Family Values

How things have changed in the "techno world" we live in. I have 42 years of experience in the financial services industry, in particular the insurance industry. I recall my first employment contract with the New Zealand Insurance Company as a claims clerk earning the princely salary of R70.00 per month as a junior clerk! That's when your hair had to be short, you addressed the boss as "Sir" and you dare not be one minute late for work. Back then there were no fancy computers and calculators were known as "adding machines", which were manually operated!

20 Years ago I recall the dominant role that corporate insurance brokers played in the market - the "big boys" were in control and were respected by all for their role in the financial services arena. The independent small broker was a mere irritation to the big boys, who knew that these "one man bands" could never be a threat to them because the bigger client base would never use a small independent broker because they could not provide service capacity or appropriate security - these were the famous lines used by the corporates in that era and in my opinion they were probably correct!

As for a family business, well they were there to look after the local greengrocer, dairy and your favourite tearoom! I recall that "independents and family brokers" controlled about 20% of the insurance market, which was an acceptable level for the big guys to live with. Having been and worked as in independent most of my working life I have survived and seen some major changes in the process.

With technology available to us all, the day of specialisation has dawned - you cannot be a "Jack of all trades" in the fast developing world we live in - even the big brokers have specialist divisions for this purpose. I made a decision to specialise some 20 years ago, to do what I know best and to do it right!

Specialisation and independence gives us an edge on competitors in the tourism, hospitality and wildlife industry. We know the challenges and risks that our clients face and have addressed their needs by creating insurance facilities through Lloyd's and local insurers and we have done it well. Our growing portfolio of prestigious clients bear testimony to this fact, which includes renown companies such as Wilderness Safaris, Rani Africa and the property portfolio of Melrose Arch among others. Our latest appointment on 1 April is the landmark tourism attraction, the V & A Waterfront complex in Cape Town, a milestone in our company's history with a sum insured value in excess of R7.5 billion! (See article in the SATIB News section of this newsletter).

While SATIB has grown to incorporate a staff compliment of 54 this month, I am proud to acknowledge that my founding principle of family values and business ethics persists through our Team Commitment Charter, which ensures that SATIB operates as an extension of our family of clients. I am also proud to say that SATIB can still boast 3 generations of direct family involvement. My Dad, Peter at 85 years is in the office every day as an Internal Auditor, myself as Chairman and my sons, Anthony as MD and Gavin as National Sales Director. With 5 branch offices in SA and 2 external branches in Africa (Botswana, and Zambia) I admit that SATIB is no longer a small broker but we are still an independent broker! The photograph includes a further generation of the Courtenay family waving the flag but for my Dad and I - sadly, we will not see 4 generations of the Courtenay family in the company.

In conclusion, I must acknowledge the impact that our SATIB Team has had in the growth and focused direction that has made SATIB what it is today, from the Board of Directors, to which Dieter Prinsloo from our Cape Town branch has just been appointed, to our managers, dedicated staff and above all, our valued clients.

Brian P Courtenay
Chairman

Imagine a virtual currency where prepaid airtime is traded across national borders to exchange goods and services, cancelling out conventional currency exchange and the associated costs. Where at the touch of a button, value can be transferred from your bank, stored as airtime in your cellphone, and used to purchase, for example, a can of Coke from your local street vendor.

The very thought of those innovations in technology promises to reshape the trading system that underpins 21st century capitalism, multiplying its revolutionary impact on the lives of the poor, giving them facilities once available only to the rich.

Pie in the sky?

It's not the only currency in town, but mobile banking has already spawned a pseudo 'cyber' currency in several African countries and emerging economies around the world.

Granted, as a trading system on a global scale, the phenomenon is only an embryo, but it's growing at a breathless pace, says Gustav Vermaas.

Vermaas's payment processing company, Ventury, acts as an intermediary service provider between GSM networks, banks and end-consumers in Nigeria, Uganda and Tanzania, by providing technological applications for airtime transactions.

Airtime business transactions

Purely by chance Vermaas noticed that more and more people were purchasing large amounts of airtime in Nigeria where Ventury has a contract with mobile phone operator Celtel to transact top-ups on prepaid phones.
At first, the transactions seemed fairly straightforward. "Instead of purchasing a voucher or scratchcard, people would purchase airtime using their phones. They would also, we discovered, trade airtime amongst themselves where, for example, someone with airtime worth 500 Naira sells airtime worth 200 Naira on to the next person in exchange for hard currency. The seller's balance of airtime would be reduced by 200 Naira."
Then Vermaas noted unusually large top-up transactions in Nigeria where, instead of averages running at 200 Naira, individuals were purchasing top-ups worth 3000 to 5000 Naira. Very quickly the number of large prepaid top-ups were in bloom, which meant something was not quite normal.
"It turns out that individuals were buying and selling airtime as a business. So you would go to Celtel and buy airtime worth 10 000 Naira then stand somewhere in a rural area where the logistics of getting hard cards is a nightmare and sell on the airtime."

