Standard Bank yesterday celebrated the first anniversary of its Business Incubator. Located in Rosebank, the incubator offers a free co-working space, providing entrepreneurs with mentoring, coaching, and access to training in enterprise development and content delivery for corporates.
“We embrace the entrepreneurial and start up community and recognise the uniqueness of African entrepreneurs who continuously surpass all expectations. We recognise the critical role entrepreneurs play in shifting the economic dial of the continent as well as their ability to address many of the challenges we face through innovative technologies, practices and processes,” says Jayshree Naidoo, head of Standard Bank’s Incubator.
In the past year, the incubator has achieved numerous milestones, including: 150 alumni with a record of great success stories and traction. Graduates from the programme who have gone on to experience business growth in multiples, with some receiving global recognition, and partnerships and collaborations with international blue chip companies.
Greenpeace ranks Pick n Pay, Massmart, Spar, Woolworths and Shoprite on commitments to a 100% renewable energy vision
A report by Greenpeace Africa, ‘Shopping Clean – Retailers and Renewable Energy’ outlines how retail companies in South Africa have made a start in the transition to 100% renewable energy.
The report details the current status of renewable energy investments and commitments from each of the top five retailers in South Africa – Pick n Pay, Massmart, Spar, Woolworths and Shoprite.
The retailers are ranked against one another on four key criteria – energy transparency, commitment to renewable energy, greenhouse gas mitigation and lobbying for clean renewable energy.
In the report, Woolworths ranks highest with an overall score of four out of ten. Woolworths and Pick n Pay currently have solar PV installations that contribute a small percentage of renewable energy to their overall operations. Massmart and Woolworths have both identified pilot solar PV projects for distribution centres and stores respectively that will be rolled out in 2016. Shoprite received the lowest ranking because of its lack of transparency with regard to the company’s energy information.
“Ranking the five retailers against one another makes it clear that none of them are doing particularly well when it comes to a commitment to a 100% renewable energy vision. Also, none of the retailers are engaged in active lobbying for the barriers to renewable energy to be removed, which is an essential step if a 100% vision is to be achieved, and this has heavily impacted on their scores,” stated Penny-Jane Cooke, Climate and Energy Campaigner for Greenpeace Africa.
Cape Town again named favourite city in the world
The Telegraph’s annual travel survey, based on 75 000 responses from British and European travellers, has named Cape Town its readers’ favourite city in the world for the fourth consecutive year, pipping Venice, Italy and Vancouver to the top spot.
The survey by the British newspaper is recognised as the most comprehensive and reliable travel review by British tourists.
South Africa also came in third as the survey’s favourite country destination, following New Zealand and the Maldives.
The survey highlighted that it was easy to understand why so many travellers, in particular young tourists, picked Cape Town as their favourite city. “The brooding Table Mountain is too recognisable; the beach resorts of Camps Bay too enticing; the history which swirls around the metropolis… too absorbing,” the paper reported.
The recognition would help to create more job opportunities for locals, said Cape Town Tourism chief executive Enver Duminy, and pave the way for even more innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation within the tourism sector. “(It) also accurately reflects the variety of experiences Cape Town has to offer visitors, from unparalleled natural beauty, to delicious, intimate culinary adventures in our many restaurants.” The accolade was a triumph for the city and the country as a whole, said Garreth Bloor, the Cape Town mayoral committee member for tourism. The survey was credible because it was “done independently and is based on the readers’ choice”, he added (Southafrica.info)
