South AfricanThe FreeCONNECTING SOUTH AFRICA AND NEW ZEALAND

Issue number 025 February/March 2012

Co-editor’s report:

Where to now, South Africa?see page 12

Inside:

The Kings of SA Retail:

RAYMOND ACKERMANsee page 15

Happy New Year everybody. This is the first magazine for 2012 & we are all back at work. Pity about the terrible weather over the holidays. I hope you have set your goals for 2012 so that you can reach your objectives whatever they may be; whether they are to do with your finances, your health; your well being and perhaps,

your family goals. Some people call them New Years Resolutions, you can call them that if you like, but in most cases they are all forgotten by the time you get to February, so call them goals & plan for the year and try your best to achieve them.

I think New Zealand is in a strong position to do well economically this year; our dollar is very strong but the strife in the Euro zone could create problems in New Zealand as well. There is nothing you and I can do about that so we should put our heads down and just go for it. We have a full magazine again with all sorts of articles and some positive words from our Prime Minister, John Key. Thank you once again to all our advertisers for supporting this publication. I get more and more people asking to be put onto the list for the e-mail version of the magazine in areas where they do not get the hard copy.

The USA presidential debate is very interesting and some excellent ideas are coming out about how to get America back on its feet. I hope our politicians are watching as they could take some tips. Simona and I are off to Amsterdam during February to a huge immigration expo where we will source qualified new immigrants for New Zealand. If you have family in Europe that may be interested in immigrating to New Zealand let them know about the expo. Happy Reading.

Regards Peter Woodberg

From the editor

All rights reserved “The South African” is subject to copyright in its entirety. The contents may not be reproduced in any form, either in whole or in part without the consent of the Editor. Opinions expressed in the magazine are those of its contributors and not necessarily those of the Editor. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication, the Editor assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences of reliance on this publication.

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MISSION STATEMENT

“The South African Magazine shall provide current, high quality, relevant editorial on subjects relating to the

links between South Africa and New Zealand.It shall be the vehicle for SA immigrants living in NZ to integrate socially with their own community and to advertise their products and services.”

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PUBLISHER & EDITOR

Peter Woodberg

e-mail : jepwood@xtra.co.nz; mob: 0274 520 794

CO-EDITOR & ADVERTISING

Ted Woodberg

e-mail: tedw@orcon.net.nz; mob: 021 027 030 11

ADDRESS

The South African, P.O.Box 300 155, Albany,

AUCKLAND 0752

17 Corinthian Drive, Albany, AUCKLAND, 0630JOIN US ON FACEBOOK!

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CLUBS & ASSOCIATIONS

The SANZ Charitable Trust – George Deeb

Tel: 09-486 1415 e-mail: george@georgedeeb.co.nz

The SANZ Social Club – Natalie Sparg

Mob: 021 659069 e-mail: info@spargsautotune.co.nz

The SANZ Biznet Group – Richard Pearce

Mob: 0275 357535 e-mail: r.pearce2@barfoot.co.nz

Die Afrikaanse Klub – Thys Oosthuizen

e-mail: die.afrikaanse.klub@clear.net.nz

THE SOUTH AFRICAN HIGH COMMISSION, WELLINGTON

Tel: 04 815 8484 Level 7, State Insurance Tower,

1 Willis Street, Wellington.

e-mail: consular@sahcwellington.co.nz

james pretoriusorthodontist

B.Ch.D. M.Ch.D. (Pret)

Suite 3, North Shore Medical Centre326 Sunset Road, Mairangi Bay

Auckland 0632, NEW ZEALANDTelephone: Surgery (09) 479-7963 Fax (09) 479-7941 Home (09) 413-9854Email: j.pretorius@clear.net.nz

On 1 March 2011 Justine McDonald, an early childhood worker was dismissed by her employer following

complaints from other holiday campers that she had scared their children by aggressively telling them to stop making a noise while they were camping at Kaiteriteri beach. This resulted in a confrontation between the children’s parents and Ms McDonald which became very heated. Ms McDonald had allegedly sworn at the children and also at the parents, and had also threatened one of the fathers saying she would “knock on the door and throw a bucket of water over him if it happened again.”

Ms McDonald had gone on a camping holiday in her company car which had the company logo on it, and a letter of complaint was sent to the company by one of the parents subsequently. The company was concerned that its reputation had been damaged, and after holding disciplinary meetings with Ms McDonald, she was dismissed. She immediately applied for interim reinstatement to the Employment Relations Authority, but in April 2011 her application was declined. However, in December last year the Authority Member found that the employer had not carried out a full investigation as to what had actually happened at the campground. The Authority also considered the evidence from Ms McDonald’s friend, Paul Vuillermin, who said that Ms McDonald did swear at the father but it was a “flash in a pan” and that he did not hear Ms McDonald swear at the children. The Authority decided that a reasonable employer would not have sacked Ms McDonald, and despite opposition from the company, she was given back her job and was awarded three months’ lost wages plus $15,000 compensation.

This case is interesting for two reasons. Firstly, the conduct that resulted in Ms McDonald’s dismissal was related to something that she did outside of work while she was on holiday, so it was not work-related conduct, yet the employer considered that it affected the company’s reputation. In a similar case, Judge Palmer had to decide whether to reinstate the Branch Manager of a major Christchurch retailer. He was dismissed after he had been found guilty of having 300 child pornography files on his personal computer at home and he had also traded in these files. He had been charged and fined and sentenced to community service. The retailer has young staff and children who shop unaccompanied in their stores, and the Company argued that it has a duty to provide a safe environment for these young people. So despite the criminal activity not being work-related, Judge Palmer refused to grant the employee interim reinstate, and he subsequently withdrew his personal grievance claim against the company. This was the first case in the Employment Court which involved charges of possession of

child pornography and trading in child pornography files. It was especially important because here too the company considered that it affected its reputation even though the allegations were wholly unrelated to the employee’s employment. Despite this Judge Palmer considered the allegations and their seriousness relevant to the question of interim reinstatement, and refused to reinstate the employee.

Secondly, it will be of interest to see how the Authority deals with reinstatement in future. Prior to April 2011, where an employee had a personal grievance and had asked for reinstatement, the Act stipulated in section 125 that the Authority “must …provide wherever practicable, for reinstatement”. This meant that reinstatement was a primary remedy and it had to be granted if “practicable”. When section 125 was amended on 1 April 2011 and the word “must” was substituted by with the word “may,” it eroded the principle of reinstatement as being the primary remedy, and downgraded it to just another discretionary remedy. This will make it much harder for employees in future to seek, and be granted, reinstatement and in my view, as “practicability” requires an assessment of whether or not workplace relationships can be restored. Unless an employee can persuade the Authority otherwise, once an employer has dismissed an employee and has opposed reinstatement by relying on loss of confidence in the employee, and inability any longer to work with the employee in an employment relationship claiming that it has broken down and cannot be restored, the Authority will exercise its discretion and may well choose not to reinstate an employee in such circumstances.

LEGAL UPDATE: EMPLOYMENT LAW

Eska Hartdegen

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Holiday antics...Do they impact on the workplace?Most of us have just returned from a well deserved year end holiday. In this issue our in-house employment law expert, Eska Hartdegen, examines the implications of alleged bad behaviour by an employee whilst on holiday and the ramifications for termination of employment.

Golden Gowns Boutique

After more than five years of working from home, Gert

and Ankia van der Berg have decided to make the bold step of moving into their very own shop! After

months of hectic planning they will achieve their dream of having their own outlet and workshop that, as luck would have it, is only a stone’s throw away from their own home!

Golden Gowns offer a beautiful range of gowns and cocktail dresses in all sizes. If you are not sure what gown will suit you best, come in and see Ankia at their new premises, 15E Mercari Way, Albany and she will help you to find the perfect dress. They have lots more

to offer you; the quotation and advice is free and you don’t need an appointment to come and see them.

Ankia will make sure you have a relaxing and wonderful experience w h i l e y o u deal with her. Relationships

are important to her, so if you become her client, she will also make you her best friend.

