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SPICEBUSINESS | INVESTMENT | FOOD | TRAVEL | CULTURE | DESIGN | VISION
May 2015
Harish Mehta has quietly built one of KZN’s
business giants
LOW PROFILE HIGH PROFIT
Anything but business as usual
Keeping your family business relevant in this era of change means adapting faster, innovating earlier and becoming more professional in the way you run your operations.
The winners will be those businesses with the fl exibility to adapt and the ability to make the investments needed to innovate and keep pace with change. These are some of the highlights from PwC’s ‘Family Business Survey’.
Ask the following questions of your family business:
• Is it fl exible?
• Are you agile?
• Have you innovated?
If you have answered NO to any of these questions, our Assurance, Advisory and Tax professionals have the experience to assist you to fi nd the right solutions. Don’t hesitate to contact:
• Des Fourie +27 (0) 33 343 8611
• Rod Klute +27 (0) 31 271 2024
• Suleman Jhavary +27 (0) 31 271 2025
©2015 PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc. (“PwC”). All rights reserved. (15-16976)
www.pwc.co.za
15-16976_Advert_SPICE_Durban.indd 1 2015/05/18 1:00 PM
May 2015 | SPICE | 03
May 2015 ED’S LETTER
SPICE magazine, our glossy monthly insert in the Sunday Times in KwaZulu-Natal, is about accomplishment.
It’s about success, achievement and the triumph of individuals, often in the face of great adversity. It is also, and we hope refreshingly so, about unsung heroes and visionaries.
In this edition we are proud to tell the story of Professor Thandinkosi Madiba, for example. He’s a quiet, unassuming man who has got on with his job, brilliantly, but without any fanfare, and in the process inspired generations of medical students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
We also feature a host of entrepreneurs who participated in our Shark Tank event. Some of their businesses are plain brilliant, others are testament to dogged determination.
We have an article about Gcina Zondi’s investment business; an interview with Harish
Mehta, an unpretentious captain of industry who with his siblings turned a family enterprise into a major commercial force; and a report about DHS old boy Stewart Glendinning, who runs a R20-billion beer business in Canada. Oh yes, and there’s also a piece about other talented, hardworking local brewers.
Gifted sculptor Andries Botha and passionate architect Nina Saunders tell us about their favourite places in Durban. Another architect, the visionary Andrew Makin, paints a lively picture of the future of downtown Durban. And advertising maestro Dale Tomlinson describes the transformation of ugly ducklings into beautiful swans in what many still, foolishly, regard as a backwater.
Thank you for your support. I hope you enjoy this edition of SPICE.
GREG ARDÉ
is inserted into the sunday times in KZn on the last sunday of every month.
TO ADvERTISE, CALL vERNA ON 082 452 6277
SPICE
CONTENTS
SPICE
May 2015
EDITORIALEDITOR Greg Ardé [email protected], 082-822-0001CREATIVE DIRECTOR Megan GuytSUB EDITOR Dave ChambersDESIGNER Marc BarnardCONTRIBUTORS Yasantha [email protected]
Shelley [email protected]
Beth [email protected]
Masood [email protected]
Nompumelelo [email protected]
EDITOR-AT-LARGE Philani Mgwaba
ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGERVerna [email protected], 082-452-6277
PUBLISHER, SUNDAY TIMES Mike Robertson
Printed by Paarl Media
Published by Times Media (Pty) Ltd, 4 Biermann Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg.
© Copyright: Times Media (Pty) Ltd. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent of the publishers. The publishers are not responsible for unsolicited material. SPICE is published by Times Media (Pty) Ltd. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Times Media (Pty) Ltd. All advertisements, advertorials and promotions have been paid for and therefore do not carry any endorsement by the publishers.
winTake a great photograph on the SPICE route and win a holiday on us
featuresGcina Zondi explains how he built a R2-billion private equity company
Cash to spare? We have some delectable collectables for you to choose from
COVER STORY: Harish Mehta is the quiet man behind an entrepreneurial whirlwind
Join SPICE in KwaZulu-Natal’s very own dragons’ den, the Shark Tank
Dale Tomlinson on how The Hardy Boys grew fruitfully in Durban soil
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cultureNina Saunders loves Durban’s CBD and sees a great future for it
Architect Andrew Makin is helping to change the face of the inner city
Meet Professor Thandinkosi Madiba, a Durban doctor who’s a world leader in his fi eld
The craft beer revolution is under way, and Shongweni Brewery is in the vanguard
Raise a glass to ex-DHS boy Stewart Glendinning, who slakes Canada’s thirst
Jeeva Moodley is ‘Mr Porsche’, and to prove it he has three in his garage
Sculptor Andries Botha takes us to his favourite places in KZN
29
04 | SPICE | May 2015
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INTERVIEW
06 | SPICE | May 2015
Gcina Zondi heads a R2-billion private equity company in Durban. Nompumelelo magwaza spoke to a man who
believes his job is to nurture great crops in barren soil
CAPITAL IDEAS
PHOTOGRAPHY JACKIE CLAUSEN
May 2015 | SPICE | 07
Gcina Zondi is seized with the latest offering from his favourite author, Robin Sharma. He’s gobbling up The Leader Who Had No
Title in his Afro-chic offices in Umhlanga, saying the book inspired him and spurred a serious bout of creativity.
“Sometimes I wish I could clone myself. If I were a petrol attendant with this knowledge I could make good money. You can make good money if you work hard and give it your all,” says the man who runs Imbewu Capital Partners.
Zondi and his partner, Craig Coombe, took the daunting but intrepid decision to start the private equity and investment holding company in Durban in 2005, a time when many executives were migrating to Johannesburg. “I promised myself that I would like to achieve the same, if not more, being based in Durban,” he says.
Ten years later, Zondi and his team have made 12 significant investments and retain eight of them, including minority equity shareholdings in aluminium company Hulamin, cement producer
NPC-Cimpor and multi billion-rand food company RCL Foods, previously known as Rainbow Chicken.
“The model of Imbewu, which means seed, is to go and get funds from investment institutions such as banks and pension funds and invest on behalf of those institutions in different businesses, particularly unlisted businesses,” says Zondi.
Most of the companies are based in KwaZulu-Natal. “This makes me really proud, because I think even though we are the manufacturing hub of the country we have lost most of our talent to Johannesburg.”
Zondi says it makes sense for manufacturing companies to set up in the province because of its proximity to the harbour.
The toughest part of his job? Finding businesses run by good managers.
“This is a key attraction for us. We invest in people. People who are running the business are critical because we rely on good management to grow our investment.”
The size of the business also counts, says Zondi,
who is not shy to add that Imbewu invests only in firms worth more than R100-million and with annual profits exceeding R20-million. “A business that size is more than one individual and can survive the misfortune of him or her being hit by a bus.”
The revival of corporate, manufacturing and service businesses in Durban inspires him. “We have seen a spike in infrastructure businesses in the past five years and we are glad that we have some kind of exposure in that space.
“We have also seen some good businesses in the FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) space, as well as service businesses linked to infrastructure.”
Zondi is amazed at the amount of infrastructure being built along the N2. “Our business is feeding into most of these developments as we have a stake in a cement business and a business in construction containers, which profit from the infrastructure.”
Disappointments are part of the game. “Yes, we have been burnt, and the first thing we did when we lost investments was go back to the drawing board to see what we could learn.”
