Past Events 03

Christmas Party 2003!

3 December 2003

The Cellar, The Playhouse

BWA Durban held their annual Christmas function on 3 December at The Cellar, Playhouse.

Jenny Goddard, Cathy Shaw & Barbara Smith

"A Tribute to the Dead Okes" was the show that was presented, and everybody thoroughly enjoyed it! The unusual concept of performing songs that have been written and performed by singers who have "passed" (a la John Edward) was rather splendid. The stage was set as the entrance to heaven... a large set of automated "Pearly Gates" setting the scene! The singers and musicians were dressed in purest of white and silver!

A really wonderful selection of Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, The Doors and huge amounts more, got the large audience very involved and shouting for more when the show came to an end. The standard of music and entertainment was high, and above all the cast themselves seemed to get a real kick out of performing!

We enjoyed the meal, the company... always good to meet members husbands and partners... and we appreciated the gifts that we all received. A lovely evening of fun, music for the soul and networking! Thank you.

BWA MEMBERS SUPPORT REACH FOR A DREAM

28 November 2003

Shireen Pillay, Gale Heaton, Sheelagh Antrobus, Joan Goudsward

BWA members recently supported Reach for a Dream in their quest to raise funds by creating the Longest Breakfast Table hosted at Gateway and attended by over 1000 people. An amazing R90 000 was raised. Thank you so much to the people of KZN for making it possible!

Overview of Table

The reason behind the breakfast was to have the family of Durban in all her guises sit down to breakfast together in support of realising dreams for children with life threatening illnesses, and in doing so they thought we would have some fun by going for a world record, however, we were not able to beat the Guinness Book of World Records but were able to set a new Africa Record. This will be presented to Guinness Book of World Records for inclusion as an All Africa Record!

16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM

16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women & Children T-Shirt Campaign

25 November 2003

Lindiwe Hlatswayo

BWA showed their support today by purchasing colour-coded t-shirts and writing messages of hope, love and support. Two clothes lines were strung outside the Durban City Hall and about 80 t-shirts were hung up bearing messages aimed at raising awareness and highlighting the plight of women and children trapped in abusive domestic environments.

Mind Over Money with Graeme Codrington

20 November 2003

Sica's Guest House

Review by Sheelagh Antrobus

Graeme Codrington

One of the most informative BWA events of this year and very relevant to women in business. Graeme Codrington showed how our personal attitude towards money plays the most important role in our ability to attain financial independence, as well as how we can attain our financial goals.

Emma du Plooy, Sue Pillay and Charmaine Schwenn

The presentation was entertaining and lively and when people are having fun, they absorb more. Hats off to BWA Durban for introducing Graeme and his Mind over Money book to us.

Whisky Tasting

4 November 2003

Hilton Hotel

Review by Charmaine Schwenn

The function was well attended and a great success. Bruce Mckay was a charming and humorous presenter, who exhibited a wide and interesting knowledge of his subject matter.

The evening was titled, "A Journey of Scotland" and the attendees were treated to tasting 7 different brands of whisky from Scotland, housed in the Guiness UDV stable.

The brands were the following:

1. Cameron Brig: A 12 year old grain whisky
2. Knockando: A single malt whisky
3. J & B: A blended whisky and second best seller of whisky in SA
4. Blair Athol: A single malt whisky
5. Bells: A blend of 5 to 12 year old whisky and the best seller in SA
6. Caolila: Single Malt whisky
7. Johnny Walker Black Label: A blended whisky which the presenter wistfully titled "The whole of Scotland in one drink" & "The Everest of Whiskys".

It was an extremely enjoyable evening and all who attended learnt much about the art of making and tasting whisky!

Mingle & Meander

3 November 2003

Coppin Johnson Gallery

Review by Menaka Padayachee

BWA Durban's November Mingle and Meander welcomed 2 new members, Shireen Pillay and Menaka Padayachee to the BWA network. "Not at all stuffy as I thought it might be..." said Menaka. And so it was a truly interesting and energising event.

Subject matter, views and perspectives proved to be as diverse as the talents and professions gathered round the counter so yes, it was a pretty dynamic forum and one that's certainly inspired this new member. Thanks to Mariane and Candice, Barbara Smith, Angela Ness-Harvey, Lindiwe Hlatswayo and Gale Heaton for being there with warm, honest to goodness welcomes! It made the difference!

