Latest news with #Cape
The Citizen
2 days ago
- The Citizen
Explore Pennington
What makes Pennington so special? According to the locals, it's because a lot of love and care has been shown to this hidden gem. The town certainly has a lot to offer. Firstly, the beach is special because of it's all-year-round weather. Everyone loves taking pictures on the deck – and great news – a picture frame will be installed on the deck soon. Dogs are welcome and many people meet on the beach with their pets, so both humans and dogs can socialise. It must be noted that dogs are not allowed on the Blue Flag beach, between the tidal pool and lifeguard tower. And yes, that's right. Pennington has Blue Flag status. Water quality is measured in two microbial indicators to test the faecal contamination in Blue Flag bathing waters and environmental management includes cleanliness of the beach, ablution facilities, accessibility to disabled persons, and no contamination in bathing water. There is also environmental education that entails awareness programmes which can be conducted in different target groups, ranging from school children to adults, and can be anything pertaining to coastal care and environmental management. The beach has lifeguards on duty (365 days a year) with suitable equipment. The area also has suitable parking spaces and controlled traffic, and prohibited use of alcohol to ensure safety for all beachgoers. Tidy Towns Pennington has also just put up boards that show the swimming conditions, tides, etc. The Tidy Towns group has helped put a sparkle in Pennington too. Over time, they upgraded the lifesavers' tower making sure they are protected from wind, rain and sun; planted gardens to welcome all to the area; carried out a car park project worth over R350 000; Village Green is always great to walk through with its gardens and they have placed benches for workers and the public. Many residents collect litter off the beach on a regular basis, and Tidy Towns has provided recycling bins. Car guards have also been kitted out by Tidy Towns in matching orange vests and hats to distinguish them and make them 'official' although they are all volunteers and depend on tips. Pennington ensures that nature is put first, with wildlife corridors kept 'wild' for the safe passage of bushbuck, duikers and mongoose. Local resident, Allan McLennan, does a Bird Walk every week, often in the Nkomba Bird Sanctuary or Umdoni Park. Contact him on 072 2459605. At Umdoni Park, you will find many different walking, running and cycling trails through the forest. There are viewing decks looking down the gorge where one can spot the Cape otters in the river, many benches, and also a picnic table in the Enchanted Forest as well as a Bird Hide. There is Jeff's Wild Trail for the more adventurous, named after Jeff Sandwith, a local resident who helped to design some of the trails, as well as identifying and labelling many of the indigenous trees in the forest. There is a beautiful waterfall along one of the trails too. On Thursday evenings, people can join the Thirsty Thursday running group, who run/walk 3km, 5km, 8km or 12km though the forest – with headlamps. These are just a handful of the experiences Pennington has to offer. The friendly residents invite one and all to visit the area and explore what they have on offer and make memories to last a lifetime. HAVE YOUR SAY Like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
S.Africa's iconic protea flower relocates as climate warms
On his farm two hours north of Johannesburg, Nico Thuynsma gestured towards thousands of orange, yellow and pink proteas in flower and thriving 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) from their natural home at the southern tip of Africa. "They're all different," the 55-year-old farmer said of the assorted blooms from the diverse Proteaceae family that has more than 350 species in South Africa, from firework-like "pincushion" varieties to delicate "blushing brides". He picked out a majestic pink and white crown, nearly the size of his head, that has taken four years to reach its impressive size. "The King Proteas are very slow to grow," Thuynsma said. The largest of the proteas, the King Protea, is South Africa's national flower. It has lent its name to the national cricket team and countless brands. It features on the currency and is the logo for South Africa's presidency this year of the G20 group of leading economies, which convenes a summit in November. It is also the country's largest flower export with more than 10 million stems sent abroad last year, worth close to 275 million rand ($15 million), according to the Cape Flora industry organisation. Its status offers the King Protea some protection but almost half of South Africa's other protea species face extinction because of pressures on their native habitats in the mountains of the Cape, according to South Africa's National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). These include habitat loss to agriculture, the proliferation of invasive alien species and "changes to natural fire cycles", SANBI said in a 2021 report. - Icon - "People come to South Africa to see proteas," Nigel Barker, a professor in plant sciences at the University of Pretoria, told AFP. "It's the plant equivalent of the elephant or the lion." Most proteas are endemic or semi-endemic to the Cape Floral Kingdom biome of "fynbos" ("fine bush") that stretches across the southern tip of South Africa and is one of the world's richest flora