“we invest in people. people who are running the business are critical
because we rely on good management to grow our investment”
ZONDI’S WISH LIST FOR DURbANê We need more companies to establish
themselves here
ê We need to do something to keep skills in
Durban
ê We need to create more opportunities for
business to grow
ZONDI’S FAvOURITe THINGS AbOUT DURbANê I love the weather
ê We have a family-oriented city
ê It’s a good place to raise kids
ê You can build a business network here based
on trust
ê You can land at the airport and be at one of the
biggest malls in Africa in about 15 minutes.
Andyoucansqueezeinfivemeetingsinaday.
In Johannesburg you are lucky if you can do
three
ê The golf courses are great
ZONDI’S TIPS FOR eNTRePReNeURSê Nothing beats hard work and passion.
Whatever you do, do it exceptionally well
ê Young business people should learn to take a
long-term view of their business growth and
not rush quick returns
ê Businesses have cycles, and a solid business
should be able to survive the tough times
ê Young entrepreneurs must learn to sustain
their businesses. That is a skill
SPENDING IT
08 | SPICE | May 2015
Persian Charm
Carpet: r75 000-r80 000The Seirafian Isfahan is a finely woven wool carpet with a silk base depicting a hunting scene. The carpet was made 40 years ago.Contact: Charm Moodley on 031-303-8814
antiques and Bygones
Vase: r27 000Japanese Satsuma porcelain vase from
the Meiji period (1868-1911).Covered in intricate paintwork, the piece is 36cm high.
Contact: Nick Howarth on 031-303-8880/3
May 2015 | SPICE | 09
The DoDDs Gallery
Bronze sculpture: r83 000Midlands artist Llewellyn Davies’ latest creation is Ode to Joy!
The bronze is one of 15 and stands 57cm high. Contact: Michelle Dodds on 031-220-2041 or [email protected]
romanTiques
antique candlestick: r59 000Vintage piece consisting of one 11.07-carat aqua stone, twenty-eight 0.27-carat diamonds and four 0.39-carat diamonds. Set in sterling silver. Contact: Tina Sarkis at [email protected]
Bauchop Knives anD sworDs
Knives: r14 500 per setLimited-edition knife set known as the Witch and the Warlock. Only 50 sets were produced and distributed worldwide.A pair of knives, the Witch with a 6-inch blade and the Warlock with a 7.5-inch blade, are handcrafted using hardened and tempered 6mm steel.
They have double-edged blades, steel crossguards and micarta handle slabs, and are coated with a non-reflective black Gun Kote finish. Each set comes in a mini replica ammunition box lined with camouflage material.Contact: Robert Bauchop on 039-313-5998 or [email protected]
If you’ve got boodle to burn and are looking to impress your buddies, SPICE is here to help. sanTham pillay went shopping
DELECTABLE COLLECTABLES
INTERVIEW
Harish Mehta and his siblings have deliberately avoided the limelight. But as GreG Ardé found out, behind their low profile
lies a whirlwind of entrepreneurial activity
QUIET STORM
PHOTOGRAPHY JACKIE CLAUSEN
May 2015 | SPICE | 11
Harish Mehta is quiet, unfailingly polite and decidedly understated. He’s also one of Durban’s most accomplished and
under-the-radar entrepreneurs. Mehta and his siblings turned a 100-year-old
family business into a widely diversified group with shareholdings in some of South Africa’s blue chip companies, including Times Media Group and Redefine.
Their investments, via family group Clearwater Capital, are spread across a range of sectors in South Africa and include assets in Australia and the UK.
It all started in the late 1800s when Harish’s grandfather was brought to South Africa by Mahatma Gandhi to establish his printing press at the Phoenix settlement.
The business moved around Durban but grew steadily, and by the time Harish and his siblings, Bharat, Yatish and Aasha, took over it was time to take the firm to the next level.
Of the children, one is a chartered accountant, two have MBAs from US universities and another has a Master’s in sociology. They had a keen understanding of business and the power of leverage. They convinced their father they couldn’t fund growth from savings.
They borrowed cleverly, upscaled dramatically, and catapulted Universal Print Group into another league. Harish headed the business until 2011. A year earlier the family reversed their printing business for a 10% stake in Avusa – now the Times Media Group, which owns the Sunday Times.
Six years earlier the family established Clearwater Capital to diversify their interests. Harish heads this, but he says his siblings are bright, outspoken and as capable as he is of doing the job.
When they owned Universal the four met every day at their parents’ house for lunch, and to thrash out business and family issues. Mehta says they are still close and take turns to visit their ageing mother.Their father, KV Mehta, died in 2011 at the age of 84.
Mehta says his father had the most profound influence on him. “My father was the most humble, unbelievable man. He was a very simple man. He never wore a watch. He instilled basic values in us.
“I was a high school dropout. I never got matric,
but my father never gave up on me. He sent me to Leeds to do a printing diploma and after that I did an engineering degree in the US, then an MBA at the University of Wisconsin.
“I was never academic at school. If anyone had rated my chances of succeeding then, they would have been one out of 10.
“I was mediocre, but my father believed in me. He gave his children the best chance through good education, and my family and friends provided a good environment to succeed.”
Mehta says the family’s success in business is best attributed to adding value. “We know our markets and we have the skills. We get involved in the businesses we invest in. We are also long-term investors, so we have a long timeline and look for reasonable returns. It hasn’t always been easy. For example, just after we invested in Wasteman the CEO was fired. It cost us (the Oppenheimer and Mehta families are the major shareholders) about R75-million to fix the problems there.”
Mehta says modern-day directors have to add value in business. “It’s easy to buy assets with other people’s money, but it’s another thing to work your own money; to get on-side with management and to be closely aligned around growing the business.”
Mehta says the family’s success wasn’t by design. “Looking back on it now, I think ‘wow, it has been fantastic’, but we never really had a line we followed. It was just head down and hard work.”
Clearwater Capital has a small, smart office suite on Umhlanga Ridge. In keeping with the family’s ethos, there’s neither a grand entrance nor ostentatious signage.
Mehta’s wife, Meena, helps with administration. An optometrist who studied pre-med while she and Harish were in the US as students, he credits her as the brains in the relationship.
He says the family recently invested in an Indian medical company and intends to pursue investments in healthcare. “The medical knowledge and skills in Durban are superb … we will target the middle market, between people who pay top-end medical aid and people dependent on the state.
“Our Indian partners are providing clinical analysis to patients in Seattle using telepathology and teleradiology. Test results go to them around the clock. The service is also offered at a discount
because it is done after hours. Here, you pay a premium for after hours. We aim to better utilise the latest machines and the best skills with technology.”
Mehta says his business philosophy is underscored by taking risks. “I’m highly ambitious, but I don’t want to succeed at any cost. Manage your risks and the rewards will follow. Be ambitious, but be careful. I set goals and I persevere.”
“My father was the Most huMble, unbelievable Man. he was a very siMple
Man. he never wore a watch.”
HARISH MEHTA On KZn’S PROSPECTS“This province has the best growth potential
in South Africa, especially in logistics,
warehousing and food and agri-business.
Durban is the gateway to Africa. Did you
know the city is the biggest exporter of
citrus from the southern hemisphere? We
need to capitalise on Dube Tradeport and
the opportunities around tunnel farming and
our ideal growing climate. Our problem is
our skills base; people leave here once they
have the fundamentals. People create value,
so you can’t be losing them to Gauteng or
overseas. Our climate and lifestyle offering
is great here, but the job prospects are poor.
We have to change that.”
THE MOST PROFOUnD IDEA MEHTA HAS BEEn ExPOSED TO LATELYHe attended a conference in Australia and
heard a presentation by 32-year-old Pablos
Holman, an inventor and “hacker for good”.
