Archive for the ‘Women’ Category

Women’s Day in South Africa commemorates the national march of women on ( August 1956 to petition against legislation that required African persons to carry the “pass”, special identification documents which curtailed an African’s freedom of movement during the apartheid era.

These women showed courage in their act of defiance against laws which degraded humanity. Other women also and also made a huge contribution to help build the Rainbow nation.

Iconic South African brand , Kumkani, salutes all women who makes a difference and who helped in creating our amazing country.

Giving wine with chocolate makes for a more special Valentine’s Day, not to mention the opportunity to create time for sharing with your loved one.

There are actually a lot of different wines that pair well with chocolate. Generally, wines that are a little more “fruit forward” make the best partners with chocolate.

Champagnes also pair well with chocolate. Try dark chocolate with a brut champagne, and a lighter (maybe even white) chocolate with a sweeter bubbly. Be careful, though, not to go too sweet.

The Kumkani Infiniti is an excellent dry “champagne”. This exceptional wine is a MCC (Methode Cap Classique ) sparkling wine and pairs well with dark chocolates (especially with 50 percent, or higher, cacao).

Read more…

The annual Audi Joburg Fashion Week featured the crème de la crème of the local fashion industry and drew VIP guests such as Michael Mol, Basetsana Kumalo, Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe, former Miss SA’s Joan Ramagoshi and Cindy Nell, Edith Venter and Geri Rantseli-Elsdon, among others.

These guests were treated to the award-winning Kumkani wines such as Kumkani Infiniti MCC; Kumkani Lanner Hill Sauvignon Blanc and Kumkani Cradle Hill at the event.

Award-winning wine brand, Kumkani, will put a fashionable foot forward as it embodies African elegance when partnering with the Audi Joburg Fashion Week’s Autumn/Winter 2010 collections, which will start at the Sandton Convention Centre and will run until 23 January.

The company of wine people’s Brands and Business Development Manager, Corne Oosthuizen, said: “We are proud to be sponsoring our award-winning, premium wines for an event of this stature. It aligns perfectly with our uniquely South African brand, Kumkani, The King of South African wines and we are pleased to present our flagship wines to consumers.”

The fashion week features the crème de la crème of the local fashion industry, with renowned designers and provides a platform for fashion designers to build their brand; engage with buyers; the media; and speak to their consumers assisting them in creating a sustainable enterprise.

Guests attending Joburg Fashion Week will have the opportunity to sample African elegance at its best with varietals and award winning wines such as the Kumkani Infiniti Methode Cap Classique; Kumkani Lanner Hill Sauvignon Blanc; Kumkani Cradle Hill; Kumkani Sauvignon Blanc; Kumkani Shiraz; Kumkani Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon; and Kumkani Chardonnay Viognier on offer.

Source: publicityupdate.co.za

Hot on the heels of dressing Charlize Theron for the 2010 FIFA World Cup draw Errol Arendz makes his long awaited return to the runway alongside Craig Port at the AUDI finale show at the Fall/Winter Audi Joburg Fashion Week in Joburg in January 2010.

AUDI Joburg Fashion Week F/W 2010 will take place at Sandton Convention Centre over four days from 20 – 23 January 2010, the AUDI Finale Show taking place on Saturday the 23rd of January.

Tickets to Audi Joburg Fashion Week are available from Computicket, and special day passes are available. For more information, full show schedules and highlights from previous winter collections, please visit africafashioninternational.com

Kumkani Brand News

Kumkani, which epitomises style and elegance, is  a product sponsor of this event and we are proud to be associated with this prestigious event which is perfectly aligned with our brand.

Source: fashion.maga-zine.com

Autumn/Winter 2010 Collections will grace the catwalk as the annual Audi Joburg Fashion Week returns for the fourth year at Johannesburg’s Sandton Convention Centre from 20 – 23 January 2010.

The four day fashion showcase features the nation’s best designers unveiling their creative forecast of the season’s trends, to a global audience of media, fashion buyers, and fashion consumers.