MTN catches on…

That was the reason MTN Nigeria announced its prepaid top-up cards in Nigeria and the UK, allowing Nigerians living in the UK to buy airtime for members of family back home, as a convenient alternative to sending small amounts of money home.
Other big network operators and cellphone companies, including Vodaphone and Safaricom in Kenya, are investing heavily in the new market.
The evolution of the system necessarily started out as a simple transaction to purchase airtime, strictly to make calls. Very soon, people in rural areas in just about every sub-Saharan African country were purchasing prepaid airtime from local vendors in cities and selling it on to merchants in rural locales, who in turn either rented the use of mobile phones to rural dwellers or sold the airtime on to them at a profit.
That seems pretty normal on a continent where informal trading is everyone's business, but the technological innovation did not stop there. The rate of airtime exchanging hands based on a relatively few large top-ups seemed an anomaly.

The virtual currency arises

"If so many people were topping up, why was this not reflecting on the system?" asked Vermaas.
When he investigated the reasons for this, he found something quite phenomenal. People were using airtime as a sort of virtual currency.

"So instead of buying airtime off me, I would say I want to buy a can of Coke. You would say that costs 200 Naira. I would say would you take airtime, so instead of giving you 200 Naira in cash I would pay you with airtime." In other words, airtime had become another means of exchange for goods and services, a 'wallet in your phone' (or second currency) based on the stored value of prepaid vouchers.

Mobile banking had emerged on the scene. Suddenly banks, traditionally accustomed to the rarefied trade of the high-end formal market, woke up to the massive opportunity this presented to deploy mobile-banking applications which extend the formal financial service system to the poor - the unbanked - without customers having to incur the onerous administrative fees of ATM machines and point of service cash transactions.

Mass roll-out potential

The critical mass to roll something like this out throughout the African continent was certainly a seduction. The reason for the excitement is the increase in the number of cellphone users in Africa.

According to a survey by the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) late last year on the incidence of cellphone banking in Africa, more than 800 million mobile phones were sold in developing countries in the last three years. With over three billion mobile phone subscribers in the world, Africa is now the world's fastest growing mobile phone market.

A cash-based society

"You have to consider that Africa is a cash-based society," says Vermaas. "So unlike your more developed economies where people transact using credit cards and the internet, African companies are proving that mobile banking can be used as a tool to facilitate virtually any form of payment, directly from your mobile phone."
The possibilities for leapfrogging the digital divide in trade by breaking down geographical barriers are enormous. Predictably, banks argue that the benefits of scale help.

Today, most banks operating in Africa offer products for mobile banking in low-income markets, meaning, in theory, that they can offer bankable services to the poor by leapfrogging the prior developmental stage of installing ATMs and charging for the use of the facilities.

The knock-on benefits of this are seen by the users, mobile operators, banks and retailers, who face panoply of new opportunities for increased traffic, customer retention and improved service offerings.

Banks see it as allowing for immediate transactions (meaning the unbanked become banking customers), an alternative to carrying cash, which in turn means better cash retention, increased security and payment efficiencies, and reduced dependency on ATMs and branch infrastructures.

Johannesburg - Satisfaction with domestic tourism stabilised over the last six months of 2006, according to the latest results from Synovate's Domestic Tourism Barometer. Overall satisfaction when travelling within South Africa remains at 78%.

The most notable change amongst those travelling lies with the single respondents - whose satisfaction levels have dropped quite noticeably - from 83% in June last year to 75% reported this year.

The Free State as a destination province has impressed its visitors and saw a marked increase in satisfaction levels - up 18% from the last reading of 59%.

"This is very definitely good news for the tourism industry in the years leading up to 2010," states Jon Salters, Managing Director of Synovate Sub Saharan Africa. "While everyone expects that satisfaction with tourist experiences should be increasing in the popular destinations such as Cape Town, KwaZulu Natal and Gauteng, it is encouraging to note that other provinces are also improving and creating a better experience for tourists."

5-star Performers

Domestic Tourism is strongest in the areas of accommodation, ease of finding one's way around, and the friendliness and helpfulness of staff. Respondents felt that the general atmosphere was excellent, the found that people were responsive to their needs and unanimously agreed that they would recommend the experience to their friends. Each of these aspects were rated over 80%.

Just over three quarters of respondents visiting Gauteng agreed that they would recommend their experience to their friends. Mpumalanga, North West Province, Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu Natal enjoy the highest levels of word-of-mouth advertising.

Areas for Improvement

Two identified areas for improvement are visitor information as well as the need to feel safe on the trip.

Free State and Gauteng score lowest for visitor information - 61% and 68% respectively. The Northern Cape appears to be getting it right and scored highest amongst all provinces - 85%

Overall, 77% of respondents stated that they felt safe on their last trip - a decline from 81% in June last year. This was especially pronounced in the Northern Cape - in wave three 93% of respondents felt safe on their trip, compared to 68% in wave four.

"This should be a major focus point for those in the industry," states Salters. "With crime levels under close scrutiny in the press at the moment, making your visitors feel safe and secure is a sure-fire way to enhance their experience and up satisfaction levels with domestic tourism." Most of the provinces, however, reflect a decline in this area.

Domestic Business Tourism

Satisfaction levels of Business travellers in South Africa are slightly lower than the national overall average - 73% indicate they are satisfied as against 79% of all travellers (including holiday and weekend away travellers).

46% of business travellers stayed in hotels; 88% say they would stay there again and the majority (51%) stayed for 1-2 nights. 23% stayed with friends and family; 11% stayed in self-catering accommodation and 8% stayed in a game lodge. Eight out of ten business travellers rate the accommodation they stayed in and friendliness of staff extremely well.

