The EWSETA Skills Summit, taking place 17-18 March 2015 at the Protea Hotel in Saldanha Bay, this is a pioneering initiative of the EWSETA to bring discussions around governments broad economic policies including Ocean Economy into a regional forum. The stakeholders will come together to mobilise collaborative skills development programmes that will see gainful employment in the Saldanha Bay Industrial Development Zone (SBIDZ), on South Africa’s West Coast. 

The 330 ha SBIDZ was designated in 2013 as a zone dedicated to serving the oil and gas industry. It has attracted strong interest, mainly from fabricators. On 9 March 2015, the Transnet National Ports Authority announced a R9.65 billion investment in infrastructure projects at the SBIDZ. The project falls under the government's ‘blue economy’ plans of its Operation Phakisa and Oceans Economy initiative, announced by President Jacob Zuma in 2014. 

EWSETA SKILLS Summit makes it possible for stakeholders to express what they are doing in their own capacity to feed into Operation Phakisa and how it can collectively support and unblock the challenges that are faced by stakeholders. 

Theme

Themed ‘A Journey towards Skills Development for gainful employment in the West Coast’, the Summit will address the skills shortages surrounding the SBIDZ development as highlighted through various research reports commissioned in respect to the region.

With a long term goal to shape the landscape of skills development and training in the West Coast the Skills Summit is the starting point of a journey into new and ground breaking efforts by multiple stakeholders to contribute to the decade of the artisan national programme. 

On the second day, delegates broke into commissions to discuss critical issues that contribute to an effective and inclusive pipeline touching on amongst others:

1.       Unlocking the potential of the Western Cape community to meet proposed demands

2.       How can exit strategies for learners from TVET colleges and other technical qualifications be increased?

3.       How can workplace learning be meaningfully addressed? Accreditation, process etc

4.       How can data be shared more effectively in the sector and region? 

Through the summit, delegates will be given the opportunity to hear first-hand from government, industry, EWSETA and other key partners, including CHIETA and other relevant SETA’s on what skills development challenges, benefits and opportunities exist within the West Coast generally and the SBIDZ specifically. They will engage around possible skills interventions that they believe would eradicate poverty and unemployment in the region.  

Speakers

Following the welcome from the Saldanha Bay Municipality, the Summit will be officially opened by the Deputy Minister of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), Mduduzi Manana, followed by an address by the EWSETA CEO, Errol Gradwell. Laura Peinke the executive for business development at  the SBIDZ Executive Stakeholder Management, will make a presentation on Realizing the untapped potential of the oil and gas and marine fabrication sectors whilst the SBIDZ associate for skills development Mr. Patrick Lakabane will provide an overview of the SBIDZ strategic skills development objectives. The day concludes with West Coast TVET College deputy CEO reflecting on the ‘Current Provision of a Skilled Workforce in the West Coast’.

The Deputy Minister of the Department of Trade & Industry (dti), Mzwandile Masina, will open the second day. This is followed by a panel discussion, ‘What are the challenges being faced in achieving our skills targets in the region’, facilitated by Lakabane. On the panel will be representatives of the Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDT), Department of Higher Education & Training (DHET), Department of Trade & Industry (DTI), EWSETA, SBIDZ, Northlink TVET College, Saldanha Bay Municipality and South African Oil & Gas Alliance (SAOGA).  

Following the commissions delegates will reconvene to report back and pledge their support. 

Proud support from key stakeholders

 “The South African Oil and Gas Alliance (SAOGA) supports the EWSETA Skills Summit in Saldanha Bay, which will serve to bolster the region’s capacity to provide skilled people for the anticipated oil and gas investments.  Skills development is one of the priorities of SAOGA and the industry it serves.  We look forward to the collaborative initiatives that will emanate from the Summit, knowing it will benefit all the roleplayers,” says Ebrahim Takolia, CEO of SAOGA.

“The Skills Summit will give us the opportunity to acquaint ourselves with the needs of industry to ensure that our training is relevant and contributes to local economic development. With the national unemployment rate hovering at 26%, it is of paramount importance that private and public sector join hands and share best practices in order to overcome the challenges hampering skills development. 

