ONLINE SHOPPING IN

GRAHAMSTOWN page 7

BUSINESS BEHINDBALLET

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Edition 1, 22 May 2015

ALTERNATIVES TO RHODES DRINKINGCULTURE page 4

SHOES ON SHOES OFF CAPTURED

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NEWS FEATURES NEWS FEATURES2 3Grahamstown Business Bulletin, Friday 22 May 2015 Grahamstown Business Bulletin, Friday 22 May 2015

By Robyn Barnes

Water-dependent businesses have been significantly affected during water shortages in Grahamstown, re-sulting in either an influx or a retreat of customers. Heavily reliant on water supply for daily operations, busi-nesses such as laundry services and hair salons continue to adapt to the water shortages in Grahamstown. Local laundry cleaners, “Candy’s Drop ‘n Go Laundromat”

and “Wash-a-lot Laundromat”, claim that the owners or employees rarely receive notification in advance regarding water shortages. Sporadi-cally, the businesses will be warned the night preceding the water outage. “We have to take on the few staff members and quickly finish wash-ing before the water goes out”, explains Nosimphiwe Mandabana, an employee at Candy’s Drop ‘n Go Laundromat. In the case of late notice, a Wash-a-lot Laundromat employee

explains that the business has to col-lect the washing, call the customers and apologise for a potential delay in service. “It’s simple, no water in the shop means no business”, she says. Depending on the extent of the water shortage, however, laundry companies can benefit from a lack of water supply. “If the town has no water, and we do, the custom-ers increase”, says a Wash-a-Lot employee who requested to remain anonymous. The owner of “Sybill’s Hair-

dressing Salon” experiences the same benefit. She explains that “some-times, if the water is out in other parts of town for a long time, people get so desperate that they come in just for a wash!”. Sybill adds that the salon rarely runs out of water itself, although they keep a backup supply just in case. On the other side of the scale, bottled water business “Oasis” experiences an extreme influx of customers during water shortages. Although the shortages typically

don’t last more than a few days, the owner of the Oasis store, Neil, reflects on a particular day where the store sold over 15 000 litres of water – “the only problem we have during the shortages are grumpy customers wanting more and more!”. As the water problem in Grahamstown persists, water-dependent businesses will need to accept the issue and move forward. As a Wash-a-Lot employee explains, “this is where we live, so we have to live with it”.

By Demi Drew

A new vending machine has been placed near the Rhodes library. Health Island offers healthy snacks for students at affordable prices, and was a small business venture by Vanessa Malila and her husband. “We had been looking for a small business on the side to do when we saw Health Island adver-tised, and we thought it was a great opportunity,” explains Malila, who says she saw a gap in the market. “We also wanted to provide what we think is quite a good service for students.”Malila’s motivation for bringing Health Island to Grahamstown stemmed from her own experience when it came to finding healthy snacks on campus, such as a packet of nuts or dried fruit. “People are much more aware of what they eat and understand the value of eating healthily,” Malila emphasises. “We definitely saw a lack of healthy food options on campus.” Health Island is part of a franchise, which is based in Cape Town and operates nationwide. Rhodes University had awarded Health Island a tender to put in a vending machine at Rhodes, but they needed a franchisee to oper-ate the machine in Grahamstown. “When we saw the advertisement, we approached the company and started discussions with them,” says Malila, who explained that

the business venture took a few months before it came to fruition. The Malilas have the option of bringing another Health Island vending machine to Grahamstown and expanding the brand. “We are definitely look-ing at expanding to the schools,” stated Malila. “We are also thinking of bringing another machine to campus, but we’re not sure if there would be a market for it. We need a certain amount of turnover, and we have to look at numbers and make sure it’s viable.” According to Malila, Victoria Girls High School has shown interest in having a Health Island vending machine on their school grounds. While the Malilas are “not making millions” from their new business venture, they are making a small profit and hope to continue making a profit while expanding this brand.

