Humble Beginnings - Durban 03

Working Hard - Durban Warehouse 05

New Beginnings 07

Interview: Vuyokazi - Durban 09

Dragon Boat Festival 11

CEO’s Birthday 13

ACFS - Company Charity 15

ABET Training 17

Mpisi Statistics 19

Culinary Inspiration 21

Jokes 23

Language Exchange 24

Competition 25

Timeline 26

02

It is a bright and beautiful Tuesday morning in Durban. The sky is a clear and brilliant blue featuring

a solid shower of sun and the smell of sea. Looking around I remember how it all began for Mpisi here in Durban.

Durban started with myself as I was the first employee at our office here. I was interviewed by Mr Robert, our boss, and Mr Chetty at the Elangeni Hotel. The job was given to me right then and there and I was told to

go to Johannesburg for a week of training. Everything went well in Johannesburg and so I returned to Durban with a fax machine Mr Robert gave me to start the Durban office from home. For about six months we operated from my home.

I was given different duties to perform like delivering documents to different transporters and money was transferred into my account so I could pay the different shipping lines.

Within six months Mr Robert asked me to look for a truck yard as he was thinking of buying some trucks. I visited a lot of places and finally Mr Robert came down to Durban. After we visited about three places he liked the place at 132 Peter Road where our truck stop is at this present moment.

We purchased three Volvo trucks. As we purchased the trucks we hired our first employee, the second guy in Durban, Sipho Dube. He was the guy in charge of coordinating the trucks.

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A lot of it was thanks to Mr Robert’s planning and guidance. We started with very humble beginnings and worked our way up from scratch. We had to find our feet, find clients and make this operation work and run smoothly.

We specifically chose Durban because of its harbour, which I consider the heartbeat of Africa. Durban is also the busiest container port in Africa. We also considered the fact that we were giving our work out to transporters and saw that if we bought our own trucks we could rather do the work ourselves. Then we can also provide our own transportation service for our clients and we are able to tell them the time scheduled and so on.

We used to make use of other transporters in the past. At times they would mess us around and this wasn’t good for business at all. Now that we have our own equipment we can liaise one-on-one with clients and this improves our service delivery.

Transport is at the core of the services we provide here in Durban – we have got more than 23 trucks now.

We are also doing our own Durban clearance as we previously used to have the work done for us. Durban clearance cannot be done in Johannesburg as the system won’t accept it. So we have two new employees and they are doing the clearance for us. Our client base has also expanded because we have someone now to do the clearance of the stock for us. Furthermore the Johannesburg office focuses on the Chinese market whereas the Durban branch is more focused on Indian clients and also any local clients. We also focus on expanding the local market and we have even looked at some European countries as well as other countries like Singapore.

As time has gone by we have seen positive changes occurring. The company has grown. We went from one employee to more than 40 staff members here at our Durban branch. Even more growth has taken place and it has been decided that it is better to have the cell phone department come to Durban as well. It is ultimately cost saving and we have employed some new people as well which is good for the company and for South Africa as a whole.

Robin Moodley - Durban Branch Manager

Officially speaking the Durban office started on the first day of March, 2007.

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WorkingHardat Our Durban Warehouse

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Joshua Zigara helps to count and control stock at the main yard in Durban. He likes going to the beach a lot as well as fishing and enjoys the lifestyle and climate of Durban. Playing soccer, studying, watching TV and spending time with his family are things he feels passionate about.

He describes himself as a happy man that is willing to work hard and to do great things in life. He is always interested in learning more and willing to adapt.

Thamsanqa Masikane works in security at the office of the Durban branch. He enjoys living in Durban and he feels that being Zulu helps him when going to gym and to work on being strong and fit.

When talking about being Zulu he likes to think back to any cultural events and other celebrations like weddings mentioning that sometimes leopard skins are worn as traditional clothes. He is also a proud Kaizer Chiefs supporter and loves playing soccer on the beach.He describes himself as a friendly and understanding person at all times and enjoys jokes.

Simphiwe Mchunu is an assistant mechanic at the main yard in Durban. His favourite South African holiday destination is Cape Town although Durban with its beaches, surfing and sun will always be home to him. He also likes Balito and playing soccer.

When he is not at home relaxing after work, he enjoys going to the gym, jogging and hanging out with friends. He sees himself as a calm, passionate, caring and loving person. He also loves what he does at work.

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Vuyokazi means ‘happy’ in Xhosa.

1. So, where did you grow up and what do you remember most from that time?I lived in Durban for most of my life. Growing up my mother was strict. We weren’t really allowed to play and we were always at home. I was happy with that kind of life though and always tried to be a good girl.

2. If you compared your life as a child to your life as an adult now, in which ways are they different?My adult life is not very different to my childhood. My mom passed away when I was 17 years old and I stayed at home alone and took care of myself.

