PRESS RELEASE
12 June 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

StateoftheART is proud to present 'A Reflection Of Us', an exhibition of mixed media, drawings and paintings by Lisette Forsyth on the Exhibition Wall.

"The present and the past meet by some divine intervention called art . A reflection of us. I work on found surfaces from 1860s Government Gazette pages to scrap pieces of wood. The surface dictates the subject: the people, their body language, unique style and characters all develop into a perfect match." - Lisette Forsyth

Lisette constantly experiments with media and subject matter. Her compulsion to recycle pushes her towards mixed media. The contrasts and contradictions of Cape Town and its people provide the inspiration for her work.

Opening 3rd July @ 6pm closes Saturday 19th July @2pm

61 Shortmarket Street, Cape Town.
Gallery hours: 10am-5pm weekdays, 10am-2pm Saturdays.

The exhibition will run concurrently online from the 2nd July - 19th of July.
For more information please contact Jennifer on 0724709272 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Press Release - 08 June 2014

The Department of Internal Therapeutics at the University of the Free State has signed a collaboration agreement to establish a brand new Metabolic Research Unit at the University.   The agreement was signed at a gala event at the Bloemfontein campus on Monday 2 June, 2014.   Christo Strydom, a nutritionist and internationally known for his treatment of Lymphoedema, has invested R5 million for the establishment of this unit at the University of the Free State. Strydom is also the founder and owner of Christo Strydom Nutrition.   The unit will focus on obesity, diabetes, metabolic bone ailments as well as  related illnesses such as cholesterol, cancer, psoriasis, lymphoedema, tiredness, high blood pressure, arthritis, fibrosis, skin disorders, PMT, migraine, insomnia, gall, kidney stones, infections and obstructive sleep apnea.  

According to Professor Willie Molentze, a world renown geriatrician at the Department of Internal Therapeutics, the research will also include clinical testing.  

Professor Mollentze will together with Dr Wimpie de Lange and Dr Gerda Marx form the team that will establish and develop the Metabolic Research Unit   South Africa, as is the case in other developing countries, is burdened by non contagious illnesses such as overweight and obesity says Prof Mollentze.  

The first South African Health and Nutrition research report in 2013 states that approximately 34% men and 65% women in South Africa are overweight or suffer from obesity.   

Approximately 18 months ago the team at the University became aware of the success   Strydom was having in treating Lymphoedema patients and people with obesity and they approached him with the intention of signing a collaboration agreement.   During 2013 Strydom made international headlines with his methods. More successes have followed and will soon be televised on Discovery Channel under the auspices of medical and scientific breakthroughs.   During 2011 the world took cognizance of the Lymphoedema sufferer Sophia Loots, who was sent home to die. Strydom started treating her with his CSN soup based eating pattern and today she leads a near normal life.   When Strydom met her she weighed 300kg and was shortly before told that medically nothing could be done for her and that she had maximum six months to live. On 24 May 2013 she had shed two thirds of her weight and weighed 87kg as a result of the CSN eating pattern.   Recently Strydom, who is a professional teacher on air dynamics and air flow, astonished the world by setting a new record for weight loss. Du Toit van der Merwe of Namibia lost 82kg in 46 days.    

More information on Strydom: Christo Strydom, one of SA’s youngest flying instructors, way back in the 70s, met an Indian pilot, who was also a doctor, who gave him the recipe for a healthy vegetable soup to contain his weight in a safe manner for the regular medical exams that pilots have to undergo.   From flying he progressed into becoming a very successful property developer, game farmer and entered the hospitality trade with the well known Bains Lodge in Bloemfontein as flagship.   About eight years ago Strydom saw the pain and suffering of friends and colleagues who were experiencing lifestyle diseases – and he recalled the soup recipe. He started experimenting and added fresh fruit, certain vegetables and protein. After much trial and error and the refining of the eating pattern, CSN was born.    

