One of the most influential global innovation accelerators, Startupbootcamp, launched its first African-based programme last month. Starting in September 2017 and led by seasoned innovation experts, Zachariah George, Philip Kiracofe, and Paul Nel, a 3-month intense “bootcamp” will take place in Cape Town, South Africa to scale selected top startups.Innovators and entrepreneurs around the world can apply to participate from now until 9 July 2017.

“The aim is to grow disruptive startups and connect them with dynamic corporates, providing both with an opportunity to collaborate and build the African innovation ecosystem,” shares Zachariah George.

The 10 most promising teams will be selected from a pool of hundreds of applicants and provided with EUR 15,000, 100+ highly engaged industry mentors, free office space, access to funding and a network of industry partners, investors and venture capital firms.

FastTrack Events

Ahead of the application deadline, 16 FastTrack events will be held all over the globe for the local talent to present their ideas to the Startupbootcamp Cape Town team and sponsors for pre-application advice and feedback.  The South African FastTracks will be held in Cape Town (11 May) and Johannesburg (18 May) and hosted by sponsors RCS and PWC respectively. Startups can apply now to attend. 

“RCS wholeheartedly believes in supporting initiatives such as Startupbootcamp Africa, and looks forward to hosting the very first FastTrack event on the 11 May at our Head Office in Cape Town’, said Regan Adams, CEO of RCS.  He added that, ‘There is an abundance of untapped potential that exists in Africa. As one of the leading financial services institutions in South Africa, we are constantly looking for innovative ways to improve our credit product offering for our customers and business partners and essentially improve their overall experience.”  

These FastTracks will then move to other cities within the African continent as well as Middle East and Europe. The cities include Accra, Amsterdam, Cairo, Doha, Dubai, Johannesburg, Kampalba, Lagos, London, Nairobi, Paris, and Tel Aviv. 

When and Where

Cape Town, 11 May 2017 

Johannesburg, 18 May 2017 

How to apply?

Interested teams can apply to attend a FastTrack here: http://bit.ly/capetownft

Any mentors that would like to help with the FastTrack can apply here: http://bit.ly/capetownmentor

Startups interested in applying to the 3-month Cape Town program can apply here: https://www.startupbootcamp.org/accelerator/cape-town

Notes For Editors

For more information about this press release, contact:  

Caitlin Dreyer

The Loudhailer: PR for Startupbootcamp Cape Town

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

+27 84 945 3728www.startupbootcamp.org 

About Startupbootcamp

Founded in 2010, Startupbootcamp is a global startup accelerator with 18 programs in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Chengdu, Istanbul, London, Mexico City, Miami, Mumbai, New York, Rome, Singapore. They take startups global by giving them direct access to the international network of the most relevant partners, investors and mentors in their sector in more than 30 countries. 79% of the Startupbootcamp alumni teams are still active and 71% have gone on to raise additional funding from many of the world's leading VCs and angels.For more information visit: www.startupbootcamp.org 

About RCS

The RCS Group (RCS) is a leading consumer finance business that offers its customers a range of financial service products under their own brand name, as well as in association with a number of leading retailers in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. RCS collaborates with its retail partners as BNP Paribas Personal Finance South Africa.RCS not only finances, operates, manages and promotes successful credit programmes, but also offers state of the art IT, call centre, risk management as well as financial marketing and brand building solutions.RCS continues to demonstrate growth and innovation in the credit market, offering ground breaking and accessible credit solutions to customers. The company provides more than just a technical solution and product for its partners, it also customises products that integrate people, processes and technology, creating value for their partners and customers. 

