This particular guy (I can’t remember who he is) said that you can’t fight piracy. The future is in adding value so that people are still prepared to pay. Apple added value with iTunes by making it super easy to find and download what you want cheaply. Why go hunting for illegal music when you have what you want right there? There are a bunch of other ways to add value as well, eg. help people find music that suits their taste, provide information about the bands, etc.

Anyway, I don’t want to go into great depth, but I’m very excited about this new development in the music industry. It does what I believe needs to be done, connecting the listener to the artist directly. No middle men, no royalties and what not.

The artists need consistent support, and the users want access to their music and new music when it becomes available. Users are prepared to pay, but not a lot. Airborne puts that all together. I think this is a game changer.

https://www.airbornemusic.com

Here is the (alphabetical in scoring band) list of all the winners, wine lists are scored out of a possible 100 points.

Inspirational (91 – 100/100 points)

96 Winery Road
Aubergine Restaurant
Bosman’s Restaurant
Restaurant Mosaic
Reuben’s at The One & Only
Rodwell House

Outstanding (66 – 90/100 points)

Azure Restaurant
Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve and Wellness Retreat
Capelands Restaurant Mangiare
French Toast Wine & Tapas Bar
Karibu Restaurant
Kitima at the Kronendal
The Grill Room
Zachary’s Restaurant

Excellent (41 – 65/100 points)

Bientang’s Cave Restaurant
Blue Water Café
Café del Sol
Dear Me
Fishmonger Centurion
Hemingway’s Restaurant and Wine Cellar
Pigalle Restaurants Sandton
Pride of India
Prosopa Restaurant
Reuben’s Restaurant & Bar
The Raj Indian Restaurant
Verdicchio Restaurant & Wine Cellar

Highly Regarded (30 – 40/100 points)

Arpeggio Ristoranté
La Pentola
Pigalle Restaurants Bedfordview
Pigalle Restaurants Melrose Arch
Sofia’s at Morgenster
TSG 4Ways Mediterranean Grill Café
Zinzi Restaurant

Good Value award winners had to achieve a minimum score of 40+/100 for Quality and 80/100 for Value (in alphabetical order):

96 Winery Road
Bientang’s Cave Restaurant
Blue Water Café
Café del Sol
Capelands Restaurant Mangiare
Fishmonger Centurion
Hemingway’s Restaurant & Wine Cellar
Karibu Restaurant
Kitima at the Kronendal
Prosopa Restaurant
Restaurant Mosaic
Rodwell House
Verdicchio Restaurant & Wine Cellar

Once you have been judged you will have feedback on your entry so that you can see where you fell short and therefore improve your performance the following year. This is a refreshing approach and allows for development in the industry. Even restaurant owners who are not wine savvy can download the judging matrix and use it as a guide to spruce up the quality of their wine list.

As part of the marketing we recorded some conversations about the value awards to be played on Fine Music Radio. These chats have been turned into Youtube videos so you can hear them (even though you don’t listen to FMR). How do I sound?

You can read more about the Top 100 Wine List Awards on the Website.

This season’s lineup has been released and the list of concerts is below. The concerts are on a Saturday so they don’t clash with Kirstenbosch. Some people find the tickets a bit pricey, but you have to realise the amphitheatre only holds 600 people so it’s very intimate and the price of the ticket is the band’s performance fee divided by 600.

10th Dec 2011 – Prime Circle (R325)
14th Jan 2012 – Nataniel (R200)
4th Feb 2012 – Freshlyground (R325)
18th Feb 2012 – Elvis Blue (R200)
25th Feb 2012 – Watershed (R325)
10th March 2012 – Vusi Mahlasela (R325)

Wine is available at cellar prices and picnics can be purchased too. Tickets available from Computicket. More information is available on the Paul Cluver website.

ps. Barry Hilton is on the original schedule but his performance has been cancelled.

I’ve been trying to avoid driving even if I’ve had one drink. I find it’s a mindset, if I’m going to have a drink then I must make a plan to get home without driving. Sometimes I decide not to go out at all because it’s not worth the mission, and I think that’s a good thing.

I live in Seapoint, so town is not that far away. Worst case scenario I have to walk home, it’s only about an hour. But I can usually catch a taxi and from town to my spot is about R60. So I can generally get out and home for R120. But that adds up when you go out as often as me (6 nights a week!). So I’ve been trying to catch the bus to town, then get a cab home. That’s about R70 for the evening but it’s not convenient because the buses are not reliable. Sometimes I have waited less than 5 mins, but other times I have waited for an hour before giving up and taking a cab.

I have to admit I’ve never used a minibus taxi. I have tried a Rikki share cab, but my prevailing memory was that it didn’t work out much cheaper than a normal taxi (I generally use Excite – R9/km and it takes up to 6 people). If there is  more than one person then a taxi becomes a lot cheaper, and a group of 6 can move around town very cheaply.

The other option which I have started testing is one of the chauffeur services. That’s not really the right name for them, but I don’t know what the correct term is. I have been using Good Fellas, courtesy of the SAB No Regret Friday campaign. I’ve really been enjoying the service. The idea is that you drive your car out and then they will come fetch you and drive you home in your own car. The ‘sweeper’ will then take the driver back.

