Startupbootcamp AfriTech (SBC AfriTech) was named the Winner of the Top Accelerator Award by the first annual Southern Africa Startup Awards, in partnership with the Global Startup Awards.

Following a rigorous process of nominations, public voting and adjudication, on Thursday 22 November 2018 at the regional Grand Finale of Southern Africa Startup Awards, 15 winners in 15 categories, from 14 participating SADC countries were announced, and SBC AfriTech walked away with the title of Top Accelerator. The award was received by Nsovo Nkatingi, Programme Manager for SBC AfriTech and the only female to lead an accelerator of this scope. 

“Startupbootcamp AfriTech is truly honoured to have received this award,” states Nsovo Nkatingi, Programme Manager for SBC AfriTech, “And we are even more privileged to be backed by Nedbank, Old Mutual, PwC, RCS and BNP Paribas Personal Finance, these are the partnerships that help us validate the impact we have in Africa’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.”

The Southern Africa Startup Awards is a circuit of the world renowned Global Startup Awards, which provides an annual spotlight on web/tech startups in regions across the globe with focus on startups around 5 years old, highlighting up-and-coming and established technology talent globally.Prior to the Grand Finale, more than 3000 nominees went through public voting and adjudication in their home countries to win the national round. The winners were then further judged and ranked by an esteemed panel of international judges, whose decision was eventually combined with individual public votes from across the globe for the finalists to win at the regional Grand Finale of the 2018 Southern Africa Startup Awards.

“The tech ecosystem in Africa is expanding rapidly and there are many new entrants - both local and international - that are providing amazing support to local startups. This means that all the accelerator programmes must keep raising their game,” states Philip Kiracofe, co-founder and CEO of SBC AfriTech, “We are humbled to have received this award and are honoured to proudly represent the African continent at the Global Startup Awards competition. The recognition for SBC AfriTech gives us yet another platform through which to showcase the disruptive startups in our cohort, and the innovative corporate sponsors who are powering them.”

SBC AfriTech is now officially the leading tech accelerator on the African continent and is the Africa-leg of a global family of industry-focused accelerators. The AfriTech accelerator is focused on high-growth startups in blockchain, connected devices, payment solutions, capital markets and asset management, integrated supply chain, e-commerce, FinTech, RetailTech, InsurTech, alternative financing, identity management, digital connectivity, data and behavioural analytics and enabling technologies.

Selected winners of the National Awards in each Region, such as Africa, will then participate in the Global Startup Awards the following year. Six of the categories announced at the Southern Africa Startup Awards, including Best Startup Accelerator/Incubator, which SBC AfriTech won, will now be represented at the Global Startup Awards next year. This means they will compete with the winners of 6 other regions for the global accolade to be announced in 2019. This ceremony will be held in China with the venue and date still to be confirmed.

“Innovation 'For Africans, By Africans' is baked into the DNA of SBC AfriTech and we are passionately devoted to accelerating every aspect of the ecosystem - startups, corporates, young digital talent, our partner network, and of course the SBC AfriTech team. We are able to leverage a global support network that includes 680 startup alumni, hundreds of corporate sponsors, and thousands of mentors to fulfil our core mission to scout, skill, and scale the best innovators on the continent. We work tirelessly every day to embrace this ethos and we are ecstatic to be recognized with this award. Naturally, we are excited to look forward to the Global Startup Awards competition, but regardless of what happens there, our most important focus will continue to be the local and regional ecosystem,” concludes Kiracofe.  

For more information on Startupbootcamp AfriTech or this press release, please contact:

Mika Stanvliet | 081 534 6237 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

About Startupbootcamp AfriTech:

In 2017 the global Startupbootcamp network launched the first-ever Africa-based SBC programme in Cape Town.SBC AfriTech is a leading accelerator focused on high-growth startups in blockchain, connected devices, payment solutions, capital markets and asset management, integrated supply chain, e-commerce, FinTech, RetailTech, InsurTech, alternative financing, identity management, digital connectivity, data and behavioural analytics and enabling technologies.

The accelerator is anchored by leading corporate sponsors Old Mutual, RCS, BNP Paribas Personal Finance, Nedbank, and PwC that will support and grow the program and selected startups. Global sponsors include Amazon Web Services, and Cisco.

The programme is also supported by several service partners including: Cloudworx, VC4A, Inner City Ideas Cartel, Brevity Law and The Loudhailer.

