Today Sasol and the JSE announced the listing of the Sasol BEE Ordinary shares on the JSE’s Main Board effective from 7 February 2011.

“The creation of the facility for trading BEE scheme shares is the JSE’s response to the needs of South African listed companies to promote economic equality. This listing will give shareholders access to regulated market benefits including greater transparency with regard to traded price, anonymity between trading parties, improved price discovery, guaranteeing of settlement and ease of transfer of ownership,” comments Leanne Parsons, Head of the Equity Market and COO of the JSE.

Although the Sasol Inzalo share invitations were designed with a 10-year investment period, as of 8 September 2010 shareholders of Sasol BEE Ordinary shares became eligible to trade their shares with other Black persons or groups as defined by the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act. To date these shareholders have been able to trade shares via an over-the-counter (OTC) trading platform. The process was cumbersome for shareholders as they had to identify a qualified buyer for their shares and agree a price between themselves.

“The JSE believes that the safeguards of a transparent and regulated market prompt a safer, more liquid trading environment than Over the Counter (OTC) trading. This view is shared by the clients who approached us about the creation of the BEE scheme shares trading offering,” adds Parsons. The BEE scheme shares trading facility eliminates the necessity for shareholders to find qualifying potential buyers.
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The London-based commodity consultancy VM Group today launches  Worldcrops.com, a unique service that gathers in one web-based  location all the essential analysis and data that track developments in global crop markets. Specialising in agricultural commodities in Asia, Africa and South America, Worldcrops.com publishes expert commentary on:
•       Major soft commodities
•       food security
•       biofuels
•       national and international food policies

Published daily by a team of London journalists, analysts and statisticians, Worldcrops.com is headed by former Financial Times commodities editor Gary Mead. The portal includes all the important agricommodity news of the day, detailed weather forecasts that impact on global crops, and time-delayed commodity prices streamed from the leading international exchanges.

A central feature of our commentary is the Grains of Truth section which puts into perspective the political and economic events affecting specific crop markets. Here readers will find unbiased, authoritative and candid opinion based on a deep understanding of individual soft commodities and the regions in which they are produced and consumed. Intended as a first port of call for commodity traders, brokers, investors and producers of
agricommodities, the site has an extensive statistical section offering producer country profiles and detailed data on all the major soft commodities including coffee, sugar, cocoa, palm oil and grains. The statistical datasets are particularly relevant to financial institutions, government bodies and international aid agencies. The majority of the site’s facilities are free and  open access although a specialist subscription membership is also available.

Worldcrops.com is supported editorially by VM Group, the London-based commodity consultancy which collectively has 175 ears of commodity experience in agricommodities, precious metals markets and energy markets. VM produces authoritative weekly and monthly analysis and has a lengthy track record of accurately forecasting political developments, corporate takeovers and market price trends.

Debate over whether to ban alcohol advertising was stirred up late in 2010 when Health Minister, Aaron Motsoaledi, announced the consideration of a ban in order to combat alcohol abuse.

Speaking at a press conference in December Motsoaledi said, “what is being done to smoking is going to be done to alcohol”.

This announcement has stirred much debate on the issue with some arguing that a ban on advertising will impact marketing companies rather than alcohol producers. They argue that alcohol advertising promotes brand switching and will have very little impact on the abuse of alcohol.

However, others are welcoming a ban saying that alcohol producers are irresponsible in the marketing of their products and give very little back to alcohol addiction treatment programs.

The Zoopy team spoke to two organisations who work to decrease alcohol abuse in South Africa and what we found was varying arguments.

The South African Breweries Limited (SAB) has partnered with the Department of Education to award a bursary of R100 000.00 to one top student in KwaZulu-Natal for the academic year beginning February 2011.
The bursary forms part of SAB’s commitment to contributing to South Africa’s national skills development agenda. Each year, SAB awards academic bursaries to talented and deserving South African students. The bursary focus areas are influenced by the requirements of the South African skills market and the businesses skills needs.
This year, the KZN bursary is limited to a female student who will study towards an undergraduate qualification in one of the following areas.
·                     Electrical Engineering (Heavy/Light Current)
·                     Electronic Engineering
·                     Mechanical Engineering
·                     Mechatronics Engineering
Requirements
·                     Matric certificate (university exemption) HG A Maths and Science
·                     Curriculum Vitae
·                     Copy of matric certificate
·                     Provisional university acceptance
Top qualifying students must apply by January 12 2011 through Shobna Persadh, Corporate Affairs Manager, East Coast Region via email address shobna.persadh@za.sabmiller.com
Many of SAB’s top “brewers and shakers” have come through the bursary scheme. Apart from financial support, bursars are also afforded the opportunity to learn more about the world of work and participate in the resolution of real business problems through structured summer school or vacation work.
SAB expects its bursars to maintain high academic and behavioural conduct standards during their years of study. After the successful completion of their degrees, the bursars join the company full time as graduate trainees.
The partnership with the MEC: Education, Mr Senzo Mchunu, has also resulted in the distribution of 5000 pairs school shoes to vulnerable children and orphans. Another project is the development of a science laboratory in iGingindlovu on the North Coast by March 2011. The total value of SAB’s sponsorship for education in KZN is just over R1 000 000.00.