BREAKFAST & A MEANDER WITH THE CATS

14 October 2003

Jaguar Showroom, Umhlanga

Review by Yegas Naidoo

The sleek and the elegant meet with the powerful and the sophisticated. At a recent breakfast hosted by Jaguar for 20 lucky BWA members, there was no question as to who won the accolades - the cars by a long length!

Initial proceedings were held at the CMH Head Office in Umhlanga which houses the Jaguar showroom. After an animated foray in the ground floor show room we we were directed up to the sizeable board room for an extravagant breakfast with touches of healthy options for those more disciplined. Following a photo shoot and some lucky draws we were addressed by the guest speaker - the modest, approachable and talented MOIRA MOSES, CEO of the Premier Automotive Group (the luxury car division of the Ford Motor Company). A brief and informative speech on the positioning of Jaguar cars in the marketplace was enlightening.

Then for the ultimate pleasure: handling of the 6 test vehicles held at our disposal. This was preceded earlier on by safety indemnities duly signed by all attendees. We were free to choose from three different current models. The stylish X-Type 3L SE Automatic (also available in a Sports version), the elegant S-Type 3L SE Automatic and the new top of the range XJ8 4.2L SE Automatic. The powerful S Type R was not available for a test drive but was exposed in full glory on the lawns of the Camelot Estate, our next destination.

The routing to the Camelot Estate was clearly mapped out and sadly the 35 minute drive was over much too soon. However, there was the return drive to the showroom when cars were swapped and drivers changed. Back to the showroom, this time at a more enthusiastic pace, where purchase decisions were seriously considered but no deals signed up, yet.

The morning events were impressively marshalled by John Kimber, Maurice Taylor and Brian. We extend thanks to them for this exciting event.

Mingle & Meander

6 October 2003

Coppin Johnson Gallery

Review by Gale Heaton

Of all the diverse and thoroughly enjoyable and informative activities I regularly attend at BWA, Mingle and Meander is a favourite.

In this relaxed and informal gathering, our newest members mingle with some of the "oldies". Because it is a small gathering, the atmosphere is intimate and conducive to the exchange of information about our businesses, ourselves and our experience of BWA, which introduces our newer members gently into our ethos of mentorship, sharing and fun!

We encourage them to participate in our many different activities and not to be overawed by the powerhouse of such excellent women! We stress the networking aspect of really getting to know our fellow members so that we can build relationships and possibly partnerships and recommend our fellow members where possible.

The ambiance of Val's Gallery and especially Val herself lend themselves to an evening of the most pleasant companionship and I do highly recommend it.

Tea with Jane Bedford

30 September 2003

Jane Bedford's Home

Review by Michelle Driman

Jane Bedford is one of the BWA Durban's most gifted & inspiring members & for that reason, several ladies asked if they may meet at her home to view her exquisite collection of Zulu artefacts & jewellery. Jane is a jewellery designer, owner of Abacus (a jewellery design company) & an avid collector of art. She explained the origin & meaning of all her pieces on display & lived up to her name of 'The White Sangoma' as she taught us about the rich Zulu culture & traditions.

Jane's flair for everything artistic & her love of colour, design & texture is very apparent in her remarkable home. The highlight of the morning was a sneak preview of her latest jewellery ranges & needless to say, many ladies left with new additions to their wardrobes!

A big thank you to Jane for a wonderful tea & a delightful & very colourful morning!

Self-Esteem Luncheon

18 September 2003

Makaranga Garden Lodge

This was a most delightful afternoon for the women who attended.

Not only did they receive valuable information on self esteem and how to improve theirs by Cathy Yuill, but they spent a well deserved relaxing afternoon lunching and walking around the exquisite Botanical and Japanese gardens.

Mingle & Meander

1 September 2003

Coppin Johnson Gallery

This is the monthly meeting for members to meet on a casual one-on-one basis.

Business Book Club

25 August 2003

Coniston Business Information

The members are thoroughly enjoying not only enjoying the business books but the monthly meeting where the books are reviewed. Reviews on each book read are submitted for other members to read.