biodiversity hotspots. But climate projections predict "hotter, drier conditions", Barker said. "We'll be looking at a completely different vegetation type in the future, semi-desert almost in some places." "Many species, because they're so range-restricted, will probably go extinct under those scenarios," he said. "The only solution we have is to cultivate them artificially... in greenhouses or farms where you control irrigation," Barker said. An example is Thuynsma's farm in the grasslands of the north, where he began planting proteas three decades ago. Here, winters are dry and frosty, and the summers rainy -- conditions very different to those in the far south where the proteas are at home. - Gel for irrigation - Through trial and error, Thuynsma has been able to cultivate close to 200 protea varieties, including some long forgotten and abandoned by farmers in their original habitats. In his latest experiment, he has planted 36 varieties with just two litres (four pints) of saturated gel for irrigation. "I hope to unlock the power of some of these varieties," Thuynsma said. "They come from the Western Cape out of very harsh conditions, so they do have it in them." "I learn from them, I learn with them. And, hopefully, in the future I can advise my nursery public -- and even estates -- how to plant this lovely fynbos without irrigation," he said. "I don't think I have a solution for climate change," he joked, crouched over a small seedling in freshly turned soil. "But I do have a solution: to plant proteas." A few metres (yards) away, in a warm nursery, thousands of protea sprouts awaited their turn in the soil. "I love them, I protect them, I collect them," Thuynsma said. "The protea is part of South Africa's DNA." jcb/br/kjm
News24
4 days ago
- Science
- News24
SA's iconic protea flower relocates as climate warms
On his farm two hours north of Johannesburg, Nico Thuynsma gestured towards thousands of orange, yellow and pink proteas in flower and thriving 1 500 kilometres from their natural home at the southern tip of Africa. "They're all different," the 55-year-old farmer said of the assorted blooms from the diverse Proteaceae family that has more than 350 species in South Africa, from firework-like "pincushion" varieties to delicate "blushing brides". He picked out a majestic pink and white crown, nearly the size of his head, that has taken four years to reach its impressive size. "The King Proteas are very slow to grow," Thuynsma said. The largest of the proteas, the King Protea, is South Africa's national flower. It has lent its name to the national cricket team and countless brands. It features on the currency and is the logo for South Africa's presidency this year of the G20 group of leading economies, which convenes a summit in November. It is also the country's largest flower export with more than 10 million stems sent abroad last year, worth close to R275 million, according to the Cape Flora industry organisation. Its status offers the King Protea some protection but almost half of South Africa's other protea species face extinction because of pressures on their native habitats in the mountains of the Cape, according to South Africa's National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). These include habitat loss to agriculture, the proliferation of invasive alien species and "changes to natural fire cycles", SANBI said in a 2021 report. Icon "People come to South Africa to see proteas," Nigel Barker, a professor in plant sciences at the University of Pretoria, told AFP. "It's the plant equivalent of the elephant or the lion." Most proteas are endemic or semi-endemic to the Cape Floral Kingdom biome of "fynbos" ("fine bush") that stretches across the southern tip of South Africa and is one of the world's richest flora biodiversity hotspots. But climate projections predict "hotter, drier conditions", Barker said. "We'll be looking at a completely different vegetation type in the future, semi-desert almost in some places." "Many species, because they're so range-restricted, will probably go extinct under those scenarios," he said. "The only solution we have is to cultivate them artificially... in greenhouses or farms where you control irrigation," Barker said. An example is Thuynsma's farm in the grasslands of the north, where he began planting proteas three decades ago. Here, winters are dry and frosty, and the summers rainy - conditions very different to those in the far south where the proteas are at home. Gel for irrigation Through trial and error, Thuynsma has been able to cultivate close to 200 protea varieties, including some long forgotten and abandoned by farmers in their original habitats. In his latest experiment, he has planted 36 varieties with just two litres (four pints) of saturated gel for irrigation. "I hope to unlock the power of some of these varieties," Thuynsma said. "They come from the Western Cape out of very harsh conditions, so they do have it in them." "I learn from them, I learn with them. And, hopefully, in the future I can advise my nursery public - and even estates - how to plant this lovely fynbos without irrigation," he said. "I don't think I have a solution for climate change," he joked, crouched over a small seedling in freshly turned soil. "But I do have a solution: to plant proteas." A few metres away, in a warm nursery, thousands of protea sprouts awaited their turn in the soil. "I love them, I protect them, I collect them," Thuynsma said. "The protea is part of South Africa's DNA."