For more information visit: https://www.startupbootcamp.org/accelerator/afritech/ 

About SASAwards:

Southern Africa Startup Awards is a circuit of the world renowned Global Startup Awards, which provides an annual spotlight on web/tech startups in regions across the globe with focus on startups around 5 years old, highlighting up-and-coming and established technology talent globally. Entries are judged by an esteemed panel of judges, all leaders in the respective fields, as well as by public vote. Global Startup Awards is the largest independent startup-ecosystem competition started in the Nordics in 2012, covering more than 45 countries in 7 regions.Since 2012, Global Startup Awards has grown to include South East Asia, Central Europe, SAARC Region (South Asia), and now East Asia, Baltics and Southern Africa which launched in 2018.

For more information about the awards please visit: www.southernafricastartupawards.com

FOOD HUBS SA DO NOT have any stores available for trading such as is the case with other Franchise set ups – we set up each store together with our Franchisees as per their individual requirements and budget.

Franchises are inundated with rogue operators and fees that are highly over priced and beyond the financial reach of the ordinary citizen striving to start up a restaurant of their own.  We offer select applicants a Franchise to operate once they decide on their choice of QSR, location, complete an application and follow up with an email and application procedure. Behind every one of our QSR opportunities be our Franchisees—fuelled by entrepreneurial spirits for building their business and communities. We are looking for those leaders, both the people who want to make a difference where they live and those who want to put down new roots to introduce our restaurants to the places we’ve never been before.

INCLUDED:

• Unrivalled, customizable store design
• QSR’s base menu, equipment, training and support
• Seasonal promotions
• Proprietary equipment and fixture package
• Exclusive and comprehensive QSR food training program
• Ongoing expertise, consulting and support including onsite visits

OUR FLEXIBLE ENTERPRISE FRANCHISE IN A NUTSHELL:

Each FRANCHISEE is afforded the freedom to transform their QSR into an operation suited to their culture, location, skills, personality and in so doing will ensure their business grows from strength to strength

My Menu

Every menu is unique, providing a locally tailored solution to amplify your profitability using our base menu as a foundation from which to start off with.  There are no restrictions to adding menu items to the existing menu to enhance sales as long as these additions are communicated to the FRANCHISOR. 

My Culture

You, as the FRANCHISEE, are the added element that connects with your community and makes your QSR unique. 

My Design

Every QSR is tailor built to be welcoming, cosy and attractive. 

My Support

You are in business for yourself, but not by yourself. We have the system to help you grow. The journey to becoming a FRANCHISEE is deliberately detailed, as we are entering into a long term relationship based on mutual respect and trust. We work together to ensure that our goals and values are aligned.Once everything is up and running, you may find that there are areas that you could improve, things you can do better and other products you could sell. Do not be afraid of changing, in fact this could be the one tip that ensures your business’s success. Be willing to make key adjustments in order to cater to your customer and ensure that your QSR continues to thrive.

SET UP COSTS (Estimated)

All our QSR set up costs are in the region of R167, 000.00 – R245, 000.00 exclusive of V.A.T., License fee, lease fees and start up stock.  Each outlet is 70m² - 90m² offering seating for up to 10 people.  Each Licensed Operator has up to 6 months to open their stores. 

Start your own Fast Food Franchise today - email us for an Introduction and Application Pack at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Compucart Anything Office, leading provider of boutique services and support to the SME market, has launched a fresh brand and identity aligned with vibrant and dynamic vision.

With more than 17 years of experience, the company has been a trusted supplier of products and services that run from end to end office supplies and outsourced procurement through to superlative technology implementations and solutions. “The foundations of our business are made up of three core areas – Supply, Managed IT Services and Specialised solutions. As part of our rebrand, we have allocated colours to each of these pillars so they are easy to identify and engage with,” says Rowan Fine, Managing Director, Compucart Anything Office.

“This ensures that our customers can instantly recognise our areas of expertise. It also allows us to showcase the comprehensive ecosystem of solutions we offer to the small to medium enterprise market.” Compucart has been working with small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in the South African market for more than 17 years. The company specialises in providing niche and tailor-made solutions to help SMEs overcome the most common challenges they face on a daily basis. Its goal is to alleviate client pain points as not all SMEs have the budget for a dedicated office manager, IT manager and procurement office. “We offer software and hardware as a Service, manage office fit outs, and provide hands-on support to our clients,” says Fine.