Networking

19 August 2003

Tate & Nolan

This was a perfect opportunity for network. The venue provided an intimate space for members and guests to circulate, make new friends and business alliances. Thank you to Tate & Nolan for providing the venue.

Women's Day - Winning in the Workplace

8 August 2003

Deloitte & Touche

Deloitte & Touche has sponsored the popular and highly successful "Winning in the Workplace" Workshop for the sixth year in succession on 9 August, Women's Day, at its premises in La Lucia. Run by the Businesswomen's Association of Durban, the workshop is aimed at matric girls from predominantly disadvantaged schools.

"There is a chasm between leaving school and finding employment which this workshop aims to bridge," said the Businesswomen's Association's Chairperson, Cathy Yuill. "The sessions provided participants with the tools, strategies and skills they will need to enter the workplace."

Topics covered in the workshop included "Corporate survival skills, Interviewing skills, Presentation and speaking, Lifestyles, Assertiveness at work, Dressing for Success and Money." Speakers are all leaders in their respective fields.

"The topics provided participants with exposure to the corporate environment and gave them an understanding of the skills they will need to make a success of their future entrance into the business world," continued Cathy Yuill

Participants were requested to submit an essay on the theme "The Role of Women in South Africa". The winner, Bongikile Ngcobo of Zwelethu High School, received one year's computer training from New Horizons Learning Centre. The runner up, Amina Peer of Al Falaal College, received a Computer from AST Computers.

Emma Ballard of Open Air School commented "A really, enjoyable, informative day. Well organised - we walked away with many ideas and new ways of looking at things."

"Visit" to International Art Galleries

6 August 2003

Durban Art Gallery

Carol Brown, Director of the Durban Art Gallery, who recently visited the latest art galleries in London, Berlin, Bilbao and Barcelona, with a view to extending the Durban Art Gallery will be giving a 40 minute presentation on her recent trip. She will show slides of some of the most spectacular new buildings and talk about how they have played an important role in city regeneration projects and brought new audiences by providing cafes, bookstores etc.

Art galleries now have to compete with shopping malls, cinemas etc. and are coming out tops. The talk will be a PowerPoint presentation showing photos of both the interior and exterior of some of these amazing new buildings which have broken new ground in architecture.

The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain has been called one of the most revolutionary buildings of the entire 20th century.

Mingle & Meander

4 August 2003

Coppin Johnson Gallery

This is the monthly meeting for members to meet on a casual one-on-one basis.

Business Book Club

28 July 2003

Coniston Information Centre

This was the third meeting - everything is progressing really well and all the members are loving it.

Simple Solutions to Strategic Planning

23 July 2003

Deloitte & Touche Boardroom

A simple, one page planning process that will focus the individual and/or your organisation.
The c@ps Model:- Compass Aligned Performance System.

The c@ps process is designed to align every staff member within the organisation with a common goal.

The c@ps process has a wide application and is easily cascaded through the organisation from top strategy, to annual team plans, to individual plans and finally to job descriptions and performance criteria.

The c@ps process has taken four years to develop and grow and will continue to mature within the changing environment that surrounds us. However, one concept will never change and that is the power of simplicity: "Less is more".

This presentation outlines the c@ps process and will give you an understanding of how to implement the system. The 45 minute presentation shows you how to use this methodology to enhance your business.

Programme Outline:

Introduction - showing the importance of addressing both the hard and soft issues in business
The 5 F methodology:
- FLOSS
- FOCUS
- FORMULATE
- FEEL
- FIRE, and how to use this as a framework
A brief PowerPoint presentation on the c@ps process
How to manage c@ps for greater effectiveness
Questions

Annual General Meeting

22 July 2003

Nedbank Boardroom. Durban Club Place

The last year was reviewed and everyone is excited about the road ahead. The new committee have been appointed.

Regional Achievers Awards Gala Dinner

18 July 2003

Hilton Hotel

The Hilton Hotel was a picture of magnificence, only outshone by the extraordinary women nominated for the Businesswomen?s Association Regional Achiever Awards (Durban). Champagne sparkled in the light, laughter chimed through the conversations and excitement was palpable amongst the glamour and elegance of the occasion.

