Discussing impact of private label brands

Dr Magda Nenycz-Thiel, a senior researcher from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science at the University of South Australia, recently addressed South African marketers and brand managers on the subject of private label brands at a meeting hosted in South Africa by Caxton Magazines and the Newspaper Advertising Bureau (NAB). Read more >>

Emerging market growth sees food giants salivate

[Zeenat Moorad] As incomes in emerging markets rise demand for packaged food has food and beverage makers scrambling to tap into the lucrative growth market. Read more >>

Most still going for farm auctions

[Shannon Sherry] Hundreds of Mpumalanga farmers descended on the Jan Hendriksfontein farm near Ermelo last week, searching for bargains on livestock, vehicles, workshop equipment and farm implements. Read more >>

Steinhoff now owns 30.2% of JD Group

International furniture group Steinhoff (SHF) has increased its shareholding in JD Group from 7.2% to 30.2%. JD Group said on Wednesday, 10 August 2011, that Steinhoff now held 66 311 408 JD Group securities.

'Cost-shy' Standard Bank bounces back, Africa's results sharp

[Issa Sikiti da Silva: @sikitimedia] The Standard Bank of South Africa (SBSA), Africa's largest bank in market capitalisation and assets, has posted headline earnings of R6.637 billion for the six-month period ended 30 June 2011, R423 million of which was generated from its Africa's operations and R125 million from Ugandan operations alone, according to the unaudited financial results released yesterday, Thursday 11 August 2011, in Johannesburg. Read more >>

Cellphones will replace cash in Africa

[Sure Kamhunga] The use of cellphones as an alternative means of payment to cash is set to rise significantly in coming years. This will be a major boost particularly for banks that are keen to penetrate the unbanked market. Read more >>

Low lending rate, forex will shield SA - Reserve Bank

South Africa's low lending rate and the Reserve Bank's stockpiling of more than US$50 billion in foreign currency would help shield the country from some of the turmoil experienced by global markets in recent days, Johan van den Heever, the Reserve Bank's deputy chief economist said today, 10 August 2011. Read more >>

Hotel in Kruger gets go-ahead despite probe

[Tebogo Monama] Despite an environmental impact assessment not being completed, the government has given the go-ahead for the building of a hotel in the Kruger National Park. Read more >>

Harding Corner on track

Harding, an inland town in KwaZulu-Natal, between Kokstad and Port Shepstone, is on track with the development of its new 9000m2 shopping centre, Harding Corner, with construction set to begin in October 2011 and an expected completion date in August 2012. Read more >>

Painting specially commissioned for World Chefs Tour Against Hunger

Renowned culinary artist Frans Groenewald has created a lasting memento for the Bidvest World Chefs Tour Against Hunger, which will see 250 chefs from 44 countries visiting South Africa in just over a week to raise funds and awareness for hungry children. Read more >>

JHI adds NGO shareholder, trains govt dept

As part of the company's corporate social investment (CSI) programme, JHI Properties, has awarded the Peace Foundation a shareholding in the company. Read more >>

Customers' SMS campaign results in dream fulfilment for schools

In support of the Dreamfields project, Edgars contributed over R600 000, made possible through a SMS campaign that took place at the end of last year, when customers and employees were invited to donate R5 to the project. Read more >>

FNB products find favour with consumers

FNB has announced that its Pay Wallet has been used to pay over R42 million to more than 19000 people since its launch in July 2010 and that eBucks members have spent a substantial R1.5 billion worth of eBucks since its launch in 2000. Read more >>

Interactive Voice Response improves banks' calling volume

Absa's telephone banking system was improved in direct response to growing customer need for seamless service through enhancements to its telephone banking's IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system. Read more >>

Walmart closing online music store

WASHINGTON, USA: American retail giant Walmart will close its online digital music store, Walmart MP3 Downloads, at the end of the month, a spokesman for the company said. Read more >>

Forensic scientist to address procurement conference

Forensic scientist Dr David Klatzow is the keynote speaker at SmartProcurementWorld conference, which takes place at the Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand from 11-13 October 2011. As in previous years, it consists of two conferences in one - the Annual Public Sector Supply Chain Summit and the Smart Sourcing and Cost Management conference. Read more >>

Conference for entrepreneurs at expo

The 2011 Business Opportunities and Franchise Expo (BOFE), being held at the Coca Cola dome from 15-18 September 2011, will host the inaugural 'Power to Grow Your Business' conference, sponsored by Standard Bank. Read more >>

Last call for responsible tourism award entries

The 2011 Imvelo Responsible Tourism Awards, for businesses that implement sustained responsible tourism programmes, close for entries on Wednesday 31 August 2011. The awards ceremony will be held in Johannesburg on World Responsible Tourism Day, 9 November. Read more >>

RMB WineX in Cape Town in September

The annual RMB WineX Cape Town will be held at the CTICC on 8-9 September 2011. To further enhance the overall experience, this year's show sees the introduction of theme-based 'wine tours' conducted by Cape Wine Masters. Read more >>

Two new Pinotages for winter

Two new Pinotages have been released for smooth winter evenings - Knorhoek Pinotage 2009 and Obikwa, which won Best Value Award in the 2011 Wine Magazine Best Value Wine Guide for wines priced under R60 a bottle. Read more >>

Low alcohol white from Fleur du Cap

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New Fleur du Cap Natural Light 2011 is out now at 9.6% alcohol, making it an everyday summer refreshment suitable for al fresco lunches, braais or even as an aperitif before dinner. The 90% Chenin Blanc and 10% Sauvignon Blanc blend is available at leading stores and retails around R32 a bottle.

