Business

Demographic characteristics and beliefs of the people in “the village that is South Africa”

No Comments »Written on April 26th, 2012 by jonckie
Categories: Business, Household
Tags: , ,

Freedom Day 2012 in South Africa

In acknowledgement of Freedom Day in South Africa on the 27th April, Ipsos South Africa has reviewed some of the major defining statistics of our population.

If South Africa were a single village with only 100 adult[1] inhabitants, what would it look like?  What would the people be like and what would they want from life?

Demographic characteristics and beliefs of the people in the village

  • In the “village” there will be a balance between genders with half of the people being male and the other half female[2].

Age profile

Young people will make out the majority of the population with 52 out of the 100 younger than 35.  The average age of those in the “village” will be 36,51 years. One can thus expect issues concerning younger people, like education, economic opportunities and development to be of concern.

Age 2012 profile %
15-24 27
25-34 25
35-49 26
50-59 12
60+ 10


Population group profile

The population group profile did not change much over the last 16 years; currently three quarters of the inhabitants of the “village” will be black, while the other quarter is made up by representation from the minority population groups.

Population group 1996 profile[3] 2008 profile 2012 profile %
Black 77 78 76
Whte 11 11 12
Coloured 9 8 10
Indian 3 3 2

Marital status:

Marital status 2008 % 2012 %
Single 43 52
Married 39 32
Living together 9 8
Widowed 7 6
Divorced/separated 2 2

Language proficiency

Issues of language, language group rights and interests and the language of education got a lot of attention in the media recently.  How multilingual are South Africans really?

Zulu, English, Xhosa and Afrikaans are the biggest home languages in the South African “village”, while the dominant position of English as “lingua franca” when it comes to understanding and reading is clear: more than 9 out of every 10 people in the “village” understand English, while 17 in every 20 can also read English.

Language Home language %[4] Understand %[5] Read %[6]
Zulu 20 36 29
English 19 91 86
Xhosa 15 25 20
Afrikaans 13 32 29
Sepedi 9 16 12
Tswana 8 18 13
Sesotho 7 20 14
Swazi 3 5 4
Tsonga/Shangaan 3 5 4
Venda 2 4 2
Ndebele 1 3 2


Religion:

Currently 57 out of the 100 adults in the “village” are Christian (either Roman Catholic or Protestant). In 2008 73 out of the 100 “villagers” claimed to be Christian.

The ZCC/the Church of Shembe/other African Independent Churches form the religious home of almost a fifth of South African adults. However, a similar proportion indicated that they would not classify themselves as belonging to any religious group.

Religious group %
Christian Protestant 43
Christian Roman Catholic 14
ZCC/Church of Shembe/African Independent Churches 17
Muslim/Islam 2
Hindu 1
Other 1
Jewish/Judaism *
Buddhist *
Refused 3
None 19

Housing and socio-economic infrastructure of households in the village

13 out of the 100 have one or more domestic helpers and in 58% there are children younger than 15 in the house.

Housing type and facilities

Almost half of the “village” is made up of houses/cluster houses and townhouses and a further quarter live in RDP or the so-called “matchbox” houses.

Type of house/structure %
House/cluster/townhouse 47
RDP house/”matchbox” 23
Squatter hut/shack 12
Traditional hut 10
Room in backyard 2
Flat 2
Hostel/compound 1
Other 3

  • 77 households have tap water in the house or on the stand/in the yard (this was 68 in 2008)
  • 34 have hot water from a geyser (this was 31 in 2008)


Furniture, facilities and appliances in the household

  • 88 have a television set (this was 70 in 2008)
  • 84 have an electric stove
  • 80 have a fridge and/or freezer
  • 65 have a DVD player
  • 59 have a flush toilet
  • 46 have a built-in kitchen sink
  • 38 have a washing machine
  • 26 households subsribe to MNet/DStv
  • 18 have a vacuum cleaner and/or polisher
  • 18 have a personal desktop/laptop
  • 11 households make use of  a home security service
  • 11 have a landline telephone in working order (this is less than in 2008 when 17 had a landline telephone in working order)
  • 9 have a tumble dryer
  • 9 have a VCR
  • 4 have a dishwasher

Modern communication and transport in the “village”

  • 8 in every 10 (80%) have no internet access, while 6% can access the internet at work, 6% at home and 13% via cellphone
  • 83 own, rent or use a cell phone (a slight increase from 2008 when 80 owned, rented or used a cell phone)
  • Just more than 3 in every 10 (31%) own or drive a motor vehicle (car/station wagon/bakkie/mini-bus):
  • 19 have 1
  • 10 have 2 and
  • 2 have three or more motor vehicles.

