Congratulations to the SME companies who have won full-page BizListing entries in Bizcommunity’s business directory.
There are still two BizListings up for grabs so click here to see if your SME is eligible to win! We are thrilled to announce that the applicants whose enterprises met all the requirements of the recent competition offered by donor Nishi Singh, MD of NSP Consultants, have been awarded to the following companies:
A 100% black-owned company based in the rural village of Bloempoort in Limpopo. Trading in automotive repair and fitment as well a training center for the motor mechanics of the future.
A Cape Town-based outfit with 15 years experience in the banking, insurance, asset management and IT sectors, specialising in training and coaching people and businesses in a variety of disciplines, including design thinking, agile project management, process optimisation and more.
A Johannesburg-based company offering business services such as transcription, proofreading, typing and editing, for small businesses, students, government and corporates.
A global service provider in content integration with a client base spanning Indonesia, India, South Africa, Singapore and Malaysia.
On behalf of the winning enterprises, Bizcommunity would like to thank NSP Consulting for their generous gesture in providing these small and medium enterprises with a chance to own a presence on SA’s indispensable business-to-business news website.
Thanks to everyone for entering and to the following companies, who were unfortunately not deemed eligible for full prizes, but who have each been awarded a discounted BizListing package.
Dementia has tremendous costs in terms of treatment and caregiving.
Preventing dementia, therefore, is of great importance
The findings of a new study suggest that socialising could benefit older adults’ brain health
Older adults who get together with friends, volunteer or go to classes have healthier brains, which could help them ward off dementia, according to a new study.
Researchers who used brain imaging to examine brain areas involved in mental decline found that greater social engagement made a difference in brain health.
Being socially engaged – even moderately – with at least one relative or friend activates parts of the brain needed to recognise familiar faces and emotions, make decisions and feel rewarded, the study found.
No cure for dementia
“We need to do more research on the details, but that’s the beauty of this – social engagement costs hardly anything, and we do not have to worry about side effects,” said lead author Dr Cynthia Felix, a geriatrician and postdoctoral associate at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.
“There is no cure for dementia, which has tremendous costs in terms of treatment and caregiving. Preventing dementia, therefore, has to be the focus. It’s the ‘use it or lose it’ philosophy when it comes to the brain,” she said in a university news release.
The researchers drew on information from nearly 300 community-dwelling seniors (average age 83) who had a sensitive brain scan to gauge the integrity of brain cells used for social engagement.
Once brain cells die, dementia typically follows. Researchers said it’s not yet clear whether social engagement keeps brains healthy or if having a healthy brain leads to more socialising.
Either way, the findings suggest that “prescribing” socialisation could benefit older adults’ brain health – similar to the way prescribing physical activity can help prevent diabetes or heart disease. Existing programmes that provide group physical activities would be a good starting point, Felix said.
Social engagement crucial during pandemic
“Our data were collected before the Covid-19 pandemic, but I believe our findings are particularly important right now, since a one-size-fits-all social isolation of all older adults may place them at risk for conditions such as dementia,” she said.
“Older adults should know it is important for their brain health that they still seek out social engagement in safe and balanced ways during the pandemic,” Felix advised.
The findings were reported on 19 October in the Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences.
There was a significant decrease in the average number of asthma hospitalisations during the first part of 2020
A possible explanation is that better hygiene as a result of Covid-19 reduced exposure to asthma triggers
Enhanced precautions and preventative asthma medications could also have had an effect
Measures enacted to slow the spread of the new coronavirus also appeared to reduce hospitalisations for asthma, a new study finds.
Researchers compared weekly data on hospitalisations at 272 hospitals in Japan in the first five months of 2020 to the same period in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Asthma hospitalisations in 2017–19 and 2020 showed similar trends until week eight, but in 2020 hospitalisations began to decline in week nine, the study found.
Hospitalisations for Covid-19 were first recorded during week seven of 2020. Further analysis found a significant decrease in the average number of asthma hospitalisations during weeks nine to 22 of this year compared to 2017–19.
Enhanced precautions
The findings were published on 13 October in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice.
“Asthma hospitalisations usually indicate that an individual’s asthma is not currently under control,” corresponding author Dr Atsushi Miyawaki, of the University of Tokyo, said in a journal news release. “This would suggest that asthma control improved during the pandemic. It illustrates the importance of environmental factors when it comes to treating and managing patients with asthma.”
One possible explanation is that increased hygiene to prevent Covid-19 would also reduce exposure to asthma triggers, according to the researchers. Enhanced precautions – such as frequent cleaning and reduced smoking – by people concerned that Covid-19 may trigger asthma may also have helped reduce triggers.
