In honour of Women’s Month in August, we’re highlighting the significant contributions of women as the driving force behind creating safer experiences on the road. Those who believe they can change things for the better and do just that. 

To celebrate these phenomenal women, Dunlop has created a ‘Women driving the world forward’ website showcasing those who’ve steered the automotive sector to success, from early inventors of prominent car safety features that continue to save lives every day, to present-day, women-owned South African businesses and the company's own employees driving society forward. 

Lubin Ozoux, CEO of Dunlop tyre manufacturer, Sumitomo Rubber South Africa (SRSA), said, “We as a brand are delighted to celebrate the strength and resilience of women, not just this month but always. Women have made outstanding contributions to our sector that are often unheard of. From the woman who helped us take to the road safely, to the modern-day pioneers driving change in our own company, this Women’s Month is a great opportunity to celebrate their continued impact.” 

The Dunlop ‘Women driving the world forward’ campaign highlights how women were behind a number of important safety features, from brake pads invented in 1888 by Bertha Benz, wife of the founder of Mercedes Benz, to windscreen wipers invented by Mary Anderson in 1903. The first mechanical indicator and brake signal were invented in 1914 by silent-film star, Florence Lawrence, while closer to Dunlop’s own world, Stephanie Kwolek, a chemist, invented the lightweight Kevlar® polymer fibre in 1965 that is stronger than steel and used to make resilient, puncture-resistant tyres. 

The tyre manufacturer is also showcasing women-owned Dunlop dealerships and the women breaking new ground and achieving success in their fields of expertise within Dunlop’s own business, from factory engineering, to HR, Marketing, Finance and more. 

Dunlop believes in making a valuable contribution in rebuilding South Africa and it starts with supporting small businesses, as they play an integral role in our economic success. The Dunlop ‘Women driving the world forward’ campaign was, therefore, conceptualised with this in mind. Through this campaign, four small, women-owned businesses who represent safe travel and female empowerment, will be supported and given the platform to grow, with Dunlop encouraging its own employees and community to further support these start-ups by using their services, donating or purchasing their merchandise. 

They include Nakita Naee'lah Dellwaria and Chloe Homer, who in 2020 launched Safe Space, a female-run start-up that maps Gender Based Violence hotspots and enables the public to report any GBV incidents. These reports are fed onto a live map where they can be accessed by the public, empowering them with knowledge on the safety of an area. 

Dunlop is also supporting Palesa Mashinini, who in 2019, started Secanity and began selling its Woke keychain alarm. When activated, this alarm produces a 140-decibel alert which radiates up to 200 meters, allowing women to draw attention to themselves in emergency situations.  

Also receiving support from Dunlop is ParkUpp, started in 2016 as a digital platform that enables drivers to find and rent safe parking spaces while empowering the owners of these parking bays to earn an extra income by renting them out.  

In the spirit of Women’s Month, Dunlop has donated R10 000 to each of these three businesses to show its support. 

Rounding up the list is Ladies Own Transport Services (LOTS), a taxi service started in the Cape Flats by Joanie Fredericks, where taxi drivers are all female, trained in self-defence and fetch passengers from safe locations.  Joanie is also behind an all-female driving school to protect women against unwanted advances by their instructors, ensuring they go on to become independent members of society. This Women’s Month, Dunlop has donated tyres for three of LOTS’s company vehicles so that they can continue empowering women. 

You can visit the Dunlop Women website and celebrate the women driving the world forward.

• Currently, tourism in Southern Africa is dominated by giant monopolies that do not capture the essence of Africa; nor do they work with locals to ensure sustainability of the industry;
• The SAIS challenge focusses on boosting entrepreneurship and sustainable income opportunities in the tourism industry in Southern Africa;
• Opportunities to be addressed are empowering women in tourism, lowering the prevailing 80/20 tourism-spend ratio between large and small tourism players, and recreating “Brand Africa”. 

