How one man built a R2-billion private equity company in Durban
1. SPICEBUSINESS | INVESTMENT | FOOD | TRAVEL | CULTURE | DESIGN | VISION
May 2015
Harish Mehta has quietly
built one of KZN’s
business giants
LOWPROFILE
HIGHPROFIT
4. INTERVIEW
06 | SPICE | May 2015
Gcina Zondi heads a R2-billion private equity company in
Durban. Nompumelelo magwaza spoke to a man who
believes his job is to nurture great crops in barren soil
CAPITAL IDEAS
PHOTOGRAPHY JACKIE CLAUSEN
May 2015 | SPICE | 07
G
cina Zondi is seized with the latest offering
from his favourite author, Robin Sharma.
He’s gobbling up The Leader Who Had No
Title in his Afro-chic offices in Umhlanga, saying
the book inspired him and spurred a serious bout
of creativity.
“Sometimes I wish I could clone myself. If I
were a petrol attendant with this knowledge I could
make good money. You can make good money if
you work hard and give it your all,” says the man
who runs Imbewu Capital Partners.
Zondi and his partner, Craig Coombe, took
the daunting but intrepid decision to start the
private equity and investment holding company in
Durban in 2005, a time when many executives were
migrating to Johannesburg. “I promised myself that
I would like to achieve the same, if not more, being
based in Durban,” he says.
Ten years later, Zondi and his team have made
12 significant investments and retain eight of
them, including minority equity shareholdings in
aluminium company Hulamin, cement producer
NPC-Cimpor and multi billion-rand food company
RCLFoods,previouslyknownasRainbowChicken.
“The model of Imbewu, which means seed, is
to go and get funds from investment institutions
such as banks and pension funds and invest on
behalf of those institutions in different businesses,
particularly unlisted businesses,” says Zondi.
Most of the companies are based in KwaZulu-
Natal. “This makes me really proud, because I
think even though we are the manufacturing hub
of the country we have lost most of our talent to
Johannesburg.”
Zondi says it makes sense for manufacturing
companies to set up in the province because of its
proximity to the harbour.
The toughest part of his job? Finding businesses
run by good managers.
“This is a key attraction for us. We invest in
people. People who are running the business are
critical because we rely on good management to
grow our investment.”
The size of the business also counts, says Zondi,
who is not shy to add that Imbewu invests only in
firms worth more than R100-million and with
annual profits exceeding R20-million. “A business
thatsizeismorethanoneindividualandcansurvive
the misfortune of him or her being hit by a bus.”
The revival of corporate, manufacturing and
servicebusinessesinDurbaninspireshim.“Wehave
seen a spike in infrastructure businesses in the past
five years and we are glad that we have some kind of
exposure in that space.
“We have also seen some good businesses in
the FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) space, as
well as service businesses linked to infrastructure.”
Zondi is amazed at the amount of infrastructure
being built along the N2. “Our business is feeding
into most of these developments as we have a stake
in a cement business and a business in construction
containers, which profit from the infrastructure.”
Disappointments are part of the game. “Yes, we
have been burnt, and the first thing we did when we
lost investments was go back to the drawing board
to see what we could learn.”
“we invest in people. people who are
running the business are critical
because we rely on good management
to grow our investment”
ZONDI’S WISH LIST FOR DURbAN
ê We need more companies to establish
themselves here
ê We need to do something to keep skills in
Durban
ê We need to create more opportunities for
business to grow
ZONDI’S FAvOURITe THINGS AbOUT
DURbAN
ê I love the weather
ê We have a family-oriented city
ê It’s a good place to raise kids
ê You can build a business network here based
on trust
ê You can land at the airport and be at one of the
biggest malls in Africa in about 15 minutes.
And you can squeeze in five meetings in a day.
In Johannesburg you are lucky if you can do
three
ê The golf courses are great
ZONDI’S TIPS FOR eNTRePReNeURS
ê Nothing beats hard work and passion.
Whatever you do, do it exceptionally well
ê Young business people should learn to take a
long-term view of their business growth and
not rush quick returns
ê Businesses have cycles, and a solid business
should be able to survive the tough times
ê Young entrepreneurs must learn to sustain
their businesses. That is a skill
5. SPENDING IT
08 | SPICE | May 2015
Persian Charm
Carpet: r75 000-r80 000
The Seirafian Isfahan is a finely woven wool
carpet with a silk base depicting a hunting scene.
The carpet was made 40 years ago.
Contact: Charm Moodley on 031-303-8814
antiques and Bygones
Vase: r27 000
Japanese Satsuma porcelain vase from
the Meiji period (1868-1911).Covered in
intricate paintwork, the piece is 36cm high.
Contact: Nick Howarth on 031-303-8880/3
May 2015 | SPICE | 09
The DoDDs Gallery
Bronze sculpture: r83 000
Midlands artist Llewellyn Davies’ latest creation is Ode to Joy!
The bronze is one of 15 and stands 57cm high.
Contact: Michelle Dodds on 031-220-2041 or thegallerykzn@iburst.co.za
romanTiques
antique candlestick: r59 000
Vintage piece consisting of one 11.07-carat aqua
stone, twenty-eight 0.27-carat diamonds and four
0.39-carat diamonds. Set in sterling silver.
Contact: Tina Sarkis at t-team@mweb.co.za
Bauchop Knives anD
sworDs
Knives: r14 500 per set
Limited-edition knife set known as
the Witch and the Warlock. Only 50
sets were produced and distributed
worldwide.
A pair of knives, the Witch with a
6-inch blade and the Warlock with a
7.5-inch blade, are handcrafted using
hardened and tempered 6mm steel.
They have double-edged blades,
steel crossguards and micarta
handle slabs, and are coated with
a non-reflective black Gun Kote
finish. Each set comes in a mini
replica ammunition box lined with
camouflage material.
Contact: Robert Bauchop on 039-313-
5998 or bauchopknives@hotmail.com
If you’ve got boodle to burn and are looking
to impress your buddies, SPICE is here to help.
sanTham pillay went shopping
DELECTABLE
COLLECTABLES
6. INTERVIEW
Harish Mehta and his siblings have deliberately avoided the
limelight. But as GreG Ardé found out, behind their low profile
lies a whirlwind of entrepreneurial activity
QUIET STORM
PHOTOGRAPHY JACKIE CLAUSEN
May 2015 | SPICE | 11
H
arish Mehta is quiet, unfailingly polite
and decidedly understated. He’s also
one of Durban’s most accomplished and
under-the-radar entrepreneurs.
Mehta and his siblings turned a 100-year-old
family business into a widely diversified group with
shareholdings in some of South Africa’s blue chip
companies, including Times Media Group and
Redefine.
Their investments, via family group Clearwater
Capital, are spread across a range of sectors in
South Africa and include assets in Australia and
the UK.
It all started in the late 1800s when Harish’s
grandfather was brought to South Africa by
Mahatma Gandhi to establish his printing press at
the Phoenix settlement.
The business moved around Durban but grew
steadily, and by the time Harish and his siblings,
Bharat, Yatish and Aasha, took over it was time to
take the firm to the next level.
Of the children, one is a chartered accountant,
two have MBAs from US universities and another
has a Master’s in sociology. They had a keen
understanding of business and the power of
leverage. They convinced their father they couldn’t
fund growth from savings.