About BNP Paribas Personal Finance

BNP Paribas Personal Finance is the leader in France and in Europe for personal loans via its activities in consumer credit and mortgage lending. A 100% subsidiary of the BNP Paribas Group, BNP Paribas Personal Finance has nearly 20,000 employees and operates in about 30 countries. Under brands including Cetelem, Findomestic in Italy, AlphaCredit in Belgium, the company offers a full range of personal credit products at points of sale and car dealerships and directly to consumers through its customer relations centres and Internet. BNP Paribas Personal Finance has added an insurance and savings offer for its clients in Bulgaria, France, Germany, and Italy.BNP Paribas Personal Finance has developed an active partnership strategy with retailers, manufacturers and automotive retailers, web merchants and financial institutions (banks and insurance companies), based on its experience with marketing credit offers and integrated services tailored to partners’ business and commercial objectives. It is also a leading player in the field of responsible lending and financial education.www.bnpparibas-pf.com 

About PwC

At PwC, our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. We’re a network of firms in 157 countries with more than 223,000 people who are committed to delivering quality in assurance, advisory and tax services. Find out more and tell us what matters to you by visiting us at www.pwc.com.PwC has a presence in 34 Africa countries with an office footprint covering 66 offices. With a single Africa leadership team and more than 400 partners and 9000 professionals across Africa, we serve some of the continent’s largest businesses across all industries.PwC refers to the PwC network and/or one or more of its member firms, each of which is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details.  

Undoubtedly USA politics has an impact on the global economy and markets, but what does this mean for South Africans in particular? Will the strong Republican win trigger a weakening in the Rand? Will interest rates hike? Will trade agreements between South Africa and the US suffer? Will Investment Companies notice an increased or decreased international interest in South Africa? A look at historical USA voting trends and the resulting impact on the South African economy may help us predict what’s to come and whether the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States of America will negatively impact our country, as is feared.

Looking at historical data for the last twenty years, it is evident that the US elections do impact the value of the South African Rand, however, other factors play a part in the extremity of the trend observed. There is a noticeable spike in the Rand/Dollar exchange value in the month of November after US elections in the election year, and usually in December or January following, the Rand per US Dollar will dip below that what it was before the election. Speculating on possible reasons lead us to believe that the hype and stress about the change in leadership in the country causes investors to sell their shares, and the market stress pushes up the cost in Rand per Dollar periodically.

It is, however, obvious when looking at the historical data that the current political climate in South Africa and other economic factors play a role in the general reaction to the US Election observed. For instance, in 1996, contrary to the years after and prior, there was a very small spike of only one cent on the day, and in the days that followed, a small drop in the Rand/USD exchange of a mere two cents. In the months that followed, the Rand/USD exchange rate spiked and dipped again to R4.55/USD. 

In the election years that followed 1996, a growing trend was observed where the value of the Rand dropped on the day of the US election and in the days that followed it, but picked up again by January of the next year. 

This year, with the US election results caused an viral epidemic across the internet with much fear and speculation around whether Trump will act on his many threats against minority groups and countries, the trend so far for the Rand seems as negative as can be expected in view of historical Rand/USD exchange rate statistics. The Rand was slowly strengthening during the month of November, however on the day of the election an immediate spike in the Rand/USD exchange could be observed. 

If we keep in mind the historical trends, the USA elections might actually have a positive impact on the Rand/USD exchange by mid-January 2017. Investors should look out for Investment Opportunities at the start of 2017 to take advantage of the appreciation of the Rand that, according to the historical data, is probable. 

Investment Companies like Coronation Fund Managers and Nedbank can help investors looking to invest, whether short term to take advantage of a coming drop in the Rand/USD exchange or long term, with weighing their options and considering the myriad other influencers in the market. Investments could possibly be in other foreign markets unaffected by US/SA relations to avoid the roller-coaster predicted in the next few months.

The question of how US-SA trade relations will be impacted remains up in the air. Trump was believed to be the most unpredictable candidate in the election when it comes to US-SA trade agreements and import and export relationships, with many fearing that Trump’s eagerness to amend trade agreements to unquestionably favour the US may be to South Africa’s detriment. The Algoa Trade Agreement in particular needs to be watched carefully. Unfortunately, Trump does not seem to be as favourable to Free Trade as Obama was, and it remains to be seen whether Donald Trump as President of the United States will bolster or devastate the South African economy.  

Craig Featherby, Group CEO of Carrick, is pleased to announce the promotion of Samantha Taylor-Bowen to Group Director of Training and Development for the Carrick Group of companies, where she will sit on the Board of both the South African and International divisions.

