by SFT | Mar 27, 2024 | St Francis
Allegria gracefully took her plunge into the waters on Saturday amidst picture-perfect weather conditions. The joy and excitement were palpable as everything unfolded seamlessly. A heartfelt thank you to the owners, Amedeo and Emy, for bringing hull 25 to life! May this beautiful vessel, Allegria, bring you endless joy on all your future adventures. Bon voyage! 
#balance526
all photos and words Andrea Paarman
by SFT | Mar 27, 2024 | SPAR
TODAYS SPECIALS – PHUZA THURSDAY – ONE DAY ONLY!
Klippies and coke? Viceroy Smooth Gold and ginger ale? Or do you fancy some red wine this weekend? Some crazy specials at TOPS.
Wine Of The Week – Baleia Sauvignon Blanc 2023
About Baleia Wines
All great wines are born from a special location. In the case of Baleia, it is a terroir unlike any other in South Africa. Baleia, Portugese for Whale, is the first and only winery in the Lower Duivenhoks ward near the remote hamlet of Vermaaklikheid on the Cape South Coast.
Tasting Notes
Nuances of delicate tropical fruits such as ripe pear, rose and prickly pear. The lush, balanced palate entertains with light winter melon, apple, and artichoke with a slight presence of zesty minerality.
Easter Feast At The SUPERSPAR
This Easter, the SPAR is offering a huge selection of sweeter savings, like slow-roasted Lamb Delight with whipped herb feta and delicious SPAR Bakery hot cross buns. The Food Stall pickled fish, and SPAR marinated braai snoek are also on special.
by SFT | Mar 26, 2024 | St Francis
Rip Curl GromSearch and Rip Curl Cup Port Alfred presented by The Royal St Andrews Hotel and supported by Sea Harvest, are two of the anchor events of the Port Alfred Easter Festival, along with the Bands At The Beach Music Fest. These events will occur in Port Alfred over Easter, 29 March – 1 April.
St Francis surfers include Rory Dace, Jack Erlank, Rylan and Brin Jarvis, Summer Harding, Stanley Badger and Slayde Shooter.
What are these competitions?
The Rip Curl GromSearch Port Alfred is the second in a five-event series at premier venues along our coastline. The first contest took place in Kommetjie and Witsands in Cape Town earlier this year, and the event to follow the Port Alfred competition will be held at Nahoon Reef in East London.
The Rip Curl Cup is an Open Specialty Event that will take place after the GromSearch with prizemoney that has increased to R80k.
Who is competing?
The top junior surfers in the country will contest the Rip Curl GromSearch. The GromSearch series is the most popular junior series in the country.
The Rip Curl Cup is an open event, and there is a mix of top surfers from all over the country, some top juniors, and a few seasoned competitive veterans. With R80k in prizemoney, it is going to be an exciting event. Apart from the R20k first-place prize for men and women and prizes for second, third, and fourth places across both men’s and women’s divisions, there is also the Rosehill SUPERSPAR Expression Session, with two prizes of R2.5k each.
Where are these contests taking place?
Both tournaments will take place at East Beach, Port Alfred, one of the prime sand-bottom right-handers on the East Coast. The forecast for good waves looks promising at this early stage.
Why are they taking place?
The Rip Curl GromSearch and the Rip Curl Cup are both presented by the Royal St Andrews Hotel and are supported by Sea Harvest. They form the main events of the Port Alfred Easter Festival, the four-day multi-sports and culture festival in Port Alfred. The surf events and the SA Bodyboarding Challenge taking place at West Beach will have the local NSRI Station 11 doing water safety throughout the ocean events.
On Saturday night, there is the inaugural Bands At The Beach Music Fest at Guido’s, alongside the West Beach Pier. Featuring Georgetown, Arno Carstens, Wonderboom, aKING and December Streets, the music festival is a fundraiser for the NSRI. Everyone is encouraged to come along and join in the festivities. Tickets are available on 
QUICKET
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What Else?
Opening Function:
There will be an opening function at the Royal St Andrews Hotel on Thursday evening at 18:00. This is open to all surfers, bodyboarders, media, parents, and anyone who wants to attend.
The speakers will be Surfing South Africa Vice President Anne Wright, Royal St Andrews Hotel MD Justin Bekker, Bodyboarding representative and Business Chairperson Clinton Millard, Kowie Boardriders Chair Mickey Witthuhn and NSRI Spokesperson Chris Pike. There will also be a brief safety demonstration with Chris afterwards.
A cash bar will be available in the conference foyer, and there is an awesome Surfers Special at the Highlander after the opening ceremony.
Adults – Chicken/Beef Burger and 300 ml Beer – R135.00
Children – Chicken/Beer Burger and Soft Drink – R100.00
SA Junior Team Colours Awards.
The 2024 South African Junior Team selected to compete in the 20th ISA World Surfing Championships in El Salvador in May will be awarded their colours on Friday, 29 March, at the Royal St Andrews Hotel.
