Economic Opportunity in South Africa for the “Little Guy”

I am very impressed with South Africa’s efforts to support economic opportunity for the small business person (even a single person business).  I met with a representative from SEDA – the Small Enterprise Development Agency to discuss possible business approaches.

The SEDA rep was extremely supportive.  He said that entrepreneurs in the United States are fairly common but South African numbers are far lower.  That is why SEDA exists-to help guide the “little guy” through the maze of business set up, regulatory requirements, marketing, financing, etc.

SEDA is geared to South African small business formation/support, even the smallest business that may want to market hand crafted items.  However, they also welcome businesses based outside of South Africa (both big and small) that want to do businesses with South African firms.

The SEDA website provides tons of information in itself-you may want to look through it (click here).  Check it out, even if you do not have a business-you will learn about a very positive aspect of the South African economy!

What do you think?  Please add your comments by clicking on the title above (Economica Opportunity in South Africa for the “Little Guy”)…

December 7, 2009  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Monkeyland-A Great Place to Visit

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One of my favorite places in South Africa is Monkeyland.  It is located near Plettenberg Bay and is a “must see” stop if you are traveling the Garden Route.

BG and I spent a few hours touring Monkeyland.  It is an enclosed refuge with hiking trails that wind around the wooded area (great for monkeys, of course!).  You take a guided tour that allows you to get “up close and personal” with the monkeys.

Monkeyland serves as a refuge for rescued monkeys and educates visitors on their habits and plight.  There are many varieties but they all get along due to the very large size of the refuge (just like everything else in South Africa!).   Even the local monkeys try to get in (but they are unsuccessful).

Try to include Monkeyland on your next visit-you will not be disappointed!

What do you think?  Please add your comments by clicking on the title above (“Monkeyland-A Great Place to Visit…)

December 1, 2009  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Places You Must See, Wildlife  One Comment

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-11-21

  • Been offline from Twitter for some time-time to get more active! #

November 21, 2009   Posted in: Twitter Tweets  No Comments

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-11-21

  • Been offline from Twitter for some time-time to get more active! #

November 21, 2009   Posted in: Twitter Tweets  No Comments

Baboons By The Sea-The Cape of Good Hope

Baboons By The Sea

 

One of my (many!) favorite memories from South Africa was visiting the Cape of Good Hope, specifically Cape Point National Park located just outside Cape Town.

It was truly a magical event…I have always wanted to see the Cape of Good Hope.  It conjured up images of some exotic place on the other side of the world (at least from Texas)-and it pretty much is!

The highlight of our outing was seeing a troop of baboons feeding on the rocky beach as the sun set behind them-a beautiful sight!  Also a very frustrating one because my camera’s CF card become corrupted, so I lost all of my images for that day (and of course your lost images are always your best ones!).  But BG still got some great shots with her camera…

A big warning-don’t do what we did!  I got excited and jumped out of the car to shoot pictures of the baboons.  There were a number of other tourists doing the same thing so I did not think much about it.  But our relatives gave us a stern warning when I told them our story that evening-baboons can be very dangerous and unpredictable…

But it was still a very magical moment (especially because we were not hurt!).  I strongly recommend that you tour the Cape of Good Hope-but stay in your car and invest in a good telephoto lens if the baboons are roaming around…

What do you think?  Please add your comments by clicking on the title above (“Baboons By The Sea…”)

November 18, 2009   Posted in: Places You Must See, Wildlife  No Comments

Medical Care in South Africa

BG and I had the opportunity to experience South African medical care during one of our trips-and it was a very positive experience (given the circumstances!).

BG suffered a major injury while hiking-that in itself is a series of blog posts…She required ICU treatment and was in the hospital for 10 days.  I cannot say enough great things about the care she received, the doctors that attended to her, and the medical technology that supported her.  I never had any qualms about her treatment (but I had many qualms about her condition!).

I saw some differences between U.S. health care (from a layman’s perspective).  In general, our hospital seemed to offer the same level of care (or better!) than typical U.S. facilities.  The main difference was that South Africa would have one specialist while the U.S. may have five-but the South African specialist was the best we could have!

Also, BG received treatment in a private hospital so I cannot compare the experience to public ones.  I can compare the cost of treatment in South Africa versus the U.S., and there is no comparison-South African private health care costs were far less for the same quality level.  It may partly have something to do with liability-South Africans seem to sue far less than Americans do (or so I am told).