They borrowed cleverly, upscaled dramatically,
and catapulted Universal Print Group into another
league. Harish headed the business until 2011.
A year earlier the family reversed their printing
business for a 10% stake in Avusa – now the Times
Media Group, which owns the Sunday Times.
Six years earlier the family established
Clearwater Capital to diversify their interests.
Harishheadsthis,buthesayshissiblingsarebright,
outspoken and as capable as he is of doing the job.
When they owned Universal the four met every
day at their parents’ house for lunch, and to thrash
out business and family issues. Mehta says they are
still close and take turns to visit their ageing mother.
Their father, KV Mehta, died in 2011 at the age
of 84.
Mehta says his father had the most profound
influence on him. “My father was the most humble,
unbelievable man. He was a very simple man. He
never wore a watch. He instilled basic values in us.
“I was a high school dropout. I never got matric,
but my father never gave up on me. He sent me to
Leeds to do a printing diploma and after that I did
an engineering degree in the US, then an MBA at
the University of Wisconsin.
“I was never academic at school. If anyone had
rated my chances of succeeding then, they would
have been one out of 10.
“I was mediocre, but my father believed in me.
He gave his children the best chance through good
education, and my family and friends provided a
good environment to succeed.”
Mehta says the family’s success in business is
best attributed to adding value. “We know our
markets and we have the skills. We get involved in
the businesses we invest in. We are also long-term
investors, so we have a long timeline and look for
reasonable returns. It hasn’t always been easy. For
example, just after we invested in Wasteman the
CEO was fired. It cost us (the Oppenheimer and
Mehta families are the major shareholders) about
R75-million to fix the problems there.”
Mehta says modern-day directors have to add
value in business. “It’s easy to buy assets with other
people’s money, but it’s another thing to work your
own money; to get on-side with management and
to be closely aligned around growing the business.”
Mehtasaysthefamily’ssuccesswasn’tbydesign.
“Looking back on it now, I think ‘wow, it has been
fantastic’,butweneverreallyhadalinewefollowed.
It was just head down and hard work.”
Clearwater Capital has a small, smart office
suite on Umhlanga Ridge. In keeping with the
family’s ethos, there’s neither a grand entrance nor
ostentatious signage.
Mehta’s wife, Meena, helps with administration.
An optometrist who studied pre-med while she and
Harish were in the US as students, he credits her as
the brains in the relationship.
He says the family recently invested in an Indian
medicalcompanyandintendstopursueinvestments
in healthcare. “The medical knowledge and skills
in Durban are superb … we will target the middle
market, between people who pay top-end medical
aid and people dependent on the state.
“Our Indian partners are providing clinical
analysis to patients in Seattle using telepathology
and teleradiology. Test results go to them around
the clock. The service is also offered at a discount
because it is done after hours. Here, you pay
a premium for after hours. We aim to better
utilise the latest machines and the best skills with
technology.”
Mehta says his business philosophy is
underscored by taking risks. “I’m highly
ambitious, but I don’t want to succeed at any cost.
Manage your risks and the rewards will follow.
Be ambitious, but be careful. I set goals and I
persevere.”
“My father was the Most huMble,
unbelievable Man. he was a very siMple
Man. he never wore a watch.”
HARISH MEHTA On KZn’S PROSPECTS
“This province has the best growth potential
in South Africa, especially in logistics,
warehousing and food and agri-business.
Durban is the gateway to Africa. Did you
know the city is the biggest exporter of
citrus from the southern hemisphere? We
need to capitalise on Dube Tradeport and
the opportunities around tunnel farming and
our ideal growing climate. Our problem is
our skills base; people leave here once they
have the fundamentals. People create value,
so you can’t be losing them to Gauteng or
overseas. Our climate and lifestyle offering
is great here, but the job prospects are poor.
We have to change that.”
THE MOST PROFOUnD IDEA MEHTA
HAS BEEn ExPOSED TO LATELY
He attended a conference in Australia and
heard a presentation by 32-year-old Pablos
Holman, an inventor and “hacker for good”.
He displayed a photograph of 44-gallon
drums lined up in the Nevada desert. They
contained nuclear waste that he believes can
provide enough power to run cities the size
of Los Angeles. “I found his presentation
mind-numbing. That guy lives in the
beautiful region of Southern California. Why
can’t we get that kind of thinking going in
beautiful Durban? We don’t have a harried
lifestyle here. We should be attracting people
like that to live here.”
FIVE THInGS ABOUT HARISH MEHTA
ê He has three grown sons.
ê He lives in Umhlanga.
ê He is a keen golfer and goes to yoga
classes with his wife.
ê He loves reading and watching movies.
ê He is an avid hiker and has been to Mount
Everest base camp, hiked around Mont
Blanc, and visited Machu Picchu and the
summit of Kilimanjaro.
7. feature
12 | SPICE | May 2015
Eight business leaders sitting in judgment, nine entrepreneurs
presenting their ideas, R10 000 from FNB for the winner. SPICE
hosted KZN’s own foray into what some call the Dragons’ Den
the shark tank
E
ntrepreneurship means different things
to different people. To most it means
self-reliance and a can-do attitude that is
liberating because it drives people to take control
of their destiny.
In a country with rampant unemployment
and a fast-developing welfare state, many believe
establishing a culture of entrepreneurship is
critical.
Recently the Sunday Times, the publisher of
SPICE, and FNB, through its KwaZulu-Natal
regional chairman, Preggie Pillay, held an event
at the bank’s headquarters on Umhlanga Ridge. It
was aimed at nurturing entrepreneurship in KZN
and it was, without exaggeration, inspiring.
We invited entrepreneurs to submit ideas or
business plans for consideration by a panel of FNB
bankers and business experts from Deloitte.
The initiative attracted just shy of 100 entries,
a list that was whittled down to 10 finalists who
appeared in what we dubbed “The Shark Tank”,
where they pitched their ideas to a panel of
successful business people and Sharks CEO and
former Springbok rugby captain John Smit.
Smit made no bones about being a relative
newbie to business, but he encouraged participants
with a heartwarming pep talk, and his fellow
panellists represented the who’s who of KZN
business: Stephen Saad, who founded global
pharmaceutical giant Aspen; Hixonia Nyasulu,
former chairman of Sasol, who was once voted
the most influential woman in business in South
Africa; Harish Mehta, the chairman of Clearwater
Capital and former CEO of Universal Print; Terry
Rosenberg, the former CEO of McCarthy Retail
and current chairman of Oakbrook Investments;
entrepreneur Merlin Stols; Guy Brazier, the head
of Deloitte in KZN; and Pillay.
Saad set the tone for the day when he told
participants that perseverance would determine
their path. “You are not defined by your successes
or your failures. You are going to have big knocks.
That’s not important. It’s how you get up that
counts. It’s the sacrifices you make and the many
times you fall that count. Entrepreneurs are critical
to the success of this country. Entrepreneurs are
positive people. They are compassionate people
and they never give up,” Saad said.
The finalists reflected a range of enterprises.
One business withdrew at the 11th hour, and this
issue of SPICE contains snapshots of the remaining
nine.
The Sharks congratulated the participants on
their novel ideas and some for the depth of their
knowledge of costs, business processes, products
and markets.
Brazier said the Sharks heard an intriguing
range of ideas. Smit said entrepreneurship was
about learning and he congratulated participants
for being prepared to absorb valuable lessons.
