TravelingRam

My world view has shifted once again..."What does it mean to me a citizen of the world?" ... read more

Freedom Day Freedom Day is the celebration of the first post-apartheid elections held in 1994. I expected that not only would businesses be closed, but that great celebrations and festivals would be occurring. Maybe we missed some of the excitement by being at Acquila for most of the day, but I was underwhelmed. It seemed almost an afterthought as we moved about our day. Was this because we were in Cape Town in a huge tourist area? Or were the celebrations more subdued? I just didn't feel the love and nostalgia that I would have expected. Maybe because social progress is moving at a snails pace, there isn't too much to celebrate. Safari at Aquila Game Reserve This is a very well run business and resort. With a fairly decent range of animals to view, conference ... read more

Today's classroom lectures we're geared towards orienting our class to the ups and downs of South Africa's economy. Professor Andre' Roux's presentation on South Africa’s Economy: Trials, Tribulations and Triumphs was informative and very in depth. One statistic that stood out to me was the statement that the Congo River if harnessed, could provide ⅔ of the contentinent's water needs and electricity needs. Prof. Roux is of the opinion that this will never be accomplished due to the fact that of the 54 African countries, not one of the leaders would be willing to compromise in order to make this happen. Class Notes GLOBAL CHALLENGES University of Stellenbosch Bellville Park Campus Introduction by Edith Kennedy Western Cape is run by the Democratic Alliance (DA) 1983 founded Khayelitsa but in 1985 many fled other townships and settled ... read more

This first day in Cape Town is off to a great start. After being serenaded by a wonderful pianist at breakfast I confirmed our set up for the first presentation. The conference room was well organized and ready for Mr. Tony Gerrans, the CEO of GVTEC. Tony's presentation was insightful and gave us an idea of some of the very real challenges faced by business owners in the Western Cape of South Africa. See my notes below: GLOBAL CHALLENGES Mr. Tony Gerrans Company History: A Romanian business man began the business with light steel work. Tony's Step-father bought Grotto in the 1990s. The 80% of California volume 3% of world business In 1998 they were the market leader and largest producer by volume in country employing approx. 150 people and R100 million (Rand) of turnover. Due ... read more

We are on the way to Dulles Airport for our first business presentation and to begin our journey to Cape Town. Mr. Joseph Maly, Head of Air Cargo gave an interesting presentation regarding the logistics of the Air Cargo operations managed by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA). The MWAA is responsible for managing and maitaining Dulles International Airport, Reagan National Airport, the Dulles Toll Road and the Dulles Metrorail Project. The freight logistics were impressive and the goals and priorities for 2016 seem to be focused on improving the cargo infrastructure. This will in turn allow for greater capacity and growth for the two airports. Mr. Maly reports steady growth in Air freight traffic since 2009 and anticipates this to continue for the near future. It was surprising and enlightening to have an inside view ... read more