KwaZulu-Natal, is currently exhibiting at this year’s International Tourismus Börse (ITB Berlin), in Germany which takes place from today March 7 to 9 March 2023, as it goes all out to grow it German speaking markets to the province which has it all.

ITB Berlin is a premier travel trade show which gathers together the who’s who of the travel industry and is attended by over 180 countries, 10 000 exhibitors and attracts over 50 000 visitors.

The German speaking market is a major tourist source market for South Africa and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). It is the third biggest international traveller source market for South Africa and the second biggest international market for KZN after the UK. KwaZulu-Natal attracted 14 418 German visitors in 2022 who spent R232 million in the province.

“TKZN is making every effort to regain and rebuild the province’s international tourism market, decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic. To this end we have been engaging with top operators from various European countries to lock deals that will bring international tourists to the province to popular tourist destinations such as the Drakensberg, Isimangaliso Wetland Park, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Park. Mkuze Game Reserve and the many other game parks in Northern KZN. We are also engaging with international media as they help us to get the message out there,” said Pinky Radebe TKZN Senior PR and Communications Manager.

International tourism is important if we are to rebuild the KZN tourism sector and the province’s economy because international tourists tend to stay longer and spend more than domestic tourists. Last year (2022) 554 156 international travellers visited KZN, they stayed on average 11 nights each and generated income for the year of 4,2bn.

“International travel exhibitions are an important part of international tourism marketing. They enable tourism destinations to engage directly with international buyers and tour operators who are responsible for bringing tourists to each destination. The show is attended by thousands of international buyers, and for us to position KZN as a global player, it is important that we are where key decisions are made.

“TKZN will use this platform to establish new contacts, meet with key partners within this market, negotiate new destination listings, showcase new products and developments and source new joint marketing opportunities.

“Relationships are critical in the tourism sector, and it is important to stay on top of our game keep constantly engage with partners on new developments and changes that are taking place in the province. For instance, we now have a regional flight to Mkuze airport which makes it much easier for international visitors, landing in Johannesburg, to fly directly to their safari destination in northern KZN,” said Radebe.

TKZN will also use this as an opportunity to identify potential hosted buyers to be part of the pre- and post-event educational programmes in the province prior to this year’s Africa Travel Indaba which will take place at the Durban ICC from 9 to 11 May.

Food security has been a global concern for some time now, with about a tenth of the world's population suffering from acute hunger. The figures, and the footage that flash across our screens, is heart wrenching but lurking behind them lies another closely related threat – that of water insecurity.

Unknown to most, the agricultural sector is by far the largest consumer of water, needing about 70% of freshwater to survive but supplies are dwindling fast. Thanks to climate change, more parts of the world, including the likes of South Africa, are experiencing prolonged droughts and less predictable access to water.

On the flip side, global meat production has almost doubled since 1980, and we know that requires about twenty times more water than the production of cereals, vegetables, or fruits. Added to this is a world population keeps increasing, which in turn increases the demand for meat, fresh fruits, vegetables, and off course clean water.

“Consumers, especially those in developing countries, are the first to be hit by a crisis of any kind, but the scale and magnitude of water insecurity, and the corresponding affects to hunger and poverty is likely to be colossal,” warns Mannie Ramos Jnr, a champion of water as the most important currency in Africa and the COO of Abeco.

The dichotomy is definitely disturbing but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Some countries have already started to adopt new irrigation technologies to help save water that would otherwise evaporate, divert water that would otherwise be used downstream, and induce increased water use by improving the profitability of irrigation. As a pioneer in water storage solutions, Abeco have been working hard to do their bit, considerably increasing water productivity in the agriculture sector by storing plenty more green and blue water.

Water continuity through water storage can close the risk gap
According to Ramos, storing water in tanks for agricultural purposes is not new, nor is it an option but simply a necessity. As previous water crises in South Africa have shown us, the need to plan and track water consumption and save for continuity of service is essential. Water storage is almost an insurance plan, safeguarding, farmers, retailers, and everyday consumers from the risks of potential water interruption.

“Water is not only essential for agriculture but can also improve a farmer’s ability to grow food, raise livestock and produce cash crops. Hens especially detest changes to their routine and a sudden interruption to their daily water consumption can stop them laying eggs for up to two weeks, which can be devasting for an egg farmer,” explains Ramos.