“I admire you and envy that feeling of
excitement that you have just before you are about
to jump. That’s what entrepreneurs thrive on when
they launch businesses.”
Mehta praised the pitches as “outstanding”,
though he said there was too much focus on ideas
and not enough on risks.
Nyasulu said participants didn’t cut to the
chase quickly enough. “Nobody gave us enough of
a sense of who or what could derail you or make
your business difficult. The pitches could have
done with a clearer definition of victory.”
Stols encouraged entrepreneurs to work with
the resources at their disposal. They would always
have limited time to present to bankers or potential
funders so they had to be precise and say quickly
and exactly who they were, what they did, what their
competitive edge was and what risks they faced.
Pillay praised the contestants. “You presented
well, but I would have loved to have seen more
business problems solved and more details around
your businesses.”
Rosenberg said all the participants were winners.
“It’s not easy to get complex ideas across quickly. We
found there wasn’t enough analysis of competitor
threats and risks to the businesses. We needed more
explanation around profits. You have to learn to get
that across quickly.”
Some participants, he added, showed exceptional
talent, strength and business acumen, and he
picked out the following entrepreneurs for special
mention: Lubabalo Ndzimande, who runs a tent
hire company in Umzimkhulu; Andries Keyser, a
steam train enthusiast who runs a tourist business
in the Midlands; and Ntombenhle Mtshali, who has
a farming enterprise in Hlabisa.
On behalf of the Sharks, Rosenberg declared
Gregory de Beyer the winner. De Beyer owns Ad
Stuff, a manufacturing business that services the
advertising industry. His business was the enterprise
most judges said they would have invested in. He
received R10 000 from FNB.
SPICE and FNB will host another Shark
Tank in October. For more information, e-mail
ardeg@sundaytimes.co.za
TEXT BETH STOLS & GrEG Ardé
PHOTOGRAPHYTHuLi dLAmini
May 2015 | SPICE | 13
And the winner is...
GreGory de Beyer –
TransporTaBle draUGHT Beer
dispenser
interest in draught beer is growing rapidly worldwide, and
Gregory de Beyer believes he has the winning formula to
provide cold beer on tap anywhere, at any time.
His business, Ad Stuff, operates in the advertising and
promotions sector, and he’s at the coalface when it comes
to consumer trends.
Traditional draught machines need electricity, and
there’s a need to pre-cool the keg. africa has limited
reliable power, especially in the informal sector, and
de Beyer’s goal is to take his innovation to this market.
He has developed a fibreglass mobile unit that is
collapsible, fits into the boot of a small car, takes five
minutes to set up and can dispense its first cold beer within
three minutes. The product uses a small aluminium plate
cooler and two bags of ice to chill a 50-litre keg to 2C.
The outer rim of each unit can be branded, and
de Beyer says the cost of the unit can be recovered by
selling seven kegs of beer or three or four kegs of craft
beer.
stols was concerned that de Beyer would be up against
south african Breweries, which would invariably give
away his unit with its products.
de Beyer said saB was his biggest customer and he
had recently sold 10 units into africa, where there was
limited electricity but easy access to ice.
Brazier asked how de Beyer anticipated earning an
income. He said it would come from manufacturing and
supplying the units.
smit admired the concept but said liquor licences
involved multiple protocols and restrictions.
saad asked if there was sustainable revenue in de
Beyer selling the keg and its contents, and felt there was
added value that could be explored.
Brazier felt that the selling of cold drinks should also
be investigated. nyasulu concurred, saying the product
would do well at township functions and funerals.
SUNIL HIRALAL
NARESH
SUNDERPERSADH
ANDRIES KEYSER
HUMZA DESAI
8. 14 | SPICE | May 2015
furniture and building materials during the week,
when functions are not held. It employs up to
10 people and is contracted to the Umzimkhulu
municipality to deliver feedstock.
Nzimande said he delivered on time and
focused on the supply of good-quality, user-
friendly tents and trained staff to erect them.
He impressed the Sharks with his pitch and his
keen knowledge of his market, costs and profits.
Nzimande outlined his plan to double the size
of his business and extend his offering to mobile
freezers for events.
Saad grilled him on the potential market and
asked why he didn’t have a plan to grow even
bigger than he planned to. Nyasulu said the
barriers to entry for Nzimande’s competitors were
low and he had to continue setting himself apart.
NareSH SUNderperSadH
South africa’s road accident statistics are
among the highest in the world and Naresh
Sunderpersadh believes luminescent road paint
will help alleviate the increased risks drivers face
at night due to decreased visibility and depth
perception, and poor road markings.
His business plan is based on a product that
is being tested in Canada, and his vision is to
build a manufacturing plant in his home town of
Newcastle and distribute the paint nationally.
The technology uses sunlight to charge and
can emit light for up to 10 hours after dark. The
paint is said to last up to 10 years.
Saad asked how expensive the product was
and what the expected turnover would be.
Sunderpersadh said the cost was 60% to 70% more
than conventional road paint, but this would be
offset by the increased lifespan of the product.
He expected turnover would be r5-million in
the first year and approximately r100-million in
five years.
Nyasulu said research showed that the biggest
cause of road accidents was driver behaviour. She
queried how the product would deal with that.
Sunderpersadh said it couldn’t change driving
Wiggly, if the money doesn’t run out for train
rides and ice creams. But I could run out of people
to build and operate trains. I am indebted to the
people who trained me … I don’t want my skills
to be hidden in a shed when others could benefit
from them,” he said.
KaTHrYN KUre
Kathryn Kure understands her niche well. She’s
an independent member of the Southern african
Marketing research association and knows how
to turn research findings into marketing action.
Her company, data Myna, capitalises on
companies’ growing need for digital strategies,
providing analytics for clients who can’t afford a
full-timer to research the objective information
required for growth.
Brazier asked why she needed finance, and
Kure said she wanted to contract mid-career
women with research backgrounds who were able
to undertake tele-communicating work.
pillay asked Kure for an example of her plan.
She replied that digital ad agencies generally ran
a company’s website, analysed the market and
implemented strategies online. Her service was
product-agnostic and provided an objective view
of consumer behaviour.
Mehta said there was huge value in acquiring,
understanding and retaining data. The
management, sale and analytics of data were
critical and he commended Kure’s business plan.
LUBaBaLO NzIMaNde
Lubabalo Nzimande runs Syafikisa Tent Hire and
delivery, a company he started in Umzimkhulu
in 2013 to service the rural market, where tents
are not readily available for functions such as
weddings and funerals.
Nzimande’s business responds to the fact that
good tents are in short supply and are located far
from clients who cannot afford to transport them.
His company also transports general supplies,
deVaN NaIdOO
3d dental Crowns is the brainchild of durban
computer contractor devan Naidoo, who wants
to create a global e-commerce business that
specialises in the manufacture of crowns and other
dental fixtures.
He wants to do this using the latest 3d laser-
cutting technology, with a website for dentists to
upload images of fixtures requiring cutting.
Most dentists, said Naidoo, made moulds
of crowns and sent them to a laboratory for
manufacture. Some already had 3d laser-cutting
technology, but it cost around r1.2-million.
Naidoo proposed centralising the cutting process,
making it available and affordable to all dentists.
His idea got the judges talking, but their
concerns were summed up by Stols and Nyasulu,
who said the technology to do what Naidoo
proposed already existed, so his idea was
vulnerable.
aNdrIeS KeYSer
andries Keyser built and operates a miniature
steam railway in the Kwazulu-Natal Midlands.