73% of business tourists state that they felt safe during their most recent trip vs. the national cumulative overall average (including holiday travellers) of 80.4%

Business travellers spend more per day than leisure travellers - the overall average daily spend recorded over all waves for business travellers is R1 202.20 - compared to the overall average daily spend of holiday travellers at R991.00.

Holiday Trends

Younger, more technology-smart, age groups (16 - 24 year olds) show a marked increase in booking their trips over the Internet (40% in March 2007 compared to 18% cumulative average). Travel agent usage sees a slight decrease overall and sits at 18%. Overall, respondents prefer to use the telephone to book their trips with 47% using this method.

The average length of trip increased in the last wave of 2006. The June results reflected an average of 3.9 nights, whereas the latest results show a 5.5 night average stay - reflecting the impact of the December holidays.

Says Salters, "It has recently been reported that the international tourism industry to South Africa generated more foreign exchange than gold in 2006 - South Africa attracted more than six million international visitors in the first nine months of last year. With this in mind, it is increasingly important to monitor the levels of satisfaction among travellers, both domestic and foreign especially in the run-up to the 2010 World Cup."

More about the Survey

The Synovate barometer measures factors affecting the travel experience overall, whether it be for a weekend getaway, holiday or business. The company interviewed 250 domestic travellers from the more affluent market across the nine provinces.

Fieldwork for Wave 4 was conducted over the last six months of 2006. 500 respondents were interviewed across South Africa.

Source: http://www.satib.co.za/www.biz-community.com

De Zalze Golf Course in South Africa, managed by the Spier Group and co-owned by Spier (75%) and Kleine Zalze (25%), has been awarded Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA) certification. The certification follows that of the Spier Hotel which was the first luxury hotel in South Africa to be awarded FTTSA accreditation in 2004.

Jennifer Seif, executive director of FTTSA, said that while De Zalze is the first golf course to qualify for FTTSA certification, she is confident that this achievement would spark others in the golf sector to "improve their operations across the triple bottom line of social, economic and environmental performance".

Seif added: "It is often said that golf is elitist, bad for the environment, and a provider of poor quality casual jobs. De Zalze challenges these and other norms in the golf sector, through progressive human resource and supply chain development practices and through careful management of environmental resources on site." "The course is not an exclusive enclave, but is open to the public and acts as a drawcard for local as well as international tourists. Golf tourists are a significant source of business for guest houses, hotels, restaurants, museums and retail outlets throughout the Stellenbosch Winelands region," she said.

Tanner Methvin, director of sustainable development at Spier, said all of the Spier Group`s businesses - including De Zalze, Spier Wines, the Spier Hotel & Conference Centre and the leisure estate - are committed to embedding the ethos of sustainable development into business practice. "The Spier Group has built innovative models for how business and development can succeed in harmony with our ecology and society. We are building Spier into a profitable, internationally recognised brand that fosters cutting edge, sustainable ways of living, learning and being," said Methvin.

The De Zalze golf course was designed by Peter Matkovitch, well known for his `listen to the land` approach to designing environmentally-friendly golf courses. De Zalze has over the past four years consistently improved its position in the Golf Digest rankings, from 44th in 2002 to 23rd in 2006.

Dave Hansen, managing director of De Zalze Golf, is ecstatic that the course has achieved a first in terms of responsible tourism guidelines.

"That we have received third party recognition for our efforts is an honour for De Zalze. We have always worked within the construct of social equity and environmental conservation in our approach to business," Hansen said.

Source: http://www.satib.co.za/www.traveldailynews.com
Written by Michael Verikios - Travel Daily News

Johannesburg - "A business tourism forum should be established to enhance the development of business tourism in South Africa," says the Department of Trade and Industry's (dti) Director: Tourism, Kate Rivett-Carnac.

Announcing the findings of research into the business tourism industry at the Meetings Africa exhibition in Johannesburg last week, Rivett-Carnac said the research found the industry highly fragmented with limited communications, hampering development.

"Furthermore, there is some role confusion between South African Tourism, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, the dti, convention bureaus and provincial and city tourism organisations as well as other tourism associations.

"A single business tourism forum would enhance institutional cohesion and strengthen cooperation. As the research pointed to a lack of standardised definitions and relevant, applicable, comparable and consistent research, such an envisaged forum would coordinate all these functions to the advantage of the business tourism industry."

Rivett-Carnac said one of the forum's first tasks would be to set agreed standardised definitions and define a joint research strategy in conjunction with organisations like South African Tourism, the South African Meetings Industry Federation and the tourism bodies of all the provinces. It should also facilitate a united South African destination business tourism product offering.

"The research suggested that the government should only support accredited and compliant venues and should improve the communications on SMME support and BEE plans."

Officially opening the tourism business conference that preceded the Meetings Africa exhibition, Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk challenged the industry to raise its international standing to be within the top ten by 2010. Currently South Africa is ranked number 32 on the list of preferred international business tourism destinations.

Van Schalkwyk said business travel is a lucrative sector of the market, which ramps up tourism's contribution to the economy. Business tourists currently make up five percent of South Africa's total tourism market.

"I am certain that this figure will improve in the lead-up to 2010, and I believe that the industry's vision of doubling this figure in the next three years is not overly ambitious. Business tourism contributed R2,3 billion to overall tourism revenue in 2005, representing just over four percent of the total," the Minister said.

"If the proposed business tourism forum focuses on the suggested goals, meeting the Minister's challenge would not be too ambitious," says Rivett-Carnac.