By Pumla Kalipa

South Africa is globally recognized as Africa’s leading economy. With an economic raking of first place out of 38 African countries, it comes as no surprise that foreign inves-tors choose to invest in this nation. However, atrocities such as the ongoing xenophobic attacks and is-sues pertaining to name changing of institutions and streets, the economy is now under pressure with many investors threatening to pull out. According to Pricewater-houseCoopers’s report on African Financial Services, the country’s economy is under threat mainly because of international business’ reluctance to invest in South African businesses. The reason behind this is predominantly based on the Xeno-phobic attacks, which have gained global recognition, as well as the frequent power outages brought on by Eskom. Consequently, the pres-sure on the country’s economy has led to a decrease on the availability of jobs for the youth. Grahamstown is a grand example of the financial trouble the country is currently facing. According to the Socioeco-nomic Specialist Rate, the town has a startling youth unemployment rate of 70%. This means that 7 out of 10 people under the age of 35 are cur-rently unemployed. “There are no jobs in Grahamstown. I’m 22 years old and I have been looking for a job for the past four years, and I still have not found anything. I now depend on the child grant that I receive for my child and also handouts from people,” says Joza resident Zikhona Matshoba.

Known to have a success-ful tourism industry, the reality is that only a few jobs can be made available to such a high quantity of unemployed people in Grahams-town. Director of the Discovery Centre for Health Journalism, Pro-fessor Harry Dugmore took on a dif-ferent stance to the possible reasons behind the high rate of unemploy-ment in the town. “I think that in Graham-stown, and the Eastern Cape in general, there has been very little investments in manufacturing and also very little support given to small-scale entrepreneurs,” he said. “We just don’t have enough industries. We obviously can’t have heavy manufacturing industries, but where are the light manufacturing factories that could create jobs?” Dugmore said. The lack of financial investments made on small-scale local businesses in the town is also an issue that explains the unavail-ability of jobs. “My child, I have to sit here and sell these beads that I make every day, if I don’t I won’t have money for my family. No, the government does not support small businesses like these; he only supports the big ones. He doesn’t care about the rest of us,” said bead maker vendor, Noluthando Mbotho. In President Jacob Zuma’s 2013 State of the Nation Address (SONA) speech, service delivery as well as job creation for the youth was listed as a priority in the agenda. Two years later, a town like Gra-hamstown remains a reminder of a promise that has been left unfulfilled by the president.

UBOM! LENDS A HELPING HANDBy Ellen Heydenrych

Grahamstown’s multi-award-winning theatre company Ubom! raised money to fund their children’s production ‘Bleek Island Adventure’. On Friday 13 March, Ubom! hosted a party at Olde ’65, with all proceeds going towards funding children’s theatre. Due to financial strain in 2014, Rhodes University ceased to aid in funding Ubom!. Without the fund-ing of Rhodes University, the company was forced to temporarily close down for a portion of 2014. Ubom! actress, Megan Grace Wright said, “At the end of the day there just wasn’t enough to support the whole company and keep Ubom! running, which is devastating because we’re the only theatre com-

pany in the Eastern Cape and a really good one at that.” Ubom! funds itself through donations and fund raising initiatives that the company runs. The constant ebb and flow of funding means that each year multiple fund raising initia-tives take place. One such initiative is set in stone; each year the Drama honours students are tasked with raising money to fund the annual Ubom! children’s production. The manner of funding this annual production varies per honours class. “This year, the honours mar-keting team organised the children’s theatre night party to raise money for children’s theatre in general, but the proceeds will go towards Ubom!’s

children’s show,” said Wright. The adventure-themed evening appealed to Grahamstown’s student population by boasting many local and student DJs, and enticing drinks specials. Wright, who graduated as an honours student last year, believes that this initiative is beneficial to both sides. “It teaches the honours students how to basically market and run their own theatre show, whilst at the same time we’re helping Ubom! with that work being done for that show,” Wright said. Through various means of funding, Ubom! continues to move forward, devising and producing shows for varying audiences and keeping the theatre realm of Grahams-town alive.

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE INCREASES

BUSINESS FLOW

AFFECTED BY WATER SHORTAGE

“People are much more aware

of what they eat and understand the value of eating healthily.”

- Vanessa Malila

HEALTHYVENDING

In the gutter; Alutha Xumani is

one of the many Grahamstown

inhabitants who struggle with unemployment.

IMAGE: Robyn Barnes

Grahamstown water outages flush businesses down the drain.IMAGE: Robyn Barnes

IMAGES: Ellen Heydenrych

On-campus health at the push of a button.