He became interested in steam trains as a
teenagerandlearnthisskillsfromfellowenthusiasts
at pietermaritzburg Model engineering Society.
His train, which runs on a 160m track that he built
at piggly Wiggly, carries 800 people a day during
tourist peaks.
Keyser said he could manufacture all his
componentsfromscratchbutbattledtofindskilled
people to help run his operation. He wanted to
train unemployed people to build locomotives,
tracks and rolling stock, and expand miniature
railway operations in South africa.
Keyser said he could increase the number of
train rides if he lengthened his track to 1.6km and
added engines and rolling stock. He is familiar
with the operation of steam, diesel and electric
trains and is investigating the possibility of
importing locomotives to run a 40-minute tourist
route in the Western Cape.
“I can just about retire on the ride at piggly
“i admire you and envy that feeling of
excitement that you have just before
you are about to jump. that’s what
entrepreneurs thrive on”
techniques but would assist drivers in areas where
the light was poor.
Stols suggested that because of the product’s
high cost, Sunderpersadh should approach the
government to ascertain if it would be viable.
ntombenhle mtShAlI
ntombenhle mtshali’s dream is to transform an
unused five-hectare tract left to her by her father in
hlabisa, near mtubatuba, into a business.
this month, she planned to plough the first
three hectares and will plant tomatoes, green
peppers, spinach, sugar beans, peanuts and
carrots.
mtshali’s land is wedged between homes and
she has secured the permission of the tribal court,
the Ingonyama trust, and the departments of
agriculture and health.
the first yield will be sold to local communities
and corporate customers, including Shoprite,
boxer Cash and Carry, Spar and the mine in
Somkele.Farmersintheneighbouringdistricthave
agreed to buy her peanut yield for peanut butter
and peanut oil export to India.
Woven into the business model is mtshali’s
desire to uplift her community by creating jobs.
She aims to create work for women and a platform
for school pupils to do practical work at weekends
and during holidays.
the plan comes with challenges. hlabisa is
notoriously dry and there’s a shortage of flowing
water to the site. there’s a cost to connect pipes
and install water tanks, and there is the issue of
protecting the crop from animals and thieves.
nyasulu said aside from the project’s laudable
community upliftment objective, it had to be
profitable. most agricultural projects fell short at
the point of going to market. Who would assist in
ensuring the land yielded productively?
mtshali said local farmers and the Department
of Agriculture had offered to help with this and
with acquiring seeds and manure.
Saad asked what funding was necessary to
see the plan to fruition. mtshali said setting up
the project would cost about R430 000, including
vehicles, machinery, fencing and insurance.
humzA DeSAI
humza Desai of thumbsup technologies has
come up with a concept to make air travel easier
and more efficient.
Desai proposes an innovation to scan
thumbprints to a database. At the boarding
gate, your thumb would be rescanned, removing
the need for a physical examination of identity
documents or driving licences.
Desai said that because time was money, his
business model could contribute to the bottom line
in the squeezed airline industry.
he saw the possibility of global expansion using
a combination of yet-to-be-designed hardware and
software that would integrate into airline systems.
he said the data could help prevent fraud, improve
security and remove the threats posed by fake ID
documents, human error and corruption.
mehta asked where the business opportunity
was. he expressed concern that there were
no barriers to entry and therefore no unique
advantage.
Desai said selling scanners, software and the
database was the business opportunity.
Pillay raised concerns about hygiene and the
inability of a thumbprint to always be reliably read.
Rosenberg congratulated Desai for his strategy
but asked about the practical implementation.
Desai said he was in discussion with software
developers, It experts and a chartered accountant
to take the plan forward.
SunIl hIRAlAl
Sunil hiralal from Durban is the man behind
Jbo energy management, and he proposed the
establishment of the Go Solar oasis, or solar-
powered bus stops.
he described them as multi-purpose shelters
with chargers for mobile devices, wireless
internet and digital advertising. Apart from
offering shelter, convenience and information to
commuters and tourists, they could also feed the
eskom grid.
hiralal said the shelters, similar to those
in Canada and France, could use their digital
advertising displays to post commuter alerts and
house security cameras.
Jbo energy was established in 2011 and
provides sustainability services to a range of
industries.
nyasulu said the technology involved was
expensive. Would this mean advertising came at
a premium? brazier said the shelter’s expensive
components meant security was a major cost
consideration. hiralal’s idea of round-the-clock
guards only added to the costs.
Smit questioned the reliability and cost of
high-speed connectivity, saying users would
balk at paying a premium even if high-speed
broadband could be secured. mehta praised the
concept, but said the city owned the real estate
and the outdoor advertising regulations were not
insignificant.
lubabalo nzimande kathryn kure
devan
naidoo
ntombenhle
mtshali
9. It takes certain qualities to be an entrepreneur. One of them is resilience:
the ability to adapt to the ever-changing environment and keep doing business.
It’s what ensures you have contingency plans to stay a successful business,
one of the many that keep the economy of KZN flourishing.
As a proud sponsor of the KZN Shark Tank, FNB Business supports the unwavering
entrepreneurs of KZN. We’ll continue to bring you the world’s most innovative
banking solutions, South Africa’s best mobile banking* and tailored banking solutions
to help grow and run your business, for years to come.
Because your success is not just important for you, it’s also making a vital contribution
to the economy of KZN, and to South Africa.
FirstNationalBank-adivisionofFirstRandBankLimited. An Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider (NCRCP20).
Formoreinformationonourbusinessbankingsolutions,
contactAndrewHudsonon0836278767oremailhudsona@fnb.co.za.
Getmorebank.Domorebusiness.
resilience
vision
courage
creativity
ambition
dedication
curiosity
*As voted by the SAcsi Survey 2015
It takes certain qualities to be an entrepreneur. One of them is resilience:
the ability to adapt to the ever-changing environment and keep doing business.
It’s what ensures you have contingency plans to stay a successful business,
one of the many that keep the economy of KZN flourishing.
As a proud sponsor of the KZN Shark Tank, FNB Business supports the unwavering
entrepreneurs of KZN. We’ll continue to bring you the world’s most innovative
banking solutions, South Africa’s best mobile banking* and tailored banking solutions
to help grow and run your business, for years to come.
Because your success is not just important for you, it’s also making a vital contribution
to the economy of KZN, and to South Africa.
FirstNationalBank-adivisionofFirstRandBankLimited. An Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider (NCRCP20).
Formoreinformationonourbusinessbankingsolutions,
contactAndrewHudsonon0836278767oremailhudsona@fnb.co.za.
Getmorebank.Domorebusiness.
resilience
vision
courage
creativity
ambition
dedication
curiosity
*As voted by the SAcsi Survey 2015
10. PROFILES + DRINK + MOTORING + ART + WIN
18 | SPICE | May 2015
cultureArchitect Nina Saunders is an unapologetic optimist about
the potential of the CBD, old and new
By SHELLEY SEID
PHOTOGRAPHy JACKIE CLAUSEN &TEBOGO LETSIE
WE’LL buILD ThIS cITy
May 2015 | SPICE | 19
culture
“I’ll sIt on a bench In
Farewell square and
watch the crowds
passIng by”
I
f anyone understands Durban’s inner city, it’s
Nina Saunders. She’s eThekwini Municipality’s
acting deputy head of architecture, past president
of the KwaZulu-Natal Institute for Architecture, and
was the eThekwini liaison member of the organising
committee at last year’s International Union of
Architects Congress.
