500 NEWS

A remarkable oval shaped blue diamond weighing over 20 carats, has today been unveiled to the world by Okavango Diamond Company (ODC) in Gaborone, Botswana – the biggest blue diamond discovery ever made in Botswana.

The diamond was discovered at Botswana’s Orapa mine as a 41.11 carat rough stone. Its unique and vibrant blue colour is created by the molecular inclusion of the rare mineral boron which between 1-3 billion years ago was present in the rocks of ancient oceans during violent diamond forming volcanic activity.

“From the first moment we saw the diamond, it was clear we had something very special. Everyone who has viewed the 20 carat polished diamond has marvelled at its unique colouration which many see as unlike any blue stone they have seen before. It is incredibly unusual for a stone of this colour and nature to have come from Botswana – a once-in-lifetime find, which is about as rare as a star in the Milky Way,” says Marcus ter Haar, MD of Okavango Diamond Company.

“It is little surprise blue diamonds are so sought after around the world as only a very small percentage of the world’s diamonds are classified as fancy colour and, of those, only a select few can be classified as being Fancy Blue.

“At ODC we have access to 15% of Debswana’s run-of-mine production and feel extremely fortunate to be involved in such a singular find. Only a handful of similar blue stones have come to market during the last decade, of which the Okavango Blue rightfully takes its place as one of the most significant,” said ter Haar.

Diamonds are a key natural resource for Botswana, which is a global leader of ethically and responsibly sourced diamonds. Diamonds account for approximately half of government revenue and contribute to the economic growth and wellbeing of the entire country through employment creation, the funding of schools and hospitals and other critical infrastructure.

Botswana is fast being transformed into a leading global natural diamond trading and manufacturing centre, with strong emphasis placed on transparency, good governance, and the creation of broad-based business opportunities for the people of Botswana.

Lipalesa Makepe, ODC’s Chief Financial Officer, says ethical sourcing is becoming more crucial with ethical consumerism on the rise. “We are conscious of how important ethically sourced natural diamonds are to the public and are therefore fortunate that our diamond resources are managed responsibly in a manner that puts the people of Botswana first. Consumers can purchase Botswana diamonds with a sense of pride knowing that these diamonds are improving the lives of the people of Botswana,” she says.

The polished stone is named ‘The Okavango Blue’ in recognition of Botswana’s own environmental natural treasure and World Heritage site the Okavango Delta. It is further a symbol of Okavango Diamond Company, the diamond sales and marketing arm of the Botswana government.

The iconic Okavango Blue will be showcased over the coming months to promote Botswana as a leading global producer of natural ethical diamonds with an anticipated sale toward the end of the year.

*The Gemological Institute of America has graded the stone as Oval Brilliant Cut, 20.46 carats, Fancy Deep Blue colour, VVS2 clarity.

The tropical island paradise of Mauritius has thrown open its doors to prospective investors and residents, with increasing numbers of South Africans being attracted by an idyllic lifestyle and a liberal approach to regulation and taxation that makes it easy to start and run a business.

Vidish Jugurnauth, Client Services Director at Sovereign Trust (Mauritius) Limited, told the investment seminar in Johannesburg that there are numerous channels open to foreign nationals looking to work, live and acquire property in Mauritius.

“To maintain its economic expansion of recent years, the Mauritian Government is reaching out to foreign talent from overseas and encouraging them to bring their expertise, know-how and investment into the country,” said Jugurnauth. “It also offers professional expatriates and retirees the ability to work or settle in a pleasant environment with a range of fiscal incentives.”

While tourism continues to account for more than 25% of the country’s GDP, Mauritius is making a major play to establish itself as a regional and global finance destination, including banking and business outsourcing. Jugurnauth added

the financial services sector now represents more than 10% of GDP, and the country was rated No 1 for Ease of Doing Business in Africa by the World Bank in 2018.

“There are various options open to prospective investors, depending on your needs and circumstances, but the required investment levels are extremely reasonable. You can also get permanent residency if you buy property through certain channels,” said Jugurnauth.

While Mauritius is reluctant to be seen as a tax haven, there’s no doubt that its liberal tax regime is attractive to investors and residents alike. Corporation tax is a flat 15%, but companies carrying out global business can pay 3% tax or even zero tax under certain circumstances. There is no Capital Gains Tax or tax on profits on the sale of shares in Mauritius.

