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Innovate Africa: Introducing FlexClub, a smarter way to rent a car

Innovate Africa: Introducing FlexClub, a smarter way to rent a car

The Heralda day ago

FlexClub, led by co-founder Idan Jaan, is Africa's first prepaid long-term car rental platform. No credit checks, no hidden costs. Just one upfront payment for 30 days or more of fully insured driving.
With many people's credit records damaged by Covid-19, FlexClub offers a responsible and flexible way to get behind the wheel of a late-model car without taking on debt.
The model also lays the foundation for a more inclusive credit system, where access is based on real behaviour, not outdated scores.
It's car access made simple, honest and built for real life.
Innovate Africa Founder Kieno Kammies, finds out more about how this model works.
TimesLIVE

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The BYD Seal 7: Humbling BMW drivers since 2025
The BYD Seal 7: Humbling BMW drivers since 2025

Mail & Guardian

time5 hours ago

  • Mail & Guardian

The BYD Seal 7: Humbling BMW drivers since 2025

The BYD Seal 7. You're in the wrong country if you've never pulled up to a robot and heard a BMW driver rev his car before boosting to the next robot. It's usually a case of 'if you've got it, flaunt it' for those drivers, and some people want to be like them, while others of us laugh at them. One thing that you cannot take away from BMW drivers is that their vehicles can actually back up all the noise they make with the power they produce. However, since new-energy vehicles (NEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs) entered the market, the power figures that we used to only see on performance cars have become child's play for NEVs. We constantly look at above 200kW of power and over 350Nm of torque. But one critique in the motoring world has been that, while everyone enjoys the power, they miss the noise. The term 'speed and sound' becomes redundant with EVs. With the BYD Seal 7, which is a fully electric sedan, the power figures are astounding. It comes in two variants: the premium and the performance, with the former producing 230kW of power and 360Nm of torque and the latter producing 390kW of power and 670Nm of torque. BYD claims that the performance model does 0-100 in just 3.8 seconds while the premium model takes just under 6 seconds to hit 100km/h. I had the premium model on test, so I didn't get the adrenaline rush I would have got from the performance, but the figures on it mean it is still extremely rapid. It's great to test the instant torque on the vehicles but you have to be a responsible driver and citizen. It's not as if you can go around racing everyone and making a noise — like those BMW drivers. But it also means that you can put them in their place should the need arise. Luckily for me, it actually did. I was going down Atlas Road in Boksburg on my way home after a long two-hour game of padel. I pulled up to the robot just before the highway and some smart BMW driver pulled up next to me revving his engine with his window down. He obviously couldn't hear my vehicle but the Seal 7 gives off real sports-car vibes, which is probably why he wanted to prove a point. I looked across at him and he made the same gesture that I've seen Vin Diesel make in the Fast & Furious movies. He basically challenged me to a race to the next robot. At first, I ignored the gesture and just looked forward but then he revved again. I was not going to just sit back now, so I gave him the signal that it was on. As we left that robot, he made a solid start because of his turbocharged engine, but when the BYD Seal 7 got moving, he just couldn't keep up. Bear in mind, because I was passing it, I didn't see what model he was driving. As we stopped at the next robot, he rolled his window down again, and he asked me about the car. It had obviously impressed him. What impressed me more was just how fast the arrogance disappeared off his face. The Seal 7 is an impressive vehicle. When I drove the BYD Sealion 7, I felt that, at higher speeds, the car seemed slightly nervous, but the Seal 7 got more and more comfortable as the speed increased. It feels extremely solid as the Seal 7 has a double-wishbone plus a five-link suspension. It uses the double wishbone set-up for individual wheel control, while incorporating five control arms for greater suspension geometry flexibility. The range of the car is also impressive. It uses the 82.5kWh BYD Blade battery and the premium variant has 570km of range while the performance variant has 520km of range. Comfort The Seal 7 comes with a beautiful interior that has heated and ventilated leather seats, a pleasing suede panel on the dashboard and a full leather steering wheel. The cabin is completed by the 10.25-inch instrument cluster and a 15.6-inch infotainment system that comes equipped with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A nice touch is that there are a few buttons around the gear. These include the aircon and demister buttons. You still have to control temperatures on the infotainment system, but in a world where buttons in vehicles have become so rare, we appreciate the few that we see in a vehicle. There is ample room for backseat passengers to sit comfortably. The boot has 400 litres of space and the frunk, which refers to the storage space in the front of the vehicle, has an additional 53 litres. Safety The BYD Seal 7 has earned a maximum five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP. It scored 89% for adult occupant protection, 87% for child occupant protection, 82% for vulnerable road user protection and 76% for safety assist technology. It also comes equipped with a large amount of safety features like autonomous emergency braking, lane-support systems and advanced driver assistance systems. Pricing and verdict The BYD Seal premium variant is priced at R999 900 and the performance variant is priced at R1 199 900. It must be noted that this has been touted as the brand's flagship sedan. It's silent, but it is comfortable and, performance wise, it is deadly. So for a million rand, is it worth it? I'm actually surprised that it doesn't cost more. If this vehicle had a German badge on it, it would definitely surpass the R2 million mark. However, it is difficult to see the average South African affording a car worth a million rand. It is no wonder the NEV market is growing at such a slow pace in the country.