After I had my first child I decided to look for work. I have been working from the age of 21. My first job was in a kitchen and then I worked in a clothing factory where I learnt how

to operate the machinery. I also took various other small jobs until I started as a general worker at Mpisi Group in 2010.

I really enjoy working at Mpisi Group where I have learnt a lot and have even taken on the role of a receptionist. All of the different cultures and people working here offer so much to learn from.

3. When you think back to your hometown what do you miss most of all?I miss our culture and our Xhosa dances. I don’t miss the weather though as it’s always raining in the Eastern Cape.

4. What are some positive things in Xhosa culture?In Xhosa culture there is a belief in God and we call him Thixo. It is also important to greet everyone as you arrive, this shows love.

When you greet someone who is older than you, you must use titles like ‘Mother, Father, Brother’ and when you want to leave you also need to ask their permission.

Married women will always cover some parts of their bodies like their shoulders and knees.

5. What is not allowed in your Xhosa culture?A woman is not allowed to stay with a man without the man first paying lobola. A woman that has just got married is not allowed to eat any maas or sour milk.

My name is Vuyokazi and I am a receptionist at the Durban branch. I was born in Flagstaff, a small town in the Eastern Cape. My cultural group is

Xhosa, AmaXhosa refers to the people and isiXhosa is the language.

I am normally answering calls, sending e-mails, taking messages and providing assistance to the different departments. I like working with clients and colleagues a lot. I decided to take this position because I have lived in Durban for a long time and I liked the opportunities this company had to offer. I enjoy the weather and the friendly people of Durban.

“I enjoy pap and mutton curry

because pap gives me strength

and I love the flavour of mutton.

This dish is also mild as I don’t

enjoy hot food.”

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6. What defines South Africa to you?South Africa is the country that allows everyone to be free and happy. South Africa has got a lot of opportunities too.

7. Are there any specific people in South African history that you admire? I admire Nelson Mandela. He might be old now, but he is still a very good person. When I think of him I feel proud. 8. If there is some unique aspect of your culture that you could share with us, what would that be?

It teaches us how to care for ourselves and to have an understanding of different people and religions.

9. How does your cultural background help you at work?I might not be educated, but I am a hardworking person. This has got me to where I am in life and I am proud of myself.

“I enjoy pap and mutton curry

because pap gives me strength

and I love the flavour of mutton.

This dish is also mild as I don’t

enjoy hot food.”

10. Have you ever achieved an important goal in your personal life that you would like to share with us? When I came to Durban at first, I had no experience. I was just a general worker, but now I can even be a machinist. I can operate any factory sewing machine.

I am also a receptionist – I am able to deal with customers and clients. I still need to study more, but now I can help my big brother when he is doing some things at home.

11. Are you romantically involved at the moment?Yes, I have a boyfriend. His name is Siphiso. He works as a supervisor and we have been together for five years. He is from Kwazulu Natal and I met him in Kenville.

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Dragon Boat Festival or Duanwu Jie is a traditional Chinese

festival that falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the

Asian lunar calendar and is also known as Double Fifth Day.

European observers in the 19th century saw all of the dragon

boats and loosely referred to it as a “dragon boat festival”.

However, the words Duanwu Jie rather refer to the summer

solstice – the longest day and shortest night of the year.

One of the stories that people tell to explain the origin of Duanwu Jie is the story about the death of the poet Qu Yuan (c. 340–278 BCE).

He was a poet and descendant of the ancient state of Chu during the Warring States Period of the Zhou Dynasty. He was exiled for his political views on an alliance with the state of Qin and wrote a great deal of poetry during that time.

When the state of Qin captured Ying, the capital of Chu – Qu Yuan felt a great sense of loss and despair and he committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.

It is said that the local people who admired him paddled out on boats to try and retrieve his body and this is what started dragon boat racing. They also dropped sticky rice triangles wrapped in bamboo leaves into the river to feed Qu Yuan.

There are some other versions to this story too which says that the rice was meant for the fish so they would not eat Qu Yuan’s body. Another story tells of the historical figure Wu Zixu.

Duanwu Jie is also celebrated in other parts of Asia and it is also called Tuen Ng in Cantonese. Related or similar festivals also exist like Kodomo no hi in Japan, Dano in Korea and TetĐoanNgo in Vietnam.

The rice is said to be wrapped in bamboo leaves so the fish could not eat it – this is viewed as the origin of zongzi.

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On Friday, the 29th of June, we celebrated the birthday of our CEO – Mr Robert Huang.

He was surprised during a general meeting in the canteen that morning by a big cake in the shape of a ship. We were also joined by some children from ACFS, one of our supported charities, who sang ‘Happy Birthday’.

Here’s to wishing that the day was filled with happiness.Happy birthday boss!

