The nine finalists who have been shortlisted for the 2015 Diners Club Winemaker of The Year Award have been announced: five for Winemaker and four for Young Winemaker. The award encourages winemakers in South Africa to produce fine wine of ever-increasing quality. While other awards focus on just the wine, the Diners Club Winemaker of the Year Awards celebrates the skills and talent of the vintner. 4 Nov 2015
The Manufacturing Indaba Western Cape, which will take place on Friday, 6 November, 2015, at the CTICC, brings a stellar line-up of speakers to Western Cape manufacturers looking to grow their manufacturing businesses in the midst the challenges of load shedding, rising labour costs, cheap imports, lack of competitiness and labour issues. The province's manufacturing delegates will also find out how to make the most of the government's programmes to enhance their manufacturing competitiveness. 4 Nov 2015
The top 25 African retailers have a presence in 21 countries on a continent where strong economic progress over the past decade is reflected by the fact that 10 of these leading retailers now come from countries outside the traditionally dominant South African market, with three Zimbabwean retailers, two from Botswana, and one each from Kenya, Morocco, Tunisia, Nigeria and Zambia. 4 Nov 2015
Controversial political party Agency for New Agenda is hauling South Africa's five major retailers to court for racial discrimination and is threatening to scupper a trillion-rand business deal. 3 Nov 2015
Benefits Cosmetics, from San Francisco, has launched in South Africa and to announce the brand's arrival in Edgars and Red Square outlets, Primedia Unlimited's Fashion Media business marketed the brand to prospective customers utilising strategic in-store platforms. 3 Nov 2015
Sub-Saharan African consumers see the value of new payment solutions and are demanding more innovative ways to pay, MasterCard has disclosed at Retail Congress Africa in Cape Town. 3 Nov 2015
The rise of the 'hybrid consumer' is an emerging and growing trend with significant implications for the South African franchising industry. It is pivotal that these new customers are understood so as to leverage a profitable relationship with them. At this year's FNB Franchising Leadership Summit, Dion Chang, trend commentator and founder of Flux Trends, will be discussing the rise of the hybrid consumer. Chang defines a 'hybrid consumer' as someone who shops both online and offline. 3 Nov 2015
Carletonville Mall - the new R330 million 26,000m² shopping destination in the famous gold-mining town on Gauteng's West Rand, has opened. Developed by Bentel Group, the mall brings top-quality shopping under one roof to serve not only the Carletonville community, but the neighbouring township of Khutsong and a regional market that includes Westonaria, Fochville and people travelling to Potchefstroom. 2 Nov 2015
The African continent is experiencing rapid retail expansion and is being compared to China in 1987. AT Kearney's 2015 Global Retail Development Index has listed sub-Saharan Africa as the 'big story' for 2040, similar to that of China 30 years ago, where today, retailers are expanding four to five times faster than retailers in the US and Europe. 2 Nov 2015
Chapel Street Primary School in Woodstock, Cape Town recently celebrated the first harvest from its new edible garden with a harvest table of dishes created by chef and ex-MasterChef contestant, Sue-Ann Allen. 2 Nov 2015
Astrapak CE Robin Moore.
Photographer: Russell Roberts
Image source: Financial Mail
Can investors wrap up attractive longer-term returns from Bowler Metcalf (Bowcalf) and Astrapak, two of the JSE's smaller packaging companies? 2 Nov 2015
Gareth Ackerman.
Photographer: Hetty Zantman
Image source: Financial Mail
In recent interim results, Pick n Pay declared a healthy dividend payment. Shareholders should be happy, and probably are. But which shareholders? 2 Nov 2015
David Kneale.
Photographer: Trevor Samson
Image source: Financial Mail
Summing up the key to Clicks' resilience, the health and personal care group's CE, David Kneale, says: "In good and bad times, people always want to look and feel good." 2 Nov 2015
The R5bn manufacturing competitiveness enhancement programme, established by the government to cushion local manufacturers from the effects of the global financial crisis, has been exhausted, leaving a lot of companies in distress. 30 Oct 2015
In March 2015, Euromonitor International compiled a series of reports about the state of cleaning in South Africa. From laundry habits to surface cleaning, toilet care and home care, the research indicated that South African consumers generally focus on price when making a buying decision. 30 Oct 2015
Shareholders in Taste Holdings are being asked to underwrite a R226m rights offer that would fund the roll-out of its Starbucks coffee outlets and Arthur Kaplan jewellery chain. This follows the group bringing Domino's to SA last year to replace its Scooters and St Elmo's branded outlets. 30 Oct 2015
Rebosis Property Fund's dominant retail centres performed strongly in the year ended-August, helping the group achieve its highest distribution growth yet. 30 Oct 2015
Karen Humphris, Business Continuity Management Advisor at ContinuitySA.
The disciplines of business continuity management are increasingly helping some of the world's leading manufacturers to identify and mitigate the complex set of risks they face. 29 Oct 2015
Imagine you own a coffee shop; it's been running for about a decade and is well known for a great brew and delicious food. But sales are beginning to slump. You haven't changed your winning formula, so what's the problem? You consider the options, rally your staff, tweak the menu, change the shop layout and try to replicate what your competitors are doing, but nothing helps. Your staff are unhappy with the changes and, so it would seem, are your customers. 29 Oct 2015
Tetra Pak Southern Africa recently won five awards in the FTASA Flexographic Print Excellence Awards 2015, including two Gold, two Silver, and one Bronze. 29 Oct 2015
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