They are specialists in evening wear, bridesmaid’s dresses, ball dresses and many more. Golden Gowns also stock beautiful jewelry to suit your gown for every occasion.

Golden Gowns have a standing reputation with their clients, simply because they understand the NEED to look amazing in a garment that fits great.

Golden Gown also care enough about their clients to guarantee that they give you the right advice, best service and best quality, so that you look stunning for that special function or event, even on the shortest of notice. So girls, keep in mind, Golden Gown for Golden Moments.

Ankia Van Der Berg has built up a solid reputation over the years with several of New Zealand’s most beautiful women, some of whom are ex South Africans. No surprises there! Remember Mariska Schoeman, who won Miss Global Teen NZ in May 2010? Ankia personally took care of her entire wardrobe. See some of the other beauties in the pictures below.

So if you want to join the ranks of the “bold and the beautiful” pop along to The Golden Gowns new premises at 15E Mercari Way in the heart of Albany.

Yo u c a n c o nt a c t t h e m o n 0 9 - 9 4 8 6 8 6 5 o r mobile 021136 8865.

Or visit their website www.goldengown.co.nz

Gert and Ankia V D Berg.

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SA beauty Mianette Broekman.Lisa Davids, Miss Tourism Queen.

Mariska Schoeman, Miss NZ Teen

Danica and Anrico V D Berg

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We have a great team representing you in Parliament for the next three years, with more MPs than before. I’m confident that we have the right skills and experience to provide the strong and stable Government New Zealand needs.

We face an uncertain global economic environment. That’s why National has made building a stronger economical front the centre of our plan. We’re committed to getting back to a surplus faster, by at least 2014/15. Getting out of debt will help us weather any future global economic storms, keep interest rates lower for longer, and avoid leaving a debt burden for future generations.

A stronger economy helps provide more jobs for you and your family, higher incomes that you deserve, and it will allow us to invest in better public services that you can rely on.

Welfare reform is going to be another significant part of National’s plans this year. We are making some big changes to help New Zealanders move off welfare, and into work. The welfare system will always be there to support those who need it. But we’re making sure your hard earned tax dollars are spent on those who genuinely need it.

We made great progress in our first term in Government. I’m looking forward to the next stage of our programme to build a brighter future for you and your family. This term in Government we will be firmly focused on the things that matter to you.

We’re striving for a high-quality education system that provides the opportunity for children from any background to get ahead and make the most of their lives.

We want our kids to achieve at school, and we’re putting in place the tools to help them achieve this. We’ll use the results from National Standards to better target support where it’s needed most. We know that the teachers in our classrooms have a critical role to play in shaping our children’s future, which is why we are going to enhance teacher training and encourage highly skilled and qualified people to consider teaching as a career.

We’ll continue to strengthen our justice system; stay tough on crime, and protect our communities from dangerous criminals. We’ll change bail laws to keep the most serious violent offenders behind bars. And we’ll continue to emphasise the rights of victims within our justice system.

I’m looking forward to the busy year ahead. We’ve got a big work programme ahead of us. But I’m confident that National’s strong plan will

New Year’s message for 20122012 is going to be a big year for New Zealand. The National-

led Government is gearing up for a busy few months, as we press on with our comprehensive post-election action plan.

build a brighter future for you and your family. I look forward to updating our South African Community on our progress in the future.

The SA Magazine has requested six-monthly reports from the office of the Prime Minister to keep our community informed of any major developments or changes that

may be relevant.

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- Protecting your loved one’s- Financial Freedom- Mortgage Structuring- Health Care

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At Kingdom Financial Services and with over 20 years of financial experience, we have been helping individuals and companies (large and small), develop good financial principles and planning. Our seven fold structure includes:

“A big part of financial freedom is having your heart and mind free from worry about the what-ifs of life.” Suze Orman

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“Out of Africa” started with the initiative of Jaco and Mari Grobler at City Impact Church. They have a heart and

passion for people and we know that God planted this idea into their hearts to be a blessing. When we all started organizing and helping planning this day, I do not think one of us anticipated the hunger of expats to have a day where they can

DATE: SATURDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2012TIME: 11H00 – 6:OO PMVENUE: NORTH SHORE EVENT CENTRE; SIL-

VERFIELD AND ARGUS PLACE ENTRANCE WAIRAU

VALLEY NORTH SHORE AUCKLAND

Fun filled day with Food stalls, spit braai, fun and enter-

tainment for the whole family.

Want to book a stall or need more details, contact : Analie Swanepoel

outofafrica1@xtra.co.nz / 02 12900 449

speak, eat , and have a fun day all in their language a n d c u l t u r e . Melktert , Vetkoek, Bi ltong, Potj iekos , Bunny Chows, and even Afrikaans music filled the day. Walking around during that day now nearly three years back, it was such a blessing seeing people enjoying each other’s company, and meeting new friends, we even had people meeting long lost friends on that day. The day was filled not only with a real African South Africa flavour, but had a few Kiwi and multi- cultural stalls and everyone loved the food. Melktert and Biltong are part of a few Kiwis’ new food lists!! Last year the venue was moved to the North Shore event centre and Braam and Analie Swanepoel co- ordinated the 2010 Out of Africa event. Despite rain, the feedback on the day was great and once again people walked around hungry meeting other fellow South Africans/ Africans. We had

real Boeresport, all the traditional food, and the Lamb on the spit was a hit with “Pap” and salad. This year once again the Out of Africa Festival will be hosted at the North Shore event centre, and rain or sun, we are ready. The heart for this day is to Celebrate

Life and to give honour to God for living in this beautiful country, but never forgetting our roots. Advertorial by Analie Swanepoel

Jaco and Mari Grobler

Out Of AfricaFROM GREAT BEGINNINGS……..

Braam and Analie Swanepoel

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Below: The first festival held on 20th February 2010

Let the experts take you on Safari.

Making tracks to Africa? South African Airways offers direct non-stop flights out of Sydney and Perth to Johannesburg, with convenient code-share connections from New Zealand. We can get you to South Africa faster. Once you’re there we offer more African flight connections than any other airline so you can easily get to where you need to go. So visit www.flysaa.com or your local travel agent or call us on 09 977 2237 to get started on your adventure today.

SOU3079_SA Mag_185x132_1.1.indd 1 25/05/11 12:49 PM

Once again, Auckland has been ranked in the top five as one of the best cities to live in the world by the Mercer’s 2011 Quality of Living Survey. Congratulations, Auckland! This is why

we love living here!

This is how Mercer’s ranked the five top cities in the world:-1) Vienna, Austria (2) Zurich, Switzerland (3) Auckland, New Zealand (4) Munich, Germany (Tied 5) Vancouver, Canada and Düsseldorf, Germany.

Of the other Australasian cities Sydney came in at 11, Wellington at 13, Melbourne at 18 and Perth at 27. Not bad for living “down under!” Unfortunately Cape Town came in at no 88 and Johannesburg at 94th. The total field was 221 and there are no guesses as to who made the bottom of the list……Baghdad!

Mercer’s are an international hotel group who run the international survey as a service to business executives who travel around the world and need to understand the local conditions of the cities that they visit. Mercer’s use the following 10 criteria for ranking each of the cities in the survey:-1) The political and social environment – including internal stability,

relationships with other countries and ease of entry and exit.2) Schools and Education.3) Economic environment.4) Socio-cultural environment – personal freedom, media and censorship.5) Recreation – variety of restaurants, theatres, sport and leisure activities.6) Consumer goods – availability and accessibility.7) Housing.8) Medical and health considerations – hospitals, infectious diseases,

sewage, waste removal, air pollution, troublesome insects and destructive animals.

9) Public services and transport.10) Personal safety – levels of crime.

Mercer’s obviously do not take climate into consideration, because if they had, Auckland would have been downgraded for the current “summer” that it is experiencing. It has been the coldest, windiest, wettest summer on record.

