MAMMOTH BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE (BI) NAMES LAUREN SHANTALL (PTY) LTD AS ITS PREFERRED COMMUNICATIONS AGENCY FOR BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE AND BIG DATA CONFERENCE

Lauren Shantall (Pty) Ltd is proud to be managing the social media and communications for the two-day Mammoth BI Conference held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on November 17 – 18, 2014. The two-day conference and workshop will house some of the world’s foremost thought leaders in Business Intelligence, Big Data and Analytics.

The Lauren Shantall (Pty) Ltd stable of clients also include top local décor and lifestyle brands such Plascon, Inhouse Brand Architects, Willowlamp, Indigenus, GreenFin/MediFin and Probio. Lauren Shantall (Pty) Ltd provides an integrated communications offering, spanning social, digital and traditional marketing and perception management, also focusing on design and environmental clients.

Head of Business Intelligence at Saratoga, Mammoth BI Founder and Curator and self-proclaimed alchemist at TEDx Cape Town, Jason Haddock said, ‘The focus for the Mammoth BI Conference is to build a strong BI community in South Africa, dispel myths around conventional ideas on Big Data, create, and harvest a local community understanding in Business Intelligence’.

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY: Lauren Shantall (Pty) Ltd

17 and 18 November 2014 will be key days for not only South Africa’s Business Intelligence community, but for anyone who wants to learn how Big Data and Analytics can bring big business results. These are the dates set for Cape Town to host Mammoth BI (http://mammothbi.co.za), a dynamic 2-day conference themed ‘Big Data in Action’ that will see global thought leaders and local experts share their insights in an exciting new IT conferencing model!

The conference aims to myth-bust conventional ideas of Big Data and Analytics and to create an informed local community understanding the latest in Business Intelligence. Speakers include prominent local business leaders and global industry heavyweights including a trio of top PhD’s - Marc Smith (Chief Social Scientist at Connected Action Consulting Group in Silicon Valley), Eric Siegel (author of best-selling publication “Predictive Analytics”), and Data Warehousing Analyst Barry Devlin (author of the book “Business UnIntelligence”). They’ll be joining a significant line-up of handpicked heavyweights that sees Anthony Miller (CEO of Lightstone Group) and Dr Jasper Horrell (General Manager for Science Computing at the Square Kilometer Array, or SKA) sharing insights from their wealth of industry expertise. 

Jason Haddock, founder of Mammoth BI and a member of the TEDx Cape Town team, will ensure that this is no ordinary conference. Drawing from his experience with TEDx, he has implemented an unconventional, interactive approach to the event. Speakers will need to deliver key thoughts in no more than 20 minutes and workshops will be held throughout the conference. The workshops will facilitate networking and a practical understanding of Business Intelligence and Analytics. 

With tickets selling for only R700, the conference aims to appeal to not only IT specialists and general businesses but also to students. Education, collaboration and the desire to make the notion of Big Data accessible has been the organizer’s focus. What’s more Mammoth BI is giving away 100 free tickets to students as further evidence of its commitment to boosting education.

The conference is a must for anyone who wishes to know how to practically adopt Big Data, BI and Analytics to work towards their competitive advantage. Keynote presentations will take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, with breakaway workshops to be held at other venues in the city, to be announced as part of the conference programme. Watch http://mammothbi.co.za for real-time updates on speakers and venues. And remember; don’t think big, think MAMMOTH!   Tickets are available online at MammothBI or through Quicket.

EVENT DETAILS:

Date: 17 & 18 November 2014 Main Programme

Venue:  Cape Town International Convention Centre Workshop

Venues: To be Announced as part of the conference programme

More info: http://mammothbi.co.za

[ENDS]

About Mammoth BI:

Mammoth BI - http://mammothbi.co.za - is a two-day ‘Big Data in Action’ Conference. The event, hosted in Cape Town on the 17th and 18th of November 2014, will bring global industry experts together with local leaders to share the latest in Business Intelligence.  