“We are proud to be associated with the EWSETA Skills Summit and we are certain that the summit will give as a platform to collaborate and merge training initiatives. Together we can move the West Coast forward and provide a skilled workforce to unlock the region’s economic potential,” says Jooste-Mokgethi

According to a new report issued by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in January 2015, South Africa currently ranks sixth globally in terms of youth unemployment with a current rate of 52.5%.  

One of the biggest challenges is access to work opportunities, which the partnership between the Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA) and the Motheo TVET College in Bloemfontein is addressing with its training of process controllers in water and wastewater treatment and reticulation services.  

Today, 16 March 2015, marks the turning point in addressing the non-availability of skilled registered process controllers and maintenance staff of water and wastewater facilities within municipalities in South Africa. This is a key obstacle constraining the capacity of municipalities to render effective delivery of adequate quality water and wastewater treatment services to South African citizens.  

“On behalf of the Department of Higher Education and Training I applaud the successful implementation of this project thus far and commit our support to the successful completion which will ultimately lead to these young learners potentially being absorbed by the participating municipalities to fill vacant positions,” says Deputy Minister Mduduzi Manana, who attended the official launch.  

“Even more exciting than this is that learners who wish to continue with their studies can proceed to the Central University of Technology and, on successful completion of their courses, can enrol for a Master’s and Doctor’s degree in water and wastewater management.”  

The project conceptualised a poverty relief and job creation pilot programme, taking into cognisance the existing institutional frameworks and skills training initiatives in the Free State province. The Motheo TVET College and EWSETA partnered with Aurecon SA and Khula Nonke Training and Development to deliver the programme. The project also sought to secure funding for the implementation of the programme and project management over three years.  

“Projects such as these are being implemented successfully, particularly in areas of our country where the lack of adequately skilled technical cluster professionals remains a source of concern,” explains Errol Gradwell, CEO of EWSETA.  

“The College is looking forward to playing a major role in raising the awareness of the importance of water as a scarce resource in communities. It is the responsibility of all South African citizens to be educated about the importance of water and the dangers posed by lack of water. It is my hope that this project will be the first of many such innovative and vibrant projects that we will implement together with EWSETA, the Free State government and its citizens,” adds MDM Phutsisi, Director of Motheo TVET College.  

Motheo TVET College, with its three campuses in Hillside View, Bloemfontein CBD and Thaba ‘Nchu and various satellites in the Motheo and Xhariep area, is well-known for its successful implementation of skills programmes and learnerships in scarce and critical skills, as reflected in the strategic plans of the different SETAs. These programmes involve training in practical and theoretical components that last for weeks, months or years.  

The NQF Levels 2 to 4, Water and Wastewater Process Control and Water and Waste Water Reticulation Services on NQF Levels 3 – 4 qualification, will enhance productivity within the water sector and contribute to the ecological sustainability and improvement of the water environment.  

“The project commenced in July 2013 and will conclude in July 2016. Most of the learners recruited in year 1 for NQF Levels 2-3 were selected to continue to obtain the next levels in their respective qualifications obtained,” continues Phutsisi.  

“The qualifications provide flexibility to pursue different careers in fields related to the water sector in a range of water or wastewater operations, including careers in other related sectors, such as pollution control, wet industries, electricity generation and a variety of environmental sectors.

  “It is the vision of Motheo TVET College to educate and capacitate municipalities, so that they are able to take water plants in the Free State to blue drop status. Thus we are extremely excited about the success already achieved in year 1 of this project and look forward to the completion of year 2 and year 3, in 2016.”  

The initial intake of unemployed youth has seen academic performance of all learners in year one at an average of 80% per unit standard completed, with some receiving 100 % for most of the modules. The intake included matriculants with Maths and Science, or unemployed youth with a BSc or National Diploma in Water Care or postgraduates. Candidates with physical disabilities and women were encouraged to apply in numbers for more representation in the water and wastewater sector.  

Memoranda of Understanding were signed with participating district and local municipalities to host the learners for the practical component at the water and wastewater treatment facilities. The learners are trained in five district municipalities and over 12 local municipalities.

• Year 1 total number of learners:  240 – July 2013 - July 2014
• Year 2 total number of learners:  165 – July 2014 - July 2015
• Year 3 total number of learners:  148 – July 2015 - July 2016  

“There is no doubt that learners who successfully complete the training programme will contribute significantly towards improving the Blue and Green Drop performance of Water Services Authorities in the Free State province. It is also hoped that graduates will create new enterprises to be owned or managed by the graduates,” concludes Gradwell.  