[PHOTO] Sam is the first woman to be appointed to the Board, in an industry that is largely dominated by men.

Her role as Group Director of Training & Development will largely be focused on developing, implementing and monitoring training programmes within the organisation; mentoring new and existing Associates in skills development so that they can continue to excel in the industry, and assisting with development of strategic training for the Group. Her leadership in this area is viewed as being vital to the growth of the business and the professional development of the various teams.

Samantha joined Carrick at inception (8th October 2014), and assumed a management role in Cape Town, having spent seven successful years as a senior Financial Adviser and manager for a large international brokerage. In the two years that she has been with Carrick, her track record as a Senior Adviser has been without par, with the highest income production level in the company. While the Sales division will be minus their most lucrative team member as a result of this promotion, the Group will profit from her leadership and direction in the continued maturation of the various business units, and in the organisation’s expansion plans.

She sees her role on the board as an exemplar to others within the company: that it is possible to work your way to the most senior levels through tenacity, skill, knowledge, experience and self-development. Her promotion is evidence of Craig Featherby’s belief that hard work and personal accomplishment should be rewarded with promotion where deserved, and her appointment to the Board of Directors is the first from within the ranks at company level. Taylor-Bowen will report directly to the Group CEO from 1 January 2017.

Cape Town, South Africa – 6 October 2016  

Carrick Wealth, the leading offshore investment advisory in Africa, is celebrating its second anniversary, and, in the same week, has opened an office in Gaborone that is fully compliant and regulated with the relevant authorities in Botswana.

The new Gaborone office in the Masa Centre is headed by Andrew Mhere, who is both the Managing Director of Carrick Wealth Botswana and Carrick Wealth Zimbabwe. He is supported by a team of diverse, highly qualified advisers.

With its headquarters in Cape Town and fully functioning offices in Johannesburg, Durban, Mauritius, Zimbabwe and now in Gaborone, Carrick Wealth is changing the face of the offshore financial services industry for high-net-worth clients and those starting out on their wealth journey.

[photo] Craig Featherby, Group Chief Executive Officer, says: “We’ve experienced extraordinary growth in such a short period of time and we are geared to extend the Carrick formula further into new markets in Africa.” 

In the 24 months that the Carrick Group of Companies has been in business, its growing team of specialist financial advisers is constantly kept abreast of all the changes regarding regulatory matters in the areas in which the Group operates.

A sophisticated technological platform is in place that keeps live-tracking of all activities connected with the industry, and with the business in particular, giving clients the surety that their investments are completely secure and monitored.  

As Carrick Wealth expands its footprint into Africa, it will be offering clients and advisers in each country the opportunity to experience professional, disciplined, innovative solutions and service. The Carrick team is growing, and now has 152 people working for the company – as against seven when Carrick first opened its doors exactly two years ago.

As the company celebrates its second anniversary, it can report that it has an advisory relationship with 787 clients, has over R2,2 million under management and has assisted in 443 QROPS pension transfers out of the United Kingdom into offshore structures.

Carrick Wealth offers clients in South Africa and elsewhere in Africa various financial and estate planning solutions, including the formation of offshore investment structures, portfolio management, private equity and venture capital asset allocations.        

MEDIA CONTACT:

Lynn Halliday (Group Marketing Manager)

CARRICK WEALTH
T: +27 (0)21 201 1000
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.carrick-wealth.com

Countless individuals continue to question the real benefits behind being a law abiding, tax paying citizen of this country, when a multitude can hardly make ends meet on a monthly basis. This shouldn’t come as a shock to many with everything that’s going on in the economy. The rand is not doing great, our favourite friend on the rise sin tax is not helping much and of course we need sugar tax to stay healthy and fight obesity in the opulent parts of South Africa before it spreads to the poorer parts of the country.  

No matter how you look at it, there’s something for everyone to complain about and not that much to be ecstatic about. Pick yours!  

The increasing interest rates, price of electricity and food costs are enough to bankrupt a newly graduate with no form of savings to tap in. The sad reality is, that’s the majority of this class of person. At the beginning of every year, numerous entry-level jobs are filled with new graduates with little or no backup plan; just a new qualification and a desperate need for employment to kick-start their prosperous futures.  

