The only radio show and podcast dedicated to Africa’s richest square mile, the weekly Sandton Times Hour brings the pages of The Sandton Times to life with an array of entertaining and informative interviews blended with the best music, every week on Mix 93.8, Mondays at 7pm.
- Grace Harding, CEO of Ocean Basket and one of the most prominent voices in hospitality, provides a sense of how the restaurant sector is coping during the tough trading conditions.
- Chanel Grantham, Founder of Herbivore Earthfoods shares her journey from producing small batch Vegan alternatives to joining one of South Africa’s largest food producers.
- Granville Abrahams, Senior Manager for Electoral Matters at the IEC (Electoral Commission of South Africa) shares the details of the latest voter registration drive for the 2024 General Elections.
- Lerato Phalakatshela, Human Rights Manager at OUT LGBT Well-Being highlights a new crime trend affecting users of dating Apps in greater Sandton.
- Visit www.sandtontimes.co.za for more stories.
The Sandton Times Hour is the go-to weekly digest on greater Sandton including fabulous food spots, luxurious lifestyle bits, first-hand travel tips, motoring notes, and world-class entertainment and so much more beyond the borders of greater Sandton. The radio show and podcast has been selected by Feedspot panellists at #15 on a ranking of Top 40 South Africa Podcasts on the web for 2023. In this week’s episode [Edition 107 | Week 12] The Sandton Times covers an array of topical news as well as these interviews:
THE RESTAURANT COLLECTIVE With Ocean Basket CEO Grace Harding
The restaurant industry emerged from COVID limping and was flung from the frying pan into the fire. Electricity cost increases of over 40%, inability to trade due to load-shedding, and now having to scramble around looking for generators, power walls and more have made operations extremely challenging. Adding massive costs to the expense line that is already buckling under the pressure of increasing food costs Grace has called on those in the restaurant space to unite in tackling these growing challenges.
The Restaurant Collective, founded by Natasha Sideris from Tashas Group and Grace Harding from Ocean Basket, the non-profit is working hard to connect with relevant government departments and with one another to unite and speak with one voice. Current members include Famous Brands, Signature brands, Nando’s, Col’Cacchio, Tashas Group, Marble, Galitos, Ocean Basket, Life Grand, Signature, Piatto, Olives and Plates.
For more information on The Restaurant Collective, visit the website.
HERBIVORE EARTHFOODS With Founder Chanel Grantham
Herbivore Earthfoods is a Cape Town headquartered woman-founded business specialising in the manufacture and sale of plant-based and vegan products. Co-run by Founder, Chanel Grantham and Davey du Plessis, the company aims to make healthy, plant-based foods accessible and affordable in South Africa. The company’s product line includes dairy-free milk alternatives and desserts, confectionery and protein alternatives.
Learn more on the Herbivore Earthfoods website.
VOTER REGISTRATION With Senior Manager For Electoral Matters Granville Abrahams
Nearly 220’000 eligible South Africans have heeded the call to visit the Electoral Commission’s Voter Portal to register online to vote since the launch of a national campaign in February 2023, in preparation for the 2024 National and Provincial Elections.
South Africans aged 16 years and older, who have a South African identity document (ID), smart ID card, or valid temporary ID, are encouraged to use the Electoral Commission’s Voter Portal to register to vote for all future elections.
The campaign forms part of a multi-faceted year-long campaign by the Commission to encourage and facilitate eligible South Africans to register to vote. The campaign is aimed particularly at the unregistered youth, so that they can vote in the 2024 National and Provincial Elections and all future elections.
Eligible voters can register online in just a few easy steps:
1. Go to the Electoral Commission’s Voter Portal.
2. Click “Register to Vote Now” and accept the terms of use
3. Enter your personal details
4. Enter the One-Time Pin sent to your cell phone
5. Search for your address or, if you are at home, use the current location on your device
6. Take a photo of your ID OR submit a scan of your ID
7. You will receive an SMS within 24 hours confirming your successful registration.
Voters who are already registered and have moved since the last elections, can also check and update their address on the same portal.
To check your registration status within 24 hours of registration, SMS your ID number to 32810 (R1 per SMS) or check online on the Electoral Commission’s website.
The ‘GRINDR GANG’ With Human Rights Manager At OUT LGBT Well-Being Lerato Phalakatshela
Although police recently arrested four suspects in connection with a series of attacks against LGBTIQ+ individuals using dating apps like Grindr, OUT LGBT Well-Being has continued to receive reports of new incidents.
Over the past few years, numerous members of the LGBTIQ+ community, predominantly gay, bisexual and other queer men, have been entrapped by criminals through the use of dating apps. Once the victims arrive at the arranged “date”, they are typically restrained by several men, often beaten, threatened, and forced to transfer the contents of their bank accounts to their assailants or to ask family members to pay the criminals for their release.
All these incidents happened in areas of Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni, including Sandton, Randburg, Fourways, Tembisa, Soweto and Lenasia. The incidents took place between June 2022 and February 2023.
Alarmingly, three of the reported cases happened in the last few weeks – after the arrest of the four suspects earlier in February. It is thus clear that the “Grindr Gang” is in fact more than one group of criminals. OUT is assisting the victims with legal advice, case monitoring and psychosocial support and referrals. We are also working with CAP, a private security company that has been closely monitoring these incidents. CAP is using the information from reported cases to assist the police in identifying suspects.
In an alarming twist to these incidents, OUT LGBT Well-Being have received a report of a victim allegedly being harassed for money by police officers from the station at which he reported his attack. This is a clear instance of secondary victimisation of an already traumatised individual. Any victim facing this kind of behaviour from the police should contact the Station Commander immediately to report it.
They can also escalate the matter to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID): 0800 111 969 / 012 399 0000 / complaints@ipid.gov.za
LGBTIQ+ victims of recent and older dating app attacks are urged to continue to confidentially report these incidents to OUT by emailing report@out.org.za
Sandton Times Hour Music Playlist
- Sigala – Easy Love
- TRESOR feat. Beatenberg – Zambezi
- Lionel Richie – All Night Long (Mood Funk Remix)
Get The Sandton Times Hour Playlist
Connect On Telegram
The Sandton Times Hour is released every week, on these major Podcast platforms and on The Sandton Times Homepage:
Take a moment to subscribe, share and review or rate The Sandton Times Hour on your favourite podcast platform. Also, catch The Sandton Times Hour every Monday, on Mix 93.8 FM from 7pm to 8pm in Johannesburg and Pretoria or on DStv Channel 823.
Stand a chance to WIN with The Sandton Times.
Advertise on The Sandton Times today!
Head back to The Sandton Times Home Page for more stories.