The mandate of EWSETA is to anticipate, build and manage the skills development and training needs of the energy and water services sector, through strategic skills planning within the context of the NSDS III. It operates in the Electricity, Oil and Gas, Nuclear, Renewable energy and Water, Waste & Sanitation sectors.  

To fulfil its goals, it has implemented a new structure that increases its capacity to service its stakeholders in a significantly improved manner. It has also formulated strategic partnerships with FET institutions, universities, government departments, business and international leaders within the energy and water sector.  

Notes to editor

For more information or for interviews please contact Vuyo Sigonya 011 484 7663/ 083 428 4189 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

National Debt Advisors                                 
Tel. 021 007 1688

http://www.nationaldebtadvisors.co.za/

National Debt Advisors Makes a Donation to the Brothers for All Ex-Offenders’ Programme  

Cape Town, Western Cape: The National Debt Advisors team took a daytrip to Langa Township on Friday, 13 March to visit the Brothers for All Coding Centre and make a donation of 10 desktop computers, after the Centre was burglarised.  

The programme equips inmates, ex-offenders and vulnerable youth with computer coding and entrepreneurial skills, with a view to breaking the poverty-crime cycle that so many young South Africans are caught in. The Brothers for All Coding Centre was launched in September 2014 by rehabilitated ex-offenders, Sihle Tshabalala and Mzi Duda, who manage and run the Centre.  

Founder of Brothers for All, Sihle Tshabalala said of the Coding Centre,

‘All of these computers are used to teach coding. It’s the first school in the continent that offers a computer science curriculum that is done in the township.’

CEO of National Debt Advisors, Sebastien Alexanderson addressed the students, explaining

‘The minute we found out that you guys had your computers robbed, we thought, let’s help out’.  

The goals of this particular programme overlap with those of NDA, as they too are looking to provide South Africans with a better quality of life by improving their financial situations. Subsequently, NDA decided to donate their spare PCs to Brothers for All in support of equipping ex-prisoners with marketable skills, so they don’t have to resort to crime to support themselves financially.      

Contact NDA at http://www.nationaldebtadvisors.co.za/contact-us/

To make a donation to Brothers for All visit http://www.brothersforall.org/donate  

National Debt Advisors is a NCR regulated debt counselling firm offering official debt counselling and personal debt management services, as well as financial advice and budgeting guidance. NDA helps individuals all over South Africa to reduce their current debt, through a new restructured payment plan with their credit providers. 

Summary: On the heels of SAA being named “Best Airline in Africa” by Skytrax for its 12th consecutive year, SAA has also been awarded “Best Airline in Africa” and “Best Business Class to Africa” by Business Traveler.  

Johannesburg. 15 January 2015 – South African Airways (SAA) is proud to receive, once again, both “Best Airline in Africa” and “Best Business Class to Africa” awards from top US travel magazine, Business Traveler.  

Readers of the US-based magazine are world-class experts in the business of travel who know quality when they experience it.  South African Airways were selected among a variety of top travel products and services.  The awards were presented to SAA at a ceremony held at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Hollywood, CA on 8 January 2015. This recognition comes on top of Skytrax naming SAA “Best Airline in Africa” for the 12th consecutive year.  

"It is a distinguished honour to receive these awards and we thank all Business Traveler’s readers who chose us as their favourite airline in Africa,” says Nico Bezuidenhout, SAA Acting Chief Executive.  

“This further demonstrates SAA’s commitment to excellence and reinforces our belief, in keeping with our Long-Term Turnaround Strategy, that an outstanding customer experience is what makes a great airline.”  

South African Airways offers the most flights from the U.S. to South Africa with daily non-stop service from New York-JFK Airport and daily direct service from Washington, DC-Dulles Airport to Johannesburg, South Africa.  