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY: Lauren Shantall (Pty) Ltd

Contact:
Leon Jamarie
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tel: 021 685 1382

Darren August takes us through a few of the experiences and relationships with his own teachers, growing up, which changed his life. He retells the stories of others too, and will surely awaken your school memories. As an experienced motivator, the book leaves not only teachers encouraged to inspire others, but everyone else will feel inspired to reach their potential and live their calling too. 

This book offers a few giggles as we see things from the perspective of a child, but is mostly introspective of the role we play in the way in which children perceive themselves. Teachers and parents will find it particularly motivating – with practical ways you could change young lives, for good. 

This book is a great resource. It’s a celebration of teachers, as instrumental parts of society – it will definitely have you thinking of the teachers that have impacted your life. Scheduled for release in October 2014 – this book is set to motivate every South African reader to once again restore the dignity of ‘The Noblest Profession”. 

About the Author 

Darren August is the Founder and CEO of Dazz Consulting – A dynamic training organisation committed to seeing people thrive and succeed.He is a Corporate Trainer, Motivational Speaker, Life Coach, Entrepreneur, Radio Host & former Lecturer.He is passionate about Life; People and Education and together with his wife – Arlene, they believe in maximizing every opportunity to impact the lives of others. 

To order, for interview requests and other queries, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

09 September 2014 - The Eco-schools committee, overseen by Elaine Louw-Balie the Principle of the Hendrick Kanise School Alicedale, Eastern Cape, recently identified two learners based on their involvement in environmental activities, their awareness of environmental issues and leadership qualities to see who would be the most suitable to represent not only the school and the Eastern Cape but also South Africa at the upcoming World Youth Rhino Summit held in Durban from 21 – 23 September 2014.

The Group General Manager of Shamwari Group, Joe Cloete, along with General Manager Gunther Strauss of Shamwari Game Reserve   and Shamwari Lodge Manager Brian Mullins,  interviewed Sinethemba Tsamse and Athenkosi Bangela and agreed they were the ideal students to become ‘Rhino Ambassadors’. 

Comments Joe Cloete, “Naturally we are passionate about conserving a vanishing way of life and rhino in particular, as well as lions, need as much support as they can get to ensure their future. As part of our Forever Wild Campaign in conjunction with the Wilderness Foundation, we have raised over R7 million to date and this initiative to educate and empower the youth is ideal in order to ensure that the next generation of wildlife warriors prevent the extinction of the rhino.” 

These young Ambassadors will be flown to KwaZulu-Natal to attend the World Youth Rhino Summit. It will be a hugely educational trip for them where they will rub shoulders with other motivated youths from all over the world. They will be given huge exposure to environmental issues, conservation issues and of course issues pertaining to the conservation of rhino not only in Africa but the world. These young Ambassadors are encouraged to grasp this opportunity to widen their personal horizons and to return empowered to share their experiences with other learners and teachers and to spread the messages and knowledge that they will be exposed to at The World Youth Rhino Summit.

The runner up of the selection process Ayanda Mpahla won herself a behind the scenes trip to Shamwari Game Reserve to learn more about wildlife and the protection of rhino in particular.  

www.youthrhinosummit.com
www.shamwarigroup.com

This press release has been distributed on behalf of our client, Shamwari Group.
For further media information please contact:

The P.R Team
Cape Town,
South Africa
T: + 27 (0) 21 419 2390/1
E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

During the last year, Tonya Khoury, MD of ROi Africa, has established herself as one of the most credible sources for media monitoring statistics in South Africa. Since the funeral of former president Nelson Mandela, to date, Tonya is a regular face on some of the foremost media like, SAFM, Carte Blanche, ANN7, Beeld, Associated Press, Rapport and 702, providing reliable and insightful statistics on the Oscar Pistorius Trial, the 2014 FIFA Soccer World Cup, the 2014 Elections, the Olympics, the Nkandla debacle and many more leading news stories.  