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hinduja Global Solutions Ltd (BOM:532859) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Navigating ...
Total Income (Q4 FY25): INR1,297.7 crores (USD153.4 million). Operating Revenue (Q4 FY25): INR1,161.1 crores (USD137 million). EBITDA (Q4 FY25): INR279 crores (USD33 million). EBITDA Margin (Q4 FY25): 21.5%. Total Income (FY25): INR4,958 crores (USD586.1 million). Operating Revenue (FY25): INR4,404.2 crores (USD520.6 million). EBITDA (FY25): INR811.8 crores (USD96 million). EBITDA Margin (FY25): 16.4%. PBT (Q4 FY25): INR103.5 crores. PAT (Q4 FY25): Loss of INR1.7 crores. Cash Flow from Operations (FY25): INR457 crores. Total Debt: INR1,187 crores. Net Treasury and Cash Surplus (March 31, 2025): INR5,168 crores. Revenue by Vertical (FY25): Tech, Telecom, and Media - 54%; BFSI - 16%. Client Concentration: Top customer - 8.3%; Top 5 - 21%; Top 10 - 28.5%. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 2 Warning Signs with BOM:532859. Release Date: May 29, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Hinduja Global Solutions Ltd (BOM:532859) reported a total income of INR 1,297.7 crores for Q4 FY25, with an EBITDA margin of 21.5%. The company signed several new clients towards the end of the fiscal year, which is expected to positively impact revenues in the next fiscal year. Hinduja Global Solutions Ltd (BOM:532859) has expanded its AI capabilities, integrating advanced features like language translation and voice authentication into its Agent X platform. The company opened a new tech services center in Bengaluru and a CX hub in Cape Town, indicating growth and expansion in key markets. The Media business showed resilience with improved ARPUs and growth in the broadband segment, despite challenges in the digital television sector. Political uncertainties have led to elongation of the sales cycle, impacting larger deal closures. The company reported a loss of INR 1.7 crores for Q4 FY25, although this was an improvement from the previous quarter. There was a year-on-year drop in operating revenues, primarily due to a decline in the BPM business. Deferred tax provisions significantly impacted the financial results, contributing to the overall loss. The digital television business continues to face headwinds from declining subscriber numbers and increased competition from OTT platforms. Q: Could you elaborate on the performance and potential of the new centers in Bangalore and Cape Town? A: Srinivas Palakodeti, Global CFO, explained that the Bangalore center is focused on tech services for North American business, while the Cape Town CX hub is expanding rapidly, showing strong interest from clients in the UK, US, and Australia. Q: Are there any delays in contract wins, and how is the company addressing this? A: Vynsley Fernandes, Whole-Time Director, acknowledged global market uncertainties causing delays, particularly in larger deals. However, the mid-market segment is showing encouraging momentum with shorter decision cycles. Q: What steps are being taken to improve revenue and margins in the BPM business? A: Srinivas Palakodeti, Global CFO, stated the focus is on growing offshore CX services in lower-cost locations like India, Philippines, and South Africa, which offer better margins. The company is also rationalizing costs and centralizing operations in these regions. Q: How is the Media business planning to increase profitability, particularly in broadband and digital TV? A: Vynsley Fernandes, Whole-Time Director, highlighted the focus on expanding broadband in Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets, leveraging existing digital TV presence, and growing the enterprise segment through CelerityX, which offers higher ARPUs and longer contract durations. Q: What is the strategic vision for HGS in the next few years, particularly regarding cash utilization and business focus? A: Partha DeSarkar, Group CEO, indicated a shift towards increasing the digital business footprint, reducing onshore operations, and focusing on offshore growth. The company plans to use cash reserves for strategic acquisitions in technology services, aiming for a higher digital revenue mix. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
