Want to buy bitcoin in South Africa or other countries in Africa? Because it’s easy.

Posted on 16th February 201716th February 2017 by Gerard

Readers of my blogs (not that I have the time to plough out tons of them) may know that besides having a passion for advertising, I have an interest in blockchain technology and a passion for bitcoin. Bitcoin is a fascinating and disruptive technology, and besides having the potential to make people seriously wealthy, could also change the way we pay for things.

With the growing awareness – and interest in – bitcoin as a means of remittance and a creator of wealth, more and more people in more and more countries are looking to buy the crypto-currency, and asking how and where they can buy it. The fact is, buying bitcoin (or BTC as it is more commonly known) is easy. All you need to do is search online for eg “Buying and selling bitcoin in South Africa or ““Buying bitcoin in Nigeria and Ghana”. A no-brainer, I know.

I typically buy bitcoin on www.localbitcoins.com but there are two other reputable platforms in South Africa that one could try:

www.luno.com

www.altcointrader.co.za

The interest in bitcoin is spreading across Africa – most notably:

in Kenya, where the more popular and trusted platforms are:

www.localbitcoins.com

www.bitpesa.co

www.altcoins.io

www.99bitcoins.com

In Uganda, where sellers and buyers of bitcoin include:

www.localbitcoins.com

www.bitpesa.co

www.bitcoincenterug.com

www.bitcoin-net.com

In Nigeria, where the most trusted platforms are:

www.localbitcoins.com

www.bitpesa.co

www.naira4dollar.com

www.buybitcoinworldwide.com

In Ghana, where most people turn to:

www.buybitcoinworldwide.com

Just make sure that you do your due diligence before deciding who to buy your bitcoin from.

Before being able to purchase the currency, though, you’ll need to open a bitcoin wallet – which you’ll do when you register an account. Next step is to place your order, indicating how many BTC you want. Once you’ve paid the amount shown, the bitcoin will be sent to your wallet. And you’re done. The whole process should take no more than a few minutes.

Buying bitcoin is a simple decision. A far bigger decision is: what to do with your bitcoin?

Spend it? Hold on to it? This is up to you, but if you had to ask me, I’d say: DON’T spend it but rather put it away and forget about it. (Or buy into a bitcoin mining pool, so as to increase the number bitcoin you hold).

At the beginning of last year, the bitcoin price was US$380. Today, it’s over US$1 000. Next year, it could be US$2 000. And the year after that, US$3 000. Of course, no-one knows for sure….but the fact that there can only ever be 21 million bitcoin in circulation means that the price will likely go up and up. Making it one of the best investments around.

It’s something you may want to keep your eye on.

Gerard Kavonic is an experienced copywriter, conceptualiser of advertising ideas and co-ordinator of marketing projects, running a small – tiny – advertising agency in Johannesburg. He is also an ardent proponent of bitcoin and is an active member of BitClub Network. He can be contacted on +27 83 444 9888 and emailed on [email protected] His skype address is gerardkavonic

Kavonic Hone. The First South African Ad Agency to Accept Payment in Bitcoin.

Posted on 6th December 20166th December 2016 by Gerard

Having been in the ad industry for a good 29 years, I’ve long had a passion for advertising. And since being introduced to bitcoin a year ago, I’m sold on this too.

Fortunately, I can indulge in both by announcing that payments for my advertising and design services can now be made with the crypto-currency.

Realistically, I’m not expecting a rush of clients to take me up on the offer though – for the simple reason that bitcoin is not widely known in South Africa, and not well-understood either.

In time it will be, but for now, it’s regarded by some as some sort of “fad” (which it definitely isn’t) or as a currency associated only with “illicit activity”. (A misnomer if there ever was one).

So what is bitcoin?

In a nutshell, bitcoin is a crypto-currency allowing for an incredibly inexpensive and quick way of transacting and making payments. All transactions are transparent and appear on the Blockchain – a global public ledger – as they happen. (You can see how many people are transacting in bitcoin as you read this, by going to www.blockchain.info and viewing scrolling transactions in the bottom left corner of the screen).

In the US, more than 200 000 merchants already accept payment in bitcoin, and one can pretty much buy anything with it – from airline tickets to sea cruises, and from a coffee at Starbucks to an ipad on Amazon.

And how does it work?

For bitcoin to work, people – or businesses – need to open a Bitcoin wallet.

Bitcoin wallets can be opened on a number of online platforms – of which www.localbitcoins.com is one of the most common. Once you have a wallet, you need to purchase bitcoin, which you can do on one of three sites in South Africa: www.localbitcoins.com, www.altcointrader.co.za and www.bitx.co.za

Once you have bitcoin, you can make payments from your wallet to another wallet at the click of a button. In seconds, you’re done – payment made.

In South Africa, there are already a number of merchants accepting bitcoin – most of them online shops. They include:

BidorBuy
Takealot
Raru
Gadgetshop
GrowGuru
Silver Bananas
Landmark PC
Appliance Online
SMACS
Runway Sale

In time, there will be MANY more.

