South Africa’s dominant property portal launches its mobi site on the back of spiraling demand from mobile phone users.

South Africa’s mobile internet connectivity boom reached another milestone this month with Property24.com’s launch of its mobi site. The Property24.com mobi site will effectively mirror the functionality of the conventional Property24.com web site, tailoring content delivery to the format most appropriate for the user’s device.

“People are connecting to the Internet with a huge range of devices, and many of them are cell phones or hand-held,” says Theo Mseka, Property24.com Product Manager. “Our focus is on ensuring a seamless user experience across all possible access points, so that people can do what they need to do regardless of how they’re connecting to the Internet.”

Interestingly, Property24.com’s development of its mobi site comes in response to the thousands of hits it already receives from mobile devices.

“We’ve seen more and more people accessing our portal from mobile devices recently,” says Mseka. “That’s really because we’re a web business, not a web site. A lot of people need to access the portal to do business, and they’ll do that from whatever connection point is convenient. We want to make sure we deliver the same seamless, functional experience regardless of whether the person is accessing Property24.com from their desktop or an iPad. That means ensuring content delivery is tailored to each device.”

According to World Wide Worx’s Mobile Internet in South Africa 2010 study, as many 9.5-million urban cell phone users are technically able to browse the Internet on their phones. While the number of actual users is still small due to the cost of connectivity and low digital literacy levels, the country’s mobile Internet access potential is clearly extremely high.

“Only 21% of Internet capable users are actually using their cell phones to access the Internet at this stage,” says Mseka. “But the interesting thing is that they have a capable device in their hands already, so as prices drop and ease-of-use improves, we expect the mobile Internet access rate to climb steadily.”

Currently Property24.com users accessing the portal from their mobile phones can carry out exactly the same functions as they would on the main web site (including comprehensive searches covering the full range of regions and property types), with the delivery of content tailored for speed and efficiency.

“The mobi site will evolve significantly in terms of its functionality over time,” adds Mseka. “But the guiding principle will always be fast and efficient service from any device. All additional functionality will be informed by this approach.”

Visit the mobi site at http://m.property24.com

Through protest, backyarders in Mandela Park have now held up construction of houses in the area for more than two weeks. But they continue to face intimidation and repression from SANCO and other unelected leaders in Ward 97.

Mandela Park Backyarders have continued to stop the construction of houses. Because of our efforts, construction has been unable to proceed since the 17th of August. The Mandela Park Backyarders are demanding that the MEC for Housing, Bonginkosi Madikizela, come and listen to their grievances. He promised to attend the mass meeting last Sunday, the 29th of August, but failed to pitch. He again promised to come the next mass meeting on the 5th of September and has informed the Mandela Park Backyarders that he won’t be able to make it.

The Mandela Park Backyarders say that there can be no development in their communities if there is no meaningful engagement with residents. “Madikizela is ignoring our constitutional right to participate in the development of our own communities.”

“We are also sick and tired because of the corruption in Mandela Park. It is carried out by party-appointed leaders in the area connected with local SANCO boss, Mr Makade, as well as other undemocratic political organisations operating in Ward 97. Residents are not getting houses because of this corruption. The buying and selling of RDP houses is continuing. The placement of ‘extra’ houses in pathways instead of in demarcated plots is continuing. We know who is doing it but no one is taking action.

Since we have begun protesting, our members have also been threatened, detained, and arrested. These are political cases against us. When we speak up, we suffer repression from political leaders and their police. Just this morning, a backyarder was arrested for ‘damaging property’. There is no evidence against him. He was arrested because of pressure from SANCO leaders and contractors who are angry about the building delay.”

Last night, the Mandela Park Backyarders met with local Cllr Mthwalo Mkhutswana who came to ask; “what is our problem” as a result of getting lots of questions from the media.

The Backyarders presented him with the following demands:

• We demand that 50% of all houses built within Mandela Park must go to residents in the area. Only people from outside Mandela Park or people with political connections have benefited from housing construction.
• We demand that the MEC must order an independent investigation into corruption in Mandela Park. This investigation cannot be carried out by local leaders as they are the ones involved in these corrupt activities.
• We demand that the construction of housing in Mandela Park must employ local residents. A democratic, not a political, process must be used to hire local workers.
• We demand an end to the politicised targeting and arrest of backyarders by the Harare Police and the Metro Police. Last year, there were over 20 politicised arrests of our members. All current political arrests against backyarders including cases against Luvo Vanyaza, Sibongile Mhlahlo, and Loyiso Mfuku should be dropped and immediate apologies made to targeted residents and their families.

Mr Mkhutswana responded to the demands by saying he can’t do anything to help the situation but that he will ask the contractors not to continue building until the grievances are resolved with the MEC.