It is not long after starting their first jobs when they realise, that this way of life, might just be harder than they thought. New income earners also have many “social needs” to satisfy, so that they can be or form part of the young, successful and educated generation of the republic.  This is their future.  

The need for a reliable set of wheels, which is justifiable for many since various occupations require travelling; a convenient and safe place to live; work-appropriate outfits and a social life with like-minded individuals all make up this natural phenomena.  

Unfortunately, all the above must-have “social needs” come with very attractive price-tags and soon after accumulating one or all of these, young people enter into the adult world of debt. Simple and easy, or so it seems. This leads to bad credit ratings among the youth when faced with the simplest of financial difficulties and regular payments cannot be made to cover everything they have on credit and soon they are listed on all the credit bureaus. If no financial education is gained at this point, young people will easily find themselves in the dark world of blacklisted adults – and it’s tough to get out of this hole.       

Once you have more debt than you can afford, you are nearing serious financial trouble. Pay-up whatever you can and close accounts which do not make financial sense and at the same time speak to your creditors and explain what you are doing and enlist their help.  If you can afford to buy a new dress monthly using cash, or even every second month, there is no reason to have a clothing account that lures you into taking more clothing on credit each month.  More than what you need. As you free up your budget, set aside as much as you can to deposit into a tax free savings accounts. This is where you start.  

All the investment returns earned in these accounts are completely tax-free. The National Treasury released draft regulations governing tax free savings account transfers stating that from 1 November 2016, investors will be able to request a transfer of amounts within a tax free savings account without incurring a reduction of their annual and lifetime limits. Investors will also be able to transfer existing savings from one product provider to another during the life of a tax free savings account - maximum R500 000.  

Another option to consider is investing your hard earned money into funds known as unit trusts. Unit trusts offer you exposure to a range of assets like shares, bonds and property which are selected and managed by investment professionals. The fund is divided into equal units, hence “unit” trusts and as an investor you own a number of units in each fund. The price of these units depends on the value of all investments within a fund.  

Saving for your future should start today. By putting away little at a time, each month you can be one of the happy young adults that banks are more than willing to grant a home loan to albeit stringent requirements need to be met and thereby enabling you to achieve more in your life;  when many are faced with difficult financial situations.

“Exciting to see that intra-African investment is gaining momentum”

“Investing in the power sector in Africa can be very lucrative and we have the success stories to prove it”, says Evan Schiff, event director of African Utility Week, taking place in Cape Town from 12-14 May. During the largest annual power and water conference and expo on the continent, a high-level Finance & Investment Forum will specifically focus on project finance, risk management, IPPs and case studies.

Says Evan Schiff: “$42 billion a year will be required to meet Africa’s energy demand by 2040, including a private-sector financing increase of up to ten times the current levels. In order to achieve this governments and business must work together and fresh approaches will be vital.”

He continues: “private equity fund raising for Africa increased by 136% in 2013 to US$3.3bn, up from US$1.4bn a year earlier. Greater private sector participation and competition has been encouraged through power sector reform and long-term power purchase agreements through the state utility or other credible off-takers. IPPs are considered a solution to persistent supply constraints. It is also exciting to see that intra-African investment is gaining momentum. African investors nearly tripled their share of FDI projects over the last decade, from 8.0% in 2003 to 22.8% in 2013 according to EY’s latest attractiveness survey.”

The Finance & Investment Forum will also have a special focus on renewables and innovative ways of financing green energy while creating sustainable jobs. Evan Schiff adds: “with the African Development Bank SE4LL Fund recently confirming a $777,000 preparation grant to support a 72MW solar power plant project to become the first renewable IPP in Cameroon, it shows that there are creative investment vehicles and initiatives out there for energy projects on the continent that previously were considered too marginal for project financing”.

Bringing deals to point of bankability
Power Africa, US President Barack Obama’s initiative to improve access to power in sub-Saharan Africa, will be the official country partner of African Utility Week. Power Africa works with African governments, the private sector, and other partners to add more than 30,000 megawatts (MW) of cleaner, more efficient electricity generation capacity as well as increase electricity access by adding 60 million new home and business connections throughout all of sub-Saharan Africa.

