Cape Town, South Africa 4Elements Media (now 4EM), a full service PR & Media Agency for both established, emerging companies and high-profiled individuals, announced today that it has secured the financial and strategic backing from Venture Capital Company Kristan Group. This partnership shall solidify 4EM’s position as a leading PR company and continue its expansion into the media industry in South Africa. 

“After nearly six years in business, it was time for a strategic collaboration that can take 4EM to the next level,” said Lorinda Voges, CEO and Founder of 4Elements Media. “Our new services allow more room to excel at our passion; delighting and elevating our clients by solving their unique PR & media challenges. In addition, through this partnership, we have welcomed a number of new clients and created jobs for a number South Africa’s PR and Communications experts”, continued Voges.

Kristan Group, who is headed up by media veteran and investor Kasper Kristoffersen, will be assisting with strategic and financial support and direct the expansion into new business areas. 4EM will benefit from the full backing and 20 years of media connections from the Kristan Group of media companies. This strategic partnership will cater to the evolving needs of South African clients, by expanding services to include a bespoke solution to fit the right media mix according to the strategy required. 

4EM is a national public relations and events company speclialising in (but not limited to); public relations, social media & digital marketing, celebrity/influencer relations & management, event management & creation, reputation & crisis management, content production and business to business communication.

Some of 4EM past & current client list includes Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Stuttafords, Clarins, Mugler, Convoy, Jimmy Nevis, Shashi Naidoo, Francois Hougaard, Boity Thulo, 7de Laan and many more. 

For more information on 4Elementsmedia, visit www.4Elementsmedia.com

For interviews with Lorinda Voges, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

##THE END 

Issued by 4EM
Michelle Cole
PR Intern
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Ergoform – a South African designer and producer of a full range of evolutionary office furniture – is the latest addition to the client portfolio of Lauren Shantall (Pty) Ltd.  

With showrooms in Cape Town and Johannesburg and fully equipped manufacturing premises in the Western Cape, Ergoform is an award-winning enterprise and one the most progressive manufacturers of office furniture in the country. Its success is due to owners Leon and Alice Roodt’s ability to anticipate changing corporate requirements and meet these needs with manufacturing excellence.    

The times are indeed a changin’, and so is the modern office. Workspaces are becoming increasingly flexible as communication tools become more and more mobile. Gone are the days where our desks are nailed to the ground - today is all about adaptability.    

Understanding the needs of the modern professional, Ergoform’s range of corporate furniture is not only mobile and easy to rearrange, but beautifully designed to blend into an ‘office-from-home’ setup too!    

Ergoform has a policy of continuously increasing its green manufacturing practices. The process starts with the design of new products, reducing material volume and eliminating materials that are harmful or potentially dangerous to humans. In addition, materials are sourced from certified and sustainable suppliers.  

Ergoform’s forward thinking, environmentally conscious approach makes it an excellent fit with Lauren Shantall (Pty) Ltd’s existing list of clientele, which includes interior design firm Inhouse Brand Architects, lighting design company Willowlamp, green and probiotic product producer Probio, and The Better Living Challenge.  

Lauren Shantall (Pty) Ltd is excited to welcome Ergoform on board, and looks forward to enriching the brand, developing new relationships and exposing Ergoform’s excellent products to a broader market.     

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY: Lauren Shantall (Pty) Ltd Contact: Tarn de Villiers 060 671 6091 Website: www.laurenshantall.com

As part of the share-holders’ rationalisation of its interests in game reserves and lodges in Africa, Shamwari Group is re-organising its operations by decentralising certain management services, including reservations, to property level.  

Effective 21 October 2014, Shamwari Group will no longer provide central reservations and marketing functions for Nkomazi Game Reserve, Mpumalanga Province, and from 01 November 2014 Nyungwe Forest Lodge, Rwanda, this will now be done by Newmark Hotels, Reserves & Lodges.

Booking enquiries for these properties can be made as follows:

Nkomazi Game Reserve This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and for Nyungwe Forest Lodge This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Reservation enquiries
Yolandi Kruger
Tel: +27 21 427 5900
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.   

