SA Rocks

This one is a bit steamy but who wouldn’t want to see the stunning Candice Swanepoel shaking her tail feather for Esquire magazine.

Have a look at the full article on “50 songs every man should be listening to” over at Esquire featuring Ms Swanepoel the “Supermodel” as Esquire calls her.

Who says South Africa doesn’t have the most stunning women in the world? Not me.

Popularity: 1% [?]

South Africa is filled with extreme sports venues and events. This one is pretty cool. It’s in Soweto and it’s off two incredibly massive canvases, the Orlando Towers.

So, The 12 hour event will consist of:

– Abseiling
– Bungee jumping (World’s first bungee jump between 2 cooling towers – a whopping 100m tall!)
– Internal swing (World’s first Internal Swing into a cooling tower, we invite you to stand on the rim of a 100m tall tower….and jump INSIDE!)
– Viewing Platform (Those not wanting to jump off the towers can still do the lift ride to the viewing platform – the ideal spot for a 360 degree view of Soweto, as well as the perfect place to watch and photograph the jump activities).
– Live celebrity Deejays on the decks and Artist Performances
– Meet and socialise with your favourite celebrities
– Media will be in their numbers (Y-fm and Hype Magazine to mention a few)
– Food and alcohol on sale (From Platters to Shisa nyama, Burgers and finger foods)

Prices:

– All three extreme jumps will be charged at R250 – you choose!
OR
– R50 at the door, and this will include, and allow you access to view Soweto from the Top of the 100m towers!

That sounds like one helluva Sunday afternoon to me!

This offer is only available for pre-sold tickets up until the 19th of March 2010. After this set date, prices will increase (you will be notified of the change in prices closer to the time).

Book your pre-sold tickets from the different ROKSTA agents around Johannesburg and Pretoria:

BOOKINGS:

1. Deza: Braamfontein/ Wits University: 073 454 1515
2. Ayanda: East Rand: 072 328 2528
3. Chad: University of Johannesburg: 073 757 6791
4. Mpumi: Hatfield Pretoria: 082 573 2039

Popularity: 1% [?]

Shout is a foundation founded by Danny K and Kabelo Mabalane after Lucky Dube was murdered some years ago. But it is worth noting who the other trustees of the foundation are: Gavin Koppel
Yusuf Abramjee, Boniswa Pezisa and Tracy-Lee Purto.

All money collected by Shout is in conjuction with Business Against Crime and Crime Line and goes towards pre-identified “hot-spot” police stations.

What you need to do is SMS SHOUT to 33335 and you will donate R20 to SHOUT and be able to download the SHOUT track below.

Check it:

Popularity: 1% [?]

Based on user feedback on independent complaints portal getclosure, Pick n Pay has done a great job of responding to their customers’ feedback over the past year.

From 1 March 2009 – 28 February 2010, an impressive 88% of Pick n Pay customers were satisfied or better with the outcome of their complaints submitted on getclosure, and 87% were satisfied or better with the way their complaints were handled.

Here are a couple of examples of positive feedback submitted by consumers closing their complaints on getclosure:

Supplier: Pick n Pay
Supplier Branch: Hyper by the sea
Customer: Shereen Brijlall
Date of Occurrence: 12 March 2010

Compliment:

Dear Ravi
Just to say thank you and all for attending to my complaint… you guys are extremely on the ball and that is what customer service is all about. I can admit that I only shop at Pick n Pay and will continue to do so only because of proactive staff like you and the rest that took my call. Please forward this onto your Manager because you are outstanding in your position. Keep up the good work.

Supplier: Pick n Pay
Supplier Branch: Hazeldean
Customer: Lesley Stead
Date of Occurrence: 4 March 2010
Compliment:

I would firstly like to thank Mmapula Sebati and Jade de Preez for their quick response to my complaint. They offered me a complete refund or replacement of the damaged school bag I had complained about. I would also like to thank both Ronald Mashao (Floor Manager at Hazeldean) and Els Hoek (Customer Services Manager at Hazeldean) for their extremely efficient and friendly service. Thank you to all involved.

In line with the Don’t Complain Campaign, remember that suppliers need your feedback in order to enhance their products and service.  Click here to compliment a South African company and your feedback will be published in the getclosure Compliments section; or submit a complaint to give a supplier some constructive criticism and getclosure will deliver it directly to them.

Popularity: 1% [?]

I covered the Durban stadium previously. Now it’s Green Point’s turn. Cape Town is one of the most stunning areas in the world and fortunately this stadium does a great deal in adding to that landscape I think.

Another cracking contribution by my man Pienaar – you are on fire!

Popularity: 1% [?]

This is possibly one of the most entertaining videos that I’ve seen in ages from South Africa.

The video depicts a Springbok fan going through the touring bus of Bokke trophies acquired and held by the Boks right now.

Fantastic. Truly.

Thanks to Pienaar for sending this one on!

Popularity: 1% [?]