Johannesburg, 8 August 2019 – Coinciding with Women’s Month, the Research Institute for Innovation and Sustainability (RIIS),along with their Batswana partners; The Botswana Institute for Technology, Research and Innovation (BITRI) and Brynston Creations, launched their SAIS open innovation tourism challenge aimed at empowering women in tourism, while also focussing on lowering the prevailing 80/20 tourism-spend ratio between large and small tourism players, and recreating “Brand Africa”.

The challenge aims to increase the confidence of women in the workplace while providing business models that ensure the safety of all female staff in the tourism sector. Particular attention is also being paid to including women in rural areas and empowering disabled women in the industry. 

When asked about the challenge, RIIS Executive Clen Cook said: “There’s a lot of boxes that need to be ticked in this challenge. We want to mould the tourism industry into a sector that uplifts women and provides them with an equal opportunity to earn a sustainable income. By creating a landscape in which gender diversification is possible, we will hopefully ultimately see an increased female ownership of tourism facilities.”

More information around this latest initiative can be found on https://www.oiregionalconnect.com/.

Contact: Alana Kruger

Project Manager

Research Institute for Innovation and Sustainability (RIIS) 

Switchboard: +27 12 012 5015

Cell: +27 72 607 0332

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

According to a new survey, “What Women Want,” distributed through the MyEcho Survey Platform, which gathered some noteworthy data from over 1,000 South African women; women know exactly what they want.

The survey explored women’s views on retail, beauty, health, destinations, food & drink and relationships. The results are of keen interest to these industries. Bette Midler in What Women Want said it best, “If you know what women want, you can rule!”

Which beauty products do women splurge on? What beauty product do women opt for when budget is an issue? These are some of the questions that are addressed in the beauty section.  The results reveal that the go to product for women is lipstick while foundation is what women are mostly likely to splurge on. A product that was specifically mentioned several times, is Estee Lauder foundation.

The health section explores ‘hot’ topics such as the biggest health concern for women and what their gynaecologist gender preference is. When asked about the biggest health concern, women of all ages said that weight is of great concern, this is followed by stress and cancer.The survey reveals interesting insights into how women feel about a male versus female gynaecologist. 71% of women who completed the survey said that they prefer a female gynaecologist.

"I feel more comfortable with someone who shares the same reproductive organs as me", "She knows her body and thus I feel she is more capable of knowing mine" and "Just can't understand how a man can help a woman with female problems when they have never experienced any of it" were cited as the reasons.One area of intrigue is the relationship section where women were asked about what they would like their partner to improve on and how a healthy relationship is maintained.  Communication came out on top as the most crucial aspect of a healthy relationship.  Furthermore, women would like their partners to simply spend more time with them.For the men out there who still don’t know what to buy their partners on special occasions, women want jewellery!

Here are some other key takeaways:

• Women were asked about their destination preferences. For a girl’s getaway, a spa type destination took preference, the best romantic destination is Paris and for a family holiday, Cape Town came out on top.
• Woolworths came out on top as the brand that tailors most to South African women. Interestingly, the 18-24 age category decided on RT (Mr Price). The best thing about being women is being able to give birth/ be a mother, followed by the joys of being able to dress up.
• Women were asked about their favourite clothing item and while jeans are the favourite across all age categories, jumpsuits, skirts and crop tops were mentioned by the younger age groups only.
• According to South African women, the top three retailers with the best promotional sales are Mr Price, Woolworths and Edgars.

About the survey
The What Women Want survey was conducted through the MyEcho Survey Platform in partnership with Mooiste Clothing Boutique. The survey covered topics around what South African women want in retail, beauty, health, destinations, food & drink and relationships. A web survey was distributed on social media on Women’s Day 2018 where 1,151 responses were collected across South Africa from women of different age and race categories.  MyEcho was developed by Lightstone Consumer, a well-established Market Research company based in Port Elizabeth. It is easy-to-use survey software for the collection of customer, employee and partner feedback and other online surveys.

