Within the next couple of days OutThink will ride off into the sunset.

If you’d still like to follow any of my writing, it’ll be over at atomicnuts.wordpress.com – different format, different structure, different approach. Hopefully taking the learnings from here, shaking it up a little and making a bunch of improvements wherever I can.

In these times where attention is at a premium, I really do appreciate all the comments, feedback and interaction shared here.

Hope to see you on the other side!

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• No Related Post

It’s biggest shortcoming has to be that it only effectively services a small proportion of the population, leaving the unbanked distressingly unempowered.

But there is some good news. This morning, the Daily Maverick gave a heads up earlier about a brilliant innovation we can look forward to [apparently being launched today]:

“Absa will be launching a contactless payment card system that is both technically sweet and a real boon to users. For transactions of a couple of bucks you’ll be able to pay stuff like bus fare with the tap of a card, which makes it ideal where quick payments are required, such as the new bus rapid transit systems. At the very least it means you won’t have to deal with a proliferation of different cards for different services. At best – if they can crack the taxi industry and mall parking, which nobody else has pulled off – it could finally save us from the most irritating holdout of cash.”

Okay so you still need the tap of a card. Not quite contactless but we know what they mean.

I wonder whether it will have a little on and off switch!? Or at least something to make sure that pickpocket wannabes don’t run around crowded spaces like malls and taxi-ranks, knocking their own little convenient (or is that concealed) payment devices against people’s pockets in the hope of tapping up some easy cash.

Absa has surely thought of this, and no doubt has some fancy mechanism in place to make sure it doesn’t happen. Quite a scary proposition to have to deal with though – we wouldn’t want to see the rise of the electronic pickpocket!

If it works, this could be ground-breaking and will open doors for exciting further innovation of products into the low-income markets (by creating a feasible alternative payments system).

Good luck ABSA! (and all the fast-followers still to come)

Image: “Numbers” by DeclanTM, via flickr

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• Why SA’s 7% growth target matters
• A nation inspired!
• Invest R1,000 in SA’s future

“South Africa’s Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan believes that South Africa should aim for a seven percent annual economic growth for the next 20 years.” (via justmoney.co.za)

Does this really matter?

It sure does!

Shoot for the stars and you might reach the moon

At last we can now start asking “How do we achieve 7% annual growth?” instead of sitting around dawdling along at our recent 3% to 4%. Perhaps instead of economic policy that focuses on inflation or exchange rate targeting, we’ll see growth targeting instead. What a sight that would be.

The best news is that it puts the building of a knowledge economy solidly on our list of priorities. Have a look at pages 7 to 10 of the presentation below, and you’ll see what I’m referring to. You can see for yourself how aligned R&D and innovation is towards creating real wealth. And how SA has fared so far.

Research, development and innovation

The American Association for the Advancement for Science estimated that as much as 50 percent of U.S. economic growth in the half-century since the Fortune 500 came into existence is the result of advances in technology.

50%!!!

Double what it would it have been. Can you imagine if our economy was double the size it is now!? Same amount of people, twice as much wealth. (again, see the graph at the top). Instead of an average income per person of roughly R40,000 per annum, we would be on about R80,000 per person per annum. Huge difference!

Statistics South Africa’s GDP numbers show we’ve averaged around 3.8% GDP growth since 2004; and an alarmingly low 3.4% since 1993.

So speaking of growth at double that rate would make a huge impact on our society (and implicitly all the businesses operating here). This growth doesn’t – shouldn’t – translate into double earnings for everyone, but a lot of the additional wealth could go towards ensuring that those who have less get more. That way the overall population gets richer without having to make anyone poorer. A nice change from our beloved “redistribution of wealth” mantra (which implies that lots of people get poorer).

Just have a look at the graph alongside that shows how stronger GDP growth on average would put us far ahead of where we are now.

It’s for you and me

We need our leaders to buy into this. All of them. To build an inspired nation.

