With the holidays just around the corner, Karl Smith, founder of Business Networking South Africa, reveals successful networking tips to enhance your business relationships, boost your personal brand and strengthen your bottom line. As people tend to be more relaxed during this time of the year, take advantage of these circumstances by reaching out and interacting with various individuals.

As a small business or a job hunter, you have the ability to establish strong face-to-face relationships, and the holidays are the perfect time to leverage that advantage. Most local industry organisations and business associations host holiday networking events. This is the perfect opportunity to go out, have fun, meet people and identify business opportunities.

Here are a few networking tips to help make the holidays even better for business:

Tip One: Attend Holiday Parties - While your tendency may be to take a break from networking events during the holidays, it's important for you to continue attending events. Many organisations and individuals will be having holiday parties rather than typical business events. Holiday parties are a great way to get to know people in a more relaxed environment.

Like any time of the year, accept people's hospitality. If someone offers you something, don't turn it down. By accepting people's generosity, you are showing them respect and will make them feel like they are doing something kind. The same business etiquette should apply. Have fun and consider these parties as your reward for working so hard during the year to build relationships.

Tip Two: Hold Your Own Party - It is essential to be generous, have a true spirit of giving, and make all honest efforts to liven up the holiday spirit of the people. If there is no party, be the party. If networking events are limited this year, consider throwing your own. You can have your own holiday party either at your house, a restaurant or a bar.

Having your own party is a great way to reconnect and keep yourself in front of people. A big part of networking effectively is keeping yourself visible. People will see you as a connector. Your party can enhance your personal brand and widen your business circle. It's also a great excuse to reach out to potential clients and high- level decision makers.Tip

Three: Send Holiday Greetings - In business networking, it is essential to find methods to stay connected continually with important associates. Thus, holiday greeting cards are a great way to register on your client's or contact’s radar. Whether by e-mail or post, it doesn't matter how you send your greeting.

As long as you send a greeting, you are showing individuals in your network that you are thinking about them. Try to send holiday cards out a bit early as many people take time off work around the holidays. In most cases a religion-neutral holiday card is appropriate.

Tip Four: Personal Networking - Reach out to various people during the holidays. For some people, business tends to slow down during the holidays and they will have the time to meet with you. Be proactive and reach out to people you haven't connected with in a while.  These individuals will appreciate being thought about and you will have the chance to build these relationships even more. Use the holiday time to have one-on-one meetings with your networking partners “to catch up", "swap some ideas", "pick their brains”, or "share an interesting lead".

Tip Five: Don't Always Talk About Business - During any conversation, you shouldn't always talk about business because you want to get to know people on a personal level as well. In order to build relationships, you need to know various aspects about their lives.The holidays are a great time of year to get to know people on a more personal level.

When meeting people at holiday events or getting together with existing contacts, spend more time socialising and getting to know them outside of business. Remember networking is not socializing…it is relationship building. Small talk and social interaction is the glue in the relationship.

Tip Six: Show Generosity - During the holidays, people are generally in a good mood because they enjoy the spirit of the season. Spend more time with family and friends and look forward to starting a new year. You will find that many of these people are in the giving mood.  Make sure you are also in the giving mood. Take people out to lunch or buy co-workers, friends and colleagues holiday gifts. However you decide to be generous, make sure you are genuine and truly have the giving spirit. If you don't, people will notice. Remember it’s not the size or price that counts…it’s the thought that counts!

Tip Seven: Don't Drink Too Much - With festivities comes drinking and good times. While it's OK to enjoy yourself, do so only in moderation. Treat the holidays like any other time of the year by showing good behaviour. Don't go overboard with drinks because you still need to maintain your professionalism and composure. You don't want people to see a different side of you if you can't handle your libations.

Tip Eight: Don't Invite Your Entire Network to Parties - You should be honoured if someone invites you to a holiday party. For most parties, the host will allow you to bring a guest or two. A holiday party is a chance for the host to invite his or her network. It's not the time for you to invite yours. Don't take advantage of the host's generosity. Show respect to the host and don't invite your entire network or more than two people. After clearing with your host it is fine to do so.  

Tip Nine: Be Genuine - Personal networking has a bad reputation. The word "networking" conjures up images of someone wanting to "use" you, to take your time and connections without offering anything of redeeming value in return. If your motive to attend or host holiday networking functions or send greeting cards is self-serving, then you will harm your relationships rather than strengthen it. 

