Come taste authentic South African cuisine prepared by three of the most famous chefs flown in directly from five star Sandton Sun hotel, Johannesburg by Emirates. Chefs Nicola Anne Gibbs, Thuli Mabunda and Vusi Mtombela will be giving diners a full culinary journey through South Africa. The unique gourmet event brings together famous specialties such as Bunny Chow, Braai, Peri Peri, and much more.

Diners can select to dine at our award winning Indian restaurant Rang Mahal with a South African fusion menu, grilled meats, barbeque and Peri peri promotions at Señor Pico. Also included are several exclusive dinners at da Vinci with food and wine matching dinners and beef specials throughout lunch and dinner. The Café and Executive lounge will also provide a South African twist with a custom food corner at breakfast. For outdoor lovers, enjoy South African barbeque or Braai while relaxing at the Poolside.

Guests just have to order any South African dishes offered at any of restaurants and fill in the tear-off sheet indicating which dish they ordered to stand a chance to win the grand prize of the event. The grand prize will consist of a roundtrip ticket to Johannesburg sponsored by Emirates Airlines and accommodation at one of South Africa’s top hotels.

The Draw will take place on January 21^st and winners will be notified by phone or email. 

Reserve a table today to try the genuine taste of South Africa at the Rembrandt Hotel call restaurant@rembrandtbkk.com or book a table via facebook.com/Rembrandtbkk.

About Rembrandt Hotel

Rembrandt Hotel offers luxury, outstanding services, and facilities to satisfy all travelers to Bangkok, Thailand. The property is conveniently located in Bangkok’s Sukhumvit district, near the central business district as well as shopping attractions, city landmarks and vibrant nightlife. Rembrandt has been a landmark on Sukhumvit since its construction by a Nishimatsu Construction Company to Japanese earthquake resistance standards over a decade ago. This quality Bangkok Hotel is just a short 5 minute walk to the Asoke skytrain (BTS) and Sukhumvit metro (MRT) system. It is a great location for both tourists and business travellers, who will find easy access to all of Sukhumvit and Bangkok.

The “South African Food Festival” is from January 12^th – 21^st at 4 award winning restaurants at the Rembrandt Hotel, Sukhumvit Soi 18.

Headline Events

- Rainbow Nation Gala Opening ceremony in conjunction with Central Wines and Choice Foods 12 Jan

- FBAT Cocktail Wine by BB&B and Beer by Carlsberg 16 Jan

- Modern South African cuisine with wine matching Wine by BB&B 14 Jan

- Farewell to His Excellency Ambassador Gibson and Mrs Pam Gibson 21 Jan

Lobby bar      – Afternoon tea, wine and SA signature cocktails 12-21 Jan

Rang Mahal - Indian Special menu 13-21 Jan

- South African inspired Sunday brunch 15 Jan

Señor Pico - Peri peri promotion Portuguese Cuisine inspired 15-16 Jan

- Braai (South African BBQ) 18 Jan

Executive Lounge -South African wine giveaways 12-21 Jan

- South African breakfast corner 13-21 Jan

da Vinci - South African beef specials 12-21 Jan

Poolside - Braai (South African BBQ) 14-15/20-21 Jan

The Café - South African Breakfast corner 13-21 Jan

Cooking Studio – Cooking classes by South African chefs 16 &19 Jan

Efforts have been mounting to remove the obstacles to trade flows within Africa, which are hampered by poor infrastructure, customs duties and red tape at border crossings. Despite these challenges, SA’s trade surplus with Africa climbed to R49,6bn last year from R43,6bn in 2009. In the first 10 months of this year, the surplus amounted to R44,6bn compared with a R44bn deficit with Europe and a R62bn shortfall with Asia. Significantly, data from SARS show that Africa now takes 27% of SA’s manufactured exports, not far behind the 29% of the total absorbed by Europe. Asia is the destination for 22% of locally manufactured goods. Asia takes 58% of SA’s mining exports, compared with the 29% which go to Europe. Minerals account for about half of SA’s overall exports in value terms. “This could provide a helpful buffer to any protracted slowdown in European demand,” Absa Capital said in a recent note. Trade and industry director-general Lionel October said yesterday that trade in manufactured goods with Africa was growing “and presents a great opportunity for South African companies”. He said the country’s main exports to Africa were processed food products, automotive components, steel and steel products, chemicals, glass and paper, and packaging. About 90% of SA’s exports to the continent are already manufactured goods. That is good news for the economy’s second-biggest sector, which has contracted for two quarters in a row, putting it into a recession. SA’s main market in Africa remains Zimbabwe, although Kenya and Nigeria are also important because of their size. Despite widespread poverty, consumption in Africa is growing, supported by a growing middle class.  The African Development Bank estimates middle-class Africans now make up about 34% of the continent’s population of about 1-billion. By 2060, the number of middle-class Africans is likely grow to 1,1-billion, or 42% of the population Africa’s economic growth rate also presents good prospects for South African exports.

