UB Creative is the ultimate fashion destination for ladies looking for stylish sophisticated clothing. The boutique offers ladies jackets, tops, skirts, leggings, pants and mother of the bride dresses. It also specializes in vintage clothing lines. UB Creative owns a wholesale ladies garments section along with UB Online, which is a complete online store offering all kinds of collections for their clients.

The husband wife duo Rob and Tali initially tried their hands in styling vintage clothes but soon moved to diverse designs. Currently the style ranges from as diverse as mother of the bride dresses to relaxed loose fit and easy cotton casuals.The duo also tried their hands in studio style and has stood successful. They also offer plus size ladies clothing .This encompasses almost all types of styles for all age groups, creating diversity in style and design which is the key element of their designing line. With the wide variety and diversity in style, one can easily think of visiting the ladies clothing online or even buying designer clothes online.

The duo have contrasting style statements, as Rob believes in less is more and Tali adds a hint of drama in it giving birth to unique and ultimate design. It needs no mention that this is the essence of a true designing line which sets its own unique signature unfound anywhere else.

The boutique owner documents the taste and preference of each of its clients and that surely guarantees customer satisfaction and customer retention. In other words the designers closely work with the clients in bringing the best result which is never rejected by the clients.

Unlike the most fashion houses which display their summer or winter collections, the company exhibits 6 collections each season and can be said to be season less in displaying their collections. Their specialization includes printed lined chiffon skirt, cowl neck top, chiffon tie jacket and chiffon insert to name a few. The designer jackets for women and designer leggings are hotcakes for their clients.

The clients can visit the well-stocked showroom in Kensington and have a look into their latest collections. Prequalified clients can also fill in the Contact Page online.

For more information, visit http://www.ubcreative.co.za

About UB Creative:

UB Creative is the ultimate brainchild of duo Rob and Tali. Their strength is diversity, ranging from vintage clothes to classic studio style. It is the final place for a fashion hunter who likes to try all kinds of styles under one roof.

Contact Us:

49 Oxford Road, Kensington
Johannesburg
2094
Gauteng
South Africa
Phone: 011 615 3472
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

New B-BBEE codes present opportunity for growth and sustainability  

As corporate South Africa digests the impact of the new B-BBEE codes which come into play on 1 April 2015, a new debate is emerging. This is one of transformation versus job creation and is by no means an easy challenge to resolve. This is the view of Zain Patel, Operations Director: Domestic at Merchants, Southern Africa’s largest and oldest business process outsourcing (BPO) and customer experience specialist.  

Under the new codes, it will be more difficult for organisations to improve their ratings without taking the necessary steps towards transformation. In addition to that, according to the new mandate, wherever a government incentive is paid out, it will now become a requirement that the codes are taken into account. This will have a significant impact on the offshore industry as an organisation’s B-BBEE rating will have a direct impact on whether their clients qualify for the incentives.  

The need for transformation and job creation in South Africa is a reality that cannot be ignored. “As Merchants the approach we have chosen to take is that of transformation,” says Patel. “While we acknowledge that some people will be negatively affected by the required transformation, we do believe job creation will follow.”  

“Transformation is not just about process, but more so about the people affected by it,” he says. “It’s about driving change that has a positive long term and sustainable impact on lives, creating opportunities for more individuals to become economically active.”  

Patel believes this is an extremely complex issue that cuts across industries and which might be easier for some organisations to overcome than others. “As an established business in South Africa, we have a strong foundation in building an environment that allows people to grow through the ranks with our reputable skills development programmes. Through these programmes we are continuously fast-tracking the development of individuals to move them into leadership positions.”  

Merchants has also successfully partnered with Harambee, an organisation which sources, trains and places unemployed young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into first-time jobs. This partnership allows young people to acquire the skills they need to enter the workplace, while growing the local talent pool for the industry. “This goes a long way in bridging the gap between our unemployed youth and the needs of our organisation. If more organisations took this route we would see tremendous improvement in our country’s unemployment statistics and it is a responsibility that should be shared among corporates in South Africa.”  

According to Patel, those hardest hit will be the big international outsourcers, which is a challenge as the increase in outsource providers in the country has had a positive effect. “The increase in the number of outsource service providers not only lends more credibility to South Africa as an offshore destination of choice, but also increases the number of people marketing the country to potential investors and provides choice to those customers already considering South Africa,” he says. “All of these are great for job creation and developing a healthy, sustainable BPO sector. This is critical in enabling the industry to have a long term impact on the country’s economy and drive down unemployment.”  