Kumkani, which epitomises style and elegance, is  a product sponsor of this event and we are proud to be associated with this prestigious event which is perfectly aligned with our brand.

For more info visit africanfashionint.com

The Wine show ladies chose and rated six of South Africa’s best Methode Cap Classique (MCC) sparkling wines.

Naturally the Kumkani Infiniti was one of the chosen wines and it seems that The Wine Show ladies had a great time testing the wine.

On their site they wrote:

“In Spain they call it Cava, Italians say Asti or Spumante and the Germans go with Sekt. We boertjies have come up with our own term, Methode Cap Classique (MCC). It still sounds French, so I suppose a bit more posh, but in essence it refers to how the actual fizz is made – the traditional way of Champagne, by secondary fermentation in the bottle.

In the last few years as our palates have evolved, the world has gotten smaller and South Africans have caught on to the fact that, even though we can’t call it ‘champagne’ we can afford it, drink it and yes, even make it.”

Read more…

The second most populated country in the world, India, is said to become one of the giants in the intentional wine market. With a population of more than 1 billion people, this market is attracting attention from all the major wine-producing countries.

South Africa is a relatively small player in the international wine market and is only the ninth biggest producer of wine. But South Africa is making inroads into the Indian market according to Wines of  South Africa (WOSA).

In a recent article in The Times , WOSA indicated that India’s growing middle class is the key  potential market. The consumer group consists of about 1.5 million wine drinking Indians.

Last year, South Africa exported about 700000 litres of wine to India, said   WOSA spokesperson, Andre Morgenthal. Morgenthal added that although the export quantities are increasing, South Africa is not well represented in India compared to other international markets.

Mark Lester, the business development manager of the company of wine people^TM, said this market presents a lot of challenges.

Lester said: “Realistically,  the South African wine category has a great deal of work to do in this market, despite the positive statistics presented in recent years relating to growth of wine or the sheer potential size of this untapped market. The South African category is miniscule compared to the more established wine producing nations such as France or Italy, whom have truly made in-roads into this market by supporting their generic marketing bodies in a big way, not only to promote their wine category, but also to introduce wine appreciation to a consumer who is predominantly new to the fruit of the vine.”

Lester added that further market barriers such as the ever changing customs duty on wine, especially in noticeable wine consuming states, further poses a challenge to those wishing to import their wines. In essence therefore, one must not ignore the potential of this market, however one must also not underestimate what is required to succeed here. Shared common threads such as our historical colonial past, our cultural links to the sub-continent and relationships forged by co-hosting a tournament such as the IPL, should however give us the inside lane to what incredible India has to offer.

Source: thetimes.co.za

A new survey shows that women prefer wines they know to be more expensive.

Do women have expensive taste? Darn right!

According to research by the Stockholm School of Economics and Harvard University women attach more value to pricey bottles of wine than the actual taste.

Research showed that disclosing the price of the wine before it was tasted generally resulted in much higher wine ratings.

During the study conducted by Johan Almenberg of Harvard University, 266 volunteers in Boston, US were asked to taste one of two Portuguese red wines, one costing five US dollars (R40) while the other cost US40 (R322).

One-third of the volunteers were told the price before the tasting while other volunteers learned the price afterwards.

Women appeared to give far higher ratings when they were told that what they were about to drink was expensive.

Men did not seem that affected by the price, they appeared to go more on taste. But women certainly seemed affected by the price – and this impacted on their wine rating.

Interestingly enough though, in a blind tasting both sexes gave higher ratings for the cheaper wine than for the more expensive wine.

Almenberg said the impact of pricing on women could be “something evolutionary”.

“If you look for what women find attractive in a man, the pay cheque is probably not that important for either sex, but a lot of women attach more importance to that than men do,” he said.

Did somebody really just say “gold-digger?”

What do you think? Right on the money or downright rubbish?