He displayed a photograph of 44-gallon
drums lined up in the Nevada desert. They
contained nuclear waste that he believes can
provide enough power to run cities the size
of Los Angeles. “I found his presentation
mind-numbing. That guy lives in the
beautiful region of Southern California. Why
can’t we get that kind of thinking going in
beautiful Durban? We don’t have a harried
lifestyle here. We should be attracting people
like that to live here.”
FIVE THInGS ABOUT HARISH MEHTA ê He has three grown sons.
ê He lives in Umhlanga.
ê He is a keen golfer and goes to yoga
classes with his wife.
ê He loves reading and watching movies.
ê He is an avid hiker and has been to Mount
Everest base camp, hiked around Mont
Blanc, and visited Machu Picchu and the
summit of Kilimanjaro.
feature
12 | SPICE | May 2015
Eight business leaders sitting in judgment, nine entrepreneurs presenting their ideas, R10 000 from FNB for the winner. SPICE hosted KZN’s own foray into what some call the Dragons’ Den
the shark tank
Entrepreneurship means different things to different people. To most it means self-reliance and a can-do attitude that is
liberating because it drives people to take control of their destiny.
In a country with rampant unemployment and a fast-developing welfare state, many believe establishing a culture of entrepreneurship is critical.
Recently the Sunday Times, the publisher of SPICE, and FNB, through its KwaZulu-Natal regional chairman, Preggie Pillay, held an event at the bank’s headquarters on Umhlanga Ridge. It was aimed at nurturing entrepreneurship in KZN and it was, without exaggeration, inspiring.
We invited entrepreneurs to submit ideas or business plans for consideration by a panel of FNB bankers and business experts from Deloitte.
The initiative attracted just shy of 100 entries, a list that was whittled down to 10 finalists who appeared in what we dubbed “The Shark Tank”, where they pitched their ideas to a panel of successful business people and Sharks CEO and former Springbok rugby captain John Smit.
Smit made no bones about being a relative newbie to business, but he encouraged participants with a heartwarming pep talk, and his fellow panellists represented the who’s who of KZN business: Stephen Saad, who founded global pharmaceutical giant Aspen; Hixonia Nyasulu, former chairman of Sasol, who was once voted the most influential woman in business in South Africa; Harish Mehta, the chairman of Clearwater Capital and former CEO of Universal Print; Terry Rosenberg, the former CEO of McCarthy Retail
and current chairman of Oakbrook Investments; entrepreneur Merlin Stols; Guy Brazier, the head of Deloitte in KZN; and Pillay.
Saad set the tone for the day when he told participants that perseverance would determine their path. “You are not defined by your successes or your failures. You are going to have big knocks. That’s not important. It’s how you get up that counts. It’s the sacrifices you make and the many times you fall that count. Entrepreneurs are critical to the success of this country. Entrepreneurs are positive people. They are compassionate people and they never give up,” Saad said.
The finalists reflected a range of enterprises. One business withdrew at the 11th hour, and this issue of SPICE contains snapshots of the remaining nine.
The Sharks congratulated the participants on their novel ideas and some for the depth of their knowledge of costs, business processes, products and markets.
Brazier said the Sharks heard an intriguing range of ideas. Smit said entrepreneurship was about learning and he congratulated participants for being prepared to absorb valuable lessons.
“I admire you and envy that feeling of excitement that you have just before you are about to jump. That’s what entrepreneurs thrive on when they launch businesses.”
Mehta praised the pitches as “outstanding”, though he said there was too much focus on ideas and not enough on risks.
Nyasulu said participants didn’t cut to the chase quickly enough. “Nobody gave us enough of a sense of who or what could derail you or make
your business difficult. The pitches could have done with a clearer definition of victory.”
Stols encouraged entrepreneurs to work with the resources at their disposal. They would always have limited time to present to bankers or potential funders so they had to be precise and say quickly and exactly who they were, what they did, what their competitive edge was and what risks they faced.
Pillay praised the contestants. “You presented well, but I would have loved to have seen more business problems solved and more details around your businesses.”
Rosenberg said all the participants were winners. “It’s not easy to get complex ideas across quickly. We found there wasn’t enough analysis of competitor threats and risks to the businesses. We needed more explanation around profits. You have to learn to get that across quickly.”
Some participants, he added, showed exceptional talent, strength and business acumen, and he picked out the following entrepreneurs for special mention: Lubabalo Ndzimande, who runs a tent hire company in Umzimkhulu; Andries Keyser, a steam train enthusiast who runs a tourist business in the Midlands; and Ntombenhle Mtshali, who has a farming enterprise in Hlabisa.
On behalf of the Sharks, Rosenberg declared Gregory de Beyer the winner. De Beyer owns Ad Stuff, a manufacturing business that services the advertising industry. His business was the enterprise most judges said they would have invested in. He received R10 000 from FNB.
SPICE and FNB will host another Shark Tank in October. For more information, e-mail [email protected]
TEXT BETH STOLS & GrEG Ardé
PHOTOGRAPHY THuLi dLAmini
May 2015 | SPICE | 13
And the winner is...
GreGory de Beyer – TransporTaBle draUGHT Beer dispenser
interest in draught beer is growing rapidly worldwide, and Gregory de Beyer believes he has the winning formula to provide cold beer on tap anywhere, at any time.
His business, Ad Stuff, operates in the advertising and promotions sector, and he’s at the coalface when it comes to consumer trends.
Traditional draught machines need electricity, and there’s a need to pre-cool the keg. africa has limited reliable power, especially in the informal sector, and de Beyer’s goal is to take his innovation to this market.
He has developed a fibreglass mobile unit that is collapsible, fits into the boot of a small car, takes five minutes to set up and can dispense its first cold beer within three minutes. The product uses a small aluminium plate cooler and two bags of ice to chill a 50-litre keg to 2C.
The outer rim of each unit can be branded, and de Beyer says the cost of the unit can be recovered by selling seven kegs of beer or three or four kegs of craft beer.
stols was concerned that de Beyer would be up against south african Breweries, which would invariably give away his unit with its products.
de Beyer said saB was his biggest customer and he had recently sold 10 units into africa, where there was limited electricity but easy access to ice.
Brazier asked how de Beyer anticipated earning an income. He said it would come from manufacturing and supplying the units.
smit admired the concept but said liquor licences involved multiple protocols and restrictions.
saad asked if there was sustainable revenue in de Beyer selling the keg and its contents, and felt there was added value that could be explored.
Brazier felt that the selling of cold drinks should also be investigated. nyasulu concurred, saying the product would do well at township functions and funerals.
SUNIL HIRALAL
NARESH SUNDERPERSADH
ANDRIES KEYSER
HUMZA DESAI
14 | SPICE | May 2015
furniture and building materials during the week, when functions are not held. It employs up to 10 people and is contracted to the Umzimkhulu municipality to deliver feedstock.
Nzimande said he delivered on time and focused on the supply of good-quality, user-friendly tents and trained staff to erect them.
He impressed the Sharks with his pitch and his keen knowledge of his market, costs and profits.
Nzimande outlined his plan to double the size of his business and extend his offering to mobile freezers for events.
Saad grilled him on the potential market and asked why he didn’t have a plan to grow even bigger than he planned to. Nyasulu said the barriers to entry for Nzimande’s competitors were low and he had to continue setting himself apart.
NareSH SUNderperSadHSouth africa’s road accident statistics are among the highest in the world and Naresh Sunderpersadh believes luminescent road paint will help alleviate the increased risks drivers face at night due to decreased visibility and depth perception, and poor road markings.