“We work with customers to assess their specific needs and create solutions that match. This allows us to provide our clients with the help they actually want, where they want it, and at an excellent price point. Our relationships with strategic suppliers, vendors and manufacturers has meant that we can create packages that save our customers’ money.” The company has developed a procurement health check assessment tool to determine exactly where a company is spending more than it should and how systems or expenses can be refined. Using this insight, Compucart Anything Office then offers a three-month trial period where it uses these insights to solve the problems and prove the price point. “Our clients stay with us because they know we are providing them with the best quality and the best cost,” concludes Fine. “The new brand reflects this in its bright colouring, clearly defined pillars of expertise and in the fresh brand voice.

We are a company that SMEs have trusted for more than 17 years and our new brand identity, colouring and strategy reflect that.”

To find out more about Compucart Anything Office and the value it can deliver to your organisation visit www.compucart.co.za, call +27 (011) 025 4406, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Eleven startups from across the African continent, identified as “entrepreneurs for humanity”, were awarded the opportunity to partner with the AfricArena challenge corporate sponsors at the end of the second AfricArena technology conference in Cape Town today.

Saturday 17 November, Cape Town – Amongst others, Air France KLM selected DiscoverIkasi and Sea Monster, both from South Africa, to assist with improving the travel experience and sustainability of its subsidiary Joon. Vinci Energie, will work with Senegal’s Oniriq and South Africa’s DataProphet on innovative energy solutions in Africa.

See the full list of winners, sponsors and challenges below.

During 2018, in the run up to AfricArena2018, 60 startups pitched their businesses in regional events in eight cities across Africa. Many of which were invited to take part in a series of challenges set by the AfricArena sponsors, all looking to solve uniquely African business problems.  

SOLUTIONS FOR THE AFRICAN MARKET

The AfricArena 2018 conference was anchored and endorsed by major international sponsors La French Tech, Silicon Cape, Vinci Energies, AirFrance KLM, Engie, Saint-Gobain, Methys, Rogerwilco, City of Cape Town, Proparco, RCS, and Leroy Merlin.

The following sponsors specifically came to South Africa and AfricArena to explore innovation opportunities within Africa and abroad: RCS, Saint-Gobain, AirFrance KLM, Vinci Energies, VivaTech, Leroy Merlin, Engie, Sanofi and FSAT Labs.

“We expect to have a different approach from these startups, a bright idea that could be easily implemented, and also to benefit from what is very high potential in terms of innovation and entrepreneurial initiatives. And to find solutions that are very well adapted to the African market,” said Jean-Michel Mathieu, CEO of Joon, a subsidiary of Air France.

“African entrepreneurs are very willing to find solutions, to take risks, they address vital expectations and needs, and they are looking at the challenges with a very frugal mindset. I think this is a lesson for us as well, we learn a lot working with them and collaborating with them to find the right solutions and we take this inspiration back to Europe with us,” said Lydia Babaci-Victor, Chief Innovation and Development Officer at Vinci Energies.

Vincent Viollain, co-Founder and Head of Partnerships and Startups at VivaTech, the biggest tech conference in Europe said: “The leapfrog ability of African technology has become a bit of a cliché. But when you get a chance to see it, you’ll see that it’s actually true. African technology is frugal, its smart and it can have an impact locally as well as globally. In our winner, Aerobotics’ case we believe the solution can move beyond physical borders, and also have application in different industry sectors.” 

AFRICARENA WINNERS:

The startups who won the challenges, were grateful of the experience and excited to be moving forward with some of the largest corporations across the globe.

“Oniriq provides access to African rural populations through energy and the internet. It’s great to be here at AfricArena, it has been a journey. For two months we’ve been participating in this challenge since the selection two months ago in Dakar with Vinci Energies team and we’ve been in discussions since. For us the win is a great achievement and we’re looking forward to starting our collaboration in Senegal,” said Rodolphe Rosier, Founder of Oniriq. 

“We’d like to thank AfricArena and VivaTech for the opportunity to present and we’re really happy to have won and we cannot wait to be in Paris in May. We’re already expanding around the world and this presence at VivaTech 2019 will give us a great opportunity to meet the European market,” said Nasreen Patel, Head of Product at Aerobotics. 

“This is not just a win for DiscoverIkasi, it’s a win for the communities we work with across South Africa. It’s going to give them a lot more exposure. This is what we’ve been working towards since starting the business, to get to a platform where I can market DiscoverIkasi, our market, our experiences and the townships on an international stage. Now we need to go back home and form a strategy to scale the business across South Africa,” said Ntsebenziswano (Benzi) November, Founder of DiscoverIkasi.

The startups attending the conference will also each be receiving credit from AWS as part of their prizes. Each startup in attendance, winner or not, will receive $2000 in AWS credit.  