Composed is a series of photographic portraits of artists in their studios and work environments

Go to: Group Exhibition at the AVA

This is the latest play by award-winning South African playwright Mike van Graan, author of the hit satirical franchise Bafana Republic.

Go to: Is It Because I’m Jack?

In her latest body of work Keith explores the ways in which we use and live with “nourishing” metaphors.

Go to: Blight by Marlise Keith

The main focus this year will be on rare, endangered and narrow endemic species indigenous to southern Africa

Go to: Kirstenbosch Botanical Art Biennale

In his new series Eastman has created a collection of silhouetted shadow portraits that appear to the viewer simultaneously strange and familiar

Go to: Life is Short by Peter Eastman

D-Seven has set the Cape Town music performance scene alight with tight sets, fitted jeans, slick moves and smooth music

Go to: D-Seven at On Broadway

Bambi Kellerman, Evita Bezuidenhout’s little sister presents her unique cabaret show for a limited season at the Fugard

Go to: F.A.K. Songs and other Struggle Anthems

A child prodigy, Park gave her first full recital when she was seven years old

Go to: Young-Choon Park set to dazzle Nederburg audience

The Earthwave Beach Festival will again host an attempt to challenge the Guinness World Record for the most surfers riding the same wave

Go to: Earthwave Beach Festival 2010

South Africa’s economy is the 24th largest in the world and the largest in Africa. The health care system consists of a large public sector but a fast growing private sector. The public health sector consumes about 11% of the national budget. With the number of hospitals and laboratories growing there is a greater demand for latest medical instruments. Analyst estimates that an increase of 7.3% per annum healthcare expenditure over the next 3 years is to be expected. The medical equipment market is largely dependent on imports due to a lack of innovative products from local suppliers.

The Medifest South Africa Premier medical and health summit promises to deliver medical suppliers from South Africa, China, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Hungary, Germany, Netherland, UK, USA, Iran, Italy Turkey, Sweden, India and South Korea.

Medifest will take place from 24 to 26 August 2010 at the Cape Town International Convention Center, Cape Town, South Africa

The main objective of this Trade Fair is to bring together all those related with the medical & healthcare sector under one roof and provide comprehensive information on current development within the industry.

Mr Lesley De Reuck, Director: 2010 Operations, City of Cape Town, recently briefed the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on the plans for the Cape Town Stadium, as well as the status of some initiatives currently in place. He noted that the City of Cape Town (CCT) had appointed Sail Stade France Operating Company to manage the stadium, after a public tender process. A 30 year lease was set to commence on 1 November 2010.

Mr de Reuck outlined what the management company was required to provide as part of its lease agreement. This included a business plan and event strategy, planning, training and resourcing of employees, testing of the operational systems, engagement with stakeholders, maintenance of the stadium’s facilities, pitch management, cleaning, procurement of sponsorships, liaison with the City of Cape Town, the organisation of events and the maximisation of stadium usage.

The current operational and maintenance costs, including the management of the adjacent Green Point Park, totalled R46.5 million. This did not include the proposed sinking fund that would provide a capital source for replacement of large parts of the stadium that would ordinarily not fall under the standard maintenance budget.

Cape Town Stadium

Mr de Reuck described the two types of activities undertaken at the Cape Town Stadium. These included core and non-core activities. Core activities consisted of Bowl or Stadium events, suite sales, and advertising rights. Non-core activities included conferences, concessions and peripheral opportunities.

Mr de Reuck outlined some of the challenges facing the Cape Town Stadium. These included an unprecedented electricity hike, as well as the need for a revised transport management plan for the surrounding area. Restrictive zoning and safety and security requirements, as well as the securing of an anchor tenant, were also challenges.

In terms of sustainability, Mr de Reuck commented that the stadium would need to draw at least 13 to 20 events a year. Suite rentals, concessions, and supplier rights needed to be addressed in such a way that they would optimise the efficient running of the stadium, and there was a need for the operator to develop two self owned events. The stadium complex had to be developed in order to help convert the site into a multi-activity destination, with a proposed gym, medical and fitness facilities being put forward as options. The development of a partnership between the V&A Waterfront and other nearby tourist destinations would also help to promote the stadium as a destination for people to visit outside of sporting events.

Mr de Reuck stressed that for the stadium to be viable, an operating cost subsidy would be needed. This fund, in conjunction with the proposed sinking fund for capital element replacement, would help the stadium stay viable until it started to become independent and profitable.

Mr D Hugo, City of Cape Town, added that the projections on profitability of the stadium showed that it was likely to make a loss over the next two years, with break even being achieved in the following two years of 2012/13. It should show a profit in 2014/15. This, however, would only be possible if government subsidized the stadium.