Khoury recalls how she initially started providing statistics to the media. “I was surprised by the amount of coverage the death of former president Nelson Mandela yielded and decided to share these statistics with the media. After that I started following and analyzing coverage of the Oscar Pistorius Trial I followed it from the start, devoting hours every day to finding new angles to cover to keep publishers and readers engaged, providing them to journalists, and feeding content to social media sites. Every morning and some evenings, daily stats were sent to a growing list of contacts,” she recalls.

At the beginning of the trial, she reached out to the four main media houses who own most of the channels in South Africa. The first publisher to pick up her stats, 702, asked Khoury to read them each morning on the radio show set up to cover the trial. The media quickly contacted her for more information, so they began emailing stats updates once or twice a day. “From there the demand got bigger and bigger, as new news stories and global events broke,” she adds.

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

Amalia Christoforou, Managing Editor of the Oscar Trial Channel (Carte Blanche) adds that Khoury’s analysis offered a simplified and entertaining comparison, giving a local and global assessment of news around the trial, as compared to other breaking news. Joshua Carstens, producer of Afternoon Drive on Radio 702, says, “It helped me focus on what is important and what the audiences are talking about. In essence it made the scene less cluttered.”   

The producer of the Jenny Crwys-Williams Show on Radio 702, Gary Oberholzer, added that, “Certainly for our #OscarExtra presenters to be able to frame the growing or waning media interest, to describe the trends from a bird’s eye view, Tonya’s statistics were crucial. Especially on something as lengthy as this trial.“  

Christoforou agrees adding, “”The ROi Africa analysis graphically depicted the way in which the OP trial narrative and news was able to sustain local and international audiences and media attention, which is unusual for a story that has spanned so many months with so much dipping and peaking of elements of interest . A large focus of the Oscar Pistorius Channel was depiction of the way in which the narrative of the trial was digested online through digital media platforms and social media platform users. The ROI Africa stats gave us in-depth analysis of this world and the way in which it was ingesting and delivering the trial story.”

The statistics of ROi also provided the media with new avenues to generate content. Matjokana adds that, before ROi they never used to have a roundup of stories that have made headlines globally throughout the week and when she and presenter, Garda, saw the value that Khoury brought on to the show with updated and reliable statistics, “we realised that it could be of interest to our listeners”. 

Garda concurs and adds that, with the detailed, colourful, credible and immediate statistics Khoury set herself above the rest by delivering this information regularly and on the turn. “To add, Khoury was not just the communications spokesperson for the information - she was the embodiment of the statistics. She literally ‘lived’ the statistics, which showed in the way she presented her statistics over the radio. She delivered the stats in a most engaging, spontaneous manner and that's really important when dealing in the radio and TV space where information must not only be credible but it has to be delivered in a most entertaining way.”  

Laura Wiener, 702 Producer, add that what made Khoury’s statistics so crucial is the fact that it was credible – “It is important for us at the Oscar Extra channel that the statistics be credible and accurate as we would not want to be disseminating inaccurate information and statistics to our listeners,” she stresses.    

Catrine Malan, freelance journalist of the SABC, echoes this, adding that finding statistics for a case like the Oscar Pistorius Trial, isn't that hard. “What is hard is finding the experts, who are able to explain and put these statistics into context in a manner that is understandable to even a teenager sitting at home. We found that expert in Khoury. She has the ability to summarise and compare not only the most important but also most talked about statistics out there.”    

Garda concurs, adding, “I love the fact that Khoury is adept at delivering the contact via email, then chatting about in air and at the same time tweeting the information. That synergy and convergence of platforms is really important to what I do on air,” he emphasises.   Malan concludes that Khoury’s work has always been spot on. “Especially on the trending topics like Oscar / World Cup, etc. her opinions and analysis was a top quality expert opinion that we will definitely use in the future,” she concludes.  

