Leading international fund managers have confirmed their attendance at the event in Harare on June 7 and 8, says Sean Gammon, MD of Harare-based Imara Capital Zimbabwe.

Imara expects investment professionals from the USA, UK, Europe and South Africa. Last year the Pan-African financial services group created history by successfully staging Zimbabwe’s first in-country international investment conference since the formation of an inclusive government.

“The follow-up indaba has a ‘let’s get down to business’ feel about it,” says Gammon. “The accent this time around will be on assessing the reality of corporate Zimbabwe, rather than just the undoubted blue-sky potential.

“The major signal sent on the run-in to the conference is that solid support is forthcoming from fund managers, despite concerns about the final form that Zimbabwe’s indigenisation legislation may take.

“It is no longer a novelty for African ‘frontier markets’ to be represented in the portfolios of major fund managers. Investment risk is different in Africa, but we’ve seen that developed economies also carry risk. All in all, the risk-and-return proposition within African markets has growing appeal. A follow-up investment indaba here in Harare confirms it.”

The conference format is designed to facilitate serious investment. After macro scene-setting, senior executives from major listed Zimbabwean companies will make individual presentations to fund managers.

One-on-one sessions will give prospective investors an in-depth look at the performance of market leaders that have achieved sustained growth with little reliance on debt.

Says Gammon: “Dollarisation has helped to resuscitate Zimbabwe’s economy and enabled many companies to step up production. The timing of the conference is important as it gives fund managers a chance to assess corporate performance post-dollarisation.

“Some investors may have taken a position soon after dollarisation and will be checking corporate performance one year on. Those who took a wait-and-see approach will be just as keen to assess dollarisation’s impact.

“In either scenario, the Imara conference fulfils a vital role.”

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The Network for the Coordination and Advancement of Sub-Saharan Africa-EU Science and Technology Cooperation (CAAST-Net) will take place at the Hilton Hotel in Durban on 17 May.

CAAST-Net is a five-year initiative, financed by the European Union, with the purpose of improving the quantity and quality of science and technology (S&T) cooperation between the two regions in areas of mutual interest and for mutual benefit.

Speakers will include delegates from the DST, the African Union Commission, the European Commission, the NEPAD Office for Science and Technology, the SADC Secretariat and UNESCO, among others.

Topics to be discussed range from the status of current bi-regional S&T cooperation, to the EU’s new S&T cooperation projects with Africa, worth €63 million, in the areas of health, the environment and food security research.

The meeting’s programme can be downloaded from the CAAST-Net website (http://www.caast-net.org, “Annual Assembly III”).

About CAAST-Net

CAAST-Net was formed against the background of a global consensus that capacity in science and technology is an essential pre-requisite to economic competitiveness, sustainable development and poverty reduction.

In support of its goal, the network has a range of activity clusters aimed at supporting and informing existing Europe-Africa S&T policy dialogue and cooperation processes.

Activities include the identification and prioritisation of research areas and topics of mutual interest and benefit, thereby harnessing cooperation to address specific problems faced locally and regionally within Africa, as well as common problems of a global nature.

Subject areas of current interest for cooperation between Europe and Africa include energy research, information and communication technologies, the social sciences and humanities, health and transport, among others.

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As environmental awareness has grown, people have also become more conscious of the pivotal role that environmentally sound construction can play in protecting against climate change. Add to this South Africa’s pressing need to conserve energy because its future electricity demands outstrip supply, and it is clear that going “green” makes more than just ecological sense.

Implementing sustainable design and construction practices makes financial sense too. Nobody wants to pay higher utility bills than they absolutely have to, and this means an energy-efficient home or office will be far more attractive to potential buyers or tenants.

New technologies and chemical products are helping to deal with global challenges such as the conservation natural resources and investors are including sustainability aspects more and more in their investment decisions.

Green Building Conference and Exhibition 2010
Of course, these ideas are all great in theory, but exactly how does one go about actually implementing eco-building? Well, this is the question that the Green Building Conference & Exhibition, now in its fourth year, aims to tackle.