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Social Responsibility- ACFSCommunity Education and Feeding Scheme

Children are often referred to as our future. In their bright smiles

and sparkling eyes lie the value and soul of a nation reborn. However much we invest in our children says a lot about how much we believe in the future of our country.

It is imperative that no child should ever have to go hungry in a country that cares.

ACFS, formerly known as the African Children’s Feeding Scheme, is a community education initiative coupled with the feeding scheme started by the late Bishop Trevor Huddleston in 1945.

Initially the feeding scheme started with soup kitchens in winter that provided for hungry children in Alexandra and Soweto.

Today ACFS pursues various ventures that aim to give back by uplifting and empowering communities in Soweto, Kagiso, Alexandra, Thembisa, Daveyton, KwaThema & Tsakane.

They provide 31 500 children with milk and peanut butter sandwiches on a daily basis. Furthermore they work to promote healthy,

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contributing citizens who are able to create a sustainable future for themselves through micro-economic empowerment programmes, community food gardens, health and nutrition education as well as HIV/AIDS awareness.

Mpisi Group recognises that healthy communities nurture children that are able to lead South Africa into

a future we would like to see made possible in our lifetime. Therefore we support this worthy cause and the wonderful work done by the people of ACFS.

Further information can be found on their website:http://www.acfs.org.za/

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Staff Studies ABET Classes

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Staff Studies ABET Classes

Every Tuesday and Thursday staff members become students again when they meet with Sibongile Dube for their ABET

classes.

ABET is also known as Adult Basic Education and Training and is there to assist in any further learning and development.

Most of the students are studying English at the moment and when they are done with the English course they will start the course in mathematics called Dynamic Numeracy.

Their facilitator, Sibongile Dube, says they are always busy and working hard. Four of the students are always there and giving their best and she does hope that everyone else will try their best to always attend. She says that perhaps one of their biggest challenges when it comes to attendance is time.

Sibongile is passionate about teaching and has been a facilitator for 16 years. She says the fact that many people are disadvantaged gives her the courage and continued energy to help develop others.

When asked to point out her star students she exclaims that all

of her students deserve to be praised.

Two of her students, however, deserve a special mention.

Christina is always a pleasure to have in class as she always goes the extra mile and does more than what is expected of her.

Octavia is also doing very well. Her comprehension skills are excellent and she enjoys reading on her own and asks questions that shows how eager she is to learn more.

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Culinary InspirationTambu’s Smooth and Thick Pap - Zimbabwean Style

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TAMBU’SSECRETRECIPE

Ingredients:

• 600 gr. maize meal

• 1 l water

Preparation

• Mix 200 ml of water and 300 gr of maize meal; pour in a pot.

• Boil the rest of the water and add to the mixture.

• Simmer for 20 – 25 minutes.

• Add the rest of the maize meal while stirring continuously until it becomes a thick non-watery mixture.

• Lower heat and cover for 5 – 10 minutes.

• Serve with a spicy sauce, chakalaka or meat stew.

• Alternatively serve with milk or buttermilk and sugar or syrup.

Ideal for braais (barbeques).”

P ap on its own might not be anything to write home

about as it doesn’t really taste as good without other foods to complement it.

I especially enjoy eating pap with vegetables and beef or chicken stew as well as chakalaka.

In Southern Africa pap is the staple food just like bread or rice is the staple food in other parts of the world. So I grew up eating pap and I got quite used to it.

Water, maize meal and salt are the basic ingredients when it comes to making pap.

Once you get the hang of it, it is quite easy to make. I love making pap. With pap being the staple food I learnt to make it myself from a young age.

When it comes to African food I must say that I enjoy eating pap a lot.“ ”

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Hello! My name is...

Chinese

Afrikaans

Sesotho

Shona

isiZulu

English

Korean

Xhosa

Hallo! My naam is...

Annyeong haseyo! Nae ileum-eun… ibnida

Dumela! Lebitso laka ke...Molo! Igama lam ngu...

Mhoroi! Ndinonzi...

Sawubona! Igama lami ngi ngu...

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AutumnWhen the Autumn comes,

Leaves fall off the trees.

The color changes,They all turn brown and orange.

Grass, trees, and flowers jumping into theseason they become yellow. People’s faces you can see all of them smiling.

Silent autumn breezes play their own autumn hymns.

If you find me lying under the Maple trees,

do not wake me up,

I will be following a symphony with cicadas.

Cause it comes after Summer and just

before Winter.

Christina Chou

2012/06/19

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Tel: +27-11 450 4740Cell: +27 76 3775197

Johannesburg Office: 2nd Floor, No. 2 Skeen Boulevard, Bedfordview, Johannesburg, RSA.Durban Office: 103 Intersite Avenue, Umgeni Business Park, Springfield Durban, RSA.

Maputo Office: Time Square, 25 De Setembro No. 270 Andar 4th Floor Maputo, Mozambique.

www.mpisi.com

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