• Omotoso’s Man On Ground Movie • Fred Eboka: Dressing the Rich and Famous • DUT’s Fred Otieno • Zim Ambassador to SA • Jobs in Africa - Backpage!

w w w . e x p a t r i a t e . c o . z aIssue 9

R 29,95

Inside: The Brain of a BillionaireKwabena Danquah

Prof. Wanyana Oguttu

FIRST

B L A C K

WOMANTAX LAWDOCTORATE IN S.A.

2nd Anniversar y Edition • 2nd Anniversa

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fees. He developed an interest in the

profession and moved to Gauteng

for formal training. He was the top

student in his class and was selected

to visit Denmark to share hair trends

from an African perspective in 2005.

A few years later, he was selected to

travel to Chicago to earn his Global

Assessor Certificate, along with other

elite hairdressers from around the

world.

Ken and Sean felt that they shared

the same vision of revolutionalising

the ethnic hair market through high

level training. They registered Royal

Hairstyles Training Academy and

Salon in 2010.

“We called it Royal because we

believe every woman’s hair is her

crown,” Sean explains. “In 2011,

we became only the second Sector

hile working as an

investment banker

in New York, Sean

Walker heard of

the investment and entrepreneurial

opportunities in Africa from a former

university classmate now living in SA.

When he got here, he identified hair

as an area in need of improvement

and embarked on researching the

local industry. It progressively

became clear that training was the

problem and through a number

of people Sean spoke to, Kenneth

Mokgosi was continuously cited as

one of the best in the business.

Ken has over 20 years experience

in the industry having started

hairdressing at the young age of 13

in the North West Province when he

convinced a friend to let him help in a

salon to make some money for school

Education and Training Authority

(SETA) accredited training academy

in SA focused on Afro hair and

we opened up our doors in the

Johannesburg CBD to our first class

in February 2012.”

Royal Hairstyles’s full time

class consists of 20 students as it is

the intention of the two founders

to provide individual attention to

each student. They also offer short

courses in various disciplines. The

key techniques taught include

cutting and styling, colouring,

perming, relaxing and neutralising,

dreadlocks and braids, shampooing

and conditioning and extensions.

They also teach business aspects to

the learners as they aim to foster an

entrepreneurial spirit amongst them

to enable them to eventually run

their own businesses.

04 EXPATRIATE

“It is important for hairdressers

to think entrepreneurially when

building and maintaining a clientele

so as to maximise their earnings

potential,” Sean says. “The cost of

the technical courses is as follows:

R2 917 per month for twelve months

for the full-time course, R1 000 for

the trade test course, R750 for the

dreadlock styling course and R1 000

for the bonding course. Our prices are

well below the industry average as

we are cognisant of the fact that our

students come from disadvantaged

backgrounds. This is also the reason

our campus is in the CBD as it is

accessible given that most of them

use public transport.”

After completing course work,

students are required to work

under a certified stylist for twelve

to eighteen months in order to

receive their full qualifications.

Thereafter they will take the SETA

trade test to be officially certified

as a hairdresser. Royal Hairstyles has

built relationships with a number

of reputed salons to facilitate these

internships as well as jobs once the

candidates are certified.

“We see tons of potential in the

local ethnic hairdressing industry,”

Ken reveals, “and we think that the

key to unlocking that potential is

ensuring that hairdressers are well-

trained.”

The partnership is coming to

the end of a very successful first

year partly because of the varied

combination of skills the founders

bring to the business; Sean heads

operations, marketing and finance

while Ken handles the crucial

technical training element. There are

three other lecturers at the academy,

each with significant hairdressing

experience – Lucky Lepe, Kay

Kalkapersad and Sisa Ntsadu.

Royal Hairstyles has partnered

with Africa’s second largest hair care

company, Organic Root Stimulator

(ORS) in its training initiative. ORS

provides hair care products, assists

with marketing and also provides

bursaries for some students. Once

finished, students are also eligible to

access up to R350 000 in grant funding

from the Department of Trade and

Industry to start their own businesses.

Royal Hairstyles is planning

to broaden its offering to include

cosmetology and their vision

encompasses expanding the brand

to other parts of the country and the

rest of the continent. New students

from South Africa and the rest of

Africa are invited to register for the

forthcoming class; find below the

relevant contact details. Space is

quite limited and demand is high,

so the team encourages interested

parties to apply soon.

Physical Address:

3rd Floor, Works @ Main

195 Main Street, Johannesburg 2001

Website:

www.royalhairstyles.com

Twitter:

@royalhairstyles

Email and Phone:

Sean Walker - Co-Founder

sean.walker@royalhairstyles.com

+27 84 228 4318

Kenneth Mokgosi - Co-Founder

kenneth.mokgosi@royalhairstyles.com

+27 83 436 8102

Office Telephone: 011 079 6702

“African American finance expat teams up with South African hair

expert to revolutionalise the local hair industry

through high level training...”

05WWW.EXPATRIATE.CO.ZA

Ken Sean

Contents

8 Editorial

9 Inside Home Affairs: Categories of work permits

12 Expat-tivities

19 Prof. Wanyana Oguttu:

First Black Woman Tax Law Doctorate in SA

22 Mathematical Magic

24 Kwabena Danquah: The Brain of a Billionaire

28 Omotoso’s Man on Ground:

A-Keen Sense of Artistic Responsibility

32 Fusion Software’s David Tayler:

From a Zim Farm to an I.T. Firm

36 Fred Eboka: Dressing the Rich and Famous

40 Prof. Fred Otieno: Deputy V.C. At D.U.T

42 Know Your Envoy: Phelekezela Mphoko

45 A Day in Botswana: Just Meat and Dry Heat

48 Asiko: Our Dance Floor

50 Hanging on with Hannington:

Ugandans in SA – same blood, different paths

52 Lynnsanity: Expat Founders vs. Expat Freshies

53 Jobs in Africa

08 EXPATRIATE

arack Hussein Obama, the

son of a Kenyan immigrant,

was handed a second term in

office when Americans went

to the polls on 6th November 2012.

A near landslide was the resounding

result of a campaign against Mitt

Romney that ‘pundits’ thought was

too close to call. From a radio spot

stating “Obama – great talk show

host, terrible commander in chief” to

a billboard bearing caricature of him

and the tag line “There is a village in

Kenya missing an idiot; Obama – One

Big A** Mistake America!”, the race

often turned nasty.

I stayed up all night cheering

favourable results for this son of

Africa. This was a great month for us;

first we celebrate a second term for

Barack, then we celebrate a second

anniversary for this publication.

Our cover story is the

inspirational profile of Professor

Wanyana Oguttu, a champion of

research and academia who can be

proud of a number of firsts in South

Africa. She can claim another one

here by being the first Ugandan to

conquer our cover. This was certainly

long overdue.

Another professor we feature is

Kenya’s Fred Otieno who gives us a

candid account of his rise to the top of

various organisations and battle with

cancer. The other Fred we feature is

Mr. Eboka, a man from Nigeria who

has dressed the high and mighty in

this nation and can comfortably

stake claim to having played a role in

defining the country’s fashion intent.

Get insight into the thinking of

a Ghanaian billionaire, Kwabena

Danquah and learn his secrets to

accumulating wealth that will span

generations and read our interview

with Akin Omotoso who examines

his film-making outfit’s tab on the

topic of xenophobia in the film “Man

On Ground”.

Our Southern African offering

includes my travel story which

documents a day in Gaborone,

Botswana summarised as “Just Meat

and Dry Heat”, a profile feature on

Zimbabwean born entrepreneur

David Tayler and a “Know Your

Envoy” piece on the Zimbabwean

Ambassador Phelekezela Mphoko.

Christine Asiko returns to

our pages as a contributor with

her anecdote on life’s dance floor

together with our regular columns

from Hannington Kasirye, Andreas

Krensel and Sheila Lynn Senkubuge.

KC Rottok, CA (SA)

Creative & Fin. Journalism (Wits University)

Managing Editor.

ANYONE FOR SECONDS?

Publisher: The Expatriate Forum andMagazine (Pty) LimitedReg. Number: 2010/012428/07P O Box 4935, Randburg, 2125Tel: +27 11 7917484www.expatriate.co.za

Director: Carol Malonza – carol@expatriate.co.zaManaging Editor:KC Rottok – editor@expatriate.co.za Deputy Editor and Content Advisor: Leah Maina – leah@expatriate.co.za

Publishing Executive: Sheila Lynn Senkubuge

Advertising and Event Enquiries sales@expatriate.co.za or 0822146421

Edition Writers:Keith Kundai, Hannington Kasirye, Andreas Krensel, KC Rottok, Sheila Senkubuge, Carol Malonza

Contributors:Christine Asiko, Paul Leonard

Art Direction, Design and Layout:Mike Obrienmike@obriendesign.co.za

Photography:Mzu Nhlabati www.creativenation.co.zaWebsite: Drutech Media (0781121311)

To subscribe or contribute an article, email us at subs@expatriate.co.za

All rights reserved. Excerpts may be used as long as this magazine is credited as the source. Longer versions of our content may only be used with the written permission of the Publisher. Neither the publisher nor the editor accept responsibility for any of the information from edition writers or contributors. Whilst we have taken care in preparing this publication, the publisher/editor does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. The editor retains the right to edit all contributions. Advertisers are responsible for their material.

© Expatriate SA: ISSN 2218 – 757X

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

As verified byAs advertised onAvailable at

Inside Home Affairs

hen it comes to

the application for

the correct visa,

the first step is

the identification of the reason of

immigration to SA as the different

permit options are categorized

according to the purpose of stay. Any

kind of permit application should

be planned well in advance due to

processing times in the Department

of Home Affairs. Therefore, we would

advise one to apply for the applicable

permit at the South African embassy

in your home country. As a rule of

thumb, embassies need some five to

20 working days for processing your

application.

For people intending to obtain

a temporary work permit in South

Africa, the following permits are

available: quota, exceptional skills,

intra-company transfer, corporate

worker and general work permit.

A quota work permit and an

exceptional skills work permit

are applicable when you have skills

which will add significant value to

South Africa.

The South African government

has identified certain key areas in

the economy which lack a sufficient

number of skilled professionals.