This is especially important given the fact that some of driving forces for Green Building in South Africa right now are new initiatives from Government, a heightened residential demand for green construction and dramatic improvements in the number and range of options of sustainable materials and products available to designers.

The South African Green Building market is also tracking the growth trends in international markets and authorities have committed to this growth by adopting global ideals.

The Conference will be held on 29 and 30 April at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, and once again, the construction industry in South Africa will gather to learn from and share ideas with various world-renowned built-environment experts and personalities.

Around 800 delegates are expected to attend, and the event will present the South African Construction industry with an opportunity to learn from the advancements made by leading countries in the field of sustainable construction.

BASF at the Green Buildings Conference
BASF supports the drive to conserve energy, and as part of The Chemical Company’s focus on ‘greening’ the South African construction landscape, BASF will once again be a major sponsor of this year’s Green Building Conference.

As a leader in the production and supply of energy efficient solutions to the construction industry both locally and abroad, BASF has a great deal to offer the local construction industry in terms of both expertise and product range. It is with this in mind, that BASF has brought in experts to share their knowledge at the conference.

• Plenary speaker, Dr. Dirk Funhoff, from BASF SE, Germany, will share a case study case study on “The Nottingham House”, an example of a zero carbon, sustainable design solution.
• Margit Pfundstein, BASF SE, Germany, will discuss BASF’s Insulating Materials and Insulating Solutions
• Samantha Govender, from BASF Polyurethanes South Africa will offer her insights on Energy Efficiency and Green Building Construction Materials.
• Warren Trew, BASF Construction Chemicals SA, will describe the Synergy EIFS System from BASF

Sustainable Construction
Buildings contribute up to about 40% of the global greenhouse gas emissions. This means that it plays a decisive role for climate protection to significantly reduce their energy consumption by increasing the energy efficiency of buildings.

BASF products reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the construction sector by reducing the energy demand of buildings (insulation materials) and by extending the service-life of buildings (repair mortars, sealants, coatings). BASF’s low-VOC dispersions reduce indoor emissions in buildings, contributing to comfort and health, and its cement and concrete additives make construction faster and more efficient and allow the re-use of industrial by-products in concrete.

In fact, BASF’s Corporate Carbon Footprint shows that BASF products account for the reduction of 287 million tons of CO2 equivalents per year, which is 3 times as much as needed for their production.

BASF will showcase its range of energy efficient construction solutions at the Green Building Conference, and visitors to the BASF exhibit, which can be found at stands 110 -117, can meet BASF’s specialists, learn more about BASF’s offerings participate in Q&A sessions and a mini quiz, and even win prizes.

Polyurethanes and EIFS in eco-building in South Africa
According to Samantha Govender from BASF Polyurethanes South Africa, the powerful insulating properties of polyurethanes make them ideal for “green” construction applications. “Polyurethane offers a light-weight solution, with improved insulation properties to minimize heat loss and increase the comfort factor in buildings, thus offering the ideal solution for use in green buildings. Polyurethane also presents a wide array of application methods to adapt to the requirements and contours of the building, thus ensuring versatility of application to suit most green building needs,” says Govender.

Warren Trew, from BASF Construction Chemicals South Africa, believes that BASF’s Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) also offer tremendous benefits. “They are well suited for retro-fit as well as new construction and offer many benefits that include energy efficiency, design flexibility, cost effectiveness and a range of varied aesthetic capability. As the price of electricity continues to rise, the opportunity for EIFS in the commercial sector is becoming more viable,” he says.

Further collaboration and research
With sustainability such a key focus for The Chemical Company, it is no surprise that it has entered into a collaborative agreement with the CSIR.

The CSIR and BASF Holdings SA (Pty) Ltd recently signed the two year memorandum of understanding (MoU) agreement with the aim of fostering cooperation in technical or other innovations within the broader construction, construction materials, building and infrastructure, and related industries. The focus will be on introducing green building technologies in the SA construction sector.