The motive that inspires the greatest trust in your relationships is genuine caring –caring about people, caring about purposes, caring about the quality of what you do, caring about society as a whole. Think about it: Are you going to build relationships or trust someone who couldn’t really care less about you? Interaction that is honest and reciprocal is what makes networking a level playing field. It is about giving rather than receiving, which is in keeping with the spirit of the season, right? 

Tip Ten: Have Fun - The most important aspect of the holidays is to remember to have fun. While networking is a serious activity, relax and enjoy yourself during this time of the year. Since networking is generally more social during the holidays, you will have the chance to interact with people in fun settings. As long as you still act professionally, you can let loose a little bit and have fun! 

Final Thought 

The holidays offer an excellent opportunity to build and maintain relationships. Networking is simple - but it's not easy. If it were easy, everyone would do it, and do it well. But they don't. That's because it's a skill that can be mastered with the right knowledge, practice, commitment and consistent application.  

Happy Holidays!  

This article may be copied or republished with the following credit: "By Karl Smith: author, speaker and founder of Business Networking South Africa.

Website: www.karlsmith.co.za

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Website: www.roiafrica.com

Pet treatment and care holds a significant place for the overall well-being of pets.Regular visits to veterinary clinics and proper checkups by veterinary doctors are essential measures to maintain proper health of pets. New South Veterinary Centre situated in Johannesburg in South Africa offers ultra-modern infrastructure facilities for veterinary treatments and qualified veterinary doctors are available to treat and take care of pets.

New South Veterinary Centre boasts of a team of well qualified and experienced veterinary doctors, nurses and supporting staff. The centre offers the most expert veterinary treatments and services at affordable rates. 

New South Veterinary Centre offers services like routine vaccination for pets which by far isthe most essential preventive healthcare measure for dogs and cats as these vaccinations protect them against deadly contagious diseases. Thus proper and regular vaccinations are important and necessary for the well-being of pets. The veterinary centre offers 24 hours emergency services with on-spot diagnosis and timely treatment with utmost care which helps pets to get out of any kind of emergency situations. After any kind of surgery, pets are kept under doctor observation and 24 hour monitoring to keep a track of their health condition and accordingly further treatments are advised. 

Hygiene and cleanliness is another vital ingredient for the well-being of pets. So thorough dental checkups and dental treatments like cleaning and if necessary infected teeth extractionsare carried out by well qualified vets of New South Veterinary Centre. To detect any kind of fracture in the bones even hairline fractures can be detected by the Centre’s hi tech digital radiography instruments designed and engineered to produce quality images of pet’s body parts. The veterinary centre conducts 24 hours in-house biochemistry tests done by qualified vet lab technicians for immediate results and medical attention. 

Facilities such as kennels with under floor heating are available to treat very sick or infectious pets. New South Veterinary Centre also has a separate section where healthy, nutritious pet foods are available for every breed of dogs and cats at affordable prices. 

For more information, visit http://www.newsouthvet.co.za

About New South Veterinary Centre:

Situated at Glenvista in Johannesburg, South Africa, New South Veterinary Centre is a one stop veterinary centre offering wide range of veterinary treatments and services carried out by experienced veterinary doctors and supporting staff.

Contact Us:
203 Biggarsberg Street (Corner Losberg) Glenvista,
Johannesburg
2058

Tel: 011 682 3213
Fax: 011 682 3844
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Mobile devices are more than mere communication tools today. Globally, smartphones and tablets are now contributing to roughly 25% of the user traffic on eCommerce and travel websites. Sales through smartphones and tablets contribute to around 15% of the total online sales. With the rapid adoption of smart phones and tablets across the globe, these numbers can only go north.

Online sales through mobile devices as a percentage of the total online sales globally Challenges in Mobile Web Marketing Mobile marketing is relatively new and advertisers face several challenges to run an effective mobile marketing campaign. Some of them are:
• Advertiser's and Publisher's mobile presence is fragmented between mobile web and mobile apps.
• Identification of a user across mobile web and mobile app and messaging across these two channels.
• Identification of users across multiple devices (such as mobile, desktop) and messaging across channels.
• Patchy support to cookie and other tracking mechanisms on mobile browsers and apps.

How does it work:

1. While the user is on the advertiser mobile website, products like Vizury MobiConvert, records anonymous user behaviour such as products viewed, duration of visit, drop off page etc.

2. This user behaviour data is then used to create and display customised ads for the mobile user across mobile internet.

3. However, unlike desktop, mobile uses a different technology for banners- HTML5, the one that works across mobile devices.