“While we may not have all the answers just yet, we cannot afford to pitch transformation against job creation. We know that transformation is necessary, therefore it is up to the industry as a whole to find that middle ground that allows us to transform while still creating much needed jobs for the country,” Patel concludes.

On the dawn of Youth Dynamix’s 15th year anniversary next month, we reflect on how the youth market has transformed in this short space of time and how marketers have had to adapt to survive.  

There’s no doubt, the marketing of goods and services have undergone a profound transformation over the past 15 years. Regulatory advances, new technologies and increasingly open global markets have all played their part in changing how the youth react and interact with products and services.  

The information conundrum….

Children and young adults are more significant forces in the marketplace now. But, while new technologies offer more access to information overall, many young consumers today lack the necessary skills to cope with the increasingly complex, information-intensive marketplaces they’re faced with.  

With many companies struggling to differentiate themselves in a highly competitive open market, they’re forced to bundle related products and offerings, making it difficult for consumers to compare them. As a result, young consumers have had to learn more about markets in order to make good decisions.  

“Show me, don’t tell me”

The youth’s ability and willingness to trade with a company depends on their level of confidence in it. That’s why it’s so important you don’t ignore brand activations. There are very few marketing activities as powerful as brand activations. This because they involve experiential, interactive, emotive and sustainable involvements with the brand. Overall, brand activations offer a more holistic view of the product and allow for an emotive connection with the brand – you cannot offer using new technologies alone.

Be sure to get the most out of your budget…

All engagement and communication campaigns developed by Youth Dynamix (YDx) include an element of measurability.  This gives you the assurance that you’ve met your ROI and have made a relevant impact in the market.   YDx is a youth & family specialist research and marketing agency.

To activate your brand in the youth market, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 071 551 8200.

www.ydx.co.za

Kinetic is pleased to announce the latest additions to our speaker line up for the eCommerce Africa Confex. With just over 2 months to go, the agenda is jam-packed with the best that Africa's eCommerce industry has to offer as they address current topics and share valuable insight into establishing a successful eCommerce business.

Mike Cotterell, Head of Online for Pick n Pay, and Peter Allerstorfer, Founding Partner of Silvertree Capital, will be sitting on a panel that will discuss the trends for delivery of online orders. They will be joined by Business Development Executive of DPD Laser, Hilton Eachus, and Justin Drennan, CEO of wantitall.co.za, to elaborate on the importance of good infrastructure and the transnational cooperation of all companies involved to meet customer needs.

Want to know what the best consumer and business brands are doing to drive a greater user experience? The following eCommerce professionals have all reserved their seats for the panel discussion that will answer this very question:

• Lee Zuk, General Manager, justplay.co.za
• Gysbert Kappers, Co-Founder, Wyzetalk
• Clinton Arnot, Head of Online Distribution, Protea Hotels
• Amanda Cromhout, Founder and CEO, Truth
• Stephan Ekbergh, CEO, Travelstart
• Bryan Porter, eCommerce Manager, Comair

The 2-day conference sessions will wrap up with Mohammed Parker, Deputy Director: IT Strategy, eCommerce and Governance from Western Cape Government, and Andrew Dean, Managing Director of Calleo. They will discuss the security and regulation of data collection as well as online sales in Africa. Joining them will be Alastair Tempest, COO of Direct Marketing Association of South Africa (DMASA), and Craig Shapiro, Partner at WCIS Attorneys.

Africa's premier eCommerce conference and exhibition is taking place on the 3rd-4th February 2015 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre and seats are filling up quickly. To avoid disappointment, register to become a delegate or find out more about sponsor and exhibitor opportunities by contacting Kirsten Pow Chong on 021 180 4700 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

www.ecommerce-africa.com For all the latest updates, follow us on Twitter: @eCommerceConfex and @KineticEventsSA or like our Facebook page: eCommerce Africa Confex

FinMark Trust together with the Bank of Lao PDR, and the National Statistics Bureau (NSB) of Lao have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on 6 November 2014 for the FinScope Consumer Lao 2014 survey. The FinScope Consumer survey, the first of its kind in Lao, which is a nationally representative study on how individuals source their income and how they manage their financial lives will commence in November 2014 and is due for completion in January 2015.  The survey is a priority in “Making Access Possible (MAP)” and part of the “Making Access to Finance more Inclusive for Poor People (MAFIPP)” programme.   The survey sample entails 255 villages representing rural and urban communities with eight families in each village to be interviewed. The survey will focus on information related to agriculture, income and expenses for rural people, savings, investment in the family business, household construction, loans, money transfers, infrastructure and ICT access.   This survey on financial services accessibility in the country, intends to address the shortage of available information on the demand for financial services among the poor households.. The NSB views the survey as contributing to the review and implementation of the Seventh National Socio- Economic Development Plan as well as planning for the next five years in Lao.