With the price of bitcoin set to soar over the next few years (that’s a prediction, shared by many analysts around the world), more and more businesses will start to accept it as the uptake of the crypto-currency increases globally. Huge growth is already being seen in the likes of India, Malaysia, China and South Korea whilst a number of countries in Africa – particularly Kenya, Uganda, Ghana and Nigeria – are starting to embrace blockchain technology, and with it, bitcoin.

As more South Africans become aware of bitcoin and its advantages (there’s lots of information on the internet), uptake will increase. That’s a given.

Until that happens though, I’m not expecting a whole bunch of clients knocking at my door, wanting to settle their bills in the currency.

For me, it’s good enough right now that they know that the option exists – and that by paying in bitcoin, they could get an up to 15% reduction on their bill – depending on the requirement ie logo design, brochure design, website design, radio commercial, TV commercial, billboard, street pole posters etc.

(And yes, I’d be happy to forward my pricing to anyone interested, showing pricing in rands and bitcoin (BTC). Email [email protected]

In the meantime, if you need help opening a bitcoin wallet or have any questions relating to bitcoin – or for that matter, the soon-to-be-launched bitcoin payment gateway, Coinpay – my contact details are below.

Gerard Kavonic is an experienced copywriter, conceptualiser of advertising ideas and co-ordinator of marketing projects, running a small advertising agency in Johannesburg. He is also an ardent proponent of bitcoin and is an active member of BitClub Network. He can be contacted on 083 444 9888 and emailed on [email protected]

Bitcoin. A Fad Or The Future?

Posted on 18th November 201618th November 2016 by Gerard

Suddenly, people are starting to talk about bitcoin. It’s all over the internet – with articles that are ebullient and some, that for whetever reason, are less so.

You’re either a believer or you’re not. Is it a fad? Or is it the real deal?

I’m just an advertising guy (and a biased one at that, in that I’m an ardent proponent of the currency) so what do I know?

Only the following, after spending some time this past week with a person who has a deep understanding of crypto-currencies, and who was in South Africa to meet with interested local parties – the American co-founder of BitClub Network, of which I’m an active member:

Bitcoin is currently used by a minute percentage of the global population, but is already priced at around US$740 per bitcoin (BTC).

The price of bitcoin is projected to go a LOT higher over the next few years. (With a fair bit of volatility on the way)

Bitcoin is being kept an eye on by Governments and banks around the world, who are trying to understand the implications of a quick and easy means of payment between individuals that can’t be controlled.

Bitcoin provides an incredibly inexpensive means of paying another person.

It is already accepted by more than 200 000 establishments in the US.

It can be used to purchase anything – from a coffee at Starbucks to airplane tickets on Emirates to a castle in Scotland.

Transactions are all recorded on the Blockchain, which is a public ledger open to all.

Bitcoin wallets can be opened by anyone at any time and cost nothing to open. In South Africa, a wallet can be opened on www.localbitcoins.com, www.altcointrader.co.za and www.bitx.co.za

One can easily buy or sell the crypto-currency on any of these platforms.

Some people who DO know about bitcoin include:

Virgin’s Sir Richard Branson.

Founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates.

Ex US vice-president, Al Gore.

CEO of Google, Eric Schmidt

Venture Capitalist and founder of Netscap, Marc Andreessen.

Founder of McAfee, John McAfee.

Former CEO of Paypal, David Marcus.

Co-creator of Facebook, Tyler Winklevoss.

Well-known entrepreneur, Eric Voorhees.

Former Chairman of the US Federal reserve, Ben Bernanke.

Here’s what they have to say about bitcoin.

Sir Richard Branson “Virgin Atlantic is a bold entrepreneurial technology. It’s driving a revolution and bitcoin is doing the same when it comes to inventing a new currency” “

Bill Gates “Bitcoin is a technological tour de force” “

Al Gore “I think the fact that within the bitcoin universe, an algorithm replaces the functions of Government, is actually pretty cool” “

Eric Schmidt “Bitcoin is a remarkable cryptographic achievement and the ability to create something that is not duplicable in the digital world has enormous value” “

Marc Andreessen “At our venture firm, we continue to see an escalating stream of fascinating new bitcoin uses, cases and applications from entrepreneurs”

John McAfee “ You can’t stop things like bitcoin. It will be everywhere and the world will have to readjust. World governments will have to readjust“

David Marcus “I really like bitcoin. It’s a store of value, a distributed ledger. It’s a great place to put assets” “

Tyler Winklevoss ‘We have elected to put our money and faith in a mathematical framework that is free of politics and human error“

Eric Voorhees “Economists and journalists often get caught up in this question: why does bitcoin have value? And the answer is very easy. It’s useful and scarce”.