Source: food24.com

A survey carried out by German magazine Focus and Vinexpo has shown that when buying wine, German women focus more on origin and grape variety than on the price.

The typical female German wine consumer appreciates wine as a cultural product, and preferably enjoy wine with friends. This is the conclusion of an international study that has for the first time analysed female consumer behaviour with regard to wine in five different countries. Together with consumer and trade media, the world’s largest wine trade fair, Vinexpo, has analysed responses from more than 4.000 women questioned in Germany, France, England, the USA and Japan with regard to their preferences and customs with regard to wine. The German partners in this survey were the magazine Focus, and Focus Online.

Six of ten women stated that they drink wine at least once a week. Germany is in second place, at 66.1%, behind the USA at 92.5%. Questioned as to the reasons, why they drink wine, 79.3% of all respondents replied that they enjoyed the taste; in Germany, this figure was a high 82.2%. In France, the connection between food and wine is the most decisive factor for consuming wine. According to 87.8% of German women questioned, there is no problem in combining the consumption of wine with a healthy, balanced diet.

Women are very focused and conscious of what they are looking for when buying wine. The German female wine lover prefers to buy wine in a specialist retail shop (56.4%) rather than in a supermarket (49.6%). 48.2% of respondents buy wine directly at the estate. The Internet play a minor part – 21.1% of sales internationally, and only 7.7% in Germany.

As far as the Female German wine lover is concerned, origin is a decisive criterion in selecting a wine (65.3%), followed by grape variety (57.6%) and finally the price (35.7%). In the other four countries, women declared price was the most important criterion – 56.7% said so. Incidentally, red wines are more popular than white wines: Among all women questioned, 60.1% prefer red wine, in Germany the figure is 52.2%.

Source: wein-plus.com

So you’re going on another business trip… but don’t let bad past experiences jade you. Work travel can be a career and personal growth booster. Here’s how…

While the chance to escape from the office environment may be a welcome reprieve, a domestic business trip often brings new challenges and limited relaxation. Yet, proper preparation and time management can maximise business travel benefits. We get advice from Brent Combrink, who owns Cape Town-based company ProMentor, coaching and mentoring executives and entrepreneurs throughout South Africa.

Before you leave
Start your trip on a good note by ensuring that you have attended to all details before you leave. Combrink suggests the following preparation tasks:

-Change office voice mail intros.
- Activate out of office auto-response on email.
-Take your ID book (or passport for international travel) and all travel reference vouchers, including flight, car hire and hotel documents.
- Enjoy special time with family before you leave.
- Ensure that all relevant clients have been informed that you will be away.
- Complete all urgent work tasks so that you are not inundated when you return.

Maximise time
Always ensure that you have your laptop with you so that you can work during flight delays and after take-off on flights. Otherwise use this time to unwind as you mentally prepare for the trip ahead.

When it comes to time management, Combrink stresses the importance of scheduling appointments. “When I go on business trips, I ensure my schedule is booked at least a week in advance with back-to-back appointments,” says Combrink. “After hours I visit relatives and associates, or I often work in the evenings.”

Work trips can also be a way of expanding your client base. “Schedule as many sales appointments as you can around existing client appointments, even if that means doing coffee at 7pm,” suggests Combrink. “You can also reconnect with past colleagues to keep the network healthy.”

Claiming back expenses
If you’re not a business trip veteran, investigate what expenses you can claim back from your company. According to Combrink, you should generally claim for any expenses you may not have incurred had you not been on a business trip. These include dinners, parking expenses, airport transfers, and so on. While it is a good idea to keep slips, SARS allows a tax-free R240* “subsistence allowance” per night out of town for domestic travel without needing proof of payment vouchers.