Although rainfall in South Africa has always been unpredictable, by using a combination of rainwater harvesting and innovative water storage solutions, farmers can benefit from year-round supply and reduce their reliance on other water sources. Innovative reverse osmosis, UV systems, fine filters and agitator systems ensures that the water storage tanks are clean and safe to re-use when cleaning machinery or feeding livestock.

These water saving interventions can be costly for sure but the return on investment is a small price to pay, in comparison to the potentially devasting effects of doing nothing. “More research and investment into these technology solutions needs to be a high priority for every agricultural industry or the gap between demand for water, and the supply thereof will continue to widen, ultimately affecting food security,” he adds.

Failure to plan, is planning to fail
With the right water policies, the world can successfully meet the challenges posed by increasing water scarcity, not only improving water and food security, but also making a large dent in the 4.7 billion people currently at risk of hunger. Abeco is already encouraging positive action, working with some of South Africa’s biggest companies like Jumbo Brands, Nestle, Tiger Brands, RCL Foods, Spar and Distell to ensure long term food and water security in South Africa.

It is a monumental task for sure, but the risk of not doing anything is far worse, effectively thwarting the United Nations Sustainable Development goal of ending global hunger by 2030. Instead, an estimated 530 million people will be at immediate risk of hunger by 2050, including 155 million in sub-Saharan Africa and 140 million in South Asia.

“Water insecurity could also affect nutritional quality, which is a subcategory of food insecurity. Without water to cook healthier foods like grains and beans, people are left with no option than to rely on unhealthy, and often more expensive ready-to-eat processed foods,” warns Ramos.

The case for improved water supply and sanitation and better management of water resources is unambiguous in its significance. Not only can it boost the economic growth of a country but more importantly, it can contribute greatly to reducing hunger and poverty. And it simply starts with a water storage tank!

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The KwaZulu-Natal Convention Bureau (KZNCB) and Tourism KwaZulu-Natal (TKZN) are going all out to promote and position KwaZulu-Natal as a leading meeting and conferences destination at Meetings Africa 2023 which runs from today, Monday 27 February 2023 to 1 March 2023 at the Sandton Convention Centre.

Meetings Africa 2023 has 352 exhibitors from 23 African countries lined up and 340 international buyers from 57 countries confirmed. There are also seven new African countries exhibiting - Angola, Gabon, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Senegal, South Sudan, and Togo – which is testament to the growing importance of the African market in the global events and tourism industry.

“By attracting mega business events and many smaller conferences across the geographic spread of the province, the KZNCB plays an important role in the recovery of the KwaZulu-Natal tourism sector,” said Mr Nhlanhla Khumalo Acting Chief Executive Tourism KwaZulu Natal.

“Meetings Africa is a platform to forge partnerships by meeting face-to-face with the most influential buyers in the world, and as TKZN and the KZN Convention Bureau we plan to make the most of this opportunity to promote KwaZulu-Natal as the preferred business events destination.

“In 2022 the KZN Convention Bureau staged over 26 business events which generated an economic impact estimated at R2,2 billion and for the 2023 year it has already bagged over 30 business events to be hosted across the province, which will contribute enormously to the economic recovery of the province.

“Meetings and conferences are the main contributors to growing business tourism in our province, and we want to attract a lot more of this business to KwaZulu-Natal, which offers top-class convention and meetings facilities and pre- and post- conference travel,” said Khumalo

In 2022, the KZN Convention Bureau was again voted Africa’s leading meetings and conference destination by the prestigious annual World Travel Awards, a title it has held for eight consecutive years.

Global business tourism was worth approximately 890 billion U.S. dollars in 2020. By 2028, this value could grow to more than two trillion U.S. dollars, according to a Statista forecast published in early 2022. On the African continent, Africa is said to make up only 2% of the global market. South Africa is rated as the leading destination for conferences by the International Convention and Congress Association (ICCA), and Durban is ranked third in the country according to the number of conferences hosted that meet very specific ICCA criteria.

More generally, in South Africa, in 2019 business tourism contributed more than R115-billion to the country’s GDP, creating almost 252 000 direct and indirect jobs.

On the domestic front, in 2019 KZN hosted over 100 000 conference delegates, and in 2021 over 70 000 local delegates, despite the effects of Covid-19 and the recent floods experienced by the province.