Strydom made in depth studies of flow dynamics while he was a flying instructor and commercial pilot as well as when he obtained his Category A captain’s skipper license. He realized that the same principles of flow dynamics (Bernoulli and Venturi effects) can effectively be used in the treating of Lymphedema. By removing the blockages in the lymph tubes (which is caused by protein in the lymph system) the lymph fluids can freely flow again.  

See interview on kykNet’s Ontbytsake where Christo tells about the birth of CSN on their face book page

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzZSv7djdrY

Contact number:   021 856 4299 Website: 

www.csnc.co.za 

Big data has opened marketers’ eyes to large volumes of intelligence that can help them improve their campaigns and eventually gain an edge against the competition. One of the branches of intelligence that is currently growing in popularity is social intelligence.

With marketers mining through social media to learn about the thoughts and behaviours of their target audiences, they are expected to overcome the limitations of traditional intelligence gathering. As a result, they no longer have to depend on public and proprietary resources or depend on time-exhausting tests and costly analytic methods.

By accessing the data collected via social platforms, more accurate decisions can be made. This is possible since marketers can create more advanced models that help them understand their customers and predict their future actions via past transactional performance, real-time online and social sentiment, and the current market conditions. For instance, marketers using advanced social intelligence can tap into the interests, hobbies and media consumption of consumers, identifying the best marketing channels and customising messages that have a large impact on them.

Social intelligence can also help businesses tap into trends in real-time and capitalise on them right away. A good example of this is Charlie Sheen’s #winning hashtag, which created a major trend that touched all industries. As the trend grew popular, McDonald’s suggested a new menu item called McWinning. While the item was suggested as a joke, McDonald was able to generate more than 15 000 retweets including one by Sheen himself and generate public relations worth over USD20 million in impressions. This comes to prove how important social intelligence can be when used wisely.

McDonald’s tweet also highlights how monitoring social media activity has become the norm. Also known as social listening, this process assists marketers in identifying opportunities and determining a path for their future endeavors. According to Julian Ardagh, CEO of Effective Intelligence, professional listening tools can enhance the effectiveness of marketer-consumer social engagement and ultimately ensure results.

He comments: “Marketers who aspire to gain the most from social intelligence need to embrace social listening processes in order to uncover content ideas, connect with potential buyers online and offline, and discover true brand advocates. Content ideas help embellish marketers’ messages, while the second and third ensure that these messages find their audience and go beyond them to others who may share the same need.”

Currently, social media data is collected to ensure that customers’ negative message are neutralised through smart responses and to come up with insights that help improve overall service problem areas. However, the future of social intelligence will not be limited to these as marketers plan to utilise its findings to form automated campaigns that satisfy the queries and needs of different consumers within their target market. The question you should ask yourself is: “How do you align your strategy to be part of social intelligence when it dominates the world of marketing?”

Leading South African Payment Gateway, Setcom Payment Solutions, today announced their partnership with innovative e-commerce solution provider, Digital Planet. This partnership will enable Setcom to introduce a wider range of e-commerce services to their existing portfolio of online credit card processing, SID Instant EFT and mobile payment solutions.

“We feel that Digital Planet’s services would be of great value to our client base, as they have a proven track record in terms of optimising efficiencies across the entire e-commerce value chain. We look forward to collaborating with Digital Planet to provide our clients with holistic e-commerce solutions that will have a positive impact on their business performance,” said Setcom CEO, Kumalan Naidoo.

Digital Planet has been assisting some of South Africa’s biggest businesses and brands for over 15 years by enabling e-commerce efficiencies and helping their clients realise e-commerce goals. Running a successful e-commerce business can be very challenging, as it requires efficiencies in a number of areas, such as website design and development, payment integration, digital marketing, fulfilment, customer service and logistics. This is where Digital Planet’s expertise can help improve and streamline competencies across the board.

“Digital Planet continually strives to add value to our clients, and working with Setcom has allowed us to offer more flexibility to our clients when it comes to online payments. This is very important to us because secure payment methods are one of the most important consideration factors for online shoppers in South Africa,” added Cassie van Wyk, Head of E-commerce at Digital Planet.