Andrew Herscowitz is the coordinator for Power Africa and panellist at the Finance & Investment Forum: ”we’ve seen that there is plenty of investor interest in the continent and there are plenty of people with great ideas and potential to execute power projects, but the problem that we see is getting those deals to the point of bankability.  So I really see that Power Africa has this sweet spot, working with all of our partners including the World Bank, which committed USD5-billion, the African Development Bank which committed USD3-billion, the government of Sweden that committed a USD1-billion, and our private sectors partners that committed over USD20-billion. I think we have this opportunity to align our efforts to figure out what role we can play to bring those projects to bankability so that investors will find a place to put their money.”

More speaker and programme highlights at the Finance & Investment Forum:
•    Case Study:  Lake Turkana Wind Power Project, Kenya
-    Erik Wandrag, Senior Investment Director for Energy, Harith General Partners

•    Case Study: Gigawatt Global, Scatec Solar and Norfund PV Park, Rwanda
-    Chaim Motzen, Managing Director, Gigawatt Global Coöperatief UA (GWG) Rwanda

•    Case Study: “Develop your clean energy projects into bankable opportunities”
-    Peter Ballinger, Managing Director, Africa, Overseas Private Investment Corporation, USA

•    Panel discussion: “The fundamentals you must consider for structuring a bankable PPA”
-    Moderator: Gregory Nott, Director, Africa, Norton Rose Fulbright, South Africa
Open floor discussion on fixed tariffs, foreign exchange, transmission and grid connection risk, off-taker payment support, political FM, dispatch risk, put call option agreements (PCOA) and other PPA elements.

•    Inge Stølen, Senior Investment Manager, Clean Energy, Norfund, Norway
•    Marc Leistner, Deputy Head of Regional Representation for Africa, European Investment Bank, South Africa
•    Roland Janssens, Deputy Head: Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund, Frontier Markets Fund Managers, UK
•    Eric Olojugba, Chief Commercial Officer, North South Power/Shiroro GENCO, Nigeria

Utility professionals from across the globe
The 15th African Utility Week and Clean Power Africa bring together utility professionals from across the globe to learn, share knowledge and debate the key topics that will secure the future development of Africa’s power and water industries. The event is expected to again attract more than 5000 attendees and features 250 exhibitors, 190 speakers, eight conferences, free technical workshops on the expo floor, three high-profile plenary sessions and the coveted industry awards gala dinner.

DNV-GL has already confirmed its exclusive diamond sponsorship of the event while Accenture, Building Energy, MarelliMotori and Edison Power Group are the platinum sponsors.

African Utility Week and Clean Power Africa are organised by Spintelligent, leading Cape Town-based trade exhibition and conference organiser, and the African office of Clarion Events Ltd, based in the UK.

African Utility Week and Clean Power Africa dates and location:  
Exhibition & Conference: 12-14 May 2015
Industry awards: 13 May 2015
Site Visits: 15 May 2015
Location:  CTICC, Cape Town
Website:  www.african-utility-week.com   
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/AfricaUtilities

Contact:
Communications manager:  Annemarie Roodbol
Telephone: +27 21 700 3558
Mobile: +27 82 562 7844
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Notes for Editor
Spintelligent (Pty) Ltd is an African media business, specialising in Exhibitions, Conferences and Publishing. Head-quartered in Cape Town with a team of 90 experienced professionals, Spintelligent is a dynamic and recognised organiser across multiple industry sectors and geographies. A specialist organiser with the ability to deliver key growth projects in the early emerging markets of the African continent. Spintelligent is the African partner office of Clarion Events Ltd, the UK based organiser operating in 36 countries worldwide with 9 subsidiary offices delivering over 500 exhibitions and conferences annually.Spintelligent delivers projects in African growth industry sectors; Power & Utilities; Energy; Mining; Education & Careers; Agriculture; Infrastructure; Military & Defence. Spintelligent delivers projects in the emerging African markets; South Africa; Nigeria; Ghana; Kenya; Tanzania; DRC; Angola; Mozambique; Zambia.