The function starts at 18:00. Parents, friends, coaches, sponsors and media are invited to attend.
Linkonline will provide a free high-speed hotspot on the beach for competitors, spectators and officials. More here – LINKONLINE
A SuperSport Film Crew will be on-site, producing a show on these two surf contests and coverage of the other Port Alfred Easter Festival events for later viewing.
High-resolution images are available
for media outlets on request.
by SFT | Mar 25, 2024 | Financial Planning, St Francis
Investing in the financial markets can be daunting, especially when faced with the unpredictability of market fluctuations. However, there’s a strategy that can help mitigate this uncertainty and potentially outperform fund performance over the long term: investing monthly through rand cost averaging (RCA).
RCA, also known as dollar-cost averaging, involves investing a fixed amount of money at regular intervals, regardless of market conditions. Here’s how it works and why it can be advantageous:
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Mitigating Market Volatility:
Market volatility is a reality that investors must contend with. Prices can fluctuate wildly from day to day, making it difficult to time the market effectively. RCA smooths out these fluctuations by spreading investments over time. When prices are high, your fixed investment amount buys fewer shares, and when prices are low, it buys more shares. This averages out the cost of your investments and reduces the impact of market volatility on your overall returns.
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Disciplined Investing:
One of the biggest challenges for investors is staying disciplined during turbulent market conditions. RCA removes the temptation to time the market and makes investing a regular habit. By committing to investing a fixed amount each month, regardless of market fluctuations, you build discipline and consistency into your investment strategy.
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Maximizing Long-Term Growth:
Investing regularly through RCA harnesses the power of compounding over time. As your investments grow, dividends and interest earnings are reinvested, leading to exponential growth. This long-term approach to investing can help you accumulate wealth steadily over the years, potentially outperforming fund performance in the process.
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Lowering Average Cost Per Share:
With RCA, you buy more shares when prices are low and fewer shares when prices are high. This results in a lower average cost per share over time. By consistently investing at regular intervals, you benefit from market fluctuations rather than being hindered by them.
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Reducing Timing Risk:
Timing the market is notoriously difficult, even for experienced investors. RCA eliminates the need to predict market movements by spreading investments over time. This reduces the risk of investing a large sum of money at the wrong time, such as during a market downturn.
In conclusion, investing monthly through rand cost averaging is a prudent strategy for navigating the ups and downs of the financial markets. By mitigating market volatility, fostering disciplined investing habits, maximizing long-term growth potential, lowering average cost per share, and reducing timing risk, RCA offers a reliable path to building wealth over the long term.
—
Dirk Groeneveld, Certified Financial Plannert.
Previous Columns:
by SFT | Mar 25, 2024 | Action Sports, St Francis
Rory Dace will be heading to Port Alfred © Louis Wulff
Port Alfred – Just days before the Port Alfred Easter Festival kicks off, here is an update on what is in store over those first few days. The Port Alfred Easter Festival is presented by Sunshine Coast Port Alfred Tourism.
Thursday 28th
Surfing: Opening Function
There will be an opening function at the Royal St Andrews Hotel on Thursday evening at 6 p.m. This function is open to all surfers, bodyboarders, media, parents, and anyone who wants to attend.
The speakers will be Surfing South Africa Vice President Anne Wright, Royal St Andrews Hotel MD Justin Bekker, Bodyboarding representative and Business Chairperson Clinton Millard, Kowie Boardriders Chair Mickey Witthuhn and NSRI Station 11 Spokesperson Chris Pike. Chris will also give a brief safety demonstration.
Friday 29th
Fishing: Species Spectacular Fishing Contest
The Species Spectacular Fishing Competition, presented by the Port Alfred River and Ski Boat Club, starts with a 5 a.m. launch on Friday morning
Surfing: Rip Curl GromSearch
photo: Louis Wulff
The Rip Curl GromSearch, presented by Royal St Andrews and supported by Sea Harvest, kicks off at 7:30 a.m. at East Beach. The forecast looks promising.
Good Time Fair
The Good Time Fair On The River fun starts on Van Der Riet Street with a jumping castle, Easter Egg hunt, and mouth-watering breakfasts and lunches from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Then, from 3 p.m., it moves over to Wharf Street for an afternoon and evening of live music, a second market, vibrant lights, tasty street food, two landmark restaurants, karaoke, a wife-carrying competition (win your wife’s weight in beer!), and more.
Surfing Colours Awards.
The 2024 South African Junior Team selected to compete in the 20th ISA World Surfing Championships in El Salvador in May will be awarded their colours on Friday, 29 March.
This will take place at the Royal St Andrews Hotel on Friday evening at 6 p.m.
Saturday 30th
Saturday is the big day, so stay tuned for the next press release.
Port Alfred Easter Festival Platforms:
WEBSITE
FACEBOOK PAGE
INSTAGRAM
EMAIL
Complimentary high-resolution images are available for media outlets.
e. INFO@EASTERFESTIVAL.CO.ZA
t. 082 376 4443
Read the full Port Alfred Easter festival event guide here:
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