The Consumer Goods and Services Ombud (CGSO) has over the years identified a trend where certain suppliers operating specific types of businesses engage in unfair business practices and tend to not cooperate with our office to resolve complaints lodged against them. These businesses tend to accept money from their customers but fail to deliver the goods or deliver inferior quality goods or services. An analysis of the sectors and type of complaints shows that small and micro-businesses in the following sectors tend to flout the CPA and don’t address complaints lodged against them:

Guest on the line: Consumer Goods and Services Ombud, Ouma Ramaru

Diabetes is the number one killer of women in South Africa, and the second leading cause of death in men, according to Stats SA. One in two people with diabetes are undiagnosed, according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF, 2019). Two in three people in SA are at risk of prediabetes, according to the SA Demographic and Health Survey. With that in mind and with World Diabetes Day taking place on the 14th of November next month, the Diabetes Alliance, in partnership with the University of Pretoria Diabetes Research Centre, will be presenting South Africa’s first ever South African Diabetes Summit on Wednesday the 10th of November.

The Summit is open to everyone living with and working with Diabetes – and is especially relevant at this time having seen the devastating impact that Covid has had on those with Diabetes.

Guest on the line: Bridget McNulty, Chairperson of the Diabetes Alliance

A new study conducted by online doctor service Zava examined iconic sex scenes from 50 films, including Fifty Shades of Grey and Dirty Dancing, and gathered opinions from over 2,000 women. The results revealed that just 4% of Brits think sex in movies is realistic. From Mr. and Mrs. Smith’s mid-shootout action – involving so much wall bashing it’s astounding no one is whisked off on a stretcher – to Skyfall’s shower scene, surely impossible IRL without an anti-slip mat and a pair of goggles, Hollywood’s not interested in real sex. But why?

Guest on the line: Dr Mariam Khan is a registered Natural medicine doctor with a Masters degree focusing on sexual and reproductive health and rights and its intersections with gender and religion

Guest on the line: MUSA E. ZULU is a published author, artist, poet and motivational speaker.

Working from home has been embraced by employees as the light at the end of the tunnel. When the pandemic struck the uncertainty around having a job coupled with pressure of paying bills saw this option as the way out of financial turmoil.

The fact that businesses have included working from home in their business model implies that they are able to look at the options available to cater for the needs of their employees. But how does this do with including employees that are laden with work from home challenges?

Many of our staff might not live alone. They might be sharing their home with family members or even roommates. Some of them might even be challenged with living in informal settlements and townships making it difficult to access electricity and a working wifi connection. Does this mean that they should be excluded from the new work model?

Guest on the line: Devan Moonsamy is the CEO of ICHAF Training Institute, a South African TVET College.

While the class of 2021 did not have to contend with the same disruptions (lockdowns) to their academic year, their challenges, if anything, were even greater than that of their 2020 counterparts. Although familiarity with the pandemic conditions, probably lessened the overall fear and anxiety presented by the virus, it could never erase them and as new waves of the pandemic surfaced, the anxiety levels naturally increased. It is, however, the fact that the class of 2021 first had to catch up their incomplete Grade 11 curriculum before they were able to start on their Grade 12 work that brought about new forms of anxiety and stress, unfamiliar to any matric class that have gone before. And just to make matters worse, the municipal elections called for 1 November 2021, prompted the start of the NSC examination to be brought forward to 27 October 2021.

Guest on the line: Basil Manuel –executive director at NAPTOSA

No doubt about it: Cell phones are a great way to stay in touch anytime, anywhere. But is your child old enough to have one? It’s a tough call for many parents because it’s not just about age.

Guest on the line: Coach Mathawe Matsapola - She wears many hats, life coach, seasoned journalist, inspirational speaker and.

My name is Gogo Mmabatho my clients call me Gogbojour, I'm an ancestral empath, I read ancestral energy and vibrations. I help depression and anxiety from an African ancestral perspective, through talk therapy.

Guest on the line: Gogo Mmabatho

Sudan Military has arrested the country’s Prime Minister, Abdullah Hamdok and some high ranking members of his government.

Hereunder are some points worth noting as we try to understand the current situation in Sudan:

1. The role of external actors in Sudan must not be underestimated. The current interim hybrid government, made up of civilians and the military, recently recognised the state of Israel and enjoys close relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

The UAE through Dubai Ports World (DP World) is seeking to dominate maritime business in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea. Israel on the other hand is set on its diplomatic expansionist project in Africa. There has been some opposition inside the Interim government regarding these two countries and their roles in Sudan.

Guest on the line: Tembisa Fakude - Senior Research Fellow @ Africa Asia Dialogues (Afrasid)