IMAGE: Ellen Heydenrych

“At the end of the day there just wasn’t

enough to support the whole com-pany and keep Ubom! running, which is devastating because we’re the only theatre company in the Eastern Cape

and a really good one at that.”- Megan Grace Wright,

Ubom! actress

OPINION OPINION

In light of the recent removal of the Cecil John Rhodes statue at the University of Cape Town, South Af-rica’s history has been heavily scru-tinized by the general public and by those who were once oppressed. With this discussion comes the revelation that historical buildings around the country continue to be preserved and protected, despite their colonial background. Grahamstown is home to many historical buildings and sites, all of which are indicators of past events, important figures and architectural and artistic styles. The debate between preservation and development is seen to be a continuous issue, as many property developers do not comply with the National Heritage Resources Act. An example of this is the ongoing expansion at Pepper Grove Mall where one of the walls of a build-ing, situated on African Street, was demolished during construc-tion. The building was a historical monument and could not be dam-aged or defaced. As a result of the widespread outrage regarding the destruction of the wall, the building has not been destroyed any further. There is no reason for historical monuments to be destroyed in any way, as it is quite

possible for businesses to operate within historical buildings. Prop-erty developers should aim to in-corporate aspects of these historical monuments into their construction; which could ultimately add to the allurement of the new business if done right. History is an important factor within any country, particu-larly in South Africa, and through the preservation of these historical buildings, businesses are still able to be successful. These historical monuments are significant to the heritage of the city, and it is impor-tant that future generations are able to experience it. Once a building is demolished, its historical impor-tance cannot be replicated. The preservation of historical buildings and economic development can most definitely benefit from each other. Members of the public can further appreci-ate historical monuments while supporting local businesses, as seen with The Provost Café on Lucas Avenue. This café is an old military prison which is popular among Rhodes University students and other Grahamstown residents. This city continues to expand with new developments, and it is our job to ensure that these historical monu-ments do not cease to exist.

Editorial:PRESERVING BUILDINGS,

PROMOTING BUSINESS

RU ENTERTAINED?By Bradley Prior

Our time at university is meant to be remembered fondly. There is a lot of work that needs to be done, but in between the essays and tests, students are meant to have fun. At Rhodes University, we find ourselves among masses of fun-loving young adults. However, most of the social activity that takes place after hours is alcohol-related. There is no issue with people drinking alcohol. It is both legal and popular among the youth of the 21st century. If students wish to spend their nights in Friars, Prime and the Rat and Parrot, then so be it.The problem is that there are not many options outside of partying. There comes a point where those who do not wish to party grow bored of playing 30 seconds in a residence room, or plonking themselves onto the grassy fields of the botanical gardens. There are thousands of students, not to mention all of the other residents of Grahamstown, for

budding entrepreneurs to cater to. Unfortunately, entrepreneurship does not appear to be particularly promi-nent in this city. It seems particularly strange that en-trepreneurship is so unpopular given that this city hosts the National Arts Festival annually. While this festival is happening, entrepreneurship iscommonplace. People see the opportunities that the festival provides, and take them. Why, then, do more people not act similarly with the opportu-nities presented by the university’s existence? By all means, there are some entrepreneurs in our midst – Hand Made Coffees - the coffee shop underneath the arch - is a famous example. However, there is scope for much more entrepreneurship – par-ticularly in the area of entertainment.Rhodes’ drinking culture is well known nationwide. Students come from across the country, and most inevitably find themselves slipping into this culture. A quip often used by Rhodents goes “Everybody drinks at Rhodes because there is nothing else

to do.” There are many forms of entertainment that could be in-troduced to Grahamstown. There used to be a cinema at Peppergrove Mall, but it now stands empty - the building seemingly eternally being renovated. What about a bowling alley, or a mini-golf course? These are relatively simple businesses to run, and are proven to be hits. What about a student-centred eatery? Although we already have many restaurants and fast-food outlets, none of them are geared to-wards forming a social experience for students. They are either too expen-sive, or not pleasant to sit down and eat in. It is no surprise that the 2 for 1 specials at Delizzia and Saints Bistro are so popular, but these specials only take place once a week. When an entire university of students is at our fingertips, en-trepreneurship should be an exciting prospect. But, unless entrepreneurs step up, it appears that the immense potential that Rhodes provides is go-ing to go to waste.