For more information: MyEcho (by Lightstone Consumer)
www.my-echo.co.za

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

Mooiste Boutique
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
082 745 2781 

The CEO of The Liz McGrath Collection, Jacqui Elliot is a hospitality veteran with a formidable career history spanning over 30-years. Having earned her stripes across inter-continental and local hotel brands, Jacqui joined The Collection by Liz McGrath as Chief Executive Officer in May 2014 and carries responsibility for the group’s three hotels and overall company performance. Not only does Jacqui bring vast experience to The Liz McGrath Collection, she’s synonymous with excellent leadership qualities, outstanding communication skills, a dynamic personality and (a prerequisite for anyone in the hospitality industry), an unfailing sense of humour.

The Liz McGrath Collection was founded by its namesake Mrs Liz McGrath, one of the few women in the world to own three hotels. Since Jacqui’s appointment, she’s been steadfast in keeping the legacy of the successful and powerful businesswomen alive. Commenting on her mentor Jacqui says, “I had the privilege of working for and learning from Mrs M for only eight months before she passed, but in that short time I was truly inspired by what she had achieved as a woman in the hospitality industry. It’s important to me that we maintain her standards of excellence across all our hotels’ operations.”

Jacqui’s repertoire is firmly entrenched in launching and managing demanding hotel portfolios with her signature, considered touch. On the approach that a boutique hotel demands, Jacqui comments, “Small hotels give you the opportunity to go the extra mile and make magic for your guests. Fewer rooms mean that they vary and have unique character, and that you can offer more personal service and a more customised experience, which sets the experience apart from one you’d have at a large corporate venue."

Over the course of her career, Jacqui has seen much development across the continent. “Africa as a commercial and tourism hub continues to be very exciting. The number of hotel groups represented is constantly growing and with this comes expertise and the opportunity to develop and train local talent,” she says. This bodes well too for more equitable gender representation, as more women are being appointed to senior positions. “During my time in central Africa, this was still mostly unheard of. I recall featuring on the front page of a local newspaper - my appointment clearly being newsworthy.

”Jacqui has often been the only woman in a boardroom environment, and maintains that it comes down to exuding confidence. “It can be tricky to be a woman in that context, and I don’t believe it will ever change completely. I think it’s up to each individual to prove their own worth, and one way to ensure your standing is to know your subject very, very well.” 

It’s not just determination and ambition that denotes success in her eyes, though. Jacqui believes that humility is one of the most powerful attributes you can possess. When it comes to dealing with colleagues, clients and customers, she feels emotional intelligence is absolutely crucial. “If you can master this and manage your team with well-developed EQ skills you will find that you enjoy your role so much more,” she adds. 

Job appreciation is essential in such a demanding role. “The industry does require long hours and one often has to forego special events in your personal life in order to manage the business well. But I’ve always been driven to land that next big position and most importantly, I’ve had heaps of fun on this journey,” concludes Jacqui. 

 PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY:

Scout PR and Social Media

Contact: Louise De Kock via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or +27 (0) 21 685 0169

Carly de Jong is the General Manager (GM) of Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Newlands, a position she was appointed to in August 2018. Having cut her teeth on global hotel brands, Carly remains one of the only female Radisson Hotel General Managers in South Africa. 

As one of eight brands within Radisson Hotel Group, the hallmarks of Park Inn by Radisson include colour, comfort and fun, as evidenced by the Newlands hotel’s vibrant décor, lobby bar and activity facilities. Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Newlands is also a staunch advocate of the Deaf and hard-of-hearing; currently the Deaf Federation of South Africa (Deaf SA) owns 51% of Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Newlands, which in turn offers support and career prospects to the Deaf and employs a Deaf staff compliment of 19%. 

Carly leads with humility, and is rigorous in her mentorship of both Deaf and hearing staff. “Both hearing staff and guests have benefited from our Deaf crew members who patiently teach sign language to anyone who wants to learn,” she comments.  

Prior to joining Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Newlands, Carly worked for hotels in the CBD and surrounds in Cape Town. The suburban setting of the Southern Suburbs, in her view, allows Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Newlands the freedom to be more creative in their offering of a more relaxed environment. “The inclusion of our Deaf staff also brings a different angle to our team at Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Newlands.”