There are a number of things that you can do in Auckland that make it so special:-• Youcandrinkthetapwater• Youcanjogorwalkaroundoutsideanywhereafterdark• Youcanswimintheharbour• Youcaneatthelocalfish• Youcanplayonanyoneof15localgolfcourses• Youcanenjoy,virtuallyweekly,bignamebandsatVectorArenawith

12 000 other people• Youcangetyourcarlicenserenewedinthreeminutes;organizeabirth

certificate in 5 or a passport in two days without having to bribe an official

• Yourkidscancatchbusesanddoteenagestuffatmallsoftenwithoutyour supervision

And there are plenty more! The list is endless. That’s why we love Auckland!

Source: Iain MacLeod – Southern Man

This is why we love Auckland!South African

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OPTOMETRIST AND CONTACT LENS SPECIALIST ALAN SAKS JOINS ICONIC AUCKLAND PRACTICE, MORTIMER HIRST

9 HIGH STREET, AUCKLAND CBD | TEL. +64 9 379 8950 OR

1 4 M A H E K E S T R E E T , S T H E L I E R S , A U C K L A N D | T E L . + 6 4 9 5 7 5 8 6 5 0

INFO@MORTIMERHIRST.CO.N Z

Alan Saks, a former Partner and Director at Saks Taylor &Brauer Optometrists Pretoria, South Africa and Barry & Beale, Auckland has recently joined Mortimer Hirst.

Alan Saks www.alansaks.co.nz is an optometrist and contact lens specialist. As well as conducting general optometric and child vision examinations, Alan specialises in keratoconus and complex contact lens fi tting and management, often on referral from local and international colleagues and eye surgeons.

Alan was infl uential in the shift to single use disposable contact lens practice and continues to educate around the world on such concepts. He performs clinical trials and pre-market evaluations for a variety of soft-lens and specialty rigid gas permeable designs for leading manufactures. He is a consultant to the international contact lens industry and author of the monthly columns In Contact and Saks on Eyes. Alan lectures and presents keynote presentations around the world at international conferences and served on the editorial boards of the journals; International Contact Lens Clinic and The South African Optometrist.

Mortimer Hirst was the ideal practice for Alan to continue his specialty career. Business partners; Optometrist and Contact Lens Specialist Grant Watters www.grantwatters.co.nz, and Dispensing Optician Naomi Bicheno are delighted to have Alan join the professional team and continue the tradition that Mortimer Hirst has established.

Mortimer Hirst, an iconic independent New Zealand practice, was established in 1951 and is still located in the same premises as when it fi rst opened, the fashionable 9 High St, Auckland CBD as well as 14 Maheke Street, St Heliers. Mortimer Hirst has been instrumental in the development, manufacturing and fi tting of contact lenses in New Zealand, fi tting them since the 1950s and manufacturing both hard and soft contact lenses onsite. The onsite contact lens manufacturing laboratory occupied three fl oors of the 9 High Street building until 1978. To this day Mortimer Hirst maintains an onsite contact lens laboratory, eyewear laboratory for repairs or replacement prescription glasses or sunglasses and an extensive in house stock of disposable contact lenses to provide a fast, effi cient and convenient service.

Grant and Alan are two of the few remaining practitioners who are able to modify, re-power and polish rigid gas permeable contact lenses in house, often in the course of an annual contact lens consultation.

Mortimer Hirst is renowned for its handpicked Eyewear collections. The experienced buying team of qualifi ed Dispensing Opticians are constantly sourcing the most innovative and exciting new collections to work with, often from obscure and little known fashion houses as well as the established internationally renowned brands. Eyewear brands include Oliver Goldsmith, Mykita, Dita, ic! berlin, Theo, Gucci, RayBan, Lindberg, Bvlgari, Dolce & Gabanna, Paul Smith, Oliver Peoples, amongst many others, some of which are exclusive to Mortimer Hirst in New Zealand.

Whether it’s a traditional look or a fashion statement Mortimer Hirst’s expert Dispensing Opticians will fi nd Eyewear to suit each individual client’s unique, visual, lifestyle and fashion requirements.

TO VIEW OUR EYEWEAR COLLECTIONS OR TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT CALL:

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Andre is a self-confessed book addict and spends on average five

hours each day reading up on history, philosophy and psychology while he isn’t heading up leadership training courses with companies in New Zealand. We met recently at a coffee bar and this is how the interview went:-

What was your career history in Southern Africa?

“After studying law at Rhodes University, I taught history in Bulawayo. Eleven years later I was acting-Deputy Headmaster. My experiences in the Rhodesian War led me and my family to immigrate to South Africa in 1979, where I taught for a year before breaking into advertising as a trainee copywriter. Six years later, I was Creative Director.”

When did you first arrive in New Zealand?“I was brought out in 1987 to head up the creative team of a newly-

formed agency – my wife still suspects my real motivation was the Rugby World Cup!”

Describe how you settled into the professional world of New Zealand and give us details of any adjustments that were required to make it work?

“I must confess that I approached my work in New Zealand with a fair degree of arrogance. Perhaps South Africans, like Australians, can be a little too much in-your-face, and I rubbed a lot of people up the wrong way. But my South African background itself was never a negative – if anything, it was a major advantage. So the only real adjustment I had to make was to show some humility and a lot more respect for the advertising and marketing industry in New Zealand. The switch was critical for my own personal growth.”

Tell us about how your family made the “Kiwi integration” process work for them.

“I was fortunate to have a wife and children who loved New Zealand from the moment we arrived. Our youngest son was out catching eels on our second day here. Our eldest son was a bit grumpy, having left a girlfriend and King Edward School first team water polo back in Johannesburg, but his first rugby practice at Pakuranga Club quickly turned him around. No such worries for our daughters – they’ve grown up as Kiwis.”

What are some of the things that you love about your new life here?“As a rugby nutta it’s not difficult to be happy here, but of course the

country offers so much more. We have always enjoyed the cultural diversity, and also the fact that so many different natural attractions are easily accessible wherever one is in the country. I have never been anywhere in New Zealand that did not exceed my expectations. The Kiwi sense of humour deserves a mention as well.”

What are your favourite recreational destinations in New Zealand?

“Akaroa and Wanaka spring immediately to mind, but I have to say that my favorite panoramic memory is the view of the multi-colored patchwork of the Canterbury Plains from Mount Hutt.”

If you were to give one piece of advice to a new immigrant about how to succeed in their profession here, what would it be?

“South Africans have a great work ethic, and immigrants are by definition self-motivated people. Put those advantages to work with respect and humility, and show genuine appreciation for the opportunity to start a new life in this friendly and beautiful country.”

Tell us about your latest book “Leaders and Misleaders”

“I’ve started writing books so many times over the past twenty years that I could write a book about it. ‘Leaders and Misleaders’ happened because after ten years running a leadership program that generated such enthusiasm, it seemed irresponsible not to put

my ideas on paper. Though I never planned it, the diversity of my experience as teacher, soldier, refugee, adman, and marketing consultant, was obviously an advantage in developing my philosophy of leadership, but the core ideas belong to Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, and the lessons of history. The feedback I get most often is from people who say they like to keep it close for constant reference. I couldn’t ask for more than that.”

Thanks, Andre. Best of luck for the future. We are looking forward to your next book.

“Leaders and Misleaders” may be ordered from any bookseller in NZ and is also available for purchase on-line at www.leadersandmisleaders.biz. Andre Van Heerden can be contacted at the same website.

FAMOUS SOUTHERN AFRIcANS IN NZ

Face to face with Andre van HeerdenThis unassuming man describes himself as a father, brother, son, grandfather, uncle and cousin to his immediate family but we all know him as a passionate corporate trainer and author of one of the most important books to emerge in the post-modern era, “Leaders and Misleaders.”

SA Beauty Queen Margaret Gardiner

GREAT SOUTH AFRIcAN BORN AcTORS

carry on, Sid!

I have watched this “mad pommie” with the classic cockney accent perform on the silver screen in so many corny “Carry On” movies that I never once thought seriously about his origins. Yet who would believe that Sidney James was actually born

in South Africa?

