Star 2022-05-25

IT’S not surprising that when contemplating debt review as a solution to a debt problem, many of us worry about the implications on our credit records. If you have ever taken up credit, whether it be a loan or car finance, and a bond, you have probably heard about a credit report or a credit score. While your credit score is a consolidated rating of your creditworthiness, your credit report is the account of your credit transactions that is used to determine the credit score. Compiled by registered credit bureaus, your credit report is regarded as the unbiased measure of your financial responsibility and can be used for various life situations, from opening a clothing account, to buying a house and even applying for a new job. When you go…

WHAT unites successful entrepreneurs is the degree to which they are able to grow and adapt personally throughout their journey. Their ability to do so is helped by the presence of a skilled, experienced and compatible mentor. In the entrepreneurial space, mentors are not trainers. They don’t exist to convey specific, technical information – that’s the job of subject-matter experts. A mentor uses their practical experience to guide entrepreneurs within their specific business context, provide an outside perspective that alerts entrepreneurs to potential or actual problems and enforce a sense of accountability for addressing the problems and building stronger businesses. Mentorship needs to be contextual, and the mentor will first ask questions in order to understand the specific circumstances at play. Once they have what they consider to be an…

ALTHOUGH Africa’s blockchain and cryptocurrency funding numbers are small compared to other regions, they are growing, according to the inaugural African Blockchain Report. CV VC, an African blockchain early-stage fund, launched the report this week, in collaboration with Standard Bank. Some 33 of the 41 companies included successfully raised funding last year. A total of $127 million (about R2 billion) was raised throughout the year, representing a 0.5 percent share of global blockchain funding. Eight countries were represented for the period and most of the venture dollars went to three of Africa’s “Big 4” – Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa. Rather than Egypt (the other member of the so-called Big 4) being significant in terms of blockchain funding, Seychelles came in fourth, to make up a combined $122m, or 96…

Viola Davis always wanted her life “to matter”. The Woman King star – who has daughter Genesis, 11, with husband Julius Tennon – used to think being an actress was her way of making her mark on the world, but she’s grown to realise that “elevating” opportunities for people of colour, through her and her spouse’s JuVee Productions, is where she can make a real impact. Speaking as she picked up the Women In Motion award at the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday, she said: “As a little chocolate girl, that grew up in Central Falls, Rhode Island, in abject poverty, I always wanted my life to matter. I wanted to leave this Earth with a big fat hole in it, and I felt the way to do that was…

It’s no secret that hip hop sensation Blxckie has been on a winning streak since bursting onto the music scene. The Durban native has been dominating the hip hop scene with his solid catalogue. Last year, he was named Apple Music’s Up Next artist and won Freshman of the Year at the South African Hip Hop Awards. The results of his efforts were recently celebrated at an event where he was awarded 10 musical plaques. Somnyama, as he is also known as, received a double platinum award for Kwenzekile featuring Madumane and Chang Cello, Ye × 4 featuring Nasty C, Big Time Sh’lappa featuring Lucasraps, and Hold. He also took Gold awards for the singles Sika, David, Joy featuring Oxlade, Umoya and Cold, and for his B4Now Deluxe album.…

Mzansi is still reeling from the news of Jamie Bartlett passing on Monday. Amid the flurry of tributes on social media, industry friends remembered the award-winning stage and screen actor’s legacy more intimately. Bartlett was 55 years old at the time of his passing. A family member is said to have confirmed the news with ENCA, although the cause of his death has yet to be confirmed. I was familiar with the work of the veteran actor since my cub days as a journalist covering the entertainment beat. Over the years, following a plethora of one-on-ones, I also got to know Bartlett as a person – one whom I admired and respected greatly. The British-born South African actor didn’t just leave a legacy behind – he was an institution in…