Durban Business Fair Has Been Empowering SMMEs for 25 Years

 

By Fred Felton | Aug. 25, 2023

The Durban Business Fair (DBF) has helped out small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in Durban over the last 25 years and this was highlighted during a celebration on 24 August. 

The launch of the 2023 DBF was held at Nto's Boutique Hotel in La Lucia where the 25 year milestones were highlighted. 

A panel of Durban Business Fair success stories shared their jouney of how the platform and other support provided by the eThekwini Municipality elevated their businesses. These business owners included (from left) Nkazimulo Ngidi of Amabheshu Innovators, the co-founder of Afromed Medical Services, Sthembiso Ngubo, Agnes Mhlongo of Switched On Trade CC and House of St Luke founder, Mxo Mkhize. | Photo: ETHEKWINI MUNICIPALITY

The theme for the 2023 DBF will be '25 Years of building sustainable businesses.' The DBF will be held at the Durban Exhibition Centre from 22 to 24 September. This year previous beneficiaries attended the launch and they shared moving testimonials on how the DBF, and other Municipality support, helped their businesses. 

''What started in 1998 as an arts and craft exhibition with less than 100 exhibitors outside Durban City Hall has grown to become South Africa's premiere business exhibition platform,'' noted Deputy Chairperson of the Economic Development and Planning Committee Councillor Phili Ndlovu. 

Councillor Ndlovu said, ''The event is now a key tool to accelerate the development of SMMEs and showcase a range of locally manufactured goods of over 550 businesses to a wider audience of buyers.''

According to Councillor Ndlovu more than 100 000 people have participated in the DBF over the years with over 20 000 sustainable jobs created. 

Key features to look out for at DBF 2023 include an International Pavilion which facilitates export opportunities, there will also be a Furniture Manufacturing Pavilion, Creative Hub, Fashion Hub, Agri-Hub, Tech Zone, Digital Marketing Masterclass, Wholesale  and Retail Masterclass, Durban Business Fair Street Market, Kiddiepreneur Garden, Durban Business Fair Excellence Awards, the Durban Fashion Fair Recognition Awards and the Lion's Den Business Plan Competition Awards. 

The DBF will also feature the successful Durban Fashion Fair which will take place simultaneously with the DBF. 

At the launch of the 2023 DBF business owners shared success stories. The business owners included Nkazimulo Ngidi, founder of Amabheshu Innovators, Sthembiso Ngubo of Afromed Medical Services, Agnes Mhlongo of Switched On Trade CC and Mxo Mkhize the owner of House of St Luke. 

''The platform has been great as we have gained exposure and established partnerships and clients which helped our business grow. We won the Lion's Den Business Plan competition in 2012 which offered both financial and technical skills as well as mentorship support to kick start our business idea. To date, we have 11 ambulances and employ more than 40 permanent staff and around 80 part-time staff. The company has expanded its base to different areas, and we recently built the Afromed Medical School which will educate the youth about lifesaving skills while creating employment. We remain grateful to eThekwini for the opportunity to develop our business,'' said Sthembiso Ngubo of Afromed Medical Services. 

Nkazimulo Ngidi, of Amabheshu Innovators which manufactures traditional attire, said the DBF allowed her to extend her client base outside South Africa. 

For updates and more information on #DBF25 follow @Durban Business Fair on Facebook. 

Catch Darren Maule & Friends This Saturday

 

By Fred Felton | 19 July 2023

Due to popular demand Darren Maule & Friends is back in Durban and you can catch Darren Maule and his eclectic group of comedians this Saturday 22^nd July at The Globe at Suncoast.

Catch Darren Maule & Friends This Saturday at The Globe, Suncoast. | Image: Supplied 

This comedy show has KZN’s favourite radio personality, Darren Maule as the host so you are guaranteed of fun and entertainment all night long. The all-star show includes top comics like Mpho Popps, Mark Banks, Sifiso Nene, Mo Vawda, Khanyisa Bunu and Joey Rasdien.

Darren Maule’s hand-picked selection of these comedy powerhouses ensures a night of top quality entertainment. ‘’I remember a very talented and ambitious, good-looking young comedian who came up to me and asked me what he needs to do to get ahead and I told him that the first thing is to come up with a stage name that everyone remembers,’’ said Darren Maule as he talked about Mpho Popps one of the comedians lined up for the show.

Durban-born Sifiso Nene is also one to look out for with his infectious laughter and storytelling ability. ‘’Mark Banks is effortlessly funny, very few people are just 100% organically funny,’’ mentioned Darren Maule.

You can also look out for Durban’s own Mo Vawda who is full of wit and natural charisma. The rose amongst the thorns is Khanyisa Bunu who effortlessly connects with her audience and delves into everyday situations of life in a relatable perspective.

Darren Maule has also brought in one of the OGs of SA comedy in Joey Rasdien, a master of observational comedy. He is a must-see performer.

So if you are looking for a night full of laughs and entertainment get your tickets today exclusively at Ticketpro for the ultimate comedy extravaganza. The show starts at 8PM (doors open at 7PM).

The show is brought to you by Blu Blood in association with East Coast Radio.