Mr Oregan Hoskins, President, South African Rugby Union, briefed the Committee on the problems facing the South African Rugby Union (SARU) and the cities of Cape Town and Durban. Mr Hoskins identified Cape Town and the Ethekhwini Municipality (Durban) as having problems around the relationship between the provincial rugby unions and the stakeholders involved with the establishment of the new stadiums.

Mr Hoskins stated that, in anticipation of the problems to be discussed at this meeting, he had written a letter to the Department of Sport in 2007, asking for their intervention in the matter. Regrettably, he had never received a reply to this letter. He stated that this problem should have been addressed before the stadiums were built, and that it was unfortunate that the Committee was now having to “work in reverse” to try to correct the matter.

Mr Hoskins said that the situation in Cape Town was completely out of hand. The problem was referred to SARU when talks between the relevant parties broke down. He was of the opinion that parties were talking past each other and that as long as this continued, there would be no solution of integrating these two stadiums into the sports event calendar, as they should be.

Mr Tobias Titus, President, Western Province Rugby, addressed the Committee on the events leading up to the creation of the problem now facing rugby in Cape Town. Mr Titus stated that Western Province Rugby made a bid when the new Cape Town Stadium was built. However, he claimed that it was advised to pull out of the tender bid, by the eventual winners of the tender, and were thus locked out of the talks surrounding the new stadium. Western Province Rugby was eventually advised, by a consultant that it should, for financial reasons, stay at the Newlands Stadium. At Newlands, Western Province Rugby gained R10 million a year, so there had to be serious consideration of how it might benefit from moving to the Cape Town Stadium.

A far cry from the backslapping that has accompanied South Africa’s successful hosting of the FIFA World Cup is the reality of the destroyed business and empty hotel rooms that are left in its wake.

ReservHotel International, a Cape Town-based global marketing and service company for hotels that provides 650 travel agents worldwide with hotel inventory through Galileo and Amadeus, had its business eroded when FIFA accommodation broker Match took over 90% of its room inventory. “They cut me out, they took my inventory and basically destroyed by business,” says MD, Vernon Kirsten, a South African tourism industry stalwart who pioneered Galileo in this market. His company’s turnover plummeted by up to 83% in June and July and by August has still not recovered. When Match began releasing rooms in phases before the event, these were located in difficult-to-sell outlying areas, while high-value rooms in the city were only released 30 days before kick-off, mostly too late to sell.

With only eight matches and no team bases in Cape Town, Kirsten claims the World Cup was disappointing for hotels, disastrous for guesthouses and brought no return on investment for people who rented out their homes. “I have the entire Seeff (estate agency) inventory on my system. Not one house was rented out.”

Kirsten is tackling FIFA on its prior promises that the World Cup would boost local business and is demanding compensation for loss of business. He has copied the demand to Western Cape Deputy Director-general, Dr Laurine Platzky, who was responsible for the co-ordinating policy and implementation of the province’s World Cup programme. “FIFA didn’t help us at all,” he says. “We should have had a back-up reservation system.”

Meanwhile, hoteliers have slammed Match for not earlier communicating its failure to sell signed-up hotel inventory. Newmark Hotels Operations Director, Andy Nold, says Match gave back 99,2% of the Ambassador Hotel’s inventory only 30 days before kick-off. Luckily, the group had a Plan B and managed to fill 70% of the hotel for the tournament, albeit at lower rates.

Six weeks before kick-off, Match also returned unsold 80% of the rooms in Protea’s new 15 on Orange Hotel. “Match only kept 30 rooms over three nights,” says GM, Douglas Allen. The hotel did manage to sell 110 rooms for seven nights to Algerian soccer fans and, like most other hotels in the CBD, was full over match days.

The five-star Coral International Cape Town was not contracted to Match and managed an average 40% occupancy rate for the duration of the World Cup, not bad for a new hotel, says PR and Communications Manager, Gina Meintjies.

But with the tournament over, the hotel business has gone quiet in Cape Town. Most hotels reported no corporate business during the first two weeks after the event. At Coral International corporate business only starting to trickle back in, while international leisure occupancies at the Winchester Mansions are worse than in winter last year, reports MD, Nils Heckscher. “Many international tourists will not come this year because of the World Cup and perceptions that rates are higher as a result. The economic crisis and the stronger rand are also playing a role.”

Despite this and despite the blow to his business, Vernon is putting on a brave face and hoping for a bumper summer season and an even better 2011, thanks to the publicity received during the World Cup. “The spin-off that will happen now hopefully will make it all worth it,” he says.

SOURCE: Hilka Birns

The festival, first presented in 1999, has gone on to establish itself as a popular and prestigious event among schools and community organisations

Go to: Artscape Schools Arts Festival

Ronnie Govender’s acclaimed play, opening at the Artscape Arena, is a production staged to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Indian people in South Africa

Go to: The Lahnee’s Pleasure