Ben Bernanke “Bitcoin may hold long-term promise, particularly if the innovations promote a faster, more secure and more efficient payment system” “

I don’t know about you, but I’d rather take a cue from people of this calibre than a broke next door neighbour who tells me that bitcoin is a fad and that I should stay clear of it.

Another clincher for me is something the co-founder of Bitclub Network pointed my attention to on the site blockchain.info – the number of reputable global firms and institutions that are actively – and currently – funding blockchain and bitcoin start-ups. One of which is The New York Stock Exchange, which for the first time in its 200 year history, is putting money behind an entity that is NOT listed.

Now THAT is interesting….

Naspers too.

Interesting again…

First Bitcoin Office Opens In Africa

Posted on 7th October 20167th October 2016 by Gerard

BitClub’s new offices in Johannesburg

Last Saturday saw Bitclub Network’s bitcoin office open on Malibongwe Drive in Randburg, Johannesburg.

While Bitclub has been in South Africa for a little more than eight months, the opening of its offices in Johannesburg heralds a milestone in that it turns any perception that it’s some kind of elusive or dubious network marketing opportunity on its head. By investing in a smart new two story building, credence is given to concrete ie that BitClub Network is a real business that’s invested in Africa and is here to stay.

By all accounts, the launch was well received with more than 450 people attending. (Only 250 people were expected). Many people attending were either members of BitClub Network eager to see the new offices, people who had heard about BitClub or people wanting to know more about bitcoin, and how to profit from it.

So, what is bitcoin?

Often referred to as BTC, bitcoin is probably the best-known and most widely-used crypto-currency. It works a lot like cash in that you receive it instantly when it’s sent. So if you have a bitcoin wallet and I have a bitcoin wallet (opening a wallet is simple and quickly done), I can in seconds pay you in BTC instead of, say, via an EFT. It’s cheap, quick and is already used by many people around the world. Every transaction is recorded on a public ledger called the Blockchain, and if you want to see how many people are transacting using bitcoin as you read this, go to www.blockchain.info and take a look at the bottom left corner of your screen…

But this is just the start. As more and more people around the world become aware of blockchain technology, and bitcoin in particular, usage will increase. It’s just a matter of time, in my opinion.

Already banks and other financial institutions are eyeing blockchain technology to see how and where they can make use of it, and IBM has predicted that by the second half of next year, a good 15% of the major banks around the world will have incorporated blockchain technology into their businesses. Whilst not to say that banks will necessarily use (or promote) bitcoin, it’s likely that the growing use of the technology will have a positive spin-off for BTC, which will result in more acceptance of the crypto-currency, wider usage of the crypto-currency – and a higher bitcoin price.

As things stand, the price of one BTC is around the US$610 mark.

See http://www.coindesk.com/price/ for the current price.

Predictions vary as to the price of bitcoin in the future, but most analysts feel that prices will go up – and that in a few years, could be as high as US$2000 or US$3000. (A few predict a price of US$10 000 per BTC, in which case, a lot of people will make a LOT of money!!).

That said, no-one knows for sure and it’s really a question of supply and demand. The fact that there can only ever be 21 million BTC in circulation is the catalyst behind the prediction of these extraordinary forecasts. That said, people are excited by the possibilities, and hence, the growing interest.

And when people like Richard Branson, Bill Gates and former US vice-president Al Gore make comments like:

“I’ve invested in bitcoin because I believe in its potential and the capacity it has to transform global payments is very exciting”

“Bitcoin is better than currency in that you don’t have to be physically in the same place and of course for large transactions, currency can get pretty inconvenient”

“I think the fact that within the bitcoin universe an algorithm replaces the function of Government is actually pretty cool. I am a big fan of bitcoin”

people sit up and take notice.

Hence, no surprise at the number of people who turned up for the opening launch on Saturday.

BitClub Network is essentially a network marketing opportunity, in which people pay and earn in bitcoin. (If you don’t have bitcoin, you can buy the currency on platforms like www.localbitcoins.com or www.altcointrader.co.za). But it’s not just for networkers. Many people have joined as investors, in which they pay a once-off membership fee, buy into a bitcoin mining pool and do nothing further than watch their BTC increase over time.

It’s far better than just buying bitcoin and leaving them in a bitcoin wallet…

By all accounts, people are joining BitClub in increasing numbers – and not just in South Africa, but in neighbouring SADC countries and further afield too ie Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria and even Dubai.

The South African office will be the launching pad into Africa, and knowing the person behind the entry of BitClub into South Africa as I do, I wouldn’t be surprised if other BitClub Network offices are opened in the years ahead…

Gerard Kavonic is an experienced copywriter, conceptualiser of advertising ideas and co-ordinator of marketing of projects. Based in Johannesburg, he runs This country’s smallest ad agency, Kavonic Hone. See www.kavonichone.co.za He is also involved in the launch of Bitclub Network in South Africa. See www.bitclubnetwork.co.za He can be reached on 083 444 9888 and on the following email addresses: [email protected] and [email protected]

Is Bitclub Network Only For Network Marketers?