Your favourite building in the inner city?
Anything by architects Derek Crofton and Isaac
Benjamin.ThefirmCroftonandBenjamindesigned
many buildings in Durban in the 1970s, including
the Las Vegas Hotel on the Durban beachfront, and
on the Esplanade, Haven Court, Westpoint and the
Riviera Hotel. The architecture is playful – it has
a modernist style that’s been adapted to Durban’s
climate; it’s been coined “subtropical modernism”.
I also love the old Ocean Terminal building.
Somewhere in the inner city that holds great
potential?
The Rivertown precinct and the Beerhall building.
The opportunities for urban regeneration are
incredible. In fact, things have really started
happeninginMorrisonStreetsincetheinternational
architecture congress. Developers and investors
are focusing on the precinct and we are going to
see a rejuvenated link between the International
Convention Centre and the beachfront.
The most exciting development in the inner
city?
The GO! Durban public transport system and the
opportunities it brings. For instance, the proposal to
turn Pixley KaSeme Street (old West Street) into a
pedestrian-prioritised link from the cemetery to the
beachfront. This will create a truly public space – a
super-elongated, linear park running the length of
our city, connected by public transport.
11. 20 | SPICE | May 2015
NINA SAUNDERS’ BESt pLAcES IN DURBAN’S
INNER cIty foR:
Fun
The Chairman – a bar, lounge and jazz club on Point
(Mahatma Gandhi) Road. I love it because it is so
representative of South African culture. It’s a mix of
contemporary design and a heritage establishment
without losing any of its character.
Shopping
I love the fabric shops on Dr Goonam Street (formerly
Prince Edward Street) and the warren of streets adjacent
to it. Sattar’s sells an amazing selection of homeware and
kitchenware. After popping into the Hindu prayer shops,
I have a vegetarian lunch at Little Gujarat, preferably on a
Saturday when the special is potato dosa.
Eating
Ciao Bella on Mahatma Gandhi Road, Bike and Bean on
the beachfront after a promenade walk. There is also the
most fabulous Indian restaurant on Palmer Street – Café
Bon Bon, a tiny family establishment with superb food.
pEoplE-watching
Once in a while I’ll sit on a bench in Farewell Square and
watch the crowds passing by.
thE viEw
There are some wonderful views in Durban but my
favourite is the unexpected delight of looking through
Madrassa Arcade at Emmanuel Cathedral.
contEmplation
I work in the Old Fort complex next to the Old Fort
gardens,whichhavespectacularfigtreesandalittlechapel.
It’s tough to get public access so it is a quiet place. I also
love the cemetery at the top of Pixley KaSeme Street. It
holds a collection of different denominations and religions;
there are beautifully carved headstones in the Christian
section and prominent Durban personalities buried there.
I like the quiet company of the dead every now and then.
May 2015 | SPICE | 21
A
ndrew Makin raves about downtown Durban. The
award-winning architect comes alive when he talks
about the CBD. It puts the fire in his belly.
It’s about open environments which, he says, promote open
minds, open economies, open societies and open cultures.
Makin is beautifully persuasive.
Downtown Durban is a vibrant place that is home to
innovative inner-city dwellers and has huge prospects for
economic revival, although others regard it as a cesspit of
litter and crime.
Makin says the naysayers are parochial. They don’t walk
the streets of Durban. If they did, they’d see the city for what it
is: a rich mix of opportunity, activity, infrastructural capacity,
and functional spaces where nimble investors are already
capitalising on the value.
Makin’s designworkshop:sa has been commissioned
by Propertuity, a company that has revitalised swathes of
Johannesburg CBD, to revive the old Game building in Pixley
KaSeme (West) Street. Many believe this will be a catalyst for
widerregeneration,thoughthat’sawordthatirritatesMakinin
the Durban context.
He says by world standards the city is in relatively good
nick. Big property funds wouldn’t agree, he says, because they
like to let big floor areas to single corporate tenants who tend
to prefer more sanitised and isolated environments.
“There are hundreds of highly skilled tailors in the inner
city, selling to a big and ready market. They operate out of
20m² to 50m² spaces. It’s gritty and people thrive on direct
interaction. These are smart people in a sophisticated and
super-networked economy, like the core of any world city.”
Makin is transforming nine floors of vacated office space at
the Game building into an inner-city engine, with apartments
ranging from 28m² to 100m².
The city, he says, lends itself to a mix of small, medium
and large uses and activities. He sees a downtown Durban
with active streets and plazas kept safe by people overlooking
them from apartments and offices above. He sees less traffic,
more pedestrians and a far more optimal use of services that
are already concentrated in the inner city.
“These heaving pavements are a world of diverse activity,
action and energy: opportunity. Moving through the streets,
lanes, arcades and across the squares … there’s a pace and
rhythm we feel and understand. It’s open, free and energised,
with a rapid cadence. Like music, the city makes stories of real
life; it inspires curiosity and sets the imagination free.”
Makin says the city enables interaction, exchanges with a
range of different people, initiated by transactional need.
“These exchanges soon became relational. In the city,
you’re interacting with human beings, not brands. With real
personalities, not invented brand personalities.
“Many of us have a rich range of experiences in the
inner city. It is startlingly different to the suburbs, to gated
developments, to office parks, to shopping malls. In essence,
to the corporatised economy of closure; of isolation that
increasingly intertwines itself into our day-to-day lives;
replacing real experiences with images of experiences, with
lifestyle photo-shoots.
“These are delusions of comfort, rather than the intense
beauty and satisfaction that exists in the grit and delight of
real life.”
TRUE BELIEVER
Where many people see decay, Andrew Makin
sees possibility, and he’s playing a leading role in
changing perceptions of downtown Durban
12. PROFILE
22 | SPICE | May 2015
In his own way, in his own field, Professor Thandinkosi Madiba
has excelled and enhanced countless lives in much the same
way as his more famous namesake
THE OTHER MADIBA
H
e has kind eyes, a shy smile and a
marvellous mind. Professor Thandinkosi
Madiba, a world authority on diseases of
the colon, rectum and anus, has lived and worked
in Durban most of his life. The 65-year-old is head
of surgery at Nelson R Mandela Medical School
at the University of KZN and established the first
colorectal unit in the province.
As a schoolboy, Madiba showed great promise.
His mother, a domestic worker, worked for a Rotary
Ann who arranged for him to move from his home
in Umkomaas to school at Adams College, near
Amanzimtoti.
He matriculated in the top 10 students
countrywide and enrolled at UKZN, where he
qualified as a doctor in 1976. After internship at
Edendale Hospital, Madiba did two years in private
practice in Ntuzuma. He joined the university in
1978 and nine years later graduated as a specialist
surgeon.
“I wanted to study the theory, but I also liked
the patient evaluation and I wanted to learn how to
operate … later on I also learnt how to become an
administrator, a researcher and a teacher.”
Bythetimehequalifiedasasurgeon,Madibahad
performedmorethan400supervisedoperations.He
has since done thousands.
“It is intricate work with a minimum margin of
error. I have honed my fine motor skills, but most
importantly I have learnt to respect tissue. I learnt
that from my two predecessors, the late Mr (Fred)
Luvuno and Professor (Ariff) Haffejee. How you cut
is an art. It’s not a smash and grab. You are solving
problems and you have to pay attention to detail.”