A WORD FROM THE ECO-SYSTEM

Kerry Petrie, General Manager of Silicon Cape, host ecosystem of AfricArena, states: “It’s such an amazing opportunity for entrepreneurs from all across the continent to connect and share, building bridges that may hold future partnership, export and market opportunities. It builds the visibility of the pan-African community for a local, regional and global stakeholder audience. We have to work together to increase investment in African ventures from 1%. And AfricArena is playing a pivotal role in making that a reality.”

Reflecting on the event, Christophe Viarnaud, CEO of AfricArena, expanded on the philosophy behind the conference. “AfricArena’s open collaborative Pan-African model, highly inclusive and embarking all categories of investors, ecosystem contributors, and corporates focused on innovation in Africa, has demonstrated very high impact throughout 2018 with 16 events on 3 continents. The grand finale at AfricArena2018 has shown the energy and excitement from 15 corporates, over 150 investors and 70 startups, with over $2m deals being done, startup-corporate partnerships being struck and a wave of energy and innovation from African entrepreneurs. We could not be more excited about the future, comments Viarnaud.  

THE WINNERS:

Air France KLM Challenge 1                     DiscoverIkasi

Air France KLM Challenge 2                    Sea Monster

Engie Challenge                                           Arnegy

Leroy Merlin Challenge                             BizAR Reality

Saint-Gobain Challenge 1                         Swift GeoSpatial

Saint-Gobain Challenge 2                         The Student Hub

Sanofi South Africa Challenge                Iyeza Health

The RCS Group Challenge                        ThisIsMe

Vinci Energies Challenge 1                       Oniriq

Vinci Energies Challenge 2                       DataProphet

Vivatech 2019 Challenge                          Aerobotics 

SPONSORS AND THEIR CHALLENGES:

Air France KLM Challenge 1 – optimising the airline’s travel experience while reducing its environmental footprint

Air France KLM Challenge 2 – using technology to enrich subsidiary Joon’s travel experience for its passengers

Engie Challenge – ensuing a reliable energy supply in urban areas

Leroy Merlin Challenge – immersive showroom experience that shows off a large variety of products

Saint-Gobain Challenge 1 – using satellite trend analysis to predict urban and climate challenges

Saint-Gobain Challenge 2 -- a solution to upgrade professionals’ skills across Africa, especially in remote areas.

Sanofi South Africa Challenge – optimising patient treatment adherence and completion rates

The RCS Group Challenge – storing and securing customer identity and authentication credentials

Vinci Energies Challenge 1 – using digitalisation to optimise industry and energy performance

Vinci Energies Challenge 2 – How to make energy more accessible in Africa using technology such as energy efficiency flow solutions, energy flow optimisation, blockchain and artificial intelligence

Vivatech 2019 Challenge – using artificial intelligence (AI) to generate growth and sustainability in the agriculture sector 

-- ENDS --

For more information on AfricArena or this press release, please contact:

Mika Stanvliet | 081 534 6237 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

About AfricArena:

AfricArena is a conference that showcases Africa’s best startups and innovators in front of an audience of local and international investors looking for world-class talent.Celebrated as the largest tech ecosystem accelerator on the African continent, last year’s edition of AfricArena saw more than 80 startups presenting to over 100 investors with 25 countries being represented and over $2M worth of deals done. This year's edition saw 70 startups from 32 countries pitching to over 600 attendees. This year they are predicting that funding for African startups will crack US$1 billion. Earlier this year AfricArena launched a global tour to source the world's best tech innovators solving uniquely African problems, and the tour covered 66 000 kilometers in total. AfricArena is the ultimate deal-flow platform, bringing investors and startups together in one central location.

For more information visit: https://africarena2018.com

The wait for uMhlanga’s latest business and lifestyle development is over as Park Square, an exceptional business and lifestyle destination for professionals and community members, finally opens its doors.

The R1billion Four Star Green Star-rated development, developed by Nedport Developments, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nedbank, features 36 000m² of commercial space, a 4 000m² retail area and a 3 500m² connected open square. The generous retail arcade with some of Durban’s finest stores, restaurants and coffee shops, connects the square with the lush Chris Saunders Park.

Indigenous trees, grass and planter boxes form part of the development’s design to create an attractive natural open space where a connected work culture and distinctive leisure and retail elements exist side by side. Designed with people in mind, Park Square connects the surrounding communities through considered stores, restaurants and services while simultaneously being a dynamic place for professionals to work and socialize.

