South Africa: White citizens are coming home

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Datatec division buys UK firm for £7.3m

Information and communications technology group Datatec's subsidiary Logicalis has agreed to acquire Inca Software from its parent company, AIM-listed Avisen, for a total equity value consideration of £7.3 million.
Inca, the largest IBM Cognos partner in the UK, provides a full suite of IBM business analytics products and implements solutions for more than 400 companies across all industry sectors.

The acquisition was set to create a UK systems integrator capable of delivering the full suite of next-generation business transformation tools - analytics, collaboration and cloud computing.

Logicalis would pay a maximum of £7.3 million in cash (£6.0 million on completion and £1.3 million one year later) and assume £0.7 million of debt. Inca's interim results for the six months ended July 31 2010 disclosed unaudited revenues of £4.3 million.

Datatec CE Jens Montanana said: "This acquisition opens up a new stream of expertise in analytics to Logicalis' customers, and will give it a unique and compelling proposition. By combining Logicalis' expertise in collaboration and cloud computing with Inca's expertise in business analytics, Logicalis will be able to help its customers to become smarter organisations.

"Both Logicalis and Inca are IBM premier partners so this acquisition also helps to strengthen this strategically important relationship," he concluded.

Datatec division buys UK firm for £7.3m - Business LIVE

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Industrial policy attracts investment

23 March 2011

Transnet's decision to assemble 90 of the 100 locomotives on order from General Electric, and the securing of R14-billion in planned automotive investments, are some of the immediate achievements of South Africa's new Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP).

Briefing Parliament's portfolio committee on trade and industry in Cape Town on Tuesday, Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies outlined several achievements of the plan, while adding that a lot of work still had to be done in the roll-out of the plan, which was launched last year.

He said lots of work had so far been done on setting up the systems, and that the coming year should yield results, particularly with the country's revised procurement legislation, the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act, expected to come into force.

Davies said the planned R14-billion investment in South Africa's automotive sector was in the form of investment commitments from both assemblers and component suppliers.

Last month, meanwhile, Transnet took delivery of the first of 100 new General Electric diesel locomotives at Transnet's plant in Koedoespoort in North West province, where 90 locomotives are to be assembled by Transnet.

This is part of the pledge by state-owned enterprises to introduce more localisation and supplier development into their procurement policies.

Local manufacturing and procurement

The department's deputy director-general of industrial development, Nimrod Zalk, said government departments were also looking to promote local manufacturing.

Zalk pointed to the Department of Health's recent R4.2-billion tender for antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, where 72 percent of the contract's value was awarded to South African manufacturers, while achieving significant price reductions relative to the 2008 ARV tender.

Zalk also outlined several key areas where the department had made progress with the IPAP, in areas such as procurement, industrial financing, improved competition and trade.

While the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) has earmarked R25-billion for the green economy and a further R5 billion for an agro-processing fund, a R10-billion job creation fund, announced by President Jacob Zuma in his State of the Nation address last month, would be priced at prime minus 3 percent.

Added to this, the Department of Trade and Industry's Enterprise Investment Programme, which is aimed at small and medium-sized firms in manufacturing and tourism, created 10 211 direct jobs between April and December last year.

To improve trade for exporters, the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) has set up the Exporter Early Warning System on Technical Barriers to Trade. The system identifies technical barriers to trade notified to the WTO and is distributed for free to subscribers on a weekly basis.

To crack down on anti-competitive practices, South Africa's competition authorities has also launched investigations into a number of areas, including tyre companies, scrap merchants, chemical firms, airlines, and construction companies.

Sector support programmes

Zalk also detailed various achievements in the government's sector support programmes, including:

The creation of 1 100 new jobs in the clothing sector through the Clothing Textile Competitiveness Programme, which also helped firms retain 40 000 other jobs.
The seizure of R37-million worth of clothing merchandise suspected of being counterfeit or non tax-compliant, following raids on 56 premises by the SA Revenue Service.
The creation of 950 jobs and R40-million in investments in the call centre sector and the training of 3 400 young trainees under the Monyetla II Programme.
The IPAP would also included programmes for boat-building sector, and had elevated a Western Cape initiative in the oil and gas servicing industry to become a national programme.

