1. Clifton is the most expensive place in South Africa with house-prices averaging around  R12-million!
2. Steenberg Golf Estate which is situated in the winelands area of Constantia was ranked second-highest in the country with average house prices coming in at around R11-million.
3. Llandudno is third on the list; the average house price in this sea-side suburb came in at around R8-million.
4. Westcliff is the first non-Cape Town suburb to make an appearance with the average house selling around the R8-million mark, too. Westcliff is also referred to as “old-money enclave”.
5. Cape Town is back in the ranks with the V&A Waterfront residential marina coming in at number five.
6. Sixth on the list is Bishopscourt, the massive suburb located in the Southern Suburb area of Cape Town.
7. A KwaZulu Natal features 7^th on the list thanks to the Zimbali Coastal Resort with house prices also being in the R8-million range.
8. Constantia in Cape Town, again, came in at 8^th. This suburb has taken a bit of a drop, it used to be quite high on the list.
9. Upscale Sandhurst, in Sandton,  which some describe as “home to many of South Africa’s captains of industry” is at nine.
10. Trendy, cosmopolitan Camps Bay was ranked 10^th.  House prices at an average of R6.6-million with a view to boot.

Source: Times Live

In light of the protests, flights to Maputo by SAA and LAN have been cancelled. We are not yet sure about other airlines though, but it looks like 1time are still offering them. If you are currently stranded in Maputo and/or have flights planned, it is advisable to contact the SA High Commission in Maputo on 00-258-21-49-1614.

The rankings reflect various disparities, for example it’s pretty easy for an American to visit China but it’s a nightmare for the Chinese to visit America.  Whilst Israel is on the list, it should be remembered that there are almost 30 countries Israelis can’t enter at all; they can’t even apply for a visa.  Near the bottom of the pile, Pakistanis are just glad that countries like Iraq, North Korea and Afghanistan exist (so that they’re not bottom).

Visa restrictions are enforced by countries to control the crossing of their borders. Almost all countries require visas from certain non-citizens who wish to enter their territory. Obtaining a visa is often expensive and time-consuming (most consulates require you to apply in person, with extensive paperwork and frequent delays in the issuing of visas).

Visas were in the news a couple of years ago, when the UK started requiring visas for South Africans following the fraudulent issuing of genuine South African travel documents to foreign nationals.  However, there are still some spots that South Africans can travel to visa-free  (check with the relevant embassy before travelling, as it’s possible for this article to become dated):

Source

• The bright lights of Hong Kong beckon visitors to this stunning destination, an exotic feast of sounds, sights, flavours and scents, that can be accessed with a valid passport, but does not require a Visa for visitors who want to stay for less than a month.
• Malaysia is an equally exotic destination that has much to offer the curious traveller.  South Africans can travel to this “corner” of the globe with a valid passport in hand and they do not need to apply for a visa if they intend staying less than three months.  This gives any traveller plenty of time to travel from Kuala Lumpur to Semporna and everywhere in between.
• You can tour Thailand for thirty days without requiring a Visa, unless you have entered via an overland port, in which case you will only be able to travel visa free for fifteen days.  A valid South African passport is a requirement.
• Dreaming of shopping in sultry Singapore?  Here you can visit for a full thirty days on a Social Visit Pass, which you can obtain during your arrival in the country.  Thereafter, if you wish to extend your stay, you can pay a S$40.00 fee for an extension.
• Fly to Mauritius and enjoy the azure waters off the African coast – South Africans with a valid passport can soak up the sun and sea for a full sixty days without requiring a Visa. Those who are visiting for business purposes can enjoy a stay of ninety days without having to apply for a Visa.
• Alternatively you can jet off to the cooler climes of the green lands of New Zealand for a memorable holiday alternative.
• One of the most remote places on the planet, Antarctica is a unique and beautiful destination that will touch your imagination.  This landmass is not owned by any country and so any visitor may go there without needing a valid passport or Visa, but you should keep in mind that this may not be the case for any ports of call en-route to your destination.
• If you have ever wanted to experience the wild beauty of Zambia then you will be delighted to hear that here is yet another destination that does not require a Visa from South African citizens for a full ninety days every twelve months.  You would need a valid Passport, but otherwise you are free to visit at any time.  Swaziland allows for South African visitors to enter the country for a period of two months without requiring a Visa.
• Kenya is well known for its game reserves and breath-taking vistas and the South African who wants to enjoy a truly magical experience can visit this amazing country with a valid South African passport for a full ninety days without requiring any sort of Visa.  Brazil beckons from further a-field with golden beaches and fantastic weather.  Here the South African traveller can explore the quaint towns and points of interest for a full three months without having to concern themselves with Visa requirements.
• The football loving country of Argentina will give entry to South Africans with valid passports.  Visitors can then stay for a period of ninety days, simply enjoying the unique atmosphere of this country without need of a Visa.  This is the same for people enjoying a leisure trip or for those who are actually visiting the country for business reasons.
• The Bahamas is yet another unforgettable destination that will charm the average visitor with the hospitality of the locals and the sheer beauty of its surroundings.  South Africans who carry a valid South African passport that is valid for a period of no less than six months are welcome to visit the area and can stay here, Visa free, for up to three months.
• The Philippines is a culturally rich corner of the world that is well worth a visit.  Here South African citizens do not require a Visa for a period of twenty one days, in which they are free to visit any destination in the country.  The only requirement is a valid passport, as is the case with so many other countries across the globe.
• Peru is a distant land that has a hot, tropical climate and a very interesting mountainous terrain with many ancient rainforests.  You can visit Peru with a valid South African passport in hand and will be able to stay in the country for up to ninety days after your arrival.  Extensions of up to thirty days are possible without any Visa requirements.