But we’re needed too. You and me. To buy into this; to believe we can make a difference; to effect positive change.

Do you believe we can?

Image: “All roads lead to Johannesburg” by scifilullabies, via flickr

Other posts you might enjoy

• A nation inspired!
• South Africa in perspective
• Are the only options really "zero growth" or "drown in red-tape"

South Africa really does rock

Hmmm.

Sure, we have our problems but we also have stunning opportunities and incredible resources. Despite what Mr Zuma as he’s pictured above would have you believe.

The importance of entrepreneurship

There is a lot of good reading about why entrepreneurs are important – even critical – to South Africa’s future. Henk Kleynhans recently wrote about the importance of entrepreneurship (great read). His conclusion: “Entrepreneurship is the single most important activity in our economy.  It is the only activity that enables enterprising South Africans to apply their mind to create new value, new wealth, new money and new jobs.”

I’m all for this too, but it seems there the part of the equation that precedes this is not getting any airtime – finding and inspiring these people to create the value. As a nation.

After all, what do most people aspire to? From what I’ve seen, many are happy to settle for comfort and convenience. Many more that are just looking to survive on a daily basis.

Hardly a good breeding ground for inspiration and value creation.

Leadership to inspire a nation

I believe the lack of focus on inspiring our country has cost us dearly.

We have many bright and brilliant people here perfectly suited to helping South Africa become a force on the global stage.

Yet we have leaders more focused on political power plays (no value creation), silencing the media (value destruction) and nationalising mines (redistribution only, no value creation) . It’s no wonder that public servants are willing to go to extreme lengths in pursuit of rewards that, while probably meaningful in immediate returns to them, pale in significance to what could actually be achieved if we could increase our country’s value. Even worse, they do this with no regard to the cost to society, and effectively to themselves too.

Just think what they could have achieved in applying all that effort constructively!

This really matters!

Come on South African leaders, let’s focus on what really matters!

With a focus on lifting up our entrepreneurial spirit we could see legislative changes to support innovation and small businesses. We could see leaders setting examples that others would follow in creating value for South Africa.

And we might just see a nation inspired.

Images:

• “Jacob Zuma – World Economic Forum on Africa 2009″ by World Economic Forum, via flickr
• untitled by ethekwinigirl, via flickr

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• Why SA’s 7% growth target matters
• Invest R1,000 in SA’s future
• Celebrity startups

They want to provide you with the opportunity to give your fresh, innovative idea or business a chance to shine!

The focus is on young entrepreneurs, and the competition will be made of various phases, including training workshops, interviews by a Judging panel of leading industry experts, and culminate in an awards evening to be held during Global Entrepreneurship Week from the 15th to the 21st of November 2010.

There are reportedly some amazing prizes available (although we haven’t been given further details on these).

Criteria for entry

To enter the competition, you have to be:

• A registered user of the SME Toolkit
• 18 to 35 years old
• A South African citizen
• In the idea phase or in operation for less than 2 years

All you need to do is sell yourself and your idea to them – get started  by filling out the entry form!

The deadline for entries is 12 pm on Monday 4 October.

This is an excellent opportunity for getting some visibility and experience for your young company or great idea.

So what’re you waiting for? Get in there and enter the competition already!

Other posts you might enjoy

• Starting up – the beginning
• Update on the Enablis competition
• Laying a solid foundation for a strong business…

"You can be free" by Eole, via flickr

Why is [almost] everything conditional* ?

*Terms and conditions apply

I’m not sure about you, but to me there’s something special about knowing that something is unconditional. Someone gives me something, unconditionally – expecting nothing in return, not even thanks. Someone loves me or respects me unconditionally. Knowing that today, tomorrow and every day thereafter you will not judge me. Because you accept me. Unconditionally.

If I’ve got something to tell you or sell you, what do the conditions I attach actually tell you?

that I don’t trust you; or that I do trust you – but only if….

after all, what’s your first reaction when something seems to good to be true? “What’s the catch!?”