FOR MORE INFORMATION

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

Moretele Park Tribute Concert to toast 20 years of Freedom with all-star line-up  

Come and celebrate spring and the country’s 20 years of Democracy with a star-studded procession of South African music royalty at the annual Tribute Concert, taking place at Moretele Park on Saturday, 30 August 2014, Mamelodi in Pretoria.  

The City of Tshwane once again plays Proud Host to this ever-popular concert, now in its 17th year, which is renowned as one of the premier events on the country’s music calendar.  

The line-up for this year’s special-edition Moretele Park Tribute Concert, which pays homage to our Democracy and its musical Heroes and Icons, reads like a who’s who of the local music industry. Organisers Drakensberg Promotions have assembled a parade of exceptional artists that will head to Mamelodi for a daylong party pulsing with jazz, pop, traditional and dance music.  

Headlining the 2014 event are Afro-pop duo Mafikizolo, the comeback kids who recently collected two MTV Africa Music Awards to add to the eight South African Music Awards they won at this year’s ceremony.  

Plus, sensational dance maestros Mi Casa will be getting the crowd up on their feet with their essential and uplifting house grooves.   The one and only Johnny Clegg – our very own Le Zulu Blanc, a true living legend who has been fêted as a French Knight of Arts and Letters and who received the Order of Ikhamanga back home – will also be performing on the day.  

He will be joined by fellow music veterans Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Letta Mbulu, Jonas Gwangwa, Thomas Chauke and Ringo. The younger generation of dazzling musicians is well represented by Lira, Bhudaza, Musa (last year’s Idols winner) and Zonke – all adding up to an unmissable music encounter par excellence.  

Emerging jazz artists and groups will also perform on the day, which pays homage to South Africa’s music luminaries while showcasing the next generation of bubbling-under talent.  

“We are immensely proud that the Moretele Park Tribute Concert is now widely regarded as being the hottest springtime party in the country,” says Leonard Sithole of Drakensberg Promotions.  

“This year’s event is a particularly special occasion for us, because it gives us the opportunity to reflect on how far we have come as a country in the two decades since the dawn of democracy – but also to celebrate our musical riches, from our evergreen stalwarts right through to our talented young upstarts.”  

Join the thousands of revelers at Moretele Park Tribute Concert in Mamelodi, at one of the year’s most festive parties! The entertainment starts at 11am, and continues into the night. Tickets cost R300 and are available at Computicket.  

Concert details    

Event: Moretele Park Tribute Concert 

Date: Saturday, 30 August 2014 

Venue: Moretele Park, Mamelodi in Pretoria 

Artists: Mafikizolo, Mi Casa, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Lira, Johnny Clegg, Don Laka, Letta Mbulu, Jonas Gwangwa, Ringo, Bhudaza, Idols 2013 winner Musa, Zonke and Thomas Chauke 

Time: 11h00 

Tickets: R300 at Computicket    

For event details contact (011)482 4937 - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

For media queries, media accreditation, interview request, access to high res pics etc please contact JT Comms on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (011) 788 7631/2  

Issued by JT Communication Solutions on behalf of Drakensberg Promotions

Furthering the journey to “Live the Legacy” of International Mandela Day on 18 July 2014, the Spur Foundation has extended its countrywide Spur Salutes You campaign. The Foundation organised an enthusiastic team of 260 individuals which included Spur Corporation staff members, franchisees and suppliers, who honoured commendable leaders in the communities it supports, by devoting time and effort to beneficiaries in five of our provinces.  

According to the Chairperson of the Spur Foundation and Chief Financial Officer of Spur Corporation Limited, Ronel van Dijk, “This was a heart-warming and enriching experience for all involved. It was an honour to assist these ladies and the institutions they devote their time to. The Spur Foundation really pulled together to let them know that we are here for you and you are not alone in your mission to ensure a great future for the children of South Africa”.  