Madiba became head of surgery in 2010, though
he’s quick to say he does not want to be remembered
as the first African professor of surgery. “I don’t
want to be labelled. I am among many surgeons
who have held the position and I’m here because of
merit and many trials and tribulations.”
He scoffs at racial quotas in transformation.
“They’re patronising. I like transformation in as
much as it encourages work and gives everyone the
chance to reach their highest potential, so they can
compete on their own recognisance.
“Other than that, quotas defeat transformation
and are an insult to anyone involved. I have seen
attempts to sabotage transformation, but at the end
of the day transformation is not about a face and
you can’t do it by numbers.”
Madiba says he’s always strived to improve
himself. He trained as a colorectal surgeon at
the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. He is a fellow of
the College of Surgeons of South Africa and the
American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons.
He obtained the latter fellowship after being
awarded a scholarship to study in the US.
Madiba has undertaken exhaustive research,
particularly in the field of sigmoid volvulus, a
condition in which the large bowel twists on itself.
Research and academia have helped him
immeasurably, he says. “In order to succeed, you
need to be learned, and that’s not always just about
going to school, it’s about learning from your
colleagues and being able to present your research
to them for their scrutiny.
“We are not just consumers of knowledge, we
learn if we are prepared to do things over and above
our job description. There is satisfaction in that. I
am rewarded when I see the animation in the eyes
of my students when I teach them.”
After he qualified, Madiba says, he was “big
and arrogant” and didn’t think he could learn from
the nurses. Age and experience have taught him
empathy and humility.
“I don’t know everything and I’m prepared to
hear from my juniors. I would rather be challenged
than miss something. As medicine has advanced
I have seen the change to more collaborative
treatment of cancers, for example, and the approach
is much more successful.”
Madiba says problems in public health
care could be solved if the bureaucracy wasn’t
politicised. “The people at the top mean well,
they have a vision and are aware of the priorities,
but things get jumbled because of political
appointments. People who are employed because
of who they know will always have a feeling of
entitlement. They will keep people waiting for two
hours while they read a magazine.
“If this job is given to you, and you haven’t
sweated for it, you will never work hard. If you have
worked hard to become a doctor or a nurse you will
have a good work ethic and will appreciate the job
you have. That’s my pet hate: people who don’t
want to fulfil their responsibility.”
In 2010, Madiba was selected by the city as a
“living legend”, which he counts as one of his
fondest memories.
Madiba’s wife is a retired schoolteacher and they
have two sons and three grandchildren. He says
he likes walking through the tree-lined streets of
La Lucia, where he lives. Other than that he relaxes
by reading research papers and watching wrestling.
He giggles at this, saying it intrigues his wife no end
because it is so at odds with his gentle nature.
Professor Haffejee described Madiba as a quiet
man who played down his achievements. “He is
very hard-working and his work is of an outstanding
quality. He sees things through to completion. He
has excelled and is most accomplished.”
TEXT GREG ARDÉ
PHOTOGRAPHY VAL ADAMSON
May 2015 | SPICE | 23
13. DRINK
24 | SPICE | May 2015
TEXT GreG Ardé
PHOTOGRAPHY rOGAN WArd
Craft beer is tickling increasing numbers of taste buds, and
Shongweni Brewery is spearheading the revolution
KIF BREW, BRU
B
rian Stewart is a development economist who
dreamt of a semi-retirement diddle brewing
craft beer. At 70 years old he’s a straight-talking
chap who, with his sons, bought Shongweni Brewery
from their neighbour, Stuart Robson, in 2012. The past
three years have been a rollercoaster ride.
A hardy fellow who consulted to the World Bank
and the United Nations, Stewart is no stranger to hard
work. But since he bought the brewery he’s had to bone
uponmanufacturing,liquorlegislation,marketingand
sales.
It hasn’t been without reward. They have increased
output by 300% and Stewart has become chairman of
Craft Beer SA.
He says microbreweries are popping up all over
South Africa every week – at last count there were 101,
of which 11 are in KwaZulu-Natal.
Shongweni Brewery, the oldest microbrewery in
KZN, is famed for its Robsons brand, which has eight
variants, ranging from a pale ale to a dessert beer.
Stewart produces around 25 000 bottles a month.
“If I could triple that production tomorrow I might be
able to keep up with the demand. I have had inquiries
from China, Sweden and the UK, but I don’t have
capacity to export. I don’t because I can’t disappoint
loyal local buyers.”
Stewart says reliable statistics relating to the US
market point to the fact that consumers are swigging
more craft beer than ever.
He says that in 2012 the growth of small craft
breweries was 17% year-on-year, albeit off a small
base. A Wall Street Journal article last year said craft
brewers represented nearly 3% of the US market of
20 million barrels of beer a year.
In South Africa, craft brewers have market share
of only 1%, but Stewart believes there are still big
entrepreneurial and job-creation opportunities.
“Craft beer is enjoying the same phenomenon as
food; people are moving from fast to slow, to more
organic and healthy produce. As long as craft brewers
stay authentic and resist mass production, the industry
should grow.”
Stewart says the costs of producing craft beer
are higher because of the pure ingredients, slower
production, and economies of scale.
But, he says it is “bull” that craft beer should cost
R40 or R50 a bottle.
Liquor stores and restaurants are trading off the
popular niche, he says, and the answer is fiercer
competition, increased volumes and lower margins.
Stewart believes more brewpubs would also help
– they can be set up for about R500 000, and would
eliminate the need for expensive bottling plants and
marketing and distribution.
There is huge untapped potential in the black beer
market, he says, and an opportunity for skills transfer
and black-owned breweries.
“Black women drink more beer in South Africa
than white men… In the UK and Germany you have
unique brews that are peculiar to certain local areas,
where the beer goes from the barrel to the tap. Why
can’t we have that here?”
May 2015 | SPICE | 25
THE INTOXICATING
SUCCESS
OF CRAFT BEER
“When we maxed out at 4 000
litres a month I realised we had to
go big,” says Sean Roberts, the
energetic Durban restaurateur with
a Midas touch.
Roberts and his wife, Marcelle,
own Café 1999 and Unity Brasserie
& Bar on Silverton Road in
Morningside.
Roberts is passionate about
good-quality local brands and is
in touch with a range of suppliers.
In 2011, he was using Shongweni
Brewery to produce his Cowbell
brew, and when he opened Unity he
realised the potential of craft beer.
He was vexed by the infrequent
supply from Cape craft brewers.
He nagged, but the distances were
too great to make the margins
work. Then he had a serendipitous
meeting with musician Paul Ten
Hoorn Boer at a home-brew festival
in Shongweni.
The impossibly named chap was
messing around with home-brew
kits, and had made an Irish Red that
changed his life. Roberts convinced
him to partner up and start That
Brewing Company.
Their humble origins were in
a 90m² rented space in Umbilo
and they kicked off with a bit of
help from Stuart Robson, founder
of Shongweni Brewery, and Mo
Therese, the inimitable maître d’
from Café 1999.
Their four variants of beer flew off
the shelves at Unity. “It succeeded
beyond our expectations. We
decided to put it on steroids and
open a 700m² brewery in Station
Road.”
S43 (so named because the
address is 43 Station Road) will
house the brewery and a 200-seat
restaurant in an industrial setting
on Umgeni Road, made hip by
the Sunday local food market and
Savior Café.