4 5Grahamstown Business Bulletin, Friday 22 May 2015 Grahamstown Business Bulletin, Friday 22 May 2015

By Robyn Barnes

In a famously small and student-run town, the students of Rhodes University share everything. They share spaces, classes, networks, due dates and, in most cases, a place to call home when they are away from home. But what happens to the other people? The people who have chosen to reside here and create small businesses outside of the university’s campus? What do they get? In some cases, these people get competition. More often that not, particular small business owners are put at risk as they compete with the youngsters that run the city in which we live. After all, if students have the ability to share their products, skills and academic capabilities, how can town businesses come first? There is no doubt that these small, local businesses do their best to get a head start and impress the stu-dents they are most likely catering for. Almost every day or night of the week, businesses all over Grahamstown release specials for their small-budget target market. Two for one specials, motivated discounts, free additions – you name it. However, the clever en-trepreneurs roaming the university’s campus have stepped up and risen to the challenge. Students watch their peers scrape coins together to afford Grahamstown’s services, and see a great opportunity for some business success of their own. Student-run businesses offer students an easier and cheaper route when searching for the things they want and need. Whether it be selling

clothes on Second Hand Grahams-town, holding beauty salons from their bedrooms or selling hand-made jewel-lery – students are beginning to cater for themselves. Some have even begun to sell their academic notes, essays, assignments and annotated textbooks – all at the click of a button. The question to be asked here is this: should local business own-ers take action? Can they afford the threat of their leading competition, or could precautions be taken to steal the town’s attention? My answer is this: take a deep breath, and let it be. You have had your turn. You have discovered your talents and skills, and used these to support a lifestyle that you want to maintain. You have exer-cised your potential for success and had the chance to make your dreams come true in the big, wide world. We, on the other hand, are merely at the starting line of the poten-tially bright future ahead of us. We are learning, while you are practicing. We are watching, while you are working. We are pushing forward, while you are already there. Besides, having chosen to live in a town that is home to rowdy, loud students (some of which don’t even wear shoes in public), there isn’t much you can do. So what do I recommend? I say be prepared. Continue in your endeavour for student attraction and keep those specials going. There is no doubt that you’re doing a great job. But also, be prepared to hand over the reigns a bit. Give us students a chance, because in the end, you’re going to need us to need you.

By Ellen Heydenrych

Businesses all over Grahamstown have been heavily affected by the superfluity of load shedding that has been taking place in the Makana district over the past few weeks. This is the fault of the Makana Municipal-ity, which is in a large amount of debt to Eskom. Due to this debt, Eskom has been imposing more frequent periods of load shedding upon the Makana Municipal district. Graham-stown, as in most towns and cities, relies upon electricity to function economically. Without electricity, many businesses cannot work the hours they need to make ends meet. Many businesses have had to invest in gen-erators. The purchasing and fuelling of generators is extremely costly, thus many smaller industries have just had to make do with what they have, often candles or closing their stores earlier than expected. Many Grahamstown inhabitants are concerned about the affect of this load shedding upon the National Arts Festival. The National Arts Festival, held in July, contrib-utes close to R90 million towards Grahamstown’s Gross

Domestic Product (GDP) through direct and indirect spending, as well as job creation and increased tourism activity. The festival also provides employment to over 400 people throughout its duration and is a platform for smaller craft and food businesses to sell and market their goods. The economic importance of the festival begs the question: how will the National Arts Festival continue to flourish with frequent power outages? Many performers and performances rely on electricity to execute their artistic work. The inexplicable impor-tance of the National Arts Festival for Grahamstown both economically and culturally means that Makana Municipality must find a way to resolve their debt to Eskom. If they do not, the municipality will find itself in more debt and with the Grahamstown economy on the brink of collapse. The National Arts Festival must be saved. Load shedding should not be allowed to taint the second largest arts festival in the world. Nor should it so terribly affect the econo-my of Grahamstown that we become indebted to even more companies.

ALBANYWHAT’S IN A NAME?