About South African Airways (SAA) South African Airways[Link to http://www.flysaa.com] (SAA) is the leading carrier in Africa, serving 57 destinations, in partnership with SA Express, SA Airlink and its low cost carrier, Mango, within South Africa and across the continent, and ten intercontinental routes from its Johannesburg hub. It is a member of the largest international airline network, Star Alliance. SAA’s core business is the provision of passenger airline and cargo transport services together with related services, which are provided through SAA and its wholly owned subsidiaries: SAA Technical; Mango its low cost carrier; and Air Chefs, the catering entity of SAA. SAA is the winner of the 'Best Airline in Africa’ Award in the regional category for twelve consecutive years and the winner of ‘Service Excellence Africa’ for three years. Mango and SAA hold the number one and number two successive spots as South Africa’s most on - time airlines.  

For more information contact:

SAA Group Tlali Tlali, Spokesperson (Manager: Media Relations)

Tel: +27 11 978 2298 082 333 3880

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

SA Airways, along with Finnair, has been awarded IEnvA stage two recognition as a result of its environmental sustainability standards and practices.

Johannesburg, South Africa – This week,South AfricanAirways (SAA) became one of only two global carriers (alongside Finnair) to achieve Stage 2 status of the IATA Environmental Assessment Programme (IEnvA); a comprehensive airline environmental management programme.

IEnvA seeks to introduce sustainability standards that cover all areas of an airline’s operations including air quality and emissions, noise, fuel consumption and efficient operations, recycling, energy efficiency, sustainable procurement, biofuels, and many more. SAA was also one of six airlines to participate in the initial phase (Stage 1) of the programme in June 2013.  

IEnvA is a stringent environmental assessment programme that is based on recognised international environmental management systems such as ISO 14001. It was jointly developed by leading airlines and environmental consultants. SAA has been part of the process from the programme’s genesis and currently chairs the IEnvA Oversight Working Group.   

SAA conducted its Stage 2 assessment in record time, six months prior to the two year deadline. “Participation in the programme and this achievement affirms SAA’s commitment to answering its dual mandate and as a leading African and global airline,” says SAA Acting CEO Mr Nico Bezuidenhout. The IEnvA standards will serve as guidelines for 240 other airlines around the world.   

SAA’s participation in the programme forms part of the <i>Long-Term Turnaround Strategy</i> with a dual mandate focus. Last year, the airline launched the first African biofuels project, which focused on the transformation of tobacco oil into jet fuel, with sector role players. “Responsible environmental management has the potential to deliver commercially beyond the clear social and environmental benefit. Projects such as the tobacco biofuels venture could provide several future commercial impetus ranging from input cost benefits through to the value of technology,” adds Mr Bezuidenhout.  

The initiative was followed by the introduction of new fuel efficient navigation approaches (RNP-AR: Required Navigational Performance, Authorisation Required). “The enhanced aircraft approaches’ fuel savings provide immediate bankable fuel savings.” Inside the organisation there is also an on-going drive to embed a culture of environmental sustainability with policy directing the airline toward ultimate emission reduction leadership in both continental and global aviation industries.  

SA Airways plans to continue demonstrating its commitment to its mandate concomitant to the carrier’s environmental programme. “IEnvA is a robust programme that effectively cuts through the complexities of the aviation sector. It is inspiring to our staff, a positive step for the industry and attractive to travellers. The initiative will ultimately be good for business and is a step toward ensuring future-proofing of aviation,” says Mr Bezuidenhout.   

Note to journalists:

IEnvA has been developed in conjunction with airlines so that it addresses industry needs and specific concerns. IEnvA assesses environmental performance against sustainability standards across a broad range of disciplines including (but not limited to) the management of air quality and emissions, noise, fuel consumption and operational efficiency, recycling, energy efficiency, sustainable procurement, and biofuel utilisation. As a result, IEnvA helps airlines to simplify regulatory compliance, demonstrate good governance and achieve financial savings by ensuring the better use of resources. IEnvA implementation followed a phased approach due to the complexity and global presence of airlines as well as the number of role players and touch points. There are two implementation phases:  

Stage 1: 

Stage 1 ensures that an airline has developed the foundation and framework for its environmental management system. Stage 1 also certifies that an airline has identified and complied with its environmental legal requirements.   

Stage 2:

IEnvA Stage 2 assessment, the highest level of IEnvA achievement, ensures that an airline has implemented all of the IEnvA Programme Standards, has identified and mitigated its significant environmental impacts and has set performance targets. Stage 2 also certifies that an airline has developed processes for monitoring and reviewing its performance against its targets and objectives, thus driving environmental efficiency.   