His business plan is based on a product that is being tested in Canada, and his vision is to build a manufacturing plant in his home town of Newcastle and distribute the paint nationally.
The technology uses sunlight to charge and can emit light for up to 10 hours after dark. The paint is said to last up to 10 years.
Saad asked how expensive the product was and what the expected turnover would be. Sunderpersadh said the cost was 60% to 70% more than conventional road paint, but this would be offset by the increased lifespan of the product.
He expected turnover would be r5-million in the first year and approximately r100-million in five years.
Nyasulu said research showed that the biggest cause of road accidents was driver behaviour. She queried how the product would deal with that. Sunderpersadh said it couldn’t change driving
Wiggly, if the money doesn’t run out for train rides and ice creams. But I could run out of people to build and operate trains. I am indebted to the people who trained me … I don’t want my skills to be hidden in a shed when others could benefit from them,” he said.
KaTHrYN KUreKathryn Kure understands her niche well. She’s an independent member of the Southern african Marketing research association and knows how to turn research findings into marketing action.
Her company, data Myna, capitalises on companies’ growing need for digital strategies, providing analytics for clients who can’t afford a full-timer to research the objective information required for growth.
Brazier asked why she needed finance, and Kure said she wanted to contract mid-career women with research backgrounds who were able to undertake tele-communicating work.
pillay asked Kure for an example of her plan. She replied that digital ad agencies generally ran a company’s website, analysed the market and implemented strategies online. Her service was product-agnostic and provided an objective view of consumer behaviour.
Mehta said there was huge value in acquiring, understanding and retaining data. The management, sale and analytics of data were critical and he commended Kure’s business plan.
LUBaBaLO NzIMaNdeLubabalo Nzimande runs Syafikisa Tent Hire and delivery, a company he started in Umzimkhulu in 2013 to service the rural market, where tents are not readily available for functions such as weddings and funerals.
Nzimande’s business responds to the fact that good tents are in short supply and are located far from clients who cannot afford to transport them.
His company also transports general supplies,
deVaN NaIdOO3d dental Crowns is the brainchild of durban computer contractor devan Naidoo, who wants to create a global e-commerce business that specialises in the manufacture of crowns and other dental fixtures.
He wants to do this using the latest 3d laser-cutting technology, with a website for dentists to upload images of fixtures requiring cutting.
Most dentists, said Naidoo, made moulds of crowns and sent them to a laboratory for manufacture. Some already had 3d laser-cutting technology, but it cost around r1.2-million. Naidoo proposed centralising the cutting process, making it available and affordable to all dentists.
His idea got the judges talking, but their concerns were summed up by Stols and Nyasulu, who said the technology to do what Naidoo proposed already existed, so his idea was vulnerable.
aNdrIeS KeYSerandries Keyser built and operates a miniature steam railway in the Kwazulu-Natal Midlands.
He became interested in steam trains as a teenager and learnt his skills from fellow enthusiasts at pietermaritzburg Model engineering Society. His train, which runs on a 160m track that he built at piggly Wiggly, carries 800 people a day during tourist peaks.
Keyser said he could manufacture all his components from scratch but battled to find skilled people to help run his operation. He wanted to train unemployed people to build locomotives, tracks and rolling stock, and expand miniature railway operations in South africa.
Keyser said he could increase the number of train rides if he lengthened his track to 1.6km and added engines and rolling stock. He is familiar with the operation of steam, diesel and electric trains and is investigating the possibility of importing locomotives to run a 40-minute tourist route in the Western Cape.
“I can just about retire on the ride at piggly
“i admire you and envy that feeling of excitement that you have just before
you are about to jump. that’s what entrepreneurs thrive on”
techniques but would assist drivers in areas where the light was poor.
Stols suggested that because of the product’s high cost, Sunderpersadh should approach the government to ascertain if it would be viable.
ntombenhle mtShAlIntombenhle mtshali’s dream is to transform an unused five-hectare tract left to her by her father in hlabisa, near mtubatuba, into a business.
this month, she planned to plough the first three hectares and will plant tomatoes, green peppers, spinach, sugar beans, peanuts and carrots.
mtshali’s land is wedged between homes and she has secured the permission of the tribal court, the Ingonyama trust, and the departments of agriculture and health.
the first yield will be sold to local communities and corporate customers, including Shoprite, boxer Cash and Carry, Spar and the mine in Somkele. Farmers in the neighbouring district have agreed to buy her peanut yield for peanut butter and peanut oil export to India.
Woven into the business model is mtshali’s desire to uplift her community by creating jobs. She aims to create work for women and a platform for school pupils to do practical work at weekends and during holidays.
the plan comes with challenges. hlabisa is notoriously dry and there’s a shortage of flowing water to the site. there’s a cost to connect pipes and install water tanks, and there is the issue of protecting the crop from animals and thieves.
nyasulu said aside from the project’s laudable community upliftment objective, it had to be profitable. most agricultural projects fell short at the point of going to market. Who would assist in ensuring the land yielded productively?
mtshali said local farmers and the Department of Agriculture had offered to help with this and with acquiring seeds and manure.
Saad asked what funding was necessary to see the plan to fruition. mtshali said setting up the project would cost about R430 000, including vehicles, machinery, fencing and insurance.
humzA DeSAIhumza Desai of thumbsup technologies has come up with a concept to make air travel easier and more efficient.
Desai proposes an innovation to scan thumbprints to a database. At the boarding gate, your thumb would be rescanned, removing the need for a physical examination of identity documents or driving licences.
Desai said that because time was money, his business model could contribute to the bottom line in the squeezed airline industry.
he saw the possibility of global expansion using a combination of yet-to-be-designed hardware and software that would integrate into airline systems. he said the data could help prevent fraud, improve security and remove the threats posed by fake ID documents, human error and corruption.
mehta asked where the business opportunity was. he expressed concern that there were no barriers to entry and therefore no unique advantage.
Desai said selling scanners, software and the database was the business opportunity.
Pillay raised concerns about hygiene and the inability of a thumbprint to always be reliably read.
Rosenberg congratulated Desai for his strategy but asked about the practical implementation.
Desai said he was in discussion with software developers, It experts and a chartered accountant to take the plan forward.
SunIl hIRAlAlSunil hiralal from Durban is the man behind Jbo energy management, and he proposed the establishment of the Go Solar oasis, or solar-powered bus stops.
he described them as multi-purpose shelters with chargers for mobile devices, wireless internet and digital advertising. Apart from offering shelter, convenience and information to commuters and tourists, they could also feed the eskom grid.
hiralal said the shelters, similar to those in Canada and France, could use their digital advertising displays to post commuter alerts and house security cameras.
Jbo energy was established in 2011 and provides sustainability services to a range of industries.
nyasulu said the technology involved was expensive. Would this mean advertising came at a premium? brazier said the shelter’s expensive components meant security was a major cost consideration. hiralal’s idea of round-the-clock guards only added to the costs.
Smit questioned the reliability and cost of high-speed connectivity, saying users would balk at paying a premium even if high-speed broadband could be secured. mehta praised the concept, but said the city owned the real estate and the outdoor advertising regulations were not insignificant.
lubabalo nzimande kathryn kure
devan naidoo
ntombenhle mtshali
It takes certain qualities to be an entrepreneur. One of them is resilience:
the ability to adapt to the ever-changing environment and keep doing business.
It’s what ensures you have contingency plans to stay a successful business,
one of the many that keep the economy of KZN flourishing.