However, it is vital for businesses looking to establish themselves in Mauritius to ensure that their company and trust structuring is done correctly from a South African tax perspective, said Rone Silke, business structuring expert at Sovereign Trust (SA) Limited.

“The fact that a company has been incorporated in a foreign jurisdiction, doesn’t mean that it will not be subject to tax in South Africa. A vital consideration when determining tax residency of a company, apart from where a company is incorporated, is where the place of effective management (POEM) is. Should a Mauritian company’s commercial decisions be made in South Africa, the company would be regarded as SA tax resident.” Silke told the seminar.

Also, if the Mauritian company structures its ownership through a foreign trust, it will open up a range of other non-tax related benefits through a presence in Mauritius including, but not limited to, political stability, an effective rand-hedge and wealth protection.

There are a number of different options available by which to structure a business offshore. It is therefore essential to obtain the correct advice to be able to take advantage of the benefits in doing business abroad.

At present, e-business in Africa remains a challenge. It may be better than it ever has been, but the truth is that lower literacy and internet penetration levels continue to limit the growth on the continent. However, this will not remain the status quo for long, as smartphone proliferation increases, data costs decrease and usability improves. Wallets, now commonplace, are an excellent example of this, bypassing the continent’s challenges around depositing, withdrawing and transferring cash, as well as buying airtime and electricity.

Africa represents one of the world’s finest untapped markets, pointed out by MTN’s Herman Singh during a recent presentation on ‘Scaling in Africa’. He explains, “Africa’s e- and m-commerce opportunity has a potential client base of 400 million internet users, and a rapidly emerging middle class expected to grow by 54% between 2020 and 2030 and decreasing data costs in some countries (43-45% decrease in the lowest data plan in both Egypt and Nigeria between 2016 and 2017.” Additionally, in building out financial ecosystems – stores that offer a diversity of products or even online “malls” – Africans will no longer be limited by their location, as long as logistics and payment issues can be solved. Singh stated that Jumia, Africa’s largest online marketplace, has created a network of over 4 000 logistics partners in order to work across the 15 countries they had been working in. And payment by cash at this stage was still commonplace, causing significant challenges.

With respect to payment, enterprises on the continent are seeing the opportunity as well as global merchants now eager to be active in Africa, but need to understand and fast-track the regulation – or lack thereof – across infrastructure issues, handling of cash, wallets and alternative payment methods that they are not accustomed to. They want a one-stop payments provider to get them to these markets so they don’t have to deal with the complexities.

Karen Nadasen, Country Manager of PayU South Africa, the country’s leading payments provider, explains that the role of a ‘payments intermediary’ will be critical, having already dealt with the complexities in these countries and created its own relationships, partnerships and agreements but underpinned by the credibility, infrastructure and proven results of a global brand.

Nadasen says: “Global Enterprises do not have the time to make mistakes. Hyperlocalisation means we are knowledgeable about the markets we are in and “speak” the local language. This is particularly important with regards to licensing. As we know, some markets in Africa are not as regulated as SA, but this is starting to change. Our partnerships in SA, Kenya and Nigeria have been an essential springboard as we branch out through these “hubs” to cover the rest of Africa.”

The opportunities will be compounded as sub-Saharan smart device growth is now the fastest in the world. As literacy levels increase, amidst Africa’s new dawn, digital services such as microfinance will improve lives and enable people to do business, while marketplaces will bring products and stores to people so they can make purchases – assuming enterprises like Jumia continue to expand the delivery network and solve logistics challenges.

“From an African perspective, we use our single integration point for merchants to springboard into Africa using our global infrastructure – leaders in emerging markets in India, Eastern Europe, and Latin America – and then hyperlocalsing the expertise through our groundwork in Africa, offering cross-border execution on payments, compliance and fulfilment. It’s our experience across these emerging markets that has allowed us to deliver a UX that works in these types of market, keeping it simple and accessible.”

In his “What it takes to win” conclusion, Singh outlined why Jumia has been Africa’s most successful online case study to date. He attributes the company’s explosive growth to ten factors – establishing a community of users, building trust, access to the channel itself, a robust payment and micro-payment partner, fulfilment and logistics, merchandising, location and maximising customer insights.

Research firm Statista estimates that the e-commerce sector in Africa’ s 54 countries and 1.25 billion people generated $16.5-billion in revenue in 2017 and forecasts revenue of $29-billion by 2022, despite internet penetration lying at only 35%. The potential most certainly exists.