Outlets to look out for include a brand new top tier Spar and Tops at Spar, Medstone Pharmacy, Armitage Men’s Outfitters, Pizza Hut, Postnet, Hello Hunny Beauty Studio, Seattle Coffee, Mike’s Kitchen, Sergeant Coffee, D’Lishious Shawarma, the Eye Gallery, Eazi Laundromat and International Bank Vaults. On the mix of retail outlets, Nedport Director, Ken Reynolds commented, “Selecting the right assortment of retailers for Park Square was a thorough process. We are confident that we have an excellent combination of fashion, food and coffee purveyors as well as great service providers that will attract people to the development to shop, relax and get things done.”

Located on the uMhlanga Ridge close to Gateway Theatre of Shopping, a GO!Durban Integrated Rapid Transport System stop and other attractions, and with ample parking, Park Square will benefit from excellent access in an upmarket, safe and convenient location. Office areas will enjoy a second, more exclusive breakout space which enhances the development’s people-centred approach. “We look forward to welcoming the community to see what our beautiful considered new space has to offer. We are sure they will be impressed!” concludes Reynolds.

Visit www.parksquare.co.za to find out more.

The SABTIA Africa Tech Conference, in partnership with the City of Eukurhuleni and Monash SA, has kicked off with Minister Lindiwe Zulu addressing key priorities for re-energising business incubation programmes in South Africa.

[City of Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, September 25] International industry experts are in attendance at the First Africa Tech Conference, hosted by the Southern Africa Business and Technology Incubation Association (SABTIA) in partnership with the City of Ekurhuleni and Monash SA.  The two-day conference, held at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg, is focusing on innovation in business incubation and acceleration, repositioning the sector to prepare and sustain the entrepreneurship ecosystem for the future.   

Speaking at the event, Minister Lindiwe Zulu, highlighted the critical need to reduce the crippling effects of government bureaucracy on small business growth.    “Africa is no longer playing catch up with the rest of the world, we are competing with it.  And we are competing in a digital economy with a rate of change faster than the world has seen for the last 300 years.  Through SEDA and initiatives like the SABTIA Tech Conference, we can unlock the economic potential of South African Entrepreneurs, enabling them to access high quality and innovative business support.  We also have to ensure that we are driven by local realities and ensure that our support mechanisms are relevant to the South African realities of rural and township economies.” 

Other key debates coming out of the conference include: The launch of the South Africa Business Incubation Conference in November. Integrating the new skills sets, required for Industry 4.0 and the knowledge era, into our education institutions. Ensuring the implementation of cross-departmental (transversal) agreements inside Government (i.e agreements between DSB and DST) which will support inclusive innovation and development. How to localise critical global content and best practice.

Tiro Matjiu, Founder of Uhuru shop and accelerator platform Uhuru Group, explains the biggest challenge in his sector as market access.  “Marketing in an economic downturn is tough, even more so when your industry requires a shift in consumer mindset.  Buying local is at the core of Uhuru’s SMME clients and without bold and innovative marketing strategies we will fall behind.  Industry 4.0 is a huge opportunity for growth – but it requires knowledge, mentorship and training.”   “Incubators, traditionally designed as support systems, are developing into growth acceleration mechanisms, critical to the improvement of the SMME success rate.  SABTIA aims to build a more inclusive incubation and acceleration system which will better serve small businesses and start-ups, including those in the informal sector – a sector that has largely been ignored by incubation programmes in the past,” says SABTIA Chairperson, Zaid Mohidin. 

Southern Africa Business and Technology Incubation Association (SABTIA) is an independent and private association formed to promote and coordinate business incubation in Southern Africa. SABTIA was set up to serve as the industry standard practitioner and members association, by providing the dissemination of knowledge, skills, training and expertise to the ecosystem nationally, continentally and internationally through partnerships with SEDA, DSBN, EBN as well as INBIA. 

With the industry entering a new cycle we see more and more countries not only consolidating their ecosystems but more importantly also ensuring that appropriate local models are developed in alignment with global standards. The push to cross-pollinate and to collaborate to develop effective ecosystems – with best practices and standards – is fast becoming a priority. SABTIA has been reformed to address this priority. 

Twitter:  @SABTIA_Org

Facebook: Sabtia.org

Linkedin: SABTIA

### If you would like more information about this topic or for any interview requests, please call Nicola Brown at 071 883 5584, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Deal-flow sessions with top innovators lead to experimentation and commercialisation with SA corporates

19 September 2018, Johannesburg, South Africa – The Disruption Agenda, a first-of-its-kind event for the country, saw over 200 top business leaders and innovation thinkers attend the inaugural launch this week. This new platform initiated by Nedbank in partnership with Silicon Valley’s Plug and Play team, sought to connect leading global and local innovation talent to leaders ready to implement disruptive technologies.