NDTV
28-05-2025
- NDTV
5 Reasons Why Kenya Should Be On Every Wildlife Lover's Bucket List
We all grew up watching wildlife shows and documentaries on television. The thrill of seeing a lion chase its prey or a herd of elephants migrating offered a glimpse into a world far from our city lives. If you are someone who has a deep love for wildlife and everything that comes with it, then Kenya is where you should be heading. Located in East Africa, this fascinating country is not just a travel destination, but a raw and unforgettable experience. From iconic African safaris to sightings of rare animals, Kenya has everything to excite a wildlife lover. Here is why a trip to Kenya should be on every wildlife travel bucket list. Here Are 5 Reasons Why Kenya Is A Must-Visit For Every Wildlife Enthusiast: 1. The Legendary Maasai Mara And The Great Migration Very few wildlife events across the globe match the intensity of the Great Migration. Each year, over two million wildebeest, zebras, and other herbivores cross the sweeping plains of the Maasai Mara in search of greener pastures. Watching them navigate crocodile-filled rivers while lions wait in the tall grass feels like witnessing a live wildlife documentary. While the migration typically takes place between July and October, the Maasai Mara remains a year-round safari hotspot, offering sightings of leopards, elephants, giraffes, and more. 2. Home To The Big Five Kenya is one of the rare places in the world where you can encounter all of the Big Five — the African lion, African bush elephant, Cape buffalo, African leopard, and black rhino — on a single trip. National parks such as Amboseli, Tsavo, and Laikipia provide varied landscapes that attract an incredible range of animals. And it does not end there. Cheetahs roam the open savannahs, hippos bask along riverbanks, and if you are fortunate, you might even catch a glimpse of the elusive African wild dog. 3. Unforgettable Wildlife Encounters In Nairobi Would you like to feed a giraffe from your breakfast table or watch baby elephants being bottle-fed? Nairobi, Kenya's capital, offers unique urban wildlife experiences that are both intimate and impactful. At the Giraffe Centre, visitors can get up close with endangered Rothschild's giraffes. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust provides the chance to meet orphaned elephants being rehabilitated for release into the wild. These rare moments add a deeply personal touch to your wildlife journey. 4. Kenya's Diverse Ecosystems Kenya is much more than just open plains. From the snow-covered peaks of Mount Kenya to the pink-hued shores of Lake Nakuru, the country is home to a wide variety of ecosystems. In the Samburu National Reserve, you will find the rare 'Samburu Special Five,' including a unique type of zebra that is not seen in other parks. Whether you are in the arid north or along the coastal mangroves, each region of Kenya offers a fresh perspective on African wildlife. 5. A Blend Of Wildlife And Tribal Culture The magic of Kenya lies not only in its wildlife but also in the people who coexist with nature. Spending time with local communities such as the Maasai, Samburu, or Turkana provides meaningful insights into indigenous life and their relationship with the land. Many safari tours in Kenya partner with these communities, directly supporting conservation efforts and sustainable tourism practices. It is this human connection that makes your trip even more impactful. Can you think of another destination that offers such a rich wildlife experience? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