Yes! It’s true.Sidney James was born Solomon Joel

Cohen in 1913 to Jewish immigrant parents in Johannesburg at a time when South Africa was under the British controlled “Union of South Africa” that began in 1910 after the tumultuous Anglo-Boer war that gave England the victory in 1900.

His family lived on Hancock Street in Hillbrow, Johannesburg where Sid grew up as a typical poor “Yiddisher” schoolboy, probably speaking in an accent closest to the one found in a Hebrew synagogue tenuously planted in a post-British, half-Dutch and mainly middle-European cultural society.

Sid trained as a hairdresser after school and eventually found work in a hairdressing salon down in the Orange Free State in a town called Kroonstad. Here he met and married his first wife, Berthe Delmont, known as “Toots” on 12th August 1936. Sid had enormous natural charm and he subsequently talked his wealthy father-in-law, Johannesburg businessman Joseph Delmont, to buy him a salon in Jo’burg and this gave him his first major career break.

But somehow the acting bug started to bite and after a year of hairdressing Sid realised that he loved the stage more than the de rigueur of hair care and he joined the Johannesburg Repertory Players, a local stage casting and acting organisation. He later joined the South African Broadcasting Corporation as a news reader and voice actor.

At this stage he must have smelt success because he decided to change his name to Sidney James.

During the Second World War he became a lieutenant in the South African Army in an entertainment unit and subsequently took up acting as a career. In 1946 after the war, he used his services gratuity to fund a move to the United Kingdom where he began as a dramatic voice actor in a series of

radio crime dramas on the BBC. His major breakthrough came when

he became the inimitable sidekick Sidney, on Tony Hancock’s highly successful BBC radio show, the Hancock Half Hour in 1954.

When the show became a TV series in the early sixties, Sid’s performances as the “sidekick” started eclipsing those of Tony Hancock and the show went on to become a huge springboard for Sid when he was asked to come on to the cast of the “Carry On” team in their second film after problems with leading man Ted Ray who had contract problems after his appearance in “Carry on Teacher” in 1959, the first in the series.

Sid James went on to perform in 19 “Carry 0n” films over the next two and a half decades before his untimely death in April 1976, when he became one of

the first actors in history to actually “die” on stage.Although James was described as the “ultimate family man” by his two

subsequent wives, Meg Sergei and Valerie Assan; his incessant marital infidelities have been well-recorded by the media, especially his affair with co-star Barbara Windsor who often appeared in compromising situations with him in the Carry On movies. Her husband of the time, Ronnie Knight, has been known to invade the household of his cuckolder, James, to re-arrange the furniture in a mad rage of jealousy and to leave an ominous calling card embedded in the middle of the floor. An axe!

Sid was a seasoned drinker and inveterate gambler, often arranging with his agents to set aside a portion of his income for gambling so that his current wife would not find out what he was actually spending on his habit.

His death on the night of 26th April 1976, during a highly successful revival road show tour of “The Mating Season,” a 1969 farce by Irish playwright Sam Cree, was played out dramatically on stage like a Homeric Greek tragedy. James suffered a severe heart attack during a pivotal part of the show at the Sunderland Empire Theatre, and he fell to the floor, gasping in agony.

The technical director called for the curtain to be closed immediately amid howls of uncontrolled derisive laughter from the audience, who thought that the painful jerks and staggering prior to Sid’s collapse was all part of the show.

He was bustled off the stage and rushed to the hospital by an ambulance, but there was nothing that the physicians could do to save him. He died an hour later and left behind a crowded but highly successful career as one of the most admired comic actors of all time.

Sid James bore the face of “the clown” and as the universal “funny man” he will remain forever in the minds of those of us who watched him perform as the guy who, in the words of the old Beatles song, could always “Act Naturally.”

We salute you, Sid! Source: Face book

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Dr Bernie BrennerMB BCh (Wits), FRCOG, FRANZCOG, MBA, M Phil, BA (UNISA)

Gynaecologist and Uro GynaecologistSpecialising in:•Female Urinary Incontinence and Urodynamic

Assessments•Minimally Invasive Surgery for Bladder Leaking•Menopause - Hormone replacement therapy•Colposcopy (the treatment of abnormal cervical cytology) including

Laser•Office Hysteroscopy for diagnosis of menstrual problems•Gynaecological Ultrasound•Laporoscopic Surgery - for removal of Fibroids, Ovarian Cysts and

Endometriosis

Consulting rooms at 131 Shakespeare Road, Milford For appointments Phone 486 0182 • Email: pelvic-floor-clinic@clear.net.nz

Webpage: www.berniebrenner.co.nz

by Ted Woodberg

MOTORING UPDATE

The man in the red MustangIn our June/July issue this year we featured Johan Botha, service manager at Albany Toyota, Browns Bay branch. He has now taken the bold step of opening up his own automotive workshop Toyotouch, in Mairangi Bay.

Johan has spent the best part of his life taking good care of Toyotas in all shapes, sizes and models. He

had his own business back in the old country for 14 years in Krugersdorp, becoming the first technician for Lexus in Africa when it started its distributorship there recently.

Johan Renier Botha immigrated to New Zealand in February 2010 as the well known Historic Racing Champion of South Africa. His love for cars started as drag racer when he was 18 years of age and after that he moved on to official circuit racing. His greatest achievement has been the complete design and assembly of a totally new Capri Perana, while he was in SA. Shortly after his arrival here, he went out and bought his new baby, a bright red Ford Mustang. He chose the colour red, because he believed it suited his adventurous and capricious nature.

Johan took little over a year to settle in New Zealand and start afresh on his mission to be recognised amongst his own community as a highly competent and dedicated technician with more than 20 years of experience working with Toyotas. Besides handling Toyotas, Toyotouch will service all makes of vehicles, so don’t hesitate to give Johan a call no matter what you drive.

Contact Johan Botha on 09 479 3973 or johanrbotha@yahoo.co.nz.Workshop: 20D Parkway Drive, Mairangi Bay, North Shore, Auckland

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JURIE ELS & SA GOLD

Golden memories from the music maestroAucklanders are in for a musical treat on Friday 24th February when our own Jurie Els and his famous band bring back the

hits from days gone by in SA.His production SA GOLD was a huge success

when it was first introduced to an Auckland audience at Point View School in Howick last year. Now the show is coming to the North Shore and it will be staged at Windsor Baptist Auditorium on Friday the 24th February 2012 at 7:30pm. Tickets are available from Fred’s Fine Foods in Oteha Valley Road as well as from the South African Kaffee shops in Browns Bay and Rosedale Road. Tickets are $15 per adult and $5 for kids under 12.

SA GOLD is a most enjoyable South African sing-along show for the whole family. The repertoire comprises of more than 20 of the biggest South African hits through the decades. Who can ever forget true South African classics like 4 Jacks and a Jill ’s “Master Jack” and “Timothy”, Steve Hofmeyr’s “Pampoen”, Theuns Jordaan’s “Sonneblom uit Bethlehem”; “Miriam Makeba’s “Click Song” and Groep 2’ s big hit “Dink Jy Darem Nog aan My?”

The leader of the SA GOLD band, Edwin Randall, toured the world for many years as part

of the “We Will Rock You” Queen tribute show, “The Buddy Holly Show” and “Grease”. He married a Kiwi lady and settled in Auckland and that’s where he teamed up with singer / producer / songwriter Jurie Els, after meeting one Saturday morning at Fred’s Fine Foods. Jurie and his wife Hestrie (Cloete), ex-world champion and Olympic silver medalist high-jumper, moved to Auckland permanently in 2008 and settled on the North Shore.

Jurie and his own backing band will be performing at the Cairo to Cape Town festival in Browns Bay on Saturday the 10th of March 2012. The programme will consist of some of Jurie’s own hit songs as well as some South African standards and favourites. Jurie and his band intend touring to every corner of New Zealand during the next 2 years and they have plans for some big shows in Australia and South Africa too. Jurie’s band consists of JP Enslin, a talented singer, drummer and guitarist, Mitelene Moolman (vocals & guitars) and of course Edwin Randall who plays piano,

saxophone, clarinet, concertina and a number of other musical instruments.