Posted on 6th September 20166th September 2016 by Gerard

As one of the people behind the launch of BitClub Network into South Arica and Africa, I’m often asked whether we cater for network marketers only – and the answer I give is: no, not at all. BitClub Network is for anyone who has an interest in, or believes in, bitcoin as a vehicle for wealth creation.

Whist BitClub Network has a network marketing component built-in (which appeals to the network marketers out there), one can quite easily join purely as an investor. Fact is, there are many South Africans who have joined as investors with no intention of “recruiting” others. And there is nothing wrong with this.

What they do is pay their once-off membership fee (US$99) and then buy into one of the mining pools – of which there are three (Pool 1, costing US$500), Pool 2 (costing US$1 000). Pool 3 (costing US$2 000) or the Founder’s Pool (costing US$3 500). The Founder’s Pool equates to buying a share in all three pools and many investors prefer buying straight into the Founder’s Pool, without first buying into the lesser pools.

When an investor buys into a mining pool, what they are doing is buying mining equipment to “mine” bitcoin. This said, it’s really not important for you to know the technicalities or to understand bitcoin “mining” (although you’ll find a number of videos on the website www.bitclubnetwork.com and You Tube explaining the process if you’re interested).

Bitcoin mining is done on the investor’s behalf and profits from this mining activity are shared amongst the investors in that particular pool. Investors can choose to be paid daily or can select to “store” their bitcoin for the period of their choice. The latter option is generally preferred as it compounds one’s earnings over time.

The difference between the mining pools (besides from the cost) is the percentage paid out and the percentage re-invested to purchase newer mining equipment.

(Another difference is the number of “club coin” given to you – but more about this in a bit).

Investors pay in bitcoin – and get paid in bitcoin (BTC).

With the price of bitcoin currently at around US$600 per bitcoin (BTC) – . go to http://www.coindesk.com/price/ for the latest price – we advise that you purchase as many bitcoin as you can and hold on to them. For the simple reason that there can ever be only 21 million BTC in circulation. So it’s a question of supply and demand.

There are many analysts and crypto-currency “experts” who predict that the price of bitcoin could get as high as US$10 000 in 3 years – whilst there are others who believe it could be even higher. The fact is, no-one quite knows.

My take on things is that even if BTC reaches a – relatively conservative – US$1 500 in 3 years, this is not a bad return. In which case, the advice is the same: BUY BITCOIN.

There are a number of platforms in South Africa from which you can buy the crypto-currency: www.altcointrader.co.za www.bitx.co.za and www.localbitcoins.com

My preference is for the latter, but only for the reason that this is the platform I’m familiar with.

Once you’ve opened an account and created a bitcoin wallet, you can either:

Leave your BTC in your bitcoin wallet and forget about them

Use them to buy into a mining pool, so they can work for you.

By buying into a mining pool, your bitcoin will grow over time.

You’ll also be given BitClub’s own “in-house” crypto-currency (ClubCoin) – free and gratis – as a thank you (so long as you buy in before the end of December 2016).

(Note that whilst ClubCoin can be traded on the open market as we speak, it’s best to hold on to them as they WILL increase in value).

Whilst bitcoin is a relatively new concept in South Africa, and not widely understood, we’re happy to meet with anyone interested so as to expand on the opportunity.

The minimum investment would be US$599 – US$99 to join Bitclub Network and US$500 to buy into Pool 1.

If you’re interested, I’ve just put up a local site www.bitclubnetwork.co.za

Alternatively, you could mail me on [email protected]

How Is Bitclub Network Going In South Africa?

Posted on 24th August 201624th August 2016 by Gerard

Started eight months ago by a lady in Johannesburg who had heard of bitcoin (BTC) and was intrigued by it, BitClub Network South Africa is growing in leaps and bounds.

Whereas the first few meetings were (predictably) not that well-attended, these days there’s scarcely a seat to be had in the weekly BitClub Network presentations. This is partly due to the magnetism of the lady in question (the hardest worker I have EVER encountered) and partly due to the interest in bitcoin. Not that people understand it, of course….

Bitcoin is an interesting concept, and it’s one that people either choose to embrace or stay away from entirely. (Those that do the latter in all likelihood feel that it’s not something that they will ever quite understand, and if they can’t understand it, they’ll stay away from it. Which is all well and good. Some people are more open-minded than others and this will always be the case).

So what is bitcoin (BTC)?

Bitcoin is the first decentralised digital currency that works peer-to-peer without needing a bank or central repository. It’s a global currency that uses a public ledger to record transactions being sent from one person to another. This all happens without the involvement of a bank and it’s not controlled by any government, regulating body or person. All transactions are completely transparent and thousands of copies of the ledger are kept across a distributed network of computers.