I understand now why people from all over Africa travel to South Africa for their medical care…

So just a note to encourage you in your travels in South Africa-if you require hospitalization (heaven forbid!), you will be in excellent hands.

And most importantly, BG is just fine!

What do you think?  Please add your comments by clicking on the title above (“Medical Care in South Africa)”…

November 14, 2009   Posted in: Culture and Customs  No Comments

Giraffes-Gentle Giants

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The giraffe is one of my favorite animals in South Africa-but there are many to choose from!

They are fascinating animals.  I am certainly not an expert-I know enough to be dangerous.  But I learned they are basically gentle giants.  They are the most “tame” of the wild animals you will see on a safari.  One giraffe enjoyed drinking out of the swimming pool each morning-he had no fear of ambling in to our “motel” area (very nice accommodations, by the way!).

Giraffes do not seem to mind having people around.  You can see from this picture that our friend was not in any hurry to let us pass down the road.  We had a great time taking pictures.

Giraffes do not seem to have many enemies (other than lions, of course) and they are not aggressive towards other animals.  I understand they will defend their young by trying to kick you if you get too close but they will not charge you just because you are hanging out in their area (as a number of animals will).

I cannot understand why there are giraffes.  They certainly do not blend in to the landscape-rather, they stick out like a sore thumb!  I guess their purpose is to keep the trees trimmed since they certainly do not prey on other animals, despite their very large size.

I like to think God put them on this earth just for our enjoyment-or maybe to point out what a sense of humor He has…

What do you think?  Please add your comments by clicking on the above title, “Giraffes-Gentle Giants”…

November 10, 2009  Tags: ,   Posted in: Wildlife  No Comments

My Connection to South Africa

I hope you enjoy reading this blog.  You might have figured out some background information about me from these articles, but I wanted to write a short summary to fill in some of the gaps…

I am very fortunate to have married a wonderful South African woman, BG.   We live in Texas (where I grew up) and BG’s family is in South Africa.  So when I travel to South Africa to visit them I have the opportunity to ”live in the culture” (at least for a short time) rather than only getting a tourist’s perspective.  However, I really encourage you to visit South Africa, even “just” as a tourist-the experience is incredible…

I want to stay connected with South Africa from Texas and technology (plus family connections) allows me to do that.  It amazes me how much information is available-the BBC on cable TV, South African news on the internet, and you can even listen to South African radio stations live via internet radio.

So just a note to give you a bit more background information-I am sure there will be more to come!  But most importantly, I hope you have the opportunity in the future to experience the wonders of South Africa on your own…

What do you think?  Please add your comments by clicking on the title above (“My Connection to South Africa”)…

November 6, 2009   Posted in: Culture and Customs  No Comments

I Love South African Sunsets

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I love South African sunsets-especially today since it is so rainy in Texas.

South African topography is great for sunsets-wide open spaces with dramatic hills and mountains in the background.   One of my best South African memories is watching the sun set with BG when we visited a game reserve.

When people travel to Texas from more wooded areas they remark  how ”big” the sky is.  You definitely get that impression in South Africa.   And when you throw in a few “har-dee-dars” flying to their evening roost the moment is complete-and very much South Africa.

I wish I could describe the experience better.  Guess you’ll have to go there yourself-you won’t regret it!

What do you think?  Please add your comments by clicking on the title above (“I Love South African Sunsets”…)

October 26, 2009   Posted in: Geography, Places You Must See  No Comments

Good Shows About South Africa

I try to stay informed on what is happening in South Africa.  One great source (other than the internet, of course) is your cable channel.  And it is especially convenient if you have a DVR (Digital Video Recorder).

I typically do a “search for show” on my DVR box and specify “South Africa”.   You can find some great gems, but sometimes they only run for a limited time.

Some of the recurring shows include “Inside Africa” and “African Voices” (both produced by CNN).  They cover all of Africa but South Africa is frequently highlighted.

Another excellent show is “Pilot Guides”.  This program actually covers travel all over the world but there are excellent episodes on South Africa.

Try a “South Africa” search on your cable box-you will find some great information!

What do you think?  Please add your comments by clicking on the title above (“Good Shows About South Africa”)…

October 22, 2009   Posted in: Culture and Customs, Places You Must See  No Comments