By Nathalie Schooling

Once upon a time, there was a business that developed the best product and brought it to market… that was enough to guarantee them optimum market share and great success.

These days, that kind of success story is nothing but a fairytale, and businesses who do not make the customer experience a central arc of their storyline will not live happily ever after.

Customers today are discerning – that is because the access they have to information and to alternative suppliers of products and services is virtually limitless. For this reason, if your customers are dissatisfied, the chances are they can find satisfaction elsewhere at the touch of a button.

Businesses have to strive for so much more than traditionally-perceived value to remain current in today’s market filled with savvy, demanding consumers.

There are, in grossly simplified terms, two types of businesses:

Kemble is a qualified and registered pharmacist with a passion for business. He has close on 18 years of Direct Selling (Network Marketing/ MLM), product marketing, sales management, strategy and executive decision-making experience throughout the African continent in various industries such as FMCG, Medical and Financial Services. Kemble is married with three sons and reside in the greater Johannesburg area in South Africa.

Describe your leadership style.
I prefer a transformational leadership style which encompasses having a strategic vision and creating a great evolving team culture through effective communication. Empowering and guiding my teams is of utmost importance.

Your top tip to beat procrastination?
It begins with introspection on a regular basis and Setting SMART goals for the team and myself.

Favourite getaway destination?
Local: Durban
International: Cancun, Mexico

Who or what inspires you?
My parents inspired me. My dad was a teacher and only breadwinner and my mum a housewife raising the kids. The two sides of the coin, one highly educated with little money and yet did so much to expose us to the world to grow up fast and resilient and the other teaching us values and integrity like only wise women can. Today my inspiration is my wife and kids to ensure they have a better life experiences.

Your one wish for South Africa?
Having spent most of my career in the direct selling industry and being able to have played a tiny part in creating entrepreneurs, my wish is to empower many others to overcome our dire unemployment crisis, which can sometimes be attributed as a root cause of crime and corruption that plague us today.

If you could have any 3 people over for dinner, who would they be and what would you serve?
Cyril Ramaphosa, Warren Buffet and Richard Branson – definitely a good South African Indian curry.

What five pieces of advice would you give to aspiring young business starters?
1. Have a dream which you don’t give up on.
2. Have determination and resilience to understand that entrepreneurship is not easy, but highly rewarding if successful.
3. Learn as much as possible, the world has become a small place with the advent of the world wide web. There is tons of resources that our ancestors never had. Never stop learning.
4. Constantly look for innovation and efficiency and only implement if it’s going to be worth it.
5. Never forget your roots, this is who you are and has moulded you in some way or the other so don’t forget to give back.

What is the one thing most people don’t know about you?
I have been an entrepreneur all my life having started up many business from scratch and buying others. I have failed countless times almost losing my homes and car, but never gave, always showed up and built again to succeed.

What would you do with an extra hour in your day?
Spend it leisurely with my kids riding our bikes or some other adventurous activity.

The OECD has identified what it believes are five main megatrends that both bring new opportunities and pose challenges for Africa’s continued development:

1. The role emerging economies will play in shifting wealth
2. The new industrial revolution, brought about by technological change and digitalisation
3. Africa’s rapid urban transition, and linked to this,
4. The demographic dividends that could be brought about should governments implement the right policies
5. However, and despite the fact that Africa contributes less than 4% to global greenhouse gas emissions, climate change is a big risk that African policies must address

Alison Groves, Regional Director, WSP, Building Services, Africa provides some insights on the convergence of technology, urban planning and sustainability – in particular – for developing smart cities that are resilient, liveable and promote spaces where societies can thrive.

What are the primary considerations that need to be undertaken for an existing city to transform to a smart city?
Globally, the pressure is on for cities to become ‘smart’. This is creating a strong drive of investment into information communication technology (ICT) and socioeconomic development, while still effectively managing budgets and scarce natural resources – and with the intention of providing longstanding quality working and living conditions for citizens.

It’s important to note that a town or city has layers of impact. Therefore, before any urban renewal – or retro-future proofing of existing and old city centres – can take place, on a microeconomic scale some of the primary considerations should include the:

Additionally, where traditional urban design – of precincts, towns or cities – has always been underpinned by pillars of civil engineering, electrical engineering, environmental consulting, traffic engineering and town planning – and often these disciplines have always acted independently of one other. However, to develop a smart city, the barriers of isolation between all of these disciplines need to be broken down – whilst also remembering to incorporate; transport engineering (taking traffic engineering beyond the transport networks within built area and creating viable and valuable linkages with the regional and/or national network), future energy, climate change strategy, water, waste management and socio-ecological systems, into the preliminary planning stages. Resulting in, the design and development of future cities – that are innovatively smart, ergonomic and more sustainable.