Turning to implementation of the IPAP, Davies was adamant that his department would take a sterner approach to meeting targets than was taken for the first industrial policy action plan of 2007.

He said the department held internal monthly progress meetings around IPAP, calling in officials from other departments when necessary.

Industrial policy attracts investment - SouthAfrica.info

[Ortodossia]

Plans to Make It Easier to Do Business in SA

Cape Town — Government plans to cut the red tape and make it easier to do business in South Africa by setting up a national one-stop shop to assist with investment approvals, reforming BEE codes and simplifying forms and procedures faced by small businesses.

These measures, among others, were outlined by the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform Gugile Nkwinti in a briefing in Parliament today.

Nkwinti, who chairs the government's cluster on economic sectors and employment, mapped out the work of the cluster for the year ahead.

He said the reform of the BEE codes would contribute more to creating jobs through local procurement with focus on incentivising support for local procurement, small businesses and broad-based ownership.

Other initiatives involved the formation of Companies and Property Intellectual Commission, which would takeover from the Companies and Intellectual Property Registration Office (Cipro).

The powers of the Competition Commission and Tribunal would also be strengthened through the amendment of the Competition Act, which plans to criminalise cartel involvement.

Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies said the idea to set up a one-stop agency would involve the bolstering the capacity of Trade and Investment South Africa (Tisa), which already helps facilitate international investments in the country and falls under the Department of Trade and Industry.

Davies said the campaign to minimise red tape for small businesses includes the roll out of an initiative to assist certain municipalities to cut regulations that effect small enterprises, following the conclusion last year of a pilot focusing on several municipalities.

Added to this, he said, the new Companies Act, due to come into effect on 1 April, will see less onerous regulations for small companies.

The Consumer Protection Act, due to come into effect on the same date, would also stimulate the economy.

The minister pointed to the example of building regulations, where many contractors neglect to fit lights and plugs that meet the compulsory specifications for electrical installations in new buildings and said that under the Consumer Protection Act, homeowners would have recourse meaning more work for contractors, which he believed would benefit the economy.

"Now what will happen is that everyone who is involved in the process - the retailer, the housing contractor - will no longer be able to say 'I didn't know about that, that's what I was given by the shop' - they will now have responsibility for that.

"And we think that is the kind of effective regulation that will protect our consumers against unsafe products and our industries against unfair competition from low quality products," he said.

Minister of Economic Development Ebrahim Patel said reducing the red tape for business owners and entrepreneurs faced involved tackling four areas, namely:

- Speeding up the time it took for businesses to process documents at government agencies.

- Reducing the number forms of business owners have to fill out.

- Creating a more co-ordinated system so that business owners wouldn't have to be sent from pillar to post.

- Setting up one-stop shops so that businesses wouldn't have to go to various places to get the same thing.

allAfrica.com: South Africa: Plans to Make It Easier to Do Business in SA

[Ortodossia]

A State of Trance, South Africa: March 2011

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The youth of the Italian Club in Cape Town
takes to the streets to prove that it is well alive

On Saturday 19 Feb the Youth of ICCT (Italian Club of Cape Town) took to the streets of Cape Town - only this time around it was not a Ferrari but rather a red party bus with flickering lights that took 35 enthusiastic youngsters on the joy ride of their lives.

To begin the festivities we all met at the Italian Club to grab a pizza and a Peroni in preparation for the evening ahead...as usual Fratelli Palmieri did not disappoint with their portions and it felt like we were back at nonna's house.

Thirsts quenched and bellys full, you could feel the excitement building as we were waiting for the bus to arrive.

After a quick head count and most importantly drink count, we were ready to go...next stop, Long street! It was like the World Cup all over again, with Italian flags brandished and passionate cries of "Italia" we let Long street know who we were. It was now time to do the Camps Bay strip.

After making our mark on Camps Bay we took a scenic drive back to Sea Point where we off-loaded the serious party animals at Deco Dance and the rest made their way back to the Italian Club to call it a night.

I would like to thank Palmieri Fratelli, the Italian Club, Peroni and Ramazzotti for all their support.