2010 Pinot Noir Brut Rosé vintage released

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The second release of Kaapse Vonkel Pinot Noir Brut Rosé, with no added sulphur dioxide (SO2), is on offer from Woolworths. The 2010 vintage from Simonsig, adds to Woolworths' growing and successful range of red and sparkling wines with no added SO2. This Cap Classique is ideal as an aperitif for summer entertaining while it also complements crayfish thermidor, sushi, Japanese tempura and teriyaki, mushroom or truffle risotto and creamy goat's cheese. It retails at R99.95 per bottle at selected stores countrywide.

Can collecting develops small businesses

Thys Oosthuizen, branch manager of Collect-a-Can's Aeroton depot, provided support and mentorship to budding entrepreneurs who are striving to develop businesses in the can recovery industry by working with the company. Read more >>

'Illegal cigarette' awareness campaign may get more people smoking

[Felix Kessel] Perhaps not to the same degree as yesteryear and even if the message is somewhat more sinister, cigarettes have once again made it back onto the billboards and interrupted our daily journeys once again. Instead of the old lifestyle positioning, the message is all ominous: "Buying Illegal Cigarettes Funds Organised Crime!" Read more >>

Wine Spectator awards Sandton Sun wine list

Wine Spectator magazine has awarded Vin mmx, the Sandton Sun hotel's grillroom style restaurant, with an Award of Excellence for its wine list. It is the only restaurant in Johannesburg this year to win an award and one of eight South African winners. Read more >>

New pack options from Appletiser

In its 45th year, Appletiser has announced the addition of 350ml and the affordable 1.25 litre plastic bottle options to its sparkling fruit juice range. Read more >>

Wharton faculty learns from Kenyan retail outlet

[Carole Kimutai] As part of the 2011 Wharton Faculty International Seminars (FIS) programme, eight faculty members with a bias in marketing supply chain and information management studies were in Kenya to study operation at Nakumatt Holdings - a retail chain based in Kenya. Read more >>

Business confidence falls in July

The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Business Confidence Index (SACCI) fell to 99 points in July from 102.4 in June. Read more >>

Generations view advertising differently

Various theories and models have attempted to explain how television advertisements influence consumers in their consumption-related decisions. The Behavioural and Communication Research Division of the Bureau of Market Research (BMR) conducted research investigating generational emotive response patterns using verbal and non-verbal measuring instruments. Read more >>

[Biz Takeouts Podcast] 10: Creating trends and leadership in advertising

Yay, we're through the coldest part of winter, but Biz Takeouts remains hot! Last week Wednesday, 10 August 2011, we took a look at creating trends and leadership in advertising, from Apple to world-acclaimed Zimbabwean campaign. The podcast of the Bizcommunity/Chai FM Marketing & Media radio show, Wednesdays 6pm-7pm on 101.9 FM in Johannesburg and via streaming audio, is now available. [twitterfall] Read more >>

[Biz Takeouts Lineup] 10: Creating trends and leadership in advertising

Consumer-focused advertising, creating trends instead of following them, and leadership in advertising - these and more will feature on the Bizcommunity/Chai FM Media & Marketing radio show tonight, Wednesday, 10 August 2011, 6pm-7pm, on 101.9 FM in Johannesburg and via streaming audio. [twitterfall] Read more >>

Beware cheap software

Microsoft SA has warned of a boom in fake software being sold online to unwitting consumers, often with devastating results for the victims. Read more >>

Food prices rise in Horn of Africa

ROME, ITALY: Food prices rose last month in parts of the drought-hit Horn of Africa region but were down in Somalia although still very high and far above last year's levels, the UN food agency said on Wednesday, 10 August 2011. Read more >>

Public speaking seminar improves upcoming leaders

Chivas Regal, in collaboration with Absa, Cell C and FNB, has launched a series of one-day power-speaking courses, aimed at current and future South African business leaders. The brand's marketing team, which identified that its primary target market is being fast-tracked into corporate leadership and needs public speaking skills, conceived the programme. Read more >>

Informa comment on launch of Facebook Messenger

LONDON, UK: Pamela Clark-Dickson, senior analyst for messaging at Informa Telecoms & Media, comments on launch of Facebook Messenger. Read more >>

German market for technical consumer goods in robust condition

NUREMBERG, GERMANY: According to GfK Retail and Technology, the overall market for technical consumer goods in Germany recorded a growth of 3.2% in the second quarter of 2011, representing a total sales volume of €11.2 billion*. Read more >>

PwC comments on business continuity in the wake of the riots

LONDON, UK: PwC comments on what organisations should be considering in terms of business continuity in the wake of the riots. Read more >>