Els claims his first victory in two years and this after finishing a tied 67th place at the Honda Classic last week.

This shows the class of the man and the handle he has on his practical game and mental abilities.

From SuperSport:

“I found something just before dark and I couldn’t wait to get out here and try it. I kept working on it and basically by Thursday I started getting a bit of an idea,” he said.

He put the idea into practice and on Sunday the 40-year-old South African claimed his first tour win in two years in the WGC-CA Championship at Doral.

Els’s last victory, at the Honda two years ago, ended a four year barren spell for him at US tour events but while he talked up his chances then, this time he is striking a considered tone.

“I said a bit too much last time I won,” Els said after he beat compatriot Charl Schwartzel by four strokes on Sunday.

“I was a bit too cocky. I want to just enjoy this one. This took so much work to win.

“A lot of people have said that the older you get, the tougher it becomes to win and that’s very true.

“I’m 40 years old and it feels like in my twenties I had so many chances and I didn’t quite take them,” he said.

Source – Supersport

Popularity: 1% [?]

Ed’s not: This article was written by Andrew Whitfield.

This amazing South African has established, with the help of his friend and colleague Jacob Lief, a truly powerful organization. It is powerful because it is empowering young South Africans to rise up beyond the circumstances into which they were born. It is developing human capital for a better, brighter future.

In 1999 Banks, a school teacher, and Jacob, an American student, met in a shebeen and struck up an unlikely friendship. A few months later Jacob returned to Zwide with $7000 and Ubuntu Ecucation Fund was born. Today Ubuntu is still in Zwide thanks to the strong relationship between Banks and Jacob, and continues to change the course of countless lives.

Ubuntu Education Fund is focused on improving the lives of HIV infected and affected children in Zwide Township by educating them and providing them with the support they need to shed the shackles of their past and present. By providing psycho-social support and sponsoring their education, Ubuntu is giving these children a chance they would never have had. Their children are attending some of the country’s top private schools in St Andrews College and DSG, and going on to UCT and Rhodes University where they are exposed to a world beyond their wildest dreams. Education is the keystone of this project. “We measure success in realistic terms” says Jordan Levy of Ubuntu. Degrees and jobs are important outcomes for Ubuntu, and they work hard at ensuring that their children have access to opportunities.

While fundraising is a crucial factor in any enterprise of this kind, emphasis is placed primarily on the community. The Ubuntu model is all about engaging with the community and developing mutual respect and a level of trust. “We have the focus, grassroots connections and legitimacy of a Community Based Organisation and the know-how of an International Organisation”, says Levy. He concedes that there have been tough times but by staying the course and building local relationships in the community their cause has prevailed.

When questioned about fundraising Jordan tells me, with a confident portion of pride, that 85% of every Rand raised finds its way back into projects in Zwide. “Ubuntu is run like a business.” By paying competitive salaries and attracting highly qualified individuals they are able to be sustainable.With offices in New York, London and, of course, Zwide, Ubuntu is a serious organization attracting a serious following. Support from their patrons Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu and Hugh Masekela as well as support from the Clinton Foundation; ensure that Ubuntu is taken very seriously beyond our borders. The tragedy is that very few people within our borders know about the work that Ubuntu is doing. Help to raise their local profile by spreading the word. Check out their site and join their Facebook group. If you are in PE, pop in and have a chat – their work will blow your socks off (if the wind doesn’t).

Malizole “Banks” Gwaxula is a great South African without whom this amazing project would not be possible. It is he who represents the spirit of Ubuntu and the pride of his community and his country.

For more info: http://ubuntufund.org/

Popularity: 1% [?]

Yes, it’s true that Die Antwoord has signed (or will soon be signing) with Interscope records, it’s been reported on BoingBoing and subsequently The Times Live website.

I can’t write it any better than BoingBoing has already so I’m going to quote them and then send you on to their blog post and Die Antwoord’s website.

The South African rap-rave internet star known as The Ninja grabs my face by the cheeks. He leans forward and stares into my eyes, like a large savannah predator about to inhale a hamster.

“And that’s what I did to Jimmy Iovine,” he says. “He didn’t seem to like it, but nobody told me it wasn’t cool to do that. And then I kissed him on each cheek, because we were making a deal like you do with the mafia. Die Antwoord is in business with Interscope now.”

It’s been just over a month since a friend emailed me a link to their music, and I blogged here on Boing Boing. They had fans before, but what exploded in these past four weeks is the stuff labels and artists dream of: Die Antwoord became a living meme of unprecedented velocity, propelled into global megawebstardom faster than any act I’ve ever seen. Ninja tells me that in addition to shaking hands with Interscope, District 9 helmer Neill Blomkamp plans to direct Antwoord’s next music video, they’ll likely be performing at the Coachella festival, and a film is in the works.

– SOURCE

Popularity: 2% [?]

I’m really not a massive fan of Egoli and I never have been. But it is an epic show on SA Television that stood some sort of test of time. It’s now over and below is the final episode.

Popularity: 3% [?]