The judges commented on the difficulty of the task at hand, but they were delighted to see so many successful women out there. When it came to reading the citations for the finalists the audience were spellbound. The clink of glasses marked the raising of toasts, and the twinkling of gowns added shimmer to the evening. It was a privilege for Nedbank Professional Banking to honour women so highly accomplished as those acknowledged at the gala dinner event.

As the anticipation in the room peaked, Jenny Goddard presented the Regional Professional Achiever Award to Susan Abro and the Regional Entrepreneur Achiever Award to Cindy Norcott.

Susan practices as a specialist litigation attorney in the fields of Family Law & Labour Law. She commenced practice as an admitted attorney in March 1990 following a distinguished career path. By March 2000 had purchased a new practice, Sylvia Oversbury & Partners. Susan?s humble beginnings as a sole practitioner, with no staff, sharing offices in Glenashley, are long gone, as today she has a sole practice where she employs 2 secretaries, is a partner in a firm employing 20 staff and occupying premises in two buildings. Susan who is committed to principles of gender advancement and advancing and affirming staff is currently the co-chairperson of the Law Society of South Africa and serves on the Host Committee for the International Bar Association Conference. She has also published an article on the proposed Legal Practice Bill and served on the Task Team to prepare a new Draft Legal Practioner?s Bill.

Cathy, Susan, Shireen, Cindy & Jenny

Cindy started her company, Studentemps & Pro Appointments in March 1994 as a one man business working from home. She now employs 9 full time staff. Cindy supplies temporary and permanent staff and offers an outsourcing solution to a wide variety of corporate & SMME's.
In June, Cindy took over the ownership of the KZN Business Training Centre, which is a training organization in Westville. Cindy will be harvesting the synergies between the training centre and the recruitment agency. Cindy completed a Personal Achievement Program in December and is now a qualified business coach. Cindy has passed 2 subjects of her Honours Degree in Industrial Psychology, completed a Labour Law course and numerous Human Resources workshops and seminars. Through Studentemps, Cindy helps 300 black students to get part time work and offers free training to the students to upgrade their skills in areas such as computer, customer service etc. Studentemps also supports The Agape Home in Waterfall for Aids orphans.

The judges were clear they had found a true diamonds. Congratulations to Susan and Cindy!

Mingle & Meander

7 July 2003

Coppin Johnson Gallery

An opportunity to learn more about each other. A small group of women which allows for better networking.

Book Club

30 June 2003

Coniston Information Center

This was our second meeting and went very well. Great for everyone to get feedback on the business books.

Your Best Year Yet

25 June 2003

Ciao Italia

Presented: Sunny Stout Rostron (Cape Town Members)

Review: Theresa Lukan (Member)

Sunny Stout Rostron

Sunny Stout Rostron is an international trainer and coach, with a wide range of experience in leadership, communication and creative problem solving. Sunny is also a wife, mother and soon-to-be-grandmother. I think this is one of the reasons why the business women who met at Chow Italia enjoyed her company and message so much. We could relate to one another as business women, wives, mums and the various other sectors we represent.

Sunny's mandate was to inspire and share practical techniques and advice that will ensure each women has their best year yet starting from today.

In a limited time Sunny shared 5 practical and thought provoking principals to build into your personal and professional strategic plan to ensure you achieve your best year yet. The enthusiasm and enjoyment of the ladies was very evident during the team sessions where groups of 2-3 ladies shared their accomplishments and disappointments and then moved on to more intense discussions on things that could be holding us back and what we could learn from this. Sunny encouraged each lady to create a DECLARATION OF INTENTION where a negative thought is converted into a positive statement of intent.

Sunny stressed the importance of living your values both in your employment and home life and ended the session with probably the most important act of all - setting of realistic, quantifiable goals with time frames for action. The fact that women in general are multi taskers and wear many hats made this exercise particularly interesting as we had to think of goals as career women, wives, moms, business coaches, community workers, etc.

We hear this message so often but Sunny managed to introduce a fresh perspective with her enthusiasm and obvious understanding of being a successful business women, wife, mom and business coach. In order to guarantee the success we all aspire to, it is a simple matter of JUST DO IT. SET THOSE GOALS, write them down, analyse and evaluate them regularly and
you will ACHIEVE YOUR BEST YEAR YET.