The workshop’s objectives are:
· To establish and sustain fully functioning networks/associations/forums of African women in S&T at national, regional and continental level;

· To raise awareness so that more women appreciate the value and benefit of S&T, and apply it to their daily lives;

· To advocate and lobby for more women in decision and policy-making bodies and positions with regard to S&T; and

· To recommend a work plan for short and long-term regional programmes for women in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), in line with existing STI projects (as stipulated in the SADC Protocol for Science, Technology and Innovation).

The hosting of the workshop follows decisions taken at the African Union and SADC meetings during which the African heads of state acknowledged the significance of the role that science and technology plays in Africa’s development.

Who can participate:
Officials from the ministries of science and technology in the SADC Region who coordinate women in science programmes, non-governmental and international organisations, academia and industry involved in women in science and technology programmes and projects. Regional experts and organisations involved in the area of women in science are encouraged to participate in the workshop.

How to participate
The SADC Science, Technology and Innovation Desk (in Gaborone Botswana) will send formal invitations for member states to designate officials to attend the workshop. The Department of Science and Technology will send invitations to South African stakeholders.

Venue
Southern Sun Elangeni Hotel,
63 Snell Parade,
Durban

For more information contact:
Ms Phumelele Magubane +27 12 843 6385 phumelele.magubane@dst.gov.za or

Ms Sikhonzile Nxumalo at
+27 12 843 6392
sikhonzile.nxumalo@dst.gov.za

Kollicoat IR Coating Systems:
Distinctive coloring, robust, protective and rapidly soluble: a new BASF tablet coating system enables individual, on-site production of tablet coatings in countless shades from only seven basic colors.

Since elderly people in particular may have difficulty telling tablets apart, more and more pharmaceutical manufacturers are starting to package active substances in colored tablets. A striking color supports and enhances treatment compliance and also prevents mix-ups during tablet production.

A combination of the tried and tested water-soluble BASF IR film former Kollicoat with a new production process and novel color concept makes tablet coating production more efficient. Its excellent processing properties are what make the polymer so special: Kollicoat IR has low viscosity and allows a shorter spray process because it can accommodate high concentrations of solids. As a result, pharmaceutical manufacturers cut their energy bills and spare the environment by reducing CO2 emissions in the production process. Other benefits: the granules are dust-free and have excellent flowability, which greatly simplifies handling during the production process. The BASF coating system module consists of just seven basic colors which are combined to produce the desired color. Hence, tablet manufacturers can optimize their inventories and the supply chain benefits from less complexity.

Kollicoat IR is a graft copolymer composed of polyethylene glycol and polyvinyl alcohol. It is extremely flexible and does not require additional plasticizer. The polymer dissolves rapidly in the stomach, resulting in prompt release of the active substance and rapid onset of action after the tablet is swallowed.

Date: 12 March 2010

Where: Johannesburg

Presenter: lvan lsraelstam, CEO of Labour Law Management Consulting.

Course to cover:
· the impending legislation on labour brokering, contracting and probation

· the draft CCMA Guidelines: Misconduct Arbitrations

· double jeopardy discipline – when is it acceptable?

· biased presiding officers

· mitigating circumstances – how important are they?

· Legislated erosion of management prerogative

· Suspensions – procedures now more complex

· external representation at disciplinary hearings – latest

· destruction of the trust relationship – can you prove it?

· when employment begins – the day you sign up or the day you arrive?

· sexual harassment – when can you/must you dismiss?

FOR RESERVATIONS:
Please contact Ronni on 084 5217492 or ronni@labourlawadvice.co.za

To have your event listed on ManufacturingHub.co.za or Ferronews.com please contact Marc on 082-561-1585 or e-mail sales@rival.co.za.