Mitelene Moolman, JP Enslin and Jurie Els

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Where to now, South Africa?Our co-editor, Ted Woodberg, has just returned from an amazing 3 week holiday in South Africa. While he was there he had

a good hard look at the current ‘shape of things’ as they are in the old country.

Here is his story:-This was my second return to my place of

birth after emigrating here five years ago. I spent some unbelievable quality time with my two kids who are now both married, and I met my new grandson for the first time! Having Christmas and New Year with my in-laws and some cousins that I haven’t seen in twenty years was a real treat.

I also spent some time partying with friends at restaurants and night clubs in Durban and was pleasantly surprised at the degree of positive integration that was taking place between both black and white patrons. What I had forgotten was that this new generation of young people of all ethnicities had grown up sitting together in class in “Model C” schools, and were, by now, no longer aware of any cultural or skin-colour differences. While walking in the street I was no longer ducking away from groups of young black people for fear of being mugged or robbed.

“Howzit, brother!” was the response I got from all of them.

White police were all over the place, strolling into public places and chatting to the owners, making their presence known; but enforcement was unnecessary, because everybody was so well behaved and happy.

Don’t get me wrong, despite reports from Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa that the murder rate is now coming down, and that the “tide was turning” against crime, I heard some pretty hair-raising reports from friends and family that there are still too many crime victims to make living in SA any less risky than before.

The educated white people that I met in Johannesburg were living like kings in their gated communities, going for walks and jogs in their neighborhood at all times of the day and night. When I asked them about the recession, their answer was:-

“What recession?”My perception was that the educated whites remaining in South Africa

were becoming not rich, but mega-rich. At the other end of the scale the uneducated white people were all in a downward spiral of despair, brought on

by racial prejudice and the unemployment rate that is still unacceptably high in SA. There is no escape for them, because they are now too poor to emigrate.

On the pol it ical front , 2011 was dominated by the antics of ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema, whose outrageous rhetoric has inflamed the ANC establishment, resulting in a 5 year slap-down for him and his vociferous supporters. It looks as though his appeal will be protracted, so that his lawyers can get the most out of it.

The problem that SA faces is that these young hot bloods will become the future leaders of the ANC in years to come. This does not auger well for my grandchildren, should they still be living there in twenty years time.

The 100 years centenary celebrations of the ANC held in the Free State while I was still there was an unremarkable affair containing boring speeches and a weird simulated animal sacrifice that gave the

ceremony a rather primitive flavour.At the end of 2012 President Zuma faces his first presidential election.

After 2011, which was his worst year of bungling since coming to power, it looks as though he could be replaced by current Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, who, despite having a fairly good year in politics in 2011 is now running for cover after the release of the Donen Commission which implicates Motlanthe in the oil-for-food scandal. Welcome to Africa.

On the economic front, South Africa is as healthy as ever with GDP growing at 2.5% and some amazing trade initiatives being set up my Minister Ebrahim Patel with the strongest emerging economies of the world, viz Brazil, India and China. Reserves of iron ore, semi-precious metals and other minerals seem to be inexhaustible and create a strong backbone for the nation’s exports.

Retail sales over the festive season have indicated a significant increase over last year, ranging between 20 and 40% higher in some sectors. This means that SA is pulling out of the recession relatively fast.

The South African Travel clubThe South African Travel Club in New Zealand was

originally established by the Friends of the Lion Group 30 years ago and was known as the Friends of the Springbok.

Elna Tempelhoff at the South African Travel Club has a real passion for travel and customer service. She took off with South African Airways 30 years ago, and there were many stops en route.

The “Pay off – Fly later” scheme was introduced last year and 20 passengers left on 16 December 2011 on a group fare to different destinations in South Africa. This same offer is available this year in December to South Africa. All information will be in the February news letter.

Make sure you sign up to receive the monthly news letter.You do not need to be a member of the South African Travel Club to make

any bookings through them.We offer the best deals possible regarding flights, accommodation,

insurance, car rental, stopover packages, cruises etc. worldwide... In addition, Elna works from home and provides a 24/7 service. You can

reach her on 09- 235 7515 or 021 93 96 96. Email: elna.tempelhoff@lionworld.co.nz

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One issue that left a bad taste in my mouth was the installation of huge “e-tolling” towers on the highways and freeways that criss-cross Gauteng. In an experimental move the government i s proposing the electronic tolling of all vehicles that use the busiest transport routes over the most densely populated parts of South Africa. The ominous blue towers have been installed, but not switched on, due to a public outcry about this rather invasive new tax that promises to add billions to government coffers if initiated. For a regular commuter, the additional monthly cost could be as high as R2 000 per month. The so-called “purpose” of the road tax is to fund the upgrading of all national roads.

For middle-income commuters the effects could be severe e.g. selling your car and commuting everywhere by bus. Let’s hope that this new tax is abolished before it gets off the ground.

After my spell in the cities I headed for some real tranquility which I found in large helpings in the Kruger National Park. This part of earth is the closest place to heaven that I have yet to find. I had some rare sightings; wild dogs that were last seen in the park three years ago, still carrying the tags that they had received from conservationists who were concerned about their extinction. The pack we saw had grown to ten in number from only a pair, with the proud patriarch still bearing his tag. Then I saw two different leopards on the same game drive; both rather soporific, indicating that they had just consumed their hunt for the evening and were now unconcerned by the rapt attention that they were receiving from the vehicles buzzing around them.

During my entire weeklong stay in the park there was no rain or wind, just ambient warmth, comforting breezes, superb sunsets and the natural beauty of both flora and fauna in an incomparable setting. The holiday was extremely therapeutic and comes highly recommended!

As I stepped on the plane at Jo’burg airport for my return flight I was quite heart sore.

I was leaving behind my precious children, my grandchild and my future grandchildren in a wild and untamed land. I left their safety in divine hands and their only succour from now on would

be prayers from the other side of the world. My heart was heavy with fond memories of those bracing blue skies and the snort of the hippo in the riverbank below me. I wiped the clouds from my eyes, took a deep breath and began making plans for my return trip!

I must mention that the success of my whole holiday was due to my Travel Agent, Elna Tempelhoff of Skytrain

World Travel. She arranged all of my international and internal flights and car hire facilities. Her choice of airlines was superb, because I did not experience one single delay or hitch in any of my connecting flights, which, on this trip, were many! See the advertisement below for her contact details.

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Running a home business in New Zealand

Business expert and freelance consultant, Heather Douglas, has some interesting insights on how automating your home business can save you valuable time and money. We present part two of this two part series:-

InformationIf you spend a lot of time answering queries, think about having standard

information you can send out in response to these at an accessible place on your computer, and in order to forestall nuisance queries.

IntegrationWherever possible, re-use data that’s already available. Find an

accounting package that uses time-sheet information to create invoices quickly and easily; se Microsoft Office XP’s new facilities to cut and paste always-up-to-date web page data into documents; integrate address book details and customer relationship management information into documents or spreadsheets, and so on.

Make the Internet you - and your customers’ - servant

Use your web site to answer queries about your business, take orders while you are busy doing something else, capture customer information, and so on. You can also allow customers to pay you online by providing an online payment facility, or at least adding your direct debit details to your invoices - you’ll be surprised how much more efficient it is though it may not feel quite as satisfying as dropping a bundle of cheques into a “real” bank! Make a habit of getting your suppliers’ bank account details and pay your bills online too. It’s often cheaper as well as more efficient.

Auto respondersIf you are in the kind of business - and there are very few who aren’t -

where regular follow-ups are in order, consider using auto-responders. The trick with these clever little programmes which automatically send out your customised emails at intervals or on dates you dictate, is to make the email

messages personal, and in keeping with the tone of your other business correspondence. For instance, a professional seeing clients once a quarter could send a reminder out a month beforehand and again a few days before - without so much as lifting a finger once the programme is set up. Typically, auto-responders are also used to deliver a first email in response to a request or other trigger, and follow up at perhaps 2, 5 and 10-day intervals. Again, the trick is to add value rather than creating a nuisance!

