The end is nigh... - 13 Nov 2012

With five more weekly newsletters to go, and just a few more sleeps until you find yourself pushing and shoving in a crowded shopping mall searching for that one last gift, the news flow is yet to slow! All 26 of our industry newsletters are jam-packed with what's what with the who's who.

The annual Checkers/Shoprite Toy 4 Toy campaign launched this week, so if you have any new or used toys laying about that little Susie's outgrown, why not donate them to a less fortunate child. The campaign runs until early December.

After Randall Abrahams handed over the SAMA CEO baton to Nlanhla Sibisi, the 2013 MTN South African Music Awards is now open for entries. Look out for a few category changes here and there, and have your entries in by 30 November 2012. As my father recites whenever buying his tata ma chance ticket, you have to be in it, to win it...

Still on the topic of winning, well done to the KZN-based African Centre for Crop Improvement for scoring its first award! Conferred by A Green Revolution for Africa for "exceptional contributions to food security in Africa", the ACCI received its award from Nobel peace prize laureate Kofi Annan.

Lastly, in an endeavour to keep our coasts clean and our marine life protected, the Western, Northern and Eastern Cape coasts will soon have bins in which fishermen can discard broken or used line. The project, successfully implemented along the Overberg's Gansbaai shoreline, uses PVC pipe as bins for fishing line. According to John Kieser, sustainability manager of Plastics|SA, the project has received plenty of support from the public and fishermen have also welcomed the initiative. Well done to all involved!