These sectors and occupational

classes have been opened up to

recruit skilled foreigners. These

foreign professionals are allowed to

enter based on a quota work permit

which is independent of a contract of

employment. The applicant is given

90 days to find work from the date of

its issue. Although this is clearly stated

in the Immigration Act not all offices

Categories of work permits “Of the four work permits available, we note that the quota work permit and the exceptional skills work permit are more favourably considered when seeking permits for accompanying spouse or children or applying for permanent residence in SA...”

of Home Affairs are complying with

the legislation. Some require an offer

of employment when submitting

the application in addition to basic

personal documents, proof of formal

qualifications evaluated by the South

African Qualifications Authority

(SAQA), proof of at least five years

of field experience and proof of

registration with a professional body,

board or council in South Africa.

With the exceptional skills

work permit the requirement is

that the applicant has exceptional

skills and qualifications as defined

in the Immigration Act. However,

these exceptional skills are not

defined in sufficient detail in the

Act leaving room for interpretation.

For the exceptional skills work

permit, application prior to an actual

contract of employment is possible.

However, detailed documentation

certifying your skills is required. In

addition, the authorities require

basic personal documents, a letter

from a South African organ of state

or alternatively from an established

South African academic, cultural

or business body confirming the

applicant’s skills and qualifications

as well as additional proof of skills

such as testimonials or applicant’s

publications in line with his skills

and qualifications. Furthermore, in

a letter of motivation, the applicant

needs to describe in detail how

the exceptional skills possessed

will benefit the South African

environment in which he or she

intends to work.

Employees not qualifying

for either quota work permit or

exceptional skills work permit apply

for a general work permit. For this

permit, the potential employer needs

to prove that the job was adequately

advertised nationally and that South

African applicants were not suitably

qualified for the job. This category

involves the most work as well as

costs due to the various documents

required such as a SAQA certificate,

salary benchmarking report,

advertising, medical and radiological

certificates etc.

An intra-company transfer

permit is used for employees who

are transferred to a South African

subsidiary of the company they are

employed at. The intra-company

transfer permit is only valid for two

years and not renewable. We often

find this to be inconvenient given

that most international assignments

are longer than two years.

Of the four work permits

available, we note that the quota

work permit and the exceptional skills

work permit are more favourably

considered when seeking permits

for an accompanying spouse and/or

children or applying for permanent

residence in SA.

Andreas Krensel is the owner and managing

director of IBN Consulting in Cape

Town. He is a qualified German

attorney with an LLM from

UCT and has been assisting

foreign investors in South

Africa for the past ten

years.

www.ibncapetown.com

All-Danquah very soon turned

into a very competitive and

successful rental and maintenance

business with a considerable number

of properties in Kempton Park and

Johannesburg CBD. He also ventured

into a steel business by acquiring

a factory in Vanderbijl Park which

he registered as Comet Steel (Pty)

Limited. The group’s head office is

situated at 45 Albatross Street in

Rhodesfield, Kempton Park.

All-Danquah staff compliment

consisted of only three employees

when it was established in 2003. In

2012, the staff compliment expanded

to a total of 37 of which four are

Executive Managers reporting

directly to the CEO.

ll Danquah is the

brainchild of Mr. Kwabena

Danquah who fell in love

with South Africa during

his first visit from his country Ghana

in 1999. Mr. K. Danquah ventured into

all kinds of new business possibilities

other than that of the steel industry

he had refined to a growing success

story in Accra-Ghana. His passion for

architectural renovations of buildings

soon became very profitable as he

acquired buildings and turned them

into commercial and residential units

in record time to be rented out as

return on his investments.

As an entrepreneur, he

handpicked a management staff that

mirrors his business strategies.

On 1 March 2012 the CEO

and Management of All-Danquah

decided to venture into new fields

of hospitality due to All-Danquahs’

rapid growth and successful rental

management structure.

All-Danquah’s tranquil new

Guest Lodge in Edleen, Kempton Park

came to life in February 2012 as well

as a cosy sit-down diner Restaurant

with ample space for 40 people. The

Conference facility can host up to 60

delegates and caters for the most

discerning of clients. There is also a

Quantum bus available to transport

visitors.

Food lovers will simply love

the All-Danquah Restaurants’

continental dishes as well as African

cuisine.

Contact Details:

All Danquah Head Office: Tel 0119755006 Fax: 0119755008

E-mail: info@alldanquah.co.za, barbara@alldanquah.co.za, ryna@alldanquah.co.za, arthur@alldanquah.co.za

All Danquah Restaurant: Tel 011 394 4236 E-mail: restaurant@alldanquah.co.za

All Danquah Guesthouse: Tel 011 393 6583

Ryna Snyman (Group Consultant), Kwabena Danquah (CEO), Kofi Arthur (Project Manager) and Barbara Benhura (Finance/HR Manager)

Ryna Snyman (Group Consultant), Kwabena Danquah (CEO), Kofi Arthur (Project Manager) and Barbara Benhura (Finance/HR Manager)

Okavango Flats (20 Units) Beeman BuildingSome members of staff

All-Danquah Guest House All-Danquah Restaurant

Quattro Building NBS Building

Comet Steel premises, a member of the All-Danquah Group

1- Programme director for the day, Expatriate publishing executive Sheila Lynn Senkubuge, 2- Goldman Nsherenguzi, Senior Marketing Manager at Western Union – official event sponsor, 3 - Key Note Address from Quartile Capital Chairman Modise Motloba, 4 - From left Maureen Nkandu, Head of Communications at NEPAD, featured personality Scholastica Kimaryo of Maadili Consciousness Centre (middle) and right former speaker of the Lesotho Parliament Honourable Motsamai, 5 - Featured personality – Standard Bank Africa Head of Offshore Services David Iraka, 6 - Editorial launch of Issue 8 from Managing Editor KC Rottok, 7- Winner of romantic night for two at Tintswalo at Waterfall in the business card raffle Miss Catherine Kimaryo with the Rwandan Ambassador, 8 - Featured personality – Rwandan envoy His Excellency Vincent Karega with his wife, 9 - Event MC Turas Turise

ExpaT-TivitieS

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ANNUAL EXPATRIATE SPRING DINNER – ISSUE 8 LAUNCH

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13WWW.EXPATRIATE.CO.ZA

ExpaT-TivitieS

1 - Ladies dressed to kill, 2 - From left – Nikiwe Kaunda and Munkombwe Muchindu, 3 - Mr. and Mrs. Makamanzi, 4 - Mercy Moletsane and Ursula Shikhati, 5 - Derick Badze and Patience Chiwandire, 6 - Mr. and Mrs. Olukune, 7 - Beautiful set up at Rivonia Sports Club, 8 - Expatriate Mag Director Carol Malonza with Sankofa Insurance Co-founder William Ayim-Yeboah, 9 - After party with DJ Paps, 10 - From left – Emmanual Omaruaye, Nomvula Omaruaye and Mr. & Mrs. Aghri 11 - 300 guests in attendance enjoy a sumptuous buffet as a band from Ivory Coast plays.

More pics available at www.facebook.com/expatmag

ANNUAL EXPATRIATE SPRING DINNER – ISSUE 8 LAUNCH

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1- Emmanuel Mbevi from Mutanu Holdings, a freight forwarding company., 2- Upendo Women with Guest of Honour Hon. Martha, 3 - Guest of Honour Hon. Martha Karua receives all the copies to date of Expatriate magazine from KC Rottok (middle) and Kenyan Ambassador H.E. Tom Amolo, 4 - Godfrey Kamatu from Event Sponsors – One World Hospitality, 5 - Kenya Airways Southern Africa Director Rosemary Adogo, 6 - Entertainment from Tamasha Band, DJ Paps and DJ Jemo, 7- Apostle Kariuki prays for the event, 8 - KEDASA Interim Chair Chomba Chuma, 9 - East African Community Minister Musa Sirma, 10 - Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, 11 - H.E. Kenyan High Commissioner Tom Amolo, 12 - Programme Director Angela Mumbi Odame.

ExpaT-TivitieS

Kenya Night Dinner 2012

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Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga Visit to SA

ExpaT-TivitieS

1 - 6 Twenty year old Andrew Mupuya – Uganda’s first paper bag producer declared winner of $30,000 in the Anzisha Prize for young African entrepreneurs (see www.anzishaprize.org). Kenya’s Diana Mongare was first runner up ($20,000) and Ghana’s Yaw Duffour finished third ($10,000). The event was sponsored by Mastercard Foundation, MC was Africa Leadership Academy’s Frank Aswani and key note address was from Ashish Thakkar, Founder of the Mara Group, 7 - 12 Stand Up for African Mothers had the purpose of raising awareness of the plight of mothers in Africa. AMREF intends to train 15,000 midwives from 10 selected countries in Africa. The occasion was graced by 100 guests including Mrs Machel’s representative, Rachel Toku-Appiah, the Executive Director of the Graca Machel Trust ; Minister of Health of the Republic of South Africa, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi; Ms A. Modjadji, the Deputy Director General at the Department of Women, Children and People Living with Disabilities(DWCPD), H.E. Tom Amolo (Kenyan Ambassador to SA) and reknowned musician Yvonne Chaka Chaka.

Anzisha Prize Awards 2012

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AMREF SA Stand Up for African Mothers Launch – 11 September 2012

ExpaT-TivitieS

1- Toye Abioye discusses “Doing Business in Nigeria”, 2- Christine Chaonsa from sponsors Western Union, 3 - Key-note speaker Dr. Demartini, 4 - Fortune Gowera-Makamanzi from sponsors Park Inn Hotel, Sandton, 5 - Event MC Mark Chivere, 6 - Laureen Rwatirera discusses the ZBN vision, 7- Election Co-ordinator, 8 - Assan Ng’ombe casts his vote, 9 - Chairman Edwin Mununga seeks re-election, 10 - All officials including five committee members - Johnstone Chikwanda, Lynda Chibwe, Joseph Kawimbe, Njekwa Simakando and Malone Zaza, 11 - Elected officials from left: Ishmael Chingombe (Publicity) Ferdinand Simaanya (Vice Chairman) Belinda Mutumba (Vice Secretary) Edwin Mununga (Chairman) Teckler Kakubo (Treasurer) Misheck Sakala (Vice Treasurer) Binwell Keshi (Secretary) Evance Chanda (Vice Publicity Secretary), 12 - Joe Kawimbe addresses delegates.