How do you introduce the smart city concept to an existing conurbation?
When planning, designing and building infrastructure within the South African context, we need to be conscious that even in our first-class cities and urban centres there are challenges to maintaining the capacity of existing infrastructure networks.

These nodes still boast long-term infrastructure planning, which includes introducing smart technologies into their city scape that will make these cities more connected, innovative and nimble in the face of future disruption. Therefore, to support continued and future growth – of populations, industries and economies – long-term planning must be approached with a vision to compensate for both current and future priorities of the development cycle – and everything in between. The ideal is to build cities and spaces that are liveable, resilient to disruptions, and future-proofed. And building for sustainability is the way to get there.

Sustainability is a lens through which the planning, project delivery, and development processes focus to achieve the needs of the communities today without sacrificing capacity for future generations. A sustainability lens always includes balancing priorities across several areas, including the economy, community needs, environmental quality, but also equity, health and well-being, energy, water and material resources, transportation and mobility needs – as well as how all of this can be supported by the adoption and integration of the latest in digital technologies.

City planners therefore need to scope their vision and planned projects beyond just the (immediate) key economic factors and, in their infrastructure planning, start to build with a sense of ‘societal resilience’ in mind; and resilience that can withstand socioeconomic and climatic changes well into the future. It is this resilience that will build economies – particularly in a conurbation environment.

How can the smart city impact on healthcare?
The next generation of healthcare buildings will be very different from the hospitals, clinics and general practitioner (GP) surgeries we are familiar with today. A revolution in building design is already underway, which has largely been prompted by an acceleration of technological innovation, changing population demographics, shifts in expectations of how healthcare should be provided – along with socioeconomic and environmental considerations.

In the pursuit of a prosperous future of inclusive and sustainable growth, where all citizens have a high standard of living, quality of life, sound health and well-being, learning from global trends and adapting these to suit local conditions may be the key to building successful high performance, smart hospitals and supporting networks of healthcare infrastructure and medical facilities across our cities.

High performance smart hospitals and medical facilities may be rated and attain excellence across multiple measures of performance; from energy-efficient building systems to improved clinical outcomes, and enhanced patient and staff wellbeing. Leveraging global trends to design and build fit-for-purpose healthcare facilities based on the patient-centric approach, will allow public and private sector providers to ensure a better experience and deliver value and return-on-investment across the board. In particular, we must move away from the principle of big concrete blocks that have a surgical and clinical feel and towards creating well-designed, functional spaces that are future ready as well as economically and sustainably sound.

Any other thoughts?
As we enter an age when humanity’s impacts become dominant in shaping our world – cities provide the biggest opportunity to enhance people’s lives – and the biggest challenge.

Cities are the canvas on which much of our collective futures will be drawn. How cities are planned, designed, serviced, governed and financed is material to our happiness and prosperity, and the health of our society – and the natural systems on which all life depends.

Urbanisation, demographic shift, environmental changes and new technologies are reshaping the way city leaders are looking at sustainability as well as how they deliver on public services to address these new dynamics. However, currently, in the local context, most attention is focused on the comparison of cities today – how developed, evolved and competitive or resilient they are. Where we need to turn our lens to the future and explored how our cities are identifying and responding to the challenges they will face in the future too.

We need to consider how city planning is preparing for a future shaped by the major urban transitions of our day, including; urbanisation; density and growth; digital disruption; emerging mobility; evolving utilities models and a changing climate. The rise of smart cities is the response to these challenges, as smart cities innately offer more solutions to address many previous and persisting economic and social inequalities by bridging societal divides.

Resilience and liveability must therefore be the desired outcomes sought through planning and design processes. Achieving these outcomes will require respecting and balancing local environmental, social, economic, and climate risk priorities through a robust planning and data-driven design process. And, ultimately the goal should be that we are building liveable spaces that are people-centric, integrated, connected, smart, nimble and resilient – where societies can thrive, well into the future.

Getting insurance for your household contents and motor vehicles is pretty standard procedure. However, how does one go about insuring a Coca Cola memorabilia collection worth about R750 000 or a brand new Rolls Royce to the value of R12-million, then sent for bespoke personalisation in Italy, resulting in the car arriving in South Africa worth about R25-million?