“Post Meetings Africa 2023, we are delighted to again host familiarization tours for key international buyers to experience KZN’s business events facilities and establishments. Hosting international buyers in KZN will assist the KZN Convention Bureau to generate business leads for possible bidding and to lobby the buyers to consider KZN as a destination for hosting future business events,” said Khumalo.

At Meetings Africa the province’s business tourism offerings will be showcased in partnership with following key tourism partners:
• KZN Sharks Board
• Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife
• uGu South Coast Tourism
• iLembe Enterprise
• City of uMhlathuze
• Olive Convention Centre
• Okhahlamba Tourism Office
• Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality
• uMfolozi Casino and Hotel
• Logikal Events (SMMEs)

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We have a beautiful selection of ground covers on promotion from the 1st of march.

Wondering what to put in those odd little spots in the garden where the weeds keep growing or those spots along your paver’s or driveway that just don’t look very good, well there’s a ground cover that will work and fill that spot in no time.

We are running a promotion on ground covers starting from the 1st of March and offering a 20% discount on the following ground covers:
• Sutera white **
• Asystasia gangetica (creeping foxglove) **
• Stachys byzantina (lambs ear)
• Campanula portenschlagiana (Serbian bellflower)
• Ajuga catlins giant
• Viola hederacea
• Ophionpogon tall (tall mondo)
• Ophiopogon kyoto (dwarf mondo)
• Prunella purple
• Lamium galeobdolon (Yellow archangel)
• Erigeron white and pink
• Plectranthus neochilus (lobster plant) **
• Lampranthus bubblegum **
• Lampranthus pink **
• Lampranthus red **
• Crassula multiclava (fairy crassula) **
• Ornithogalium juncifolium (grass chincherinchee) **

** Indigenous plants 

While stocks last.

Above: Stachys Lambs Ear

For any advice or assistance please contact us on 083 384 2815 during business hours.

More about Tanglewood Nursery

World junior champion Pieter Coetzé (Pictured here) showed his speedwork is well on track by recording an A qualifying time for the Swimming World Championships in the 50m backstroke on the final day of action at the Grand Prix meet in Durban on Sunday.

The 18-year-old stormed to victory in a time of 25.09 seconds and was back in the pool a little later to record a B qualifying time in the 200m backstroke, winning in 1:58.34 – just 0.27 seconds off the A qualifying mark.

Fellow Pretoria swimmers Kaylene Corbett and Lara van Niekerk also put in promising early-season performances. Corbett took victory in the 200m breaststroke in an A qualifying time of 2:25.81 – almost a full 10 seconds ahead of her nearest challenger.

Van Niekerk, meanwhile, swam an A qualifier in the heats of the 50m breaststroke, finishing in a time of 30.65. Her time in Sunday morning’s final was 31.04, but still saw her finishing a second and a half in front of Corbett.

“I’m happy – especially with the Olympic qualifying time [in the 100m breaststroke]. The other events didn’t go as well as I hoped, like the 50m breaststroke,” said Van Niekerk afterwards.

“I still managed to go 30.6 which is actually good considering I haven’t done any front-end speed… I need to keep in mind that we are in hard training.

“Now I know exactly where I am in the training so it’s just a matter of getting that last little bit of fitness and the front-end speed going.”

Meanwhile, Rebecca Meder showed her versatility by claiming her third and fourth titles of the weekend on Sunday, taking victory in the 400m freestyle in 4:17.93 (although she had swum a 4:16.32 in the heats) and the 100m freestyle in 55.67 – both B qualifying times for the World Championships in Japan this July.

Erin Gallagher finished second in the 100m freestyle in 55.97 seconds. She then went on to win the 50m butterfly in 26.87 seconds. Both times were also B qualifying marks.

“I’ve worked hard so I’m really happy with my times,” said Meder. “To be going those times just before Nationals is a big confidence booster for me. So it’s just a matter of training hard in the next five weeks, getting in some mileage and speed and getting in some power and then seeing what I can produce at Nationals.”

Gallagher added: “We’re all in the middle of hard training at the moment so I didn’t have too many expectations coming into the gala. I think it was more the feeling of getting a suit on, standing up and racing against some of the best swimmers in the country which is always such a privilege to do.

“But it’s definitely a stepping stone to Nationals, which is another stepping stone for world champs,” added the Commonwealth Games silver medallist.

