In December 2014 Carly Santiagi released her book “Light Up Your Sex Life in 7 Days: A Woman’s Guide To Better Marital Love-making”©. This book is published by CreateSpace, an On-Demand Publishing LLC part of Amazon.com Inc. It is available as both a paperback and an eBook (Kindle). 

When asked why she wrote this book, Carly says “So many married couples suffer in their relationship because of low sex drive by one or both partners. Sex only makes up 10% of the marriage but if something is amiss in that department it causes 90% of the problems. My aim is help women and their husbands to work on conquering some problems they might face by following practical steps discussed in my book.” 

In psychoanalytic theory libido is a term that is used to describe the energy that is created by survival and sexual instincts. According to Sigmund Freud, libido is the driving force of all behaviour. Psychotherapist Christine Webber says that it is important to realise that libido or sexual desire is a completely different thing from the physical arousal in the genitals. Many women who have no libido are actually able to become physically aroused and have orgasms. What these women do find difficult is to feel passionate and a desire for sex. 

Married for 12 years with two sons under the age of 4 years, Carly has experienced an array of difficulties in her marriage. She and her husband have put time and effort into working together to solve their problems. Because of this Carly has empathy for people who experience the same kind of problems in their relationships. This book is her way of transferring what she has learned to others to help them along on the path to recovery and a happy intimate marriage.

International Coupons Group, leading online coupon provider in Poland, Norway and Turkey, announced the launch of a new site on the South Africa’s market. Picodi.co.za will provide South African online shoppers with free online promotions and vouchers to help them save money when shopping online.

The Group becomes an important player in the coupon code market. In 2014, the International Coupons’ websites generated approximately 88 million euros in sales and received over 10 million visits in total. The coupon sites owned by the Group receive an average of over 800,000 visits each month and this figure only continues to grow.

The new coupon code websites of International Coupons went live in February 2015.

The launch of new coupon code sites, which offer online discount codes and deals from the online shopping sites, is part of the Group’s strategy to facilitate saving money to consumers worldwide.

This time, the company released the website under one brand name – “Picodi”. Currently Picodi has been launched on such markets as Australia, Singapore, South Africa, Columbia, Chile, Belarus and Ukraine. The website’s user-friendly nature will help users get an instant access to online discount codes and coupons. 

By creating and rolling out new international websites, the company wants to achieve a strong and coherent brand identity that uses the “Picodi” name. “We hope to build a strong brand presence and turn Picodi into a synonym for discount shopping” – said Szymon Dobosz, the company’s CEO. 

About International Coupons

International Coupons is a Polish e-commerce company headquartered in Cracow, Poland. The company was established in 2013 after the success of Kodyrabatowe.pl which went online in 2010. International Coupons is the owner of kodyrabatowe.pl as well as its foreign equivalents.

About Picodi.co.za

Picodi.co.za is a coupon code website that collects online discount codes and deals to the South Africa’s online shopping sites, travel websites, online supermarkets and department stores. The large listing of working coupon codes and deals is updated on a daily basis and the service is free of charge and does not require registering. In addition to coupon information, users can find there useful articles explaining all about promotional codes and how to save online by using online coupons. 

With growth come responsibility Who is responsible for your online security? Who's responsibility is it that you stay on the right side of the law at all times? Yes... you are! The latest e-commerce stats from Statista.com show that 40% of worldwide internet users have bought products or goods online via desktop, mobile, tablet or other online devices. This amounts to more than 1 billion online buyers and should continue grow steadily.

This shows us the tremendous growth of eCommerce. With this positive growth comes negatives as well, online scams are increasing, payment fraud is on the uptake, consumers are abusing the CPA when it comes to refunds, returns etc. Protection of personal information is becoming more and more important, information is being stolen and social media is full of schemes and fraudsters.

Thus... The eCommerce Law & Security Conference was born! By attending this conference on 3 & 4 June 2015 delegates will learn from experts how to avoid and prevent all of the above mentioned from affecting you and your company. Speakers will share their knowledge and expertise on industry topics to ensure you leave the conference with an updated wealth of knowledge and strategy on how to implement all of this including the POPI Act in your organisation. More information click here...