The answer? Experts conducting this kind of assessment.

Tarina Vlok, General Manager at Elite Risk Acceptances says, “The benefit of getting experts to conduct this type of value assessment is that they have no emotional connection to the bespoke item or collection, and can therefore assess the items from a purely replacement-value perspective.”

Over time, the appreciation value of most of these items is usually closely related to the exchange rate, she says. “Professional valuators consider this volatility when assessing the value. However, any addition to a collection or modification to a bespoke item will clearly have an impact beyond exchange rate fluctuations, and it is therefore recommended that these valuations are done every two years to ensure that your collection is correctly valued.

“If there has been no addition, the original valuator will probably do a desktop re-valuation based on rarity, supply and demand, exchange rate and exclusivity. With new additions, they prefer to do a new valuation,” she explains.

These valuable items do, however, often carry specific storage and care requirements when being insured. “Many valuable collectibles and memorabilia – particularly fragile items such as old books or even designer clothing – may require temperature controlled storage areas with controlled air-flow and lighting.

“In the case of looking after custom-made cars, clients will usually have structured and regular engagements with the vehicle manufacturers and/or distributors to ensure that the engines remain in good running condition. It also follows that these vehicles are not driven that regularly and are collected purely for the joy of the collection.”

Vlok says that when it comes to valuable collectibles and memorabilia, the most common pitfalls remain underinsurance or not insuring the items at all. “This is often because people have no intention to ever replace these items – perhaps because their real value may be more sentimental than financial – or they are completely unaware that such items aren’t automatically included in a normal home contents policy.

“Nevertheless, failing to insure these items properly will result in substantial financial loss should something happen to them. Furthermore, if the items are not specifically excluded from the contents sum insured, it may result in underinsurance, which could lead to the reduction of settlement amounts on claims.”

Most importantly, however, Vlok highlights the need for specialist cover when it comes to insuring these weird and wonderful collectibles and memorabilia. “Given the high values at risk, their complexity, and the need for a bespoke service, insurance for these high-value items is far removed from the high-volume personal lines market. This is one of the many reasons why specialist underwriters and brokers are required to effectively service the unique needs of the high-end market,” she concludes.

South Africa’s latest Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) for the fourth quarter of 2018 shows a two point decrease to 88, presenting a relatively stable, though still negative, quarter on quarter picture for consumer sentiment in South Africa.

This is supported by a decrease in the number of South Africans who view their job prospects as excellent or good, which has dropped one point to 33% compared to the previous quarter and a one point drop to 61%, who say the state of their personal finances over the next 12 months will be excellent or good. However, there is slight respite when it comes to spending intentions. With a two point increase, 29% South African consumers feel now is a good or excellent time to purchase what they need or want.

Economic concerns
Unfortunately, in terms of ongoing concerns in the life of the average South African, 88% of South Africans think the country is in a recession, versus 79% in the previous quarter. When it comes to major concerns, the economy is the number one with 28% South African worried about it, followed by job security at 26%, crime at 23% and rising food prices at 20%.

Nielsen South Africa Connect MD Kerith Botha elaborates; “South Africans are clearly feeling the squeeze as they struggle to deal with their day to day financial commitments, while at the same time being highly aware of the bigger economic picture. This has been adversely affected by a series of setbacks, including power generation amongst other issues, which may well explain consumers’ current preoccupation with the state of the economy.” she explains.

In terms of how they’ve adapted to this stark reality, 85% of South Africans say they have changed their spending to save on household expenses. The top action they have taken to save on money is cutting down on takeaway meals (72%), followed by 59% spending less on new clothes and 57% spending less on out of home entertainment.

When it comes to the allocation of their monthly budget in an average month, the highest number (19%) goes towards food and beverages at home and the same number towards housing (rent, mortgage and utilities etc) and 10% on routine transportation (car, gas, communing non vacation). Interestingly, South Africans allocate the same amount of their budget (8%) to education and communication services like mobile phone landline, internet, cable tv etc.

Financial jugglers
Looking at whether South Africans have any spare cash, only 21% say yes, albeit two points up from the previous quarter. In terms of what their spending priorities are once they meet their essential living expenses, the highest number of consumers (42%) put it into savings, followed by 38% paying off debts, credit cards and loans. Twenty five percent of respondents said they would spend it on new clothes, while 22% said they would spend their spare cash on holidays, which may well be due to the year-end festive spirit having induced consumers to splurge a bit.