The first class service, delicious meal, excellent company and inspiring presentation and presenter was the perfect combination for a wonderful couple of hours spent with other successful business women.

Wine Tasting & Networking

11 June 2003

The Wine Domain

The Wine Domain is a specialist wine shop in Westville, stocking over 250 different wines and has been operating for 2 years. The Wine Domain offers the consumer as wide a range of wines as possible, other than "supermarket" brands.

Some profitable networking and professional wine tasting was experienced.

PR workshop

5 June 2003

Durban Club

Presented by Ulaysha Sukhu of FireflyBusiness Consulting (Member)

This dynamic seminar covered:

ESTABLISHING A MARKETING NICHE

Market positioning & why it's critical for your business
Benefits of correct positioning
Develop your own positioning
Realistic implementation in an SME

PUBLIC RELATIONS

The strategic use of PR in your business
Types of PR available to you
Choosing the right PR mechanisms to achieve your goals
Practical ideas for PR in your own business
How to choose a PR consultant, what to expect & how to ensure performance

PUBLICITY

The value of publicity & how it impacts your business
Attract publicity for your business
Access national media coverage
Tips to becoming a good spokesperson for your company

Mingle & Meander

5 June 2003

Coppin Johnson Gallery

This is a small "function" where new and old members to get to meet. At many of the bigger functions one doesn't get to meet and network with most of the members. The Mingle & Meander is the perfect opportunity and is a wonderful orientation for new members. We recently moved this function from a Saturday afternoon to a Monday evening and have found this to be a better option. On the 5th June we got to meet 16 other members and got to know a bit more about them and the meaning of their names.

Regional Achievers Awards Judging

4 June 2003

Nedbank Boardroom, Durban Club Place

The judges were:

Jenny Goddard - Nedbank
Cathy Yuill - Chairperson and Director of Cathy Yuill Unlimited
Lindsay Ord - Independent Newspapers
Anne Viljoen - Committee Member and Owner of AV Designs
Gitta Moolenschot - Managing Director of New Horizons Computer Learning Centre and last years Entrepreneur of the Year
Val Coppin Shaw - Committee Member and Owner of Coppin Johnson Gallery
Mathabo Kunene - Committee Member and Managing Director of Nandi Heritage House
Mariane Vorster - Owner of Mariane Vorster Consulting
Ulaysha Sukhu - Owner of Firefly Consulting

The judges feedback was very positive - they enjoyed the experience and gained from it too.

Wonderful and deserving finalists who were:

Susan Abro
Liz Beare
Shireen Pillay
Cindy Norcott

Mingle & Meander

2 June 2003

Coppin Johnson Gallery

This really has been a wonderful opportunity to meet members, new & old. I have thoroughly enjoyed it. It is held at a members gallery and has a wonderful atmosphere.

Regional Achiever Award Evaluation Panel

27 May 2003

Our evaluation panel met to shortlist the nominees of the Regional Achiever Awards from 12 nominees to 4 finalists. The judging will take place on the 4th June. The winners will be announce at the Gala Dinner at the Hilton Hotel on 18 July. Don't miss out on BWA's biggest event of the year!

Business Book Club

19 May 2003

Coniston Business Information Shop

This is a first for BWA Durban. It had been discussed that the price of business books was far too expensive to be purchasing new books every month, so it was suggested that we start a Book Club. We have 13 members of the Book Club who are all BWA Members. Each month we meet to discuss and review business books and take out new books from the library. The members are very excited and feel they have something to contribute to the other members.

Money Talk

13 May 2003

Presented by Mariane Vorster (Member)

This was a small function held at the Durban Club attended by members and guests. This talk was about showing people how to get out of a debt trap and to develop money management skills. They learnt the cost of being in debt, how to pay up your debts quicker, the power of compound interest and much more. Mariane gave a brilliant presentation which left everyone feeling more confident about their money.

Movie: White Oleander

7 May 2003

Sponsored by Nedbank & Nu Metro

170 members and partners attended this movie held at the pavilion. This was truly an amazing movie based on the book. Michelle Pfeiffer was unbelievable. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their night at the movies. Thank you to Nedbank & Nu Metro.