Zim Business Network Breakfast

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Zambia Association A.G.M, Rivonia

ExpaT-TivitieS

1 - Acting High Commissioner Parker Allotey, 2 - “I would love to pursue a career in any field of the fashion industry and develop a brand name for myself. I am elated about being the second Miss Ghanafest and will work with the organisers to identify charitable causes to which I can contribute in my capacity.” said Selasie Dzanta (centre) flanked by Nana Acheampong-Boateng (left, second runner-up) and Anti Patricia Amoah (right, first runner up), 3 - Expatriate Magazine Publishing Executive Sheila Senkubuge showcases the publication, 4 - AUPSA Chairman Stephen Twinoburyo, 5 - Packed audience listens to Uganda High Commission representative, 6 - Dr. Agnes Ikatekit with those in attendance who had been born at the time of Uganda’s independence, 7 - Charles Mugerwa and the PAMATA Band, 8 - Mrs Monica Rubombora, a Senior Director at Accenture, 9 - Ms Sandra Oder, a Senior Researcher at Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria.

GHANAFEST 2012 , PRETORIA

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PROF. WANYANA OGUTTU FIRST BLACK WOMAN TAX LAW DOCTORATE IN SA

rofessor Annet Wanyana

Oguttu met her husband

James at Makerere University

in their native Uganda while

pursuing her bachelor’s degree in

law. She graduated in 1993 and

worked briefly as a legal assistant

with Mayanja Nkangi and Company

Advocates before relocating to

Lesotho.

“My husband had completed

his studies as a veterinary surgeon

and got a teaching position at the

National University of Lesotho

prompting our relocation,” Oguttu

recalled when interviewed by The

Expatriate magazine in her offices

at the department of Mercantile

Law at the University of South Africa

(UNISA).

The couple were stationed in the

town of Leribe where Oguttu worked

for a law firm while also teaching

literature at a local high school on a

part time basis. She later took up a

position in the capital Maseru where

she worked for Advocate Sooknanan

while pursuing a master’s degree in

international tax law. She graduated

in 2001 and was subsequently

admitted to the local bar becoming

an advocate of the High Court of

Lesotho.

“Our plan when we moved

to Lesotho was to improve our

qualifications, so as soon as I

completed my master’s I registered

for a doctorate in tax law through

UNISA. The course was very

demanding and the fees were quite

expensive. I told my supervisor that it

would be difficult for me to complete

it and he alerted me to an opening for

a lecturer position at the university.”

19WWW.EXPATRIATE.CO.ZA

Oguttu took up the position in 2003

and the family moved to SA. Her

husband was pursuing a master’s

degree by correspondence with the

University of Pretoria at the time and

a year later was also appointed to a

teaching position at UNISA.

“We get to drive here together

every morning,” she beamed.

She completed her doctorate

in international tax law in 2008

becoming only the second woman

in SA to do so and the first black

woman in the country to obtain the

qualification.

“Prof. Lynette Olivier, the

first woman to graduate with this

doctorate, is a lecturer at University

of Johannesburg and was very helpful

to me during my studies. I think

there are few doctorates in this area

because tax law is a very lucrative

qualification in the commerce

industry so most graduates end up

being lured away from academia.

For that reason, I don’t get too pre-

occupied with being the first black

woman with the doctorate. I think

anyone could have achieved this if

they put their minds to it although

I am pleased if my achievements

encourage black students to work

harder.”

In 2009, Oguttu received a

grant from the USA’s University

of Michigan - African Presidential

Scholars Program, where she

pursued her post doctoral studies in

International Tax Law and was given

an award for academic excellence

and outstanding contribution to

the intellectual community of the

University of Michigan.

Oguttu can also take credit for

another first – she is the foremost

black woman to be admitted as a

full professor in the college of law at

UNISA. She was appointed in 2010

and delivered her inaugural lecture in

the same year on the complex topic

of tax pairing.

“The inaugural lecturer is an hour

long address that a new professor is

required to give in front of invited

guests and academia. My lecture was

attended by officials from the South

African Revenue Services as well as

the National Treasury. I was nervous

in the beginning but this spurred me

on and the comments from my peers

thereafter were very positive.”

Professor Oguttu has published

several articles and conducted a

significant amount of research

in her area of specialisation. The

South African National Research

Foundation (NRF) has rated her a C2

researcher, a rating which she said

she is very proud of.

“The highest NRF rating one

can get is an A which is given to the

real ‘centres of knowledge’. These

are the people who are known to

publish textbooks in certain subject

areas and there are only one or two

of them in the country. Then come

the B graded researchers who are

also highly rated specialists in their

areas of research. Not far behind are

C rated researchers and it pleases me

to see my work quoted by students in

their theses and others writing about

tax law in general. SA was isolated

in terms of tax law due to apartheid

and therefore there is a significant

opportunity to contribute to its

development by way of research.”

In recognition of her work, the

Women in Science Awards (WISA)

granted Oguttu the second runner up

position for the 2012 “Distinguished

The first black woman professor in UNISA’s College of Law is a recent recipient of a national “Distinguished Women in Science” Award presented to her by the then Science and Technology minister Naledi Pandor...

20 EXPATRIATE

Women in Science Award: Social

Sciences and Humanities”. The

award was presented by the then SA

minister for Science and Technology

Naledi Pandor for “outstanding

contribution to building SA’s

scientific and research knowledge

base.”

“It was a great honour to receive

the award and be recognised at

national level. The minister actually

told me that she was impressed that

I was writing things that were very

rare!”

Oguttu stated that she draws

her inspiration from God and

attributed her success to the support

of her husband who has always

encouraged her to achieve more. She

also found that being a foreigner was

an advantage in some respects.

“As an immigrant you need to

do something special to justify your

status in the country. As a result I had

to have a sense of determination.

My success can be attributed to

hard work; I am no genius and in

most subjects my grades were above

average rather than exceptional.

It is as a result of our degrees that

my husband and I were granted

residency and today we are dual

citizens of Uganda and SA.”

Oguttu has peer reviewed

articles in several leading journals

and revealed that she intends to do

more consulting work in future in

addition to the part-time teaching

she also does at the African Tax

Institute at the University of Pretoria.

In October 2012, her publications

on international tax issues caught

the attention of the “United Nations

Department of Economic and Social

Affairs: Financing for Development

Office” which has enlisted her as one

of the ten members of the “Expert

Group to Develop a UN Course on

Double Tax Treaties”.

- Expatriate Magazine Team

Mathematical Magic

Your financial life could be divided into three basic financial phases:

• Phase1(childhoodandstudying):youacquiretheskillstogenerateanincome.• Phase2(working):yougenerateanincome,livebelowthatincomeandsave.• Phase3(retirement):youliveonwhateveryousavedduringphase2.

Once you get to retirement, what you have available is essentially what you did not spend while you were working. In essence, saving is simply deferred spending.

THE MAGIC

One of the most important concepts to understand during phase 2 of your life is the mathematical magic of compound interest. This is one of the most powerful wealth creation tools available to you.

Imagine that you saved R1 000 per year over a 40 year period and your money grew by 10% per year. You invest your R1 000 at the beginning of year 1. Your money will earn R100 during the course of that year. The balance at the end of the year will be R1 100. At the beginning of the next year you add another R1 000 to the investment. Your investment starts off with R2 100 at the beginning of year 2.

During year 2 your money will earn 10% interest on the original R1 000 you invested at the beginning of year 1, the R1 000 you invested at the beginning of year 2, as well as the R100 interest your money earned during year 1. In year two your money will start to earn “compound interest” which is interest on interest you earned in previous years. The interest for year 2 will be R210. The balance at the end of year 2 will be R2 310.

In year 5 you will earn interest on the R1 000 you invested in each year up till then, as well as on the interest that you earned in years 1, 2, 3 and 4.

In year 8 you will earn more in interest than you are saving. You will still save R1 000 that year but your money will earn R1 144 in interest. From that point onwards your money will be working harder than you.

After 12 years the interest will be twice as much as you are saving. In year 15 the interest is 3 times as much as you are saving. By year 40 you will have invested a total of R40 000 out of your own pocket, but the interest that your money will earn in that year will be R44 000. By that stage your money will earn more interest in one year than you have invested over 40. That demonstrates the power of compound interest.

Table: Investing R1 000 per year, earning 10% per year

Year Investment per year Total investment made Interest earned in one year Cumulative interest earned Investment value at year end

1 1 000 1 000 100 100 1 100

5 1 000 5 000 611 1 716 6 716

10 1 000 10 000 1 594 7 531 17 531

20 1 000 20 000 5 727 43 002 63 002

30 1 000 30 000 16 449 150 943 180 943

40 1 000 40 000 44 259 446 852 486 852

The illustration above uses R1 000 per year in order to explain the concept simply. In reality the amount you should be investing is 10% – 15% of your gross income into investments. If you did this over a 30 to 40 year period your portfolio could be generating more in interest than you are earning from your job.

Compound interest is arguably the most reliable way to achieve financial independence, which is where you can support your lifestyle from your capital and no longer need to work.

The key is to start soon enough and not to stop. If you have broken service do not cash the investment in and spend the money. If you spend it you reset the clock and you go back to year one. Rather reinvest the money from your pension or provident fund whenever you move from one employer to another. Start early, maintain the continuity and harness the mathematical magic of compound interest.

Paul Leonard CFP®

Consolidated is a national financial planning practice with offices in Western Cape, Johannesburg, Tshwane, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Paul is based in the Eastern Cape

Over 30 years of excellence in design andrelated services and with offices acrossthe African continentContact us on +27 11 783 3960or visit our website:www.tecturainternational.com

In Ghana, he is a 50%

shareholder of Macsteel Ghana, the

local subsidiary of Africa’s leading

steel supplier. He also owns the

Obuoba Group, a collection of

companies which include a hotel, a

roofing entity, alcohol distillery and

an FM station. Outside of Obuoba,

Danquah owns Metalex, a company

that manufactures high quality

roofing, plastic

and brick

“Oh my God, that man owns half of

Kempton Park!”

