‘n Jaar van vele was 2020 en vir baie ander wat dit n jaar van misnoeë en ongeluk was, was dit vir my ‘n besonderse jaar. Baie mense ken my storie en weet dat ek in 2013 gediagnoseer wees is met kroniese nierversaking wat my lewe heeltemal ontspoor het. Ek het beslis nie opgegee nie en het aanhou veg en uiteindelik na sewe jaar op die waglys, ontvang ek ‘n nieroorplanting in November 2019. Dit is n jaar later en ek doen baie goed en baie van dit het ek te danke aan die gemeenskap wat altyd by was en goeie ondersteuning was vir my en my gesin, maar wat die meeste gehelp het was natuurlik die fietsryery. Ek het laat in 2018 verslaaf geraak aan die stokperdjie, want ek het aanvanklik net begin ry om my hartklop en bloeddruk te reguleer en ek sou nooit kon dink dat ek so ‘n diep liefde vir dit sou ontwikkel nie. Dus het ek besluit om my nuwe lewe te benut ten volle en terug te gee en help waar ek kan. Met dit genoem, beoog ek om 5 Desember 2020 200 kilometers te ry met my fiets. Dit sal my eerste dubbele honderd wees. Hiermee wil ek fondse insamel vir die Cape Kidney Association sodat hulle kan voort gaan met hul werk om pasiënte met nierversaking in minder bevoorregte situasies te kan help. Ek ry op die dag vanaf Malmesbury na Klipheuwel, daarvandaan Paarl toe verby Hermon en deur die Riebeekvallei tot Moorreesburg en terug Malmesbury toe. Ek nooi u en vra u om in u harte te kyk en my teen R10 per kilometer te borg. Alle fondse sal sorg dat ‘n gesin oor die Feesseisoen iets op die tafel kan sit. Ondernemings is meer as welkom om ook ‘n paar kilometer te borg of donasies te gee. Meer besonderhede sal volg oor die volgende twee weke.
Vir enige navrae of donasies kontak asseblief vir Bradley Arendse by 079 606 3688.
VELDDRIF – One of the last pit stops well-known blind adventurer Christopher Venter made before finishing his Blind vs 2020 Challenge, was late afternoon on a Saturday at the Riviera Hotel in Velddrif, where he and his team could rest before cycling to Langebaan the next morning. But for this man, being blind for the past 6½ years, rest is a relative concept, as they were again on their way to take some photos at the Berg River mouth and the harbour at Laaiplek, and that after a day of cycling from Langebaan via Paternoster to Velddrif, in quite bad wind. Christopher became blind on a trip that he undertook from Cape Town to Dublin in Ireland through Africa on a Vespa scooter. Many thought Christopher to be a bit nuts for using a Vespa for this humongous task, but for Christopher it is about going slowly, looking at your surroundings in a relaxed manner, and making time to meet the locals, hear their stories, and then tell it to others. After all, that was exactly his goal when he resigned as a chef, tired of sweating in a kitchen. His dream was to become a writer about travel and adventure, and what better way than to live it, to experience it first hand? He got sick in the middle of Africa, contracting a virus that ultimately left him blind, though it took doctors a long time to figure out what exactly was wrong with him. Only after his sight disappeared completely and many more tests were done, the diagnosis was confirmed. They managed to save Christophers life, but his sight was gone. The ordeal left him pretty broken. During his long recovery he even had to learn to walk again. It took him almost two more years to have his first book on the shelves. Those near and dear to him started urging him to do adventures as a blind adventurer, as it is kinda cool and it will proof that he can still do things. His first trip was basically following in the footsteps of blind adventurer James Holmon, who travelled sightless in the 1850s from Sicily to Southern France. For Christopher this involved amongst other things climbing the active volcano, Mount Etna, sea kayaking along the Amalfi Coast, hiking in the forests of Tuscany and cycling on a tandem bicycle around the wall of an ancient town. And just like that, Christophers dream came true to be a travel write, using his four remaining senses, smell, listen, feel and taste. After the birth of his son Tate, wife Tamlyn suggested that Christopher travelled closer to home in order not to miss out on Tate growing up. Home is Milnerton in Cape Town. This is when 2020s challenge started taking form, travelling by boat, boot and bike from where the Ceres Mountains spits out a river called the Breede. From the Breede it separates at the only natural watershed into the