Other possible explanations include people being more likely to use preventative asthma medications, and community Covid-19 prevention measures helping reduce other respiratory infections, which can cause worse asthma.
R140000 – R160000 per month negotiable Basic salary
Location:
Cape Town, Salt River
Education level:
Degree
Job level:
Senior
Job policy:
Employment Equity position
Type:
Permanent
Reference:
#202010-125657
Company:
Roche Pharmaceutical Company
Job description
Roche Pharmaceutical Company is searching for a motivated and experienced customer service manager to lead our customer service department. Your goal will be to provide outstanding customer service to our clients by developing effective customer service procedures, implementing customer loyalty programs, setting customer satisfaction goals and to make sure that the needs of Roche customers are being satisfied. The qualified entity will make sure that the Roche service standards are being met, and will manage the customer service team. This role helps to develop and implement customer service policies in Roche Corporate, handles face-to-face enquiries from customers and finding ways to measure customer satisfaction and improve services.
To qualify for the role, the ideal candidate will have proven experience working in a customer service position, with excellent knowledge of the latest industry trends and techniques. In addition to being an excellent communicator (written and verbal), you will also demonstrate strong leadership and interpersonal skills. Roche is a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics focused on advancing science to improve people’s lives. We are courageous in both decision and action. And we believe that good business means a better world. We are proud of who we are, what we do, and how we do it. We are many, working as one across functions, across companies, and across the world.
Send your recent CV and Cover letter for Roche new vacancies in Research and Development, Software and Engineering, Sales and Marketing, IT, Manufacturing, Legal, Finance, HR, Admin, Technology and Quality Management; In every area of Roche, we’re looking for exceptional people to drive our work and company forward. Because it’s not just a job. It’s a responsibility; We are Roche.
Key duties and responsibilities:
Supervise day-to-day operations in the Roche customer service department.
Respond to customer service issues in a timely manner.
Create effective customer service procedures, policies, and standards.
Develop customer satisfaction goals and coordinate with the team to meet them on a steady basis.
Implement an effective customer loyalty program.
Maintain accurate records and document all customer service activities and discussions.
Assess service statistics and prepare detailed reports on your findings.
Hire and train new customer service agents.
Manage the approved budget of the customer service department.
Issuing refunds or compensation to customers.
Producing written information for customers, often involving use of computer packages and software.
Developing feedback or complaints procedures for customers to use.
Training staff to deliver a high standard of customer service.
Stay informed on the latest Roche’s organisational techniques and methods.
Company Description
Roche is a multinational healthcare company that operates worldwide under two divisions- pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Roche is the world’s largest biotech company and also the world leader in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management. The combined strengths of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics under one roof have made Roche the leader in personalised healthcare – a strategy that aims to fit the right treatment to each patient in the best way possible.
The company also aims to improve patient access to medical innovations by working with all relevant stakeholders. We believe it’s urgent to deliver medical solutions right now – even as we develop innovations for the future. We are passionate about transforming patients’ lives. Our products bring significant medical benefits for patients and doctors, efficiency gains for laboratories and health economic benefits for payers. We focused on innovation and on establishing an international presence worldwide. Roche employs more than 80,000 people and is present in more than 150 countries; it’s these people that we value above all else.
Requirements
Minimum bachelor’s degree in business administration, economics, pharmacy, medicine or relevant field.
A minimum of five years’ proven experience in a customer service position.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and customer service software.
Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
Good understanding of management practices and techniques.
Excellent leadership and interpersonal skills.
Good listening skills, to understand exactly what customers require.
Problem-solving skills.
Confidence, patience, politeness, tact and diplomacy, when dealing with difficult situations.
Motivational skills and an ability to supervise and lead a team of customer service assistants.
Creative thinking, to be able to come up with new ideas to improve customer service standards.
An ability to work well under pressure.
Organisational and planning skills to develop customer service policies.
Good personal presentation, especially when face-to-face with customers.
A commitment to improve your customer service skills on an on-going basis
Leather Gallery is a KwaZulu-Natal family run business with 10 retail Leather Gallery showrooms and will be opening our 11th Leather Gallery in Hillcrest at the end of October 2020. We require a senior sales leader for our beautiful Ballito Leather Gallery showroom.
You will be responsible for and manage all stock arriving and leaving the branch.
Manage and motivate sales team
Create sales and your own prospects
Ensure the shop is a beautiful clean environment with attractive, inviting displays. You will be responsible for creating these displays which include moving of furniture as a team, and the placing of paintings, mirrors and decor.