FinScope

FinScope was launched in 2002 by FinMark Trust (www.finmark.org.za).  Its purpose is to establish credible benchmarks on the use of, and access to, financial services in South Africa.  It is designed to highlight opportunities for innovation in products and delivery. The FinScope survey is a comprehensive and national representative study on financial inclusion, looking at how people source their income and manage their financial lives. It has been implemented in 19 countries (11 in SADC, 5 non-SADC Africa and 3 in Asia). The FinScope survey is currently being implemented in 3 more countries in Asia and 4 in the SADC region (1 first cycle and 3 repeat surveys).  

Editorial contact:
FinMark Trust  Nitha Ramnath (Ms) Communication Manager

Tel:  011 315-9197 / 0829214769 Email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

About FinMark Trust

FinMark Trust, an independent trust based in Johannesburg, South Africa, was established in 2002, and is funded primarily by UKaid from the Department for International Development (DFID) through its Southern Africa office.  FinMark Trust’s purpose is ‘Making financial markets work for the poor, by promoting financial inclusion and regional financial integration’. FinMark Trust does this by conducting research to identify the systemic constraints that prevent financial markets from reaching out to these consumers and by advocating for change on the basis of research findings. Please visit www.finmark.org.za for more information.

I spoke with Prof EN Barkhuizen from the Talent Management Blueprint Conference and asked her for some of the Key Takeout’s from the conference held on 16th and 17th of October which unpacked Talent Management and Organisational Energy and behaviour

‘Are we making a Difference? ’Was her biggest question for Industry Leaders.

‘There are Only about 100 scientific publications on talent management. ‘There are 32, 4 million people aged between 15 and 64 years (working age population) in South Africa.

Of these 13, 1 million (40%) were employed and 4, 5 million (3, 8%) were unemployed.

This report further pointed out that 41, 0% of the unemployed were students

15, 0% were discouraged work seekers.

38 236 doctors and 5 560 dentists.

The doctor-to-population ratio is estimated to be 0.77 per 1 000.

But because the vast majority of GPs – 73% – work in the private sector, there is just one practicing doctor for every 4 219 people.

(Source: RSA.info, 2014)

From the above stats, it is apparent that we clearly need to become more Talent Intelligent.

Other staggering Stats from hashtag Marius Meyer were the following:         

Human Capital is the biggest concern for CEOs (PwC).        

Only 18% of CEOs feel confident that they have the right people in place to execute strategy (CEB).        

Human Capital is the biggest risk in business (HCI Africa).        

Skills crisis is the top obstacle to economic growth.        

Strikes cost SA R 200 million+ per day.        

SA losing R12 billion a year due to absenteeism.        

Only 19% auditors feel they use HR optimally (CG Index – Institute of Internal Auditors)        

Only 5% employees understand business strategy.        

World-wide 13% of employees actively engaged.        

Companies with engaged employees outperform others by 202% (Dale Carnegie).

Companies with good HR Practices outperform others by treating HR as critical business function, these companies are 105% more profitable.

Average ROI on wellness programmes: 300%.

‘So what do we do about all this? ‘I asked like Dr Lynne Derman, who is a renowned expert in the field of organisational energy and whose Doctoral Study was the first to investigate organizational energy in the South African context.’

‘I am passionate about employee well being, in fact managing talent effectively gives business a competitive advantage.

Aligning Talent Management with Business Strategy is imperative. It is equally important to be equipped with the correct tools‘.

For more information on individual and organisational well-being visit goldfish-consulting

Link: http://goldfish-consulting.co.za/services/talent-management

Interroll SA, partnering with company SICK Automation, for the largest e-tailer, Kalahari.com, recently commissioned a fully automated tote and parcel handling system for the picking, packing and sorting of goods.

The conveyor system manages the in-bound receiving of goods, the put-away and then onto order processing, to finally be automatically sorted to different destinations for the delivery process to follow. "By having such an integrated system, Kalahari.com has been able to meet the increasing demand with ease, build for the future capacity and have complete visibility through the entire processes", says Annes Schreuder, Supply Chain Director.

Hilton Campbell, Managing Director for Interroll SA comments, "Partnering with South Africa's largest eCommerce company and to be part of the build for the growing industry has been a fantastic experience. There were a number of parties involved to satisfy the complete integrated solution, from getting the go-ahead in November last year to having the system in complete operation in middle of August was a fantastic achievement by all parties."