About South African Airways (SAA) 

South African Airways (SAA) is the leading carrier in Africa, serving 57 destinations, in partnership with SA Express, SA Airlink and its low cost carrier, Mango, within South Africa and across the continent, and ten intercontinental routes from its Johannesburg hub. It is a member of the largest international airline network, Star Alliance. SAA’s core business is the provision of passenger airline and cargo transport services together with related services, which are provided through SAA and its wholly owned subsidiaries: SAA Technical; Mango its low cost carrier; and Air Chefs, the catering entity of SAA. SAA is the winner of the 'Best Airline in Africa’ Award in the regional category for twelve consecutive years and the winner of ‘Service Excellence Africa’ for three years. Mango and SAA hold the number one and number two successive spots as South Africa’s most on-time airlines.    

Issued by SAA Communications  

For more information, contact:

Tlali Tlali This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tel: +27 82 333 3880

Samsung Delivers e-Learning Solutions in Limpopo Three Limpopo schools set to improve their teaching and learning outcomes

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, January 27, 2015 - Samsung Electronics South Africa recently supported three schools in the Limpopo Province by delivering two Solar Powered Internet Schools (SPIS) and an e-Learning Centre (E-LC). These initiatives are in line with Samsung’s focus of contributing towards education in South Africa’s underprivileged communities through the power of technology.

The SPIS is a solar-powered, mobile and completely self-regulating classroom produced with the aim of increasing accessibility to education and connectivity in schools with restricted infrastructure. It is a 12-metre long, repurposed shipping container that can accommodate up to 21 students. Each SPIS is equipped with a 50-inch electronic board, Internet-enabled Samsung notebooks, tablets and Wi-Fi cameras, all of which are powered by a solar panelled roof that generates electricity from the sun, for up to nine hours per day.

One of Samsung’s SPIS beneficiaries is Mahwibitswane High School - a central school located in the Kopermyn region, rendering education to surrounding rural communities. Students and teachers at the school previously had to travel a significant distance to seek Internet services as the area is underdeveloped.

The SPIS received from Samsung has brought about increased accessibility to Internet services to the community at large. Though students and teachers at this school lack access to technologically advanced facilities, Mahwibitswane has been one of the best performing schools in the Kopermyn district. Samsung hopes that the SPIS will further improve learning outcomes by delivering impactful, student-centric learning experiences.

The second school to receive the SPIS was Tshikalange Primary, which is based in Guyuni Hamakuya Village, where 40% of the learners are orphans. Community members travel from Guyuni to Thohoyandou, which is an estimated 76 km trip to obtain Internet access and fax facilities. Teachers at Tshikalange have struggled for years to effectively develop educational projects, due to the lack of access to the Internet, but with the deployment of the SPIS, students, teachers and the community will now have access.

“The SPIS will assist educators and learners in participating and also engaging with other schools on various educational activities, set out by the Department of Education,” says Mr NG Nemukula, Headmaster at Tshikalange Primary.   “This new learning method will contribute to enhancing the teaching of the English language as a subject at our school, as it is the medium of instruction for most subjects.”

Bathokwa High School located at Skrikfontein was the recipient of a Samsung E-Learning Centre (E-LC). The E-LC smart solution will assist eager learners to enjoy new experiences within the technologically enhanced classroom.   The E-LC solution consists of 40 Samsung tablets, an air-conditioning system, a large format digital white board, Samsung school solution software, wireless connection points and a Freedom Toaster content kiosk that enables users to burn content onto USBs or CDs via an easy touchscreen interface.

The entire classroom is powered by the Samsung Smart Classroom software, which enables the teacher to share content, push learning material and monitor learner interaction and progress, whilst having full control over devices during a lesson.

Pitso Kekana, Head of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics SA, says: “Samsung aims to take learning to new digital heights. Not only is Samsung committed to giving students greater access to education but is also expanding the scope of learning. We are working with educators around the country to improve learning experiences through the use of technology, by facilitating a classroom environment that is limitless and gives students access to a world of knowledge from their desks and on the go.”