As a proud sponsor of the KZN Shark Tank, FNB Business supports the unwavering
entrepreneurs of KZN. We’ll continue to bring you the world’s most innovative
banking solutions, South Africa’s best mobile banking* and tailored banking solutions
to help grow and run your business, for years to come.
Because your success is not just important for you, it’s also making a vital contribution
to the economy of KZN, and to South Africa.
First National Bank - a division of FirstRand Bank Limited. An Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider (NCRCP20).
For more information on our business banking solutions, contact Andrew Hudson on 083 627 8767 or email [email protected].
Get more bank. Do more business.
resilience
visioncourage
creativity ambition
dedicationcuriosity
*As voted by the SAcsi Survey 2015
It takes certain qualities to be an entrepreneur. One of them is resilience:
the ability to adapt to the ever-changing environment and keep doing business.
It’s what ensures you have contingency plans to stay a successful business,
one of the many that keep the economy of KZN flourishing.
As a proud sponsor of the KZN Shark Tank, FNB Business supports the unwavering
entrepreneurs of KZN. We’ll continue to bring you the world’s most innovative
banking solutions, South Africa’s best mobile banking* and tailored banking solutions
to help grow and run your business, for years to come.
Because your success is not just important for you, it’s also making a vital contribution
to the economy of KZN, and to South Africa.
First National Bank - a division of FirstRand Bank Limited. An Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider (NCRCP20).
For more information on our business banking solutions, contact Andrew Hudson on 083 627 8767 or email [email protected].
Get more bank. Do more business.
resilience
visioncourage
creativity ambition
dedicationcuriosity
*As voted by the SAcsi Survey 2015
PROFILES + DRINK + MOTORING + ART + WIN
18 | SPICE | May 2015
cultureArchitect Nina Saunders is an unapologetic optimist about
the potential of the CBD, old and new
By SHELLEY SEID
PHOTOGRAPHy JACKIE CLAUSEN & TEBOGO LETSIE
WE’LL buILD ThIS cITy
May 2015 | SPICE | 19
culture
“I’ll sIt on a bench In Farewell square and
watch the crowds passIng by”
If anyone understands Durban’s inner city, it’s Nina Saunders. She’s eThekwini Municipality’s acting deputy head of architecture, past president
of the KwaZulu-Natal Institute for Architecture, and was the eThekwini liaison member of the organising committee at last year’s International Union of Architects Congress.Your favourite building in the inner city?Anything by architects Derek Crofton and Isaac Benjamin. The firm Crofton and Benjamin designed many buildings in Durban in the 1970s, including the Las Vegas Hotel on the Durban beachfront, and
on the Esplanade, Haven Court, Westpoint and the Riviera Hotel. The architecture is playful – it has a modernist style that’s been adapted to Durban’s climate; it’s been coined “subtropical modernism”. I also love the old Ocean Terminal building.Somewhere in the inner city that holds great potential?The Rivertown precinct and the Beerhall building. The opportunities for urban regeneration are incredible. In fact, things have really started happening in Morrison Street since the international architecture congress. Developers and investors
are focusing on the precinct and we are going to see a rejuvenated link between the International Convention Centre and the beachfront. The most exciting development in the inner city?The GO! Durban public transport system and the opportunities it brings. For instance, the proposal to turn Pixley KaSeme Street (old West Street) into a pedestrian-prioritised link from the cemetery to the beachfront. This will create a truly public space – a super-elongated, linear park running the length of our city, connected by public transport.
20 | SPICE | May 2015
NINA SAUNDERS’ BESt pLAcES IN DURBAN’S INNER cIty foR:
FunThe Chairman – a bar, lounge and jazz club on Point (Mahatma Gandhi) Road. I love it because it is so representative of South African culture. It’s a mix of contemporary design and a heritage establishment without losing any of its character. ShoppingI love the fabric shops on Dr Goonam Street (formerly Prince Edward Street) and the warren of streets adjacent to it. Sattar’s sells an amazing selection of homeware and kitchenware. After popping into the Hindu prayer shops, I have a vegetarian lunch at Little Gujarat, preferably on a Saturday when the special is potato dosa.
EatingCiao Bella on Mahatma Gandhi Road, Bike and Bean on the beachfront after a promenade walk. There is also the most fabulous Indian restaurant on Palmer Street – Café Bon Bon, a tiny family establishment with superb food.
pEoplE-watchingOnce in a while I’ll sit on a bench in Farewell Square and watch the crowds passing by. thE viEwThere are some wonderful views in Durban but my favourite is the unexpected delight of looking through Madrassa Arcade at Emmanuel Cathedral. contEmplationI work in the Old Fort complex next to the Old Fort gardens, which have spectacular fig trees and a little chapel. It’s tough to get public access so it is a quiet place. I also love the cemetery at the top of Pixley KaSeme Street. It holds a collection of different denominations and religions; there are beautifully carved headstones in the Christian section and prominent Durban personalities buried there. I like the quiet company of the dead every now and then.
May 2015 | SPICE | 21
Andrew Makin raves about downtown Durban. The award-winning architect comes alive when he talks about the CBD. It puts the fire in his belly.
It’s about open environments which, he says, promote open minds, open economies, open societies and open cultures. Makin is beautifully persuasive.
Downtown Durban is a vibrant place that is home to innovative inner-city dwellers and has huge prospects for economic revival, although others regard it as a cesspit of litter and crime.
Makin says the naysayers are parochial. They don’t walk the streets of Durban. If they did, they’d see the city for what it is: a rich mix of opportunity, activity, infrastructural capacity, and functional spaces where nimble investors are already capitalising on the value.
Makin’s designworkshop:sa has been commissioned by Propertuity, a company that has revitalised swathes of Johannesburg CBD, to revive the old Game building in Pixley KaSeme (West) Street. Many believe this will be a catalyst for wider regeneration, though that’s a word that irritates Makin in the Durban context.
He says by world standards the city is in relatively good nick. Big property funds wouldn’t agree, he says, because they like to let big floor areas to single corporate tenants who tend to prefer more sanitised and isolated environments.
“There are hundreds of highly skilled tailors in the inner city, selling to a big and ready market. They operate out of 20m² to 50m² spaces. It’s gritty and people thrive on direct interaction. These are smart people in a sophisticated and super-networked economy, like the core of any world city.”
Makin is transforming nine floors of vacated office space at the Game building into an inner-city engine, with apartments ranging from 28m² to 100m².
The city, he says, lends itself to a mix of small, medium and large uses and activities. He sees a downtown Durban with active streets and plazas kept safe by people overlooking them from apartments and offices above. He sees less traffic, more pedestrians and a far more optimal use of services that are already concentrated in the inner city.
“These heaving pavements are a world of diverse activity, action and energy: opportunity. Moving through the streets, lanes, arcades and across the squares … there’s a pace and rhythm we feel and understand. It’s open, free and energised, with a rapid cadence. Like music, the city makes stories of real life; it inspires curiosity and sets the imagination free.”
Makin says the city enables interaction, exchanges with a range of different people, initiated by transactional need.
“These exchanges soon became relational. In the city, you’re interacting with human beings, not brands. With real personalities, not invented brand personalities.
“Many of us have a rich range of experiences in the inner city. It is startlingly different to the suburbs, to gated developments, to office parks, to shopping malls. In essence, to the corporatised economy of closure; of isolation that increasingly intertwines itself into our day-to-day lives; replacing real experiences with images of experiences, with lifestyle photo-shoots.
“These are delusions of comfort, rather than the intense beauty and satisfaction that exists in the grit and delight of real life.”