This is virtually the same as in 2008 when 30 owned a motor vehicle.

Access to banking and financial services

  • 42 inhabitants do NOT use any banking service (this is down from 2008 when 50 inhabitants did NOT use any banking service). This time 5% refused to give an answer.
  • The others use:
Service/Product %
ATM card 35
Savings account 33
Debit card 13
Cheque/current account 8
Credit card 7
Vehicle finance 4
Transmission account 3
Mzansi 3
Home loan 3
Investment account 2
Petrol/garage card 2
  • Other financial services used, are:
Service/Product %
Funeral insurance 27
Life cover/policy 14
Medical insurance 7
Retirement annuity/pension plan or policy 6
Short-term insureance for vehicle, house etc 5
Endowment, investment/saving/education plan with or without life cover 5
Refused 6
None of these 60
  • Based on these and other figures, the LSM (Living Standards Measure) distribution in the village will be:
LSM %
LSM 1 1
LSM 2 2
LSM 3 7
LSM 4 14
LSM 5 20
LSM 6 24
LSM 7 9
LSM 8 8
LSM 9 10
LSM 10 5

Employment, income and education in the “village”

  • Currently just more than a third (36%) of the villagers is employed (either full-time or part-time). In 2008 42 were employed (full-time or part-time).
  • Of the 36, 26 are employed full-time and the other 10 part-time
  • Of the 36, 6 are self-employed
  • Of the 36; 21 are male and 15 are female.
  • Thus 64 of the villagers are unemployed:
  • 29 are male and 35 are female
  • 6 are housewives, 14 are students, 10 are retired, 30 are looking for work (thus 46% of those unemployed are looking for work...) and 4 are no longer looking for a work opportunity.
  • In 2008, 26 were unemployed and looking for work
  • The average of people earning money in each household is 1,46:
Number earning money %
Earn no money/students 6
1 51
2 32
3+ 7
Refused 4
  • More than one in every five (22%) refused to share information about the household income and more than four in every ten (42%) have a household income of less than R5,000 per month.
Income category %
No income 4
Up to R999 per month 6
R1,000-R1,399 per month 10
R1,400-R2,499 per month 10
R2,500-R4,999 per month 12
R5,000-R9,999 per month 11
R10,000-R19,999 per month 5
R20,000+ per month 4
Refused 22
Don’t Know 16
  • Education qualifications probably need some attention as 51 do NOT have matric (although we can assume that most of the group between 15 and 20 years old are still at school).
Level of education %
No education 2
Some primary/primary school completed 14
Some high school 35
Matric completed 35
Artisan certificate 4
Technikon/Technical qualification/professional or secretarial qualification 7
University degree 3

If the village consisted of voters only (those 18 years and older) the following would be true

  • 63 will vote for the ANC if there were an election tomorrow; 18 for the Democratic Alliance; 2 for the IFP; 1 for Cope; 2 for other parties and 14 don’t know or will not say or will spoil their ballot papers
  • For 25 there is no political party that represents their views (this was 20 in 2008)
  • 52 believe that children in South Africa have good future prospects
  • 40 believe that race relations in teh country are improving (14 say race relations are deteriorating)
  • 45 believe the country is going in the right direction and 33 are saying it is going in the wrong direction
  • 56 are saying that the government is doing very well or fairly well with the promotion of nation building in South Africa.

A wider view:

If we look at South Africa as a whole the current population distribution is as follows:

Settlement type %
Metro 36
City 8
Large Town 4
Small Town 9
Village 4
Rural 39

The provincial picture:

Province 1996 census % 2012 Khayabus %
Gauteng 18 22
Kwazulu-Natal 21 20
Easterm Cape 16 14
Limpopo 12 11
Western Cape 10 10
North West 8 8
Mpumalanga 7 7
Free State 6 5
Northern Cape 2 3

Sources:

Ipsos Khayabus, Demographic Detail. November  2011.

Ipsos. Socio-Political Trends. January 2012.

Ipsos. Government Performance Barometer. January 2012.

Statssa. Census 1996.