Elaborating on these results, Botha says; “South Africans are financially constrained and therefore prioritise saving and paying off debt. However, they’re also seeking relief from the mundanities of every-day life by spending on new clothes and going on holiday. A sign that they’re still determined to enjoy life despite the financial challenges they face.”

By Nathalie Schooling, CEO of nlighten

Great customer experience is invariably about substance over style, and unfortunately, this is where a lot of brands go wrong.

We’ve all experienced this frustration; when out shopping or even just browsing, something on display catches our eye, but the store does not have it in stock.

For example, you’re shopping for a specific item and the well-turned-out shop assistant offers their expertise advice, but when it comes to bagging up the sale, you’re politely informed that the product you desire is currently out of stock. At this point, a customer is not very interested in going back to the drawing board to select the next best thing, as it isn’t as satisfying to buy.

The reason some store managers put their entire range on display, even if not all products are in stock, is because in many cases they are instructed to do so. They don’t want to risk a sales point station looking untidy or slightly empty, so instead they fill the station with stock that a customer can’t even buy.

For so many businesses, it’s too much about form and not enough about content. In these instances, it’s more important to the business that their sales environment looks inviting, than how functional and easy it is for clients to make a purchase.

If symmetry really is the most important aspect of a shops display, there are alternative ways to ensure the customer has the correct information at all times. For example, using out-of-stock signs or black stickers to cover the products that are not currently available. This way, shop assistants can recognise immediately that there is no point in wasting a customer’s time with certain options.

This is a prime example of a small detail that matters to the customer being totally overlooked because the company is looking at customer experience from the wrong angle. They are thinking ‘how do we look’ not ‘how does it feel to buy from us.’ A transaction should be designed with ease and fluidity in mind, and aesthetics as a secondary aspect.

All customers need to feel valued, and when a company can’t deliver, it’s like breaking a promise. It becomes personal to the customer. Placing too much focus on the ‘glitz and glam’ of the shopfront, without being able to deliver on the most basic things is a mistake. Companies must make realistic promises and follow through on them, even with something as simple as product displays. That is a fundamental aspect of a business as a whole; it is the essence of customer experience.

Those in top management need to engage frequently with the frontline staff who are interacting with customers daily, to find out what needs to improve. To really excel at CX, one needs to actually go looking for trouble and find out what customers are complaining about. This way, a business can get a real understanding of what it feels like to buy from them, instead of relying on how stylish they come across to the customer.

Gone are the days where only rugged explorers drove rough and tumble Land Rovers. Today, the Land Rover badge is to cars what Rolex is to watches – premium. With handsome good looks and superior off-road capabilities, the Discovery Sport offers the best of both worlds.

By Anton Pretorius

I remember my first encounter with a Land Rover. I was 8-years old, glued to the television, watching Her Royal Highness, the Queen of England, perched regally atop her Land Rover Defender, parading the streets and waving at the masses.

To this day, Land Rover is still the Queen’s favourite set of wheels. I know this, because I asked her in a letter that I sent to Buckingham Palace once. Her royal household promptly replied, confirming what I suspected all along. I was fascinated – wondering what would make the Landy special enough for royalty to choose it over a Bentley or a Rolls Royce?

Twenty-four years later and my love affair with Land Rover continues. I’ve traversed sub-Saharan Africa in a Freelander; I’ve conquered a near-vertical dune in Namibia with a Defender; I’ve crossed the historic Sani Pass in a 1950s Series model and I’ve driven from Marrakech to Fez in a Range Rover.

But why would noble queens and other famous personalities find Land Rover – a vehicle that’s so glaringly utilitarian – appealing? That’s when it hit me. This iconic brand simply oozes adventure. While the Defender has gracefully retired from the production line last year, the latest offerings from Land Rover still retain that characteristic ‘Adventure DNA.’

The unassuming Discovery Sport is perfectly placed for the modest-pocket buyer’s market, attracting just the right amount of attention not to go unnoticed. It’s not quite the fashion accessory as its ‘bling’ sibling, the Evoque, nor is it as daunting as the Range Rover Sport in terms of size, price and maneuverability.

Occupant space is generous within the compactly designed Disco Sport, even for those sitting in the tail end of the vehicle. A brand-new rear suspension design is specifically incorporated to allow the packaging of seven seats as standard in every model.