Kleinberg River, which eventually runs into the Berg River and into the Atlantic Ocean. The Breede River runs into the Indian Ocean. The plan was first to paddle the two rivers, but as this was a logistical nightmare because the rivers can only be paddled at certain times of the year and might take years to accomplish, it was decided to tackle the route along the two rivers by boat, boot and bike and also travel the entire coastline between the two river mouths. And then lockdown happened!! Christopher lost five months. The challenge was renamed to Blind vs 2020. The challenge also changed a bit to include beast and bird… A few weeks ago Christopher managed to convince the marketing manager at Stellenbosch Landrover , Marius, to allow him to drive one of their newest Landrovers, a beast of a vehicle worth around R1,5 million. Obviously Christophers first request on the matter was met with a shocking: “Are you mad?”, but realising the marketing value of such an undertaking and with the blessing of traffic departments, mayors and the municipalities in Agulhas, Gansbaai and Hermanus, Christopher got what he wanted and Marius navigated a blind man for 50 kilometers at a speed of 40 kph, with all the necessary vehicles and officials escorting them all the way. Christopher chooses his guides very carefully, using friends and/or professionals to accompany him. They must definitely be experts at the task at hand, like Neil Buckland, who owns a bicycle shop in Cape Town and was a professional cyclist before. They met briefly when Christopher was still sighted, but got to know each other very well after Christopher visited the shop asking Neil for help with his tandem bicycle. The two managed to break that same tandem a while later. Then came Rosa, the red tandem that took the two of them on unforgettable rides through wonderful places, with Neil in the front telling Christopher all that he sees, warning him of obstacles in the road and large trucks and strong winds and Christopher at the back, asking a lot of questions, taking in his surroundings by smelling, listening, tasting and feeling, to later put pen to paper and involve his readers with the most amazing stories of living life as a blind man. His remaining senses are so sharp that some of his guides wont belief that he really ís blind and that he is playing the fool with them. Christopher and Tamlyn was on a visit to Italy when they went for a drive on Vespas. On the way he asked the pilot, a lady: “Oh, are we at the market now?” Very surprised she asked him how he knew that. “I can smell the food and hear the people.” A while later: “Are we at the beach now?” She was not impressed. How could he possibly know that? “Well, I can smell the sea, I hear seagulls, there is a distinctive smell of suntan lotion and other sounds suggest a beachfront.” The last straw was Christophers question on a sweet, lovely smell in the air. They were driving passed a gelato (Italian ice-cream) factory. “Hes not blind!! Hes joking!! It is impossible!!” Such experiences makes for lovely stories in Christophers books. To get to know this unique man better and/or order his books, visit his website www.blindscooterguy.com.
HOPEFIELD – Die gemeenskap van Hopefield het onlangs ’n gebedsaamtrek teen geweld op plase gehou by Hoërskool Hopefield se sportterrein. Die kleinboere wes van Hopefield het by Die Plaasmol bymekaar gekom, waarna hulle aangesluit het by die dorpsmense wat in die middedorp byeen gekom het. Almal het vandaar af Koperfontein toe vertrek waar die kommersiële landbouers en werkers reeds saamgetrek het. Die hele stoet van trekkers, stropers, landbou-implemente, bakkies, motorfietse en motors het van hier af Hopefield toe vertrek en deur die dorp gery tot by die sportterrein. Die prosessie is voorafgegaan met ’n interkerklike erediens. By die sportterrein, waar mans, vrouens, kinders en sommer ook honde van die gemeenskap bymekaar gekom het, is geleentheid gegee om te bid vir vrede in die land, dat daar ’n einde sal kom aan die geweld, veral op plase, en ook vir meer betrokkenheid van kerke en owerhede. Die voorsitter van die Hopefield Landbouvereniging, Olivier Slabber, het die dag as geseënd beskryf en was dankbaar vir die geleentheid dat die gemeenskap saam kon bid. ’n Soortgelyke geleentheid vir volgende jaar is nie uitgesluit nie. Die medewerker vir die dag se verrigtinge was Niels Nilsson, die videograwe Niels Nilsson jnr en Gene Tatham en die fotograaf Gerda Nilsson.