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in technology, opening new possibilities for people everywhere. Through relentless innovation and discovery, we are transforming the worlds of TVs, smartphones, tablets, PCs, cameras, home appliances, printers, LTE systems, medical devices, semiconductors and LED solutions. We employ 286,000 people across 80 countries with annual sales of US$216.7 billion.

To discover more, please visit www.samsung.com.

For further information, please contact:

Carmen Steynberg
Andra-Lee Shimmin Epic Communications
Samsung Electronics South Africa
Tel: 011 784 4790 / 011 549 1627
Cell: 071 864 0266 / 082 553 2302
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

South African consumers, business people and politicians are standing in disbelief as two major South African business brands count the costs of underestimating the plight of the consumer. Contrary to popular personalities like Julius Malema and Steve Hofmeyr who have both had their fair share of negative publicity, but whose popularity seems largely unaffected, one can attempt only predict what the effect of the Cell-C billboard, Chester Missing on Steve Hofmeyr and the Woolworths boycotts will be.

The Woolworths boycott case has been reported on extensively in print, online, radio, television and social media. Social media for the Woolworths boycott accounts for 85% of the media attention.

If one removes social media from the equation, online news accounted for 42% of the press and broadcast a massive 40% for the Boycott Woolworths Campaign over the past month.  The biggest peak was on 19 November and can be attributed to the shareholders supporting the boycott and the endorsement by Cosatu.

“This sounds very impressive,” says Tonya Khoury, MD of Media Monitoring and Intelligence Company, ROi Africa. “But the pressing issue at hand is how do we measure the real effect the publicity had on the brand image? This is an issue that has been widely contested in global PR circles, but no definite conclusion has ever been reached. One thing that authoritative bodies like PRISA (Public Relations Institute) agree on is that the traditional measurement using advertising value equivalent (AVE) might not be the most effective way in measuring media publicity,” she says.

Due to a lack of a definite alternative, the majority of public relations practitioners use the Advertising Value Equivalent (AVE) measurement method regardless of its lack of support by the authorities. This measure compares the cost of a paid advertisement with the same amount of space or airtime of an unpaid publicity item. Says Khoury: “Ironically, the ‘value’ of AVE is widely recognised as unreliable and invalid but many people still use it. It’s because they need to attribute a rand value to media coverage.” 

With diminishing advertising prices and hard earned content, AVE has often resulted in exaggerations due with the use of multiplier factors based on prominence, image impact, prestige of the media channel and other criteria.

This aside though, markets have become increasingly unsure about how to add a rand value to the successful minimisation of negative publicity or bad news. “One cannot say that the fact that a clever PR strategy kept a brand out of the negative media spotlight is worthless in rand terms,” Khoury says.

“My stance on AVE: it is rubbish!  It also does not take into consideration the monitoring of social media, which is an issue in itself. Social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. are overflowing with new users that interact with and follow brand profiles. Just think what the Oscar Pistorius Trial would have been without Twitter! There are so many more reasons why AVE is absolutely pointless, let’s take some examples from the case studies we’ve been doing:

The Sunday Times published an article about Woolworths titled “Humble Pie for ‘arrogant’ Woolies” The article appeared on page 9 of the main body of the publication in black and white, resulting in an AVE of just under R80k – is it true to say that R80k is the level of damage the article made to Woolworths?  Is it true to say that if Woolworths had managed to keep this article out of the press it was worth an extra R80k in advertising toward Woolworths? What exactly does R80k for the article mean? Nothing!

Social Media has been the primary vehicle for #boycottwoolworths, as there is no accurate measurement in terms of Rands for Twitter. Are we as a market saying that the hashtag campaign was worth no money at all? I believe Woolworths would beg to differ as would BDS SA.”

ROi Africa believes that each medium needs its own best measure and a host of other metrics that can ascertain the success or failure of your PR  

Khoury adds, “Changing the Public Relations industry’s perception is more than a tough task and for that reason ROi Africa still offers AVE, and actually we offer rands and cents measurement on all media including social. We do, however, hope that the market will move to global measurement over time. We are using Source Rank, Moz Rank, Target Sections, Circulations, traffic and so much more than AVE to measure thus giving the brand a more accurate view of what the actual publicity value truly was.”  