That was the response I got from a

good Ghanaian friend of mine Mavis

Anim when I told her that I was going

to interview her fellow countryman

Kwabena Adjare

Danquah. So that

was the first question

I asked him when we

met in his office on

Albatross Street in

this eastern suburb

of Johannesburg.

“Well I do own very

many commercial

and residential

buildings here but definitely not half

of them,” he laughed.

Within minutes I establish

that the buildings he

owns include several

apartment blocks

and other

buildings in the

city where one

of the big four

banks is a

tenant of his

All Danquah

CC which

also owns a

restaurant

and guest

lodge in

SA. He is

also the

proprietor of

Comet Steel

South Africa.

products and he is also in the process

of funding the construction of a

technical university.

Before the meeting, I googled

this Ghanaian entrepreneur and

came across a detailed case study

conducted on his

business by the

Columbia Business

School in the USA.

The paper found

that the Metalex

Group alone had

net assets of over

ten million dollars

in 2007. Assuming

continued growth

within this and his

other interests and the possible

values of his real estate interests,

Danquah’s net worth could easily

amount to a billion rand or at the

very least a billion Ghanaian cedis at

the exchange rate of 1ZAR=2GHC. I

engage him in the following question

and answer sequence seeking to

discover what lies within the brain of

a billionaire.

Where did the journey to

entrepreneurship begin for you?

My father was a petty trader

dealing in building materials in the

town of Koforidua. I was his eighth

child and assisted in the family

business for a year after I completed

high school education. He gave me

USD 4,000 in 1982, to go to Accra

and start my own business and that

is when I started Metalex which

at the time manufactured

wood making machines.

I started

“To become successful, you need to deny yourself and work hard. You need to separate your wants from your needs and constantly re-invest instead of living lavishly. You can start living lavishly when you have acquired enough passive income that you do not need to work at all to sustain your lifestyle.....”

KWABENA DANQUAH – THE BRAIN OF A BILLIONAIRE

always use real estate as collateral.

I don’t sell property for short term

gain because I view it as a long term

investment which will also benefit

my children when I am gone. I also

don’t place values on them every

year because doing that can make

you become complacent.

What advice do you have for aspiring

billionaires?

I am a Christian and the Bible

says that the way to heaven is narrow

while the road to destruction is wide.

To become successful, you need to

deny yourself and work hard. You

need to separate your wants from

your needs and constantly re-invest

instead of living lavishly. You can

start living lavishly when you reach

the break-even point. I define the

break-even point for an individual as

the point where you have acquired

enough passive income that you do

small with a few employees but

the business grew rapidly. In 1987,

I started trading with Macsteel

and this later resulted in a 50/50

partnership in Macsteel Ghana. In the

year 2000, I purchased a mismanaged

brick making factory from the Bank

of Ghana. Since then I have from

time to time sought opportunities in

sectors that appeal to me.

How did you come to SA and why did

you invest in property?

When Macsteel executives came

to Ghana looking for a distributor, the

taxi driver brought them to my door

because he (the taxi driver) had seen

a sign for Metalex roofing. We got

into discussions and began trading.

After a while they realised that I was

trustworthy and approached me to

partner with them in a Ghanaian

venture. As per my culture, I need

to see where a person comes from

in order to engage in a partnership

with them and so I travelled to SA

to visit their headquarters. I was

amazed at how well developed this

African country was and decided that

I would invest and live here. This was

after independence and white South

Africans were leaving the country

and selling their properties cheaply.

I favoured Kempton Park because it

was near the airport and I figured a

number of employees would be in

need of housing in the area.

I think property is a great

investment because it will always

appreciate as population grows. I

target repossessed properties in

strategic locations. It is also a form of

saving and should you wish to seek

loans for business ventures you can

not need to work at all to sustain

your lifestyle. Today I live in an 18

bedroom palace in Glen Marais

because I have passed the break-even

point. I do not however like to be

flashy, look at this old Nokia phone

that I am using. If you are too flashy

then people will target you and you

will need bodyguards and lose sleep

at night.

To this day, I wake up at 4.00 a.m.

every morning because success does

not come easy. It is like an aeroplane,

once you are up in the air you need

to keep flying or you will hit the

ground.

You also need to have an

appetite for calculated risk; in the

span of a few years I have lost close

to five million dollars due to metal

prices. As an investor you should take

risks that you can afford and if they

don’t pay off, you should learn from

your mistakes.

25WWW.EXPATRIATE.CO.ZA

demands and they will head off to

a competitor with your ideas. But

if you hire average individuals they

can work very hard without you

having to face high staff turnover. I

was actually invited to speak on this

concept at the Columbia Business

School.

I also believe an employee needs

to generate at least three times their

salary for them to be worthwhile

to you. That is what I base pay

increases on as well as terminations

If you love a woman, you will go

wherever she is without feeling tired.

In the same way, pursue something

that you love when it comes to

business because every line of

industry has money

in it but it is only

those who are truly

passionate about

their line of business

who will succeed.

You also need to

be dynamic because

no business can be

profitable for a long

time with the same

ideas. Things change

constantly. A few

years ago a poor man

had nothing and a

rich man had about

USD30, 000. Today

a poor man still has

nothing while a rich

man has billions.

I would encourage

Africans to be

innovators. Today

we are only good

at continuing what

the white man has

started but we can be

just as innovative as

they are in initiating

things.

How many employees do you have

and what is your management style?

I have over 500 employees. I don’t

believe in hiring “A” students because

brilliant graduates understand your

business very quickly and keep

demanding pay increases. After a

while you are unable to meet their

of employment. Everyone who

works for me knows that I have

that expectation and so they do not

need to be micro-managed if they

understand their individual goal at

the end of the day.

What are your future

plans and do you

intend to venture

into politics?

My plan is to

complete my

university and retire

in my home town of

Nkawkaw. I will never

become a politician

because I was born an

industrialist, but I do

support politicians

on a ratio of 60%

government 40%

opposition because

next to God comes

government. I don’t

shun politicians

because everyone is

important; even the

thief is important

because he takes

away the old things

that you do not

need and creates

employment for

police and security

providers.

I do not get caught up in pledging die-

hard allegiance because politicians

are like soccer players. They can

change teams very easily but it is we

the supporters who remain bitterly

loyal to our chosen squads.

- KC ROTTOK

26 EXPATRIATE

I would like to think that even if I

was born and raised in SA, those

images would have disturbed me as

another human being. That is what

made me want to do this movie. As

part of the film industry, I felt that

it is our responsibility to cultivate

some constructive commentary

on the matter. M.O.G is centred

on a Nigerian refugee who goes

missing in Johannesburg against the

background of the violence against

immigrants. His brother, on a short

visit from London, tries to uncover

the mystery.

Why is the movie being screened

in the Bioscope and not the major

theatres?

We have about 15 screenings

at the Bioscope as well as certain

theatres in other parts of the

country. Our main aim is to take this

film to the communities and start a

kin Omotoso (born 1974)

is a Nigerian-born South

African actor, writer and

director best known for

his role as Khaya Motene in the

SABC 1 soap opera Generations. His

family moved to SA in 1992 when

his father Bankole Omotoso - best

known for his role in Vodacom’s yebo

gogo ads - accepted a lectureship at

a local university. We sat down with

him in August during the premier of

his political thriller Man on Ground

(M.O.G) at The Bioscope theatre in

downtown Johannesburg.

What inspired you to write M.O.G

and what is the movie about?

Being a naturalised South

African citizen, it disturbed me to

see the images of Ernesto Nhamuave

who was burnt alive during the

xenophobic violence in SA. There

is no room for that in any society.

conversation around the theme of

xenophobic temperature. We actually

shot the film in the Alexandra

Township where the incidences of

xenophobic violence began and the

discussions that are coming out of

the film reveal that this is a disturbing

issue not just in SA. At a screening

in Washington D.C. for example, the

discussion that ensued amongst the

audience was centred on intolerance

in that city. In my own country

Nigeria, I understand Liberians are

being ordered to leave. It is a global

issue that should concern all of us.

What were the challenges you

faced in making the film and what

has been the response to it?

It took three years for me to write

the film with the help of Hakeem

Kae-Kazim and Fabian Lojede who

star as the Nigerian brothers in the

film.

Pics courtesy of Akin Omotoso

28 EXPATRIATE

Like any other film, the main

challenge is finance as this is a

very capital intensive industry. We

wanted the ethos of the film of

working together to be reflected

in the funding of the film and

hence we rallied family and friends,

locally and internationally to give

us little donations. We also received

donations from the SA government

which has a very good mechanism

to back the film industry through

various departments as this is

classified as a growth sector in the

nation.

The film has been successful

in conveying the message to a

worldwide audience. In addition, the

entire cast won the Best Ensemble

award at the Monaco International

Film Festival and Fana Mokoena was

named the Best Supporting Actor for

his role in the film at the Africa Movie

Academy Awards (AMAA) 2012.

What awards have YOU won in your

acting and film making career?

I was fortunate to have been

nominated for the AMAA’s although I

didn’t win. This may sound cliché but

I was very pleased to be nominated

because that means someone has

thought about the work that you

have done and invited you to the

table (even if you may not get to

eat). I try and not think too much

about awards as I am not one to place

too much emphasis on accolades.

That said, I was very pleased to win

the Fleur du Cap Award for Most

Promising Student in the play Sunjata

in 1995 primarily because my late

mother was in the audience when I

received it. I was also very pleased to

win the 2007 Standard Bank Young

Artist Award in the film category.

Other than M.O.G what other films

have you made?

Using money I made acting

as a student, I completed three

short films: The Kiss of Milk, The

Nightwalkers and The Caretaker. In

1999, I wrote my first feature film

God is African starring Hakeem Kae-

Kazim. My father always says that we

should write what we know and so

the film reflected a Nigerian student

coming to SA and raising awareness

regarding the assassination of

author and activist Ken Saro Wiwa in

Nigeria. When it premiered in 2003,

I was struggling with personal loss

after my mother died from cancer

and decided to re-prioritise my life.