TRUE BELIEVERWhere many people see decay, Andrew Makin
sees possibility, and he’s playing a leading role in changing perceptions of downtown Durban
PROFILE
22 | SPICE | May 2015
In his own way, in his own fi eld, Professor Thandinkosi Madiba has excelled and enhanced countless lives in much the same
way as his more famous namesake
THE OTHER MADIBA
He has kind eyes, a shy smile and a marvellous mind. Professor Thandinkosi Madiba, a world authority on diseases of
the colon, rectum and anus, has lived and worked in Durban most of his life. The 65-year-old is head of surgery at Nelson R Mandela Medical School at the University of KZN and established the first colorectal unit in the province.
As a schoolboy, Madiba showed great promise. His mother, a domestic worker, worked for a Rotary Ann who arranged for him to move from his home in Umkomaas to school at Adams College, near Amanzimtoti.
He matriculated in the top 10 students countrywide and enrolled at UKZN, where he qualified as a doctor in 1976. After internship at Edendale Hospital, Madiba did two years in private practice in Ntuzuma. He joined the university in 1978 and nine years later graduated as a specialist surgeon.
“I wanted to study the theory, but I also liked the patient evaluation and I wanted to learn how to operate … later on I also learnt how to become an administrator, a researcher and a teacher.”
By the time he qualified as a surgeon, Madiba had performed more than 400 supervised operations. He has since done thousands.
“It is intricate work with a minimum margin of error. I have honed my fine motor skills, but most importantly I have learnt to respect tissue. I learnt that from my two predecessors, the late Mr (Fred) Luvuno and Professor (Ariff ) Haff ejee. How you cut is an art. It’s not a smash and grab. You are solving problems and you have to pay attention to detail.”
Madiba became head of surgery in 2010, though he’s quick to say he does not want to be remembered as the first African professor of surgery. “I don’t
want to be labelled. I am among many surgeons who have held the position and I’m here because of merit and many trials and tribulations.”
He scoff s at racial quotas in transformation. “They’re patronising. I like transformation in as much as it encourages work and gives everyone the chance to reach their highest potential, so they can compete on their own recognisance.
“Other than that, quotas defeat transformation and are an insult to anyone involved. I have seen attempts to sabotage transformation, but at the end of the day transformation is not about a face and you can’t do it by numbers.”
Madiba says he’s always strived to improve himself. He trained as a colorectal surgeon at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. He is a fellow of the College of Surgeons of South Africa and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. He obtained the latter fellowship after being awarded a scholarship to study in the US.
Madiba has undertaken exhaustive research, particularly in the field of sigmoid volvulus, a condition in which the large bowel twists on itself.
Research and academia have helped him immeasurably, he says. “In order to succeed, you need to be learned, and that’s not always just about going to school, it’s about learning from your colleagues and being able to present your research to them for their scrutiny.
“We are not just consumers of knowledge, we learn if we are prepared to do things over and above our job description. There is satisfaction in that. I am rewarded when I see the animation in the eyes of my students when I teach them.”
After he qualified, Madiba says, he was “big and arrogant” and didn’t think he could learn from the nurses. Age and experience have taught him
empathy and humility.“I don’t know everything and I’m prepared to
hear from my juniors. I would rather be challenged than miss something. As medicine has advanced I have seen the change to more collaborative treatment of cancers, for example, and the approach is much more successful.”
Madiba says problems in public health care could be solved if the bureaucracy wasn’t politicised. “The people at the top mean well, they have a vision and are aware of the priorities, but things get jumbled because of political appointments. People who are employed because of who they know will always have a feeling of entitlement. They will keep people waiting for two hours while they read a magazine.
“If this job is given to you, and you haven’t sweated for it, you will never work hard. If you have worked hard to become a doctor or a nurse you will have a good work ethic and will appreciate the job you have. That’s my pet hate: people who don’t want to fulfil their responsibility.”
In 2010, Madiba was selected by the city as a “living legend”, which he counts as one of his fondest memories.
Madiba’s wife is a retired schoolteacher and they have two sons and three grandchildren. He says he likes walking through the tree-lined streets ofLa Lucia, where he lives. Other than that he relaxes by reading research papers and watching wrestling. He giggles at this, saying it intrigues his wife no end because it is so at odds with his gentle nature.
Professor Haff ejee described Madiba as a quiet man who played down his achievements. “He is very hard-working and his work is of an outstanding quality. He sees things through to completion. He has excelled and is most accomplished.”
TEXT GREG ARDÉ
PHOTOGRAPHY VAL ADAMSON
May 2015 | SPICE | 23
DRINK
24 | SPICE | May 2015
TEXT GreG Ardé
PHOTOGRAPHY rOGAN WArd
Craft beer is tickling increasing numbers of taste buds, and Shongweni Brewery is spearheading the revolution
KIF BREW, BRU
Brian Stewart is a development economist who dreamt of a semi-retirement diddle brewing craft beer. At 70 years old he’s a straight-talking
chap who, with his sons, bought Shongweni Brewery from their neighbour, Stuart Robson, in 2012. The past three years have been a rollercoaster ride.
A hardy fellow who consulted to the World Bank and the United Nations, Stewart is no stranger to hard work. But since he bought the brewery he’s had to bone up on manufacturing, liquor legislation, marketing and sales.
It hasn’t been without reward. They have increased output by 300% and Stewart has become chairman of Craft Beer SA.
He says microbreweries are popping up all over South Africa every week – at last count there were 101, of which 11 are in KwaZulu-Natal.
Shongweni Brewery, the oldest microbrewery in KZN, is famed for its Robsons brand, which has eight variants, ranging from a pale ale to a dessert beer.
Stewart produces around 25 000 bottles a month. “If I could triple that production tomorrow I might be able to keep up with the demand. I have had inquiries from China, Sweden and the UK, but I don’t have capacity to export. I don’t because I can’t disappoint loyal local buyers.”
Stewart says reliable statistics relating to the US market point to the fact that consumers are swigging more craft beer than ever.
He says that in 2012 the growth of small craft breweries was 17% year-on-year, albeit off a small
base. A Wall Street Journal article last year said craft brewers represented nearly 3% of the US market of 20 million barrels of beer a year.
In South Africa, craft brewers have market share of only 1%, but Stewart believes there are still big entrepreneurial and job-creation opportunities.
“Craft beer is enjoying the same phenomenon as food; people are moving from fast to slow, to more organic and healthy produce. As long as craft brewers stay authentic and resist mass production, the industry should grow.”
Stewart says the costs of producing craft beer are higher because of the pure ingredients, slower production, and economies of scale.
But, he says it is “bull” that craft beer should cost R40 or R50 a bottle.
Liquor stores and restaurants are trading off the popular niche, he says, and the answer is fiercer competition, increased volumes and lower margins.
Stewart believes more brewpubs would also help – they can be set up for about R500 000, and would eliminate the need for expensive bottling plants and marketing and distribution.
There is huge untapped potential in the black beer market, he says, and an opportunity for skills transfer and black-owned breweries.
“Black women drink more beer in South Africa than white men… In the UK and Germany you have unique brews that are peculiar to certain local areas, where the beer goes from the barrel to the tap. Why can’t we have that here?”
May 2015 | SPICE | 25
THE INTOXICATING SUCCESS
OF CRAFT BEER
“When we maxed out at 4 000
litres a month I realised we had to
go big,” says Sean Roberts, the
energetic Durban restaurateur with
a Midas touch.