Oscar Wilde said “The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about” and in some instances that is true.  There is also positive bottom line value in some negative press. “Julius Malema is one controversial figure in the media space and he draws on negative qualities like fierce temperaments, controversial statements and much more and it works.  Media loves Juju, that’s a fact.  At ROi Africa we have often seen our charts and analytics painted EFF Red because of clever and largely negative PR.”  

But how would you measure your PR? And that of your brand? This is a question we need to find an answer to, especially if the consumers turn against you or your brand. Not everybody is a Juju or a Steve Hofmeyr.

Website: www.roiafrica.com

The end of the year is marked by the termination of lease agreements and the increasing traffic of accommodation seekers on classified ads websites. As the traffic increases internet fraudsters see an opportunity and start creating false advertisement to take advantage of desperate seekers and rob them their money. These criminals put the life of internet users in danger.

Red Diamond World in partnership with various police stations has come up with a solution to combat these crimes, especially in student areas and is dedicated to bringing this negative exposure to an end. The company's main protected areas at the moment will be Hatfield, Sunnyside and Arcadia in Pretoria and internet users looking for accommodation or anything advertised online are advised to use the Red Diamond World Ads directory to find what they need since this web application only displays verified ads, supplied only by agencies which will make it easier to assist the users should the user be cheated online.

The company urges internet users to be very careful when searching for flats and apartments on the web. Users should be conscious of the fact that anybody post ads on other online advertising websites, allowing criminals to post anything and exposing you to crimes. The number of internet fraud victims is worrying and has been mainly a result of the numerous flexible and popular ads websites everyone runs to when they have a need.

On Red Diamond World Ads advertisements are sent to the website admin by companies and agencies the company has contracted with, which include real estate agencies around Hatfield, Sunnyside and Arcadia. No user has the ability to post any advertisement and no individual or person is allowed to contract with the company to publish ads on the web app, the company only works with other companies and agencies.

We are confident that this will reduce the number of internet fraud victims. Red Diamond World Ads will protect internet users and we encourage students in Pretoria to use it when searching for accommodation.

Website: rediamondworld.com

Adding significant value to its already sterling reputation as a leading supplier of transformational business and individual solutions to the technology, consulting and financial services sectors, the Transformation Capital Group (TCG) has recently acquired Dracore Investments.Based in Honeydew, Gauteng, Dracore provides a diverse and dynamic set of market focused and business operational solutions to customers in the financial, data sciences, social media and communications spheres.

This provides its customers with the necessary resources and expertise to effectively manage their customer lifecycle at every level and maximise market penetration. The new management team of the enlarged TCG company is - Mike Eslick, Reg Bath, Richard Peasey, Chantelle Fraser and Francois Meyer. Dracore can now tap into TCG’s global resources and specialist skills to enable its visions to establish and develop all-encompassing business services and solutions for clients across Africa.

‘Most significantly, TCG shares our long term vision of developing sustainable business solutions by focusing on sustainability, socioeconomic empowerment, profitability and communal reinvestment,’ comments Chantelle Fraser. ‘I’m happy to report that we’ve already made significant progress and, with our combined market knowledge and innovative approach, we’re perfectly positioned to offer any enterprise, large or small, the very best solutions to optimise future opportunities and generate combined benefit to both TCG and its customer base.’

For more information, visit www.tcg-sa.co.za

Your brand has value. You might not be sure how much or where it comes from, but it still has value. This value usually relates to the products, people, and reputation surrounding it. Brands can, however, be diluted and lose value when customers feel annoyed, cheated or disappointed – when the brand fall of its pedestal and is reduced to “just another ordinary” one.

With the help of media intelligence providers, like ROi Africa, your brand’s value can be monitored and corrective actions can be planned pro-actively, all by knowing what the public and media think and feel about you.

Besides Lance Armstrong, who is the one sporting brand that came crashing down during the last two years – from a R21 million per year icon to a shamed brand liability? Oscar Pistorius!

This famous Paralympic athlete, who even competed successfully against able-bodied athletes and was seen as a role model for people facing severe challenges in life, was recently sentenced to five years in prison on a charge of culpable homicide for killing his girlfriend, model and law graduate Reeva Steenkamp.

His murder trial caused a media frenzy, in one hour alone (sentencing hour) ROi Africa saw over 110,000 unique items published in over 200 million platforms.