14. DRINK
26 | SPICE | May 2015
W
e’re a nation with a culture of beer
drinking, evident in the fact that South
Africa has the highest consumption
of beer per capita of all neighbouring African
countries.
It comes as no surprise, then, that one of the
largest beer-makers – the Molson Coors Brewing
Company, which sells more than 100 brands across
the world – has a strong South African connection.
At the helm of its Canadian business is one
of Durban’s most successful emigres, Stewart
Glendinning. The 49-year-old is president and
chief executive of Molson Coors Canada, the oldest
brewery in North America.
He’s responsible for ensuring that R20-billion
worth of beer finds its way from one of the
company’s six breweries into the hands of thirsty
consumers across Canada.
After attending Durban Preparatory High
School and Durban High School, Glendinning
moved to the United States, studied for an
accounting degree and cut his teeth in the business
world with KPMG.
He spent almost 19 years in professional services,
flying more than 5 million miles, and when he
joined Molson Coors it was like finding a pot of
gold at the end of a rainbow – less frequent travel,
more time with his family, and an opportunity to
work with his favourite consumer product, beer.
Before moving to his current role, Glendinning
was the company’s global chief financial officer
and ran the company’s operations in the UK and
Ireland. Now he is responsible for all operations in
Canada, including overseeing 3 000 employees.
SPICE CHATTED TO
GLENDINNING
What were your aspirations growing up in
Durban?
Aftertakingpartinastock-investingclubatDHS,
I set my mind firmly on running a business. I
did an auditing internship with Deloitte Haskins
and Sells (now Deloitte). As part of the audit of
a shipping company in Durban, I got to see that
the MD was paid R60 000 a year. It seemed like
an unfathomable fortune at the time.
What’s the secret of your success?
There are three things that have been consistent
in each of my roles. First, I bring a high level of
passion, enthusiasm and curiosity, knowing that
I have few of the answers.
Second, I focus on doing the best job I can
without obsessing about what the next job will be.
And last, I try to hire people who are better
than me. I focus on encouraging new ways of
working, not penalising failures, and on putting
our consumers front and centre.
What is your management style?
I have a low-hierarchy and direct style coupled
with high energy. I value the input from each
employee and I’m always available. I don’t
want things sugar-coated and I never shoot the
messenger.
What are your most abiding memories of
KwaZulu-Natal?
My days at DHS were some of the most significant
in my life. The learning and character-building
experiences there set me up for life. I can still
remember the names of unforgettable teachers –
Mevrou Bell, Mrs Jewell, Jiggs Grey, Mr Cousins,
Meneer Lamprecht and Spike Thompson. I can
remember a few canings, too, although not as
fondly.
My first job was at Game, promoting Sanyo
radios, and this early selling experience has come
in handy.
There is an African feeling that you carry
with you wherever you are in the world. The
incredible hospitality of the people, the outdoors,
and the diverse melting pot of cultures all come
together to create that feeling. I feel that KZN
has it all.
Do you foresee growth for your brands in
South Africa?
Our brands would work very well in South
Africa. The days of a single brand are long gone
as the country embraces a wider selection of
great-tasting beers.
Any inspiring words of advice?
Don’t get caught up in your own importance.
Focus on achievement as a team and always
make time for family.
Encourage and listen to honest feedback. As
soon as you focus on making positive change,
positive energy makes you feel fantastic.
Where to from here?
After almost 30 years of work I am closer to the
end of my career than the beginning, so I think
about what comes next mostly in personal terms.
I look forward to seeing how my kids begin their
own careers and I have a life goal to sail around
the world.
TEXT BETH STOLS
PHOTOGRAPHY ROGAN WARD
In Stewart Glendinning’s case it’s not ‘local boy makes good’ so
much as ‘local boy makes good beer – and lots of it’
LARGE IN LAGER
MOTORING
May 2015 | SPICE | 27
By Masood BooMgaard
PHOTOGRAPHy rogaN Ward
Jeeva Moodley is Durban’s ‘Mr Porsche’, and the jewel in his
collection is a rare 964, which he says is the ultimate driver’s car
T
here is nothing sweeter for Jeeva Moodley than the
crisp roar of an air-cooled 911. The Tongaat man is
one of the country’s best-known Porsche aficionados
and has a soft spot for the classic pre-1997 versions of the
manufacturer’s legendary rear-engined sports car.
Why is 1997 significant? It’s when Porsche changed
to water-cooled engines. To the layman, it’s an event that
holds little or no significance, but for 911 nuts it’s one of
the key moments in history.
Air-cooled911srepresentthepurityofthePorschespirit
and an era in the car maker’s history when it was about
melding man and machine. Sure, modern technology is
great, but almost any Porsche petrol-head would choose a
classic 911 over a modern incarnation.
This is why Moodley didn’t hesitate when he had the
chance to get his hands on a “964”, one of the most sought-
after classic 911s. “The technology in the newer 911s is
great but you can’t beat the older cars,” he says. “They are
the true drivers’ cars. There is no traction control or power
steering. With the new cars there are many electronic aids,
too much refinement.”
Older 911s are becoming increasingly sought-after
worldwide, and prices of classic models have increased by
up to 200% in the last three years. “They’re scarce, which
is why I wanted to get this 964 for my collection. Soon you
won’t be able to find them.”
Manufactured between 1989 and 1993, the 964s fetch
around R500 000 on average but the turbo versions can
sell for R1-million or more.
In addition to the 964, Moodley has a 911 SC and a
GT3, and he has owned seven Porsches over the years. He
runs High Octane Tuning, something of a meeting place
for Porsche lovers from across KwaZulu-Natal.
Remarkably, he is a self-taught guru. “I had a
background with VW and Audi, and in my spare time
I would tinker with Porsches. I kind of learnt as I went
along. One good thing about the new cars is that they are
much simpler to work on than the old ones.”
Moodley says the best Porsche he has driven was a 996
GT2, nicknamed “the widow maker” because of its brutal
power. However, his unicorn is the 930 Turbo, the Porsche
he dreams of owning.
While he is a speed freak, Moodley says he prefers
driving fast on a track. “I like Kyalami, Killarney in Cape
Town and Zwartkops. My favourite Sunday drive is the
back road to Kokstad. I enjoy the bends.”
SUNDAY LEGEND
“The Technology
in The newer 911s
is greaT buT you
can’T beaT The
older cars”
15. FAVOURITE PLACES
28 | SPICE | May 2015
Controversy has dogged sculptor and artist Andries Botha,
notably for his elephant statues near Warwick Avenue. We spoke
to him about what makes Durban magic
TEXTYASANTHA NAIDOO
PHOTOGRAPHY VAL ADAMSON
ELEPHANTS
AND MEMORIES
I
was born in lower Berea and grew up in
Durban. I lived in Umbilo, Montclair and the
Bluff. I lived with my father because I had to,
and then did not want to leave him. I never really
found a reason good enough to leave Durban.
The place that brings back my favourite
memories is the sea – all of it, from Pirates to
the Pumphouse (no longer there), then the entire
Indian Ocean. After that, it is the Roxy, Oxford
and Capri, those were the bug houses (movies), no
longer there, as well as the library at the University
of Pietermaritzburg, where I fell in love with books.