Communicate with head office, warehouse operations and all staff to ensure a smooth flow of goods to the shop and customers
You will be required to organise out of shop displays and promotions in surrounding areas from time to time
You will be responsible for your branch’s work roster
You need to have your own transport
Company Description
Retail furniture and decor.
Requirements
We require a responsible person of high integrity with an ability to manage and motivate people. A flair and passion for home decor will be an advantage
You need to be computer literate with an attention to detail in all admin and decor
A good command of the English language is necessary for a minimum of matric or post-matric qualification in English. A second language will be an advantage
Leather Gallery is a KwaZulu-Natal family run business with 10 retail Galleries in KZN and Gauteng and we will be opening our 11th Gallery in Hillcrest at the end of October 2020. We require a senior sales leader for our beautiful Galleria showroom.
You will be responsible for and manage all stock arriving and leaving the branch.
Manage and motivate sales team
Create sales and prospects
Ensure the shop is a beautiful clean environment with attractive, inviting displays. You will be responsible for creating these displays which include moving of furniture as a team, and the placing of paintings, mirrors and decor.
Communicate with head office, warehouse operations and all staff to ensure a smooth flow of goods to the shop and customers
You will be required to organise out of shop displays and promotions in surrounding areas from time to time
You will be responsible for your branch’s work roster
You need to have your own transport
Company Description
Leather Gallery is an aspired for, upmarket furniture and decor brand presently displayed in our 11 retail Galleries in Gauteng and KZN. We deliver throughout South Africa.
Requirements
We require a responsible person of high integrity with an ability to manage and motivate people. A flair and passion for home decor will be an advantage.
You need to be computer literate with an attention to detail in all admin and decor
A good command of the English language is necessary for a minimum of matric or post-matric qualification in English. A second language will be an advantage
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, obesity has been one of the top triggers for severe cases. Outside of the disease, obesity has always had a detrimental effect on health through chronic inflammation, a higher risk of heart disease and a weakened response to viral infections.
But how much does it matter in relation to other conditions, age, sex and race when it comes to contracting a severe coronavirus infection?
To answer this question, Brazilian researchers conducted a meta-analysis of nine studies from five countries on severe Covid-19, which included more than 6 500 patients. More than half were male and had comorbidities such as hypertension (51.51%), diabetes (30.3%), cardiovascular disease (16.66%), lung disease (15.99%), renal disease (7.49%), cancer (5.07%), and immunosuppression (1.8%). A high proportion of patients were smokers and suffered from dyslipidemia – a condition involving high levels of cholesterol or fat in the blood.
They wanted to investigate the prevalence of obesity as a contributing factor in severe Covid-19 cases that required admission to ICU. They also looked at the best treatments that helped obese patients recover from the virus.
The studies they analysed included case studies and series, clinical trials and randomised controlled trials that mentioned obesity. They found that in more than half of severe cases, people suffered from obesity. In terms of other comorbidities, just less than half had hypertension, while type 2 diabetes, lung disease, smokers, cardiovascular disease were each around the 20% mark.
Not only is obesity a major factor for severe Covid-19, the condition also indicates that these patients are also more likely to be infected with the coronavirus in the first place.
A 51-year-old patient ended up with a snapped coronavirus test swab inside her lung after it was inserted into a breathing tube in her neck, a BMJ case report revealed.
The woman was undergoing brain surgery in a UK hospital to remove a fragment of her skull. As part of her treatment, a tracheostomy tube – placed into the windpipe to assist with breathing – was fitted.
After the operation, medical staff at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS (National Health Service) Trust sent the patient to undergo a coronavirus test as part of normal protocol before discharging her to a nursing home.
Since the patient had been breathing through the hole in her neck and could have potentially become infected with the virus through this airway, medical staff took a swab through her tracheostomy tube.
However, a nurse carrying out the test felt the swab snap during the procedure, and part of it ended up in the patient’s windpipe.
The test swab is designed to snap into a test tube to be sent to the lab.
Understanding the features of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, is crucial for predicting the future, and in a recent study, scientists may have come one step closer.
According to Duke University (DU) researchers, a number of “silent” mutations in the roughly 30 000 letters of the virus’s genetic code may have given it an advantage and caused it to thrive in the human population after crossing over from bats and other wild animals.
“We’re trying to figure out what made this virus so unique,” said lead author Alejandro Berrio, a postdoctoral associate in biologist Greg Wray’s lab at DU.
In their paper, they explain how the subtle changes, or mutations, influenced how the virus unfolded its RNA molecules within human cells.
The study was published in the journal PeerJ.
For their study, the researchers wanted to identify adaptive changes that occurred in the SARS-CoV-2 genome in humans, but not in closely related coronaviruses found in bats and pangolins.