“The Other side of Me” by local writer, Leonita Coutts, is a collection of motivational thoughts and poems, written during the period of Lockdown. Born and bred in Malmesbury, she is no stranger to most. She has been writing poetry for many years, but this is the first time she decided to publish her thoughts on paper. A personal journey, on how to cope with depression and anxiety, is shared in her book. She hopes to motivate and uplift others with this collection. The book will be available from 12 December at selected retailers in Malmesbury, or can be pre-ordered on 082 407 9555 at R100 a copy.
The impact of COVID-19 on global economies has triggered unprecedented central bank responses. Since the virus made its debut in December 2019, the US Federal Reserve Bank (Fed) has lowered the targeted fund rate and kept it between a range of 0% to 0.25%. This marks the lowest level since the 2008 global financial crisis. Locally interest rates are at 50-year lows after the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) trimmed interest rates by 3% this year. The European Central Bank (ECB) has also kept its main refinancing operations, marginal lending facility and deposit facility at low levels of 0%, 0.25% and 0.50% respectively. These rates will likely remain stagnant until “the inflation outlook robustly converge to a level sufficiently close to, but below, 2% within its projection horizon” said the ECB governing council. Adriaan Pask, CIO, PSG Wealth, further discusses monetary policy beyond Covid-19.
US interest rates set to remain near zero for the next three years At this year’s Jackson Hole economic policy symposium, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said their new goal is to achieve inflation that averages 2% through the cycle, as opposed to the hard-cap of 2% previously applied. As a result, the central bank will refrain from hiking interest rates to prevent sharp declines in the unemployment rate and it will “allow inflation to run slightly higher in good times”, according to their FOMC statement released on 16 September 2020. This is a fundamental change in how the Fed intends to target 2% inflation – basically saying they are comfortable with inflation running in excess of 2%. Projections also indicate that rates could stay anchored near zero until 2023 as part of their accommodative policy plan, risking the possibility of prolonged periods of negative interest rates.
No further rate cuts expected for SA in 2020 Market expectations remain mixed on domestic interest rates. With a sluggish economic recovery one would think that the prospect for lower interest rates is material, but in the SARB’s September 2020 Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) statement the Reserve Bank noted that the sluggish economic recovery is set to keep inflation below the midpoint of their target range for the next two years. Hence they were comfortable to keep interest rates unchanged at 3.50% at their last meeting. In the same MPC statement they say that “…the implied policy rate path of the Quarterly Projection Model indicates no further rate cuts in the near term, and two rate increases in the third and fourth quarters of 2021.”
Implication for asset classes and currencies Typically, one would expect inflation to recede when interest rates are hiked, providing support for the rand. Conversely, the local currency should depreciate when interest rates are cut, and inflation numbers are expected to accelerate. It is important to consider the difference between the trend in inflation rates versus the trend in inflation differentials, especially when considering the potential impact on currencies. Inflation measures the CPI of a specific region, whereas inflation differentials measure the differences in inflation rates between two regions. We believe the rand could be supported if SA is aiming to increase rates next year, and the Fed is holding off until after 2023. In a similar vein, other countries who start to tighten monetary policy are potentially getting ahead of the curve on inflation differentials. Therefore, if interest rate hikes start to accelerate, one could start to see support for the specific country’s currency.