The two-day event was structured into deal-flow sessions on Day 1 where thirty of Nedbank CIB’s top clients engaged with 10 of the most innovative startups sourced with the help of Plug and Play, known as the world’s largest innovation platform. Day two saw pitches from the 10 startups and a Disruption Panel Discussion with Nedbank’s lead thinkers on disruption and digital transformation to over 200 clients of Nedbank CIB’s, Retail Business Banking and Nedbank Private Wealth clients with a goal to stimulate and accelerate innovation action.

“The focus on disruption is something that we’ve been driving not only in our business, but as new value propositions for our clients. Additionally, our objective is to advance the local tech community,” shares Stuart van der Veen, Head of Innovation and Disruption at Nedbank CIB. Nedbank identify the top 100 disruptors every six months, both locally and globally. From this, 12 collaborations are identified across Nedbank with six progressing to experimentation and one through to commercialisation on a rolling basis.

“Aerobotics is a great example. They were one of the disruptors we identified, and we’ve taken them through to commercialisation with several of our clients,” concludes van der Veen.

Reflecting on the event, Alex Fenn, Technology and Innovation Lead for Sibanye-Stillwater, commented, “Mining companies are experiencing increasing cost pressures and volatile commodity prices. We’ve pulled all of the efficiency levers that we have at hand. I believe the next paradigm shift in operational performance will come from the adoption of some type of disruptive technology at a very broad level. We’ve identified enormous opportunity amongst the startups that we have engaged with, which could be critical to our digital transformation and sustainability going forward.”

The startups selected to showcase include Aerobotics, Dispel, GotBot, IoT.nxt, Koniku, LifeQ, Sentiance, Trueface AI, Wasteless and What3Words.

Michael Clampett, Head of Asset and Property Management: Retail at Attacq Group, states: “We’re quite small to allocate resources to sourcing top innovation at this scale but in partnership with Nedbank, this has now been possible, and we have access to innovate more quickly.”

In the venture capital space there a number of new entrants investing in disruptive tech startups, with the industry sitting around 4.4 billion and around 530 deals existing within the venture capital sector. Of these figures, 1.1 billion was new capital invested and 159 of deals took place in 2017 reflecting steady growth in the sector.

When talking about The Disruption Agenda, Herman Singh, Chief Digital Officer for MTN Group, shared, “This model of like-minded corporates working together to assist and facilitate innovation results in the startup model having the highest probability to succeed.”

The Disruption Agenda sought to activate experimentation and proof of concept initiatives between startups and corporates as a pragmatic, action-orientated approach to ensure impactful outcomes of the engagements.

“It’s been an extraordinary two days. The deal-flow sessions were transformative for us. As a small part of a wider business scaling globally, it’s been phenomenal to have the support of executives in those meetings with potential clients of Nedbank’s and to have them facilitate those conversations, so we can start to discuss proof-of-concepts and commercialisation. It’s a very exciting thing for us, to have so much hands-on support. It’s changed the way we think about how corporates are dealing with the innovation space in South Africa,” adds Lyndsey Duff, Country Manager for What3Words in South Africa. 

ENDS 

For more information on The Disruption Agenda or this press release please contact:

Mika Stanvliet | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | 081 534 6237 

About Nedbank Group

Nedbank Group is a bank holding company listed on JSE Limited (JSE) with a market capitalisation of R125 billion as at 30 June 2018. Nedbank Group is one of Africa’s largest banking groups.Its principal banking subsidiary is Nedbank Limited, and the group is 54% majority owned by Old Mutual Limited (OML), which has a primary listing on the JSE with secondary listings in London, Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Namibia. Nedbank Group owns subsidiaries and banks in Namibia, Swaziland, Malawi, Mozambique, Lesotho and Zimbabwe, and offshore in the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey. It also has representative offices in other Southern Africa countries, including Angola and Kenya, and has key global financial centres to provide international banking services for SA-based multinational and high-net-worth clients in London, Toronto and Dubai (UAE).We are a diversified financial services provider, offering a wide range of wholesale and retail banking services, as well as insurance, asset management and wealth management solutions.