 After studying PR and business communication at Damelin College, Carly moved to London where she worked at the front desk of a corporate hotel in 1999. A series of promotions followed until Carly finally chose to return to South Africa, where she joined the Best Western in Zonnebloem, Cape Town.  

Her first job with the Radisson Hotel Group was as Service Manager at the Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront, the Group’s flagship hotel in Africa, in 2003; thereafter she joined The Bay Hotel (Camps Bay) as an Assistant Front Office Manager, followed by eight years at the Southern Sun Cape Sun where she advanced from Front Office Manager to Rooms Division Manager.  

Returning to Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront in 2014, Carly found that the company had progressed greatly in its efforts to support and advance female employees. “More than half of the executive team at the Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront was female by then,” she explains. “The Radisson Hotel Group embraces gender equality and diversity and supports these through numerous activities and initiatives.”

One such initiative is the System to Enhance Productivity and Service (STEPS) program, which involves workshops aimed at supporting female employees to build new skills and awareness of their talents, passions and capabilities, as well as emphasising growth paths, opportunities, the work/life balance, career management and impactful communication. In South Africa, women make up a mere 44% of the skilled workforce including managers, and so programs like this indicate Radisson Hotel Group’s wholehearted commitment to women's empowerment. A STEPS graduate herself, Carly adds: “I think there’s huge value in giving women clear career guidance to enable them to envision their career path.” 

Carly takes great pride in seeing women she employed climb the ranks in the hotel industry. As the GM of Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Newlands, her goal is to help other hotel employees achieve their career goals as she continues to grow in her position.

ISSUED BY: Scout PR & Social Media

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

+27 (0) 21 685 0169 

***About Park Inn® by Radisson 

Park Inn® by Radisson is an upper midscale hotel brand that delivers stress-free experiences, good food and upbeat environments. Park Inn® by Radisson positively lifts our guests’ mood for a happy stay – with clever use of color; inspired, contemporary design; and friendly personalised service with surprising, feel-good extras. Park Inn® by Radisson hotels are in capital cities, around economic and transit hubs, and conveniently situated near airports and railway stations. Guests and professional business partners can enhance their experience with Park Inn® by Radisson by participating in Radisson Rewards™, a global loyalty program offering exceptional benefits and rewards. Park Inn® by Radisson is a part of Radisson Hotel Group, which also includes Radisson Collection™, Radisson Blu®, Radisson®, Radisson RED®, Park Plaza®, Country Inn & Suites® by Radisson and prizeotel.  

For reservations and more information visit, www.parkinn.com.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parkinnbyradisson/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/parkinn

Facebook: https://facebook.com/parkinn/   

Spoil yourself, your friends, your co-workers or any special woman in your life this Women’s Day. In fact – at Fairlawns Boutique Hotel & Spa, the whole month is dedicated to celebrating the ladies.   Isn’t it wonderful that there is a day dedicated to women for their remarkable ability to peacefully bring about change?

It is a time to truly honour the impact women make! To celebrate, do something that makes you feel special, or treat someone secretly even, and let your inner Goddesses out to play.   After all, women give life, can make something out of nothing, juggle multiple roles, can break barriers, be leaders and be beautiful while doing it!

There are so many reasons to celebrate being a woman and just as many ways to do it! And, the five-star Fairlawns Boutique Hotel & Spa is the perfect place to celebrate Women’s Day! Set amongst lush acres of landscaped gardens you will find an urban oasis in Johannesburg. Every aspect of this spectacular boutique hotel is designed to delight the senses and make you feel like the queen that you are!

This Women’s Day, Fairlawns have a special treat planned where a well-known beauty and cosmetic house will be sharing image and beauty secrets that will make the Goddess in you, shine even brighter. We all know that happiness is irresistible. Should you wish to celebrate during the month of August, come dine in our award-winning restaurant, Amuse-Bouche, which boasts a sophisticated à la carte menu for the discerning palate, paired with a Platinum Award Winning wine list. Spoil yourself in the eccentric Manor House Bistro restaurant for a more casual, al fresco dining of your favourite café style meals.