By Ellen Heydenrych

The name ‘Albany’ is one synonymous with Grahamstown, with many of Grahamstown’s businesses baring the name Albany in their titles. Whilst the reason for this name being used is simple, the story behind it is intricate and transnational. The area that now falls under the Makana Local Municipal-ity was once the Albany Magisterial District. Just as many Grahamstown businesses today are named after the Makana district, businesses then were often named after the Albany district. The name lives on, despite the fact that it was changed to Makana over a decade ago. For the first 200 odd years of the existence of Grahamstown, the district between the Sundays River and the Fish River was named Albany. Established in 1812, the area played a key role in British colonialism and the broadening of the frontier. The area was named after

the colonialist General Jacob Glen Cuyler’s home city, Albany, the capital of New York State. “Cuyler’s family were royalists and British loyalists and were forced to flee the United States after the American War of Independ-ence. As a reward for his services, he was taken into British Colonial ser-vice and given the power to name this new magisterial district,” says Brian Jackson, a councillor at the Makana Tourism department. Cuyler’s father had been the last British-appointed mayor of Albany. The name was thus one dear to Cuyler, making it apt that he bequeathed it upon the South African area he had been allocated to govern. After explaining how the name Albany came about, Jackson chuckles, “Isn’t that boring?” “Initially, the Grahams-town businesses with Albany in their title were owned by people of the farming community, who lived in the Albany district but had to travel into Grahamstown to sell their goods,” says Jackson. Whilst the name began

in agriculture, it became a name that graced the streets of Grahamstown. “Albany became popular amongst Grahamstown business owners and spread throughout the little town, gracing many shop windows, posters and flyers,” says Jackson. Continuing to name busi-nesses after this colonial legacy seems to be a trend in Grahamstown. When asked why businesses such as his still bear the name Albany in their titles, Dennis Wigs, the proprietor of Albany Sports retorts, “That’s the name of the area. I don’t care how many times or what they change the name of the dis-trict to, it will remain Albany.” Whilst some feel strongly about the name remaining the same, other businesses feel that renaming and rebranding is too costly. The name Albany is not of-fensive to them, because its colonialist roots are something of which many are not aware. Colonialism lives on in many ways in Grahamstown today, through street names, Rhodes Uni-

versity’s much-debated name, the names of buildings, and the various legacies that these names carry. However, the name Albany has been changed. In theory, the changing of a name allows the people formerly oppressed by that name to no longer use that name or be oppressed by that name. Whilst some newer busi-nesses are named after the Makana area, Albany continues to be a popular name. High Street is lined with Albany clad stores. Albany museums scatter the little town. Albany Driving School vehicles scoot around Grahamstown’s streets. The name Albany is very much a part of Grahamstown’s history and appears to be here to stay.

Albanygeographical name

Al·ba·ny pronouncedall-bun-knee

Alternatives required for alcohol as Rhodes University students’ sole

form of entertainment. IMAGE: Ellen Heydenrych

POWER OUTAGESPOWER OF ARTVs.

STUDENT EMPIRE ON THE RISE

Grahamstown’s student entrepreneurial

empire expands, as learners see new opportunities for business.

IMAGE: Robyn Barnes

FEATURES6 Grahamstown Business Bulletin, Friday 22 May 2015

By Robyn Barnes

Hermien Potgieter, owner of Siren-skyscraper dance studio and part-time student at Rhodes University, comes sauntering into my living room – a little bit out of breath from her afternoon ballet class at Princess Alice Hall. Behind her is co-owner Cath Walter trying to keep up with large boxes in her hand, overflowing with sparkly leotards, ballet shoes and frilly tutus. Potgieter is the dance-teacher at her own relatively new dance company. The company only opened in January 2015 and, al-though Potgieter describes the begin-ning of the business as “baby steps, baby steps”, she and her co-owner plan on building up the business and “making it big”. Sirenskyscraper offers ballet and contemporary style danc-ing to all ages. “Our littlest ones are three”, Potgieter says with a smile, “and our oldest dancer is in her late forties”. She explains that it’s nice to introduce little girls to dancing at such a young age and, at the same time, it’s great to be able to offer older women the opportunity to “get back into touch with their forgotten love of dancing”. Laughing, Potgieter rolls her eyes when asked questions about her dance history and how she hot into teaching. She alternates between looking down, covering her eyes, and glancing over at Walters who giggles in reminiscence.