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

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.

With more than R16 billion being spent annually on Corporate Social Investment (CSI) projects in SA and about half that spent on technology-based projects in education, at least half of these projects fail, amounting to about R4 billion wasted annually mainly by JSE-listed companies.

Poorly managed projects, funds going missing, technology not being properly used and a lack of enthusiasm on the part of project recipients are some of the factors resulting in technology-based CSI educational projects failing. Sangari South Africa, a locally-based supplier of training solutions, says it has a history of success in CSI projects within the education sector. The company says there are key issues that need to be addressed as a prerequisite to a successful project. 

“Engaging with all the stakeholders involved is crucial. This includes headmasters, teachers, parents, regional educational directors, as well as community bodies. Without regional, political and community buy-in, the project could be doomed for failure,” says Bez Sangari, MD of Sangari SA.

“Organisations too often put funding into a project that seems, on paper, to have no downside but is destined for failure because buy-in from all the participants has not been obtained,” he says.

“It is crucial to get community involvement in a schooling project. Communicating with parents about the benefits is important. In addition, if parents are offered educational classes at the same facility in the afternoons or evenings this add to the potential success of the project and enhances the utilisation of resources.”

The aim of any successful CSI project is to provide technology that enhances the learning experience, not simplifies it. Teaching systems should aim to convey knowledge and enable teachers to become more than just content experts, but experts in teaching that specific subject matter.

“In addition, regularly testing students’ progress is crucial, but often not done. This is because it draws too much on teachers’ time – composing and marking of tests is time consuming and arduous. Technology should be available to test students at any point during a lesson to provide feedback on their assimilation and retention, enabling the teacher to quickly take corrective action,” he says.

“Another goal is to elevate teacher skills and provide more knowledge to both teachers and students. The technology should challenge the student,” says Mr Sangari. 

“There is a plethora of technology solutions available, but many are ineffective because of an often piece-meal approach to CSI projects. It is important to understand the specific issues and implications being experienced by the recipient institution. Only then should a solution that incorporates benchmarking of current performance, project management, appropriate technology, training, monitoring and evaluation, and regular reporting on the project progress. The technology should become an integral part of the subject being taught and not an add on.” 

Varying degree of capital protection, reduced risk and volatility, tax efficiency; minimum investment of R10,000 assures widespread access in investment community

Johannesburg, March 2, 2015: South Africa’s investors will now have far greater access to the asset diversification and protection attributes of structured investment products through the launch of the iStructure product line, which offers innovative structured products designed by four local and international banks.

Available through a countrywide network of financial advisers, iStructure will enable retail investors to invest in market-linked, pre-packaged, fixed-term investment products that provide varying degrees of capital protection, the potential to earn positive returns in most market conditions, tax efficiencies and reduced risk and volatility.

iStructure has been launched by iTransact, the country’s only index product investment platform for financial advisors, which is a leader in the distribution of exchange traded funds and listed notes, portfolios and retirement annuities. iTransact is part of Automated Outsourcing Services (AOS), one of the country’s largest independent administrators of units trusts, ETFs, ETNs, hedge funds and structured products. 

Barclays Africa, Investec and international banks Societe Generale and BNP Paribas have put together the structured products that will be available to investors through lump-sum investments of as little as R10,000.

“We want to give retail clients exposure to structured products through different types of wrapper that are suitable to their investment objectives and financial capacities,” said Lance Solms, the head of iTransact, stressing that globally, structured products are recognized as an important component of a well-diversified investment strategy, offering opportunities that traditional investments, such as unit trusts, cannot offer.

“By commoditising structured products, we have made these innovative and flexible investment solutions available to retail investors. This is really bringing the tools used in a modern portfolio within the reach of the ordinary investor. ”

iStructure products only available through investment advisers; aiming for R1 billion a year take-up by investors

Financial advisors will also ensure that the products are suitable for investors.

According to Solms, it is hoped that uptake of the products will exceed R1 billion year within the next year as investors recognise the variety and value they add to the investment options available in the market.