It’s a currency that nobody can control and it’s for this reason that it is generating the kind of interest that it is. Bitcoin works a lot like cash in that you receive it instantly when it’s sent and once you have it, you have it. This makes bitcoin a truly revolutionary peer-to-peer system that is designed to get even better as more and more people start using it.

Still confused? That’s fine. All you need to know is that it works, it’s legal and it’s the way of the future!

In the meantime, here are some of the questions most often asked:

Is BTC not used for illicit activity?

The answer is that whilst it has been used for sporadic illicit activity in the past (for purchases of drugs in the US, for instance), so too has the US dollar and other fiat currencies. The sad reality is that we live in a world of dishonesty, criminality and corruption and bitcoin’s ease of use is sometimes taken advantage of. On the positive side, a good 98% of bitcoin usage is ethical and honest.

Is BTC not MMM?

ABSOLUTELY NOT. (I put this in capital letters to knock this misconception on the head!!). Whilst MMM made the headlines for all the wrong reasons, the only reason why bitcoin is sometimes associated with MMM is because MMM allowed payments in bitcoin. Bitcoin is a currency. It has nothing to do with MMM.

Where could one spend bitcoin?

If you were in the US, for instance, you’d be able to spend BTC in thousands of places, and for a multitude of things – from a coffee at Starbucks to an airline ticket to London. In South Africa, we’re at the very early stages. As things stand, you could make purchases on, for example, BidorBuy using bitcoin. And you could pay people, using BTC. In time, you’ll be able to buy pretty much anything. In fact, if you apply for a Visa Xapo card from http://www.xapo.com/ you could load your bitcoin onto the card and use the card for purchases from Woolworths, Pick n Pay, Edgars or wherever you want, right now.

There’s tons of information on bitcoin on the internet, so if it’s of interest to you, check it out.

But back to BitClub Network.

A global wealth-building platform for the digital currency market, BitClub Network allows people to earn profits from its shared mining pools. There’s also a referral program through which members earn by introducing other people and building their teams– network marketing, in other words (but NOT a pyramid scheme!!!).

It started about two years in the US and was then taken to Malaysia, where it just exploded. (In terms of people joining). From a post I saw yesterday, I see that it’s now taken hold in South Korea, and other countries in SE Asia.

Having met with the co-founder when he was in South Africa two months back, and due to my working closely with the person who brought it to South Africa, I know that the plan is to grow BitClub Network across South Africa, and then, to launch it into Africa.

Things will go (grow) quickly, and already, people are joining in Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Nigeria and even Dubai.

BitClub Network South Africa’s offices open in Johannesburg next month. So, things are happening at pace, and people who can afford to, are joining in numbers.

The cost to join is US$99 and to buy a share in the cheapest mining pool is US$500. So if you’re interested, you’d need a minimum of US$599. A good investment, in my opinion. There’s more info on http://www.bitclubnetwork.co.za if you’d like to visit.

On my side, I’d be happy to meet with anyone interested – assuming they’re in Johannesburg, of course!

Advertising & Bitcoin. Two Sides Of The Same Coin?

Posted on 22nd August 201622nd August 2016 by Gerard

OK, I confess – maybe the title of this blog article is a bit too clever for its own good. The reality is that there’s no correlation between advertising and bitcoin, other than the fact that I’m involved in both – and passionate about both.

I’ve been in advertising for nearly 29 years, running This country’s smallest ad agency (in Johannesburg) and am an experienced copywriter, conceptualiser of advertising ideas and co-ordinator of marketing projects – whilst I’ve been involved in bitcoin for no more than a year. Bitcoin excites me. When I heard that bitcoin, blockchain technology and crypto-currencies could eventually be as a disruptive as the internet, it had my attention – and I began to delve deeper.

There’s tons of information about blockchain and bitcoin on the internet, but what really got me interested was the fact that bitcoin was endorsed – and enthused about – by the likes of Sir Richard Branson (founder of Virgin Group), Bill Gates (founder of Microsoft) and Al Gore (45^th Vice President of the United States). See their comments below:

Sir Richard Branson: “I have invested in bitcoin because I believe in its potential, the capacity it has to transform global payments is very exciting”

Bill Gates: “Bitcoin is better than currency in that you don’t have to be physically in the same place and of course for large transactions currency can get pretty inconvenient”

Al Gore: “I think the fact that within the bitcoin universe an algorithm replaces the function of Government is actually pretty cool. I am a big fan of bitcoin”

There are many other people who believe in bitcoin. The head of Google, for instance. (And if he believes in the potential of the currency, it’s worth listening, I’d say.)

If people of this calibre were excited about bitcoin, I decided that I would be guided by them rather than by friends or family who told me that yes, they had heard about bitcoin, but that I should stay away from it as it was an “illicit currency used for illicit activity” and that it was too risky and a “fad”.

A fad, it’s clearly not. Bitcoin and blockchain technology will be as disruptive as the internet. Yes, we may be a few years away from that, but there’s a high probability of this being the case. One only has to surf the internet to see how many blockchain-related developments there are currently around the world.