About Ipsos

Ipsos is the second largest global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals that assess market potential and interpret market trends for over 5,000 worldwide clients to develop and test emergent or existing products or services, build brands, test advertising and study audience responses to various media, and, measure public opinion on issues and reputation. With over 9,100 employees working in wholly owned operations in 64 countries, Ipsos conducts advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting and a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services in over 100 countries. Founded in 1975 by Jean-Marc Lech and Didier Truchot, Ipsos has been publicly traded since 1999. In 2008, Ipsos' revenues totaled €979.3 million. Listed on Eurolist by NYSE - Euronext Paris, Ipsos is part of the SBF 120 and the Mid-100 Index and is eligible to the Deferred Settlement System. Visit www.ipsos.com to learn more about Ipsos offerings and capabilities.

[1] 15 years old or older.

[2] All references to the situation in 2011/2012 are sourced from Ipsos’ Khayabus study. Fieldwork for this project was done in November and December 2011. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with a nationally representative sample of 3500 adult South Africans and results were weighted and projected to the universe, i.e. the adult SA population.

[3] 1996 figures are from the 1996 Population Census, www.statssa.gov.za

[4] “The language you speak most often at home.”

[5] “Which South African languages can you read?”

[6] “Which South African languages can you understand?”.

Does your home and household insurance policy provide cover when you rent out the house?

No Comments »Written on April 3rd, 2012 by jonckie
Categories: Business, Guesthouse and B&B, Home and Household, Household, Q&A
Tags: , , , , ,

The KKNK, a well- known national Arts Festival started on Saturday in Oudtshoorn. Our neighbours decided to give the Festival a skip this year and headed off to Europe for a brief vacation. They decided to rent out their home to a production team from Cape Town and it appears that the new inhabitants are having a ball!

On Sunday morning at 1h30 am the music and laughter still kept not only us awake but also the neighbours on our other side. We can only hope that keeping the neighbours awake at night is the only damage to be caused...

What do we need to know about renting out the house and what is the effect on home and household insurance?

It is important to remember that the home and household insurance policy is an agreement between you and the insurer based on specific facts on which your risk profile is calculated. It is also your duty to inform the insurer of facts or changes that might alter your risk profile.

With this in mind I approached a few of the experts from OUTsurance with questions about what to do when you consider renting out the house:

Should you be the insured policyholder for home and household insurance – would you need to notify the insurer of such an event?

You would need to inform your insurer about this as it is a material change to the risk and thus the cover that is applicable.

The chances of us covering this occurrence is very slim as the risk is so much greater with strangers being in the house and having unlimited access to all parts of the property.

When does the need arise...if it does arise… to inform the insurer that someone else is living in the house?

Whenever there is a change such as the example above, the insurer would need to be informed.

The example above would be treated very differently from an instance of a friend housesitting.

However all material changes should be referred to the insurer for a decision to then be made on whether there is cover or if there are restrictions on cover.

When does your home and household insurance policy become more of a business insurance policy – such as that of becoming a guesthouse?

Usually where there is a room being let out in the property with the person sharing common ground with the family such as meals and tv room etc, the house is a guesthouse. This can still sometimes be covered under the client’s personal policy.

It is best though when there is a change such as a room being let, that the client call the insurer to determine if there is going to be a change and if the policy should be changed to a business policy for full cover.

Conclusion

It is always best advice to communicate with your insurer or broker and to avoid any assumptions and uncertainties. Even though the insurance premium might remain the same, both you and the insurer will have peace of mind that there is always a full disclosure of all the material facts to the insurance cover provided.

As home owner also be aware of your obligation to inform the inhabitants of the home of the required security measures such as alarm systems that may need to be switched on when they leave the house!

Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon boosted by highly interactive and user-friendly online route map developed by mapIT

No Comments »Written on April 3rd, 2012 by jonckie
Categories: Business, Insurance Sponsorship
Tags: , ,

Participants in this year’s popular Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon can make use of a highly interactive and user-friendly online route map developed by mapIT, a leading enabler of technological mapping solutions.

The event, dubbed the ‘world’s most beautiful marathon’, will take place on 7 April and entrants can view the web map at http://twooceans.mapit.co.za/

“We are extremely proud to be able to provide this interactive route map for the fourth year running to such a well-loved and prestigious event,” says Carey Dodd, mapIT’s marketing manager. “Our updated online route map is designed to enhance the marathon experience for competitors, spectators and local residents.”

mapIT is the annual sponsor of the event’s online map, which displays the 56km ultra and 21km half marathon against an overlay of the route onto a detailed street map of Cape Town and the surrounding areas. The updated route map will feature various interactive tools and a simplified design and layout. Participants can make use of the detailed route profile to prepare for the race and plan their strategies, and those not competing can use the map to get directions.