Sometimes conditions can’t be avoided. Sometimes they can. But do you know what those conditions actually cost you? Because when you’re giving something with conditions, you’re not actually giving it – you’re just exchanging it. Many brands attach conditions and then wonder why no one wants what they’re “giving away”.

Consider the two extremes:

Here’s something for you, you can have it as long as you do exactly what I say so I can get what I want. Then you can have what you want.

And this

Here’s something. It’s for you. No strings attached. No conditions. I trust you with it.

Now you tell me how wide the gap is between those two.

Unconditional. One thing you just can’t put a value on.

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• Respect for a Legend
• The model of Free
• The magic of Free

I’m hoping you can tell me, because this is what Multichoice and DSTV have done to me, and I’m tired of trying to be nice about it with them. So I’ll try not to get emotional – here are the facts, I hope the information will serve as fair warning to everyone else using their services.

Recording TV programmes? How quaint.

We often record DSTV programmes to watch later [since we usually can't watch when they are aired], but had to replace our DVD recorder and decoder in February as they were both starting to give us hassles. Not ideal but we thought it worthwhile at the time.

I notice on 13 March, about two weeks later, that we cannot record anymore. While trying to record a programme, I get the message “Cannot record. Copy protected”. Multichoice has unilaterally changed their terms of service and not bothered to inform us [anyone else know?]. If we had known this two weeks before, I’m fairly certain we wouldn’t have replaced either of our machines.

We can no longer record DSTV programmes on our DVD recorder [which is what we bought it for].

Criminal intent

30 March – after several calls and an e-mail to them, an e-mail reply received from Multichoice states “DStv subscribers do not have access to record, except if they are utilising a PVR decoder. Other than this, recording movies from DStv is illegal….Multichoice recently became aware of this practice and implemented the necessary steps to ensure that it is stopped with immediate effect.”

Surely it must be against our the law of South Africa to be considered illegal? How come people have been recording TV programmes [remember that funny thing called VHS?] for years and years and years without hassle.

I can only assume this means that they do not trust their customers to act honestly, so they simply remove our choice to do so. In some weird way it reminds me of what China did to Google.

Don’t call us, we’ll call you

6 April – I fax a letter to Multichoice MD, Nico Meyer. The next day I get a voice message saying my query is being attended to, but don’t hear from them again.

I hope against hope that others will complain too and they’ll set it right. They don’t. Life is busy so I wait. But no change.

19 July – I send another letter, again to Multichoice MD Nico Meyer, stating my disappointment about the way things are. Since they are happy to move on, I agree to do so too and say I will cancel our service.

Upon phoning to cancel, I’m told that I’ve paid for the month so they will cancel on the next run, 2 August 2010. Inconvenient, but I take it just to end this sorry debacle.

Multichoice now charging for lessons

On 2 August our service stops as promised, but they still take the monthly subscription of R526.72 from my account. I send another letter, again addressed to Nico Meyer, MD of Multichoice, expressing my dissatisfaction.

The next day I get a call from some poor fellow at the call centre, obviously tasked with trying to clear this up. He apologises and says I’ll have the money in a week.

It’s been a week – Multichoice still has my money. At the time of writing this I still haven’t received a refund.

The lesson I’ve learned is that I don’t want to be a Multichoice customer – and it’s only cost me R526.72 [admittedly it's a fair bit more if I add in time spent writing letters and trying to get any type of response]. Tell you what Multichoice, why don’t you keep the money instead, obviously you must need it more than I do. I’m tired of fighting with you, I’ll write it off to school fees – and that way I’ll make sure it’s a lesson I never forget.

[By the way, is it only me that sees the irony in a company implying that all its customers are thieves, then taking money without authorisation?]

Thanks for the lesson Multichoice and DSTV, here are some for you [and I won't even charge]

It’s been almost five months, and after several phone calls, three letters and an e-mail I still haven’t spoken to or heard from a single person who I believe actually cares in any way. Perhaps this is why there are so many unresolved complaints against Multichoice on hellopeter.com, or why there is a group called “DSTV sucks” on facebook.