Media enquiries - Nicky Arthur PR on +27 (0)21 424 0384 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.   For further information contact Soraya Philips Tel: +27 21 427 5900 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

Effective 01 February 2015, all reservations for Shamwari Game Reserve, Sanbona Wildlife Reserve and Jock Safari Lodge will be done from each individual property.  The current contact details however will remain operational for your convenience.   

Shamwari Group
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tel: +27 (0) 41 509 3000

Alternatively, you are welcome to contact the properties directly as from 01 February 2015 on:

Shamwari Game Reserve
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tel: +27 (0) 42 203 1111

Sanbona Wildlife Reserve
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tel: +27 (0) 28 572 1824

Jock Safari Lodge
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tel: +27 (0) 13 735 5200

Comments Shamwari Group spokesperson:  “We hope that this new streamlined system will provide a more efficient and direct service to all our guests.” 

 

This press release has been distributed on behalf of our client, Shamwari Group.
Media Enquiries: The P.R Team, Cape Town, South Africa T: + 27 (0) 21 419 2390/1 E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE --- 17/09/2014

Verifying the identity of an individual has never been easier with the new real time ID verification with photograph checks from V-Report.

No matter if you are opening accounts within the retail or banking sectors or assisting the job market in finding alternative employment, this verification can reduce your risk as well as the occurrence of potential fraud. Have you ever wondered how many times you have had a fraudulent identity document in front of you, but been none the wiser. Now V-Report can take care of the guesswork for you.

When using our new ID verification with photograph checks, you will receive real time confirmation to your inbox confirming the validity of an individual's personal information as well as the photograph on file associated with that individual at the South African Home Affairs Department. V-Report has two ID Verification with photograph checks on offer, the first option will verify the name and surname to the identity number provided and supply the associated photograph. The second option has more demographical information supplied, such as age, gender, citizenship and death status with the associated photograph being supplied.

Shane Meintjes, MD of V-Report said "V-Report has been on a drive to supply and source quality services and checks for our clients to help reduce fraud and the risks involved, we believe that our new real time ID verification checks are a big step in the right direction."

Once again, trying to assist clients as speedily as possible in making decisions, V-Report will soon be bringing the big four credit bureau's Transunion, Experian, Xpert Decision Systems (XDS) and Compuscan with real time credit checks to your inbox. Another positive step in the right direction we believe.

V-Report for your perusal can be found at www.v-report.co.za, 

We can be contact on (011) - 432-4416 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. anytime.

11,000 Pieces of Free Chicken Served on Heritage Day

Cape Town, 9th September, 2014 – As all of South Africa celebrates Heritage Day on 24th September, residents of Cape Town are invited to make history with Hungry Lion by breaking the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest serving of fried chicken. 

Over 11,000 pieces weighing over 1.1 tonnes (1,100kg’s) of King Sized chicken will be served from a mega 4 metre high version of the Hungry Lion’s iconic Pride Bucket at the Liberty Promenade Mall in Mitchell’s Plain. 

Participants will enjoy the delicious chicken with a free Coca-Cola and will be awarded throughout the day with spot prizes and entertainment provided by Coca-Cola and TopStars AllStars.

“The event is the culmination of our popular ‘Lucky Bucket’ campaign which has seen over 1.5-million digital voucher downloads and has resulted in double-digit sales growth for the brand,” says Tashalene Reid, Brand Marketing Manager at Hungry Lion.

“We have handed out over R6.9-million in prizes since the inception of the campaign and our R100,000 grand prize winner will be announced on the day.” She explains that the purpose of the event is to show how we live up to our brand promise of giving Mzansi MORE, we couldn’t think of a better way than to put smiles on the faces of at least 11,000 people on Heritage Day.

“We chose Cape Town as the destination to break the record because of the generosity of the people of the city but at the same time are ensuring that we give everyone the opportunity to participate by going into any Hungry Lion store and sharing our Heritage Day Feast with the whole family,” Reid adds.