Pick ‘n Pay has released the following press statement in response to media reports that it may be distributing re-frozen chickens through its stores:

Pick n Pay today made an unannounced visit to Supreme Poultry near Bloemfontein. Members of Pick n Pay’s food technical team were reacting to reports in the media that frozen chickens were being refrozen. The team flew to Bloemfontein this morning to visit the premises so that they could reassure both customers and themselves that there was no chance of this happening at any Pick n Pay store.

“We visited their premises and inspected their documentation relating to procedures and principles. We are 100% satisfied that no chickens sold to Pick n Pay have ever, or will ever, be refrozen and remarked with new expiry dates,” said Pick n Pay spokesman Tamra Veley.
“From our side, turnover is so fast in our stores that there would be no opportunity for any undamaged returns. Damaged returns from our supermarkets are sent to the Health Department for destruction. In the case of hypermarkets, damaged products are returned to Supreme for conversion into bonemeal and our audit demonstrated this to be the case.”

“We would like to reassure our customers that no refrozen or remarked chickens are ever supplied to, or sold in, any Pick n Pay store anywhere in the country. The health and safety of our customers is our principal priority,” said Veley.

Push-Pull, Twist-Top, Snip-Tip, or rather Toggle-Swing? The selection of caps and closures is not usually straightforward, and new varieties are constantly being developed. “Although inexpensive and standard products are being applied in many sectors, the trend towards more complex closure systems remains unbroken”, explains Oliver Kutsch, owner of the market research institution Ceresana: “Above all, more functionality, better technical characteristics, and convenience are in demand, in addition to weight reduction, energy saving during production, and recycling.” Ceresana has taken the European plastic closure market under the magnifying glass.

Read the rest of the article here.

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One of the ManufacturingHub.co.za community members is seeking a South African supplier of this product.

They require details of pack size, pricing and availability.

If there are any suppliers who have details please post them below or let us know how our community members can get hold of you.

ManufacturingHub.co.za aims to become a premium supplier of news and information to the South African food, pharmaceutical, chemical and cosmetic manufacturing industries.

Feel free to make contact with our newsdesk via the newsdesk@rival.co.za address

Well this competition from chip manufacturer Simba is rolling on and I have to say there have been some bizarre flavours created:

  • Snoek & Atchar (ja well maybe)
  • Walkie Talkie Chicken (sounds good)
  • Vetkoek & Polony (Shiver)
  • Masala Steak Gatsby (ja I would give that a go)

For those who have been tracking the competition you will know there is an opportunity to win a variety of cash prizes through Simba.

If you visit the Lekker Flavour website you can vote for your favourite (it will link in with your Facebook profile) and there are a variety of winners which will be picked.

Thoughts on this competition for other food manufacturers to consider?

We have secured a discount for ManufacturingHub.co.za readers to attend a labour seminar by leading legal practitioner Ivan Israelstam for his seminar on 23 July 2010 in Johannesburg.

Details of the seminar are as below. Cost for the day is R1767 incl. VAT excluding any discounts.

A 10% discount is offered on groups of more than 3 delegates. Should you wish to register at the discounted rate please contact Marc Ashton on 082-561-1585 or e-mail marc@rival.co.za
WALKING THE LABOUR LAW TIGHTROPE

Implementing Labour Law Productively

Workshop date/time: Friday 23 July 2010 Registration: 08H45 Close: 16h30 

VENUE:   SA Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 24 Sturdee Avenue,
                             Rosebank, Johannesburg.

SEMINAR PURPOSE AND CONTENT
In South Africa the biggest challenge for employers is the balancing act of achieving a productive workforce without infringing upon the countless powerful labour laws protecting employees.

Via a comprehensive case study laden with practical learning points workshop delegates have fun while gaining crucial insights from the wrongdoings of a fictitious company called Mile High Airlines. They receive detailed input on how to balance labour law compliance with the effective management of the following functions:

MANPOWER PLANNING RECRUITMENT, SCREENING AND SELECTION
JOB DESCRIPTIONS AND PERSON SPECIFICATIONS
JOB ADVERTISEMENTS
REFERENCE CHECKING
INTERVIEWING
PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTING
RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION LEGISLATION
PROBATION AND INDUCTION
ACTING APPOINTMENTS AND LEGAL PITFALLS
RETENTION OF KEY STAFF
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION
CAREER PATHING AND SUCESSION PLANNING
EFFECTIVE SUPERVISION
PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT, MOTIVATION AND TEAMWORK
EMPLOYMENT EQUITY AND DISCRIMINATION
DISCIPLINE AND DISMISSAL
FAIRNESS AND THE CCMA

About the presenter:
Ivan Israelstam, CEO of Labour Law Management Consulting
Ivan Israelstam has 14 years experience as a litigator at CCMA and 4 years as a CCMA Commissioner. He writes numerous labour law columns in major publications and is the author of labour law books. Ivan chairs SACCI’s Labour Relations committee and gives conference, seminar, radio and TV talks.

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