1. Updated flooding situation since 25 July 2011 up to present, the total flooding area and announced to be the emergency flooding area were 64 provinces with 680 Districts, 4,917 Sub-districts, 43,593 villages, and 562 people were died.
2. At present situation still effected by the flooding were 17 provinces, 118 District, 855 Sub-districts, 5,693 villages which effected to 4,982,583 people in 1,863,310 families. The effected flooding provinces were Nakhon Sawan, Chainat, Ang Thong, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Lopburi, Saraburi, Suphanburi, Nakhon Pathom, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Samut Sakhon, Samut Prakarn, Bangkok, Ubon Ratchathani, Roi Et, Chachoengsao, and Nakhon Nayok.
3. The recovery provinces and in between rehabilitation were totaling 47 provinces which are Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Lampang, Phrae, Nan, Mae Hong Son, Lampun, Uttaradit, Phitsanulok, Phetchabun, Sukhothai, Phichit, Uthai Thani, Udon Thani, Chaiyaphum, Nongkai, Buengkan, Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan, Surin, Maha Sarakham, Khon Kaen, Sakon Nakhon, Rayong, Chon Buri, Prachuap Kiri Khan, Ranong, Phang Nga, Phuket, Chanthaburi, Satun, Trang, Surat Thani, Trat, Sa Kaeo, Yasothon, Amnat Charoen, Loei, Nakhon Ratchasima, Buriram, Ratchaburi, Kamphaeng Phet, Tak, Singburi, Prachin Buri, Srisaket and Karasin.

The coordination assistance among our networks

Thai Hire Purchase Association has provided guidelines in helping its clients affected by flood so that all member companies may use such guidelines as follows:

• exempt collection fee and late payment fee
• defer monthly payment for those affected by flood
• restructure for debt payment eg. extend period of payment for monthly rent/purchase
• Those clients who are business entrepreneurs or those who rent/purchase fleet finance vehicles will be given assistance according to their ability to pay
• cease follow-up procedure for those having to pay who are flood effected and are residing in flood affected areas
• in case if need for additional emergency loans, financial institutions who are members of the Association, have provided funds for such loans.  (Additional information may be obtained from Thailand Rent/Purchase Business Association).

Measure for Rehabilitate by the Government Sector

Government Saving Bank has provided additional measures to alleviate burden of those flood effected as follows:

1. Saving Lottery with special merit, capital retained and pushing for luck; For every 100 baht purchase of the lottery, the Bank will donate 1 baht for flood relief and other public donation
2. For 99 day Saving Account;  The Bank will donate 99 baht for every 50,000 deposit
3. To exempt fee for all cash withdrawal from ATM machines crossing regions from 4 – 30 November 2011
4. To exempt fee from international transfer of fund using Xpress Money system for domestic clients from 5 November to 6 December 2011.

Measures for Recovery by the Government Sector

Cabinet Approval 15 November 2011
The Cabinet has approved guidelines for healing and rehabilitating those flood effected. For further details please visit www.thaigov.go.th

Evaluation of the Situation

The World Bank has presented an article analyzing flood situation in Thailand in Food Outlook, November 2011 stating that the flood crisis in Thailand may cause food shortage in the world market in the short term.  From initial speculation, areas of rice production may have been decreased to 19 million tons or almost 25% compared with 25 million tons. This will also cause price increase for rice in the world market.

The International Trade Office in Xia Men, China has reported that Chinese entrepreneurs importing rice from Thailand have already stopped their order since the Thai exporters could not fulfill their order because transportation routes have been cut off. This is expected to effect export in the coming 1 – 2 months.  However, it is also expected that the price of rice will increase in relation to the price of husk pawning and the reduction of rice production caused by flood damage.

Thai Trade Center Hong Kong also reported that due to the damage to rice production caused by the flood crisis, Hong Kong rice importers expect the price of Thai rice to go up 20% before year end compared to the price prior to flood.  Thai rice importers have already increased their price from 10-20% in relation to the higher price of rice pawning.

Mr. Chukiat Opaswong, Honorary Chairman of Thai Rice Exporters Association said that he did not believe that there would be rice shortage as stipulated by the World Bank. This is because even though rice production from Thailand may be damaged because of the flood, but India and Pakistan who have stopped exporting rice in the past have now both resumed exporting rice full scale.  So this should be enough to compensate the rice from Thailand. Moreover, he also believed that the price of rice should not increase since the price of rice in the world market has been so far low and stable.

- International Business Promotion Department, Board of Trade of Thailand & Thai Chamber of Commerce

South Africa sold $1.8 billion worth of cars to the US in 2010, putting us ahead of Sweden and Italy as suppliers to the US market. Car sales are projected to grow 10% in 2011 to 460,000 units.

South Africa is ranked 1st out of 139 countries in respect of regulation of security exchanges, according to the World Economic Forum competitiveness report 2010-2011 .

The South African stock market rose 16.09% in 2010, ranking 8th out of the G20 nations and ahead of all of the G7 countries (Bespoke Investment Group).

The South African Rand (ZAR) was the second best performing currency against the US Dollar between 2007 and 2011, according to Bloomberg’s Currency Scorecard.