Source: http://www.satib.co.za/www.travelwires.com

The City of Cape Town has called for "urgent intervention" in the management of the embattled Cape Town Routes Unlimited (CTRU), but the chairperson of the legislature's committee on economic development and tourism says there is no crisis. And CTRU chairperson Joe Mwase has dismissed allegations that the organisation is in disarray, saying increases in tourist numbers and revenue "attest to its success".

"There is no crisis," said committee chairperson Garth Strachan (ANC). "To suggest there is, is an insult to the very capable men and women who (ran) CTRU before Sheryl Ozinsky resigned and who will run it after her." Ozinsky began work as chief executive officer on January 10 and resigned last week.

She said she wished to work on "great ideas" without the constraints of a "government seven-to-seven job", but dismissed claims, made by industry sources, that administrative chaos and a burden of red tape had prompted her to quit.

Ozinsky led the CTRU's predecessor, Cape Town Tourism.

Simon Grindrod, mayoral committee member for economic development and tourism, promised "urgent intervention" by the city. "CTRU cannot be allowed to become a parking lot for politically connected cronies who have little or no relevant experience in destination marketing. If CTRU is going to continue operating along those lines, then we may as well shut it down and start again."

Patty Duncan, DA MPL, has asked MEC for Finance and Tourism Lynne Brown and CTRU to present reports on the management of the body to the committee, on which Duncan sits. "If CTRU is in trouble, we need to deal with the problems now, rather than later."

Strachan said the committee "in good faith" would look at reports from Brown and CTRU's management this week. He emphasised, however, that it had been agreed at a meeting with Brown last week that there was no crisis.

"There is a transitional plan in place to replace the chief executive officer and there (has been) a process in place to strengthen the board."

Strachan said it was "unlikely" CTRU would become a Section 21 company, free of statutory restrictions.

Mwase said the board comprised representatives of the public and private sectors.

Claims of chaos were "misguided perceptions". The growing number of tourists and rise in international tourist spending, from R8,9-billion to R14,9-billion in 2005, proved CTRU was performing well.

"There is no question in my mind about the board's ability to make decisions and move quickly. There is no undue administrative blockage."

Nor had the CTRU executive complained of slow delivery of marketing strategies.

For the first time in history, FIFA would be contracting non-hotel accommodation such as national park accommodation, bed and breakfast, lodges and guesthouses, during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

This, according to South African Tourism CEO, Moeketsi Mosola presents a huge opportunity for Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMME's) to benefit directly from the world's biggest soccer event.

Speaking at a business forum hosted by the University of the Free State on Wednesday 28 February 2007, Mosola emphasised that all participating establishments would have to obtain a grading rating from the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA) in order to be contracted by MATCH, the FIFA-mandated company responsible for accommodation, ticketing and information technology for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

"This means that in order to be eligible for a FIFA contract, non-hotel accommodation would have to be graded,' explained Mosola.

South African Tourism had conducted research into the opportunities and challenges that face the tourism industry and, together with the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and other stakeholders, had begun work on preparing for the soccer extravaganza.

A recent example of the work that is already underway was South African Tourism's contribution to the hosting of the FIFA 2010 National Accommodation Workshop held in October 2006. This was a significant first step towards preparing South Africa's accommodation industry for the global event.

Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk announced at this event that his department would invest R170-million in the Tourism Enterprise Programme, the organisation mandated to develop SMME companies in the tourism sector. These funds, according to van Schalkwyk, would without a doubt boost the sector and facilitate SMME development.

"Small and medium sized enterprises from around the country will be able to apply to our Tourism Enterprise Programme for assistance that will partially cover the grading costs. This will help us to achieve the dual objectives of spreading tourism benefits beyond cities where matches are taking place, and of providing spectators with an even wider range of accommodation options," explained Mosola.

In addition, Mosola said that South African Tourism had developed a Tourism Organising Plan for the sector in order to maximize tourism value from the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The plan includes, amongst others, such measures as:

· developing a robust database of available product in the tourism industry;
· addressing poor service levels and skills shortages at key consumer interfaces;
· working with the relevant stakeholders to ensure sufficient tourism friendly transport at focal points;
· engaging with the department of safety and security at all levels to ensure the completion and implementation of a national tourism safety plan; and
· increasing the number of graded establishments.

Mosola cautioned business people against the focusing on the accommodation sector only when looking for business opportunities ahead of the World Cup.

"There are a myriad other opportunities for both large and small players. For example support services to the accommodation sector like laundry, housekeeping and food and beverage supply would be excellent options to investigate," commented Mosola.

Other opportunities outlined by Mosola include construction, security services, transfers, volunteer training, grading assessment and events.

In conclusion Mosola said: "We are committed to ensuring that 2010 will stimulate our economy and leave a lasting physical, social and economic legacy in our country. However, 2010 is not an end in itself… it is but a milestone in our quest to make destination South Africa the world's top destination in terms of service excellence, hospitality, authenticity, variety and awesome experiences."

The Uganda Wildlife Authority has announced plans to habituate two more mountain gorilla family groups in Bwindi National Park to keep up with a growing demand from tourists to the east African nation.

"With the number of foreign tourists steadily increasing, the present demand is greater than supply," the authority's spokesperson Lillian Nsubuga told AFP.

"The habituation process will be organised and conducted by our staff at UWA, and will take between one and two years," she added.