It was a landmark case in more than one way. A court application by media houses allowed for live coverage in the form of Tweets directly from the court room. On the top-yielding day of the trail, the verdict, over 400,000 unique items were reported mentioning the words “Oscar Pistorius” or “Oscar Trial”.

Tonya Khoury, the Managing Director of ROi Africa was the first media intelligence provider to start delivering reliable statistical analysis of media coverage worldwide, becoming a regular face on Channel 199 and SABC Newsroom.  

Mathapelo Matjokana, the producer of the Afternoon Talk with Ashraf Garda Show on SAFM, was one of the first media to use ROi Africa’s statistics on a regular basis, says that, “With the arrival of these statistics and analysis people were able to understand, for example, the Oscar Trial better as complex legal matters were broken down into simpler terms. It also allowed us to follow major events like these through a bird’s eye view with these analyses.”

“The Oscar Pistorius brand – like any other business brand – had to cope with the effect of an incorrect decision and the aftermath thereof. In the media coverage of the trial, it was evident how the media’s reporting affected Pistorius’ brand value. One can, as an example look at his sponsorships that have declined to zero. Well-known brands like Nike, Oakley, Thierry Mugler and BT have suspended sponsoring Pistorius, Nike came under fire after a 2011 billboard campaign with the wording'the bullet in the chamber” which proved to be almost prophetical.

The brands were mentioned regularly during the trial and jokes featured on social media which also negatively impacted Nike, resulting in the suspension of large sponsorships for Pistorius” says Khoury.

When looking at all media (news and social) over the past 100 days and in all languages, these four brands received the following publicity, in relation to Oscar Pistorius.

As the former sponsor with the biggest percentage of media mention, Nike’s coverage during the past 100 days can be broken down, the highest percentages of publicity was achieved on 14, 15 and 16 September, with all reporting on Nike dropping their sponsorship contract with Pistorius formally after he was found guilty by Judge Masipa and thus became a brand liability. These are insights that can be extremely valuable for any brand.  

“With these mentions, sponsors like Nike have gained publicity, but for the wrong reasons, which made Pistorius a brand liability. His brand value thus impacted negatively on a few other brands,” Khoury adds. According to media reports Oscar Pistorius was once the second most popular athlete, after Usain Bolt, but that is history now. During and after the case, he actually received more publicity compared to athletes that have experienced some kind of crisis in their careers,” she adds.  

OJ Simpson: 64.75%
Usain Bolt: 18.42%
Lance Armstrong: 9.04%
Tiger Woods: 7.78%

As with any other brand, ROi Africa also looked at aspects like who and what were mentioned most with Pistorius, which is also an indication of his brand value. Smart Technology, managed by knowledgeable analysts enabled them to generate new angles and comparisons,like these,to keep the media and readers engaged.

“This technology, combined with personal input, identified key trends across all media platforms worldwide - over 2000 print titles that are taken from hard copy to digital format - and converted using the finest global reading technology. Broadcast media is converted from the verbal word to text within 2 seconds of it being aired. Immediate coverage is drawn from an excess of 200 million platforms in online and social media,” explains Khoury.

She adds, “Keeping track of what is being said about a company or brand, their industry of operations or specific topics of interest, and even their competitors can provide a much-needed competitive advantage,” adds Khoury.

Media intelligence on key competitors, main issues in the industry, top journalists reporting on your brand, top-yielding regions, comparative timelines and trends results in valuable instant insight. The successful use of media intelligence during crises depends on the severity of the crisis – in some cases most of the damage cannot be undone, but can be managed – as in the Oscar Pistorius Trial. But on the other hand one wonders what the influence of media coverage was on the eventual outcome of the case,” she says. "In the corporate world one would have a much better chance of using media intelligence information to minimise the onslaught of a crisis.

In conclusion, what Google (as probably the most prominent search engine for online media) says about you has become an important part of brand value management in a digital age – and it is better to monitor and analyse media coverage in your brand than being surprised by an onslaught by a crisis.

FOR MORE INFORMATION  

Tonya Khoury: 073 874 5377
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Twitter: @tonyaroi / @roiafrica
Facebook: Facebook.com/roiafrica
Website: www.roiafrica.com