Others who achieved B qualifying times in the heats but not the finals were Dakota Tucker in the 400m individual medley (4:49.87 in the heats and 4:52.67 to win the final), Clayton Jimmie in the 50m freestyle (22.88 in the heats and 23.01 in the final) and Milla Drakopoulos in the 100m backstroke (1:02.67 in the heats and 1:03.01 in the final).

Competitors will need to swim qualifying times at the SA National Championships in Gqeberha from 12-16 April to book their places on the team to the World Championships which take place in Fukuoka, Japan from 23-30 July 2023.

Photo credit: Gaby Benjamin

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It’s no secret that aging is inevitable but most of us want to try and put it off for as long as possible. The market is flooded with pills, creams and new technologies that claim to be the fountain of youth but most of these lotions and potions seem to be just cheap marketing gimmicks, endorsed by celebrities wanting to make a quick buck.

As like in everything else in the world, you get what you pay for. Cheap is not always cheerful, nor the most effective. The best process to drastically reduce the ageing process lies in science but this takes time and patience.

Dr Sheryl Smithies, a top Cape Town based aesthetic dental surgeon and facial aesthetic specialist - shares her five long lasting tips to aesthetically refresh your look for 2023, and how to drop five years off your face.

1. Be committed and in it for the long haul
Today’s fast-paced world is demanding on our bodies, so it is imperative that we take the time to work on us, refuelling our energy tank but also conditioning our body and soul. Your body is the only home you have, so you need to nourish and maintain it, but this takes time. Sadly, there are no quick fixes.

By working with an anaesthetic therapist and doctor, you can build a personalised treatment plan to ensure that you are gaining the best out of your treatments and maintaining your skin optimally to create a younger looking you.

A proper plan would span several months, if not an entire year and focus on things like a facial peel and micro needling every other month and regular laser treatments interspersed with specific filler treatments for example. Having a clearly defined plan also helps to spread the costs of treatment.

2. Collagen is your best friend
We all know that our bodies start producing less collagen as we age and this causes our skin to become thinner, drier, and less elastic. Collagen induction treatments have been on the market for some time now, but there are some fantastic new injectable filler options that have become recently available. These stimulate the body’s own collagen production and build support for your skin, helping it stay tight and not droop as much. Again, talk to an anaesthetic therapist and doctor to find out what cutting edge treatments will be best suited to you and your skin.

3. Invest in threads
Threads, or solid fillers as they are often called, are another great way of building collagen and can completely eradicate the small grooves and lines we often see, especially on the forehead and neck area.

Threads are an amazing technology that allow us to be a better version of ourselves while utilising our own natural collagen. The investment is costly, but you are guaranteed that that the treatment will last you at least two years which is a great long-term investment.

Threads can be placed in almost any area of the body but unfortunately, they just don’t work as well in some regions. For these areas, your injectable collagen stimulators take over to ensure a smoother look and feel.

4. Don’t forget your teeth
As you age, your teeth undergo some serious chewing work, and this can be exacerbated by grinding or clenching habits. All of this wears the tooth structure away and creates a very worn and tired look around the lips and mouth.

If your teeth look extremely straight and square, you may have worn down a serious amount of tooth structure already. An aesthetic dental surgeon will be able to work with you to build on what you have worn down.

Using advanced Digital Smile Design and 3D scan technology, they will be able to design what you have lost and allow you to create, and test drive a remarkable new smile that looks natural and literally takes years off you. It will also ensure your teeth remain undamaged, instead protecting them from further wear.

5. Embrace clear aligner therapy
As you age, your teeth also start to go askew and, in the past, adults would treat this by subjecting themselves to having braces. Clear Aligner therapy is a revolutionary replacement to braces, allowing you to straighten your teeth in an extremely non- invasive manner that is almost invisible.

This, for me, is the epitome of advanced dentistry. Straight teeth are so important in the aging process. Better positioned teeth help rejuvenate your face and allow for a fuller lip support which improves your entire face and keeps you looking younger. Keeping your teeth healthy, and in your mouth, will also enhance your facial appearance and trim years off your look.

To read more insights about how to aesthetically refresh your look – follow Dr Sheryl Smithies @sheryl_smiledr or WhatsApp +27 (0) 71 534 5859 for more advice.

Photo credit: Claire Photography

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