Setcom facilitates secure credit card and SID Instant EFT transactions across multiple channels, making them a one-stop payment solution partner. Setcom’s payment infrastructure paired with Digital Planet’s e-commerce expertise will surely make for a winning combination for years to come.

About Setcom:

Setcom has been one of South Africa’s most trusted Payment Gateways since 1998. They offer secure online and mobile credit card payment processing, SID instant EFT and fraud prevention services to entrepreneurs looking for a reliable, affordable payment solutions partner.

Part of the Setcom methodology is to offer traditional and non-traditional payment types across multiple channels, partnered with an effective reporting and reconciliation platform that enables efficient processing of payments. The offering is further enhanced by a fraud and risk management system that operates across multiple channels to ensure optimal business performance.

As payments evolved through traditional retail environments and the Internet, Setcom has been at the forefront of developing products that not only differentiate, but allows business to partner with technology to expedite growth and revenues. For more information, visit www.setcom.com.

About Digital Planet:

For more than a decade, Digital Planet has helped companies build and manage profitable online businesses. They offer a complete solution: world-class e-commerce websites, back-end order management systems, e-commerce expertise, online marketing, call centre services and fulfillment services.

Digital Planet was founded in September 1999 when they launched the Digital Planet online electronics store. It was early days for the e-commerce industry in South Africa and there weren’t many skills available, so they built our own end-to-end solution for the business. This solution included the front end marketing, merchandising and technology, as well as the back-end logistics and customer services. They mastered all the nuances of a virtual business in South Africa.

They soon had customers knocking on their door to help them build and run their own online businesses. Digital Planet quickly won clients including the major brands Hewlett-Packard and Discovery Vitality, both of which are still with Digital Planet today, more than a decade later. For more information, visit www.digitalplanet.co.za.

The Twitter Blanket Drive (TBD) is a uniquely South African, community-driven response to the needs of the poor during the winter months of the year. Initiated in 2010 by Founder, Melanie Minnaar, the Twitter Blanket Drive started with a single tweet:

What if each person on Twitter donated a blanket?

Since then, the Twitter Blanket Drive movement has grown exponentially, and thousands of blankets have been collected, and thereafter distributed to a range of social assistance organisations across the country. For 2014, events will be held across the country on 29 May. Through a well-coordinated and objectively managed process, collection points and events are created across the country. Various events are held and take the form of a “Tweetup”, whereby Twitter users tweet about donating their blankets and all enjoy a meal or drink at the collection point. Collection points have generally been restaurants or cafes.

The Twitter Blanket Drive has injected a true sense of community into the South African Twittersphere, as Twitter users across the country join in to help disadvantaged communities keep warm during the winter months.

Official #TBD2014 events will take place at:

Johannesburg – Protea Hotel, Fire and Ice - 22 Whitley Street, Melrose Precinct 

Cape Town – Protea Hotel, Fire and Ice - New Church Street, Tamboerskloof

Durban – Protea Hotel, Umhlanga Ridge – 14 Palm Boulevard, Umhlanga

Drop off Venues Include 

Spiga D’Oro (Morningside)         Spiga D’Oro (Durban North)          St Clement’s (Musgrave)

For people who are unable to attend the main event on 29 May, there are also a number of collection points across the cities – tweet @tbdafrica for a full list! For Durban, blanket collection boxes have been placed at: The Durban Twitter Blanket Drive will collect blankets for Grace Family Church. All blankets donated will be handed over to Grace Family Church, who will distribute them to a variety of social assistance organisations throughout KwaZulu-Natal.

ENDS For more information on events, blanket collection points and beneficiaries, please contact: Durban Twitter Blanket Drive Event Organiser – Fred Felton @fredfelton Johannesburg Twitter Blanket Drive Event Organiser – Serena Grobler @SerenaCG Cape Town Twitter Blanket Drive Event Organiser – Merentia van der Ven - @Merentia Follow the Twitter Blanket Drive on Twitter: #TBD2014 @tbdafrica

Web: www.twitterblanketdrive.wordpress.com

The Upper Room Communion – the leading sexual and gender diversity affirming church in Durban will be celebrating the International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia 2014. 