Expert speakers include: Robby Coelho - Webber Wentzel Andrew Kirkland - Trustwave SA Rosalind Lake - Norton Rose Fulbright Ashleigh van Kerckhoven - KPMG Rosalind Davey & Khomotso Makapane - Bowman Gilfillan  

Early Bird Registrations Open Register 2 delegates for ONLY R4798. Normal registration fee for the full 2 day conference is R3199 per delegate. Included in the registration fee: *Full access to the conference, panel discussion and workshop *Sit-down buffet lunch both days *Free Parking *3 Refreshment breaks per day *Digital copies of each presentation *Networking Opportunities with speakers and delegates *2 days full of informative up-to-date presentations   Register NOW!    

Exclusive Workshop Attendees will have the benefit of attending a workshop on 4 June inclusive in the conference package. Understanding & Managing the Risks of Social Media presented by Rosalind Davey and Khomotso Makapane from one of SA's top law firms Bowman Gilfillan. Read more

Event organiser Kinetic has confirmed that industry-giant Performanta has signed on as platinum sponsors for this year’s anticipated 6th edition of their successful flagship event; the IT Leaders Africa Summit.

The event, taking place from 18 - 19 March 2015 at The Maslow Hotel in Johannesburg, is set to go beyond your usual routine business conference, evolving to deliver on a more exciting, topical, trendy and current platform, utilising both the latest technologies coupled with the latest in conference trends internationally.

Together with Performanta, the event aims to deliver an expert-lead agenda that features an educational conference program backed by the latest in technology workshops and demonstrations. 

Performanta’s workshop; Safeguard your organisation now, your wallet will thank you later; focuses on measuring your organisation against the industry on 10 information security and privacy measures, derived from real-world assessments.

Performanta Consulting was established by Anthony Olivier 4 years ago, aligning information security consulting services to the Performanta Technology & Services stable. Performanta Consulting has provided services to primary South African banks, insurance companies, brokers, mining companies, service and retail organisations. Their key differentiator: senior, qualified, experienced consultants, integrated frameworks and fair pricing. Furthermore, the team has assisted in addressing security problems in seventeen African countries and has a thorough understanding of the continental landscape.

As thought-leaders in the industry, they are amongst the most active South African participants in industry conferences, blogs and podcasts.An expert-led advisory panel will lead the summit with industry giants Robert Sussman, co-founder and joint-CEO of Integr8; Hugo Timmerman, Head of IT Southern Africa at British American Tobacco; and Tunde Coker, MD of Rack Centre (A Jagal Group Company).

The event also features over 35 speakers, keynotes, panel discussions and numerous educational workshop sessions hosted by key industry providers, all sessions led by some of today’s most notable individuals who are shaping the IT landscape in South Africa and beyond.

Speakers, just to name a few, include; David Visser, CIO of Coca-Cola Southern Africa; Anthony Hlungwane, Group IT Director of Mr Price Group; Sal Laher, CIO Eskom; Rocky Gwewera, Global Head of Infrastructure Architecture at Sasol; Stephan Ekbergh, CEO and founder of Travelstart; and Sunil Joshi, MD and CEO of Neotel.

Some sponsors and partners include; Telkom Business, HP, Performanta and Blue Coat Systems, SITA, Airwatch, Kofax, Dimension Data, Neotel, Meso Systems, Sage Pastel Accounting and ERP Africa, and Blackberry.

For more information on the event to register to attend or to sponsor, visit www.itleaders.co.za or contact the event organisers Kinetic on +27 21 180 4700.Follow the event and stay up to date on Twitter. @ITLeadersAfrica and join in on the conversation using #ITLAfrica.

By Antoinette Pombo

Millennials are commonly defined as those born between 1981 and 1996. That currently puts them at between 19 and 34 years of age.

The youngest of this generation will be in the throes of finding their own feet in the big wide world of employment or tertiary education…

Whilst many of their older counterparts will be settling down with their partners – some starting a family. But what does this really mean for South African marketers and brand managers?

Individuality, independence and career growth are extremely important to this generation at this stage of their lives. And their unique spending habits seem to be shaking things up fast.

The most significant contributing factors to this shake-up are the sheer size of this population segment as well as the rise of multimedia and networking.

The millennials make up about 26% of the South African population. To put this into perspective, the rest of the entire working population under the official age of retirement only makes up about 28% of the population in South Africa.

And although these percentages aren’t very different from 10 years ago, the actual numbers are significantly different. As marketers and brand managers, we have over one million “new” potential customers we can attract in this segment.

But that’s not all! This new up-and-coming generation has an extremely powerful force behind them: Instant communication and HUGE networking capabilities.

Consequently, as these millennials rise through the echelons of young adulthood, they’re shaping the future of brands, business and the economy – VERY fast!