Four years ago the the record was broken by KFC in Kentucky, Louisiana with a weight of 907kg in celebration of their 70th birthday. 

The most recent record was broken on the 23rd of September 2011 in Japan by the Qatar Food Company at the Karaage* Festival weighing in at 1,076kg. 

Join Hungry Lion in bringing together friends and family throughout Mzansi to celebrate the diversity of our proudly South African heritage.

For more information visit: www.hungrylion.co.za or join the conversation on https://www.facebook.com/hungrylion or Twitter: @HungryLionSA #LuckyBucket #HeritageDayFeast *Karaage is a Japanese fried chicken dish that uses boneless chicken and a potato starch batter. It is becoming increasingly popular in some parts of the Western United States where it is colloquially referred to as 'JFC' (Japanese Fried Chicken).

On 9 August, National Women’s Day, South Africans will be saluting the role of women in our society. In this spirit, Spur Foundation will be saluting Liesel James, founder of Creating Change, one of the primary beneficiaries of the Spur Foundation. 

Creating Change is a non-profit company that strives to empower the youth in under-served communities, to build a sustainable future for themselves and their families. This programme provides education and skills development through indigenous permaculture gardening, healthy cooking and nutrition, product development and more.  

Spur Foundation joined forces with Creating Change to set up the Conscious Lifestyle Programme at the Desmond Tutu HIV Youth Centre in Masiphumulele, Ocean View, between Kommetjie and Noordhoek in Cape Town.

“The Desmond Tutu Centre is aimed at educating youth on health and providing guidance especially around HIV and leadership. It ties in with our Conscious Lifestyle Programme where we teach them about nutrition, the uses of plants, environmental awareness and how to maintain a permaculture garden - an agricultural system or method that seeks to integrate human activity with natural surroundings to create highly efficient self-sustaining ecosystems. We want to inform them about the dangers of chemicals and additives in soil and processed food and, of course, we also want to show them positive and affordable alternatives to it,” Liesel explains.

The Ocean View community is heavily dependent on local industry, seasonal fishing and labour. There is much unemployment and poverty in the area and social problems. Liesel says, as a result, the biggest threats to the children at the Centre and in Ocean View are rape, drugs and gangsterism.

“These children just need to be nurtured, guided and supported, in order to break the negative cycle they may find themselves in – and ironically it resonates extremely well with the Spur Foundation slogan, Nourish, Nurture, Now!” she adds.  

“I have three children of my own, so I understand them and treat all the kids I work with like I am their biological mother. When they do something wrong I have to reprimand them – I often have to intervene when they have anger management, discipline and racial issues. I basically just love them –they are the motivation why I am still here,” Liesel says proudly.

“I have felt like giving up before, due to burnout, but never due to the children, more as a result of a lack of resources or adult ‘gatekeepers’ in the community who were standing in the way of us reaching the children, changing original agreements and making it challenging for me to deliver. Children are here to learn and I am here to teach them,” she says adamantly.

Liesel believes that Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has always been a man of integrity, standing up for humanity, speaking his truth without fear, calling us the Rainbow Nation and believing that, without forgiveness, there is no future.

“He is really the last honourable leader and voice left in South Africa, after the passing of Nelson Mandela. Mandela, again, can be admired for his humility, wisdom and honourable attitude after 27 years in prison. He was our African father,” Liesel adds.

Using these two formidable leaders as an example, Liesel aims to assist all the children on the programme until they finish school. Every year Creating Change offers more skills development than the year before and the programme is evolving into a mentorship and entrepreneurship programme, assisting the children when they leave school.  This will have an effect on the communities around them and the people they come in touch with for the rest of their lives.

Liesel and her team have been working with some of the children for five years and watched them grow and learn. She realised that children need a huge amount of support, especially in these communities where there is a lack of guidance, career counselling and good mentorship. She assisted regularly to provide them with different stimuli, constant education and guidance on how to make healthy choices. The children need to have a safe place to talk about anything.

The Desmond Tutu Centre provides learners with dedicated counsellors, but some of the Ocean View children are still carrying a lot inside them, without much safe assistance.  “I hope that they will remember me as someone who is independent, a finisher, but more importantly as someone who loved them dearly and believed in them,” Liesel concludes.