The need to go mobile is more imminent today more than ever. Mobile has taken centre stage in your users' purchase cycle and it's time to go mobile! More on 'Shades of Mobile Retargeting' coming soon.

Learn more about Vizury MobiConvert and other products by Vizury at their stand at the eCommerce Africa Confex. This exciting 2-day conference and exhibition takes place on the 3rd-4th February 2015 at the Cape Town International Centre.

Register as 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..

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

Johannesburg – December 2014 ‒ 21 ICONS South Africa in conjunction with its proud sponsors, Mercedes-Benz South Africa, will launch a series of activations and exhibitions at various consumer touch points around the country.

The events will demonstrate that the project has built an integrated, multimedia platform to impart key attributes and messages of extraordinary South African leaders of the past and present to the public and to connect with local and international audiences.  

The 21 ICONS project is an initiative aimed at documenting the lives of iconic individuals through fine art portraits, intimate conversations and short films, behind the scenes photography, written narrative as well as feature length documentaries into a truly converged visual experience to shape perceptions and transform societal norms, and impacting the communities around them. 

The first leg of the campaign kicked off on Saturday 22 November at the Cape Town and OR Tambo international airports where promoters handed out copies of the City Press, the projects chosen print media partner, and created awareness and hype about the ‘Me & My Icon’ selfie competition. Members of the public are encouraged to snap a selfie with a 21 ICONS collectable portrait poster inserted in the newspaper and post the picture alongside a short personal message to the featured icon on the 21 ICONS Facebook page. Readers can enter the selfie competition until 7 December 2014 and on 10 December an official draw will be held at Media 24 head offices and the winner of the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class will be announced. Each week the ten best entries are selected by the City Press editorial team and 21 ICONS South Africa will ensure that all the personal messages reach the relevant icon. Weekly prizes are awarded to the top three entries including Momentum Asset Management unit trusts, Nikon Coolpix cameras as well as 21 ICONS Season I collectable coffee table books. The 50 overall winners will then be entered into a lucky draw for the chance to drive away in a new luxury Mercedes-Benz C-Class. With an extended entry period until midnight on Sunday 7 December, readers can enter during this period using either the poster of Paralympian athlete, Zanele Situ who appears in this week’s issue or next week’s icon, writer Miriam Tlali whose portrait will be revealed. 

The airport activations will continue until Sunday 30 November and Monday 29 December at Cape Town International Airport and OR Tambo International Airport respectively where Season I’s unique short films and exquisite portraits as well as the latest Mercedes Benz C-Class will be on display.  

The winner of the ‘Me & My Icon’ competition will emerge from a lucky draw and be given the keys to a new Mercedes-Benz C-Class during the car handover scheduled to take place at The Victoria & Alfred (V&A) Waterfront in Cape Town on 13 December.

Supporting competition content will be aired on the V&A Amphitheatre screens ahead of the competition closing date and the Season I short films flighted during the competition period.   

Early next year the 21 ICONS project will also be showcased at the V&A for an extensive, full-spectrum indoor and outdoor exhibition.  

The promotions intend to encourage the community to actively engage with the icons and these platforms offer a unique opportunity to align the brand with a remarkable collection of South African leaders. 

About 21 Icons South Africa21 ICONS South Africa is an annual collection of photographs and short films of South Africans who have reached the pinnacle of achievement in their fields of endeavour. These men and women have been an inspiration through their extraordinary social contribution. It is not a definitive list and does not denote any ranking. 

The short film-series documents the conversations between Steirn as the photographer and filmmaker and the icons. Each short film provides insight into both the subject and photographer's creative approach to the portrait. 

Season two of 21 ICONS South Africa is proudly sponsored by Mercedes-Benz South Africa, Momentum Asset Management, Nikon, Deloitte and the Department of Arts and Culture. Season two debuted on Sunday 03 August continuing for another 20 weeks, one of 21 short films will be screened every Sunday on SABC 3 at 20h27.  

On each of these Sundays, a poster of the icon’s portrait, taken by Adrian Steirn and his creative team, will be published in the City Press to form a memorable collection that everyone can own.Media partners include SABC 3, City Press (Media 24), Provantage and Mxit. 