Four types of wild gorilla families have already been settled in Bwindi park, she said, adding that the new groups - the Ruhiija and Rushaga - are to be habituated this year.

Mountain gorillas are naturally fearful of humans resulting in a lengthy habituation process for them to become accustomed to the presence of visitors.

Tracking the gorillas is a major source of income for tourism authorities with visitors paying $375 (about R2 800) for the chance to spend one hour in the presence of a family group.

Bwindi, or the Impenetrable Forest, in southwest Uganda is home to the majority of the country's rare and endangered mountain gorilla population.

The investment climate for tourism in South Africa remains positive with growth in international tourist arrivals expected to continue in the build-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup and beyond.
The healthy investment climate is also evident from recent and planned investments in the hospitality industry including:

• new products such as Protea's new Extreme Hotel that opened in Cape Town late last year
• Foreign Direct Investment transactions such as the R7 billion acquisition of the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town last year by a consortium of Middle Eastern, British and South African investors
• strong operating and financial results reported by major South African hotel groups such as Sun International and City Lodge Hotels
• an announcement by Club Med about its intention to build a resort in South Africa before the 2010 FIFA World Cup
• expansion by groups such as City Lodge Hotels, who plans to invest R171 million to add 600 new rooms through extensions to existing hotels and construction of 4 new hotels by early 2008.

Major Ndaba dons his wild cat skin hat, stands by his "lucky charm" baboon skeleton and poses for the cameras of visitors intent on experiencing a South Africa far removed from game reserves and glistening beaches.

Ndaba's dark herbalist store, crammed with tree bark, animal horns and dozens of different powders and potions which he claims will treat everything from AIDS to infertility to flu, is a regular attraction on tours into the sprawling settlements set up by the old apartheid government which are still home to the majority of the population.

Township tourism, which has increased hugely in popularity since South Africa's multiracial elections of 1994, is now a multimillion dollar business.

Soweto, the heart of the anti-apartheid struggle, is now Johannesburg's top tourist attraction, according to local authorities. Tours pass by Nelson Mandela's first home, that of his former wife Winnie Madikezela Mandela and Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu, as well as monuments to fallen heroes of the struggle against racism.

Even in Cape Town, which lacks the historical significance of Soweto, about 25 percent of foreign visitors take time out from the stunning scenery and beaches to trawl the dusty streets of the wind-swept Cape Flats.

Cape Town's tourist office estimates that nearly 320,000 foreign visitors went on a township tour last year; more than 80 percent of its 250 licensed tour operators offer such "cultural experiences."

There are no reliable figures on the economic impact of the tours, which cost on average $40 for a half-day visit and more for overnight stays in basic but clean houses or shacks.

But Simon Kumanya, who runs a craft stall on a dusty corner in Langa, shows the importance of the tours when he explains that the carved wooden and exquisitely beaded souvenirs he sells provide work for about 20 people.

"The Germans are my most important customers," he said, flicking an ostrich feather duster and straining his voice above the belting music from a nearby minibus taxi.

City officials are anxious to encourage the tours, especially in the run-up to the 2010 World Cup. The benefits trickle down to the poorest of the poor, with schools and child-care centers funded by some of the profits and donations.

"Township tours spread the tourism dividend to the townships. We are simply never going to unlock the huge potential of this city and province if we confine it to Table Mountain and the Waterfront," said the incoming head of Cape Town Routes Unlimited, Sheryl Ozinsky, in a recent newspaper editorial.

But there have been some bad incidents. In November, a group of Germans was robbed by armed thugs as they visited a school in Langa, and a Dutch group was attacked outside a restaurant there. Langa was the first township developed after the 1923 Urban Areas Act tried to force Africans to live in specific locations.

A year ago, German tour operators on a fact-finding visit were robbed in the Khayelitsha township.

The negative headlines caused a dip in visitors but - officials insist - are the exception and not the rule.

"Crime is a very real threat to continued tourism growth, not just in the townships. It would be a tremendous pity and ultimately self-defeating if ... we simply throw up our hands and confine the tourism experience to a few high-security areas," commented Ozinsky.

She pointed out that a similar spate of robberies had happened at the Kirstenbosch gardens, but there were no calls for people to stop visiting there.

Instead, the tourist authority is distributing 100,000 leaflets with street-wise tips and contact phone numbers to boost safety this summer, which runs December through March in this Southern Hemisphere country.

Many tour operators also now stick to one easily policed route rather than taking visitors through densely populated shack areas, and have stopped evening visits to shebeens, or taverns, according to Khanyiso Kenqa of Cape Capers.

Kenqa, who lives in Langa, insists that visitors are safe because the community wants the tours, and thieves who prey on visitors risk the wrath of "street committees."

"Townships earn a lot from tourism. We won't let them get away with such things," he declared.

But the low-risk approach carries the risk that many of the tours now have a sterile, packaged feel.

Rahel Hager, a visitor from Switzerland, said she found a guided stroll around the "informal settlement" of Imizamo Yethu in the tourist village of Hout Bay, more fun and more informative than the air-conditioned minibus tour of bigger townships.

But all such visits are likely to provide an insight into South Africa's race relations that the foreigner would otherwise miss.

Many tours begin in the District Six Museum - testimony of the brutal clearance of nonwhites from their vibrant, downtown multiracial community and their removal, according to color, to the Cape Flats townships.