For more information, visit https://www.nedbank.co.za/    

About Plug and Play:

Plug and Play is a global innovation platform. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we have built accelerator programs, corporate innovation services, and an in-house VC to make technological advancement progress faster than ever before. Since inception in 2006, our programs have expanded worldwide to include a presence in over 20 locations globally giving startups the necessary resources to succeed in Silicon Valley and beyond. With over 6,000 startups and 220 official corporate partners, we have created the ultimate startup ecosystem in many industries.We provide active investments with 200 leading Silicon Valley VCs, and host more than 700 networking events per year. Companies in our community have raised over $7 billion in funding, with successful portfolio exits including Danger, Dropbox, Lending Club, PayPal, SoundHound, and Zoosk.

For more information, visit www.plugandplaytechcenter.com

Many entrepreneurs fall into the trap of thinking that partnering with a business coach will solve all their business challenges. This is only partly true, however. Read on to find out why. 

Imagine you’re training for a marathon. You have your goal, your have your training plan, and it’s all going well. But, still, you feel you could do better. So, you hire a running coach. What happens now? Well, that’s up to you, isn’t it? If you diligently follow the coach’s advice, you’re certain to see progress. If you think the mere fact you’ve appointed the coach is enough, and continue without making any changes, you probably won’t.  

The same applies to business coaching, says Pieter Scholtz, master franchisor of ActionCOACH. “Appointing a coach is the first step. Thereafter, the hard work starts,” he says.  

Scholtz adds that there’s often a misconception about the business coach’s role. “You can’t expect your coach to solve your business challenges for you,” he explains. “A good coach will tell you the truth about you and your business, no matter how uncomfortable it may be, or how hard it is to share with you the realities of your business and the changes you need to make.” 

A business coach will help by providing training, skills, guidance and advice, Scholtz answers. “When you’re working by yourself, it’s easy to get off track,” he comments. “You might have a vague idea that you’re not happy with where the business is headed, but you’re not sure how to correct its course. This might be because you’re too close to the business and you can’t see where the areas of weakness might be, or maybe it’s simply because you don’t know how to fix things.” 

This is where the objective view of a business coach can help. Because they are less invested in the business, especially from an emotional perspective, they aren’t afraid to take a critical look at what’s going wrong. They can make the hard calls that business owners are afraid to. What’s more, they have the business experience and insight to understand what changes need to be made. 

But this is where the responsibility of the business coach ends and that of the business owner begins, Scholtz says. “Your coach may suggest books to read, conferences to attend, webinars to watch. You’ll also need to be prepared to think up issues that you want to discuss before each session if you are to get the most out of the relationship. There’s a lot of homework involved,” he points out. 

Of course, you can choose not to follow up on your coach’s recommendations. After all, entrepreneurs often carry a heavy load, and it can be difficult to find the time for ‘enrichment work’ in between income generating tasks. But, says Scholtz, “as with most things in life, the benefits you receive from coaching will correlate directly with the time and effort you invest. If you don’t think you’re ready to make the commitment, this might not be the right time for you.“Remember,” he continues, “growth comes from doing. When you are part of a coaching relationship, you’ll be doing a lot of doing. You’ll be answering a lot of tough but important questions. You will be challenging your paradigms and perspectives. You will be unlocking your potential. You will be on your way to becoming the person, the leader, that you need to be in your life and in your business, whilst achieving your personal goals too. You will be made aware of the obstacles, and you’ll learn how to overcome them.” 

It won’t be easy – but then change and growth (and all the other uncomfortable situations that ultimately benefit us) seldom are.

It’s never been more important, and perhaps more difficult, for people to be engaged in their work. Things move fast. People have the flexibility to work when they want, often outside 9 to 5. And they’re working everywhere: in the office (where it can be noisy and filled with distractions) and out of the office (where it’s often even harder to focus). But when people are engaged, it usually means they’re happier. Plus, engaged employees outperform their peers in terms of productivity, sales, energy levels, healthcare savings, and lower turnover rates.

SMARTER WORKING HELPS PEOPLE BE AT THEIR BEST

The Smarter Working approach can help an organization enhance some of the factors that contribute to employee engagement and happiness.

First, it’s essential that people have a choice of workspaces within their workday such as places to collaborate, unassigned desks, quiet spaces, or touchdown areas. Second, they need the right communication tools—those designed for them—to use seamlessly throughout their day. This has a wonderful effect. People can embrace their own work style, the way they work best. They feel like the company is listening to them, they’re more satisfied with their job, and they are more likely to stay. So, there is a greater sense of belonging, which promotes a culture of trust. This means they enjoy more independence and have more control over their day. This kind of supported autonomy breeds engagement for employees and creates a company others will want to join.