(Closer to home, ABSA bank have announced their intention to look into blockchain technology – the first African bank to do so). Others will surely follow.

Internationally, Japan has made bitcoin a legitimate currency, and whilst Russia was wary about bitcoin in the beginning, there are a number of signs that the doors are opening to crypto-currencies in that country.

Malaysia? BTC is huge there.

Korea: Gaining traction in a big way.

India? Getting started…

South Africa? Judging by the growth of BitClub network here, and the number of people enthusing about bitcoin, it’s just a matter of time before it takes off here…and other countries in Africa. (BTC is already being adopted in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria and doors are opening in Dubai as we speak..)

It’s just a question of time before crypto-currencies – of which bitcoin (BTC) is the most widely-known and accepted – become mainstream around the world. Governments will be come more embracing of the technology, as will banks and other financial institutions.

In the meantime, many people around the world are already interacting with BTC (paying each other, or buying goods), and if you’d like to see the transactions happening currently, go to Blockchain on https://blockchain.info/ and look at the transactions at the bottom left corner of the page. Blockchain is the public ledger, on which every single BTC transaction globally can be viewed as it happens.

At the time of writing, the price of bitcoin is around the US$585 mark. See http://www.coindesk.com/price/ for the current price.

As there can only ever be 21 million bitcoin in circulation, the forecast for BTC is undeniably upwards. Yes, there will be volatility and yes, the price could go down before it goes up..but the curve will head upwards for sure.

Whilst no-one can say for certain, a number of analysts believe that the price of BTC could get to as high as US$10 000 in 3-5 years.

Even if it gets to $1 500, I’m in. BTC is the way of the future and I’m by no means the only South African to think so.

Advertising in Newspapers. How much?

Posted on 26th January 201526th January 2015 by admin

With hundreds of newspapers in South Africa, advertising rates vary tremendously.

There are many variables – of which the size of the ad, the position of the ad, the numbers of colours in an ad, the day the ad is booked for, and the number of times the ad is booked for, are just some of them.

Then, full colour newspaper ads are more expensive than black and white newspaper ads. (Normally, a lot more expensive). And two colour newspaper advertisements cost less than full colour advertisements. Also, publishers of newspapers charge different rates depending on their number of readers and their circulation figures. So it’s no easy task answering the question “How much to advertise in newspapers?” (even though I get asked this A LOT).

To give you an idea of newspaper advertising costs:

A full page black and white advertisement in The Sunday Times will cost you R399 600 excluding VAT
A full page black and white advertisement in The Sowetan will cost you R69 264 excluding VAT
A full page black and white advertisement in The New Age will cost you R169 344 excluding VAT
A full page black and white advertisement in Ilanga will cost you R28 413.84 excluding VAT
A full page black and white advertisement in Isolezwe will cost you R37 223.55 excluding VAT
A full page black and white advertisement in The Sunday Sun will cost you R45 045 excluding VAT
A full page black and white advertisement in The Daily Sun will cost you R93 093 (Mon-Tues), R96 642 (Wed-Fri) excluding VAT
A full page black and white advertisement in The Business Day will cost you R108 000 excluding VAT
A full page black and white advertisement in The Times will cost you R 58 656 excluding VAT
A full page black and white advertisement in The Cape Argus will cost you R44 499 excluding VAT
A full page black and white advertisement in The Cape Times will cost you R70 983 excluding VAT
A full page black and white advertisement in The EP Herald will cost you R45 900 excluding VAT
A full page black and white advertisement in The Sunday Tribune will cost you R89 424 excluding VAT
A full page black and white advertisement in The Natal Mercury will cost you R57 056.40 excluding VAT
A full page black and white advertisement in The Daily News will cost you R67 008.60 excluding VAT
A full page black and white advertisement in The Natal Witness will cost you R25 488 (Mon-Tues),
R28 296 (Wed-Fri) excluding VAT
A full page black and white advertisement in Die Beeld will cost you R92 400 (Mon-Tues),
R96 250 (Wed-Fri) excluding VAT
A full page black and white advertisement in Die Burger will cost you R85 250 (Mon-Tues),
R89 100 (Wed-Fri) excluding VAT
A full page black and white advertisement in Die Volksblad will cost you R32 400 (Mon-Tues),
R38 880 (Wed-Fri) excluding VAT
A full page black and white advertisement in The Citizen will cost you R38 688 excluding VAT
A full page black and white advertisement in Rapport will cost you R230 0400 excluding VAT
A full page black and white advertisement in The Star will cost you R140 551.20 excluding VAT
A full page black and white advertisement in The Pretoria News will cost you R40 969.80 excluding VAT