Jamaica is another tropical destination that is popular with travellers.  The South African traveller can travel to Jamaica with only a valid passport and will be relieved to hear that the authorities do not require a Visa.  Please bear in mind that policies are subject to change at any given moment and that it is in your best interest to contact the embassy before you travel to be sure of any possible changes.

]]> http://imod.co.za/index.php/2010/09/02/south-africans-still-striving-for-visa-free-freedom/feed/ 0 http://imod.co.za/index.php/2010/09/02/php-for-beginners-week-17-gmail-checker/ http://imod.co.za/index.php/2010/09/02/php-for-beginners-week-17-gmail-checker/#comments Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:30:34 +0000 John Clarke http://imod.co.za/index.php/?p=15920 This week I am going a bit more into e-mail checking :) What I will be doing is connecting to GMail and checking for any new/unread messages

In order to complete these steps, you need to make certain that the IMap libraries are installed with PHP (for instructions on how to do this, go to http://www.php.net/manual/en/imap.setup.php)

Once you have the library installed and ready to go, just follow the code available here and you can view a demo here

All that is done is pretty basic, and for those that know how this can be extended, well, let’s see what you can do with it and post a demo to your solutions in the comments below :)

As always, the commented where it is needed, and if you have questions let me know

I agree, and they are usually so cheap too.

Two South African Classics are a Muscadel and a Jerepigo.  I am often asked what the difference is.  Essentially the way the wine is made is the same, but Muscadel is  made from Muscat grapes and Jerepigo can be made from any number of grapes.

The Swartland Red Jerepigo is made from Pinotage grapes from the Swartland.  Mainly from unirrigated bushvine vineyards.  His means there is a huge concentration of flavour and colour in the grapes.  Harvested extra ripe, they go through a process called thermo-vinification,  The grapes are removed from the stalks, the mash is heated gently and pressed.  Once the juice is cool is it placed in  a stainless steel tank and grape spirit is added.  A rest of six months is required for the juice and the alcohol to ‘marry’.  You end up with a rich ruby red wine with upfront grapey and blackcurrant fruit on the nose and lovely full sweet raisins in the mouth with the grape spirit filling out the palate.  You can pour this over ice cream or drink it chilled with dark chocolate.

The Danie de Wet Cape Muscadel is made from Muscat de Frontignan grapes – perhaps better known as Hanepoot.  Again the clearest juice is pressed from the grapes and blended with pure grape spirit.  A period of rest is required and the wine s bottled and ready for the market.  Gorgeous waves of grapiness  on the nose and a delicious sweet muscat unctuousness in the flavour  with an enchanting lime squirt in the aftertaste.  A true Cape experience.