Van Dijk added: “The Foundation would not have been able to benefit these little lives to the extent it has, had  it not been for the generous Spur franchisees and employees who have joined hands with the Foundation to contribute towards the identified needs of selected charities in the major provinces. These include basic needs such as bedding, mattresses, baby milk, curtains, slippers, cutlery and crockery, toys, furniture and food".  

Spur Foundation’s activities included:   

Western Cape 

Solomon’s Haven, Mitchell’s Plain, Cape Town  

The Foundation held a collection drive at Spur Corporation’s Century City office for blankets, baby necessities and kids’ clothing, which were handed over to Solomon’s Haven. The children all received new bedding from the Foundation, along with wall decorations to create a stunning cosy environment for the 17 kids aged between 0 and 18. These children each received a Spur goodie bag with a deodorant, body cream, sweets, toys and toothpaste and were then treated to Panarottis’ delicious pizzas. They also spent some quality time with the Spur staff volunteers in a day filled with a taste for life!  

KwaZulu-Natal

Durban Children’s Home, Durban  

The boys’ bedrooms at the Durban Children’s Home were refurbished by the enthusiastic Spur staff volunteers. The walls were painted, brand new lockers were installed and new dark blue curtains transformed the rooms into a dream come true for all. Each boy received a pair of slippers, a deodorant, bath products and a Spur mug. The 75 kids aged between 0 and 18 were also treated to a fabulous Spur lunch and received rugby balls to keep them entertained for hours to come.  

Gauteng

ASHA Trust, Alexandra, Johannesburg  

Spur Foundation in Gauteng requested sponsorship from their franchisees in the province to fulfil the individual needs of ten day care centres in Alexandra, namely Happy Hours Day Care, Mante Day Care, Owethu Day Care, Pure Day Care, Sunshine Day Care, Phila Day Care, Enjabulweni Day Care, Arethabeng Day Care, Siyakhula Day Care and Dreamers Day Care.  The franchisees pulled together to raise a substantial amount of money to assist these day care centres. Toilet paper, soccer balls, toys, blankets, desks, pigeon holes, shelving and non-perishable foods were donated to the day care centres. The donation of flooring and mattresses made a huge difference to the children, most of whom slept on the floor. The volunteers laid the floor, astro-turfed certain areas and painted some of the buildings. Certain day care centres also received a modular play frame to ensure the children would have a place to play. Each child also received a goodie bag containing a Spur Secret Tribe Magazine, puzzles, sweet treats and other activities. The children were also treated to a delicious take-away lunch from either Spur, Panarottis, John Dory’s or Captain DoRegos.  

Free State

Botshelo Centre, Rocklands, Bloemfontein  

Staff from Captain DoRegos ensured a great day in Mzansi by handing out lucky packets, food and other necessities such as blankets and non-perishable food to the 40 children aged between 2 and 10.  

Eastern Cape

Inn Safe Hands, Port Elizabeth  

Spur Foundation, staff volunteers and generous franchisees arranged much needed burglar proofing and plumbing for this home. Children aged between 4 and 14 were also treated to a Spur lunch party and the volunteers spent some fun time with the children.   The Spur Foundation was founded on Mandela Day in 2012, with an initial R670 000 donation from the Spur Group. Spur’s value of generosity and focus on family will be carried through to the Foundation’s various initiatives throughout the year, aligned to its slogan Nourish, Nurture, Now!  

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  

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

Tonya Khoury of Fourways in Johannesburg is a woman with more than 20 years’ experience in media monitoring and client liaison and is widely regarded as one of the foremost experts in the South African and African media monitoring industry.  

As the Managing Director of newly formed media monitoring company, ROi Africa (based in Lynnwood, Pretoria), she is driven by service. “I learnt very quickly in my career that sales equalled superb customer service and I loved making unhappy clients happy. During my employment at a competitor media monitoring concern just over a decade ago, my eyes opened to the opportunity of making money out of ‘cutting up newspapers’!  This passion was unleashed and got stronger every day.  

