Andrew Stegmann
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Our Key Takeaways From EuRA’s 2018 Conference in Croatia

Last month, we attended EuRA’s 2018 Conference in Dubrovnik, and beyond having a great opportunity to connect with those in the industry, we attended a number of talks and workshops. Below, we have summarized our key takeaways.

Eura Conference – Croatia 2018 – by René Stegmann

Attending the EuRA conference in such a picturesque location, with the sunshine all day everyday, made for a pleasant business experience. On our way to Dubrovnik, Croatia, we managed a slight detour to experience some culture and wine in Kotor, Montenegro. Learning some of the history and meeting the locals, sampling their food and wine all made for a good start to the conference. We were guided by a local guide to get the full picture of their more recent history.

The conference venue was a resort outside Dubrovnik itself. We arrived early to represent Relocation Africa at the TIRA Day, which was an opportunity for all the TIRA members to benchmark, share knowledge, and ensure we are leaders of best practices in our businesses. It was a great day, and ended with a beautiful boat trip and dinner in Dubrovnik itself.


The next day was filled with Supplier – or as I prefer to refer to them, partner – meetings of which there were many, all with their unique delivery of sharing what each of their businesses are seeing as trends, and how their businesses are adapting.
There are a number of trends which are similar across all partners, and generally in certain locations, volumes are lower, however, in other locations, volumes are good. There seems to be a fair amount of consolidation in the industry as Lexicon has acquired Sterling, Weichert has acquired The MI Group, Madison Dearborn Partners has acquired Sirva, and K2 Mobility has acquired Harbour HR.

There were big talks on GDPR and the impact on our businesses, with the new regulations having just been implemented as at 25th May 2018. As a South African/African business that operates Globally, it is important to ensure we are compliant, in order not to contravene the new legislation.

It seems the discussion between the DSPs (Destination Services Providers) and the RMCs (Relocation Management Companies) has been managed in a palatable fashion. However, there was a feeling that some of the questions were not answered fully. I am sure this will be taken up by those that need to, as it is an opportunity to raise concerns, however, the view is that you don’t want to be offering opinions that will possibly impact your business – even if it is for the improvement of the industry as a whole. During this session, questions were also asked as to why RMCs are now requesting commission from their partners, as traditionally RMCs request a management fee from their clients to cover these fees. There was a feeling that, should these be disclosed and as a DSP we are able to account for them in our fees, it would be appropriate. But note that this is a deviation from the norm of business over the past 25 years Relocation Africa has been in business.

The continuation of driving costs down and improving service delivery is on the top of each RMC’s mind’ and we as a consolidated group need to review how we can do this.

Essentially both the RMC and the DSP need to collaborate better to build partnerships with their clients, and have a direct impact on cost efficiencies and value creation. However, I noted that we as a DSP in Africa, and all the others are often referred to as suppliers. Without us as partners, the RMC could not service the client, and we should therefore never be referred to as suppliers, but only as partners. As you can tell I am pretty passionate about this particular point, but I believe when we are treated as partners, the value creation and cost efficiencies will ultimately be identified to the benefit of the client.

We had many meetings with RMCs, DSP partners, and others who were attending the conference, which allowed our business to appropriately benchmark and remain current in the industry.

We also attended a farewell to Beverly Mayhew, who has been a leader in our industry, carving a groove for many of us to follow. She recently sold her business, and although she has officially retired, she wants to remain involved in the industry.

The next EuRA conference we will attend will take place in Munich, Germany, from 30 April to 3rd May 2019. To learn more, click here.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, and Remuneration needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1]. Image sources: Dominic Tidey [1], [2]; Sorin Cicos on Unsplash [3].

Andrew Stegmann

Gauteng Still to Reach Tourism Potential

As a tourist guide who conducts tours in Gauteng every day, Johan van Biljon, Chairman of the Institute of Professional Tourist Guides of Southern Africa, says Johannesburg and, to a lesser degree, Pretoria, do not enjoy the perception of being significant tourist cities.