Ensuring success
Combrink provides the following tips to make your business trip a successful one:
- Have a checklist for items you need to pack.
- Have everything (travel, accommodation, appointments) booked well in advance.
- Cover your risks: get travel insurance for big trips. When clients finance your trip, have written agreements that they either pay for the travel directly (avoids impact on cashflow for contractors and small businesses) or ensure that the client is liable for trips that they need to move or cancel.
- Have a good support structure for whatever needs to happen back home, whether it’s a reliable, self-managing PA at the office or someone to take care of things at your house.
- Mix business and pleasure; make time for sightseeing or enjoying something unique in the town that you can’t do at home.

Source: destinyconnect.com

Red wine may contain chemicals that help control weight gain, new research suggests.

Experiments at the University of Porto show that animals given red wine gained significantly less weight over an eight week period than animals kept under the same conditions, but given no red wine.

The key may be a chemical that occurs naturally in red wine that increases levels of oestrogen in the body. Oestrogen plays a role in the metabolism of fat, and also fat distribution.

Resveratrol, a substance abundant in red grape skins, is a form of oestrogen, according to a report in the Daily Mail.

The problem is that after a few glasses of red wine, my diet goes out the window and I start to nibble on snacks and ‘forbidden’. It is these sin snacks that are killing my diet.

 

Source: marieclaire

Love, Love, Love

 Take our quiz on Valentine’s Day traditions from around the world

National Geographic Quiz

People-pleaser, doormat, pushover… call it what you will, sometimes if you constantly put the needs of others ahead of your own, you may be sabotaging your own chances of success and happiness

We all have an inherent need to be liked. But when that need begins to control your life, you run the risk of becoming a people pleaser. According to life coach Lisa Steingold, “People-pleasers are those constantly seeking the approval of others through trying to please… usually to their own detriment.” We examine the fall-out of people-pleasing behaviour and suggest ways to break the habit.

Understanding people-pleasers
“The quest for affirmation is a basic human need which stems from our desire to connect with each other and to be acknowledged as part of our ‘group’,” explains Steingold. “People suffering from low self-esteem often become people-pleasers. Instead of feeling confident enough in themselves they seek validation externally.” While a people-pleasing nature may be rooted in a childhood where praise was either withheld or ongoing, each case is different.

Emotional risks
Often people-pleasers help others at the expense of their own well-being. They avoid conflict and, as such, “they internalise their anger, pain and suffering” says Steingold. Aside from accumulating resentment, those who are preoccupied with ensuring other people’s happiness often lose sight of who they are. According to Steingold, “such people often pair with more overbearing individuals in personal or professional relationships, which exacerbates unhappiness. They may even become so overwhelmed with feelings of inadequacy that they enter a depression.” People-pleasers will battle to forge healthy relationships, as they will struggle to gain the respect of others without developing a strong character.

Becoming less accommodating
To combat people-pleasing behaviour, you need to develop a less accommodating personality. While the process is challenging and ongoing, it can be done.

Steingold offers the following tips:

Develop awareness: Identify situations or people that draw you into a particular behaviour pattern. Once you’ve done this, start to identify the immediate thoughts that arise. For example, you may feel that every time your boss walks in you need to get him/her coffee or else you may not get a raise. Once you identify irrational thoughts you can develop new habits to counteract  your conditioned responses.
Fake it until you make it: While putting your needs first may be difficult, you can start small. Say no to a friend that always asks for favours at the last minute, or don’t stay late at work for the fifth day in a row. The more you say no, the easier it will  become.
Develop a sense of self-worth: “To be the best versions of ourselves sometimes involves putting ourselves first,” says Steingold. Women often struggle with this as society and their upbringing teaches them to serve and nurture others, and not themselves. Take pride in your accomplishments and surround yourself with people who value you. Having self-worth allows you to “realise that while others may not always be happy with your choices, you understand why you take certain actions and that’s what counts. Once you give yourself permission to validate yourself, you inevitably give others permission to validate you – on your terms!”
Establish boundaries: “Boundaries have to come from the inside out – you cannot expect others to respect your boundaries if you don’t have any,” says Steingold. Establish what you want and be assertive in ensuring you get it. The key is creating a balance between helping others and putting yourself first.