Potgieter has been dancing her whole life, she explains. After do-ing her honours degree in 2004 - “a million years ago”, she says - Potgieter completed a two-year course qualify-ing her as a dance teacher of all ages and qualifications. She then gave dancing lessons for ten years at the DSG school in Grahamstown. Cur-rently, Potgieter is studying Psychol-ogy part-time at Rhodes University. Suddenly looking a bit serious, Potgieter explains her teaching style and the values that Sirenskyscraper wishes to relay on their dancers. “Neither Cath and I are the stereotypical dance teachers”, she explains, “we know that there are alternatives, dancers don’t have to fit into one mould”. Both Potgieter and Walters say their main aim is for people to have fun, while learning and perfecting new skills in dancing. They re-iterate that they in no way want to put unwanted pressure on their dancers, and want to support them for how they are and how they want to be. “We try to bring in that attitude in from the age of three, it just has to be taught in that environ-ment”, she says. In her bright blue tank top, a dazzling pink bow tied up in her hair and slightly heeled ballet shoes on her feet, Potgieter begins to relax. She pushes her glasses up higher on her nose and faces me smiling. “I actually met my fiancé here in Grahamstown”, she says, emphasizing the word “fiancé” in her sentence and clapping her hands

as she tells me more. “We’re getting married in April, so Cath will help out while I’m planning and stressing about all of it”, says Potgieter, while Walters giggles quietly. Potgieter and her fi-ancé live in one of the residences on Rhodes University campus, with her soon to be husband working as a staff member at the university. Now, with a bright smile on her face, Potgieter glances at Wal-ters and then straight back at me to speak about her future plans for the company. You can see that the topic excites her. It is as if I can hear her heart beat fast and hard in her chest. It is as if I can see the butterflies in her stomach. “Well, once we’ve built our client base a bit more, we want to take our routines to the Arts Festival”, she says, “which is quite exciting”. In addition, Potgieter says that she plans on holding her company’s first set of dance exams by May 2016. She smiles now; explaining how she realizes how many exciting milestones lie before her this year and for years after that. With a slow and gleeful sigh, Potgieter stands up to leave, taking with her the boxes and the friendly co-owner beside her. She thanks me at the door, and turns to leave with a skip in her step to her next ballet class. It seems the dancers of Grahamstown can expect to see more of Sirenskyscraper, and an ex-cited Potgieter carrying the journey all the way one pirouette at a time.

By Demi Drew

Photography to many is just a hobby. Liam Van Rooyen and Stuart Young were no exception. It was only until they realized they had a talent for taking photographs that they decided to start Shoes on Shoes off. Since their arrival in Grahamstown, Van Rooyen and Young have no doubt been the talk of the town, with some of their photographs reaching over 20 000 people on Facebook. Shoes on Shoes off became

a small photography business in late 2014, when Van Rooyen and Young were in their last year of high school. They started by taking photographs of their friends at various locations, experimenting with light and differ-ent camera angles “We weren’t taking it very seriously when we first began,” Says Van Rooyen. “It was just a hobby at the time.” The first event that they photographed was their friend’s eighteenth birthday party, in hopes that it would aid them in build-

ing their photographic portfolio. “We had this idea of visiting all the clubs in Joburg and pitching what we wanted to do, and the photos we wanted to take,” Explained Young. “We sent out emails everywhere, and got no response.” He went on to say how hard it is to establish yourself as a photographer in a big city. However, this soon changed when they made the move to Grahamstown to attend Rhodes University. Van Rooyen and Young were determined to make Shoes on