Apartheid authorities used the "pencil test" to determine the color. If it stuck in a person's hair, he or she was classed as black. If it slipped through, they were mixed race and had more privileges, Kenqa tells a stunned German couple.

The minibus passes through Gugulethu, where the streets still have the prefix NY to a number. "Native Yard," explains Kenqa. He points out the monument dedicated to Amy Biehl, an American student who was murdered while working with disadvantaged communities in 1993 by a black mob in an outburst of racial tension. Her four black killers were pardoned by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission set up to heal the wounds of apartheid and, more poignantly, were forgiven and embraced by the Biehl family who themselves became an international symbol of reconciliation.

Kenqa goes on to discuss Tik, a highly addictive synthetic drug that has infiltrated the mixed-race community, in particular. Gangs such as "The Americans" and "Ghetto Kids" fight for control of the drug.

Next to a disused power station in Athlone, makeshift tents are half buried in bushy scrubland. "A circumcision village," points out the guide as he explains the ritual _including six days in the wild without food or water - marking the passage from boyhood to manhood in his Xhosa culture.

In Langa, visitors are invariably invited to see a vibrant local school and one of the hostels that housed men who worked in Cape Town and were separated from their families in rural areas by apartheid's policies.

A dorm where three men once lived is currently home to an extended family of 10 - an indication of contemporary housing shortages.

But Pumeza Cakasajo said she didn't mind the invasion of strangers into the tiny room. "It's a good experience for people to come here and we know the community benefits at the end of the day," said the 26-year-old as others in her family continued watching the small crackly television as if oblivious to the intrusion.

Nearby, modest new houses stand testimony to the government's determination to replace the hostels - and ultimately the shacks - with decent homes.

Around the corner is the familiar sight of a woman sitting in a doorway having her hair braided. Farther down the road comes the smell of barbecued meat and the sight of market traders removing fur from sheep's' heads to prepare the popular boiled dish fondly known as a "Smiley."

Ndaba, the herbalist in Langa, claims he inherited his skills and knowledge from his grandparents, from the other side of their grave.

He displays a modern business savvy, with a small sign in his store displaying charges for tour groups to visit. But he prefers to emphasize the folkloric.

With many South Africans still visiting traditional healers, Ndaba's customers include locals who want to ward away evil spirits and men suffering from impotency, he says.

He indicates the horn of a springbok deer with its tip cut off. When filled with potion, it is the equivalent of the suppository, he gesticulates.

"It's very effective. The medicine goes straight to the kidney. It's our injection."

Among the small group of foreigners, there are no takers.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20070109/ap_tr_ge/travel_trip_south_africa_township_tours
By CLARE NULLIS, Associated Press Writer

The advent of travel Web sites that allow ticket shoppers to view an array of fares and itineraries would have seemed the death knell for the travel agent industry.

Not so, say those in the business. The marriage of travel and technology over the past decade has left traditional travel agencies with no choice but to change course and re-invent ways to compete.

The face of travel changed in 1996 when online travel giants such as Travelocity unveiled dozens of options and convenience for travelers. Roughly 560 million of today's 2 billion airline passengers around the world now use the Internet to purchase tickets, according to technology firm SITA Information Networking Computing. In the United States, transactions on the Internet will account for more than half of all travel bookings in 2007, according to a report from PhoCus Wright Inc., an independent travel research firm.

Travel agencies have some stiff competition, especially when it comes to corporate travel. GetThere, an online corporate travel reservation technology, announced 10 million online bookings, accounting for more than $8 billion in combined travel bookings for 2006. GetThere estimates the system collectively saved companies more than $600 million in airfare in 2006.

Despite the competition, travel agencies are holding their own by embracing online technologies. According to the American Society for Travel Agents, 98 percent of ASTA agencies subscribe to a consumer online service or an Internet access provider to help them better serve their clients. Before the boom in online booking, agents would simply take orders over the phone, said Mary Peters, vice president of ASTA. Technology is a positive development because it has forced those in the industry to be more interactive, Peters said.

"The travel industry has adapted, I think, above average to any other industry in using the knowledge the clients have before them, because it is something to talk about, it is not one-sided anymore," Peters said. "Now we are a true travel professional, we are doing what we set out to do many, many years ago, and that is to be travel professionals."

Alaska-based USTravel is one agency thriving in the competitive climate. The agency has stepped into the technology arena by launching a newly designed Web site, investing in online technologies to serve clients and sending weekly e-newsletters highlighting a variety of vacation offerings.

"I think technology has really just helped spark us to be smarter about the way we are doing business. We certainly have taken strides to invest in technology ourselves. We really pride ourselves on the fact that we can provide our clients with online booking tools," said Lilly Shelden, director of marketing for USTravel Alaska.

The investment in technology appears to be working. USTravel Alaska does most of its business on the corporate side and has clients ranging from sports teams to those in the fishing industry, as well as more traditional businesses. Shelden says while technology is crucial, customer service is also a driving force behind its success.

"We certainly are continuing to make strides in providing the top quality in personal service - really getting back to basics and really focusing on the fact that those relationships are very important. We can provide a service that a computer cannot. We're there for our customers every step of the way," Shelden said.

Many Anchorage businesses bypass using a travel agency to save money; however, some businesses say the benefits of customer service and efficiencies travel agencies provide is money well spent. Mikunda Cottrell & Co. Inc., an accounting and consulting firm, says travel agencies are good for the bottom line. Mikunda Cottrell purchases about 30 tickets per month and does extensive travel to rural Alaska to do audits for villages and cities throughout the state.