An absolute must is the ultra-modern MUSE Champagne Room – either by the fireplace or soaking in the sunset – perfect for all weather. All Goddesses need to treat their body as a temple, and the best place to do that is in the exquisite bamboo forest gardens of the Balinese-style Spa at Fairlawns.

With a range of therapies and signature Asian-inspired treatments, a team of skilled therapists are able to bring you back to a state of calm and natural wellbeing. However, you decide to celebrate Women’s Day enjoy it, savour it and be proud to be a woman!

“Live your best life....let your Inner Goddess out to Play!”  ― Paula Weisflock To book call Fairlawns on 011-808 7300 or visit www.fairlawns.co.za.

Johannesburg, Gauteng – 9 July 2018 - American Founder of Pursue Your Purpose LLC and Forbes Coach, Tamiko Cuellar, will be launching a 4-city "Own Your Brilliance! Tour throughout South Africa and Namibia for aspiring and emerging women entrepreneurs from 11-20 August 2018 in honor of National Women's Month. The first-of-its-kind tour will be a series of Master Class workshops taught by Cuellar and are based on her 3rd book release, "Own Your Brilliance! - A Woman's Guide to Hiring Herself." Aspiring and emerging women are strongly encouraged to attend this event.

The tour will commence in Johannesburg on August 11th, then to Windhoek, Namibia on August 14th, to East London on August 18th, and end in Cape Town on August 20th. "South Africa and Namibia have some of the most talented and capable professional women who are seeking to be empowered to start or run their own businesses successfully. As an International Business Strategist, I am coming to help them get to their next level," says Cuellar. Attendees will leave inspired and equipped to own their brilliance and with ways they can prosper by using their gifts, talents, skills, and abilities on their own terms as entrepreneurs.

Notable sponsors including the University of South Africa (UNISA) and the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) have joined forces with this powerful event. East London-based firm Epitomely PRM, has also partnered with the event to market it in Eastern Cape and has brought on Cape Town based NGO Womandla as the official Corporate Social Initiative client so that a portion of the ticket proceeds can benefit the Womandla Foundation for women in Africa. Mamoyo Media House in Johannesburg is an official media partner of the event.

Details of the Master Class and registration can be found on the registration page.   A special opportunity for discounted coaching with Cuellar will be made available to a select number of women who register early. Spaces are limited.  During the Master Class, Cuellar will share her personal journey that inspired her to write the "Own Your Brilliance!" book and teach practical lessons and strategies from the book to equip women to run successful businesses.  A free copy of the e-book will be provided to every woman who registers for the event. Tamiko Cuellar is the CEO and Founder of Pursue Your Purpose LLC, a global coaching firm based in the U.S. for aspiring and emerging women entrepreneurs internationally. She is a member of the Forbes Coaches Council, a regular contributor to Forbes.com and a former Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship. A proven leader in the global marketplace,

Tamiko has been invited to speak at corporations, conferences, churches, on several radio and TV programs, and more. Cuellar coaches high performing, purpose driven women globally with strategies to transition into entrepreneurship and to grow their businesses. For more information on Cuellar and her company, visit the company website.

In a highly transformative and evolving industry, the South African advertising landscape is not as representative as one would expect from such a progressive and diverse nation. Digital marketing in South Africa is still demonstrates an imbalanced gender dynamic.

In an industry where 45% of the workplace is female, a mere 3% of directorship is held by women. Today, only 2.4% of women are CEOs and Only 9.2% of women hold chairperson positions. Women in leadership positions remain a minority within an industry that does not lack female representation: 50% of graduates studying marketing degrees are women.

“Despite there being no shortage of women in the industry, there doesn’t seem to be nearly enough in leadership roles,” says Facebook Africa's regional director, Nunu Ntshingila. “We need to see women that are authentic, we need to see women that are empowered, and we need to see women that are progressive because our girls need to see not only that what is possible, they’ve got to see what they need to become.”