To thank Multichoice I’ll offer them some constructive criticism. Although I don’t really believe they will ever bother to read this, it’s important since anyone can just criticise without offering ways to improve.

So, dear Multichoice  and DSTV:

1. Always remember why you do what you do. Growth, new markets, share prices, new channels and services -  aren’t all those things products of making your customers happy rather than goals in themselves?
2. Lose all the call centres, fax lines and email addresses. Just have one point of contact. I’ve tried them all without success. Perhaps focusing on one will help you to actually hear what your customers are telling/asking you.
3. Listen to the customers that try to communicate with you. There’s no such thing as a complaint – it’s only a customer reaching out for assistance. Use that information, don’t sit there assuming you know what customers want when they’re telling you what they want.
4. It’s usually cheaper to keep existing clients than it is to acquire new ones. With new entrants into the market [TopTV], consider whether it isn’t better to make sure you hold on to your existing customers than it is to convince those who wouldn’t before to do so now. The increasing competition you’ll face as broadband costs drop and online television options grow will only highlight this.
5. And a bit unrelated but still relevant – dont’ send annual letters to clients that say “”We at Multichoice would like to express our sincere gratitude for your loyalty during these tough economic times. We wish to advise you of our annual price increase…”. It’s a contradiction and very unhelpful. If you really believe its tough economic times, then how about keeping your rates the same if you really can’t drop them. Otherwise just don’t say it.
   

Here are the letters I wrote to Multichoice / DSTV for the record. If after reading them you believe I’m wrong then please let me know, I’d be interested to hear what you would do.

• Open letter to Multichoice #1 – The real value of a DSTV subscription (6/4/2010)
• Open letter to Multichoice #2 – One less thing to worry about (19/7/2010)
• Open letter to Multichoice #3 – Multichoice taking money without authorisation (2/8/2010)

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are mine alone, and do not necessarily represent those of my employers, Twitter, Jacob Zuma, SpongeBob SquarePants, Steve Jobs or the Tooth Fairy. Any similarities are merely coincidental.

Other posts you might enjoy

• Open letter to Multichoice #3 – Multichoice taking money without authorisation
• Open letter to Multichoice #2 – One less thing to worry about
• Open letter to Multichoice #1 – The real value of a DStv subscription

It has culminated here – “Goodbye Multichoice and DSTV, it’s been real

Dear Mr Meyer

What must I do to get any respect from your organisation?

Having received no reply to my letters dated 6 April 2010 and 30 July 2010, addressed to yourself, I phoned your offices on 18 July to cancel our subscription. Jacob confirmed that since we had been debited for the month already, our subscription would run until 2 August 2010 and then stop. Although this did not suit me at all, I left it as is.

This morning I was pleased to see that our service was stopped as promised. You can imagine my dismay this evening seeing that my bank account has once again been debited with R526.72 by Multichoice today. I’m not sure how you would define taking someone’s money without their authority. Most people I know would describe it as theft.

I have tried to be very reasonable and patient in dealing with yourselves, taking the time to phone your offices and e-mail in trying to sort out our initial problems, writing two letters to yourself and then as a last resort phoning to confirm cancellation. Multichoice has made no effort whatsoever in assisting me or showing any desire to help.

I trust you will at least do me the courtesy of replying to this letter with the reason that money was taken from my account as well as a detailed explanation of how it will be remedied. If I receive no acceptable reply by Thursday 5 August I will assume you wish me to take this complaint to the press.

Copies of my previous letters again attached for your reference.