WITH SMARTER WORKING, THE TALENT POOL WIDENS

When companies adopt a Smarter Working approach and provide an array of workspaces and communication tools, there is an additional (and big) advantage: the opportunity to recruit the best people, wherever they may be in the world. Because just like a great idea can come from anyone, great talent can come from anywhere.

A MORE SATISFIED WORKFORCE CONTRIBUTES TO BOTTOM-LINE PERFORMANCE

With Smarter Working, people have the tools and freedom to contribute to the company’s success in their own unique ways. This is gratifying and provides a real sense of fulfilment. And that matters because employee satisfaction and productivity are closely tied to financial success.1

In South Africa, Plantronics promotes Smarter Working concepts through its team members, authorized distributors and partners. Read more about Smarter Working https://www.plantronics.com/za/en/smarter-working  

About Plantronics
Plantronics is an audio pioneer and a global leader in the communications industry. We create intelligent and adaptive solutions that support our customers’ most important needs: experiencing and facilitating simple and clear communications while enjoying distraction-free environments. Our solutions are used worldwide by consumers and businesses alike and are an optimal choice for open office environments. From Unified Communications and customer service ecosystems, to data analytics and Bluetooth? headsets, Plantronics delivers high-quality communications solutions that our customers count on today, while relentlessly innovating on behalf of their future. For more information visit  www.plantronics.com/za

1 ”When the walls come down,” Oxford Economics, page 9. 2 ”The Engaged Workplace,” http://www.gallup.com/services/190118/engaged-workplace.aspx.

Available in South Africa through local authorized distributors, Plantronics Manager Pro provides enterprises total control and flexibility over their Plantronics audio headsets and devices. Plantronics Manager Pro is a web-based service that gives IT Managers easy-to-use tools to configure settings and update audio device software and firmware for end-users across the enterprise. Last month, Wendy Dawson, Senior Development Marketing Manager for Plantronics, blogged about a professional partnership which represents a collaborative viewpoint of the value of adopting Software-as-a Service (SaaS) solutions such as Manager Pro.

"Today, I’m happy to let you know that Plantronics and Nectar are introducing the industry’s first ear-to-ear (e2e) unified communications (UC) diagnostics solution, extending call visibility past the desktop. Nectar UC Diagnostics troubleshoots network issues contributing to poor UC experiences and along with the actionable insights from Plantronics Manager Pro software-as-a-service (SaaS), can be used to improve your customers’ UC experience.

Nectar and Plantronics are bringing two stellar communications solutions together to provide diagnostics showing call-specific health statistics for wireless headsets. Until now, the last three feet of the UC network has been out of reach to the enterprise IT team. This new solution goes beyond traditional UC diagnostic solutions that end at the desktop and now gives IT the ability to see network health all the way to the end user’s Bluetooth headset.

Using this solution, enterprises and UC service providers can diagnose issues faster than in the past and they can track and make decisions from these actionable insights over time. This means call quality issues—no matter what is causing them—won’t ever get in the way of the ability to deliver superior customer service and user experience before an issue is ever detected.

Many factors can impact the quality of a UC session. The “data-your-way” philosophy built into the Plantronics Manager Pro offering extends Nectar’s capability with e2e diagnostics for Plantronics touch points providing this entirely new level of visibility into the last few feet of connectivity.

Last September, Nectar announced their agreement to develop this e2e diagnostics solution with us. Now, link quality is collected for the Plantronics Voyager UC family of headsets (excluding Voyager Legend, Voyager Edge and Voyager 104). And, it’s officially available for purchase through authorized Nectar and Plantronics authorized partners.

Nectar’s initial release of this solution will support Skype for Business on-premise deployments, with additional UC platform and cloud service support to be added over time."

If you are interested in finding out more about Plantronics Manager Pro for your South African business, please visit www.plantronics.com/za/en/services To read the original blog referenced, visit this page.

About Plantronics
Plantronics is an audio pioneer and a global leader in the communications industry. We create intelligent and adaptive solutions that support our customers’ most important needs: experiencing and facilitating simple and clear communications while enjoying distraction-free environments. Our solutions are used worldwide by consumers and businesses alike and are an optimal choice for open office environments. From Unified Communications and customer service ecosystems, to data analytics and Bluetooth headsets, Plantronics delivers high-quality communications solutions that our customers count on today, while relentlessly innovating on behalf of their future. For more information visit www.plantronics.com/za.

Plantronics is a trademark of Plantronics, Inc. registered in the U.S. and other countries, Plantronics Hub, Plantronics Manager and Plantronics Manager Pro are trademarks of Plantronics, Inc. The Bluetooth trademark is owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of the mark by Plantronics, Inc. is under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.