 

INK Interfaith Clean-up campaign challenge

THE Municipality partnered with the INK Interfaith sector in the Clean my City clean-up campaign in Ward 46, KwaMashu, recently. This is part of of the Municipality's on-going efforts of keeping eThekwini clean and creating awareness around proper waste disposal. The Municipality has various programmes where communities can be actively involved in learning about proper waste management practices. With these programmes the Municipality aims to instill a sense of ownership and responsibility to residents in keeping their spaces clean. 

Sustaining and cleaning our environment is important for the future generations as well to enjoy the benefits of pollution free environment. 

During the clean-up tons of waste was collected which included general waste, clothing items, old beds, plastic bags, polystyrene food packaging and beverage bottles. This showed that people are still not disposing of litter in the correct manner which poses a threat to humans, animals and the environment. The myth that littering creates employment degrades public areas and health. The bishops and pastors in the interfaith sector are posing a challenge to other denominations to identify an area to clean up and maintain. They can start their own clean-up campaigns and involve the Municipality in them. 

Denominations can also get involved in the adopt a Spot programme. 

The Adopt-A-Spot/ Verge programme is an initiative where residents can approach the municipality to adopt a piece of land owned by the municipality with the intention of maintaining and beautifying it at no cost to the municipality.

Society has a collective responsibility to keep the environment clean in the same manner that they maintain cleanliness in their homes and yards. 

Keeping the City clean, is a collective responsibility. 

For more information call: 

031 322 0780 

U=U Campaign Launched by eThekwini Municipality Mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda

 

By Fred Felton | 23 June 2023

The U=U Campaign was launched in Durban on 20 June 2023 by eThekwini Municipality Mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda in Durban. This project is in partnership with UNAIDS.

The eThekwini Municipality Mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda at the launch of the U=U Campaign in Durban. | Photo: eThekwini Municipality

This launch happened before the 11^th SA AIDS Conference which is taking place in Durban from 20 to 23 June. U=U stands for ‘’Undetectable = Untransmittable’’ and aims to create awareness about new scientific evidence that shows that people living with HIV who are on prescribed treatment, can supress HIV and avoid transmitting it to their partners and their unborn babies.

The aim of this campaign is to empower people living with HIV, and to encourage people to use condoms, be faithful to their partners, to abstain from sexual activity, and to get HIV tests.

Mayor Kaunda stressed the importance of men being open about their health and getting tested and circumcised.

‘’We call on eThekwini residents to join this campaign to end new HIV infections. The City started the Thuma Mina campaign to encourage men to live a healthy lifestyle. This created a platform for men to openly discuss issues that confront them daily and encourage them to undergo voluntary male medical circumcision,’’ said eThekwini Municipality Mayor, Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda.

Children are also an important part of the U=U campaign. Some children are living with the virus and they are not on treatment.  

‘’We encourage young people to get tested and as parents, we must support our children,’’ said eThekwini Municipality Mayor, Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda.

With the help of the City, 27 Peer Educators and 14 Adherence Officers have been placed at health facilities to help with adherence and retention in care.

The eThekwini Municipality has also embarked on a new campaign of tracing previous patients who have defaulted on treatment from various health facilities.

Under the leadership of the Mayor of eThekwini Municipality, Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda, eThekwini Municipality remains committed to the fight to end AIDS by 2030.

Electricity Saving Tips

 

By Fred Felton | 30 May, 2023

The eThekwini Municipality has released a new load shedding schedule and here are some tips on how to save on electricity to help you out during the following months:

• Switch off appliances when not in use
• Only boil enough water in your kettle for what you need
• Move to LED lighting which uses less power
• Use a low flow showerhead
• Check that your seals on your fridge are in good condition
• Keep temporary lighting such as candles and torches nearby
• Make sure your cellphone is fully charged
• Invest in a power bank for your mobile devices
• Prepare meals in advance
• Switch off high usage appliances during load shedding
• Report outages to eThekwini Municipality via WhatsApp on 076 791 2449 or Toll Free on 080 311 11 11 

 Download your free copy of the new eThekwini Load Shedding Schedule here

 

Mayor outlines plans to build a better life for all

ETHEKWINI Mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda recently delivered the State of the City Address (SOCA) where he outlined the Municipality's financial position, progress on capital projects, as well as setting the agenda for the year ahead. 

He said the municipality has identified the following key five priorities:

• Building adequate infrastructure to improve service delivery
• Job creation
• Skills development
• Fighting crime to create safe living spaces
• A resilient social solidarity economy 

HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

The 8 000 families who were displaced by floods and moved to 120 mass care centres are now in safe family-friendly accommodation. Plans to build permanent houses for them are also advancing. The municipality is preparing 15 sites for this purpose. This will yield 3 500 sites. Building material to 576 families affected by the floods has also been supplied. In the current financial year, the Municipality will deliver 19 800 housing opportunities through the construction of new and upgraded community residential units, rectification of pre and post 1994 houses (numbers), and the eradication of transit facilities. 

WATER AND SANITATION

The municipality has completed 11 flood-related water projects in various areas. ''Together with Umgeni Water, we are finalising plans to upgrade the Southern Aqueduct which, when completed - will provide these areas with a reliable supply. The project will cost over R900 million,'' he said. 