Spur Foundation has supported Creating Change for the past 6 years and have watched the project grow from strength to strength through the dedicated and passionate work of Liesel James and her team. She truly embodies the spirit of ubuntu and Spur can proudly salute Liesel as one of South Africa’s great servants of her community.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: NAME: Ronel van Dijk, Chairperson of the Spur Foundation and Chief Financial Officer of Spur Corporation Limited
TEL: 021-555 5100
E-MAIL: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
TWITTER: @SpurRestaurant
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/SpurSteakRanches

Joining the theme of the 2014 International Mandela Day, “Living the Legacy”, the Spur Foundation has embarked on a countrywide initiative, “Spur Salutes You” to honour the commendable leaders in the communities they support.

“As these women are the backbone and leaders of the community and often the ones whose efforts go unnoticed, we have decided that it is time to recognise them, like we are able to recognise Nelson Mandela’s leadership, love, forgiveness and work to change the world for the better,” says Chairperson of the Spur Foundation and Chief Financial Officer of Spur Corporation Limited, Ronel van Dijk.

The Foundation was born out of the desire to uplift and improve the lives of South African families, with a special emphasis on nourishing and nurturing children, and aims to put smiles on the faces of those who need it most – the children of South Africa. Without leaders like the ones the Spur Foundation is saluting, Spur will not have been able to achieve the remarkable success in changing lives that it has.

Generous Spur franchisees have joined hands with the Spur Foundation to contribute towards the identified needs of selected charities in the major provinces. This includes basic needs like bedding, mattresses, baby milk, repainting, curtains, slippers, cutlery and crockery, toys, basic furniture and food.

The leaders and servers that will be recognised through various media channels, like the Spur website and social media are:

Gauteng

The Gauteng leaders, all based in Alexandra, form part of the ASHA (African Self Help Association) Trust. The Spur Foundation will be recognising:

Alice Komane – Happy Hours Day Care
Dineo Phala – Mante Day Care
Emily Mahlobo – Owethu Day Care
Faith Ballintulo – Pure Day Care
Fikile Nkambule – Sunshine Day Care
Itumeleng Khumalo – Phila Day Care
Lindiwe Moakale – Enjabulweni Day Care
Nthabiseng Mabaso – Arethabeng Day Care
Smangele Malinga – Siyakhula Day Care
Zanele Mothupi – Dreamers Day Care

Western Cape
Victoria Mangqwengqwe – Umnqophiso Pre-Primary School, Lwandle, Strand, Cape Town
Maria Solomons – Solomon’s Haven, Mitchell’s Plain, Cape Town

Eastern Cape
Karen Hermanus - Inn Safe Hands, Port Elizabeth

KwaZulu-Natal
Thina Hlophe – Durban Children’s Home 

The Spur Foundation was founded on Mandela Day in 2012, with an initial R670 000 donation from the Spur Group. This resonates with the ‘67 minute’ theme of Mandela Day and also recognised the founding of the Spur Family in 1967.

“We have recognised leaders who operate with little money, restricted resources and limited manpower, but who make a real difference and personify our Foundation’s slogan Nourish, Nurture, Now! ,” Van Dijk adds.

This International Mandela Day initiative of the Spur Foundation forms part of the Foundation’s support of various initiatives throughout the year. For more information on the Foundation and their beneficiaries, go to www.spurfoundation.co.za.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

NAME:          Ronel van Dijk, Chairperson of the Spur Foundation and Chief Financial Officer of Spur Corporation Limited
TEL:             021-555 5100
E-MAIL:       This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
WEBSITE:    http://www.spurfoundation.co.za
TWITTER:    @SpurRestaurant #SpurSalutesYou
FACEBOOK:  https://www.facebook.com/SpurSteakRanches

{pp}Communication is what connects you with your customers, staff and other stakeholders, so it should stay high on the priority list in an economic downturn says Ronelle Bester, MD of Red Ribbon Communications.