The first case of sudden hearing loss due to Covid-19 infection was reported in the United Kingdom and doctors are urging people to become aware of the symptom because prompt treatment could completely or at least partially reverse it.
While the report states that the condition is uncommon, doctors warned that if the condition remains undetected, and subsequently untreated, the damage is likely to be irreversible.
The case study was published in BMJ Case Reports and details how a 45-year-old patient, who suffers from asthma, was admitted to hospital following 10 days of Covid-19 symptoms.
In hospital, the patient needed to be intubated and was transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU).
He remained intubated for 30 days and his stay in hospital was further complicated because of a number of other conditions, including pneumonia and anaemia. After going through several courses of medication, including remdesivir, intravenous steroids and plasma exchange (to treat Covid-19), he was extubated and transferred out of the ICU.
A week after leaving the ICU, the patient noticed a ringing in his left ear and a sudden loss of hearing. The patient was officially diagnosed with sudden onset sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL).
People with certain common personality traits are less likely to remain at home when government policies are less restrictive, a global survey done during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has found.
The study researchers investigated the so-called Big Five personality traits: conscientiousness, neuroticism, agreeableness, extraversion and openness and its association with complying with lockdown measures.
“The pandemic led us to revisit one of psychology’s most fundamental and most basic questions in a high-stakes context: What determines human behaviour?” the authors wrote.
Their findings were published by the American Psychological Association.
For their study, the research team used data from the “Measuring Worldwide Covid-19 Attitudes and Beliefs” project – a global survey that aimed to assess people’s behaviours and perceptions of others’ behaviours during the pandemic.
The team analysed responses from more than 101 000 participants in 55 countries.
Late on Sunday night, positive cases worldwide were more than 42.77 million, while deaths were more than 1.51 million.
The United States had the most cases in the world – more than 8.58 million, as well as the most deaths – almost 225 000.
HEALTH TIPS (as recommended by the NICD and WHO)
• Maintain physical distancing – stay at least one metre away from somebody who is coughing or sneezing
• Practise frequent hand-washing, especially after direct contact with ill people or their environment
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, as your hands touch many surfaces and could potentially transfer the virus
• Practise respiratory hygiene – cover your mouth with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Remember to dispose the tissue immediately after use.
Cape Union Mart International (Pty) Ltd has been equipping South African adventurers since 1933, and is South Africa’s favourite outdoor adventure store. Stocking everything one needs for outdoor pursuits – including hiking, camping, trail running, mountain biking, snow sports, travel and more – Cape Union Mart is an essential first step in every adventure. Cape Union Mart has stores across South Africa, and in Namibia and Botswana.
Benjamin Botha said he was there to protest against farm murders, gender-based violence and gangsterism. (Ashraf Hendricks, GroundUp)
Farmers and supporters marched to Parliament on Sunday.
They protested against farm murders and farm fires.
Their pleas included calling for more policing and patrolling of farms.
About 300 farmers and supporters gathered outside Parliament on Sunday to protest against farm murders and farm fires. Clutching white crosses, a group marched to Parliament chanting “die boere kom!” (the farmers are coming!) while others arrived on motorcycles and in their cars.
In July, a similar protest took place, according to GroundUp.
“The farmers are the reason why we have bread and butter. Why we have food. Why we have meat. They are the heart and soul of the country,” said Justin Taylor, a supporter who arrived on a motorbike.
He said he was there to make a stand against farm murders. Taylor said more policing and patrolling were needed.
The government was focusing on gangsterism and train sabotage, but “we haven’t seen any law enforcement acts in the farmland”, he said.According to AfriForum, there were an estimated 57 farm murders in 2019.”Farmers are living in fear in our country,” said Ivan Meyer, Western Cape Agriculture MEC. Addressing the crowd, he said agriculture played a significant role in South Africa’s economy, and “an attack on a farmer or a farmworker is an attack on the economy of South Africa”.
Meyer said President Cyril Ramaphosa should be concerned about farm attacks “because a farm murder in South Africa compromises food security and political stability on the African continent”.”Our hearts are bleeding,” he said. “Mr President, stop farm attacks in South Africa right now!”
Jannie Meyer, convener of the protest, said, “I want people to take us seriously. We are not here to fight. I want the president and all the heads of political parties to understand that we must unite, come together and solve this problem amicably”.
He said he was not part of any organisation, but wanted the government to treat farm murders, farm fires and threats as “priority crimes”.
TRANSFER PRICING – TAX CONSULTANT (CENTURY CITY) in Western Cape | Other Finance/Accounting | Job Mail | 5035436
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