Shoes off a successful business ven-ture, so they decided to approach all the local clubs and pubs in Graham-stown in the hopes that someone would offer them a job. They approached the Rat and Parrot and were welcomed with open arms by the manager, Adrian Ciesielski who shared their vision and valued their business ethos. Ciesielski employed Shoes on Shoes off to take photographs at the Great Field Party, where their photography began to gain full momentum in Grahamstown. “Since we’ve been in Grahamstown, our Facebook page has doubled in likes,” Van Rooyen says excitedly. “Over 12 000 people saw the photos we took at the Great Field Party.” They also attended the St. Patrick ’s Day event on 17 March 2015 at the Rat and Parrot to take photographs of the party-goers and the multiple green individuals. At the beginning of March, Shoes on Shoes off were employed by the Hel-lenic Society to take photographs at their first toga-themed event. This was the first time they had branched out from the Rat and Parrot since coming to Grahamstown. They have since signed a contract with the Rat and Parrot to become their official photographers. Their aims so far in terms of building their brand and expand-ing their business have been to build a solid relationship with the people of Grahamstown. “Moving forward we

want to network our business and ex-plore any potential business contracts that we may have a chance of acquir-ing,” Says Van Rooyen. “Getting your name out there and networking is the most important part of being a photographer.” Their talents extend past that of photography and include videography as well, something they hope to pursue in the future. Shoes on Shoes off attended the Red Bull Paper Wings contest in the Great Hall on 19 March 2015, where they put their videography to the test. They were asked to take a video of the event and post it online, gaining recognition for both Shoes on Shoes off and Red Bull. “We’ve worked really hard to establish Shoes on Shoes off, and we will continue to work hard if it means that we will become success-ful,” Van Rooyen admits, saying that the biggest satisfaction is having people recognize them and their work. “We have a reputation to earn.”Shoes on Shoes off is definitely aname to be remembered and revered. They have gained a loyal following on social media and have managed to accomplish astounding things in the three months that they have been in Grahamstown. By looking at their photographs it is not difficult to see why their popularity has grown in such a short amount of time; and given the right opportunities, there is no doubt that they will succeed.

FEATURES7Grahamstown Business Bulletin, Friday 22 May 2015

By Pumla Kalipa

It is rare to find a restaurant that takes pride in its customer service. While other fast food outlets place emphasis on profit-making, newly opened pizza spot, The Mog Dog, places comfort and quality above all material things. Located on the corner of African street, finding The Mog Dog is no hassle. The smell of pizza pleasantly arrests the senses before the building is in sight. The restaurant takes pride in its humble beginnings; from being a car wash to an original and uncontested pizza hot spot. “The restaurant was started by John Wootton. He first decided to open a car wash here around the corner because this area of Grahams-town has no car washes,” manager of The Mog Dog, Dagan Wiplin said. Wootton is no stranger to businesses, in addition to the car wash and the newly opened restau-rant; he owns Kenton based pizza res-taurant Jeremiahs which is known to be popular among Rhodes students. The Mog Dog’s peculiar name has a humorous origination, “The owner’s dog’s name is Mogadesia and in short we all call her Mog. We then decided to name the restaurant Mog Dog after it,” he said. Wiplin believes that the popular wood-fired oven, among many things, makes the pizza restaurant uncontested. “Besides the wood-fire oven which we have

become known for, we offer pizza that is made of a thin base. I think that the crunchy pizzas make us different from our competitions,” says Wiplin. A homely atmosphere is what the restaurant aims to give its customers. “Unlike other restaurants, we try to make the place homelier. And besides the furniture setting we chose to use, our food tastes more like home food rather than fast food,” he said. The secret to the restau-rant’s fresh food and stock lies in the importance of buying fresh produce daily. “We buy fresh vegetables every day and the owner brings the stock and the seafood from Port Elizabeth and East London every week to two weeks,” says Wiplin. Although the newly formed business has not reached many Rho-des students yet, a large number of locals are welcomed daily. “Although we don’t get as many Rhodes students as we expected to get, getting into St. Andrews and DSG has been a large part of our success. The kids come here every weekend,” he said. The Mog Dog also hosts private and public functions. “We host parties for societies and people of the general public; we also supply the Pizza as well as the facilities in the venue,” Wiplin says. In addition to this, the res-taurant welcomes students who want to work for an extra income at flexible hours. “We have a student working

here now, we don’t want to put hours on him or any student, you give us the hours,” Wiplin said. The success of the restau-rant also lies within the hands of its employees. Saviours Mbasera, the pizzaiolo as well as the pizza deliverer, cheerfully greets incoming custom-ers. While the secretary, Constance Tongo, takes care to give customers the best customer service and food. While many businesses in Grahamstown end up becoming fly by night successes, The Mog Dog aims to build onto its brand. “I believe

that the owner has many plans for this place. We started off by having no furniture, now we do. But at the moment we are focusing on keep-ing up the quality of the food. We are also working on maintaining and building onto our brand and reputation,” Wiplin says. The pricing of the food is suited to accommodate student budgets, and the service allows every customer to feel at home. The Mog Dog has become home away from home for many people.