Other technologyEven your phone comes with automation options these days. Are you

going away? Forward your calls to a business babysitter or your mobile, or change your answer message to ensure the caller is appropriately informed. Set up an automatic out-of-office reply on your email account. Is the fax line busy? Use technology to automatically save your fax and deliver it to you later (even in a different location) or on demand.

This article just scratches the surface of what automation can do to help the solo business operator wring more hours out of the day. It’s worth getting to know new software you install so you become familiar with some of these shortcuts, talking with other computer users, and keeping your mind open to further automation possibilities. There is so much that is possible - and so much we already take for granted. For instance, where, oh where, would we all be without our calendars telling us about meetings we need to go to, and birthdays and anniversaries we shouldn’t forget? The only thing we need to do is remember to set up a reminder in the first place!

Heather Douglas is a co-founder of Home Business New Zealand, which provides free information, resources, support and networking opportunities to home businesses nation-wide. For more details visit www.homebizbuzz.co.nz.

Heather Douglas

‘Dressed in an immaculate suit, the nervous executive fidgeted with his papers as he stood up before the

Board of Directors of Checkers Stores in their head office in Cape Town in 1966. His eyes rolled back as he listened to the ridiculous accusations and the barrage of statements that came from the members that amounted to little more than a vicious character assassination. Like a lamb to the slaughter, he did not utter a word in his defence. He had an impeccable record of success which resulted in the formation of 85 new Checkers stores in the space of a few years. He bit his lip as he detected a hint of jealousy in the mouths of his accusers who were only out to see his ultimate demise.

The outcome was predictable. The executive had lost his job, and after a curt dismissal, he gathered his documents together, nodded to the Chairman and left the chamber.’

But Raymond Ackerman did not feel in any way betrayed, which would have been the natural human response to such a situation. He shrugged off the negatives and hurried home to his wife.

“Darling, I’ve just been fired from Checkers!” he cheerily announced to his wife, Wendy, as he threw his hat onto the hat stand.

“What?” she exclaimed. “Why? What are you going to do?”“Let’s go out for dinner and I will explain.”The wily and indomitable Mr Ackerman had already devised his plan of

action in anticipation of the treacherous move by the Checkers Board even as he stood before his executioners.

“Don’t worry, dear,” he announced. “I am going to buy a new retail company and turn it around.”

The next day Raymond picked up his severance pay cheque from Checkers, went to his bankers and raised a loan sufficient to pay for four retail outlets in Cape Town from local entrepreneur Jack Goldin known as Pick’n Pay and thus began one of the most successful retail chain stores in the history of Africa, and, more recently, in Australia.

Raymond Ackerman was born March 10 1931 into a strict orthodox Jewish home in Cape Town, South Afr ica and decided from an early age to become a businessman.

He graduated from the University of Cape Town with a Bachelor of Commerce degree and immediately entered the world of retail by joining the Greatermans Group in 1951 as a trainee manager.

T h e c h o i c e o f Greatermans as a start was not difficult for him.

His father, Gus Ackerman, had started a retail outlet known as Ackermans in South Africa just after World War 1, but the store was sold to the Greatermans group in 1940. So he was just joining his “dad’s” company after the takeover, and his father’s retail genes were only just starting to light the fire in his heart as he began climbing the retail corporate ladder within the Greatermans group, with his BCom safely tucked under his arm.

At this stage, in the early sixties, the world was undergoing a retail renaissance, with the invention of the “supermarket,” with its self service concept that included dedicated product aisles, trolleys, check-out counters and the like. Young Raymond joined a select group of South African retailers who attended a special seminar in the USA that exposed a whole new concept in retailing known as “Modern Marketing Methods.”

He came back to SA with his head full of ideas and ultimately, after much discussion with Greatermans Chairman Norman Herber, he was made the Managing Director of a new and exciting food retail outlet known as “Checkers.” Raymond jumped to the challenge and was the brainchild behind the expansion of the group of retail outlets across the length and breadth of South Africa.

The details of his dismissal from Checkers are irrelevant. His subsequent fame as Chairman of Pick’n Pay and his commitment to the SA community through the establishment of the Ackerman Family Educational Trust foreshadows such trivialities.

Every year, since the 1970’s, 60 outstanding students from schools all across South Africa benefit from this trust by receiving scholarships for tertiary education and educational organizations such as READ Educational Trust and institutions for mentally and physically handicapped people, also receive substantial financial benefits.

During his illustrious career, Raymond Ackerman achieved a number of awards:-

1) Honorary Doctorate in Law from Rhodes University in 1986.2) Honorary Doctorate in Commerce from UCT in 2001.3) He was voted 79th in the Top 100 Great South Africans in 2004.4) Together with his wife they were awarded the 2010 David Rockefeller

Bridging Leadership in Africa Award. As a primary inspiration of survival against all odds, especially when

you are innocent, Raymond Ackerman has stood out as one of Africa’s greatest sons and as fellow South Africans we are humbled by his courage and fortitude.

“May your days be long upon this earth, Raymond, and thank you for your wonderful example.”

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by Ted Woodberg

THE KINGS OF SA RETAIL

In this series we follow the amazing careers of those illustrious SA entrepreneurs who shaped the future of the retail industry in the old country. In this issue we highlight:-

Raymond Ackerman

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ADVIcE FOR NEW IMMIGRANTS

Preparing your cV relevant to the jobOnce again, North Shore Immigration Services have put together a very useful summary of tips to help you gain meaningful

employment in Kiwiland.

The quality of your Curriculum Vitae (CV) or resume as it is known in some countries is an important factor in securing a job here.

A CV creates an invaluable first impression and is the first time that an employer learns anything about you. So it is essential that you get it right. This includes making sure that your CV fits the format, content and style that New Zealand employers expect.

A NZ government agency, Career Services (www.careers.govt.nz) provides career information, advice and guidance and points out that that you need to target your CV to the needs of the employer. A common mistake reported by employers wanting to recruit migrant workers is that their CV’s often contain too much information that is totally irrelevant to the employer or the New Zealand environment.

A good way to ensure that your CV is relevant to the job that you are applying for is to match your skills and experience to the skills and experience that the employer is seeking. These will be contained in the job advertisement, or you can ask the potential employer for a detailed job description.

The New Zealand employer may know little or nothing about the overseas organizations or businesses that employed you while you were in your home country. Make sure you provide them with relevant information about your experience and your prior working environment. An effective way of doing this is to provide them with a web link that they can use to research your previous employers, if they so desire.

You can check the validity of your overseas qualifications by consulting the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (www.nzqa.govt.nz) which is the government department responsible for the assessment of international qualifications held by foreigners seeking employment here.

Career Services also advises job applicants to include between two and four referees in their CV. Ideally the referees should be NZ based, but for the brand new immigrant, this will not be possible, so provide an e-mail address of the referee, or show the prospective employer recommendation letters signed by your previous employers on their letterheads. Make sure that the referees know that you have used them as a reference.

Another website that will assist the new job seeker is the Work and Income site (www.workandincome.govt.nz). They will even go so far as to

show you what kind of CV the local Kiwi employer is looking for. So try them!Your CV should be designed as follows:-Front Page: This should include all of your personal and contact details

so that the prospective employer can waste no time if they want to speak to you. This page MUST include your immigration status i.e. work or study permits, permanent residence etc.

If at all possible, place a full colour head and shoulders photo of yourself on this page.

Page Two: A comprehensive list of your qualifications, i.e. what they are, where they were obtained and when. Include any relevant workshops that you attended, even if there were no certificates issued.

Page Three: Your past employment experience from the most recent positions backwards in time. Give details of the dates, your general job description and any achievements which you made with that particular employer. In addition, give the reasons for leaving when you changed jobs.

Page Four: A comprehensive list of referees for each position that you have mentioned in three above. Make sure that the referees are aware that you have quoted them so that they are expecting calls from prospective employers.