“Having this cutting-edge technology available to our runners really enhances their race experience and enables them to be better prepared for their big day,” explains race director, Rowyn James

Working with their shareholders TomTom, mapIT have now also included real-time live traffic feeds. The live traffic updates are sent every two to three minutes and the alerts show up on the map when a user zooms in to suburb level or below. As a result, supporters and local residents are now able to get accurate information about traffic incidents, helping them to calculate the smartest route on race day.

Twitter has been integrated into the map, allowing users to ‘tweet’ and interact with friends and fellow competitors while using the site. Other major features include accurate street level zooming, automated routing function, and medical and water point locations.

“The online route map is an invaluable tool for everyone involved in the marathon, and we encourage participants to tap into this resource and gain that competitive edge for race day,” adds Dodd.

Also view:

Running / Jogging and Road Safety

Stay Safe on the Road During your Run

Why is it so difficult to find short term insurance for a very short time?

No Comments »Written on March 27th, 2012 by jonckie
Categories: Business, Household, Photography and Arts
Tags: , , , ,

I have recently been asked whether it is possible to find insurance to cover camera equipment for only 2 days. A very close friend has discovered his passion for photography and wished to capture the rugby at Loftus with some of the more expensive equipment. He rented the equipment  - worth approximately R100,000 in value and wished to insure this for the 2 days before returning the equipment.

I approached several insurers and would like to extend a word of appreciation to OUTsurance, Hollard and Discovery Insure for providing some answers with insights as to the difficulty in finding insurance for such a short time.

I would like to share some of the most important comments received:

What are the problem areas making such insurance difficult and expensive?

  • The risk with insuring for such a short period is that there is no history on the item
  • It is difficult for the insurer to determine an appropriate premium for such a short period.
  • There is a perceived higher risk of damage or negligence to an item that is not owned.

Insurance to cover items rented out

Normally the company hiring out the equipment would have business insurance which would cover the item whilst it is on loan to you. A good example is car hire, where the insurance for the car hire is normally provided for by the hire company and they charge the client explicitly for this insurance. When hiring the equipment it is worth it to ask the company whether or not they have insurance as usually they do.

It might be worthwhile to consider the insurance options offered by the equipment renting company. Unfortunately this could be fairly expensive with a first amount payable.

Is there an insurable interest?

In the example mentioned there would be insurable interest as the person renting the items would suffer financially if the items were damaged or stolen. Generally insurers will give cover provided that you have an existing short term insurance policy with the relevant insurer.  If you don’t have an existing policy they could say ‘no’ or charge an excessive premium for the insurance.

Most insurers would only provide the cover if you have an existing policy with such an insurer.

If this is purely a hobby and not a commercial endeavour and you have an existing domestic policy, the lenses could be added to the same for a short-period.

OUTsurance confirmed that for business clients, where they might rent items for a particular event, it could be covered under Commercial Out and About or stock.

Camera Insurance Solution:

My friend managed to add these items under an existing policy. We would like to share confirmation received from his insurer:

As per our telephonic conversation, is noted that we are holding cover on camera equipment on a no claim no pay basis for the period of 24/03/2012 - 26/03/2012. Please note that in the event of a claim on the Canon 40mm F2.8 the excess will be R1000.

Equipment breakdown -

•             Canon 7D Body - Valued at R 15,000.00

•             Canon 400mm F2.8 - Valued at R 97,000.00

•             Nikon 70 - 200 F2.8 - Valued at R 24,000.00

The interest of ODP - Outdoor Photo is noted.

In the event of a claim, the premium due will be R 566.67 for the above mentioned equipment.

Should you require any further assistance or have any queries, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Advice and suggestions:

In order to get the items covered, it is best to contact your insurance company and arrange the cover. They will determine an appropriate price for the items and period of cover, which will then enable you to decide to accept or decline the offer of insurance.

It is always best to build up a solid insurance portfolio with an insurer and maintain a long standing and as far as possible claims free history. Your insurer will always keep this in mind the next time you wish to add equipment to your insurance portfolio and may be able to provide you with affordable premiums.

Also view:

Smile – but only if your camera and equipment are insured!!

Zoom in on Camera Insurance even if you care for your equipment!!