"Because we travel mostly to remote areas, USTravel has connections with smaller air carriers and knows the ins and outs of Bush travel. Not using USTravel would mean having to hire another administrative staff member with some travel experience to handle flight arrangements. That would mean paying that person a salary and benefits. Ultimately, it saves us money," said Michaela Teater, office coordinator for Mikunda Cottrell.

Want to know how much advertising spend goes to the travel and lifestyle media? Here are the numbers.

• Getaway's ABC of 81,206 dropped to 68,905 (down 15 percent or 12,301) but was picked up by Afrikaans version Wegbreek with a first ABC of 30,072.
• However, the combined circulation of Weg and Go! (113,278) beats that Getaway plus Wegbreek's 98,977.
• Getaway has 59 percent (R50.5-million) of the share of spend of the travel magazine market and Wegbreek has already captured a 12.6 percent share of spend measured over only five months (Jul06 - Nov06).
• R61.3-million was the combined revenue of both Getaway and Wegbreek giving Ramsay Son and Parker a boost of 265 percent over Media24's Weg and Go! combined.
• The number one recipient of adspend in newspaper travel sections went to the Sunday Times Lifestyle which includes Travel, Food and Books but excludes the New York Times. It got R21.1-million in revenue over the last year.
• R16.8-million went to the Pretoria News travel section, followed closely by the Saturday Star travel section with R16.3-million over the last year.
• R70-million over a year was the revenue income for only the travel sections in weekly newspapers. Travel magazines (run of paper excluding inserts) got R85-million, 21 percent more than their newspaper counterparts.
• There was a four percent increase in revenue for the whole travel category in November 2006 over November 2005.

• A total of 32.9 percent of total lifestyle publications revenue went to Sawubona with an income of R31.2-million over the last year.
• R21.1-million went to the Sunday Times Lifestyle, a newspaper supplement.
• 60 percent vs 40 percent is the split in revenues generated between magazines and newspaper supplements in the lifestyle sector. Magazine share has grown from 42 percent three years ago. This has been stimulated by the launch of new titles such as Real Simple.
• A seven percent increase in revenue (R3.8-million) for Style magazine, holding its own before it was closed in December 2006.
• Top Billing has a 10.8 percent share of the lifestyle sector in terms of revenue and it attained R10.3-million in the last year, growing its revenue by 56 percent over the previous year.
• R700k + per month is the advertising revenue received by the KwaZulu-Natal newspaper The Mercury's Goodlife supplement. This is good support for a regional publication.
• There was some 30.9 percent growth in the lifestyle sector revenue 2004/2005, slowing down to 13.2 percent in 2005/2007, with most of the publications contributing to this.
• This data was collected over a five-year period: Nov-Oct 2001/02, 2002/03, 2003/04, 2004/05.

The City of Cape Town has a new policy to manage attacks on tourists, with tourist safety becoming an ever more critical issue ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

The plan does not attempt to stop crime, which remains the job of the police. Instead, it seeks to warn of the potential dangers and then co-ordinates the efforts of all tourism-related bodies and communication with emergency services after any incidents.

"It's about who deals with what, when what happens," explained Simon Grindrod, mayoral committee member for Economic Development and Tourism.

"Visitor safety and support is one of the key issues impacting on sustainable tourism."

The City's tourism department has developed this strategy in conjunction with the Western Cape's Economic Development and Tourism department, as part of a broader provincial initiative.

Grindrod said awareness remained "our greatest weapon".

This was "warning tourists in a way that is not frightening, but practical".

This was done by distributing brochures containing safety tips and by training local residents to be aware of the safety of tourists in their midst.

"The simple act of helping a tourist who is lost can often prevent something from happening," Grindrod suggested.

The plan calls on Capetonians to work with Cape Town Tourism to:

• Alert the protection services to areas of concern regarding safety and security.
• Assist a victim to contact the relevant protection or emergency services where required.
• Ensure that victims are treated with respect and dignity at all times.
• Work with Cape Town Tourism's local offices to create a safer environment for visitors.

Climate-friendly business practice not only makes sound commercial sense, but is a necessity for any modern company that cares about its impact beyond the boardroom, according to Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, Chairman of easyGroup.
Speaking at the first in a series of IoD Financial Director Network briefings on the risks facing today's UK companies, sponsored by Lloyd's, Sir Stelios emphasised: "The climate change debate is over. The science is proven and it is every industry's responsibility to do something about it."
A clear consensus emerged amongst the event's speakers that climate change provides opportunity for business as well as a responsibility. But Sir Stelios said that, rather than risk demonising certain industries, the emphasis should be on encouraging all sectors and businesses to do what they can to make a difference.

He argued that recent climate change studies show that the global aviation industry accounts for only 1.6% of carbon emissions. Indeed, budget airlines can be seen as the greenest part of the aviation sector, he contended. "Flying low-cost is actually better for the environment," he said, noting that more people travel on the same plane. "There are more seats and more of them are occupied."

However, Sir Stelios was keen to make clear that easyJet is not complacent and is committed to change. He pointed to the decision to phase out 22 aircraft, which were over 10 years old, and replace them with brand new, more efficient aircraft. In the last year alone, he said, the company "has spent £275 million on new planes".