He said contractors are repairing two major wastewater treatment works in Umbilo and the Northern Wastewater Treatment works in Sea Cow Lake. 

To improve water accessibility in areas with water network challenges, the Municipality is procuring 55 new water tankers to add to the current fleet. 

The construction of Umkhomazi Dam will resolve the deficit in available raw water to meet the full water demand for the entire municipal area. 

ELECTRICITY

Mayor Kaunda said challenges of load shedding, theft, and vandalism of electricity infrastructure continues. He said over 100 power stations were severely affected by the floods however now all are in good working condition. The issue of cable theft and vandalism of infrastructure sets the municipality back with constant replacements and repairs to damaged power stations. 

ROADS, STORMWATER AND BRIDGES

Of the R1.5 billion flood relief grant, R1.2 billion has been allocated to repair roads, bridges, and storm water systems. In the past five years, the Municipality has upgraded 68km of roads from gravel to tar and rehabilitated 1 106km. 

BUILDING SAFER COMMUNITIES

Part of the interventions the municipality will implement to eradicate crime include: 

• Recruitment of 400 Metro Police officers annually
• Use of technology to fight crime using CCTV cameras in the CBD, rural areas, and townships
• Facial recognition cameras at entry points
• Body cameras for Metro Police Officers
• Training of specialised units in collaboration with SAPS
• Using drones to detect crime. 

Top 5 Highlights from Africa's Travel Indaba 2023

 

By Fred Felton | May 17, 2023.

Africa’s Travel Indaba 2023 started off with much fanfare and networking in Durban, South Africa from 8^th May 2023. Here are just five of the highlights from the travel and trade show.

BONDay

The event kicked off with the Business Opportunity Networking Day (BONDay) which featured a great deal of networking and some of the top speakers in the travel industry.

Tourism for Africa

Richard Quest in discussion with the South African Tourism Minister, Patricia de Lille at Indaba. | Photo: Fred Felton 

On the next day Africa’s Travel Indaba was officially opened by South Africa’s Tourism Minister, Patricia de Lille. The Minister of Tourism noted that South Africa was rolling out an e-visa system for several African countries including Kenya, Nigeria and Egypt. The goal was to expand the e-visa system to 20 more countries. ‘’Our people across the continent of Africa are our greatest asset,’’ said South Africa’s Tourism Minister, Patricia de Lille.

The eThekwini Municipality Mayor, Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda noted that it was an honour for Durban to host Africa’s Travel Indaba this year.

The Durban Tourism stand was a hive of activity during Indaba. | Photo: Fiona Wainwright

Speed Marketing

The Tourism Grading Council of South Africa hosted three speed marketing events at Africa’s Travel Indaba. Each event covered different topics such as Scenic Beauty, Township and Nightlife and Wildlife and Safari tourism offerings. Each session allowed for a short amount of time to market each tourism product featured. If a speaker took too long to finish their speech they were quickly cut off with sounds such as the noise a Hadeda bird makes or the sound a minibus taxi hooter makes.

There were a variety of speakers at these events and they shared the highlights of their tourism products and offerings. James McCulloch from Big Skies near Kosi Bay told us about the lodge he works for and the various offerings in the area. They offer a relaxing place where you can unwind and switch off from technology. Activities include beach walks, scuba diving and the lodge even offers vegetarian meals only.

USA Market

There were a variety of talks and workshops at Indaba including a workshop on how tourism companies from South Africa can target the USA market. Shelby Johnson, VP Partner Strategy at UM Worldwide shared some statistics that could help SA tourism leverage the USA tourism market. ‘‘6 in 10 adults believe it’s vital to learn about the culture of the place they travel to,’’ said Shelby Johnson. She also suggested that those in tourism identify relevant trends in the industry and draw from inspiration.

Stephanie M. Jones, Founder & CEO of Cultural Heritage Economic Alliance, Inc. shared with the audience deeper insights into how African-Americans travel. ‘’Black travellers spent $109.4 billion on travel in 2019,’’ said Stephanie M. Jones.

 She also revealed why African-Americans like to travel to South Africa. There are a variety of reasons which include shared values, rich cultural heritage, the opportunity of a lifetime and diverse experiences. Stephanie M. Jones advised South African tourism companies to interact with African-American travellers.  ‘’Speak our language, join our spaces, leverage local marketing networks, join the Black Travel Movement on Facebook,’’ said Ms. Jones.

The Stats

Africa’s Travel Indaba 2023 attracted a wide variety of visitors from all around the world. These included 1000 international buyers, around 1000 exhibitors, 350 products, 123 small businesses and there were visitors from 21 African countries. There were many meetings held over the event and much discussion was had about tourism and travel offerings.

The LN Watches stand at the Sustainability Village captured the eye of many a visitor with their eye catching watch designs. | Photo: Fiona Wainwright 

The event contributed significantly to the Durban Gross Domestic Product which was estimated at R130 million and spending amounting to R78 million which resulted in the creation of 250 job opportunities.

For more information visit: www.indaba-southafrica.co.za