As a result, tourists limit their stays to one, sometimes two nights in Gauteng, and then head off to other attractions in South Africa, such as the Kruger National Park or Cape Town.

Van Biljon says most tourists visit Soweto, as the political history of former South African President, Nelson Mandela, is a major drawcard. “The Apartheid Museum has probably got the greatest reputation and is visited by all. Walking tours of the inner city are also gaining quite a following and are generally well accepted.” He says most major attractions are open seven days a week.

According to Van Biljon, most tourists are surprised when on tour in Johannesburg, as they realise that the city offers a wide range of activities and attractions, more than most expect. Furthermore, it is close to areas such as Welgevonden, which is home to the Big Five.

Van Biljon says there are sometimes gaps in Johannesburg’s offering for foodie lovers, as many restaurants have specific hours. “Try finding a good restaurant open for lunch on a Monday,” he says.

While there are a variety of food markets that take place over the weekends, such as Fourways Farmers Market in Johannesburg, many tours do not accommodatethese weekend schedules and, as a result, tours are conducted during week days. Visitors to the city may read about facilities in Maboneng – such as the Living Room, which pumps over the weekend – but are disappointed on Mondays to find they are closed. Parking in the city is also often an issue for tour groups,

Johannesburg, Van Biljon believes, is not sufficiently accommodating to tourism, and still has a long way to go in terms of development to achieve its maximum potential.

“Johannesburg has great tourism products, but my thoughts are that they are not marketed to full capacity, such as the heritage sites of Constitution Hill in Braamfontein and Liliesleaf in Rivonia, which honour the South African liberation movement,” concludes Van Biljon.

Mareike Pietzsch, Digital Marketing and Communication Specialist at Giltedge says: “We always recommend that clients visiting Johannesburg immerse themselves in the culture of South Africa.”

The Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, as well as Constitution Hill in Braamfontein and the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory in Houghton Estate, are a must-do says Pietzsch.

Furthermore, she suggests Liliesleaf Farm in Rivonia, previously a refuge for apartheid struggle leaders who were forced to go underground in 1960. Nowadays, it’s an impressive interactive museum that documents the history of the liberation struggle. Another great spot, according to Pietzsch, is 8115 Vilakazi Street in Soweto, Mandela’s modest home before his arrest.

According to Pietzsch, Maboneng Precinct in east Johannesburg has a lively vibe and travellers can enjoy strolling through the district with its trendy restaurants, art and flagship stores. “Another spot that is great but not as well-known is Alexandra Township, where Nelson Mandela lived for a short time. Take a township tour with Tour2.0 and get to know the heart of the community and eat some traditional South African food.”

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, and Remuneration needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: Kylie Granat via Tourism Update [1]. Image sources: [1].

Andrew Stegmann

Home Affairs Department Goes Digital

The Department of Home Affairs is launching its new bio-metrics identification system on Wednesday.

The system uses unique biological traits such as facial recognition to identify individuals, and is part of the department’s ongoing revamp of facilities across the country.

Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba says the department is working on improving its services, and hopes the efforts will bring an end to long queues.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, and Remuneration needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: eNCA [1]. Image sources: [1].

Andrew Stegmann

SA Public vs Private School Prices in 2018 and Beyond

According to an April 2018 report by the Sunday Times, South Africa’s top private schools have lost thousands of students over the last year due to rising school fees and other costs.

Two of South Africa’s biggest private school chains, Curro and AdvTech, lost 3,881 pupils last year – mainly because parents could not afford to pay fees.

In addition, St John’s College in Parktown and St Stithians College in Sandton have confirmed that they had seen a number of drop-outs as well as an increase in students who had fallen behind in school fees.

Worse still, Old Mutual found that the cost of education is expected to increase by about 9% per year.

This means that within five years, you could be facing school fees of around R130,000 per annum for a private school, and over R50,000 for a public school.

Similar increases can be expected across the education sector Old Mutual said, with the expected cost of one year of university rising from R58,860 in 2018 to R254,725 by 2035.