Swartland Joernaal se Abri Adonis, het besluit om ‘n reeks te begin waar hy met inwoners gesels wat ‘n verandering in hul lewe aangebring het as gevolg van die Covid19-pandemie. Hy gesels hierdie week met die eienaars van Moorreesburg Investments Upholstery Cleaning Services, wat lewe gekry het weens die inperking.
Die meeste mense word nie groot met die gedagte om eendag ‘n entrepreneur te word nie, hulle word dit net. ‘n Natuurlike entrepreneur aanvaar nie “nee” vir ’n antwoord nie en verloor nooit moed nie. Hulle is op hul gemak met uitdagings en sal alles moontlik doen om bo uit te kom. In ons eerste weergawe van “Op die Besigheidsrusbank met Abri Adonis” gesels ons met Stephan Karolus, een van die meesterbreine agter die stigting van Moorreesburg Investments Upholstery Cleaning Services. V. Wie is die vennote in die besigheid? A. Stephan Karolus , Riaan Krotz , Nazli Atkins en Anthony Jacobs. V. Wat het julle motiveer om hierdie besigheid te begin? A. Werkloosheid het ingesluip tussen ons vriende en dis toe dat ons besluit het om ons eie besigheid op die been te bring. Twee van ons was werkloos en een het “short time” gewerk. Die lockdown het ‘n groot impak gehad op ons lewens en ons moes ‘n plan beraam. V. Vertel ons bietjie meer van die besigheid? A. Upholstery Cleaning sluit in die skoonmaak van matte, rusbanke, matrasse en voertuigsitplekke. Volgens ons is dit ‘n diens wat almal in die gemeenskap sal kan benut. V. Wat is julle doelwitte en wat beoog julle om te bereik met die besigheid? A. Ons wil graag die werkloosheidsyfer van Moorreesburg help verlaag en sodoende die jeug motiveer om na beter te streef en ook om mense te laat besef dat niks onmoontlik is nie. V. Wat dink jy is die grootste uitdagings vir jong entrepreneurs om hul besigheid te begin, veral in vandag se moeilike ekonomiese toestande? A. Befondsing is die grootste uitdaging. Ons moes ons eie fondse in die besigheid stoot wat n groot risiko is. Die gebrek aan rolmodelle in die entrepreneursektor in ons gemeenskap is ook ‘n groot uitdaging. V. Hoe sal jy julle ondersteuningkorps beskryf aangaande jul besigheid? A. Dit was verskriklik moeilik aan die begin, want ons moes gelde uit die huis vat om dinge op dreef te kry en dit in die tyd van werkloosheid. Ons familie en vriende ondersteun ons heelhartig veral noudat hulle die groter prentjie sien. V. Watter raad het jy / julle vir ander potensiële entrepeneurs, besigheidsmanne/vroue? A. Selfvertroue is belangrik en al klink iets hoe onmoontlik , met God aan jou sy, is enigiets moontlik!
Die slaghuis-afdeling van die Superspar Malmesbury het dit weer gedoen. Hulle het nog ‘n Clever-toekenning ingepalm. Hierdie winkel het reeds twee keer op nasionale vlak as die beste slaghuis-afdeling van ‘n supermark gewen en ses keer beloon met die provinsiale platinum-toekenning. In 2010 het hulle ‘n goue provinsiale toekenning ontvang. Eienaar Des Moller, is dit eens dat dit ‘n trotse oomblik vir Superspar Malmesbury en hul slaghuis is. “Die toekenning gee erkenning aan die konstantheid van diens, gehalte en die wye reeks produkte wat ons bied. Dit is te danke aan ons kliënte en ons slaghuispersoneel dat ons hierdie toekenning weer kon ontvang.” Die Clever-toekennings word gebasseer op nominasies vanaf die kliënte, voor ‘n paneel na die slaghuis gestuur word om dit te evalueer.