For more on Cameras, Photography and Insurance also view:

Phototalk.co.za

It is our pleasure to include 2 photos captured by my friend James Loretz from Rugby15 with the above equipment:

Photo of passionate spectators at Loftus in photo by James Loretz/ Rugby15

Focused attention by Morne Steyn in photo by James Loretz / Rugby15

FIFA to insure players in efforts to ease concerns from top European Clubs

No Comments »Written on March 22nd, 2012 by jonckie
Categories: Finding Insurance, Insurance Sponsorship, Q&A
Tags: , , ,

Media attention on Wayne Rooney during the 2010 World Cup Soccer match between England and Germany in a group 16 match played at the Freestate Stadium in Bloemfontein South Africa on 27 June 2010. Photo: Gerhard Steenkamp

FIFA president Sepp Blatter says the governing body will insure players on international duty in a move expected to satisfy Europe's top clubs.
Blatter tells UEFA's annual congress that the insurance policy will begin this year, after FIFA's national members approve it in May.

Blatter says FIFA will offer "total insurance coverage for the players, for the clubs and the (national) associations" for all international calendar matches.

FIFA follows UEFA which said in January it would pay for insurance at Euro 2012 after strong lobbying by the European Club Association.

The 200-member ECA campaigned after Bayern Munich lost Arjen Robben for six months after the Netherlands winger was injured at the 2010 World Cup.

[Info from Sport24]

Energy Drinks enjoy increasing popularity among young South Africans

1 Comment »Written on March 20th, 2012 by jonckie
Categories: Insurance Sponsorship, Medical
Tags: , ,

Photo by Denese Lups /Phototalk

    Who is the target market for companies manufacturing sports drinks? Is it necessarily those who actively participate in sport? We have given attention to the benefits of energy drinks on the Arrive Alive website and have long believed that the targeted consumer is not necessarily only our sportsmen and women. A rather interesting study reveals that this is in fact true:

  • As the name implies, sports drinks are generally intended for active people, yet a high percentage of South African sports drink consumers in fact do not participate in sport activities at all.
  • There are currently 8.5 million (25%) sports drink consumers in South Africa (adult population +15 years) according to the latest AMPS 2011A data i.e. people who had personally consumed in the past 7 days. The number of sports drink consumers had increased from 7.8 million (24% of adults) in 2009 to 8.5 million (25% of adults) in 2011.
  • By taking a closer look at the lifestyle and sport interests of South African sports drink consumers, the report shows that there is a strong interest in sports especially for Soccer (51%), Cricket (23%) and Rugby (20%). But, when it comes to an active participation in sport activities, the percentages are very low. While 89% of sports drink consumers stated that they are interested in sports, only 53% had been actively involved in sport activities in the past 12 months.
  • The most popular sports that consumers had participated in the past 12 months were Soccer (18%), Billiards/Pool/Snooker (10%), Walking/Hiking (9%), Swimming (7%) and Jogging/Running (7%).

Energy Drinks enjoy increasing popularity among young South Africans (Source: AMPS 2011A, Adults 15+ years):

  • In line with the international trend, energy drinks are enjoying increasing popularity among South Africans, just over 6 million South African adults (15+ years) had consumed an energy drink in the past 7 days.
  • Energy drinks definitely appeal to the younger consumer segments. Approximately 72% of its drinkers are between the ages of 15 and 39 years old, more than 4.4 million consumers, with males comprising 52% of the market.
  • Results of the Analytix BI report highlight a trend of increasing energy drink consumption in the past 7 days. Between 2009 and 2011, the proportion of consumers that were classified as “Medium” consumers of energy drinks (drank 3-5 cans/bottles in the past 7 days) had increased from 18% to 20% and the proportion of “Light” energy drink consumers (drank 1-2 cans/bottles in the past 7 days) had subsequently declined from 77% in 2009 to 75% in 2011.

[Information with credit to Analytix BI]

ABOUT ANALYTIX BI:

Analytix Business Intelligence is a Proudly South African market research company that conducts integrated quantitative and qualitative research to deliver holistic consumer-centric insights, customer value propositions and marketing strategy. Our strength in quantitative surveys and analysis is enriched by significant expertise in gaining qualitative insights from ethnographic-style, in-home research to provide a 360-degree understanding of the consumer. We ensure you have the right information-based foundation to create successful marketing and communication strategies. In addition to a comprehensive desk research service, we have more than 50 affordable, pre-packaged consumer intelligence reports that are created by expert analysts - saving your valuable time and resources.