Note about the grape spirit.  I had note appreciated how important the grape spirit is until I met David Guimaraens in Oporto who makes the fabulous Ports for Taylors and Crofts.  A sixth generation winemaker he was forced in his early years to use a spirit which he could only buy from the Portuguese Government.  Once freed from this stricture, he started looking around and found a French distiller who produced an ideal spirit.  David offered us a taste of the two diluted with mineral water to the same dilution as it would be in Port.  The difference was quite amazing. A rough country wine compared to a smooth and sophisticated country gent.

Credit: http://www.thehealthword.com/

A couple of years ago I found myself unemployed in the middle of a retrenchment-inducing economic downturn. Jobs were scarce, my nearest and dearest were severely affected and I went from being a well-fed, middle-upperclass LSM 10-er to yet another person without a job or an income. I tried a number of things to make ends meet, but there was little interest in professional PowerPoint design or graphic work at the time. Things started to get a little dire.

I’d always loved to write and eventually decided to give it a bash. God alone knows how I landed my first client! I had no formal training or experience-just a fortunate ability to string together a sentence, the willingness to do the best I could with what I had, the initiative to educate myself with the resources available to me, and perseverance, perseverance, and more perseverance! I now write regularly for blogs and websites based all over the country and absolutely love what I do. The flexibility, freedom, and nature of my work make my career (for the most part!) a joy. And I’m finally doing professional PowerPoints again too. Bonus!

This Spring season and this month mark the happy anniversary of my foray into freelance writing freedom. I don’t know how long it will last and the “road” has been more of a 4×4 track, but I am so abundantly grateful to all the amazing people who’ve made it possible for me to achieve even this small goal. (You’re awesome)!

What do September and the Spring season mean to you?

On the other hand, the sprites are cute, the game is well-made, and it’s one of those games you can keep running while you’re at work and return to whenever you like.

I won’t bore you with words when I have a video to share with you, but in short – Priority Inbox is an intelligent system that learns the way you do email and assists in organising your inbox in the most efficient way.

Take a watch:

Can you imagine how much time you’ll save, once you’ve trained the software for a number of weeks/months?

I haven’t tried it out yet, I’ve been meaning to do so all day, but I just haven’t had a gap, so I’ll update when I’ve tested it and will let you know if it’s something I’m going to you and whether I’d say it’s worth you using it.

If you’ve given it a go, please don’t hestitate to let us know!

Manchester City was linked with every player possible – unknowns that no one had ever heard of, the biggest stars in the world, and just about anyone else in between. If another club was interested, it was reported Manchester City were to.

City did bring in a number of players totaling up exuberant amounts that only the fabulously wealthy can even think of. They bought in Yaya Toure from Barcelona for £24m, David Silva from Valencia for £25m, Kolorov from Lazio for £19m, James Milner from Aston Villa for £22m, Jerome Boateng for £12m and Mario Balotelli for around £20m. That total is just too scary to repeat.

Then on the other half of Manchester, United were buying unknowns. Javier Hernandez was picked up before the World Cup for £7m, but it looks like he is already worth it. They also picked up Chris Smalling from Fulham for 10m, again a player that not many had heard of. Then they landed Bebe, a player that was playing in the Portuguese lower divisions and a couple years before, had been playing in a homeless team. All of them are not players that many think are going to wow the Premier League just yet.

If you then look at Liverpool, with their new manager, Roy Hodgson, they too were also looking to bring in fresh faces that were not the first to come to mind from the average football fan. Young Danny Wilson from Rangers came in, along with Brad Jones from Middleborough, along with Jonjo Shelvey, Milan Jovanovic and Raul Meireles. It seems Liverpool took the same policy as United, and rather added some depth rather than players that will jump into the starting lineup.

Chelsea has been rather quiet with only Ramires coming in. Again, a player that you probably feel is going to add cover for the mid field rather than burst into the starting 11 just yet.

Basically what I am saying is that this season, I think clubs realized that they are going to need to have greater squads to survive the onslaught that is Manchester City and their money. The top four clubs it seems know that they do not have the fire power in the transfer market and therefore have to buy younger, unknown players in a bid to try and match City and their never ending spending.

Will City be able to buy the English Premier League title this season?