Cape Town – Smartly dressed, well-spoken fraudsters lurking around Cape Town ATMs are scamming international tourists out of thousands of rands in a complex syndicate.
This is according to a warning from the Cape Town Central Improvement District (CCID) about a spike of ATM theft from this syndicate in 2016.
The syndicate operates in a group of between four to six fraudsters and their modus operandi includes dropping high-value cash notes on the floor to distract tourists. The fraudsters then also speed off in rental cars after committing the theft, according to the CCID.
The syndicate has targeted more than one ATM on a daily basis this year, and each fraudster performs a different role such as watching tourists enter PINs or stealing cards, said Muneeb Hendricks, the safety and security manager at CCID.
“What they do is they tend to lurk close by ATMs in their vehicles. Smartly dressed, well-spoken guys. Maybe now and again there will be a lady with them as well, but mostly a group of men,” Hendricks told Fin24.
Source
NIGERIA (June 2, 2015) – Immigration Act imposes new work permit rules, higher penalties for non-compliance
What is the change? Nigeria’s Immigration Amendment Act, passed last week, revises the legal structure for issuance of work permits and imposes steep monetary penalties on companies for non-compliance.
What does the change mean? Companies hiring foreign workers may benefit from clearer rules but also have greater responsibilities to comply with all rules regarding work permits, expatriate quotas, timely renewals and monthly reporting.
Background: The Immigration Amendment Act 2015 was signed into law May 25 by outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan. It codifies the legal authority of the Comptroller General of Immigration to issue work permits.
Under the act, companies are required to “show evidence of immigration responsibility or any other security on behalf of an expatriate employee before a resident permit is granted.” This provision puts the onus on employers to make sure their expatriate employees are in full compliance with the laws. While “any other security” is not defined, it is being interpreted to mean that Nigeria may require employers to pay a guarantee to sponsor some work or resident permits.
If convicted of immigration violations, a company and/or employee will be liable for fines. Here is a summary of penalties:
What You’ll Get For Your Money Renting A Home In South Africa
Real estate companies are struggling with rising vacancies and unpaid rents in South Africa, where growth is forecast by the central bank to slow to less than 1 percent this year, according to Bloomberg.
“The drop in the value of the rand has made it almost ridiculously inexpensive for those earning in euros, pounds or dollars to rent property here, while also enjoying a relatively high standard of living,” says Andrew Schaefer, managing director of property management company Trafalgar, in a press release.
Trafalgar manages more than 65,000 residential properties in 1200-plus developments and estates in South Africa’s main cities.
Rental yields were less than 8 percent in 2015 across the company at Growthpoint, South Africa’s largest property company by market value, CEO Leon Norbert Sasse told Bloomberg. The company could probably borrow at rates of about 9.5 percent, Sasse said.
http://afkinsider.com/121409/youll-get-money-renting-home-south-africa/
What Global Brands Look For In African Advertising Agencies
Global consumer brands are changing their view of sub-Saharan Africa as a mixture of have-and have-not economies and considering it as an important economic bloc, says Josh Dovey, CEO Africa for the Omnicom Media Group.
Dovey is head of U.S.-based Omnicom’s media activities in sub-Saharan Africa. In South Africa, Omnicom includes the OMD and Phd media agencies, and digital and out-of-home specialists (which includes shopping malls and billboards).
Dovey co-founded OMD in 1996 with business partner Gary Westwater. It’s South Africa’s biggest media agency with nearly $500 million in annual billings and a client base that includes Standard Bank, Massmart, Distell, Spar, McDonald’s, Nissan, Renault and Beiersdorf.
Typically, media agencies are responsible for their clients’ media strategy, which includes campaign planning, and buying advertising and marketing space. Outlets include radio, TV, print, and out-of-home.
Omnicom’s emphasis on Africa is typical of global media and communications groups, which have extended their interests across many countries in recent years.
Omnicom SA has established a presence in several major markets, and these will be integrated into the global network. Among them is a significant share in a leading Nigerian media agency.
Omnicom may also be eyeing a South African acquisition.
Source
‘Well-dressed’ ATM crooks target CPT tourists
Cape Town – Smartly dressed, well-spoken fraudsters lurking around Cape Town ATMs are scamming international tourists out of thousands of rands in a complex syndicate.
This is according to a warning from the Cape Town Central Improvement District (CCID) about a spike of ATM theft from this syndicate in 2016.
The syndicate operates in a group of between four to six fraudsters and their modus operandi includes dropping high-value cash notes on the floor to distract tourists. The fraudsters then also speed off in rental cars after committing the theft, according to the CCID.
The syndicate has targeted more than one ATM on a daily basis this year, and each fraudster performs a different role such as watching tourists enter PINs or stealing cards, said Muneeb Hendricks, the safety and security manager at CCID.
“What they do is they tend to lurk close by ATMs in their vehicles. Smartly dressed, well-spoken guys. Maybe now and again there will be a lady with them as well, but mostly a group of men,” Hendricks told Fin24.
Source