The number of tourists visiting South Africa has grown from 3.9 million in 1994 to 11.3 million in 2010. South Africa is ranked among the top 5 countries in the world in respect of tourism growth(growing at 3 times the global average).

Cape Town was named the top tourist destination in the world in the 2011 Travellers’ Choice Destinations awards.

Johannesburg’s OR Tambo airport is the best airport in Africa, according to the World Airport Awards 2010/11. It was also in the top three most improved airports in the world for the same period.

South Africa’s learner-to-teacher ratio has improved from 1:50 in 1994 to 1:31 in 2010.

SA’s population is the 27th largest in the world (there are 230 countries, only 80 have a population in excess of 10 million). South Africa is not listed as one of the 49 fastest growing populations. Ourpopulation is set to stabilise at ± 50 million for the next 20 years. Population sizes remain the same when there are 2.2 births per fertile female. In South Africa the figure is 2.3 births per fertile female. The average in Europe is 1.7. (The Economist).

The percentage of the South African population with access to clean drinking water increased from 62% in 1994, to 93% in 2011.

Access to electricity has increased: from 34% in 1994 to 84% in 2011.

Since 1994, 435 houses have been built each day for the poor.

Don’t let statements by youth leaders and politicians frighten you. They are only playing to their crowd and trying to win sympathy. The media knows you will fall for this, because it sells.

Land rights are protected in the Constitution. Freedom of speech is protected in the Constitution.

Fear leads to hate. Hate leads to anger. Anger leads to suffering. Therefore don’t fear.

“To date, we have lost 17 000 vehicles between Thailand and South Africa. It could get to 30 000 by the end of the flooding,” said Nemeth. He did want to split the numbers to indicate what portion of the lost production belonged to South Africa. The FMCSA plant has a capacity of more than 100 000 pickups a year. Thailand is a global pickup and pickup component production hub. “The floods have a significant impact on us,” summarised Nemeth. The prognosis for a quick recovery was not good either, he added. As Thailand is a flat country, the water was “seeping” rather than draining away quickly. Nemeth said the US manufacturer had decided to aid the Thai component suppliers by assisting in salvaging some of the tooling at their operations – by using divers – and to relocate these to dry areas to resume operations. The Ford plant in Thailand was not under water, he added, but a number of suppliers was affected. “We have meetings every day to go over the parts affected,” noted Nemeth, “the same was the case with the tsunami in Japan earlier this year.” Toyota South Africa Motors, which also sourced components from Thailand, reported that it was still able to continue production “as normal” at its Hilux plant, in Durban. “We are awaiting more information from Toyota Motor Corporation. Further information is expected at the end of this week,” said spokesperson Leo Kok.

Another local bakkie producer, General Motors South Africa (GMSA), which assembles the Isuzu KB at its Port Elizabeth plant, noted that its manufacturing operations were also continuing as usual. “We are still assessing the situation to determine how it could potentially impact upon our operations in the future,” said GMSA manufacturing VP Michael Pearton. Nissan South Africa reported that its operations were also continuing normally, even though the Nissan Motor Thailand plant at Samut Praka suspended operations until Friday, owing to a shortage of parts.

“At this time the production hold at NMT has not affected production at facilities outside Thailand.”

Presented by the South African National Energy Association (SANEA) in association with the World Energy Council, the forum has achieved the highest level of endorsement and support and as such is without doubt the leading energy event in Africa.

Africa is a continent of contrasts. It has the fastest urbanising continent in the world, and must provide energy to meet the annual urban growth rate, which is twice as high as Asia and Latin America, while, as home to the poorest of the poor, it must find innovate energy solutions for 50% of the worlds impoverished. The fourth annual African Energy Indaba will be the forum and business networking opportunity for decision-makers and leading role-players planning and developing Africa’s energy future.

The Africa Energy Indaba 2012 will be held from 21 – 23 February 2012, at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa. The conference continues to grow and has become the foremost forum for debating and exchanging solutions to Africa’s energy challenges and focuses on: African power suppliers; alternative and renewable energies; oil and gas; the legal and regulatory framework, and investment opportunities in African energy projects, to name a few. The exhibition has become a significant market-place for African and international stakeholders doing business in Africa’s energy sector.

More information about the event is available at http://www.energyindaba.co.za/

The Embassy and your Chamber are trying to put together a delegation of potential Thai investors to visit KwaZulu Natal, South Africa in September this year.  There are numerous opportunities for investment along the North coast of KZN especially since the new King Shaka international airport has opened between Durban and Richards Bay. Aside from industrial and agricultural openings there are wonderful tourism openings both along the beaches and in the game park.

If amongst your business contacts you feel there might be some interest, by all means please promote this trip as an opening to invest inSouth Africa. Pass on any contacts you have made to the Embassy Trade Officer, Khun Phaopha-nga (Aoi)- satrade@loxinfo.co.th

Download the following documents for more information:

PROPOSED-PROGRAMME-FOR-THAILAND-BUSINESS-DELEGATION-VISIT-TO-KWAZULU-NATAL
Reply-form-kwazulu-natal-investment-mission