On Driver Tiredness , Fatigue and Drowsiness also view:

IMPERIAL and Active Education to take to the field with 27,000 learners

No Comments »Written on March 15th, 2012 by jonckie
Categories: Insurance Sponsorship, Medical
Tags:

Diversified industrial services and retail group IMPERIAL Holdings and its Ukhamba Community Development Trust have partnered with school sports coaching specialist Active Education to present 35 schools in Soweto and Orange Farm with the opportunity to develop basic physical skills in a fun and  healthy environment under the guidance of expert coaches.

The partnership will be launched today (14 March 2012) at 12:00 at a small sports event held at King Zwelithini Primary School in Emndeni, Soweto. The session will showcase physical education lessons, skills training and friendly matches among the learners. Among the guests will be Gauteng MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation Lebogang Maile, principals from the various schools as well as IMPERIAL executives.

“IMPERIAL I-Active programme has the potential to introduce 27,000 learners to the wonders of sports participation in a fun, creative and structured manner through the medium of physical education,” says Active Education founder Bruce Smuts.

Active Education takes a holistic approach to physical education, providing extra curricular and age group team coaching as well as organising sports days, tournaments and festivals.

The primary and high school programmes they will be bringing to Soweto will offer the schools a choice of coaching in 16 different disciplines, including cricket, rugby, swimming and even skateboarding.

“Our programme, which is run in conjunction with the Gauteng Department of Education, is all about maximum participation, education, building confidence and self-worth and, of course, skills transfer,” he adds.

Tak Hiemstra, IMPERIAL executive director for strategic development, shares why this initiative scored with the company, “We believe that the abundance of sporting opportunities in South Africa can help our children develop physically and mentally. IMPERIAL is proud to partner with Active Education to help develop the talent that will take advantage of such opportunities in years to come.”

Smuts adds, “The lessons are age specific and so is the equipment we use. We chose our coaches not only for their personal sporting abilities but also their responsibility, consistence and an affinity for working with junior and senior students.”

Coaches are recruited from local communities and trained by Active Education which also manages its own large-scale talent identification programme. Active Education is the logical and justifiably proud partner for the Supersport ‘Let’s Play’ initiative.

ENDS

About IMPERIAL Holdings

IMPERIAL is a diversified industrial services and retail group with activities spanning  logistics, car rental and tourism, distributorships, automotive retail and related financial services. IMPERIAL operates in South Africa, Africa, Europe and Australia.

IMPERIAL is a major road user in southern Africa with its sheer size and geographic footprint putting the group in a great position to make a difference:

  • 460 million kilometres were travelled by its southern African transport fleet last year.
  • There are 5,500 trucks in the logistics fleet and additional access to almost as many sub-contractors vehicles.
  • 96,453 new and 54,746 used cars were sold in South Africa last year through IMPERIAL.
  • One in every three car rental transactions in South Africa is made through IMPERIAL.
  • IMPERIAL operates 600 vessels on the waterways of Europe with over 1 million tonnes combined load capacity, and transports in excess of 53 million tonnes per annum in Europe.

IMPERIAL is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, and is run on a decentralised management structure that actively encourages entrepreneurship, innovation and industry best practice. The company employs 40,000 people, who are responsible for the growth and continued success of the group that began as a motor dealer in downtown Johannesburg in 1948.

About Active Education

Founded in 1998 by Bruce Smuts, Active Education specialises in school sports coaching. It trains coaches to run physical education lessons, provide extracurricular and age-group team coaching as well as organising sports days, tournaments and festivals.

120 full-time coaches work in over one hundred government and private schools in Johannesburg and Durban.

The Kids in Action programme uses positive teaching methods, creativity, specialised sporting equipment and exercises to equip children aged three to seven with general sporting competency: flexibility, agility and ball skills.

Life skills, like persistence, courage, cooperation, decision-making, self-worth, goal setting and confidence, are built into the lessons that we’ve designed.

Kids in Action coaches are specifically selected for their ability to communicate with young children; the bond that develops between a child and their coach is integral to a successful coaching process.www.activeeducationsa.com

Imperial employees benefit through the Ukhamba trust payout

No Comments »Written on March 5th, 2012 by jonckie
Categories: About, Insurance Sponsorship
Tags: , ,

Fifteen thousand current and former IMPERIAL employees received an average of R23 000 per employee through the Ukhamba empowerment scheme at the end of 2011.