Private options

While many parents can simply no longer afford to send their children to private schools, there are still a number of schools that are actually cheaper than many public offerings – especially at the primary school level.

Factoring in Old Mutual’s expected cost of R34,613 for a year of schooling at a public primary or high school, BusinessTech looked at the biggest players in the market, and how their fees compare.

SPARK (https://www.sparkschools.co.za)

SPARK’s primary schools offer facilities for students from Grade R – Grade 7.

Each curriculum used encompasses the requirements of the CAPS curriculum, however there special focus is given to dynamic and individualised teaching, which ensures that scholars are learning the curriculum in new ways that are interesting for them.

According to the school’s website, two payment options are available for the 2019 school year – an annual tuition cost of R23,100 per year, or a monthly tuition cost of R2,310 over 10 months.

In addition, the school will provide all necessary stationery for students upon receipt of an annual stationery fee and parents are not responsible for purchasing textbooks or replenishing school stationery (a R500 once off cost).

Pembury Lifestyle Group (https://www.plgschools.co.za)

Pembury’s Lifestyle Group and its school’s have grown aggressively since its official listing on the AltX board in March 2017.

It currently boasts more than ten schools across Gauteng, the North West and Limpopo, with facilities for students from Grade R through to matric.

Each school offers vastly different fees, with the PLG Willow View Academy charging R26,400 to R36,300 between Grade R and Grade 7. While you can expect to pay between R46,200 and R51,700 between Grade 8 and matric.

In contrast you can expect to pay significantly more at PLG’s Northriding Academy which charges R32,450 to R42,350 Grade R and Grade 7, and R52,800 between Grades 8-10.

Curro (https://www.curro.co.za)

Arguably no other South African private school group has seen as much growth as Curro over the last few years.

The group develops, acquires and manages independent schools for learners from the age of three months to Grade 12.

The different school models are Curro Castles (nursery schools), Curro, Curro Academy, Meridian and Select schools – with construction on five new campuses across the country planned for 2018 and beyond.

Despite this, the school was named directly by the Sunday Times due to the number of drop-outs it has seen due to rising schools fees.

As with the other options on this list, the fees differ depending on the school – however they are no longer directly accessible on the Curro website and you are required to contact the school directly for more information.

However a recent Business Insider report notes that the average school fee per pupil was R41,600 in 2017 – with increases of up to 12.2% in 2018.

Advtech (https://www.advtech.co.za)

AdvTech was also named by the Sunday Times as one of the groups which saw some of the biggest drop-outs due to rising school fees.

Owner of the Crawford college and Trinity House schools, the group offers options for Grade through to matric, at a number of schools across the country.

While each school offers its own pricing structures, many were notably more expensive than other options on this list, with pricing starting at R54,670 for Grade R at Crawford Pretoria, rising to R118,280 in matric.

Similarly you can expect to pay R68,030 to R132,830 between Grade R and matric at Crawford’s Sandton College.

Trinityhouse’s fees are slightly less expensive, charging between R56,900 and R99,300 for Grade R through to Grade 12.

New SA Schooling Option Piloted

The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education has commended the Department of Basic Education (DBE) for implementing the three-stream model in the South African curriculum. The model, which was piloted across 58 schools in 2017, features three streams of education – academic, technical vocational and technical occupational.

As explained by the Helen Suzman Foundation’s Charles Simkins, up to now, basic education has only featured two streams – the academic/technical pathways.

However, both streams are built on a common school programme of general education up to the end of Grade 9, after which learners can either stay in schools or transfer to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges.

The third stream being introduced by the department is a technical occupational stream which will instead offer skills and vocational programmes and is aimed at producing students who can leave matric and immediately enter the workplace – with skills like spray painting, woodwork, and hairdressing.

This includes the introduction of subjects such as technical mathematics, technical science and entrepreneurship with the goal of producing 30,0000 artisans by 2030.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, and Remuneration needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: BusinessTech [1], [2]. Image sources: kazuend via Unsplash [1], [2].