Other speakers at the event included Chairman of Lloyd's, Lord Levene; Ian Pearson, MP, Minister of State for Climate Change and Environment; and James Anderson, Director, Climate Change Services and International Development for consultancy firm Sd3 Ltd.

Outlining the government's position, Ian Pearson emphasised that every business needs to understand and manage its operational and strategic risk when it comes to climate change. Businesses will increasingly also need to show that they are "as green as possible", as consumer pressure grows, he said, explaining that consumers are starting to actively seek out the greenest products and services.

"Climate change provides threats and challenges. At the same time, it provides new business opportunities. The UK market for environmental goods and services is something like £25 billion at the moment. We expect that to at least double over the next 10 years. I think that will bring along with it substantial opportunity," he said.

Like Sir Stelios, the Minister opined that going green on climate change increasingly makes good business sense. The challenge for companies is to find ways to decarbonise their operations and at the same time actually find a way to benefit the company, he said. He said that companies should be finding ways to tap into the advantages that renewable energy might bring a business, "or how they can tap into the growing appetite for green products."

Ian Pearson noted that the UK government is working hard to speed commitment on climate change at a European Union and international level. He said that Government clearly recognises the role the business community is playing in building momentum for change, and as a result, "I'm very optimistic you'll find that you've got a very supportive government."
Lloyd's has become highly involved in the climate change debate, given the fact that the insurance industry is likely to be in the front line of those affected by the increased severity and frequency of extreme weather - a predicted side-effect of global warming. Yet working with the Economist Intelligence Unit at the end of 2005, Lloyd's conducted research with business leaders, which showed that only one in four companies have changed their risk management strategy as a result of increasing weather-related catastrophes.

Giving an insurance perspective, Lord Levene said that the time for business to take action had clearly come. "As insurers, we believe that risk management reasons alone are enough to demand action. Indeed, some 92% of those we interviewed last summer agree that climate-friendly behaviour makes good risk management sense," he said.

"But the majority of businesses may not yet be fully aware - or fully convinced - of the full range of benefits which climate-friendly behaviour can bring to the bottom line," Lord Levene went on to say. "Instinct suggests that climate-friendly behaviour could have a tangible impact on corporate reputation and company efficiency."

As customer understanding grows on the issues surrounding climate change and preferences change accordingly, it may become a source of competitive advantage, he affirmed.

As a consultant with companies and governments on climate-change initiatives, James Anderson told the audience he has come to the conclusion that directors of larger global companies now feel compelled to say that "climate change is important in their businesses".

However, he said, these companies need to make sure that their proclamations go beyond paying lip-service and are actually translated into corporate actions. But whether businesses like it or not, climate change "is happening and it's happening extremely fast", Anderson warned. Businesses cannot wait on the sidelines; they must be active in developing solutions that are good business and good for business, or they will fall behind, he said. He added that the solutions developed should be long-term solutions, rather than quick fixes.

Source: http://www.satib.co.za/www.lloyds.com/News_Centre

Johannnesburg police have warned of a scam, offering overseas job opportunities, which could lead to identity theft. National spokesperson Percy Morokane said the potential victim is contacted by email and offered work overseas with many tempting benefits. Personal and banking details and copies of academic qualifications are requested.

Then a fake employment contract is sent to the victim. The personal information provided could be used in identity theft.

Morokane said police had received reports about such e-mails, but have in their possession one e-mail which duped a South African man. He would not divulge information as investigations were continuing.

While this email was from Europe, Morokane said emails offering overseas employment could also originate from inside South Africa.

Any recipient of such requests for information should visit the website of the company, Morokane advised.

He urged any recipients to contact police on 012-401-3343 or 012-393-1203. - Sapa
Source: http://www.satib.co.za/www.ioltechnology.co.za

SABRIC (South African Banking Risk Information Centre), along with the banking industry, is warning consumers of a new refund scam. This scam is however taking advantage of refunds via credit cards. The hospitality (guest houses and lodges) industry is specifically being targeted with this scam.

"The criminals are using a similar strategy to that of the previous refund scams," comments Susan Potgieter General Manager of commercial crime operations at SABRIC.

"A booking is made at a guest house telephonically or via a web site, supposedly for a large party under the patronage of a conference, or large group holiday. The deposit or full amount is paid by means of a credit card (the details of which the fraudster had obtained illicitly). Due to the booking being made telephonically or via the internet no imprint of the card is made at this stage. If there are adequate funds available on the card, the transaction is processed successfully with a valid authorisation obtained.

At a later stage, the party that made the booking calls back advising that they have to cancel the booking and then request the deposit to be refunded. However, they request that the refund be made to a different account and not to the original card number supplied. Should the merchant comply, the merchant will be exposed to a loss if the legitimate cardholder disputes the transaction"explains Potgieter.

Secondary to the above, cases have also been noted whereby the cardholder requests the merchant to process substantially more than the accommodation charges and then instructs the merchant to either pay the balance direct to the guests or to transfer the surplus amount to another account for land / travel arrangements.

"All merchants and members of the public should be on the alert for these malpractices. Ensure that when providing refunds after card payments, that these are only done to the original card provided for payment, regardless of what is requested by the cardholder. Members of the public are urged to report anything suspicious to the SAPS, SABRIC or to the relevant bank" concludes Potgieter.

Source: http://www.satib.co.za/www.itinews.co.za