Thank you to all who attended the webinar featuring Sir Nick Stadlen’s amazing documentary Life Is Wonderful on Wednesday 18th November, which captured in such vivid colour the intricacies, dilemmas, and risks of the Rivonia Treason Trial. The defendants; Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Denis Goldberg, Govan Mbeki, Ahmed Kathrada, Lionel (Rusty) Bernstein, Raymond Mhlaba, James Kantor, Elias Motsoaledi, and Andrew Mlangeni were on trial for their lives, and faced the very real prospect of being hanged for the crime of treason. Adding to the challenges the legal team already faced, none of the a ..read more

by Daniel Theron of Giambrone Law Businesses operating in the UK are well aware that they are facing the double challenge of Brexit and coronavirus whilst treading the shifting sands of an ever-changing British Government’s stance on these twin perils and the consequential effect on their ability to do business.  The recent Government announcement increasing the level of restrictions in an attempt to control the spike in the transmission of covid demonstrate more than ever that the key factor for business survival is agility, particularly when even sound contingency plans have the potenti ..read more

The Isle of Man and South Africa build on historic links to create future financial opportunities John Hunter, head of banking and fiduciaries at the government agency Finance Isle of Man, is one of the leading figures promoting links between this self-governing Crown dependency and South Africa. The respected financial services professional is continuing a relationship that goes back to 1876 when difficult times saw a number of ‘Manxmen’ leave the island’s shores to find new opportunities. One of these adventurous souls was Joe Mylchreest who, following the alluring prospect of discovering di ..read more

by Sharon Constançon I was enticed to drive down to Leonardslee Gardens and Wine Farm, south of Gatwick (the sister wine farm to Benguela Cove in Walker Bay, South Africa) by offers of top end South African MCC (sparkling wine) and a stupendous lunch. Benguela Cove, Leonardslee and the nearby Mannings Estate are owned by well-known South African, Penny Streeter OBE, who recently performed a wine-tasting for the Chamber over Zoom. The autumnal air was a reminder of the cool air of the Atlantic Ocean. The gardens were incredible, but on arrival there was no sign yet of the promised food. We had ..read more

by Antony Shaw Keith Holdt, Equity Impact Partners: Value Creation and the business of Private Equity In a recent article in the Financial Times (UK) published on 3 October, Coronavirus triggers borrowing spree by private equity managers, journalist Chris Flood describes how demand for additional financing globally has risen during the pandemic and how private equity companies are working to support firms facing a downturn in economic activity. South African Keith Holdt, founder of Equity Impact Partners, is one of those at the forefront of managing this private capital demand – in the short t ..read more

by Sir Nick Stadlen, London, 2020 With the recent deaths of Denis Goldberg, Andrew Mlangeni and George Bizos, three of the surviving heroes of the Rivonia trial have passed away, leaving Denis Kuny as the last surviving lawyer. My film on the Rivonia trialists, Life Is Wonderful: Mandela’s Unsung Heroes, tells the story of the remarkable camaraderie between Nelson Mandela, his co-defendants and their legal team at the Rivonia trial in 1963/64 and sheds light on some of their individual stories. Their backgrounds and individual life journeys were of course different, in some cases ver ..read more

by Sir Nick Stadlen, London, 2020 Andrew Mlangeni, Accused No 10, who  died on 21st July aged 95, was the last surviving defendant of the Rivonia trial, at the end of which he, Nelson Mandela and six  others were sentenced in 1964 to life in prison for conspiring to overthrow the apartheid regime in South Africa by force. On trial for their lives, the 10 defendants, six black, three white and one Indian, decided to turn the trial into a political one, putting apartheid in the dock of world opinion and inspiring millions of their supporters in the country at a time when most ..read more

On Wednesday evening, I was a truly “proud South African”. In a very well attended online meeting, the South African Chamber commended 28 people for their efforts “above and beyond the call of duty” in helping the vulnerable, the sick, the starving and the displaced. Their wonderful stories are inspiring; they kept people alive, they supported families, they educated, they delivered meals and masks and helped negotiate ship-less seas and plane-less skies to get stranded Brits and South Africans back to their respective homes. A number of those commended contracted the virus and survived. All 1 ..read more

If you enjoyed the Chamber’s Solidarity Walk, but need some inspiration to keep your regular exercise routine going, then you can join the even more ambitious Round the World Challenge with Afrika Tikkun. Afrika Tikkun have also been given an amazing racing bike to use in a prize giveaway to raise funds. The bike – a Limited Edition Cypher Zeus – has a seriously impressive set of specs and is valued at around €4,000. You can check out the bike draw page here. The post Afrika Tikkun Round the World Challenge appeared first on South African Chamber of Commerce ..read more

The Rhino Conspiracy, a new thriller by Peter Hain, explores poaching and corruption at the highest level in South Africa through a tale of brave activists risking their lives to save rhinos. ‘Masterful! A thrilling journey behind the frontline of the battle to save Africa’s wildlife’, Julian Rademeyer, author of Killing for Profit.   Get your copy at 20% discount by contacting: GBS at cashsales@tbs-ltd.co.uk or call 0120 625 5777 and quote SaveTheRhinoTalk by 30 September. Order online via Waterstones or Amazon or for SA orders email orders@jonathanball.co.za. The po ..read more