A march for free expression will take place along the city’s beachfront on 17 May starting at 09:30, from South beach to the North beach amphitheater.

 As a church and with the LGBT community in Durban, the parade will proceed along the Golden Mile, with all invited to be dressed to the nines in celebration of the international theme “Free Expression”.   They will also walk in solidarity with their brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe, Uganda and elsewhere in Africa where the freedoms taken for granted in South Africa could result in severe punishments and death.  

Even in progressive countries, violence and discrimination against LGBT people still exists in the form of discriminatory laws, unjust representations in the media, unfair treatment by employers, negative social attitudes, and even in everyday interactions with people we care about, and who care about us. On 17 May 2014, protesters will gather around the world to speak out against homophobia and transphobia

The ‘IDAHOT 2014 Beach Walk’ will take place on May 17, from 9.30 am starting at South Beach; and is a free event to which all invited to attend, either as colourful participants or allies walking in camaraderie.  

About IDAHOT 2014 In at least 77 countries around the world today, same sex relationships are illegal, at times involving life-time imprisonment. In 7 countries, same sex acts are even punishable by death. In almost all countries, freedom for people to live out and to express their true gender identities – and to have them rightfully recognised by the state – is harshly limited by transphobic laws and attitudes.  

For key facts on the global movement International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia 2014, visit http://dayagainsthomophobia.org

Focus on technology to assist teachers in the classroom

Thousands of teachers and education experts will gather for the annual African EduWeek from 10-11 July in Johannesburg for an interactive conference and expo that will empower them through technology, skills and interaction with their peers. 

Says African EduWeek event director Tanya Jackman: “We want to promote the idea that the power to create change in education lies in the hands of the individual. At African EduWeek teachers will be able to attend practical and hands-on workshops which train and enhance their teaching skills in the classroom and enhancing the learning experience of their students. They will also focus on the issues which teachers face every day such as overcrowding, safety & security, teaching in a school with a multitude of languages and lack of infrastructure.”

She continues: “African EduWeek is the only event in South Africa that showcases some of the world’s leading educational technology brands. Teachers will not only get to learn about the latest technologies and innovations within the education sector but will also get quality time with the creators and suppliers, providing working demonstrations and best practice advice for practical implementation. We don’t want teachers to feel intimidated by the word technology, but to empower them to effectively implement the latest teaching methods into their classroom.”

Africans understand the value of education
Many well-known suppliers to the education sector are backing the event, particularly Intel who is the diamond sponsor.  Says Andre Christian, Education Business Development Manager at Intel: “Africans, without a doubt, understand the value of a good education. This acceptance of education, allows for a market with a willing attitude to embrace technology in education. There is a need to ensure teachers are able, skilled and confident to teach using this technology.” 

“Integrating technology into teaching and learning” he adds, “has the potential to enable equal access to quality education resources. If we want all the children of South Africa to have access to quality education, it implies that they should have access to technology to enable this engagement.”

Some conference highlights:

Opening session:  Chairman:Graeme Bloch, Independent Education Specialist

• Why teacher education should include neuroscience

Dr Judy Willis, Neurologist turned classroom teacher, United States of America

• African Education Update: Is Africa’s education potential beyond the Millennium Development Goals being met?

Panel of experts includes:

• Edem Adubra, Chief of Section, International Taskforce on Teachers, UNESCO, France
• Prof. Rehabeam Auala, Professor of Educational Management and Leadership, University of Namibia, Namibia
• Marius Ehrenreich, President, South Africa Principles Association, South Africa
• Breaking boundaries and reaching your full potential

Sheri Brynard, Teacher, South Africa – first person with Downs syndrome to qualify as a teacher

More African EduWeek speakers to look forward to:

• Daya Chetty, Principal, Laudium Secondary School & Gauteng SAPA President, South Africa
• Jaye Richards – Hill, Director, Education Technology and Training, Tablet Academy Africa/Middle East, South Africa
• Kobus Van Wyk, Head of e-learning, Mustek, South Africa
• Hazel Bonarett, Teacher, Springs Boys High School, South Africa
• Lulu Burger, iPad Training Manager, Apple, South Africa
• Brett St. Clair, Enterprise Country Manager, Google, South Africa
• Justin Lupele, Chief of Party, WASH Project, Zambia

•   Michael Lenora, Managing Director, Vanquis Bank, & Trustee, Hatua Charity, Kenya

African EduWeek dates and location:

Expo and conference:  10-11 July

Pre-conference: 9 July 2014
Venue:  Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa

Website:  www.educationweek.co.za

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.