Social Media:21 Icons engages with the public through:Twitter: @21Icons Website: http://www.21icons.com Mobisite: www.21icons.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/21Icons Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/21ICONS/ iTunes App Store: http://tinyurl.com/lf3cfzm Google Play: http://tinyurl.com/ovtcy45 

On behalf of 21 ICONS South Africa 

Ornico Launches The Media Report 2014  

Sandton, South Africa – Wednesday 26 November 2014. Brand Intelligence™ and media research company, Ornico, today launched its second annual edition of The Media Report. Aimed at helping brands, marketers, media companies and advertising agencies better understand the forces that shape the sub-Saharan media sector, The Media Report 2014 is an electronic magazine available free for download from MarkLives.com or Ornico.co.za 

With over a hundred pages of insights on Africa’s media and research industry, The Media Report 2014 includes contributions from amongst South Africa’s most influential editors and advertising personalities. Gareth Cliff, SA’s ‘enfant terrible’ of radio, talks about streaming media and the reinvention he and his team effected with CliffCentral.com.  

Undoubtedly the most influential and powerful woman in the media in South Africa, former Editor-in-Chief of Huisgenoot, You and Drum, Esmaré Weideman – the CEO of Media24 – speaks about her responsibility for the commercial success of Africa’s largest publishing group, and talks about freedom of expression, advertising, independence and media monopoly. 

Other contributors include Chris Roper, Editor-in-Chief of the Mail & Guardian, who answers questions about editorial independence and honest information. Herman Manson, founder and editor of Marklives.com, talks about the marketing site’s investigative approach to trade media. Anton Harber, Adjunct Professor of Journalism, writes on the fine balance that delivers autonomy in newsrooms and enables journalists to produce more interesting, impactful and useful journalism. 

The Eyewitness News Editor-in-Chief, Katy Katopodis, answers 15 questions on her life, her values, the hurly-burly of daily news, and media independence. But that’s not all. Paulo Dias of Primedia Broadcasting explains the difference between technology and trust in radio, while Lyn Jones, Marketing Manager of Continental Outdoor Media, explores effective out of home advertising in Africa. 

The theme of The Media Report 2014 is independence. “Despite the fact that media independence and open information are the hallmarks of democracy, what we’re seeing is that there is an ongoing attack on media freedoms both in Africa and across the globe,” says Oresti Patricios, CEO of Ornico. 

“The most recent findings of the World Press Freedom Index, which is undertaken by Reporters Without Borders annually, shows that media freedom is on the decline on all continents,” bar Asia. “Africa is one of the biggest culprits and the freedom index indicates that when it comes to media transparency, this continent is in real trouble,” he says.

“Independent media is critical to Africa’s growth, not only because the press can be a watchdog that reports on abuses of power, but also because it educates and informs. Media independence is important to Africa because the media sector plays such an important role in economic growth and social development. Which is in part why we’ve invested resources in creating this media annual,” says Patricios, who adds that this media annual will become a permanent feature of SA’s publishing landscape.

Download your free copy The Media Report here: http://website.ornico.co.za/newsletters/  

-ends-

ABOUT ORNICO:

Ornico provides Reputation, Media and Brand Intelligence™ research across the African continent, making sense of the tsunami of brand, advertising and media information flooding the media space. By collecting and analysing media data and brand publicity across many media channels, Ornico helps put marketing decision makers in the know about the most important strategic decisions they'll ever make regarding their brands. Ornico employs a dedicated team of over 120 people in offices in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana, and has clients that include many of Africa's top companies.

Ornico - Know how. To grow.

CONTACTS: Oresti Patricios – CEO

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

Twitter: @orestaki  

Mongezi Mtati – Marketing Manager

Call: 011 884 5041

Ornico Head Office: Tel: +27 11 884-5041

Fax: +27 11 783-6931

Twitter: @OrnicoMedia

Web: www.ornico.co.za

Moms trust Cuddlers to take care of their little ones. A dry, comfortable baby is a happy baby, and happy babies mean happy moms. Thanks to Cuddlers’ innovative new topsheet and backsheet, you can enjoy your time with your little one without having to worry about irritated skin and nappy rashes. The new Cuddlers nappies might be as cute as a button, but they’re as hard-working as they are adorable, just as they should be.  

The new, super-cute backsheet that suits both boys and girls also shows off the changes to Cuddlers’ gentle new topsheet. Cuddlers are the only value nappies that have a combination of Aloe Vera, Vitamin E and Dry Guard™, keeping baby’s skin smooth, dry and protected. Cuddlers Newborn 1 nappies also have a cute new backsheet with a change indicator to help moms know when their newborn is ready for changing, which is vital for protecting their delicate skin.  

The new nappy keeps baby dry for long and protects against nappy rash and irritation. The Aloe Vera and Vitamin E not only softens your baby’s skin, it’s also much softer against their skin, so you can enjoy those special moments together safe in the knowledge that your little one is comfortable and protected.  