Source: Destiny Connect

The holiday looms, and so does Christmas. All you want to do is chill out after what’s been a hard year. But that’s not always the easiest thing to do – you know the bit about life being “the thing that happens while you’re making other plans”.

For some, chilling out may mean booking a camping site 20 km from the nearest village a year in advance. Or going into a Trappist monastery until the festive season is over.

But most people will have a more sociable time – either at home, visiting relatives, or at the seaside somewhere. Who knows, you might need to get back to the office in January to get some rest. In order to get the most out of your break, try and avoid the following festive season stressors.

Guests galore. You have a big house, and over Christmas it fills up with aunties, grannies, nieces, uncles – you name it. Instead of looking after four people, you are now looking after twelve. This is no holiday for you, as you are the unofficial entertainment committee, the caterer, the conflict resolution specialist, and the local cleaner. If you live in a popular destination, you might have to put your foot down. Or at least put together a duty roster for the cooking and the cleaning. And, for heaven’s sake, don’t feel you have to be the unofficial tour guide. Take a day or two off and let the guests entertain themselves.

Feeding frenzy. Food, food, food. It’s all over during the Christmas season and it’s lying in wait for you everywhere, and we’re not talking about celery sticks either. It’s chips, cakes, cheese snacks, chocolates, to name but a few. And, after all, you’re on holiday. So why not? That’s fine, but just don’t get into a new habit. Most people end the festive season with quite a few kilos that were not there in November. Don’t become a festive season fatty.

Booze bonanza. From the office party to friends’ homes, to family barbecues – booze is no stranger to the festive season. And often, other people are paying for it. By all means have a beer or two, if you’re not driving, but don’t binge on booze. Drinking too much is something that carries its own punishment with it, a bit like eating that second helping of hot Indian curry. And do remember, that everyone likes you to have a drink or two, but nobody likes having a social embarrassment at their parties. Fall down drunk, or insult one of the other guests, and you can be sure you’ll be off the party list. Forever.

I’m so lonely. Some people wish everything could be a little quieter. Others wish for a break from the peace and quiet and they dream of the phone ringing or a horde of guests arriving. The secret is to arrange a few things in advance. Invite people for supper, get a friend to go with you to a movie, or organise a day or two away in a different place. Don’t wait until the festive season is upon you before doing something about your social calendar. It’s not going to happen by itself.

Exercise inertia. Most people give their exercise regimes a break during the festive season. It is, after all, the end of the year. Problem is, many people overindulge completely on the food front at the same time, and coupled with a fortnight of couch-potato-ism, your waistline might be expanding at the rate of knots. Go for a walk with the family, run along the beach, play volleyball. Do anything to burn up those extra calories. And get back into it early in the new year.

Credit card crisis. The last of the Big Spenders. If that describes you in the shopping centre with your Christmas bonus and your credit card, you’re obviously a sucker for all those Christmas ads. And you’re going to be stony broke in January, and depressed in February when the credit card statements start arriving. Point is that you can probably buy just as nice a present for R100 as you can for R200, or R400. You just need to plan it well. It’s the thought that counts, not the size of the present.

Sunburn stress. The sun in the southern hemisphere is vicious , and skin cancer is a real danger. And remember that the damage is cumulative. Burning yourself to a crisp or having a whimpering and sunburnt child on your hands, is no way to spend Christmas. Speak to your pharmacist and get a high-factor sunblock before you head for the beach. And speaking of the beach – watch out for bluebottles or pieces of broken glass in the sand.

Crowd control. Think of Christmas, and what many people see are teeming masses of people in a shopping centre, all of them with a mission, and accompanied by at least two unwilling and exhausted kids. It can be avoided – do your gift shopping in November and do a bulk grocery shop before 15 December. Milling crowds can be exhausting, and elicit everything but the Christmas spirit in you. In fact, it can bring on a bout of trolley rage.

