clarke spent 16 years as headmaster at both these schools and has just written a book entitled "The Handbook of School Management". In this book he makes the point that schools need to be places where the learners feel they want to be. He also makes the point that large class size should not be as big a stumbling block as some would like it to be. He calls on the government to ensure that adequate help is given to those school heads who have given up hope and who have allowed their schools to degenerate. Read an extract here - "Words Of Wisdom"

For those who sit on the sidelines and criticise the education ministry and the local school, here is a challenge - get out there and visit your local school's head - offer practical support where you can, mobilise community support and be part of the solution!