Career 

Tonya started her monitoring career Newsclip until her entrepreneurial flair took the upper hand and she started Jisani Digitrack, the first black empowered media monitoring company in Africa, in a partnership as Sales and Marketing Director and shareholder. Unfortunately the partnership soured, but Tonya’s passion for innovative media monitoring persisted.  Her experience across various other monitoring companies including DDI taught Tonya that entrepreneurship takes tenacity and an “I never give up” attitude, being a leader in the industry comes from fighting mediocrity and honing in on market need. 

Tonya, who initially wanted to be a lawyer, learnt early that she was never going to fit into a corporate law firm. “I’m an entrepreneur and that is something deeply ingrained in me. Passion and attitude is everything – these are attributes you either have or not – and I believe that it cannot be taught, like skills and knowledge. I have experienced that all these aspects are important, but the former two are crucial and have been essential for my career and life as an entrepreneur,” she explains.   

Being an Entrepreneur 

“It takes balls – big, big balls to be a business owner. It isn't glamorous and it isn't easy - it's much, much harder than clocking in and out and taking your pay cheque at the end of each month. But, if you want to make a difference and believe you can, and if you are dead set on a dream you have no choice but to do it ‘alone’.  If you're lucky you'll meet people along the way that are like minded and they will give you a ‘leg up’. In most instances where money is concerned, they won't. But there is no bigger rush in the world than a solid sense of achievement, knowing you were right and reaping the rewards, which is already happening in ROi’s case!” she adds. 

She believes that, if people have a passion for what they do, they will make a success out of it. “There is no reward greater than fulfilling your passion. Following your passion does, however, come with hard work and risks. I have fallen more times than I care to count, but I never gave up. Business is tough - really tough - but so is life sometimes and if you enjoy what you do, then that’s the bonus. Entrepreneurship is a drug like no other and must be used with caution.” 

Media Monitoring 

Tonya is also a strong believer that the South African media monitoring industry needs a shake-up, as well as a move away from Advertising Value Equivalent (AVE) as measurement tool. “We have to be faster, sexier, more effective and more interactive. Due to this I have decided to forge international partnerships, which allows for access to international ideas at the forefront of media monitoring,” she explains.  

“Media interaction has to be lightning fast.  You have to be quick and, more importantly, consistent. You have to fully understand the media monitoring industry and, with my more than 20 years’ experience, I know that ROi is heading for an amazing future,” Tonya says proudly. She is adamant that media monitoring is not a ‘nice to have’ but an essential tool for each business, especially in crisis situations. She believes it is impossible for an individual to keep track of a story running out of control, as there are simply too many outlets. This job calls for specialists, in the form of media monitors, as negative brand reputation messages require immediate attention across all spheres.  

Being a Woman

“Women are exceptionally hard working and inventive and topped with their multitasking ability, they make formidable impacts on the Media Industry. Being multitaskers, I also find that women are able to focus on more than one thing at once, which is ideal for our industry. “One of my biggest challenges is time, I’m not patient, my industry is not patient,” she remarks.

She does, however, add that her feminine intuition has helped her to identify the very best support team to build the ROi foundation and, most importantly to decide between right and wrong. “”I have always trusted my gut and I’ve learnt to act on its instruction,” Tonya adds.

Lessons

“Another thing that life taught me is that the only person who can pull the carpet from underneath you is yourself. In my younger years I have struggled a little with self-doubt - I used to be extremely good at telling myself all the reasons I would not be able to achieve something – but with age and experience I have learnt to believe the opposite: listening to all the reasons why I will be able to achieve success, like with ROi”.

Tonya also says that she has also learnt that I am unemployable and can’t work for somebody else. “I have to work for myself because I absolutely need operational and sales freedom in my business plan,” she adds.