It seems that the advertising industry has no trouble attracting women to the field, it is retaining them that is the problem. Women in creative roles appear to leave the industry in the middle of their careers, a move which is primarily attributed to having children. While many women return to agency, taking a break often hinders the opportunity to progress in their careers. Further to this, women are challenged with work-life balance in ways that their male counterparts are not. One can argue that taking on the dual roles of motherhood and career woman shifts the focus from a dedicated climb up the career ladder.

While the representation of women in advertising agencies in general is a bone of contention, the diversity of women in this field is much to be desired. There is a pervasive lack of black women in creative leadership positions or founding their own agencies in comparison to the increasing amount of white women and black women in the same position. The focus needs to shift: diversity is not solely about the number of women in leadership roles, but rather consider that a wide array of cultures, races and ethnicities are represented within agencies. Ultimately, diversity results in creativity, innovation and progressive concepts; agencies will reap the rewards of an exceptional offering from an entirely inclusive workforce. Diversity does not lower the bar. Diversity raises it.

It is essential to have strong female leaders in advertising agencies to inspire and motivate other women. We must celebrate women of colour who hold positions of prominence in the industry. It is important to understand what the female workforce would need to help them stay in the industry - this could mean child care assistance, destigmatising flexi-time and correcting salary inequalities. At the end of the day, it is about creating an environment that empowers women and allows them the courage and self-confidence to flourish within their roles, as creatives and leaders.

About Keshia Patchiappen, Condriac CEO

Keshia Patchiappen is paving the way for women of colour with her dynamic, strategic approach to the realm of digital marketing and communications. Keshia has experienced a stellar career trajectory, rising from an intern to CEO through 11 years of experience across all advertising platforms. She has worked for global communication agencies and a vast number of clients ranging from automotive, construction, consumer and corporate brands.

Keshia is passionate about revolutionising the way in which brands are marketed in the digital space, and is extremely focused on the inclusion of data in cohesive Public Relations and Communications strategies. Her tenacity, creativity and thorough knowledge of the industry allows Condriac to continue to break new ground and provide clients with an invaluable competitive edge.

Johannesburg, 14 August 2017 In an industry where a mere 3% of directorship is held by women, Keshia Patchiappen is paving the way for women of colour with her dynamic, strategic approach to the realm of digital marketing and communications. Keshia has experienced a stellar career trajectory, rising from an intern to CEO through 11 years of experience across all advertising platforms.

Keshia initially took on a law degree, but by her second year of studies she had fallen in love with her second major - Communications. She completed her studies at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal in 2007, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media and Communications, English, Drama and Performance. Thereafter, her humble beginnings in the communications industry took place at Olivia Jones Communications in Durban, where she worked as an intern. Keshia then moved up to Johannesburg and began her tenure at The Creative Council as a Campaign Manager in 2008.

By the next year, Keshia had moved to Ogilvy as an Account Executive. During her five years here, she climbed through the ranks to Senior Account Manager and worked on brands such as Ford, SAP and Motorola.

Keshia joined Riverbed as an Account Director in 2014, and it was here that her flair for strategy, entrepreneurship and new business development flourished. She attributes her growth and passion for integrated communications solutions to her mentor, Monalisa Zwambila, Riverbed’s owner and director and all-round marketing and communications maverick. While at Riverbed, she worked on major accounts such as PPC and Nestle.

Keshia was appointed as a director and CEO of Condriac Digital Communications in March of 2017. She was drawn to Condriac because of the agency’s processes and attention to detail. She says the following, “Agencies often try and fit a square shape into a round hole; but at Condriac we’re different – we’re looking at individuals who don’t have specific qualifications but a certain mindset, a love of data, creativity and passion.” Keshia believes that diversity works hand-in-hand with creativity, and under her watchful eye, the Condriac team has grown from 4 to 22 people since April 2017.