That was when I started a production

Femi (Fabian Adeoye Lojede)

29WWW.EXPATRIATE.CO.ZA

company with Robbie Thorpe and

Kgomotso Matsunyane. Our first film

Gums and Noses won Best SA Film

at the New York Film Festival in 2004

and I directed Rifle Road which was

screened at the Cannes Film Festival

in 2005. I also made a documentary

in tribute to my mother called

Gathering the Scattered Cousins shot

in her country of birth Barbados. We

produced Material recently which

did very well on the big screen and

DSTV’s box office.

Hakeem Kae-Kazim with whom

you have worked on a number of

projects is now a Hollywood based

actor and has appeared on well

known productions such as Pirates

of the Caribbean, Wolverine, Law

and Order and Hotel Rwanda. Is that

where you aspire to be in a few years

time?

I met Hakeem when he accepted

the starring role in God is African and

we have remained close friends. You

don’t have to be based in Hollywood

to be cast in American movies; I have

acted in a number of them including

Lord of War and Blood Diamond. I also

played a leading role as Paul Kagame

in Shake Hands with the Devil. I

don’t place my focus on Hollywood

because if you start thinking too

much about those things, you lose

focus on what you are doing. I am

only aiming to be the best I can be

by dedicating myself to each project

so that I can make a difference.

Is there a role you wouldn’t play?

I would never act as a Nigerian

drug lord because that would just

feed the stereotype.

- CAROL MALONZA

“We actually shot the film in the Alexandra Township where incidences of xenophobic violence began and the discussions that are coming out of the film reveal that this is a disturbing issue globally not just in SA......”

Ade (Hakeem Kae-Kazim) Timothi (Fana Mokoena)

30 EXPATRIATE

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“In 2013, it will be the tenth anniversary of this software business and I am immensely proud of what we have managed to achieve. All our major competitors are international companies and we own our own brand, our own software and our own premises....”

Fusion Software’s D a v i d T a y l e r

From a Zim Farm to an I.T. Firm

32 EXPATRIATE

O v e r

100 farm

employees lost their jobs and

the insurance company rejected

the claim on the grounds that this

was an ‘Act of war’ that was not

covered by the policy. David’s

father eventually managed to

commence farming on a second

property but this was short-lived as

a government official expropriated

the land with no compensation.

“The loss my parent’s

experienced was the saddest part of

the situation given that they were

now in their 50’s and everything they

had was taken away. I decided that

I would pay my own way through

college and took up an evening job

as a waiter at a high end restaurant.”

David would attend classes

during the day and wait on tables

from early evening up to two in the

morning every night. It was at this

restaurant that he met his future

wife Wendy who was one of the

pastry chefs. When she got a job

offer in Gauteng in 2003, the couple

moved to Johannesburg and initially

lived with Wendy’s aunt as they

found their feet in the new town.

“It was through Wendy’s cousin

that I met Colin Thornton, the owner

of Dial-a-Nerd, a company that

supplies hardware and I.T. support

to a variety of clients. He had only

employed me for a week before I

presented him with a business plan to

David

Tayler would

probably be a farmer today

had his father not insisted that

he get a degree before joining the

family enterprise of cultivating

tobacco in Mangura, Zimbabwe.

He travelled to Cape Town in the

year 2000 where his elder sister

was studying, to pursue a one year

diploma in business management.

“In 2001, I took up a second

diploma in information technology

(I.T.) in order to gain a good

understanding of technology as this

was becoming a key component of

modern farming,” David recalled

in an interview at his aesthetic

Fusion Software offices in Randburg.

It was while he was pursuing

this diploma that he got a frantic

phone call from his mother in

Zimbabwe where there had been

developments related to President

Mugabe’s policy of resettling

war veterans on white farms.

“People who were not nearly

old enough to be war veterans had

stormed our farm in my father’s

absence and given my mother thirty

minutes to pack up and leave. She

only had time to pack a change of

clothes, a computer and our family

albums. The house was then ransacked

and burnt to the ground,” lamented

David who recently turned 32.

develop

and provide

software to his client base and we

both invested our capital into the

idea.”

In 2007, David decided to hive

off the software company and

purchase Colin’s stake. The two went

their separate ways although they

remain best friends today and are

partners in a completely different

business venture.

“I called the company Fusion to

reflect our core business of fusing

a number of elements together to

produce efficient software. When I

took it over, I had 30 days to make it

work as this was the lead time before

the rent, PABX payments and salaries

for eight employees were due!”

It was a leap of faith but

David managed to pull it off using

a personal overdraft facility and

cash flow from some of his early

clients. Today the company’s staff

complement is approximately

four times its initial number and

Fusion services well over a hundred

customers each year with solutions

in four main areas – fusion software

applications for all aspects of the

business, contract development,

software integration and websites.

“I took the decision early in life

that I would neither pay rent nor

work for someone else. In 2013, it

will be the tenth anniversary of this

software business and I am immensely

proud of what we have managed to

33WWW.EXPATRIATE.CO.ZA

who has worked here since inception

and our determination to establish

good customer relationships. I do

not believe in the culture that a

number of our competitors have

of providing a solution in a CD

and walking away. Likewise, we

try and have the kind of work

environment that a family business

should have with a management

that exercises an open door policy.”

Fusion recently appointed Grant

Joyce as CEO. He now manages the

operations of the company which

frees up David to do what he does

best; creating and selling product.

David cites his father as his

inspiration and attributes his risk

taking nature to growing up in the

home of an entrepreneur. The idiom

“you can’t keep a good man down”

achieve. All our major competitors

are international companies and

we own our own brand, our own

software and our own premises.”

The building that Fusion operates

from became their offices when

Wendy spotted the owner placing a

“For Sale” sign outside a run-down

unoccupied house on Bram Fischer

Drive a few years ago. They made

the owner an offer and David, who

believes “hard work never killed

anyone”, decided to oversee the re-

modelling of the property into the

new structure it is today. The company

also has branches in Namibia,

Pretoria and Cape Town and David

revealed plans to venture into his

native Zimbabwe in the near future.

“Our success can be attributed

to the hard work of each employee

rings very true if you consider the

fact that, after such difficult setbacks,

Tayler Snr today runs a successful

feed manufacturing business that

employs 90 people in Harare.

- KC ROTTOK

with wife Wendy

36 EXPATRIATE

EBOKAFR

ED

D R E S S I N G T H E R I C H A N D F A M O U S

“People generally get shocked on hearing the names of the people I have met and dressed. I recall when I recently visited Houghton to design a dress for Graca Machel. I received a phone call from an uncle and whispered into the phone that I couldn’t talk as I was in Mandela’s home. ‘Oh really,’ he smirked. ‘Is Jesus there too?”

37WWW.EXPATRIATE.CO.ZA

what tribe my parents come from.

I am an African. It is the colonialists

who decided to cut up the continent

into different regions and countries

without any careful consideration.

These lines have resulted in unnatural

consequences as it does not work

when you cut a piece of cloth against

the grain.”

When he was a boy, Eboka’s

creative talent became apparent as

his drawings stood out from those

wo seemingly menacing

but ultimately friendly

dogs welcome me to the

beautiful mansion that

is the home of Fred Elu Eboka in

Brooklyn, Pretoria. As we settle down

for this interview in the living room

surrounded by his superb paintings,

I am keen to know which area of

Nigeria he comes from.

“That is not important,” he says

declining to respond. “Neither is

of his classmates. After high school,

he began a successful career in the

advertising industry before deciding

to relocate to the U.S. for further

studies.

“I needed a new challenge

and left Nigeria in 1982 for the

University of Philadelphia where

I studied fashion and design. I

was fortunate to be admitted to

the prestigious Tyler School of Art

(part of Temple University) where

officials in America, Eboka was

convinced to relocate to SA where

they were certain he would have an

impact in the fashion landscape of

the liberated nation.

“I arrived in SA in 1992 with a

pre-approved permit. At the time

there were virtually no reputable

black designers in the country save

for me and Nandipa Madikiza. The

colours people were wearing were all

grey which in my view reflected the

mood of the country; colour blocking

was completely unheard

of when I got here.”

Some of

Eboka’s early

clients included

the founder of

Co s m o p o l i t a n

magazine Jane

Raphaely and the

then mayor of Cape

I was the only black student in my

class to complete a major in visual

communication. It was not easy to

do so; I recall my professor declined

to enter my painting into a national

illustration competition. Fortunately,

all Tyler students had their pieces

displayed and the judges were blown

away by my anonymous entry. After

declaring it the winner, they were

quite surprised that this was the

work of an African and strangely I

did not get the position at a local

newspaper which was meant for the

winner.”

After completing his

studies, Eboka stayed on in

the U.S. pursuing a career

in fashion and design. He

remained in the state

of Pennsylvania where

he opened a studio in

the prestigious Chestnut

Hill area. Towards the late

1980’s, there were signs

that SA was coming out of

apartheid rule and through

the country’s

e m b a s s y

Town Patricia Kreiner. He was also

charged with dressing the new black

leaders of the country and had a seat

at the presidential dais during the

inauguration of President Nelson

Mandela.

The list of famous people who

have donned Eboka’s clothing

include Grammy nominees, Africa’s

first ‘afronaut’ billionaire Mark

Shuttleworth, King Zwelithini of

the Zulu Kingdom, “Mama Africa”

Miriam Makeba, Former Deputy

President now chair of the ANC

Baleka Mbete, Former President

Thabo Mbeki, President Jacob Zuma,

a number of Miss World contestants

and Hal Walker, an African American

inventor noted in the Guinness book

of world records for developing laser

equipment that projected images of

the moon back to the earth during

the 1969 Apollo moon walk.

“It is a very intimate process to

design clothing for someone because

you need to understand their

personality to fashion something

that would reflect their style.

People generally get shocked

on hearing the names of the

people I have met and dressed.

I recall when I recently visited

Houghton to design a dress

for Graca Machel. I received

a phone call from an uncle

creativity we have not invested in

ourselves like Italian John Galliano

who was made famous by an African

necklace, Oscar de la Renta who

made millions out of the turban and

Shakira who rode the charts on the

Zangalewa tune.”