Stories and laughter have still been shared a week later about the wild antics that went on and I can honestly say that this event was a great success. The Youth of ICCT is alive and here to stay.

Well done guys.

Riccardo Raciti
The youth of the Italian Club in Cape Town

[Ortodossia]

South Africa keeps rates on hold


South African Reserve Bank governor Gill Marcus – and her place of work in Pretoria

25 March 2011

The South African Reserve Bank has left its key repo rate unchanged at 5.5 percent, in line with market expectations, keeping the rate at its lowest level in 30 years.

The prime rate thus stays at nine percent.

According to a Bloomberg poll, all 23 economists surveyed expected the Bank to keep the repo rate on hold.

The decision followed a three-day meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) in Pretoria. This was the second consecutive meeting where the rate remained unchanged.

Reserve Bank governor Gill Marcus warned on Thursday that there were significant risks that could lead to an increase in inflation. This could lead the MPC to increase the repo rate in future.

"The MPC is of the view that the risks to the inflation outlook are on the upside... Given the significant upside risks to the inflation outlook, the MPC will closely monitor any indications of second round effects on inflation emanating from these cost pressures," Marcus said.

The biggest upside risks to inflation were food prices and administered prices, particularly oil prices.

"The biggest risks to the inflation outlook remain food and administered prices, in particular oil prices," she told a media briefing.

Oil prices had increased as a consequence of political upheaval in North Africa and the Middle East which had raised concerns about the security of oil supplies.

Marcus said even if the political issues were resolved soon, "the underlying demand pressures are likely to still keep oil prices at relatively elevated levels".

Wage settlements also posed a risk to the inflation outlook.

"High real wage settlements have been a significant upside risk to the inflation outlook.

"However there are indications that nominal wage settlement rates may be moderating."

Marcus said Andrew Levy Employment Publications had found the overall average wage settlement rate in collective bargaining agreements was 8.2 per cent in 2010, compared to 9.3 percent in 2009.

"Similarly, the downward trend in year-on-year growth in unit labour costs continued into the fourth quarter of 2010 when it measured 7.7 percent, compared with 9.3 percent in the previous quarter.

"This positive trend, if continued, may contribute meaningfully to attaining an environment of low inflation and employment creation," she said.

Sapa

South Africa keeps rates on hold - SouthAfrica.info

[Ortodossia]

Stellenbosch Wine Route

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It feels great to be back in such an incredible country.

After 11 years in the UK Darryl Hilliar has returned to South Africa and shares the ups and the downs of being home.



How long have you been back in SA and where did you come back to? 4 months, Cape Town


Why did you decide to come back to SA?

Came back home to family, friends and a better lifestyle


What are you doing since you have been back?

Working in IT for a massive publishing company.

Has coming back to SA been different from what you expected and if so, why?

Yes, very difficult to find a job being white and male, not a racist thing, just a fact. My 3 job agencies I signed up with did absolutely nothing to help me find work. I got a job through a friend in the end (after looking for 3 months). I have missed the sunny weather and friendly people though.

How does it feel to be back in South Africa?

It feels good now that we started settling down after 4 months. It feels great to be back in such an incredible country.

Explain the most difficult thing about moving back.

Shipping everything back, especially the car and trying to deal with the paperwork which took 9 weeks to get sorted. Insuring the imported car now is a very difficult job now.


What do you love most about South Africa?

The wonderful scenic countryside and fantastic weather.

What advice would you give someone thinking of moving back?

Try secure a job before coming back. It has become extremely expensive place to live in now and your savings will not last long at all. Also, don’t bother shipping your car back. Too much of a mission.

Having spent time living abroad, what do you think we could be doing to make SA a better place to live?

Start employing everyone equally and forget what happened in the past. Many qualified white people have left this wonderful country because of the discrimination. Start training up people properly so that the customer service level is kept high and not a joke like it is at the moment. For example, a waitress at a top hotel in Hout Bay the other day brought our food to a table of 8. She asked everyone what they are eating! This is appalling and they're not doing their job properly. They should know what everyone is eating as they took their orders.


Anything else you want to share.

I did the Otter Trail a month ago with 7 great friends and now know why I came back to this country. It is the most beautiful place in the world.

Homecoming Revolution