Happy Drink Chenin Day and cheers to SA's world recognised cellarmaster
Happy Drink Chenin Day and cheers to SA's world recognised cellarmaster

The Herald

time11 hours ago

  • The Herald

Happy Drink Chenin Day and cheers to SA's world recognised cellarmaster

It's international Drink Chenin Day on Saturday, so why not celebrate what is fast becoming a flag bearer for the quality and versatility of SA winemaking with a local winemaker recognised as one of the world's best 100 winemakers? Spier in Stellenbosch makes numerous variations of chenin blanc from this 'nimble grape', and two of these earned cellarmaster Johan Jordaan a place as one of only three South Africans in the 2025 Master Winemaker 100 list by influential industry magazine The Drinks Business. Jordaan was also named the Global Chenin Blanc Master Winemaker, having earned Master medals for both Spier 21 Gables Chenin Blanc 2022 and Spier Good Natured Chenin Blanc 2023. This is the highest accolade in the annual series of global Masters competitions, each focused on a specific varietal or wine style. The Loire Valley in France is the historic home of chenin blanc, making world-renowned wines, so both Spier and the SA wine industry can be justifiably proud that we claimed four out of the six Master medals awarded, two of them for Spier, while France managed just one despite dominating the overall awards table. Chenin blanc is the most widely planted grape in SA, with the earliest records of it in local vineyards dating back to 1655. It was long known as the 'workhorse grape' for its vigorous growth and high yields, making it the backbone of generic 'dry white' blends and the base wine for distilling brandy. It has come into its own over the last decade or so, its versatility producing sparkling and dessert wines, easy drinking fruity dry wines, and the premium wines that have put SA chenin on the world stage — often wooded, or in innovative blends, and especially those made from sought-after old vines. SA has become known for its pioneering Old Vine Project, which seeks to preserve heritage vineyards and certifies those 35 years and older, a large proportion of them chenin, heralded for their lower yields, intense flavour concentration and the balance of freshness and complexity in the wines. Jordaan says 'chenin is a wine built in layers from vineyard to bottle', and it's those layers of complex flavours you'll find in the Spier 21 Gables Chenin Blanc 2022 (±R300 in local retail), made from certified old vines planted in 1983. Jordaan says he thinks of this as a single varietal wine made like a blend — the grapes picked in five different parcels, for different ripeness levels, and then fermented in different sizes of French oak barrels, for varying levels of oak influence that can be blended for the final wine, then matured for up to 12 months in barrel. The wine balances youthful freshness with luscious complexity and texture, clean fruit purity in its peaches and pears, layered with deeper dried fruit and citrus rind flavours, woven with light spiciness and fresh acidity. Beautifully drinkable now, Jordaan says the nuanced flavours will develop further with ageing up to 10 years. With its luscious body and texture, tempered by fresh acidity, it's a white wine that works well with rich flavours such as pork belly with crispy caramelised crackling, duck breast with honey and spices, or a subtle curry. Spier's other Master medal went to the Good Natured Chenin Blanc 2023 (±R100), from the estate's organic range — also from older vines up to 15 years old, in vineyards managed to international organic certification standards, with bees, bugs, birds and cover crops acting as nature's pest and weed control and fertiliser. A super, easy everyday drinking wine, with abundant citrus, apple and stone fruit aromas moving into juicy exotic flavours of lychee and pineapple, fresh and zesty with a bright finish. Enjoy it solo or with fish and chips, Thai-style noodles or an avo and smoked chicken or smoked salmon salad. Happy Chenin Day!

Global employers hiring more South Africans — study
Global employers hiring more South Africans — study

The Herald

timea day ago

  • The Herald

Global employers hiring more South Africans — study

CEO Anthony Kettle said global companies initially approached them to save costs, but they stay for the talent and skills. ' Our growth has been exponential. As more businesses partner with us, the quality of opportunities available to South African talent improves, attracting higher-calibre professionals, which in turn draws more companies to our services. What began as a solution for global companies seeking cost efficiencies has evolved into a quality-driven partnership that delivers exceptional results,' he said. Nara Mayosi, who was recruited by the agency as an operational manager at Bluestones Offshore Partners, said the role opened doors to clients. 'It's helped me grow, not only skills, but in mindset. I've become more confident, more global ly aware and more comfortable working across cultures,' said Mayosi. Sian Teixeira, who was recruited by the agency and works for a UK employer, said the opportunity has exposed him to the international market and helped him grow. ' The broader exposure has significantly expanded my professional perspective and experience,' said Teixeira. TimesLIVE

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