Eboka believes in giving back

and as such he mentors a number of

young designers and has participated

in the launch of sewing schools in the

townships of Uitenhage and Langa.

He has a shop at the Hyatt Hotel in

Rosebank that sells couture clothing

and whispered into the phone that

I couldn’t talk as I was in Mandela’s

home. ‘Oh really,’ he smirked. ‘Is Jesus

there too?’”

Eboka reputation extends

beyond South African borders having

participated in fashion shows in

cities such as Chicago and Tokyo.

He is frequently called upon to

act as a judge in the South African

chapter of the Smirnoff International

Fashion Awards and has displayed his

fashion at various high profile events

alongside the likes of Versace and

Geoffrey Beene.

The profession has its challenges;

he reveals that he often sees his

designs being claimed by young

designers in magazine articles. He

also laments the fact that Africa is

yet to wake up to the potential of

creative art.

“We are where Europe was a

century ago when Van Gogh died a

pauper due to people not valuing his

art. Europeans today are investing

in talented designers and creating

fashion businesses worth billions of

dollars. Africans however only seem

to invest in businesses that supply

raw materials rather than apply the

creative process; we would rather sell

cocoa than manufacture chocolate.

There are numerous examples of

outsiders capitalising on the

and he plans to launch a ready to

wear range in the near future.

- KC ROTTOK

rofessor Fred Otieno studied

civil engineering at the

University of Nairobi (UON)

completing his degree with

an upper second class honours

in 1979. He proceeded to join a

consulting firm known as Gordon

Melvin and Partners which was

then the premier firm of consulting

engineers in Kenya.

“I was involved in a number

of significant projects such as the

construction of Nolfolk Towers and

the Pan Afric Hotel,”

Otieno recalled

in an

interview held at the family home in

Hurlingham, Sandton.

“1980, I saw a British Council

scholarship for a masters degree in

water engineering advertised in the

local newspapers. As I had begun

to find the job I was doing a bit

boring and monotonous, I applied

for the scholarship and subsequently

pursued the qualification at the

University of Newcastle.”

On completion, Otieno was

placed on a six month

internship at a water

research project

in Portsmouth.

He returned

to Kenya

in 1982

where he joined Kenyatta University

as a research fellow to set up a

technology research centre.

“It was our research team that

developed the energy saving stove

which is lined with clay (jikos). Prior

to this, people used jikos that were

made out of metal which used up

much more coal as heat would

escape from its sides,” Otieno said.

Otieno worked at the research

centre until 1986 when he returned

to Newcastle to pursue a doctorate

in engineering. By this time, he had

wedded wife Florence (who today

is CEO of Sandton’s Tara Hospital)

and the couple had young children.

Thankfully, the scholarship for the

doctorate provided for him to take

his family with him to the UK.

“I returned to Kenya in 1990

and joined UON as a lecturer and

also opened up my own firm known

as Environmental Management

Consultants. Unfortunately there

was a prolonged lecturers’ strike

that began in 1992 which I found

very frustrating. I responded to an

advertisement for a senior lecturer

position at the former University of

Durban Westville.”

After applying for the position

and subsequent interviews, Otieno

was the successful candidate and

he and his family moved to Durban

after the first democratic elections

in 1994. He continued to actively

participate in research

projects and as a

r e s u l t

Prof. OtienoDeputy Vice-chancellor at Durban University of Technology– Recent U.N. Representative to SA

“One of the highest ranking expatriate academics chats to us about the rise to the top and dealing with cancer...”

earned the status of a full professor

in 1997.

“I was aware that it was quite

possible that I would assume a

management position in a local

university and I therefore enrolled

for an MBA at the Durban Westville

Graduate School of Business. It was

not easy being a full-time professor

attending part-time classes of a

challenging business course while

also trying as much as possible to

spend time with a young family,” said

Otieno.

He obtained the qualification

in 1999 by which time he had

assumed the position of Head of

the Engineering department. He

was lured to Johannesburg by the

prospect of working at one of the

largest technikon faculties in the

country in a very senior position –

Executive Dean of Engineering at

Wits Technikon.

“That was a contract and

therefore I did not feel secure in

my position. In March 2003, I was

headhunted by Technikon Pretoria

who offered me a permanent

position. In retrospect, I would not

encourage young professionals to be

too concerned about job security as

no position is water-tight as one can

still be retrenched. In addition, being

in a contract position somehow

pushes you to work even harder in

the hope of it being renewed.”

In 2004, Tshwane University of

Technology was born following the

amalgamation of Technikon Pretoria,

Technikon Northern Gauteng and

Technikon North West. Otieno’s job

security was rattled once again as

all lecturers were required to apply

for positions in the new university.

He was the successful candidate and

retained his position in at the merged

institution up to March 2010 when

he was appointed Durban University

of Technology’s (DUT) Deputy Vice

Chancellor in the area of technology.

He holds the position to date and as

he is second only to the university’s

vice-chancellor, he effectively is one

of the highest ranking academics in

SA of foreign origin. He attributed his

success to a number of reasons.

“As a foreigner in any country

you need to work much harder to

justify your position. I also have

strength in research having been

rated a C1 researcher by the National

Research Foundation. I actually think

that I would be an A rated researcher

today if I was not in a management

position as I would have more time

to study certain topics and have my

articles published.”

Otieno admitted to also having

a passion for human resource,

finance and strategy having sat

on the boards of various high level

organisations such as the South

African National Roads Agency

Limited and Randwater. He was also

chairman of the City of Johannesburg

rubbish collection company Piki-

Tup and plans to use the leadership

experience gained in all these

entities to continue to transform his

division at DUT and elsewhere in SA

as he consults privately in his areas

of specialisation.

“We have also made great

strides in our bid to produce more

black graduates and post graduates.

In the two years I have been at the

university, we have doubled the

research output at the university and

I believe that in a few years time we

will be very highly rated amongst

second tier universities in SA.”

Having successfully battled a

cancer scare recently, Prof. Otieno

advises readers to have regular

medical checkups as the earlier

conditions are detected, the greater

chance modern medicine has of

effectively combating them. He

revealed that one thing he would like

to achieve in his lifetime is to head a

university in Kenya.

“I recently visited South Korea

and Singapore and tears literally

welled up in my eyes because it

pained me to see how far they had

come in spite of having had a lower

GDP than Kenya when we gained

independence. I would love to be the

vice chancellor of a Kenyan university

and bring some fresh thinking from

the experiences I have gained here.

If that is not possible I will do my

best to play a role in some other

way because I was educated by the

Kenyan taxpayer for my first degree

which formed the foundation of my

career,” he concluded.

- Keith Kundai

41WWW.EXPATRIATE.CO.ZA

“Have you LIKED our facebook page?”

www.facebook.com/expatmag

“Do you FOLLOW us on twitter?”www.twitter.com/expatriatemag

What is your view of Zimbabweans

in SA and their interaction with the

High Commission?

It is a known fact that there is a

very big Zimbabwean community in

SA. No matter what country one is

from, it is important to stay in touch

with your country of origin and one

way of doing that is interacting

with your embassy. With respect

to Zimbabweans, this has been

happening consistently and my view

is that they should keep this up. I

would also advise them to consider

investing in Zimbabwe as there are

plenty of opportunities; it is one of

the richest countries in the region.

How would you describe the

relationship between Zimbabwe and

SA?

The relationship between the

two countries is very good starting

from presidential level where our

president has a cordial relationship

with the presidency here. This

extends to all levels of government.

Our ministers are frequently invited

to the country by their counterparts

for various meetings which is clear

evidence of a good relationship.

What do you perceive to be the

highlights of your career?

I am thankful to God for having

protected me for the 16 years I

spent in the struggle fighting for

Zimbabwe’s independence in the

bush. He protected me from all kinds

of dangers including snakes and

bullets.

The most important thing for a

diplomat is to host his or her head

of state. I consider it an achievement

to make sure that the President is

received in a conducive environment.

Also as an ambassador, gaining access

to your hosts and making meaningful

contact is essential to achieving your

objectives.

Tell us more about your personal life

including your hobbies and family.

When I went to the Soviet Union

in the 1960’s, my strategic studies

included photojournalism. Since then

it has been a hobby; at one stage I

had 17 different cameras! I also enjoy

cloud viewing; I am determined to

capture the image of a cloud that

is in the shape of Zimbabwe. I have

photos of clouds that resemble the

shape of many different countries

but the Zimbabwean one has eluded

me and so I always have a camera

with me in case I see it.

I also play golf and love jazz

music. I also love cooking ever since

I got married I have cooked Sunday

lunch for my wife and children. I have

two daughters who are doctors and a

son who is an agriculturalist.

Describe your career leading up to

your appointment as Zimbabwean

High Commissioner to SA.

I trained as an agriculturalist

in the areas of field and animal

husbandry. Unfortunately, it was

difficult for me to practice my craft

after school and the job market

was also very grim in the then

Southern Rhodesia. In 1964, I went

to the Soviet Union to study military

science and on my return a few years

later I spent more than a decade in

the guerrilla warfare struggle for an

independent Zimbabwe. Soon after

independence in 1980, I served as a

diplomat in Mozambique and Austria

before being appointed ambassador

to Botswana. I later served as

ambassador to Russia before being

appointed the High Commissioner

to SA. I am the fourth ambassador

to this country and I believe my

responsibility is to maintain the

good relations between Zimbabwe

and SA that my predecessors have

established.

Zimbabwean Envoy Phelekezela Mphoko

“I am thankful to God for having protected me for the 16 years I spent in the struggle fighting for Zimbabwe’s independence in the bush. He protected me from all kinds of dangers including snakes and bullets....”

42 EXPATRIATE

“I have photos of clouds that resemble the shape of many different countries but the Zimbabwean one has eluded me and so I always have a camera with me in case I see it....”

What does the future hold for you?

Well, at my age, the only future

plan is to pack up and go back to

Zimbabwe when my time here is up.

What is your view of the xenophobia

Zimbabweans and other nationals

experienced recently in SA?

I was not in the country at the

time. It was surprising to me given

the fact that Zimbabweans have a

lot of similarities to South Africans

including their languages. I think it

is something that the authorities

should look into to make sure it does

not happen again.