Come to the eCommerce Africa Confex and visit Interroll's stand as they elaborate on conveyor automation in response to the courier express and parcel industries. You will also have the opportunity to receive specialist advice from teams of experts sent by payment solution providers, PayPal with FNB and PayFast, as well as logistics companies, eSolutions by DPD Laser and RAM, to name a few.

The eCommerce Africa Confex takes place on the 3-4 February 2015 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. For more information visit http://www.ecommerce-africa.com or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The eCommerce Africa Confex is proving to be Africa's most influential eCommerce gathering as we bring you face to face with the key individuals in the industry. The conference agenda will cover all things eCommerce, from how to expand your business into Africa to the survival and flourishing of SME's and small businesses. 

Raphael Afaedor, Co-Founder of Jumia and CEO/Co-Founder of Supermart, together with Simdul Shagaya, CEO and Founder of Konga.com will both be sitting on a panel discussing how to sell into Africa and grow your business beyond South Africa. 

Raphael is part of the advisory panel that has been consulted to tailor the event agenda. He co-founded one of Nigeria's largest online stores, Jumia, in 2012 and has since left to start Supermart, an online platform that allows the consumer to shop from over 18 000 grocery items. Simdul is the CEO and co-founder of recently Naspers-invested, Konga.com which is known as Africa's answer to Amazon.com. He was on Forbe's list of "The 10 Most Powerful Men in Africa 2014" and also won "Entrepreneur of the Year" at the 2013 All Africa Business Leaders Awards. 

SME's and startups can gather valuable insight during a panel that will discuss what small businesses, without the big corporate budgets, can do to build a business that will not only survive but thrive and flourish in the eCommerce industry. Panellists for this discussion include:

• David Muller, Managing Director of CyberCellar

• Phaedon Gourtsoyannis, Founder of Cape Coffee Beans

• Gary Hadfield, CEO of loot.co.za

• Olivier Chas, Managing Director and Co-Founder of CitySlicker

The eCommerce Africa Confex takes places on the 3rd and 4th February 2015 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

Should you wish to register as a delegate or are interested in sponsor or exhibitor opportunities, please contact Greg Johnson on 021 180 4700 or email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Aldes Atlantic will be hosting a seminar “The secrets to selling a business successfully”. This seminar will introduce you to the how to of selling your business for sale.

Aldes Atlantic has brought in a panel of experts consisting of Aldes Atlantic business brokers, Business Accounting Networking (BAN), IPROTECT and Business Partners. Each of these organizations are experts in their fields and will cover relevant topics pertaining to selling a business successfully.

Aldes Business Brokers will provide insight into business broking and covers topics of “Doing the sale yourself or hiring a professional”, “What to expect from your business broker”, “Important factors for buying and Factors that affect the value of your business for sale, does your expectation pass the reality check”.

An expert in valuating your business, BAN will cover topics on “How much is your business worth” and “improving your financial health to make the sale of your business more predictable”.

When selling your business, there are legal implications involved in this. Aldes Atlantic has IPROTECT to present on “minimizing tax on the sale of your business” and will your contract of sale save you or sink you”.

Business Partners has been an expert in funding future ventures and presents on “Funding of new acquisitions to improve future selling and what your buyers’ funders will expect from your financials.

The seminar is open to all interested in buying or selling a business and takes place the 11th November 2014.

Visit www.aldesatlantic.co.za for more details on this seminar and how to book your seat.

MAMMOTH BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE (BI) NAMES LAUREN SHANTALL (PTY) LTD AS ITS PREFERRED COMMUNICATIONS AGENCY FOR BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE AND BIG DATA CONFERENCE

Lauren Shantall (Pty) Ltd is proud to be managing the social media and communications for the two-day Mammoth BI Conference held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on November 17 – 18, 2014. The two-day conference and workshop will house some of the world’s foremost thought leaders in Business Intelligence, Big Data and Analytics.

The Lauren Shantall (Pty) Ltd stable of clients also include top local décor and lifestyle brands such Plascon, Inhouse Brand Architects, Willowlamp, Indigenus, GreenFin/MediFin and Probio. Lauren Shantall (Pty) Ltd provides an integrated communications offering, spanning social, digital and traditional marketing and perception management, also focusing on design and environmental clients.

Head of Business Intelligence at Saratoga, Mammoth BI Founder and Curator and self-proclaimed alchemist at TEDx Cape Town, Jason Haddock said, ‘The focus for the Mammoth BI Conference is to build a strong BI community in South Africa, dispel myths around conventional ideas on Big Data, create, and harvest a local community understanding in Business Intelligence’.

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY: Lauren Shantall (Pty) Ltd