NeXt-level adventure in the new Nissan X-Trail

[Ilse Burger] The word 'SUV' it's definitely going to be on someone's "Most Popular Buzzwords for 2017" list at the end of the year. The thing with buzzwords though is, not everyone can get away with it. And 'SUV' is one word Nissan has gotten away with quite effortlessly...

#BODJHB: Are advertising agencies the cobbler's children? (Part 2)

[Jessica Tennant] In answer to the question, Lauren Woolf, founder of Mrs Woolf, told delegates of Business of Design Johannesburg 2017 the key findings from her Masters thesis, the problem and the implications...

Ending the fancy Fairview winter evenings on a high note

[Ilse Burger] I love heading to the winelands - especially in winter. I recently enjoyed a cosy evening at Fairview's Goatshed restaurant in Paarl. It was the last of its winter evenings and our theme for the night was Moroccan...

Airbnb in Africa for the long haul

[Juanita Pienaar] Airbnb's Chris Lehane elaborates on how Airbnb plans to expand into Africa, comments on some of the travel and tourism trends coming up and explains how a global brand such as Airbnb remains relevant, resilient and innovative...

What does the future African city look like?

[Riaan Graham] What does the future African city look like? How do we identify the impact and trends resulting from urbanisation? What new regulation and governance models are needed?

PoPI requires effective data management structures

[Claude Schuck] The Protection of Personal Information Act (PoPI) will fundamentally change how companies store, process and use personal customer data. And even though it has not yet officially been implemented, organisations have been steadily working on ensuring their compliance...

#EntrepreneurMonth: Pivoting on disruption

[Shan Radcliffe] Deborah Hartung has a passion for people and disrupting industry norms. Her startup, Pivot PeopleTech is geared toward assisting other small businesses and entrepreneurs with the tools to manage their HR requirements without the high overheads...

Could the humble phone call be the future of digital CX?

[Rob Lith] We live in a text-first society. If one of your customers has a problem, your website is generally the first place they'll go. A customer resorting to a voice call should be a warning that their patience is really running thin...

Explore Data Science Academy launches in Cape Town

[Ilse Burger] The burgeoning demand for data analytics in the digital economy far exceeds current supply. The Explore Data Science Academy, which recently launched in Cape Town, aims to meet this demand...

#MTBPS2017: Mini budget's sobering economic outlook points to period of prudence for property market

[Samuel Seeff] The key messages to take out of Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba's maiden mini budget presentation to parliament all point to a period of prudence for the property market...

#EntrepreneurMonth: A different perspective on sugar from the sugarcane fields of Mauritius

[Cari Coetzee] Shaheen Rajabally launched Natura Sugars - the only range of truly unrefined sugars in South Africa and exclusively sourced from Mauritius. We asked Rajabally to tell us the sweet story of Natura Sugars...

This is why Transport Month matters

[Mike Whitfield] Since 2005, South Africa has been celebrating October as Transport Month and 12 years later, we may have forgotten just how vital the transportation sector is to our economy and our growing nation...

Inside the Lush life of an ethical cosmetics buyer

[Lauren Hartzenberg] Working as a buyer for ethical handmade cosmetics company Lush, your travels could take you sourcing neroli oil in Tunisia, blue chamomile oil in Hungary and shea butter in Ghana...

#OrchidsandOnions: Vannie Kaap comes a funny ad... and a slice of customer service madness

[Brendan Seery] Many South African English speakers definitely lose out by not communicating, or even taking in, other languages. The rest of the people in this country often speak three or more languages, whereas we English-speakers expect everyone to speak to us in our language... and then to do so properly...

#MusicExchange: Sean Koch Trio

[Martin Myers] The Sean Koch Trio call themselves a folk, acoustic, reggae, ambient, singer-songwriter band with three band members, namely Sean Koch, who's guitar and vocals, Shaun Cloete, who's bass, lead guitar and keys; and Ross Hillier, who's on drums and percussion.

In-house public relations expertise is essential

[Jennilee Peremore-Oliver] In the public relations (PR) industry, there is a constant debate about the value of hiring a PR employee or outsourcing a PR consultancy...