Initially, the structured products being offered by the four banks will be linked to the performance of the well known indices or stocks, such as the FSTE/JSE, Top 40 Index or Apple Inc, but there are plans to diversify further at a later stage.

Most of the products will be for investment terms of five years, although some will have shorter terms. Fee transparency is an important feature of the new products, with all fees being decided upfront and the remaining funds being fully invested. 

“With local and international share markets performing strongly over the past few years, these products can enable investors who have made good profits to protect their gains and retain exposure to the markets,” said Solms. “Structured products are designed to work for investors in most market conditions, with capital protection being an important factor. We are targeting investors who don’t need their investment for five years, allowing the structured product investment strategy to work for them.”

Barclays Africa, Investec, Societe Generale and BNP Paribas see strong potential for structured products to gain attraction among South Africa’s retail investors.

“We are very excited to partner with ITransact as a provider of an investment product for their retail network through a life insurance wrapper,” says Haris Contaroudas, Managing Director at Societe Generale Corporate & Investment Banking. “Smart Trend is a capital guaranteed momentum strategy aimed at investors who expect the JSE Top 40 index to rise over the next five years, while being protected against downward trends.“

“The launch of a dedicated multi- issuer structured product platform is an important first for the South African market and is just another milestone in ensuring that investors and advisers ultimately have a wider choice from which to choose when making their vital asset allocation calls,” said Ryan Sydow, Head of Retail, Structured and Risk Solutions at Barclays Africa.

“Structured products are under utilised in the South African retail market compared to their European and US counterparts, yet their attributes lend themselves to being a well suited vehicle to use in the unsophisticated retail arena (for example explicit capital protection). Even the fixed terms nature of the products can be seen as positive (not a view shared by many detractors who see the terms as barrier to investing), given it stops investors, especially those with low market composure, from not staying the course.  

We look forward to being a participant and product provider on iStructure and look at the opportunity, not only to have investors support our product, but also to educating investors and advisers alike as we interact with them via this platform, Sydow concluded.”  

According to Investec’s Brian McMillan, Investec Structured Products has seen a distinct increase in the appetite for structured products attributable to four main factors; namely indexation, offshore access, yield pick-up and preservation of capital.

“The South African market has grown substantially since 2008 as investors have realised the benefits of capital preservation products, and the loosening of exchange controls has also seen investors accessing product issued offshore.” he said.  “Investec Structured products believes that the efficiency and accessibility granted to the South African financial advisor market via the iTransact platform will see an increase in the awareness and issuance of structured products in South Africa as a result.”

Commenting on behalf of BNP Paribas, Azad Mahavar, Head of UK, Nordic and CEEMEA Sales, Structured Equities & Commodities, said:  “BNP Paribas Structured Products provide simple, transparent access to a broad choice of asset classes aiming at capital preservation through a range of innovative structures. 

This allows private investors to build a diversified portfolio that is truly orientated to their individual needs and market views. Through iStructure, we now have in place the foundations to support our clients in ensuring they can continuously meet the needs of their customers. BNP Paribas is delighted to be chosen by iTransact as one of the four product providers at this important milestone.”

ABOUT ITRANSACT AND ISTRUCTURE iTransact is a division of Automated Outsourcing Services (AOS) which is one of the largest independent administrators of South African and international units trusts, mutual funds, ETFs, ETNs, hedge funds and listed structured products. Assets under administration exceed R140 billion. The iTransact investment platform was founded to combine all of AOS’ experience and technology to easily and efficiently distribute low cost index products and their benefits to financial advisers and their clients. iStructure adds a third leg to the ITransact product range which already includes the innovative “iSave” (ETFs and ETNs) and “iRetire”(Regulation 28 ETF portfolios). The iStructure range brings state-of-the-art structured products from banks such as Barclays Africa, Investec, Societe General and BNP Paribas within reach of retail investors who now have access to sophisticated investment products previously in the domain of institutional and high net worth individual investors.  

Issued on behalf of:  iTransact

Client contact:          Lance Solms Tel. 

No.:                        + 27 86 143 2383

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

Editorial contact:      Kerry Botha

Tel. No.:                 083 263 0644

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