Sincerely,

Other posts you might enjoy

• Open letter to Multichoice #2 – One less thing to worry about
• Open letter to Multichoice #1 – The real value of a DStv subscription
• Goodbye Multichoice and DSTV, it’s been real

It has culminated here – “Goodbye Multichoice and DSTV, it’s been real

Dear Mr Meyer

Having received no reply to my letter dated 6 April 2010 (copy attached for your reference) other than a voice message that day saying it was being attended to, I can only assume that we are the only family experiencing this problem and it is not worth your time to follow up on. Or perhaps three months is too soon to expect a reply, in which case please let me know how long you want us to wait.

But if it is true then it’s fully understandable. Multichoice is a great company and probably very busy pursuing important agendas such as growth, profitability and diversification. I’m just sorry to see that in driving after all these wonderful things, the needs and desires of ourselves (as subscribers) are irrelevant. Oh well, I suppose we can’t win them all.

This being the case, I will be cancelling our subscription today and won’t bother you with this any further.

Best of luck with all your future plans.

Sincerely,

Other posts you might enjoy

• Open letter to Multichoice #3 – Multichoice taking money without authorisation
• Open letter to Multichoice #1 – The real value of a DStv subscription
• Goodbye Multichoice and DSTV, it’s been real

It has culminated here – “Goodbye Multichoice and DSTV, it’s been real

Dear Mr Meyer

Having been a subscriber for many years now, I just wanted to clarify Multichoice’s strange decision regarding copyright with you as I’m sure what I’ve been informed can’t be right.

We had some bad luck with technology earlier this year that resulted in us buying a new LG DVD recorder and a new Multichoice decoder within a couple of weeks of each other, around the end of February. For several weeks things continued normally but then on Saturday 13 March, while trying to record a sports programme (we were having guests over), I received the error “Cannot record. Copy protected”. Since then we have been unable to record any programmes.

I sent a query through to Multichoice that same day. The reply I received more than two weeks later (30 March) was unexpected to say the least, especially as I’m not aware subscribers received any notification at all of the change – we certainly didn’t!

The reply given to me stated that “DStv subscribers do not have access to record, except if they are utilising a PVR decoder. Other than this, recording movies from DStv is illegal.”

Besides the fact that we cannot record anything (not just movies), it is the first I hear that it is illegal to record from television. Growing up, almost everyone I visited had a television and video recorder, and recording programmes to watch at a more convenient time was a common practice.

Please could you satisfy my curiosity and confirm which Act governs this, and why it allows PVR recording but not recording to other media.

The reply goes on to say that “Multichoice recently became aware of this practice and implemented the necessary steps to ensure that it is stopped with immediate effect.”

This really feels like an insult, not just to me but to all your subscribers. After all, it is illegal to shoot people but you can still buy a gun. How is it that Multichoice considers us unable to make a reasonable decision on how to utilise recorded programmes? Instead you have simply removed the option.

I could fully understand if there was the ability to record the programme once only and further copying would be restricted, but from what I see, Multichoice have simply removed any option of recording whatsoever.

Like most people, I am at work all day so I cannot generally watch television during the day. This means if there is something on I want to watch, I would have to record it. And having a family means that most weekends we are busy or out, so often we want to record things to watch then as well.

I have always enjoyed watching NBA games on ESPN as basketball is my favourite sport. When games are shown, they are either in the early hours of the morning or during work hours (except for Saturday afternoons, when the family keeps us occupied too). Now I am unable to watch any NBA basketball as I can’t record it.

Now that our family cannot enjoy many of the programmes we used to, our DStv subscription has lost almost all of its value to us.

If I had known this was going to be forced on me as a subscriber I would not have purchased the new DVD recorder or decoder at the time.

Is this all true? Am I now completely unable to record anything due to Multichoice’s copyright decision? If so, please let me know who I send our letter of cancellation to.

I’m sure that your time is very well spent pursuing growth for Multichoice’s business, but I hope you would agree with me that this is an important matter, and I would appreciate your response.

Yours sincerely,

Other posts you might enjoy

• Open letter to Multichoice #3 – Multichoice taking money without authorisation
• Open letter to Multichoice #2 – One less thing to worry about
• Goodbye Multichoice and DSTV, it’s been real