Andrew Stegmann

South Africa welcomes a growing number of foreign visitors

A recent report from PwC shows that revenue from hotel room accommodation in South Africa increased by 8.1 per cent in 2015 to R14.2 billion (US$1 = R13.7). Hotel room revenue is projected to expand at a 7.8 per cent compound rate overall, reaching R20.6 billion in 2020.

This growth is driven by an increase in visitor numbers and comes following a previous decline in the number of foreign visitors after new visa regulations were introduced. The new increase is speculated to be connected to an ease in certain of these regulations.

“The devaluation of the rand and the relaxation of certain visa regulations has had a positive impact on the tourism industry in South Africa, making the country a more attractive tourism destination,” confirmed industry leader of hospitality and gambling at PwC Southern Africa Pietro Calicchio. “This has also had a positive impact on the number of foreign visitors to South Africa over the past six months.”

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Andrew Stegmann

Malawi: Dual Citizenship Really Needs to Be Revisited

At the Rio Olympic Games, two sisters, Cate and Bronte Campbell are representing Australia but they were born in Malawi — in 1992 and 1994 respectively.

Sydney Morning Herald reported this week with a catching headline; ‘Rio Olympics 2016: Cate and Bronte Campbell, from Malawi to world domination’.

“From humble beginnings in Malawi, to the Olympic stage in Rio, the Campbell sisters are used to multicultural experiences, specialising in world domination. With Cate recently putting her name in the history book with a 100m World Record and Bronte biting at her heels, Rio may well be the Campbell show,” the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

I remember a few years back Malawi National Council of Sports issued a decree that no foreign passport holders were allowed to represent Malawi at international games. This came about after foreign passport holders were the only ones who qualified to represent Malawi in swimming.

Malawian passport holders don’t make the grade to qualify for the Olympics but only attend on solidarity. I don’t know if the two sisters intended to represent Malawi but after learning the sport here they moved to Australia where they went on to represent that country and Bronte became an Olympic gold-winner, world champion, and world record-holder.

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Andrew Stegmann

We need media platforms which reflect reality – Gigaba

For developing countries to achieve meaningful development, they must rely on their own resources to achieve their objectives. The BRICS Forum and the introduction of the New Development Bank (NDB) are contributing to this independent development, according to Minister of Home Affairs Malusi Gigaba.

Gigaba was speaking at the launch of the first Brics Journal on Thursday in Rosebank.The publication is set to challenge biases about the five Brics nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – through the exchange of information and education in the political, arts and culture and economic spheres, according to managing editor Vuyo Dlamini.

“The global media is dominated by the interest and perspectives of the West,”explained Gigaba. Emerging markets have an inability to market themselves and inform on existing investment opportunities, beyond Western headlines. Media needs to speak truths to us and to international audiences and those from beyond the Brics environment, he said.

“We need to know about who we are, what we do and what we intend doing.

“We need media platforms which reflect reality, despite the challenges,” said Gigaba. Brics countries often receive no mention unless they “run along” Western standards and norms. When they are mentioned, it is often in light of a Western perspective of politics economics and society, he explained.

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Andrew Stegmann

You don’t take your husband’s name, you won’t be married – Home Affairs official

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) officials are insisting on issuing women’s names with their marriage surnames, despite applicants explicitly stating that they would prefer their maiden names issued.

This was revealed after a newspaper report claimed that a woman, who married in April, recently found out that her maiden name had been replaced with her married last name.

According to her, the marriage official told her “if you don’t take your husband’s name, you won’t be married”.

Deputy Director of Home Affairs said he would investigate the issue as there are various scenarios which could have been at play in the various cases.

We archive these documents at various sites, we must now go retrieve those records because some of them are not electronic. So we do have those challenges.

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