Here’s your three-point checklist to ensure your brand is in the running to gain from this incredibly powerful generation…

• Take a little extra time to test the market to make sure your marketing touches the right emotional chords, otherwise, it could fall on deaf ears.
• Mellennials will read up on products and services of interest and compare brands much more so than past generations. Is your website packed with USEFUL information they can use to make their purchase decision? Do you target this generation specifically on your site or have you lumped the entire South African population into the same ‘box’? A message directed at a 50 year old is unlikely to be identical to a message targeted at a 20 year old.
• And finally, with the revolutionary expansion of the social networking landscape in recent history, millennials aren’t just connecting with friends online. They’re also connecting with thought leaders, idols, experts and other figures they’re interested in. Do you have a presence in this space? Here’s how to do that: You’re an expert on something if you provide a service or sell a product. So find a way to share your expert knowledge and advice with those who need it most – young potential customers. If you’re not the expert, find one! Hire idols or brand ambassadors the millennials aspire to in order to bring your product or service alive for this generation. Encourage this young generation to talk about your product/service and related topics. If you can get them personally involved in your brand, they’re more likely to engage with it. Of course, they’ll either love it or hate it so be sure you’ve worked out all the other bits, like your value proposition, customer service, return policies etc. There you have the most important reasons to sit up and pay attention to millennials.

If you don’t have a dedicated marketing strategy for this segment, you’re missing out. And worse, your brand’s future is at stake.If you need assistance getting to know this segment well and niching your marketing to this sector, speak to Youth Dynamix, Africa’s leading youth authority.

Website: www.ydx.co.za

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

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

The information conundrum….

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

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

“Show me, don’t tell me”

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

Be sure to get the most out of your budget…

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

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

www.ydx.co.za

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• David Muller, Managing Director of CyberCellar

• Phaedon Gourtsoyannis, Founder of Cape Coffee Beans

• Gary Hadfield, CEO of loot.co.za

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

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

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

A new innovative technology company has been born in South Africa, from the capital city or let me say the silicon city Pretoria. Pretoria is one of the first cities to provide free internet access through wifi to its residents and it is no surprise that one of the world's social networks has been created there.

A South African internet start-up, Red Diamond World has partnered with other companies in the launch of Cybatar, a new social network available to everyone with internet access on mobile or computer. The website launches on 07 October 2014 at midnight and they invite everyone to sign up for accounts. This social network will run from trusted servers and and the company assures users of security as they use the site. A unique feature that the social network comes with is the ability to also share .PDF and .doc documents which Facebook, Twitter and other social networks do not do. This means that users will not have to use email to leave the social network to email websites and other file-sharing sites to share files making life easier.

The social network also brings solutions for companies and professionals to increase their online presence. Social and online marketing experts advise companies to utilize website and social platforms to reach more people and Cybatar comes as another website that will have a great impact on you online presence.

Be part of the first group to register for accounts. Visit www.cybatar.com and register today.

Companies are rapidly seeing the benefits of social media. In fact, social media is becoming indispensable for business, but with all the benefits come threats and risks as well for the workplace. Frost & Sullivan’s Global Workforce Study found that 64% of respondent companies limit employee access to social media through content filtering and website blocking technology, 51% restrict access by setting and enforcing policy and 25% have no restrictions on the use of social media by employees.  

Businesses should define clear social media usage policies, specifying who can access social media, what sites they can access, when they can access them, where they can access them and what devices they can use to access social media during work hours. There should be no room left for confusion. Policies should be clear, well defined and communicated to employees.  

Professionals who would benefit by attending include HR Managers, Digital Marketers, Chief Risk Officers, Social Media Strategists, Office Managers, Marketing Managers, HR Consultants, Employee Benefit Managers, Legal Advisors, Digital Projects Managers, e-Commerce Managers, Risk Managers to name a few...  

Rosalind Davey and Khomotso Makapane will facilitate the workshop, teaching all attendees how to understand and and mitigate the risks of social media in the workplace. Both of the facilitators are qualified attorneys from one of South Africa’s top law firms Bowman Gilfillan and specialise in employment law and Rosalind is one of the few attorneys specialising in social media law.  

During the half day workshop social media statistics, constitutional rights, RICA, freedom of expression and the law of defamation, liability for defamatory content on social media and vicarious liability, handling social media misconduct, loss of confidential information and contacts as well as mitigating the risks of social media will be addressed. View full agenda and download registration form at www.aoevents.co.za

Workshop registration fee: R800 pp. Groups of 3 or more receive 10% discount.

Email the completed registration form to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to secure your seat.