tim p. smith
Africa: The Land of Opportunity
Sofie Otto | January 30, 2018
By Sofie Otto, Tim P. Smith 2017 was full of triumphs and disappointments on the African continent. Some countries that had a positive outlook at the beginning, turned into the problem children of Africa and countries that seemed hopeless in the beginning, surprised us in the end. This article provides a brief summary of some of the most significant events of 2017 and commentary on how 2018 may evolve in the fast-developing world that is Africa. Trump's remarks have shown the need for Africans to independently take responsibility for their actions, resolve issues, help each other and above all, not rely on others who do not truly unders...
Sustainable Extravagance: Water-Wise Hospitality
Tim P. Smith | December 14, 2017
By Tim P. Smith, Nomfundo B Zonke, Sofie Otto High Season and Low Dams #WaterWatch Currently the biggest socio-economic problem facing the Western Cape region is severe drought and related water shortages. The drought reached crisis levels in early October 2017 when the City of Cape Town estimated it only had 5-months of water left. It has been ongoing since 2015 when water storage in the city's dam levels began to drop, declining from 71.9% in 2014 to 50.1% in 2015. Declared the city's worst drought in a century, some dams and reserves have less than 10% of their usable capacity remaining. The biggest cause of water scarcity is the El ...
In Focus: African Hotel Market Update
Tim P. Smith | January 27, 2017
By Tim P. Smith Introduction Wow, 2016 was quite a year and turned the world on its head; the UK voters opted for Brexit and the US electors chose Donald Trump as their next president. These monumental decisions will have far-reaching ramifications that will impact on us all, including Africa. Sterling has weakened considerably, even against the Rand, despite a lack of positive economic progress in South Africa. We are waiting to see what will happen when Trump takes the keys to the White House in January, but there may be a reduction in aid or trade to Africa. These external factors are out of the control of the hotel market in Afr...