Attractive new packaging means Cuddlers nappies are easy to spot, and with all the important information clearly printed on the packaging, you can immediately find exactly what you’re looking for. They’re also great value for money, and every new mom knows that saving time and money is important!  

Cuddlers cares for your baby, and you. Entrust the safekeeping of your precious gift’s delicate skin to the people who know just what it takes to keep you worry-free. Go on, enjoy every delightful moment and let Cuddlers take care of the rest.  

Cuddlers nappies are priced from R37.50.

For more information call 0860 777 111 or visit www.cuddlers.co.za or chat to us on www.facebook.com/cuddlersnappies

Issued on behalf of: Cuddlers – Nampak Tissue, A Division of Nampak Products Ltd
Issued by: Sebrena Sodalay - Tynago Communications
Tel: 011 656 2405 or 083 540 6608
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sanofi Consumer Health has launched Essentiale Extreme, an improved formulation with 300mg of Essential Phospholipids (EPLs) per capsule - the building blocks of cellular membranes. The EPLs in Essentiale Extreme improves liver cell membrane regeneration and helps to support vital functions of the liver.  The “work-horse” liver cells that is responsible for most of the metabolism, occurs on the liver cell membranes, therefore making the cell membranes a vital part of liver function.

According to Alta Janse van Rensburg, a pharmacist and facilitator for the S. Buys Academy, your liver is one of the hardest working organs in your body; it has more than 500 different functions. In fact, we can survive just one to two days if it shuts down. She explains, “It is your body’s engine, pantry, refinery, food processor, garbage disposal and ‘guardian angel’; it detoxifies everything you eat, breathe and absorb through your skin; it converts the food you eat into energy; it helps to regulate blood clotting, stores vitamins, minerals and sugars and regulates cholesterol and fat stores; it produces bile that helps you digest your food and absorb important nutrients; it neutralises and destroys harmful substances, including alcohol; it helps you resist infection, and filters bacteria from your blood.”

“Your lifestyle often leads to reduced liver function. A supplement used in combination with healthy life choices, e.g. limiting alcohol and/or fatty food intake, may assist to replenish what your lifestyle takes away from your body – especially the liver” . “Essentiale Extreme contains 300 mg of Essential Phospholipids (EPLs) per capsule. EPLs help to improve liver cell membrane regeneration and stabilisation and therefore improve liver function.”

EPLs have been cited as one of the most important support nutrients for the liver. When liver cells are damaged, their cell membranes lose phospholipids. EPLs can also be found in food products such as soybeans, egg yolk, milk and seafood. Although dietary EPLs can be obtained from your normal diet, the modern average diet does not contain an optimal amount of EPLs.

To get the same daily dose of EPLs as in Essentiale Extreme you would need to consume in excess of 1,000 chicken eggs or over 13 litres of milk per day.

Janse van Rensburg advocates the following healthier lifestyle habits to protect your liver:

Eat healthy: A healthy diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains will go a long way in helping maintain a healthy liver.
Be active: Aim for a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week, this will also assist in weight-loss if needed. Protect your liver: Avoid things that will put extra stress on your liver, for instance limit alcohol and fatty food intake, and follow instructions on all medications and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines. “Your liver isn’t just a silent partner; it’s your best friend, so give it the love it deserves by supplementing daily with Essentiale Extreme,” concludes Janse van Rensburg.

For more information visit: www.essentiale.co.za

Foscam would like to issue a warning as we go into the silly season.

Christmas is such a magical time of year... lots to be thankful for and wonderful parties to attend. Some of us are lucky enough to get away for a change of scenery. Those of us who stay at home may tend to have a more relaxed outlook on life. But please, beware, criminals are most likely to strike when given half the opportunity, when your guard is down or even better, when a home is empty.

Foscam, leaders in surveillance cameras supply households and companies alike with security cameras that send live footage directly to your cellphone or web browser.

Foscam IP cameras, or in lamans terms, ‘internet cameras’, simply require a wifi signal that they can pick up on where they are installed (either ADSL or by means of 3G), and a standard electric point. Once the camera is configured, download an app to your smartphone and no matter where you are in the world, you will be able to login and monitor your most prized assets.

So if you are going on holiday this December, or simply want to beef up your security, why not take a look at our website, www.foscam.co.za where you can purchase your security cameras online. We deliver countrywide and sell a wide range of indoor and outdoor security cameras to suit your needs.

Foscam South Africa
Tel: 011 4695165
www.foscam.co.za