By Bradley Prior

Online shopping has become a trend within first world contexts. In South Africa, the wealthy have caught onto this trend. Websites such as Price-check, Kalahari and BidOrBuy have become common knowledge within this nation’s affluent circles. This trend has extended to

the students of Rhodes University. Many students now find themselves purchasing a variety of products online. There are a variety of reasons that students buy products online. Rhodes student Demi Drew is a fan of what she describes as ‘vintage’ clothing. She knows of the Hospice shop and a second-hand store, but neither have clothes that fit her

particular taste. Here lies one of the main reasons that Rhodes students buy products online: some products are not available in this city. “The shops in Graham-stown don’t have the same sort of clothing that I look for when I shop online,” explained Drew. It is understandable that in such a small city there would be a

lack of specific products. In these cases, on-line shopping is not replac-ing normal shopping; but, instead, sup-plementing it. Between physi-cal and online shops, Rhodes shoppers have been allowed a more complete shopping expe-rience.Another issue that Rhodes residents face is the pricing of products by local shops. Online shops are often cheaper than actual, physical shops. This

price discrepancy can become larger in small cities such as Grahamstown because there is not enough competi-tion for local shops. This has meant that Rhodes students have turned to online shopping so that they can save money – a crucial exercise for university students. Rhodes student Bradley Nyamwihura bought a cellular phone online two weeks ago. If he had bought it at a local cellular phone shop, he would have paid roughly R7000. Because he decided to look online, he managed to pay only R5000 – a R2000 saving.Fellow Rhodes student and serial online shopper Zandri Bezuiden-hout explained, “It is much easier to compare prices, which are often cheaper than the exact same items in the store. This is because they (online shops) don’t have to cover rent.” However, not all online purchases happen because of a local lack. There are other reasons why Rhodes stu-dents turn to their computers when making purchases. Rhodes student Heather Dixon wanted to attend one of the more popular parties in Graham-stown – Tunnels. However, as the event drew nearer, she had not bought a ticket. Worried that tickets would sell out, she bought one on-line.“It was late at night and the person wouldn’t be available,” reasoned

Dixon. “Knowing myself, I’d forget to do it [buy a ticket] during the day.” In a university where most students do not own cars, and instead must walk everywhere, online shopping can be more convenient than stum-bling around town. Ease of access is one of the largest reasons that online shopping has become as prominent here as it is world-wide. This is am-plified at Rhodes, where walking is a common mode of transport. Rhodes is known for being a progressive, tech-savvy institution. It hosts one of the fastest internet connections in South Africa, and it is therefore no surprise that its students are joining the online shopping revo-lution. Who knows – perhaps one day Friars will even allow customers to pre-order their drinks online.

“Our food tastes more like

home food rather than fast food.” -Dagan Wiplin

BUSINESS EN POINTE BITE ME THE MOG DOG PIZZERIAFRESH, CRISPY AND NEW ON THE BLOCK

ONLINE SHOPPINGA STUDENT’S ALTERNATIVE

“The shops in Grahamstown don’t

have the same sort of clothing that I look for

when I shop online.”-Demi Drew

SHOES ON SHOES OFF IN A FLASH

Dance teacher Hermien Potgieter, talks

the business behind dance.

IMAGE: Robyn Barnes

New to Grahamstown, proudly fresh and crispy, The Mog Dog pizzeria prides itself on its wood fire

oven baked pizzas. IMAGE: Pumla Kalipa

Grahamstown shopping goes digital. Students and locals turn to online means to buy their goods. IMAGE: Ellen Heydenrych

Captured: talented

photographers, Liam Van Rooyen and Stuart Young

snap their way through

Grahamstown.IMAGE:

Ellen Heydenrych