Whereas

A half page black and white advertisement in The Sowetan will cost you R35 520 excluding VAT
A half page black and white advertisement in The New Age will cost you R84 672 excluding VAT
A half page black and white advertisement in Ilanga will cost you R14 571.20 excluding VAT
A half page black and white advertisement in Isolezwe will cost you R19 089 excluding VAT
A half page black and white advertisement in The Sunday Sun will cost you R23 100 excluding VAT
A half page black and white advertisement in The Daily Sun will cost you R47 740 (Mon-Tues), R49 560 excluding VAT
A half page black and white advertisement in The Business Day will cost you R54 000 excluding VAT
A half page black and white advertisement in The Times will cost you R30 080 excluding VAT
A half page black and white advertisement in The Cape Argus will cost you R22 820 excluding VAT
A half page black and white advertisement in The Cape Times will cost you R35 491.50 excluding VAT
A half page black and white advertisement in The EP Herald will cost you R22 950 excluding VAT
A half page black and white advertisement in The Sunday Tribune will cost you R44 712 excluding VAT
A half page black and white advertisement in The Natal Mercury will cost you R28 528.20 excluding VAT
A half page black and white advertisement in The Daily News will cost you R33 504.30 excluding VAT
A half page black and white advertisement in The Natal Witness will cost you R12 744 (Mon-Tues),
R14 148 (Wed-Fri) excluding VAT
A half page black and white advertisement in Die Beeld will cost you R45 360 (Mon-Tues),
R47 250 (Wed-Fri) excluding VAT
A half page black and white advertisement in Die Burger will cost you R41 850 (Mon-Tues),
R43 740 (Wed-Fri) excluding VAT
A half page black and white advertisement in Die Volksblad will cost you R16 200 (Mon-Tues),
R19 440 (Wed-Fri) excluding VAT
A half page black and white advertisement in The Citizen will cost you R19 840 excluding VAT
A half page black and white advertisement in Rapport will cost you R115 200 excluding VAT
A half page black and white advertisement in The Star will cost you R70 275.60 excluding VAT
A half page black and white advertisement in The Pretoria News will cost you R20 484.90 excluding VAT

Looking for the cost to place a quarter page newspaper ad? Work on approximately halving the cost of a half page ad. (Although it doesn’t always work like this). Want to place a third page ad? Or an island solus ad? Or a 20 x 4 column ad? Or a 30 x 6 column ad? Or a 39 x 7 column ad? Or a full colour ad? Or a two colour ad? Or a wrap-around? You’d need to get hold of an advertising rate card by contacting the newspaper in question. But, what if you’re not sure about which newspaper to advertise in? Ah, now there’s a thing. And the reason why you’d be better served by speaking with a media planner or media consultancy. (Or an ad agency if you have one).

By briefing one of them, and by giving them your advertising budget, your target market and your marketing objective(s), they’d be able to recommend the newspapers you should be considering. Not only that, they could give you advertising rates, negotiate these rates (if possible) and make advertising bookings on your behalf.

And maybe – just maybe – you could get all this done for FREE. (Although there would likely be terms and conditions attached). That said, this would be a far better route than approaching newspapers directly. (Unless you have plenty of time on your hands).

Newspaper media planning and media scheduling is a science and best left to the professionals. If you don’t know of a good media planner, I could give you a name or two.

At the end of the day, a good media planner, media placement agency or advertising agency could help you take the guesswork out of newspaper advertising – by replacing subjectivity with objectivity and thumbsucking with data.

Nandos Xenophobic TV Ad Hits The Newspapers

Posted on 14th June 201214th June 2012 by admin

Nandos and its advertising agency, Black River FC, have always been quick off the mark, looking for ways to capitalise on matters making the news and getting the brand talked about, and with their latest Bio-diversity TV commercial, have done it again. Not being happy having their ad banned from the airwaves by the SABC, MNet, DSTV and eTV for being too xenophobic, they decided to gain publicity by “airing” the offending ad in the newspaper. Clever.

The full page full colour ad in this week’s Sunday Times entitled “The pro-diversity ad broadcasters don’t want you to see” with the TV script “You know what’s wrong with South Africa? All you foreigners. You must all go back to where you came from. You Cameroonians, Congolese, Pakistanis, Somalis, Ghanaians and Kenyans. And of course you Nigerians and you Europeans. Let’s not forget all you Indians and Chinese. Even you Afrikaners. And it’s back to Swaziland for you Swatis, Lesotho for you Sothos, Tswanas, Vendas, Zulus, everybody…” has certainly had people sitting up and taking notice.