Gift of the grab. Frantic last-minute gift-buying is a killer – not only don’t you get what you are looking for, you also spend a fortune on it. Rather than give unwanted and expensive presents, go for gift vouchers – at least people will appreciate them, even if they are not the most personal of offerings.

Family fest. Family. You get them, you don’t choose them. And never is it more obvious than at Christmas time when Uncle Freddy is holding forth on all his achievements, or Aunt Doris is slurring after her third beer. Or your cousin’s kids are running around screaming, chasing your poor cats. Then there are the endless questions about when you are going to tie the knot, have babies etc. Family get-togethers seldom do much for your self-esteem. Just repeat the mantra, “It will soon be over for another year.”

Source: women24.com

The festive season is famous for bringing family and friends together. This will undoubtedly result in more social eating and of course drinking. Here are some principles to apply this season:

Know your limits:

Safe and healthy alcohol intake levels are 30g/day for men and 20g/day for women (women generally have less of the enzyme that helps break down alcohol in the body).

This means that one unit of alcohol a day is considered safe and healthy for an adult female and two units for a male. One unit = 340ml beer, tot (25ml) spirits, 50ml port, sherry or muscadel or 120ml wine.

Moderation is key:

Spread your weekly alcohol allowance as evenly as possible over seven days. Infrequent bingeing on alcohol can bring on attacks of gout or pancreatitis, and may cause abnormalities in heart rhythms and increases your risk of cancer.

Stretch your intake:

Use plenty of ice, water or soda water in spirit drinks or white wine (to make a spritzer); this dilutes the alcohol while increasing the volume so you drink less. Ensure your first drink is some other liquid e.g. a mineral water or a cooldrink – your alcoholic beverage should not be used as a thirst quencher.

Arrive alive:

On average it will take the liver about an hour to break down one unit of alcohol. So even after a night’s sleep, if you have had six cans of beer or two bottles of wine, you could still be over the legal limit the next day. Remember that, when driving.

Being fitter makes no difference to the rate of absorption. But, the absence or presence of food and the type of fluid that accompanies the alcohol does. Alcohol consumed on an empty stomach is more rapidly absorbed. Water and fruit juices mixed with alcohol slow the absorption process, whereas carbonated drinks (because of the carbon dioxide) will speed it up. Warm alcohol is absorbed quicker than cold alcohol.

Weight gain:

The calorie content of alcoholic beverages (which depends on the percentage of alcohol, the type of beverage and the type of mixture) plus the behaviour associated with drinking all have their part to play in the effect it will have on your weight.

When drinking alcohol, you tend to snack more, especially on the high fat foods, often available in social drinking environments. Eating high in fat take-away food (e.g. pies or burgers) late at night is another typical problem which arises after drinking, especially in students and young adults.

If you are watching your waistline, consider that one unit of alcohol is roughly equivalent to a slice of bread. It is then prudent to occasionally substitute a carbohydrate during the day to compensate for a drink or two that night.

Apply the 24 hour rule for training:

Avoid alcohol in the 24 hours prior to exercise. After exercise, once you have rehydrated and refuelled with carbohydrates, enjoy alcohol (and here I must include the ‘in moderation’). However, if you have any soft tissue injuries or bruising, abstain from alcohol for another 24 hours.

Fake it:

My personal favourite – a Rock Shandy (soda water, angostura bitters, ice and a slice of lemon) gives the impression of being an alcoholic drink, but hardly contains alcohol and calories – a sneaky option when friends continuously want to buy you a drink when they spot you standing empty handed.

Did you know?

Using thinner, taller glasses (especially wine glasses) can help you reduce your consumption. Research shows that people consume more alcohol when drinking out of shorter, wider glasses.

By Karlien Smit RD (SA), Dietician for the SSISA Healthy Weight Programme, Shelly Meltzer & Associates, Sports Science Institute of South Africa (SSISA).

Source: iafrica.com