According to Statistics SA, the unemployment rate in South Africa was reported at 23.9% in the fourth quarter of 2011. A figure that can be significantly reduced through the mentorship and development of entrepreneurs in South Africa, says Sharon Reed, CEO of Neosho119. Moreover, Reed is hoping to reduce that statistic through the implementation of [...]

“Life is not under our control, and risk is ever-present. Fortunately, many risks can be reduced by acting with basic common sense; and many can be insured against,” says Kevin Phillips, MD of idu Software. For example, the biggest physical risk most of us face every day is getting into our cars. But if you [...]

In the latest results released by Samsung on Friday, it seems that their focus on the smartphone market has paid off, says Frost and Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company. Samsung reported a first quarter profit of 5.05 trillion won ($4.45 billion), up 82% from the previous year’s 2.78 trillion won. Sales were up 82% to [...]

A number of recent rulings by the National Consumer Commission (NCC) have significant implications for both companies and their executive teams, says Gary Alleman, MD at Master Data Management. Whereas South African companies have previously escaped violations of legislation with relatively minor consequences, these rulings show that the NCC, which has been set up to [...]

Creating a contact centre is a very expensive exercise. After all, you’re going to need office space, some serious hardware which should include telephony and computing hardware, a good deal of connectivity, appropriate software solutions and some agents. All that could cost several hundred thousand Rands or more. This effectively shuts down the ability for [...]

Large-scale housing developers are increasingly recognising the necessity of constructing projects alongside broader community infrastructure such as schools, shopping centers, hospitals and public transport. This holistic focus is a welcome shift from the emphasis on constructing as many homes as possible, regardless of whether they may be located far from job opportunities or the services [...]

The number of Internet users in South Africa accelerated dramatically in the past year, thanks to the impact of both smartphones and ordinary mobile phones. As a result, the Internet is finally arriving in the hands of the mass market. This is the key finding of the Internet Access in South Africa 2012 study, conducted [...]

Firstly, remember advertising is only one component of marketing Make sure you thoroughly research your target market Analyse the best medium to reach it effectively Put a realistic marketing budget together If you don”t have a strong corporate identity develop one now Use well designed ads and brochures. It”s all about those first impressions Develop [...]

Doing business in 2012 is as challenging as ever, especially with the on-going recessionary influences in South Africa and abroad, says By Charles Pittaway, Managing Director of Netcash. Added to this, those setting out to start a new business are faced with the ever-rising cost of fuel as well as energy and raw materials and [...]