Roberts and his wife, Marcelle,
own Café 1999 and Unity Brasserie
& Bar on Silverton Road in
Morningside.
Roberts is passionate about
good-quality local brands and is
in touch with a range of suppliers.
In 2011, he was using Shongweni
Brewery to produce his Cowbell
brew, and when he opened Unity he
realised the potential of craft beer.
He was vexed by the infrequent
supply from Cape craft brewers.
He nagged, but the distances were
too great to make the margins
work. Then he had a serendipitous
meeting with musician Paul Ten
Hoorn Boer at a home-brew festival
in Shongweni.
The impossibly named chap was
messing around with home-brew
kits, and had made an Irish Red that
changed his life. Roberts convinced
him to partner up and start That
Brewing Company.
Their humble origins were in
a 90m² rented space in Umbilo
and they kicked off with a bit of
help from Stuart Robson, founder
of Shongweni Brewery, and Mo
Therese, the inimitable maître d’
from Café 1999.
Their four variants of beer fl ew off
the shelves at Unity. “It succeeded
beyond our expectations. We
decided to put it on steroids and
open a 700m² brewery in Station
Road.”
S43 (so named because the
address is 43 Station Road) will
house the brewery and a 200-seat
restaurant in an industrial setting
on Umgeni Road, made hip by
the Sunday local food market and
Savior Café.
DRINK
26 | SPICE | May 2015
We’re a nation with a culture of beer drinking, evident in the fact that South Africa has the highest consumption
of beer per capita of all neighbouring African countries.
It comes as no surprise, then, that one of the largest beer-makers – the Molson Coors Brewing Company, which sells more than 100 brands across the world – has a strong South African connection.
At the helm of its Canadian business is one of Durban’s most successful emigres, Stewart Glendinning. The 49-year-old is president and chief executive of Molson Coors Canada, the oldest brewery in North America.
He’s responsible for ensuring that R20-billion worth of beer finds its way from one of the company’s six breweries into the hands of thirsty consumers across Canada.
After attending Durban Preparatory High School and Durban High School, Glendinning moved to the United States, studied for an accounting degree and cut his teeth in the business world with KPMG.
He spent almost 19 years in professional services, flying more than 5 million miles, and when he joined Molson Coors it was like finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow – less frequent travel, more time with his family, and an opportunity to work with his favourite consumer product, beer.
Before moving to his current role, Glendinning was the company’s global chief financial offi cer and ran the company’s operations in the UK and Ireland. Now he is responsible for all operations in Canada, including overseeing 3 000 employees.
SPICE CHATTED TO GLENDINNING
What were your aspirations growing up in Durban?After taking part in a stock-investing club at DHS, I set my mind firmly on running a business. I did an auditing internship with Deloitte Haskins and Sells (now Deloitte). As part of the audit of a shipping company in Durban, I got to see that the MD was paid R60 000 a year. It seemed like an unfathomable fortune at the time.What’s the secret of your success?There are three things that have been consistent in each of my roles. First, I bring a high level of passion, enthusiasm and curiosity, knowing that I have few of the answers.
Second, I focus on doing the best job I can without obsessing about what the next job will be.
And last, I try to hire people who are better than me. I focus on encouraging new ways of working, not penalising failures, and on putting our consumers front and centre.What is your management style?I have a low-hierarchy and direct style coupled with high energy. I value the input from each employee and I’m always available. I don’t want things sugar-coated and I never shoot the messenger. What are your most abiding memories of KwaZulu-Natal?My days at DHS were some of the most significant in my life. The learning and character-building experiences there set me up for life. I can still
remember the names of unforgettable teachers – Mevrou Bell, Mrs Jewell, Jiggs Grey, Mr Cousins, Meneer Lamprecht and Spike Thompson. I can remember a few canings, too, although not as fondly. My first job was at Game, promoting Sanyo radios, and this early selling experience has come in handy. There is an African feeling that you carry with you wherever you are in the world. The incredible hospitality of the people, the outdoors, and the diverse melting pot of cultures all come together to create that feeling. I feel that KZN has it all.Do you foresee growth for your brands in South Africa?Our brands would work very well in South Africa. The days of a single brand are long gone as the country embraces a wider selection of great-tasting beers.Any inspiring words of advice?Don’t get caught up in your own importance. Focus on achievement as a team and always make time for family. Encourage and listen to honest feedback. As soon as you focus on making positive change, positive energy makes you feel fantastic.Where to from here?After almost 30 years of work I am closer to the end of my career than the beginning, so I think about what comes next mostly in personal terms. I look forward to seeing how my kids begin their own careers and I have a life goal to sail around the world.
TEXT BETH STOLS
PHOTOGRAPHY ROGAN WARD
In Stewart Glendinning’s case it’s not ‘local boy makes good’ so much as ‘local boy makes good beer – and lots of it’
LARGE IN LAGER
MOTORING
May 2015 | SPICE | 27
By Masood BooMgaard
PHOTOGRAPHy rogaN Ward
Jeeva Moodley is Durban’s ‘Mr Porsche’, and the jewel in his collection is a rare 964, which he says is the ultimate driver’s car
There is nothing sweeter for Jeeva Moodley than the crisp roar of an air-cooled 911. The Tongaat man is one of the country’s best-known Porsche aficionados
and has a soft spot for the classic pre-1997 versions of the manufacturer’s legendary rear-engined sports car.
Why is 1997 significant? It’s when Porsche changed to water-cooled engines. To the layman, it’s an event that holds little or no significance, but for 911 nuts it’s one of the key moments in history.
Air-cooled 911s represent the purity of the Porsche spirit and an era in the car maker’s history when it was about melding man and machine. Sure, modern technology is great, but almost any Porsche petrol-head would choose a classic 911 over a modern incarnation.
This is why Moodley didn’t hesitate when he had the chance to get his hands on a “964”, one of the most sought-after classic 911s. “The technology in the newer 911s is great but you can’t beat the older cars,” he says. “They are the true drivers’ cars. There is no traction control or power steering. With the new cars there are many electronic aids, too much refinement.”
Older 911s are becoming increasingly sought-after worldwide, and prices of classic models have increased by
up to 200% in the last three years. “They’re scarce, which is why I wanted to get this 964 for my collection. Soon you won’t be able to find them.”
Manufactured between 1989 and 1993, the 964s fetch around R500 000 on average but the turbo versions can sell for R1-million or more.
In addition to the 964, Moodley has a 911 SC and a GT3, and he has owned seven Porsches over the years. He runs High Octane Tuning, something of a meeting place for Porsche lovers from across KwaZulu-Natal.
Remarkably, he is a self-taught guru. “I had a background with VW and Audi, and in my spare time I would tinker with Porsches. I kind of learnt as I went along. One good thing about the new cars is that they are much simpler to work on than the old ones.”
Moodley says the best Porsche he has driven was a 996 GT2, nicknamed “the widow maker” because of its brutal power. However, his unicorn is the 930 Turbo, the Porsche he dreams of owning.
While he is a speed freak, Moodley says he prefers driving fast on a track. “I like Kyalami, Killarney in Cape Town and Zwartkops. My favourite Sunday drive is the back road to Kokstad. I enjoy the bends.”
SUNDAY LEGEND
“The Technology in The newer 911s
is greaT buT you can’T beaT The
older cars”
FAVOURITE PLACES
28 | SPICE | May 2015
Controversy has dogged sculptor and artist Andries Botha, notably for his elephant statues near Warwick Avenue. We spoke to him about what makes Durban magic
TEXT YASANTHA NAIDOO
PHOTOGRAPHY VAL ADAMSON
ELEPHANTSAND MEMORIES
I was born in lower Berea and grew up in Durban. I lived in Umbilo, Montclair and the Bluff . I lived with my father because I had to,
and then did not want to leave him. I never really found a reason good enough to leave Durban.