Large energy users are investigating the scope behind alternative sources to achieve self-sufficiency  

CAPE TOWN, South Africa. – 17 April, 2014 – The South African renewable energy landscape is set to change rapidly in the next decade with the government targeting the sector as a possible source of employment opportunities. The strong procurement process in a relatively stable political environment, linked with long-term targets and proactive legislation from the government, will trigger expansion. Several major energy users are privately investigating the potential behind alternative energies and building these costs into their strategic plans.  

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, The Renewable Energy Services Market and its Potential in South Africa, finds that renewable energy is expected to account for more than 20 percent of South Africa’s total power generation capacity by 2030 in comparison to the less than 5 percent it currently contributes.  

Global pressure, especially from developed countries where coal is increasingly less of a major part of the energy feedstock mix, will promote the use of clean energy in South Africa. Increasing climate change awareness and the enforcement of policies, such as the proposed carbon tax, will accelerate the shift to renewable energy.  

“The South African government has identified the development of a green economy as one of the job drivers in the country, in turn, encouraging investments in renewable energy,” said Frost & Sullivan Consulting Manager for Energy & Environment Johan Muller. “Over and above the necessity of direct jobs for building power plants, other jobs such as those for operation and maintenance,  resource economists and experts on monitoring and evaluation will open up.”  

Following the feed-in tariff initiative and the subsequent independent power producer tender process, South Africa has a host of renewable power initiatives in the pipeline. As market participants look to tap into this gap in the market, they face numerous teething problems. The slow implementation of the feed-in tariff, the unavailability of data, and the cost of the procurement process stall the market’s surge forward. Coal-fired electricity, even with the recent 25 percent price rise, is still more feasible than renewable energy, especially from a baseload perspective.  

“From a private investment point of view, the main challenges included both the lack of local technical know-how and skills- however with more than 60 projects in different stages of completion this challenge is quickly being eroded,” revealed Muller. “Employing overseas transfer programmes can bridge the divide and integrating skills over time will ensure better control and competitiveness in the nascent market.”  

If you are interested in more information on this study, please send an e-mail to Samantha James, Corporate Communications, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  

The Renewable Energy Services Market and its Potential in South Africa is part of the Energy & Power (http://www.energy.frost.com) Growth Partnership Service program. Frost & Sullivan’s related studies include: Annual State of the South African Electricity Industry, Power Infrastructure Tracker in Northern Africa, Energy Efficiency and Large South African Commercial Businesses, and The African Gas Turbine Market. All studies included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.  

About Frost & Sullivan   Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants.   Our “Growth Partnership” supports clients by addressing these opportunities and incorporating two key elements driving visionary innovation: The Integrated Value Proposition and The Partnership Infrastructure. 

The Integrated Value Proposition provides support to our clients throughout all phases of their journey to visionary innovation including: research, analysis, strategy, vision, innovation and implementation.        

The Partnership Infrastructure is entirely unique as it constructs the foundation upon which visionary innovation becomes possible. This includes our 360 degree research, comprehensive industry coverage, career best practices as well as our global footprint of more than 40 offices.     For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Is your organisation prepared for the next profound wave of industry convergence, disruptive technologies, increasing competitive intensity, Mega Trends, breakthrough best practices, changing customer dynamics and emerging economies?
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The Renewable Energy Services Market and its Potential in South Africa

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Contact: Samantha James
Corporate Communications – Africa
P: +27 21 680 3574
F: +27 21 680 3296
E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
http://www.frost.com

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