Tonya says that a good business model is based on:        

• Identifying a market need – a  hungry market is key to making a business successful        
• Fill the gap with solid operational processes and a robust product to ensure that sales are deliverable and have longevity        
• Take action, quickly.        
• Always raise the bar, keep finding relevance        
• Solid legal and financial paperwork and a robust business model makes for a happy set of shareholders.        
• NEVER give up 

“I can add to this that relationships are EVERYTHING and I could not have done anything in my career without solid, long standing relationships with people, clients and suppliers. These relationships helped me through the difficult times,” she says proudly. 

“I am not only an entrepreneur – I am also a South African! I have a love like no other for three things, my mother, my continent, my industry - Africa is my home, I'm privileged to call myself a South African, I'm hugely proud of what my country has achieved. I've been fortunate to travel to parts of the rest of Africa and I want more, I want to take a solution that is much needed into the rest of the continent and possibly other parts of the globe, - that's the dream!” she exclaims.

The Grow Your Business Expo, supported by the Limpopo Economic Development Agency (LEDA) and MTN Business will take place on 30 July 2014 in Polokwane at the Jack Botes Hall.

The expo brings together small business owners and corporate role players to communicate a process of helping to run and grow successful entities.   Role players that support Limpopo’s Enterprise Development are provided with a platform to connect business owners with resources and tools needed to start, learn, manage and grow their companies.  This will create employment and contribute positively to families and the community, which will ultimately increase the vitality of the local economy.

The Grow Your Business Expo is the ideal opportunity for corporate role players to share their products and services that will match with small businesses that need access to skills, knowledge, finance and markets.  

Funama Productions are hosting the expo; CEO Masetha Serakoana says “the expo is a vital platform for small businesses to link with institutions offering funding, financial assistance and business related products and services. We will also have representatives from the institutions presenting their company offerings. The Business Lounge area will cater for one-on-one meeting sessions offering free advice and consultations with specialists during the expo. My Success Story corner will share achievement stories; this area will also serve as an opportunity for corporate companies to showcase thriving SMEs that they have empowered.  SARS will also be there offering free tax workshops.”

Entrance to the Grow Your Business Expo is R25.00 per person, doors open at 08h00.

Ends

For further information, please contact: Masetha Serakoana E-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Telephone 086 111 1471 - www.funama.co.za

Funama Wedding Exhibition heading for Polokwane. 

The 2nd Annual Funama Wedding Exhibition will take place on Saturday, 26th July 2014 at the Jack Botes Hall in Polokwane Limpopo.  The prestigious exhibition is a show of fresh wedding ideas all under one roof saving visitors hours of time spent travelling and searching for wedding suppliers. The exhibitors promise a display of the best wedding products and services available.

“The expo includes wedding gowns, groom suits, cakes, cosmetics, accessories, catering, beauticians, florists, photographers and many other wedding related services.  Future brides, grooms and families looking for wedding service providers are in for a fun filled day with loads of ideas that will help turn any fairy tale dream wedding into a reality. Legend Lodges, Hotels & Resorts, our main prize sponsor is giving couples a chance to win a wedding venue of their choice in Limpopo valued at R20 000.  Other exhibitors are offering happy memorable prizes that include wedding gowns, groom suits, cakes, cosmetics and many more. The expo is a great platform for small business owners to market and promote their services” says Masetha Serakoana, CEO of Funama Productions.

To end the day off visitors will be treated to an evening event with renowned motivational speakers giving inspired advice on relationships and marriage, a wine tasting experience and entertainment by Nia Pearl.   Funama Productions is a media and communications company that specialises in exhibition production services focusing on projects that promote and empower small businesses.   Entrance to the Funama Wedding Exhibition for visitors is R50.00 per person, doors open at 9am.

For further information, please contact:
Masetha Serakoana
E-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Telephone 086 111 1471
www.funama.co.za