Addendum: Copies of all of your certificates as mentioned in two above as well as any important testimonials from previous employers.

Source: “LINKZ” magazine.

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Immigration service you can trustWe specialise in all

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Address: 17 Corinthian Drive Albany North Shore

Established over 18 years ago on the North Shore of Auckland city, North Shore Immigration is one of the leaders in the private sector of the immigration field in New Zealand.

We have a sound reputation as providers of highly personalised service and assistance in all aspects of immigrating and relocating to New Zealand, from temporary and business visas to residence visa applications.

Specialising in immigration to New Zealand, all our advisers are fully compliant with the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007. We have three licensed immigration advisers and three support staff, operating on the North Shore in Albany.

We offer professional immigration advice in English, Afrikaans, Russian, Chinese & Romanian.

We provide specialist immigration solutions for:

l Residence (Skilled Migrants, Business, Family)l Business Visa (Entrepreneur and/or Investor Categories)l Work Visa (for those who have a job offer, based on their skills & experience) l Work/Student visas for their immediate family membersl Student Visas for those who wish to study in New Zealand, andl Job Search Visas for students who have completed their NZ studies.

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l unabridged birth certificatesl police clearance certificatesl passport renewalsl translationsl assessment of overseas qualificationsl obtaining NZ registration for occupations where this is required

Our mission and values:

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Immigration service you can trust

SA socialOn Friday 2nd December SANZ had their official Christmas party at the Browns Bay

Bowling Club. And what a party it was! A bespectacled Father Christmas was there to welcome the kids and a huge jumping castle kept them entertained for hours. The food, glamorously delivered to everyone’s table by beautiful young maidens, was traditional hot curry prepared by Rainbow Foods. The evening was sponsored by Westpac Bank who did all the prize presentations. Famous SA magician and hypnotist Dave Upfold kept the crowd entertained with his card tricks and just before the proceedings wound down MC Chris Sparg gave businessmen in the venue an opportunity to talk about their products and services. Don’t miss our next event!

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The residential property market in 2011 was largely in recovery mode, with national values increasing, driven first by Auckland and Christchurch, and by the end of the year, by most other towns and cities. As the year ended, it seems that this apparent recovery in values may not be long-lived as several provincial areas began to flatten or decline again.

The QV price indices show that the New Zealand residential property values continued to increase gradually during 2011, rising 2.4% over the past twelve months. Nationwide values are now 3.5% below the previous market peak of late 2007.

AucklandValues in the Auckland area increased by 4.3% during 2011 and ended the

year at their highest level ever, 1.4% above the previous peak of late 2007. The Auckland market in 2011 was generally characterised by a lack of new listings and quality stock. This led to increased demand for the good quality properties that did come to the market.

christchurch

Values in the undamaged parts of Christchurch increased due to demand from displaced residents or workers from outside the region assisting with the recovery. Values overall in Christchurch City ended the year 4.3% up and just 0.9% below the 2007 market peak. The areas immediately surrounding Christchurch have also picked up strongly.

Wellington, Hamilton and TaurangaValues in Wellington, Hamilton and Tauranga drifted sideways during 2011,

and ended the year well below the peak.

Low sales volumes in 2011Despite national values moving upwards during the year, sales volumes

remained lower than normal. Sales numbers in 2011 were more than 20% below the long term average.

Buyer behaviourBuyers were generally acting cautiously throughout the year, taking their

time to do their research before making offers. First home buyers came back

PROPERTY cORNERThis regular feature is written by Richard Pearce of Barfoot & Thompson.

In order for us to look forward to price trends in 2012 we need to have a good look at what happened to the property market last year. I have included, with permission, an edited version of the January review by QV.co.nz with my comments and inputs

inserted in italics:-

2011 Residential property market reviewinto the market in 2011 encouraged by low interest rates, while investors were largely on the sidelines. This resulted in increased activity at the lower end of the market.

2012 outlook (as predicted by qv)While business and consumer confidence seems to be on the increase,

there is still some concern about the financial situation in Europe and its impact on the New Zealand economy.

Auckland values are likely to increase further, especially given that the population continues to grow, building activity has been weak, and if a lack of new listings of quality properties keeps supply below demand. Barfoot & Thompson agents have reported strong buyer interest and high attendances at Auckland show homes over the last few weeks.

Whether values continue to increase in Christchurch depends on a number of factors including the re-zoning of properties to red or green, decisions on the nature and timing of CBD redevelopment, and of course any further significant earthquake events.

Values in Wellington, Hamilton and Tauranga are likely to stay fairly stable.Readers should note that all the above charts are in nominal terms, ie not

adjusted for inflation. In real terms, when we adjust for four years of inflation, even Auckland values are well below their peak, and represent good value.

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THE BENEFITS OF BANKING WITH WESTPAc

Getting the “spark” that got the Spargs going!Chris and Natalie Sparg say Westpac bank has helped them develop strong roots in New Zealand and they can now call the

country their home.

The couple immigrated to New Zealand with their two children from South Africa in March 2004 and have settled in Albany on Auckland’s North Shore.

Originally from East London in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, Chris owned his own automotive repair business, but decided to move to New Zealand for a brighter future for his family.

“It was for a better lifestyle,” he says. “I had friends that moved over here, so I visited for a look and really liked it.”

It wasn’t until they wanted to buy their own home that they ran into challenges and real frustration.

“Nobody wanted to help us get into a house at all,” Chris says. “It was hard to be at the age I was, 48 at the time, and be told that I didn’t tick all the boxes so I wasn’t going to be able to get a home.”

This was until Riaan Wilson, Westpac Business Manager, strolled into the workshop one morning and introduced himself.

“We just started talking and he asked if he could help us with anything. I said we wanted to buy our own home and everyone else was telling us it was impossible. Riaan told me to leave it with him and met with my accountant before coming back with a yes to us being able to buy our first home in New Zealand. He helped us with the procedure step-by-step.”

Chris says he is forever grateful for the help Riaan and Westpac have offered his family.

“As Africans we love to own our own homes. We don’t like to rent,” he says. “Riaan is South African and really understood where I was coming from. He knew how we did business in South Africa so he knew what to do to make it possible for us to get our own home. Westpac was the only bank that would help me.

“This was the best thing – to get us into the property market which made us feel like we actually had roots in New Zealand and has definitely become our home.”

The Sparg’s have now owned their house for just over two years.

“I say it time and time again to my South African friends and people I know…if you want help, you need to go and speak to Westpac because it was the only bank that ever walked into my workshop and said, ‘What can we do to help you?’”

He says it was this personal touch that made all the difference.“It was the actual taking care in listening to what I had to say.” Chris says another little thing was when one of the ladies at Westpac

brought her car in for a service. “I appreciate things like this because they’re talking to me, they’re dealing

with me and they’re showing a bit of interest in what happens.”If you would like to speak to a Westpac Business Manager contact

0800 177 100.Immigrating from South Africa and need help, contact 0800 983 942.

All opinions and, statements expressed are based on information current at the time of writing from sources which Westpac believes to be authentic and reliable. Westpac issues no invitation to anyone to rely on this material and intends by this statement to exclude liability for any such opinion, statement and analysis.

The content of this material is for information purposes only and should not be relied on. We recommend you seek independent legal, financial and/or tax advice. All applications for home loans are subject to Westpac home loan lending criteria and terms and conditions. Westpac New Zealand Limited.

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Riaan Wilson Business ManagerL3 Corinthian Towers9-11 Corinthian DrAlbanyPhone (09) 448 0926Mobile 027 498 0756

Eddie BiesenbachPersonal ManagerWestpac Birkenhead29 Birkenhead AveNorth ShorePhone (09) 480 3325

Michelle HutchensPersonal ManagerWestpac Albany219 Don McKinnon DrAlbanyPhone (09) 414 3928

You don’t have to be born a local to be treated like one. You can apply for a personal or business loan with the team at your local Westpac branch, so you can get a straight answer, straight away.