The commercial ends with the voice over saying “Real South Africans love diversity. That’s why we’ve introduced two more items to our menu: delicious peri-crusted wings for R19.90..and mouthwatering Trichado and chips for R24.90”

[youtube_sc url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R7vu9SuxaQ” title=”Nando's Xenophobic Ad”]

And just in case you haven’t been following the issue, the copy at the bottom of the newspaper ad explains that “SABC, M-Net and etv have banned this ad. They’ve made the decision for you. That’s why we’re giving you the option of seeing it here. Unlike our broadcasters, we’re giving you the right to choose”

Earlier this month, TV stations SABC, DSTV, MNet and eTV chose not to flight the ad, arguing that it promoted xenophobia, had xenophobic connotations and could incite attacks on foreigners. Commenting further, a spokesperson for the SABC said “Nando’s may say that it is trying to promote diversity but what we are concerned about is that the public might interpret it differently”

The print ad also had a YouTube address, showing where the commercial could be viewed. (Which, at the time of writing, had been viewed nearly four hundred thousand times. Bet your bottom dollar that it will be viewed by a heck of a lot more than this as word spreads)

Whilst I think the ad is great, my only question is why no mention of Zimbabweans? With an estimated three to four million Zimbabweans living in South Africa (and with the TV ad showing some of them coming through the fence on the Beitbridge border), one would have thought that our northern brethren would have been the focus – but maybe a bit too close to home, I suggest? And maybe because Nandos were stung by the reaction of Mugabe’s Zanu PF and threats against Nandos Zimbabwe by Mugabe’s Chipangano militia when its “dictator” commercial flighted a few months back?

I shudder (and laugh) to think what the SABC and other TV stations must feel when advised of a new Nandos commercial? With the company’s reputation for producing edgy and provocative work, they must quake in their boots…

But hats off to Nandos for their courageous advertising. With this latest commercial, they have certainly caught the attention. It can’t be easy for TV stations to turn away advertising, especially in this economy. Although I see their point. Running the risk of promoting xenophobia in South Africa is something far more serious and important than allowing a franchise to sell fast food.

Advertising on SABC’s Generations Can Cost You Millions

Posted on 21st February 201221st February 2012 by admin

Due to the popularity of SABC1’s TV soap, Generations, ad agencies are often asked for their thoughts pertaining to advertising on the program.

Straight to it then: advertising on Generations is prohibitively expensive so if you’re don’t have a budget running into the early millions, flighting a TV commercial during this program may not be for you. Not when you consider that a thirty second flighting could set you back upwards of R130 000 excl VAT. And that’s for just one flighting.

Flight your ad on, say five episodes of Generations and you’re in for R650 000 odd. Could you flight your commercial less than five times? You could, but does it make sense to? Probably not. The reason being that advertising gets taken in over time and that whilst there is nothing wrong with quick advertising bursts, there should be advertising bursts over a sustained period for your intended message to hit home.

So unless you’re a national brand and a big advertiser like Colgate Palmolive, ABSA, FNB, Cell-C, MNet or Vodacom, you’d best look at advertising during TV time slots where the costs are lower. The likes of Isidingo, Carte Blanche, Top Billing etc are all popular amongst advertisers, and whilst not cheap, deliver the necessary ARs (audience ratings) at a more palatable cost.

This is not to slate Generations in any way. If you have a marketing budget that extends to advertising on this hugely popular TV series, and your product or service is aimed at its viewership, it’s a good buy and you won’t go wrong.

According to Richard Lord, managing director of The Media Shop, who spoke on Jenny Chrys-Williams’s 702 program recently, marketers are attracted to TV programs with large viewerships (measured as ARs). This stands to reason, and Generations enjoys the highest ARs of them all – more even than the 2010 World Cup soccer final.

I’m not sure of the exact figures but something like 6 million people watch Generations on a weekly basis. That is massive, and no other program comes close to delivering this sort of number.

What’s important also is the loyalty aspect. People tend to watch every episode. So if you’re advertising regularly on the program, your product or service stands a chance of being associated with the program. Always a good thing.

An example of this was Samsung’s advertising on the recently-ended Brothers and Sisters. Annoying it may have been to some, but there was always a Samsung commercial somewhere in the program and people who never missed an episode of the series would come to associate the brand with the program. That couldn’t have done any harm to Samsung as a brand.

But, back to Generations: let’s assume that as a marketer you have the required marketing budget but no ad agency. How best to go about it? My advice is that you contact a good marketing agency (there are a number that will come up in a Google search) or that you contact the likes of The Media Shop, whose services will come to you at no cost -assuming of course that they get to plan and buy your media.

Media independents like The Media Shop (there are others) will negotiate you the best rate to advertise and it won’t cost you a cent extra as they make their money from being paid a media commission from the media owner. (The SABC in this case).

By going though an ad agency or media buying and planning facility, you will also be advised as to the advertising options possible on a program like Generations. Rather than flighting a regular thirty second ad, a shorter duration commercial may deliver more bang for your buck. It will certainly buy your greater frequency. Or maybe a product placement could work better for you.

(A number of locally-produced soaps will be open to weaving your product or service into their storyline to give it more credibility and product placement is sometimes more effective than conventional advertising).

Whether this is the case with Generations however is a moot point as it is a very popular program and you may well have to join the queue. The point being that an advertising agency or media house will be able to do the negotiating for you.