- CAROL MALONZA

43WWW.EXPATRIATE.CO.ZA

Know Your Envoy

A DAY IN BOTSWANA – JUST MEAT AND DRY HEAT “Indeed, he is cooking a fresh Kenyan in the co-driver seat as I battle to handle the punishing temperature. The window is open half-way; low enough to let air in but high enough to allow a conversation between us above the familiar din of South African music playing on the radio. ‘Happy 46th Independence Day from 96.2 Gabz FM!’ the DJ pounds.....”

ExpaT-TraveL

million heads of cattle.”

Indeed, he is cooking a fresh

Kenyan in the co-driver seat as

I battle to handle the punishing

temperature. The window is open

half-way; low enough to let air in but

high enough to allow a conversation

between us above the familiar din of

South African music playing on the

radio.

“Happy 46th Independence Day

from 96.2 Gabz FM!” the DJ pounds.

After a few kilometres of dry land

and the odd building, we spot what

Success calls a new mall plastered

with the branding of the same brands

you encounter in Johannesburg –

SuperSpar, Nandos, Wimpy, Edgars

and FNB.

We cross over the Western

Bypass, a main road which runs all

the way to the second largest city

of Francistown and we now see a

number of buildings which I presume

make up some sort of CBD. This is

clearly the seat of government as

Success points out one ministry after

another culminating in the country’s

parliament - all beautiful new

buildings reflective of one of Africa’s

best run countries.

We have to wait for a small herd

of cattle to clear the entrance of a

restaurant as a young herder hurries

“Welcome to Botswana,” the pilot

says.

Sir Seretse Khama International

is quite a majestic name for the

modest airport. As I disembark

from the aircraft to walk across the

runway in the 30 degree weather,

I am greeted by this welcome sign

glistening in Carolina blue.

The Airport is named after the

first post-independent president

whose son is the current president.

Having taken off at O R Tambo

International, the contrast is clear.

But to be fair, I have been to many

landing fields on the continent and

I must say that the Botswana one

punches above its weight and signs

of ongoing renovation indicate that

they are making it even better. My

host, Success, receives me and we

drive out through an exit lined with

flagless poles.

“In what part of the City is the

airport,” I innocently ask.

Success laughs.

“This is a small town so don’t

expect a flurry of suburb names

here,” he says. “This country is just

meat and dry heat. Two hundred

thousand people in Gaborone, two

million countrywide and about seven

them along the road. We settle down

for the lunch meeting and I am keen

to learn what was so important that

my boss insisted I meet rather than

phone this man.

The waitress arrives, and in an

obvious attempt to impress me

with what is local, he orders us two

Botswana shandies.

“What is a Botswana shandy?”

she quizzes. “We only have Malawian

shandies here.”

He goes on to explain to her the

difference between the two drinks –

a Malawian shandy consists of ginger

ale, lemon-lime soda and bitters

while a Botswana shandy is made

up of lemonade, lemon-lime soda

and bitters. She departs promising to

deliver two tall glasses of the initial

order. Success then points out a

local delicacy from the menu called

Seswaa – pounded meat served with

either pap, sorghum or maize and

beans. The visual is unimpressive. I

opt for the Teledimo steak instead

- well-done beef accompanied by

mushrooms, onions and some sauce.

In an attempt to make small talk

before big business, I ask him more

about Botswana.

“I am actually Zimbabwean,”

he reveals. “This is very much an

46 EXPATRIATE

the white man who donated 4,000

hectares of land to start the reserve.

As promised at the reception, we

spot the two hippos that live in the

lake but leave before

seeing the family of six

rhino that apparently

reside on the estate.

Success meets me

at the airport before I

depart and as the flight

is delayed, we sit at the

only restaurant there is

to share some African

jokes. I laugh out loud

to one particular one

in which in which

Zimbabwe’s former

leader Ian Smith gets a mention.

“It is no secret that the Botswana

President Khama Ian Khama does

not like his Zimbabwean counterpart

Bob Mugabe. At one of the Southern

Africa Development

Corporation meetings,

Zim ministers surround

Khama to appeal to

him to go easy on their

ruler. On seeing this,

Bob steps in and tells

them not to worry

about Khama because

‘I finished off one Ian,

I can finish off another.

Besides, just the other

expatriate run city. A good number

of businesses are owned by African

foreigners and Indians although the

government has now become very

strict on immigrants. Permits have

become quite difficult to process and

I am not getting as much business

as I used to so your people need

to help me set up something in

Johannesburg”

I talk him through the process

while forking slices of the delicious

steak after which a driver arrives

to take me to Gamecity Mall,

apparently the biggest shopping

centre in Gaborone. There isn’t

much to see although I noticed two

interestingly named shoe stores next

to each other – “The Athletes Foot”

and “Sole Affair”. The former seems

to be closing down; I can only guess

that customers had trouble telling

people where they got “those nice

shoes from”.

I am then chauffeured to the

Mokolodi Nature Reserve situated

about a ten minute drive from

Gamecity. I hop onto a tour truck

with a couple of young girls from

New Zealand. They are much more

impressed than I am with the sight of

buck, monkeys and giraffes. We stop

at a semi-dry man-made dam called

Lake Gwithian which the ranger

explains is named after the wife of

day this chap was just a small boy

running around while his father and

I discussed presidential business’.”

Time flies when you are having

fun and soon it is time to board.

“Welcome to this flight to

Johannesburg,” the pilot says.

- KC ROTTOK

47WWW.EXPATRIATE.CO.ZA

and that is worth celebrating.

However I am African so I will support

the cause but retain my authenticity.

In a flash of inspiration, I decide to

re-create a version of what was worn

in Africa in the 20s.

I enlisted the help of my friend

- an emerging fashion designer - a

clear sign that I am taking this project

seriously. She too has been invited to

this shindig. In a true fashion designer

demeanour, she refers to the fabric

as ‘dress suede’ in grey with an olive

tone (it looks brown to me which

will work- I simply want the fabric

to pass for leather). I ring another

friend to help me accessorize my

outfit by finding me beads that were

worn traditionally in her community.

She will and does. Great, I am done

gathering my what-to-wear a day

early.

At 6:15 pm (the day of the party)

I go into the unmistakable’ woman-

on-a –mission mode’ and begin to

prepare for the party that starts at

7:00 pm. I launch straight into it, after

all it’s a water tight plan albeit in my

head. Admittedly as the plan unfolds

it is clear that transforming this grand

idea into reality is a tad challenging.

Horrifyingly there is very little time

to redress the problem and honestly

very little choice. Regrettably there

is no contingency plan!

am at my friend’s doorstep 45

minutes late! We are going to

the party together. I am already

exhausted from my numerous

attempts at wrapping two metres of

cloth around my waist in a manner

that is attractive- an incredibly tricky

feat to accomplish when you have

never tried it before let alone practiced

it. I opted to rope in my teenage

daughter who was most exasperated.

She is also brutally honest – she

doesn’t need encouragement to ask

me in a traumatising tone what sort

of bra I am wearing. Panic! None of

my bras shape my bust decently and

I have only one camisole that works

with the wrap....I have to use it!

‘ M u m

you need

to try out

your outfits

a day before

the event, I

always tell

you this!’

This less than heart-warming

experience is nothing like the

bonding fantasies I had when she

was born. Suitably shamed I have to

agree that she is right. I try hard to

look guilty and promise to take heed

of her advice.

The reputable annual village

charity event is on and I have been

invited. The theme is ‘The Roaring

20s’. The invitation clearly states

‘1920 attire’ ……but I am not

persuaded to subscribe to the dress

code. Capturing the Spirit of the 20’s

sits well with me, it was the era when

the growing independence of the

American woman was accelerated

At 7:45 I pick my company up.

I am expecting a slightly irritated

version of my friend to greet me on

the steps; instead she is all smiles and

looks immaculate. I am energised

instantaneously. Refraining from

sharing my ordeal with her we make

our way to the venue.

Upon our arrival, we are met by

one of the organisers, ticked off the

list (like we would gate crash a charity

event that we have already paid for)

and allowed to walk through the

avenue of petals. A lot of work has

gone into creating a plush evening;

the hors d’oeuvres are splendid and

the energy is buzzing. It’s going well

except for

one thing -

the music.

It is not

contemporary....duh! Nor is the

theme my little voice says.

There is a disconnect between

the music and my African rhythm

and I complain to my friend the

aforementioned emerging fashion

designer.

“I can dance to any music” she

says, “I just need to find the beat and

the rhythm will flow”.

What a powerful statement! My

perception is instantly expanded –

this is true even in life. In life, we all

get onto the dance floor and pick a

beat that works for us as individuals

and then rhythm, joy and creativity

flow. My friend expresses a sense of

Our Dance FloorA page from the diary of a party animal

“In life, we all get onto the dance floor and pick a beat that works for us as

individuals and then rhythm, joy and creativity flows.....”

48 EXPATRIATE

ExpaT-TalK

49WWW.EXPATRIATE.CO.ZA

self- worth which is reflected in the

fact that she finds worth in all of

types of music. None of it she says

“is boring or irrelevant”. Gosh! Have

I let my insecurities and uncertainty

stop me from dancing life away? It

is easier to blame circumstances

rather than facing and questioning

my internal barometer. It’s easier to

separate myself from the unnerving

activity instead of pushing past my

comfort zone, but neither option

makes me happier.

Scrambling to the dance floor

now totally inspired, I squeal with

delight as I seek my beat! Quickly,

I choose to forgo a potential

distraction caused by a couple of

people whose dance moves are

widely discrepant from their rhythm.

This dance is about me not everyone

else on the floor. l explain to myself

that if I whole heartedly focus on

myself, my beat, my rhythm, my

creativity and my joy, I will merely

observe the less co-ordinated dance

moves without judgement .

Able to lean into the discomfort

of my vulnerabilities, I connect

enough to appreciate the dancers

now “dancing” by sitting on the floor

in a row and performing a rhythmic

“rowing” action. They have allowed

themselves to be seen for who they

are. Perhaps after I tame my shame

one day, I too, will dance like that.