Applications for finance are subject to Westpac’s applicable lending criteria. An establishment charge may apply. See www.westpac.co.nz for further details. Westpac New Zealand Limited

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UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTSCome and be a part of the vibrant ex-pat SA community here in Auckland. Join in the fun and help each other by networking effectively.SOcIAL EVENTS: NORTH SHORE - We have a monthly fun social get together at the Browns Bay Bowling Club, Bute Road, Browns Bay on the first Friday evening of each month starting at 6pm. Kids allowed. A cash bar is available and a light traditional meal will be on sale. Our next social will take place on Friday 3rd February and after that on Friday 2nd March 2012.

We would like to get new chapters up and running in Central, East and West Auckland.

If you know of suitable venues, please let us know.

The SA community will once again be treated to another annual cultural event, The cape to cairo Festival that promises to be bigger and batter than last year. It will be held at the Browns Bay Municipal Showgrounds, Inverness road, Browns Bay on Saturday 10th March 2012, kicking off at about 11am. There will be South African music, food and lots of fun for the whole family.

BUSINESS NETWORKING: As new immigrants you will be given a chance of introducing yourself to our regular attendees and we will ensure that you are entered on to the SA Biznet data base in order for all members to be able to access your details. Bring some of your business cards!

NORTH SHORE - Meetings are held on the first and third Wednesday of each month at the Browns Bay Bowling Club, Bute Road, Browns Bay commencing 6pm.

The next meetings to be held in February will be on Wednesday 1st and 15th and in March on Wednesday 7th and 21st.

If you would like to be on our North Shore business mailing list, please contact Richard Pearce on r.pearce2@barfoot.co.nz or on 0508 742 4273. He will make sure that you are informed of all business events.

If you are aware of any other SA clubs in the Auckland region, please contact the editors.

BOOK REVIEW

“Torn in the new SA” by Bronwyn McIntoshThis outspoken author was openly scathed by President Thabo Mbeki in 2004 when she first spoke publicly about the dire situation in South Africa at the time. Freelance SA journalist Eve Hemming gives us an interesting peek into this book that followed, making headlines around the world:-

Bronwyn and James McIntosh left South Africa for USA some years ago with two small children in tow. They, like many South Africans, despondently felt that the country had failed to protect

its millions of citizens. News of the senseless murder of a dear African friend of Bronwyn’s was the final straw. She drove to her husband’s office in Cape Town in her endearingly headstrong theatrical way and announced. “We are leaving!” “Oh, where to?” quizzically enquired James, already fantasising about a spontaneous weekend jaunt; not quite envisaging a life-altering move across a vast ocean to the other side of the globe. Bronwyn’s loyal old friend’s murder was the final catalyst which triggered her epiphany to leave South Africa. And James being supportively James was willing to wholeheartedly pursue their new objective.

The McIntosh’s went in search of a safer milieu in which to raise their children, and found that with this choice came huge sacrifices, massive adaptations and deep pain. The title of the book ‘Torn in the New SA’ emblemises these profound feelings of being torn, which Bronwyn fully acknowledges.

‘I will not ever be completely whole again.’ she states unequivocally in her poignant book. Threading the book together in her colourful and graphic style, Bronwyn shares her feelings about missing the land of her birth; ‘this ambivalence will always be present in me.’ She sorrowfully acknowledges that her children will not grow up in S.A. in ‘the wonderful cross-cultural mix’, and that she and her husband, James, chose to trade this for a life where they can sleep soundly every night; where the fears of violent crime she lived with constantly are no longer part of her life. ‘I don’t fear for my children any longer, they are safe and happy…’

‘I will always be split in two – and did I make the right decision?’ reflects and questions Bronwyn. She feels as though she will forever ‘have a life that straddles the ocean – a foot on each continent.’

Not only do Bronwyn (and James, too) share their personal voyages, but interwoven through the book are hundreds of excerpts written by South Africans ‘at home’ and abroad. It’s a book filled with theirs and other people’s angers, hurts, fury, passions, emotions, fears, projections, memories, longings,

regrets, courage, losses, tragedies, heartaches, defences, justifications, judgement s , love s , wishes and dreams…

B r o n w y n , ( w h o shared her reasons for leaving SA on an international website) was publicly criticised by Mbeki in his online ANC newsletter (ANC Today) in October 2004. (http://www.anc.org.za/docs/anctoday/2004/at39.htm).

The book’s genesis developed after Bronwyn received a spate of email responses. Bronwyn’s honest and vivid on line article hit a raw nerve for many South Africans at that time and the flood gates literally gushed open, which provided a plethora of rich material to add to Bronwyn’s own passionate and electric tapestry.

The diversity of contributions to the book means that the lens swings from one extreme to the other, thus allowing the reader to see through others’ eyes, and not only according to personal deeply subjective choices or circumstances. The reality is that the choice to either stay or leave is fraught with levels of trauma.

In reading ‘Torn in the New SA’, it may facilitate one to come to terms with personal choices and challenges, or jolt one into a new realisation. It may bring old hurts to the surface and deeply agitate one’s sensibility. It’s a book that will impact on you whether you like it or not - as one will find that someone’s words may well echo one’s own. And on reflection, every reader is bound to acknowledge that the fragmented (torn) SA society is made up of passionate, vibrant, resilient, courageous people, who all have that indelible survival quality, irrespective of where they live. And one will hopefully be able to acknowledge that it requires courage to stay or leave - and that at the end of the day no one can make such a complex choice without pain and heartache.

Torn in the New SA is available at www.Amazon.com, www.BarnesandNoble.com, www.Lulu.com and through Exclusive Books in South Africa. Bronwyn McIntosh’s website can be found at www.torninthenewsa.com

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Kiwi BiltongWe started trading about 10

months ago, and the Kiwi Biltong brand is now in many Pak & Save and New World Supermarkets from Taupo to Kerikeri; dairies and liquor stores; Farro Fresh outlets and independent shops.

Now Kiwi Biltong is launching Jimmy’s BBQ Sauces and Black & White Long Burning BBQ Briquettes. Jimmy’s is made by the popular Jimmy’s Steakhouse Sauces in Cape Town. Jimmy’s, as it is known, can be used as a marinade, a base sauce or a sauce on steak, chops, chicken or stews.

Black & White BBQ Briquettes were sourced in Namibia. It is a wonderful long burning briquette and well priced.

Hein Erasmus, General Manager at Kiwi Biltong, explains that they try to make a drier than usual product with no fat visible. “We source meat with the minimum amount of fat, and also keep the strips in the drying rooms a bit longer to achieved a water activity reading of below 76”.

Kiwi Biltong Limited is a joint venture between Willie Bosman of the South African Shops in Whangaparaoa and Rosedale, Mike Minifie and Hein Erasmus.

They can be contacted through their webpage www.kiwibiltong.com.

Roast ‘n Café

Bunny Chow ½

Open 7 days per week

Mon to Sat 9am to 9 pm

Sun 3pm to 9pmNew Owner

Meerie Vandayar

Mobile: 0210571155

324 Pakuranga Road

“We cater for the South African community in Auckland.”

OPENING SPECIAL

Other special dishes : Curry and Rice Briyani Rooti Kebabs (Vege or meat)

Phone 09-577 3000

$10 order one and get a free cool drink!

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New Nz Road RulesFrom the 31st March this year, New Zealand will be reverting to the international road

rule for vehicles wanting to turn right at an intersection.

These rules have been practiced by all Commonwealth countries for many years.It is a golden rule which dictates that drivers “must always yield to oncoming traffic before turning right

across an oncoming lane.” International travelers from other countries in the world like UK and South Africa have used this rule all their lives and are confused when they come here to find that the rules are different.

The new rule will ensure that the oncoming lane is not blocked by vehicles waiting for right-turners to negotiate their turn. The danger of the existing rule is that should there be TWO lanes of oncoming traffic; the right turner will have to contend with traffic coming straight at them even though the turner in the oncoming lane has stopped and yielded to them.

The diagram on the right illustrates the new rule.

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