Cost is R175 excl. VAT once off

This will assist professionals attending business events, conferences to source:

• Business accommodation
• Car hire
• Holiday Destinations across South Africa

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Click on any of the hotspots on the map assist you in reaching your business destination:

While some people may be fortunate enough to have the savvy to raise funding from banks, venture capitalists and angel investors most start-up entrepreneurs are going to have to do it the hard-way: Bootstrapping.
This involves you taking the ultimate leap of faith including raiding savings, credit cards, access bonds etc just to get your business off the ground.

It involves ducking and diving and cutting back on all of your vices in the slim hope that you will get the business off the ground. In a nutshell – it is one of the most terrifying and exhilirating experiences any entrepreneur will go through.

With that in mind Rival Pioneers is putting together an industry event entitled “The Bitch of Bootstrapping”. We will be bringing in a couple of speakers from different backgrounds to talk about their experiences in bootstrapping their businesses and some of the lessons they have learnt.

Details of the event are below:

When: 10 March 2010

Where: Old Mutual auditorium. Sandton offices

Time: 6 for 6:30pm. Presentations will run for about 1 hour and then there will be some time to network afterwards.

Cost: R125 per person (Price includes a drink before and after the presentation and 25% of the money raised will be donated to Adriaan Pienaars Rockstar Foundation provides full academic bursaries to exceptionally bright young girls from impoverished and disadvantaged communities in Cape Town.)

To RSVP for the event – please e-mail marc@rival.co.za.

A big part of the idea behind Rival Pioneers is to also provide a platform for people to network and exchange ideas so don’t run off after the presentations. Make an effort to meet new people, exchange business cards, talk about your businesses and aspirations.

Look forward to seeing lots of you there!

Banking details for payment:

Rival Industrial cc
Standard Bank, Fourways Crossing
Branch Code: 9953
Acc: 422148636

Where: Sandton Sun Hotel, Johannesburg , South Africa

Warehousing and physical distribution practices are changing dramatically. New approaches and methods offer opportunities to cut costs substantially while improving overall operations. In addition, many organisations are now focusing on the impact of warehousing costs on their bottom line and are trying bring warehouse operations more closely in line within their operational objectives

This interactive and practical training workshop has been designed very specifically for warehouse personnel and serves as a step-by-step guideline towards improving your day-to-day warehouse optimisation. Throughout the workshop, many examples of case studies will be woven into discussion and these, together with the hands-on training style of your course trainer, promise to make this workshop a valuable and realistic learning experience for each delegate.

This exciting two-day training workshop provides an integrated and logical approach to help you successfully navigate decision-making in today’s dynamic manufacturing industry

Key Topics

· Addressing demand management and forecasting

· Benchmarking and efficiently automating your warehouse to increase efficiency

· Managing the three P’s of Warehousing storage and Planning

· Looking into strategically outsourcing your warehouse operations to increase business performance

Key Features / Key Benefits

· Improving your process partnership performance

· Designing the right warehouse by taking into account your objectives, risks, challenges as well as flexibility

· Exploring the do’s and don’ts in a warehouse

· Comparing WMS (warehouse management systems)  versus WCS (warehouse control systems)

· Implementing innovative solutions for a more productive and efficient warehouse

For more info please click here.

CSIR International Convention Centre – Pretoria

Every second year, the CSIR dedicates two days at its Science: real and relevant conference to share its research progress, breakthroughs, and impact in an open forum. In 2010, the conference will be shaped around the areas in which the CSIR believes it is equipped to fulfil its mandate – which states that the organisation should improve the quality of life of South Africans through industrial and scientific development. These research impact areas are health, energy, defence and security, natural environment, built environment and industry.

Within the framework of these impact areas, the event is an opportunity for private sector players to learn about research that could help them strengthen their competitive edge; for stakeholders in government to learn more about how research is contributing to the country’s national priorities and for the academic sector to find out about their peers’ contribution to the global knowledge pool and opportunities for collaboration. The conference will also feature local and international opinion leaders who will contextualise and probe the topics. Don’t miss this opportunity to interact with the CSIR!

While no conference fees will be payable, registration will be required as a result of space limitations. Registration opens on 16 April 2010.

Click here if you would like the CSIR to notify you when registration opens.