PwC comments on insurance impacts of UK riots

LONDON, UK: Commenting on the insurance impacts of the UK riots, Mohammad Khan, partner at PwC, said: "It's difficult to put a value on the cost of the damage as the scope and scale is still changing but, in relative terms, the financial impact on insurers will be small." Read more >>

14 million Americans scanned QR or bar codes in June 2011

RESTON, US: comScore, Inc, a leader in measuring the digital world, has released results of a study on mobile QR and bar code scanning based on data from its comScore MobiLens service. Read more >>

comScore's AdEffx Campaign Essentials in Canada

TORONTO, CANADA: comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today announced the availability of AdEffx Campaign Essentials in Canada, comScore's campaign audience validation tool used by digital marketers, agencies and publishers alike to verify the accuracy of audiences targeted in digital campaigns. Read more >>

Nielsen's Women of Tomorrow

NEW YORK, US: Women across the globe believe they have greater opportunities than their mothers... women in developed markets believe outlook different for their daughters... women prefer to get information about products on TV... quality most important driver of brand loyalty. Read more >>

SA in Stevie Awards honourees

DUBAI, UAE: Organisations and individuals in 35 nations, including first-time winners Bahrain, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, have been announced as Stevie Award winners in The Eighth Annual International Business Awards, claimed to be the world's only international, all-encompassing business awards program. SA companies featured in a number of areas... Read more >>

Feature phone apps market to almost double to US$1 billion

[Published by Ovum, one of the Datamonitor group] LONDON, UK: The mobile apps market for feature phones will almost double by 2016, hitting revenues of US$1 billion, after being spurred on by the success of apps in the smartphone sector, according to Ovum. Read more >>

BRIC economies to lead the way

LONDON, UK: BRIC economies are expected to account for 40% of world GDP growth over 2011 and 2012, says PwC economists. Read more >>

PwC comments on insurance impacts of UK riots

LONDON, UK: Commenting on the insurance impacts of the UK riots, Mohammad Khan, partner at PwC, said: "It's difficult to put a value on the cost of the damage as the scope and scale is still changing but, in relative terms, the financial impact on insurers will be small. There may be some specific increases in premium for the worst affected areas but, for customers nationwide, there is also too much competition for these events to have a significant impact. Read more >>

Milking the motorist

Taxis and buses will be exempt from paying tolls on the Gauteng highways according to a report published on IOL, which says that the tolls will push up food prices while ordinary vehicle users will be "cash-cows" for the operators of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project. Read more >>

Hybrid Lexus for young greenies

[Henrie Geyser: motoring editor] Lexus has added a premium hatch hybrid, the CT 200h, to its current South African three-model range and it describes the newcomer not as just another new model, but one that signals the start of a whole new trend. Read more >>

Your best buddy for the bush

[Henrie Geyser: motoring editor] Thinking of saddling up your 4x4 and heading for that bush trip you have been dreaming about for so long? Then do yourself a favour and get hold of a copy of a newly-published and very comprehensive guide to 20 of the toughest and most scenic 4x4 routes in southern Africa. Read more >>

Colombian online travel sector grows 25%

BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA: comScore, Inc, a leader in measuring the digital world, has released the latest results from a study on the online travel market in Colombia. Read more >>

To the Manor House born

[Brian Berkman: contributing editor, travel] Diemersfontein Estate owner David Sonnenberg is showing us around the Manor House, where his parents and grandparents lived. There is a beautiful grand piano on the left of the sitting room, with sheet music piled high on the adjacent table. I see the antique armoire shudder as we walk on the herringbone parquet floors to Room 1. Read more >>

Low Blow!

[Corné Krige] The "A Team" had a saying, which was: "I love it when a plan comes together." For 50 minutes on Saturday I think that Peter de Villiers was saying that exact phrase to himself. The older, and most experienced Springbok side ever to grace our fields, came out of the blocks at a blistering pace and put the Aussies under major pressure. Read more >>

All Blacks throw down the gauntlet

[Corné Krige] The game between New Zealand and Australia was touted as a possible forerunner of the World Cup Final due to happen on 22 October. New Zealand and Australia seem like two genuine title contenders and, after they had both demolished the Springboks, this match would be a real indication of whether New Zealand could handle the pressure of playing and winning a World Cup on home soil. Read more >>

Dreams realised with The Used

[Zachary Schroder] I woke up on Monday morning and after shaking off the grogginess I realised that the day had finally arrived; this was the day I would get to see a band that had been in my top five to see for many years. The 15-year-old inside of me started doing backflips as it dawned on me that a dream seven years in the making was about to come true. Read more >>

KONGOS to tour SA - not a joke

[Sindy Peters: Africa editor] Say what you want about 5FM's playlist, but every once in a while they introduce you to some inspiring fresh talent. About 2-3 months ago KONGOS' "I'm Only Joking" made the grade and it's currently seeing good rotation on the station. Last Friday, 5 August 2011, the music video for the track premiered on 5FM's (TV)⁵ and shortly afterwards, the band confirmed their 2011/2012 South African tour - you'll find me front and centre for the Cape Town leg. Read more >>