Keshia is passionate about revolutionising the way in which brands are marketed in the digital space, and is extremely focused on the inclusion of data in cohesive Public Relations and Communications strategies. Data is central to all of Condriac’s strategies across the board in order to create tailored solutions to client’s unique needs. Keshia’s tenacity, creativity and thorough knowledge of the industry allows Condriac to continue to break new ground and provide clients with an invaluable competitive edge.

About Condriac

Condriac Digital Communications is a full-service communications agency that specialises in programmatic lead generation, public relations and web development. “We’re in the business of bridging the gaps between consumers and brands”.

The Condriac Digital Communications team will help you ensure that your brand remains engaging and relevant at an ever-evolving digital landscape, shaping your online footprint to meet the needs of demanding and digital-savvy clientele. Condriac follows the data, creating calculated, data-informed content, strategically placed online through social media and search engine optimisation, supported by targeted digital media to drive new and existing audiences in order to generate predictable and repeatable results.

KWAZULU- NATAL, PIETERMARITZBURG, 22 SEPTEMBER 2016 – After weeks of intense voting, Cascades Lifestyle Centre has announced that Rene Morcom of PMB Assist is the winner of their inaugural Woman of Substance Campaign, which was run throughout the month of August in celebration of Women’s month.

Rene Morcom, co-founder of Thandi House, which is Assist PMB's flagship project, received the highest number of votes ahead of Sinikiwe Biyela (Lifeline PMB and Rape Crisis Flagship), Julie Hay (Singakwenza) and Caro Smit (South Africans Against Drunk Driving - SADD).

As the winner of the Cascades Woman of Substance, Morcom receives R5000, and PMB Assist, receives a donation of R5 000, courtesy of Cascades Lifestyle Centre, as a ‘thank you’ for the great work that she does in the community.

Says Rene Morcom, co- founder of Thandi House, "R10 000 can help make a big impact in the lives of abandoned babies, abused and neglected children, and children who are unloved and unwanted by their families due to being severely mentally or physically disabled. Every child deserves love and a family regardless of their circumstance"

Cascades Lifestyle Centre’s inaugural Woman of Substance Campaign was the first of its kind for the Centre, and formed part of the centre's celebrations of Women's Month. It was established to raise awareness of these organisations in Pietermaritzburg, and others like it, and to let women working for their communities know that they are appreciated.

The campaign was well received, with the various charities actively promoting their women leaders and encouraging people to vote.

Says Michelle Chinnu, Property Manager at Ducatus, mastermind of this campaign, "The response that we have had from the community has been truly inspiring. It was such a close vote. Only a handful difference between them. We salute these women, and many others just like them, who are doing amazing work for people and animals in our communities."  

Compiled by Hot Salsa Media on behalf of Cascades Lifestyle Centre

For all press enquiries please contact Viv Quann at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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About Cascades Lifestyle Centre

The Cascades Lifestyle Centre is currently being renovated into one of the top shopping centres in South Africa. It will be ready by December 2016 and will contain only one of a handful of Woolworths Food Concept stores.

Committed to an ethos of service delivery, makes Cascades your “one stop” neighbourhood shopping centre catering for all your needs in a friendly, efficient and personal manner.

This beautiful retail hub puts special emphasis on looking out for the elderly and trendy, ensuring that they all audience sectors enjoy their shopping in style whilst being a trendy social meeting place for family and friends.

As a community shopping centre located in Montrose, Cascades offers both food, fashion, social and sport facilities with Woolworths, Checkers, a large variety of restaurants and cafes, a Virgin Active, Sportsman’s Warehouse and the Cascades Mountain Bike Park grounds catering to everything you could wish for.

In this fast moving world, Cascades also houses local businesses offering beautiful home-and-giftware, fresh flowers, baby and adult fashion with a standard of service that has enduring appeal.  

Find out more: www.cascadeslifestylecentre.co.za

Latest news: www.facebook.com/cascadeslifestylecentre

Keep up with the conversation here: #CascadesLife