Editor's Letter

Posted on: 01/09/2009

New year, new directions

I spoke with my mom this week, who was gearing up for another Northern Hemisphere holiday season. The weather was cold and grey, her mood a bit blue. Back problems were keeping her temporarily grounded. “I’d love to hop on a plane with your dad and visit South Africa again,” she sighed, referring to their 2008/2009 high summer holiday. It was my parents’ second visit to my adopted country, and South Africa was on its best behaviour. We travelled from Mpumalanga to the Garden Route, stopping here and there as the moods blew, throughout the Karoo, North West, Northern Cape and Gauteng. People were friendly, roads were in great nick, flights were on time and service was (mostly) up-to-speed. And, not surprisingly, the weather was perfect. A lot of faces, places and spaces vied for our attention. One face, however, stood out – that of an elegant blonde woman we met at a crafts market on the Garden Route. She was friendly, but not overbearing. Proud, but not overconfident. Chic, but not intimidating. She was gracious, graceful and all things sunny. “Well, I trust you’re enjoying our beautiful, magnificent country,”  he chirped to my folks without a hint of arrogance or coming off as an overly-sunny character from The Truman Show. Quite simply, she was decidedly content in her part of the world, and very happy to be sharing it with international visitors. The Garden Route blonde’s perky can-do attitude weighs on my mind as the country gears up to host the FIFA World Cup just five short months from now. We’ll literally welcome the world – if not in person, then in televised spirit – strutting our stuff and showcasing our capabilities. But, pause for a moment: what  personal message will you amplify? We have, over the past 15 years, made great strides reintegrating into the African continent and global community – with both pros and cons. The end-result is that we all share a conscious choice to look up, or down. That ol’ half-full or half-empty scenario. We can choose to celebrate the arrival of global clothing brands into the South African market. Or we can despair over hundreds of thousands of lost local textile jobs, ignoring the South African textile companies that have, against all odds, succeeded in the global marketplace. The latter’s key to success? Flexibility, and the ability to keep up the game on an ever-changing and increasingly difficult playing field. The field’s the same – it’s just the game that changes. As we toast the arrival of 2010, Sandton magazine will be implementing a number of editorial changes in the coming months – bringing you even more local faces and stories, while delivering a larger Radar section providing you with an even bigger hot-list of where to go and what to do in Africa’s greatest city. A new publisher, Samantha Stevens, also joins us this month, arriving back in Johannesburg after more than a decade of working in London’s cut-throat publishing industry. Sam’s appointment is perfectly timed for our next phase of growth, just in time for our second birthday in June. It marks a turning point for Sandton magazine – and one for the better as we, and the country, gear up for 2010 and beyond. Likewise, I have no doubt that 2010 will also be South Africa’s turning point for the better as we take our rightful place on the world stage. It’s a mind-shift, with a large part of the world watching. If you’re gonna shine, you may as well shine bright! With that in mind, we’re certainly putting our plans into place for 2010 – and beyond – at Sandton magazine. What’s your story?

Posted By Mercedes Westbrook on 16/03/2010

Dear Josef Great magazine... a real gem. Sandton magazine stands out from the rest, no doubt because you are at its helm. For me 2010 is well anticipated. I am proudly South African and am looking forward to showing our visitors its warmth and beauty. I heard an interested fact today, the only difference between getting a website with a .com or a .co.za is that .com's the money goes out the country, if its a .co.za, it stays in SA... Namaste Mercedes www.styleexchange.co.za

Posted By AG Alberts on 04/03/2010

Hi - correct me if I'm wrong - "2012"(Feb 2010) set course for the Cape of Good Hope, and the world's highest landmass was/is no longer the Himalayas, but the Drakensberg - No confusion of provinces...(necessarily). Painful when journalists/reporters quote facts/incidences/scripts that were not implied, did not feature or did not occur..., otherwise, great article...(SA Film Industry)!

Posted By Neo Mohlatlole on 26/02/2010

I am looking forward to welcoming international visitors to our country, fortunately I am on a learnership with Continental tyres and we will be looking after their clients during the duration of the world cup, I also write a blog for the clients(Continental) http://impressions-from-south-africa.blogspot.com. at the moment it's about my colleague and I but as from the following week we will put in info on SA and the build up and country's preparations for the mega event. I love your magazine and well done for the past year and so.

Posted By Howard on 10/02/2010

...standing ovation!!! love your mag!!

Posted By Kagiso Phooko on 16/11/2009

Dear Sir My name is Kagiso Phooko,and i'm a young entrepreneur thats based in Johannesburg. I have started a concierge services business, Concierge de la Creme. Being a service based business i have found it extremely difficult to market the value/need of my services. My reason for starting this particular business sterms from my realisation that in todays modern world the re is simply not enough hours in the day to complete the daily tasks that we face on a regular basis. The purpose of my writing to you,is to seek advice or a platform to futher educate and my market the benefits of acquiring my companies services.To futher understand the company,please visit www.conciergegauteng.co.za. Any help from you would be highly appreciated,as i am one of many struggling South African entrepreneurs who just need marketing assistance. Kind Regards