A total of R350 million was distributed in terms of the Ukhamba schemewhich was launched in 2004 as an empowerment vehicle for IMPERIAL’s previously disadvantaged employees.  Employees paid a nominal fee for participation.

This payout is only part of the value which members hold in the scheme.  Ukhamba owns 10,1% of Imperial, as well as 31% of Distribution and Warehousing Network (Dawn), a listed company operating in the building supplies industry, as well as a few smaller investments.

Thembisa Dingaan, Chairman of Ukhamba Holdings said, “Ukhamba is now ready to share the wealth that has been generated over the years, with its shareholders and the members of the trust, many of whom are employees of IMPERIAL Holdings.”

On 5 March 2004 all previously disadvantaged IMPERIAL employees received units based on their respective length of service.  Even those who have left the company have retained these units and will continue to receive future payouts.

Hubert Brody, CEO of Imperial said, “IMPERIAL is delighted  that  the trust could make the payout and that long serving previously disadvantaged staff are now able to benefit.“

Four years ago, Ukhamba paid out an amount of R51m to employees of IMPERIAL in terms of a previous black empowerment scheme.  Participating employees contributed to that scheme, and made a very rewarding return on their investment.

About IMPERIAL Holdings

IMPERIAL is a diversified industrial services and retail group with activities spanning  logistics, car rental and tourism, distributorships, automotive retail and related financial services. IMPERIAL operates in South Africa, Africa, Europe and Australia.

IMPERIAL is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, and is run on a decentralised management structure that actively encourages entrepreneurship, innovation and best practice. The company employs 34 500 people, who are responsible for the growth and continued success of the group that began as a motor dealer in downtown Johannesburg in 1948.

About Ukhamba Trust

Ukhamba Holdings is an empowerment company held as to 47% by the Ukhamba Trust, a trust established for the benefit of approximately 15 000 previously disadvantaged employees of the Imperial Group during March 2004, 6% by the Ukhamba Community Development Trust and 47% by Imperial Holdings   Ukhamba owns 10,1% of Imperial, as well as 31% of Distribution and Warehousing Network (Dawn), a listed company operating in the building supplies industry, as well as a few smaller investments.

How much do we save by having more insurance cover with one insurer?

No Comments »Written on March 5th, 2012 by jonckie
Categories: Business, Finding Insurance, Household, Photography and Arts, Q&A
Tags: , , , , ,

Are you paying too much for your insurance by having your insurance at many different providers? We have always advised consumers to shop around for savings – and we will continue to do so – but we need to discuss as well the potential savings when you decide to combine insurance cover for several items in one policy contract!

We always buy our groceries, clothing and even household equipment at more than one store - but should we do so with insurance as well?

I have recently purchased a large computer screen and a GoPro camera which I wanted to insure. I have found that it is much cheaper to add this to my insurance profile with my existing insurer than to purchase a new insurance policy just for these items.

The insurance client is often told that it is better to have both home and car insurance with the same insurer – but why is this true what would the saving be?

We could discuss this by answering a few questions and decided to raise them with the experts from OUTsurance:

  • Is it true that there are significant savings if insurance is combined under the umbrella of one insurer?

This is true.  There are definitely savings to be obtained. The amount varies from insurer to insurer and from client to client because of differences in risk profiles.

  • Would the following qualify as possible reasons for such an answer:

That the portfolio size is bigger?

This is certainly a reason.  Having a bigger portfolio usually results in a lower percentage for fixed expenses which can result in a lower premium.

That there is a reduced product cost as it is one client with one policy?

Yes, this is true.

That the insurer has an existing claims record over a longer period in time and that this is taken into account when new items are added?

This could also be a factor taken into consideration.

Is there a special scientific / mathematical formula to determine what should a saving should be?  What would your estimate be of a standard % saving where i.e. a vehicle is added to the portfolio of an insured client with a home and household policy – compared to insuring the vehicle on its own?

Yes, it is calculated but it is not with a simple formula as it depends on the portion of the premium which relates to claims costs v administration expenses. This portion varies widely from client to client due to differing risk profiles.

As such clients would be best advised to contact their insurers to get the accurate amount as opposed to trying to do a simple one size fits all calculation.

Would the same % saving apply to where i.e. equipment of R10,000 is added to an insurance portfolio instead of having to insure R10,000 worth of equipment as a stand-alone insurance policy?

Same applies as with above answer

Are there any other facts that the client might need to consider in favour of having all his insurance at one provider?