The place that brings back my favourite memories is the sea – all of it, from Pirates to the Pumphouse (no longer there), then the entire Indian Ocean. After that, it is the Roxy, Oxford and Capri, those were the bug houses (movies), no longer there, as well as the library at the University of Pietermaritzburg, where I fell in love with books.
The loveliest spot in Durban is North Pier, at the entrance to the harbour. You could look across to that dark shadow of land called the Bluff , watching the old lighthouse swinging around lazily at night. It has also been taken away.
The best view in KwaZulu-Natal is undoubtedly from the top of the Drakensberg.
Preferably without the view, since I know it so well, when the mist comes down and you can hear the swallows diving around you. It was the real swoosh, before Nike came on the scene.
My favourite restaurant is Patel’s Vegetarian on what used to be Grey Street. You can have a meal that is truly aff ordable, with ordinary people who can aff ord an aff ordable meal, served by people who have not changed for 25 years.
I can recommend the masala dosa or Madras fish curry at Palki, or, if you stay awake into the morning, try Johnny’s long bean and cheese roti. It addresses most things that require immediate attention.
For a cultural fix I head to my studio; interesting people drop in from time to time.
My favourite holiday spot in the province is my car: it gives me freedom to explore all of KZN, the best-kept secret in the world.
The most underrated spot in Durban is… if I tell you then it will be discovered. But, there is a tree, a massive tree, behind Mitchell Park. We can’t get there any more because the president has moved into King’s House and is often there, apparently. There used to be a great mahogany tree that used to be called “the elephant tree”, but it is no longer there. It is a great spot to visit and reimagine the tree.
The Durban beachfront is a place that allows all South Africans to experience beauty and pleasure, and imagine that they are on holiday. On a weekend you can see what South Africa should look like.
If I didn’t live in Durban I would live in Italy, somewhere in Tuscany. I would build a jondolo (shack) next to one of Michelangelo’s “Captive Slaves”. If they stopped me I would move to the Karoo.
THE SPICE ROUTE
May 2015 | SPICE | 29
Help us celebrate KwaZulu-Natal’s gems by taking us to your happy place on the SPICE routeWe’ve changed our competition that asked readers to identify places in our beautiful province. Now we’re embracing reader contributions. Send us your photos of a great building, a quirky spot or an interesting person or people. The best picture will be published in the next edition of SPICE and the winner will receive a free midweek stay of three nights’ bed and breakfast for four in a family suite at Montusi Mountain Lodge in the Drakensberg pictured on the right.
For more information go to www.montusi.co.za
E-mail your photos to [email protected] with SPICE ROUTE in the subject line. Entries are limited to five pictures per person per competition, although you are welcome to send only one. The editor’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
The winner of last month’s prize, a Glycine watch worth R40 000, is Ivan Scholtz, who correctly identified our hidden gem on the SPICE route as Reichenau Mission in Ixopo.
VISION
30 | SPICE | May 2015
PHOTOGRAPHY ROGAN WARD
Some KZN companies have conquered broad business frontiers while consciously choosing to keep their roots in Durban, writes Dale Tomlinson
BOYS TO MEN
Imagine if we had taken these statements to heart: “Durban has a limited talent pool.” “No one has ever built an independent agency of
scale in Durban.” “The KwaZulu-Natal client pool is already adequately catered for.” “All the big brands are handled by Joburg agencies.”
These were some of the words of encouragement I received when I started The Hardy Boys 21 years ago. Two adages immediately come to mind: “Ignorance is bliss” and “the good stuff always rises to the top”; either way, The Hardy Boys opened in 1994 as a brand-building design business with a core competency in packaging.
Maybe it is the fact that Durban is something of a hybrid between the big-city brashness of Johannesburg and the cosmopolitan eclecticism of Cape Town that forces you to find a less contested space. It helps you ensure your offering has a refreshing relevance in a highly competitive and potentially overtraded environment.
There are many great examples of this in KZN, businesses that “zigged” when the others “zagged”. Two that immediately spring to mind are Barrows and Mr Price.
Like most cities, Durban has a plethora of companies providing a huge spectrum of printing services. Barrows decided unequivocally that it was not a printing company, choosing to become an ideas company: a visual, structural, strategic brand-building company that just happened to use printing
technology to manifest its thinking. How could a single-outlet factory shop in
downtown Durban conceivably take on the established forest of fashion retailers? Affordable fashion, displayed in a way we have not seen before, powerful graphics, engaging language, a fresh, accessible vibrancy and the nimbleness to respond to global trends at a price that gives everyone the opportunity to look cool and be current. Mr Price was born.
Equally, The Hardy Boys is an agency built upside down, not believing – as was the custom 20 years ago – that the answer to every brand’s desire for growth lay solely in television. We started the process on the shelf: what does the brand look like, how does it function, what is its personality, how does it speak?
From there we upped the in-store dialogue with incentives to drive trial, brand activation to encourage consumer engagement and ultimately to the more classical channels of radio, outdoor and television. Being based in KZN forced us to ask: how do we tackle things differently to give us the edge and get us noticed? This way of thinking has become the agency model.
There were days when South Africa competed with itself, a bit like a communications twist to Game of Thrones. The big Joburg tribes raided KZN and plundered the brands of Unilever, Beacon Sweets and Robertsons. We sent sorties to Johannesburg
and Cape Town to woo Nedbank, then Barclays Africa, Tiger Brands and Simonsberg.
Then the world changed. South Africa shed its pariah status and re-entered the world arena. The continent opened up and opportunities exploded.
We were already working across Africa on the Barclays brand through an informal network of best-of-breed agencies that we had established, known as the Africa Collective. This had given us an insight into the complexities, nuances and challenges of working across borders, and we had produced multi-channel campaigns for several Unilever and Diageo brands, among others.
We started realising our goal of being an African business born out of KZN, punching well above our weight against global networks.
In 2013 I was invited as the only African to present with Andy Fennell of Diageo at the Cannes Lions, the communication industry’s Olympic Games, and The Hardy Boys caught the eye of WPP, the world’s largest communications company, run by Sir Martin Sorrell.
With the burgeoning African opportunity high on the agenda of every major global and local brand owner, the need for world-class resources and creativity became a priority in the region. So we recently sold 60% of our business to J Walter Thompson, part of WPP and the world’s oldest agency. It has given us the opportunity and support to capitalise on Africa’s ballooning appetite for new brands and technology.
Attracting talent can still be a challenge. Some clients believe the other “centres” is where it all happens. But try telling this to SA Home Loans, Miles Dally and his team at RCL Foods, the people at Unilever who are leaders in nearly every category their brands play in, Dube Tradeport, Aspen, Debonairs, Trellidor, JT Ross Properties, Tongaat and Fry’s Foods.
Also, keep an eye on Renzo Scribante. His Remos restaurant in Mount Edgecombe was followed by Remos Villaggio in Umhlanga. Then came Joburg, next the über trendy Dutch and now the incredible Old Town Italy. All bear testimony to a passion for authenticity, rich detail and impeccable taste.
They’re all amazing African businesses, proudly South African with great KZN DNA. They are beacons of light in the economy this province is building. If you want to imagine what KZN will look like in 50 years, look at what these companies are doing and how they beat the odds.
Tomlinson is chairman of The Hardy Boys
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