- CHRISTINE ASIKO

ExpaT-TalK

05

Ugandans in SA Same blood but different pathshere is a silent war going on amongst young Ugandans here in SA. It is a battle between two rival camps.

One section comprises Ugandans who were born and raised in SA who I refer to as ‘local-imports’ and the other is the group that is made up of those of us who came straight

from Uganda who I have christened ‘border-jumpers’. As those who know me personally may know, I have a pair of sisters who were born and raised here in SA and I must state that by my own assessment, these two girls are very pretty and well groomed. I usually compare them to many girls on Facebook and other social media platforms and they hands-down come out tops. The strange and sad part is that many girls especially the Ugandan border-

jumpers will never acknowledge my sisters or any other local-import. And the reverse is also true. This phenomenon is odd and prevalent amongst both males and females.

There is a distinct difference between being born and raised in Uganda and being born to Ugandan parents in SA. When the two camps meet during social occasions like the braais I am known to host, they distance themselves from each other. There seems to be bad blood and an atmosphere of resentment towards the other group. Local-imports tend to huddle into their own little group while border-jumpers are metres away carrying on with their lives. There is simply no cordiality between the two rival groups and many times they do not even greet each other. I have a pretty accurate theory as to why this is the case. Being born in ‘Africa’ presents one with all sorts of habits, behaviours and complexes. One common trait is the inferiority complex which we tend to confuse with being humble. Border-jumpers like me are not necessarily assertive and our self-confidence tends to dip at a sight of a local-import.

When it comes to areas like public speaking, we will run as fast as our legs can carry us. On the other hand, our counterparts born and raised here are extremely articulate,

very polished and always exuding that aura of self-confidence.

It is also possible that we lack the

Hanging on with Hannington

kind of exposure local-imports have had. You will find local-imports with online blogs and their girls will take part in fashion shows and modelling. They will do everything to remain visible.

The above scenario spills over to even the dating scene as one will be hard-pressed to find the two camps inter-dating. If there is one couple, it would be acceptable to term them as a mixed one.

Having been born and raised in Uganda, I am finding it extremely hard to date a Ugandan born and raised here and I am not the only one. Thousands of our own girls who were born and raised here are busy wallowing in misery and loneliness because they won’t date a South African man and yet they still despise the border-jumper.

It begs the question as to whether the two camps have such different cultures and lifestyles that they find it difficult to be compatible. I don’t really think so because when it comes to quenching our thirst sitting in pubs and restaurants, we all drink at the same pace and even stagger in the same manner back to our abodes.That said, there are some clear differences. It is not unusual for a local-import to show public display of affection yet if they tried this with a border-jumper, it would seem

strange. We border-jumpers are not accustomed to doing our things in public and prefer intimacy in the absence of others.

Whatever our differences, we are all Ugandan and should find common ground to interact as fellow

countrymen. - HANNINGTON KASIRYE

50 EXPATRIATE

“There is a distinct difference between being born and raised in Uganda and

being born to Ugandan parents in SA.....”

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52 EXPATRIATE WWW.EXPATRIATE.CO.ZA

recently heard someone

categorise expats into two groups.

The first group are the founders,

mostly Ghanaian and Ugandan,

who arrived during apartheid and

whose children were born and raised

here. The second group are the

freshies who arrived subsequent to

independence in 1994.

On hearing this I realised that

although we’re all expats, we are

different and experience being expats

in different ways. All the founders

who arrived in SA during apartheid

were educated professionals who

were integrated into the African

population of SA. They lived with the

locals and befriended them. Although

they now live in what may be termed

the “upper echelons” of society, they

started out living in the homelands

which is where blacks were allowed

to live.

Expats were seen as people who

supported and assisted SA society.

Founders’ children were raised with

knowledge of being “guests” in SA

and followed the trend set by the

parents of taking the opportunities

given, making the best of them and

not taking more than that. When

visiting someone’s home, you eat

what’s given gratefully. You don’t

proceed to open the fridge and

empty the cupboards then leave.

After 1994 more expats could

come enjoy the freedom of SA. For

most of the founders’ children, it was

a new experience to meet expats

who were not Ghanaian or Ugandan

and it was the first time to meet

non-professionals. A large number of

freshies from all over the continent

had come to SA to hustle and amass

quick wealth.

Many freshies believe that

founders did not maximise on the

opportunities but I believe that it is

easier for freshies to make it in SA

because of the path that founders

cleared for them. Laws and rules

pertaining to expats had to either

be created or adjusted because of

the original expats making things

simpler for those who followed.

Previously no expat was allowed

in SA unless they were a qualified

professional. Nowadays non-

professional expats compete with

local people for basic resources

which contributes to xenophobia and

mistrust. This is worsened by news

of expats conducting scams around

the country, preying on unsuspecting

people, expats robbing houses and

murdering. Murder has never been

acceptable, but to come all the

way from your country to murder

someone in their own?

There is lack of integration as

freshies no longer have to work

closely with the vast populations

of the country. It’s now possible to

arrive and move straight into the

suburbs, work in a high rise office

and never mix with the populations

of SA that aren’t rotating in the

same circles. This means freshies

will never understand the depth of

the people of SA. In turn, the greater

SA population is failing to

understand and trust expats.

We’ve reached a point

where expats have forgotten

that we’re still guests in

EXPAT FOUNDERSVS EXPAT FRESHIES

someone else’s home. We’re now

opening cupboards and fridges to see

what more we can take, even if it’s

only a crumb remaining. We’re not

doing what we originally came here

for.

Professional or not, we expats

need to remember a few fundamental

principles, whether we’re founders

or a freshies. We’re guests in SA and

need to behave accordingly. We’ve

been given the opportunity and

privilege to live in and be a part of a

wonderful country we need to treat

that opportunity with respect.

That said, it is the holiday

season and what better time to

find more common ground with

everyone? Enjoy good music and

great company, bottoms up to all

expats, have fun and I’ll see you

all on the other side of the party!

- SHEILA LYNN SENKUBUGE

Lynnsanity

Send your CV to you@antonapps.com quoting the relevant reference

0861 788 788 www.antonapps.com 073 788 7880 +27 11 788 7880

South AfricaGLOBAL HEAD OF CASH EQUITIES & SECURITIES:Research BrokerageR/$ Neg.As the EXCO member responsible for client relationships and P&L growth, you will come from a global research brokerage focussed on institutional clients. With your superior leadership credentials and track record you will clearly demonstrate the ability to enable and drive Equities Research and Sales Trading units in multiple jurisdictions. You must have a dedication to an African vision and a quest to expose frontier markets.Ref: AA 04

SENIOR CORPORATE FINANCE:BankingR/$ NegkYou should come from a niche bank or boutique advisory house, use extensive African network to hunt opportunities and drive deals, champion advisory business, inspire staff and resources. Ref: AA 01

PAN-AFRICAN EQUITIES ANALYSTS: Stock BrokingR/$ NegkSell-side of equities brokerage, multi-sector coverage of signi cant African companies.Ref: AA 02

HEAD OF EQUITIES RESEARCH:BankingR/$ Neg.International banking client requires a Head to drive the expansion of their African operations. Must have international experience of managing teams and driving superior performance.Ref: AA 03

EQUITIES ANALYSTS:Stock BrokingR/$ Neg.Research house requires junior- to middle-level analysts willing to work in East Africa, West Africa or Southern Africa. You should have relevant sector experience and exposure (or a willingness) to analyse top African company stocks.Ref: AA 05

Zambia BALANCE SHEET MANAGER:BankingUS$80k – US$110kWith your ve years consolidations and analysis experience, you will be required to analyse the retail banking results. Ref: CG 02

Zimbabwe FINANCIAL ACCOUNTANT: LogisticsUS$18k – US$24kPart quali ed CA or a CIMA with a minimum of two years commercial experience to be a part of this expanding local rm. Ref: KH 01

FINANCIAL ANALYST: Venture CapitalUS$24k – US$30kGlobal VC rm is growing rapidly and needs a CA with a love for analysing numbers. Ref: KH 02

FINANCIAL DIRECTOR:MiningUS$80k – US$120kInternational mining group require a CA with over eight years experience, preferably in the mining sector. Ref: KH 03

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FINANCIAL MANAGER: Retail BankingUS$20k – US$28kCA or CIMA to join a prestigious group and be responsible for the Financial Management of one of its leading subsidiaries. Reports into CFO. Ref: KH 05

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SENIOR FINANCE MANAGER: MotorUS$100k – US$135KOverseeing the nance departments activities as well as ensuring compliance to all group policies. Ref: BC 06

Nigeria SENIOR FINANCIAL MANAGER:ConstructionUS$180k – US$240kYou will need a strong group reporting background and management experience as you will have 10 direct reports as well as look after 4 channels within the business. Ref: CG 05

MozambiqueFINANCIAL MANAGER: PropertyUS$140k – US$170kYou will have ten years experience as a Financial Manager. You will manage the full nance function and a team of 5 people. Portuguese language skills essential.Ref: CG 04

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT:ManufacturingUS$70k – US$90kRole includes full monthly responsibilities including all round management of costs within the environment (input and operational). Ref: BC 01

FINANCIAL MANAGER: ManufacturingUS$100k – US$130kManaging a team, the implementation of nancial controls, budgeting and forecasting. This role will also be highly operational which will lead to further developing the organisation. Portuguese language skills essential.Ref: BC 02

FINANCIAL MANAGER: FMCGUS$100 – US$120k A Financial Manager is needed to manage a team as well as implement all necessary controls to gain ef ciency in the business.Ref: BC 04

Botswana 2IC TO CFO: PropertyUS$120k – US$140kLooking for Financial Manager with 6 years experience, must have strong technical and IFRS skills. Experience in Property Industry would be advantageous. Ref: CG 01

ACCOUNTANT: ManufacturingUS$45k – US$55kPrepare the nancial and operating reports, perform the necessary duties to close the nancial period and support audits of such information. Ref: BC 03

FINANCIAL MANAGER: FMCGUS$100k – US$140kDrive and implement strategy in order to better pro tability and overall ef ciency in the Botswana subsidiary of a major FMCG organisation. Ref: BC 05

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