Having all items combined with one insurer could also lower your personal admin burden and your bank charges.

Additional insights

We would also like to share some additional insights from Discovery Insure:

Yes it is true that insurers often provide discounted rates if more than one asset class is insured. For example the difference between insuring a car only or a car and other assets such as a house or contents, could be as high as 20% and therefore it is worth clients considering insuring all their assets with one insurer.
Reasons for this difference in rates include:
- There is a fixed cost to insure a client which if spread over more assets allows for a reduction in premium
- Clients that have more assets with an insurer tend to be more loyal and hence an insurer is able to take a longer term view when setting the price of insurance
- Certain classes of assets together will qualify an client for a reduced rate ie if someone has a car only insurer or a car and say a cell phone, this won’t entitle the client for a discount. Normally a minimum sum insured will be required per asset type for a reduced rate to apply
Other considerations include:
- Easy of administration to have all assets insured in the same place. When a claim happens a client only needs to remember one number to call and doesn’t need to worry about which insurer is insuring which assets
- Where a client has multiple insurance policies, there is a risk that there are either gaps in cover or overlaps. For example, taking out buildings insurance from one insurer and household contents from another could result in duplication of cover and a waste of money spent.
- In addition it is worth pointing out that that where a building is the subject of a financing arrangement (bond) it is no longer compulsory for buildings insurance to be held with an insurer nominated by the bank holding the loan. Clients are able to shop around for cheaper cover and usually are able to find cheaper cover. Placing it with the insurer who covers their car and other assets normally is worth exploring.

Conclusion and Advice

The best advice to clients will always be to put some time aside and to do a comprehensive insurance comparison. There might well be items for which you might need specialized insurance cover - such as high performance motorbikes, art, classic cars etc. To find cover for these items you might be best advised to have insurance cover for those items with an insurance provider specialising in that niche market!

It is however usually much cheaper when purchasing new items to add them to your existing insurance than to have them insured on its own with a new insurance product from another insurer.

Add the numbers after careful analysis and make an informed decision – do not pay more than you need to on your insurance cover!

Vote of confidence in OUTsurance Pointsmen with announcement of Privatised Pointsmen Project tender

No Comments »Written on March 2nd, 2012 by jonckie
Categories: Business, Finding Insurance, Insurance Sponsorship, Q&A
Tags: ,


We take great pleasure in announcing that the tender for the Privatised Pointsmen Project (JMPD / OUTsurance / 702) has been finalised and awarded to Traffic Freeflow.

Traffic Freeflow is an independent company which pioneered the concept of privatised pointsmen, funded by corporate sponsorship, and has successfully managed the “Pointsmen Project” operation since 2005.

The Privatised Pointsmen Project has grown from a small team of just 21 pointsmen and women in Johannesburg 6 years ago, to a staff compliment of 180, and a sponsor-count of 34, the bulk of which operate within the JMPD footprint, and the remainder in Tshwane and Cape Town.

Amidst a frenzy of media reports and concerned motorist comments, the pointsmen were withdrawn for 4 days in November 2011, to enable certain legislative requirements to be met, and the Tender process to be formulated by the City.

Colleen Bekker, Managing Director of Traffic Freeflow says:

“Over the years we have had our detractors, saying that we were operating illegally or that we had not observed municipal procurement protocol – the fact that we have complied 100% with the Tender/Bid process as stipulated by the City Of Joburg, and were awarded the tender, speaks for itself and we believe, effectively deals with these unfounded criticisms once and for all.”

“The Traffic Freeflow management team worked exceptionally hard during December and early January to formulate our tender submission, while all the Pointsmen, Operations Managers and Admin staff continued to work tirelessly to deliver only the best service at all times, despite the uncertainty of their future. The new terms of agreement will see us forge closer ties through a structured collaboration with the City of Johannesburg and the JMPD. ”

The agreement with the City Of Joburg commences on 01 March 2012 and runs for a three-year period.

Colleen Bekker says further, “We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our partners, particularly our lead sponsor OUTsurance, our media partner Talk Radio 702, the City Of Joburg, the JMPD as well as all the staff of Traffic Freeflow for their continued support, hard work and dedication.”

Willem Roos, CEO of OUTsurance Holdings applauded the award, “This is fantastic news. OUTsurance are exceptionally proud of our involvement in this project, and look forward to working closely with the City of Johannesburg and the JMPD going forward to take this to even greater heights.”

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