The loveliest spot in Durban is North Pier,
at the entrance to the harbour. You could look
across to that dark shadow of land called the Bluff,
watching the old lighthouse swinging around lazily
at night. It has also been taken away.
The best view in KwaZulu-Natal is
undoubtedly from the top of the Drakensberg.
Preferably without the view, since I know it so
well, when the mist comes down and you can hear
the swallows diving around you. It was the real
swoosh, before Nike came on the scene.
My favourite restaurant is Patel’s Vegetarian
on what used to be Grey Street. You can have a
meal that is truly affordable, with ordinary people
whocanaffordanaffordablemeal,servedbypeople
who have not changed for 25 years.
I can recommend the masala dosa or Madras
fish curry at Palki, or, if you stay awake into the
morning, try Johnny’s long bean and cheese roti.
It addresses most things that require immediate
attention.
For a cultural fix I head to my studio; interesting
people drop in from time to time.
My favourite holiday spot in the province is
my car: it gives me freedom to explore all of KZN,
the best-kept secret in the world.
The most underrated spot in Durban is… if
I tell you then it will be discovered. But, there is
a tree, a massive tree, behind Mitchell Park. We
can’t get there any more because the president
has moved into King’s House and is often there,
apparently. There used to be a great mahogany
tree that used to be called “the elephant tree”, but
it is no longer there. It is a great spot to visit and
reimagine the tree.
The Durban beachfront is a place that allows
all South Africans to experience beauty and
pleasure, and imagine that they are on holiday. On
a weekend you can see what South Africa should
look like.
If I didn’t live in Durban I would live in Italy,
somewhere in Tuscany. I would build a jondolo
(shack) next to one of Michelangelo’s “Captive
Slaves”. If they stopped me I would move to the
Karoo.
THE SPICE ROUTE
May 2015 | SPICE | 29
HelpuscelebrateKwaZulu-Natal’s
gemsbytakingustoyourhappy
placeontheSPICEroute
We’ve changed our competition that asked readers to identify
places in our beautiful province. Now we’re embracing reader
contributions. Send us your photos of a great building, a quirky
spot or an interesting person or people. The best picture will
be published in the next edition of SPICE and the winner will
receive a free midweek stay of three nights’ bed and breakfast
for four in a family suite at Montusi Mountain Lodge in the
Drakensberg pictured on the right.
For more information go to www.montusi.co.za
E-mail your photos to ardeg@sundaytimes.co.za with SPICE ROUTE in the
subject line. Entries are limited to five pictures per person per competition,
although you are welcome to send only one. The editor’s decision is final and
no correspondence will be entered into.
The winner of last month’s prize, a Glycine watch
worth R40 000, is Ivan Scholtz, who correctly
identified our hidden gem on the SPICE route as
Reichenau Mission in Ixopo.
16. VISION
30 | SPICE | May 2015
PHOTOGRAPHY ROGAN WARD
Some KZN companies have conquered broad business
frontiers while consciously choosing to keep their roots
in Durban, writes Dale Tomlinson
BOYS TO MEN
I
magine if we had taken these statements to
heart: “Durban has a limited talent pool.” “No
one has ever built an independent agency of
scale in Durban.” “The KwaZulu-Natal client pool
is already adequately catered for.” “All the big
brands are handled by Joburg agencies.”
These were some of the words of encouragement
I received when I started The Hardy Boys 21 years
ago. Two adages immediately come to mind:
“Ignorance is bliss” and “the good stuff always rises
to the top”; either way, The Hardy Boys opened in
1994 as a brand-building design business with a core
competency in packaging.
Maybe it is the fact that Durban is something
of a hybrid between the big-city brashness of
Johannesburg and the cosmopolitan eclecticism of
Cape Town that forces you to find a less contested
space. It helps you ensure your offering has a
refreshing relevance in a highly competitive and
potentially overtraded environment.
There are many great examples of this in KZN,
businesses that “zigged” when the others “zagged”.
Two that immediately spring to mind are Barrows
and Mr Price.
Like most cities, Durban has a plethora of
companies providing a huge spectrum of printing
services. Barrows decided unequivocally that it was
not a printing company, choosing to become an
ideas company: a visual, structural, strategic brand-
buildingcompanythatjusthappenedtouseprinting
technology to manifest its thinking.
How could a single-outlet factory shop in
downtown Durban conceivably take on the
established forest of fashion retailers? Affordable
fashion, displayed in a way we have not seen before,
powerful graphics, engaging language, a fresh,
accessible vibrancy and the nimbleness to respond
to global trends at a price that gives everyone the
opportunity to look cool and be current. Mr Price
was born.
Equally, The Hardy Boys is an agency built
upside down, not believing – as was the custom 20
years ago – that the answer to every brand’s desire
for growth lay solely in television. We started the
process on the shelf: what does the brand look like,
how does it function, what is its personality, how
does it speak?
From there we upped the in-store dialogue
with incentives to drive trial, brand activation to
encourage consumer engagement and ultimately to
the more classical channels of radio, outdoor and
television. Being based in KZN forced us to ask:
how do we tackle things differently to give us the
edge and get us noticed? This way of thinking has
become the agency model.
There were days when South Africa competed
with itself, a bit like a communications twist to Game
of Thrones. The big Joburg tribes raided KZN and
plundered the brands of Unilever, Beacon Sweets
and Robertsons. We sent sorties to Johannesburg
and Cape Town to woo Nedbank, then Barclays
Africa, Tiger Brands and Simonsberg.
Then the world changed. South Africa shed its
pariah status and re-entered the world arena. The
continent opened up and opportunities exploded.
We were already working across Africa on the
Barclays brand through an informal network of best-
of-breed agencies that we had established, known as
the Africa Collective. This had given us an insight
into the complexities, nuances and challenges of
working across borders, and we had produced multi-
channel campaigns for several Unilever and Diageo
brands, among others.
We started realising our goal of being an African
business born out of KZN, punching well above our
weight against global networks.
In 2013 I was invited as the only African
to present with Andy Fennell of Diageo at the
Cannes Lions, the communication industry’s
Olympic Games, and The Hardy Boys caught the
eye of WPP, the world’s largest communications
company, run by Sir Martin Sorrell.
With the burgeoning African opportunity high
on the agenda of every major global and local
brand owner, the need for world-class resources
and creativity became a priority in the region. So
we recently sold 60% of our business to J Walter
Thompson, part of WPP and the world’s oldest
agency. It has given us the opportunity and support
to capitalise on Africa’s ballooning appetite for new
brands and technology.
Attracting talent can still be a challenge. Some
clients believe the other “centres” is where it all
happens. But try telling this to SA Home Loans,
Miles Dally and his team at RCL Foods, the people
at Unilever who are leaders in nearly every category
their brands play in, Dube Tradeport, Aspen,
Debonairs, Trellidor, JT Ross Properties, Tongaat
and Fry’s Foods.
Also, keep an eye on Renzo Scribante. His
Remos restaurant in Mount Edgecombe was
followed by Remos Villaggio in Umhlanga. Then
came Joburg, next the über trendy Dutch and now
the incredible Old Town Italy. All bear testimony
to a passion for authenticity, rich detail and
impeccable taste.
They’re all amazing African businesses, proudly
South African with great KZN DNA. They are
beacons of light in the economy this province is
building. If you want to imagine what KZN will
look like in 50 years, look at what these companies
are doing and how they beat the odds.
Tomlinson is chairman of The Hardy Boys
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