We exchanged tarmac for gravel on our review route with Land Rover Experience Western Cape, who took us through the rock-strewed back roads of the picturesque farming village of Philadelphia. The vehicle was properly tested off-road with some grade four trails and wading exercises across strong-flowing rivers.

The Disco Sport took it all in its stride. It cleared every obstacle without skipping a beat or without so much as a rattle or a squeak. This confirmed Land Rover’s new unofficial mantra to me: You don’t have to look as rugged as Bear Grylls or have a beard like Kingsley Holgate to enjoy the adventures of an outdoorsy lifestyle.

The Disco Sport features a first-class infotainment system, a hard-working engine and all the bells and whistles you’ve come to expect from new-generation Land Rovers (Park Assist, Terrain Response, Lane Departure Warning), while at the same time, dishing up comfort and specification levels to match competitors.

The Disco Sport starts at between R740 000 and R800 000 and a good chunk of that is what you pay for the ‘premium-ness’ of the Land Rover badge. Granted, for the same price, one could get something completely different. But would you enjoy it as much as a Land Rover? Probably not… If you don’t believe me, ask the Queen!

Sue Garrett is the General Manager for Product and Marketing at the Flight Centre Travel Group in South Africa. Sue studied PR and Marketing before moving to London where she spent three years. After starting at the Flight Centre Travel Group as a consultant in 1996, she quickly moved up the ranks and subsequently held various high-level management positions in South Africa, the UK and Australia. Sue is also passionate about sport and wellbeing and has a diploma in Sports Fitness.

Describe your leadership style.
I find that I flip between styles depending on the situation. I feel in the business world today, a leader has to have the ability to adapt to get the best results from their direct team as well as from the wider community. My natural style tends to lean more toward inclusive or democratic leadership. However, I very rarely will wait for consensus – but know that I am surrounded by very talented individuals I can learn from.

Your top tip to beat procrastination?
This is not something that I can relate to, as I truly believe a bad decision is better than no decision. Every leader makes mistakes. The key is how quickly and effectively you can change or manage the outcome.

Favourite getaway destination?
Franschhoek – I love the tranquillity, natural beauty and “quaintness.” The food is outstanding and of course, a good glass of red is always close at hand!

Who or what inspires you?
There are so many places and people that I draw inspiration from but being surrounded by people that have way less than I do, yet approach every day so positively and with such zest for life, is incredibly inspirational. South Africans are incredible, and I truly do not think that we stop and take stock often enough of just how resilient we are as a nation. On a side note, my Mom would be the individual that I strive to be more like.

Your one wish for South Africa?
That we could unite as South Africans. We live in the most extraordinary country that has so much to offer and yet we focus on the negative. I wish we could just focus on building a country, a future and a nation.

If you could have any 3 people over for dinner, who would they be and what would you serve?
Michael Jordan, Usain Bolt and Mohammed Ali. I think to make it to the top of your game under the circumstances all three of these athletes did, is beyond commendable. To have the discipline and to master your talent is something I strive to accomplish. My cooking skills leave a lot to be desired! So, I would order in from my favourite Japanese restaurant.

What five pieces of advice would you give to aspiring young business starters?

What is the one thing most people don’t know about you?
I value respect. Give it and earn it.

What would you do with an extra hour in your day?
I would spend it with family.

Discovery is a diversified and multinational financial services group, a global thought leader in wellness behavioural change and its integration with health, life and short-term insurance. Under Adrian Gore’s leadership, the company listed on the JSE in 1997 and has expanded into the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Europe, Japan and China. Income flows exceed R50-billion and over 12 000 employees globally serve ten million customers world-wide.

Here, Adrian shares his advice for aspiring young business starters.

1. It’s critical for your business to have a purpose – great organisations are those focused on helping to solve society’s problems.

2. Urgency is key – you have less time than you think to achieve what you need to. People wait around with unused potential because they overestimate how much time they have left. Time is short, and successful people know this.

3. Dreaming and setting goals is fundamental to success. It’s about more than a business plan – it is a vision about the legacy you want to leave, and clear goals to get there.

4. Attitude is essential – I keep relearning that positivity and optimism are the most powerful fuel of all.

5. Finally there’s honesty and integrity – without them you won’t build a sustainable business.

“MY TEAM AT DISCOVERY INSPIRES ME. CREATING CHANGE AND BUILDING SOMETHING OF SCALE WHICH POSITIVELY IMPACTS SOCIETY HAS BEEN A GREAT JOY AND INSPIRATION.”