The fact that you are only paying for a one way trip makes it a more reasonable option and it gives you the freedom to leave home when you are ready, which not so easy when using buses or taxis. Good Fellas is not the only service like this, there are quite a few. I thought I would compare the options in case anyone else found it useful.

I was a little bit nervous using the service for the first time, after all, it’s different from a taxi, so I assume the etiquette must be different too. I decided to do some research and chatted to Joffy from 1 For The Road and he answered some questions for me.

I asked whether people usually sit in the front or back when they are driven home. He said single pickups usually sit in the front, couples usually together in the back. I have sat in the back when I’ve been collected and I love it. It’s the first time I’ve sat in the back of my car and it’s actually really comfy, makes me feel like a larney.

Then I asked about tipping, and he recommends a minimum of R20 tip if you’re happy with the service. This will be split between the two drivers, so it’s not a lot.

I asked if it’s necessary to direct the driver to your home. Joffy touts this as an advantage of being a member, they have your details on file so they know where to go. Some of the services allow non members, so you would obviously need to direct them.

A very important question is whether you need to make any adjustments to your vehicle insurance. Joffy recommends you check with your insurance but generally a policy allows for an occasional second driver.

The driver will park your car for you if you so wish, or you can park it yourself (silly question, but I have a very tricky parking spot).

What about stopping for some McDonalds on the way home? You’re paying per km and the driver probably has to go and collect someone after you, so it’s not ideal. But if you ask nicely…

Dropping off someone is allowed. I have done this myself. You have to tell the call centre when you book so that they can plan the time, and obviously the extra kilometres will be charged to your account.

Pre booking a time helps a lot with planning. So if possible, try book a collection time before you go out and stick to it. Otherwise, be aware that you can expect to wait anything up to an hour for your driver to arrive.

Some offer female drivers on request for women who may be nervous.

My research reveals that there are 10 companies offering this service. How do you go about choosing the one for you?

Well, there are a number of criteria but some a more important than others. For instance cost is obviously going to be a big factor, and so is minimum trip distance. You see most ask a minimum trip of about 15kms, but I live in Seapoint and go out in town, so my trip is only 6kms. This means I will pay double per trip.

Some of the services allow you to use them as non members, but it’s much more expensive that way. The best is to try and work out how you would use the service, ie. How often would you use it and how far would an average trip be. Then you can select a package which would suit you.

To make your life easier, I’ve listed all the services with a few comments and a link to their websites so that you can browse the options. Find the list here.

If you’re with Outsurance, they offer a discount on the basic Good Fella’s subscription where you pay per kilometre.

If there are any services that I have left off the list, please share them in the comments section below or send me an email.

Sober Chauffeur

http://www.soberchauffeur.co.za

What makes Sober Chauffeur different is that, while they do offer an individual package, they offer corporate packages, so a company can get a package and all their staff can use the service rather than having to get a package for each staff member. This is good because some staff might not use the service much so an individual package might be wasted on them.

The other interesting difference is that the kilometres are charges in zones. So for example Zone 1 on the individual package is up to R15kms and Zone 2 15 -25kms, etc. The trip is charged according to the zone.

For an individual this is not an ideal option because the monthly fee of R199 only includes one free trip. So unless you are travelling 40 – 50kms in that trip, you can never get your money’s worth. Also, each subsequent trip is expensive because the charge is per zone, so if you travel 16km, you pay for Zone 2 and it will cost you R149 (R9/km) but if you travel for 25kms you are still in Zone 2 and you are only paying about R5.50/km.

Joining Fee: R179
Contract Term: 12 Months

Smart Guyz

http://www.smartguyz.co.za

Smart Guyz offer options to suit many different requirements. They allow non members to use the service for a R160 minimum charge which includes 10kms and the balance of kilometres is charged at R10/km.

They also offer corporate packages where the company pays R50 per registered user and they can use the service as much as they like at R9, no free kilometres.

The individual packages range from Bronze to Gold with each including more free kilometres and a cheaper per kilometre rate for out of bundle kilometres. The Bronze package costs R70 per month and includes no free kms and a R9 charge per km. So it’s like the non member option but if you use it more than once a month it saves you R70 per additional callout.

The other nice thing about Smart Guys is that you can add family members to your contract for an additional R35 for month.

My thoughts: If you have a family, this is really good value. If you went for the Gold package (100km free) at R640 and add your spouse and 2 kids, it would cost R745 per month and you would share the 100kms between you (minimum trip 15kms – 6 trips) and the additional kms would only cost R6.40 per km, cheaper than any taxi.

No Joining Fee
Contract period: 12 Months

Nite Owls

http://www.niteowl.co.za

These guys have a simple pricing structure. Non members pay a R65 pick up fee and pay R13/km with a minimum trip of 13kms (R234 minimum cost per callout). Surcharge of R95 for callouts after 2am.

Members pay R780 per annum (R65 per month), but there is no pickup fee (so you save if you use it more than once a month), R12/km and minimum trip of 12kms (so each trip is a minimum of R144). Callouts after 2am cost R65 extra.

My thoughts:  I like the simplicity, and the monthly fee is not high, so if you don’t use the service you aren’t losing much. On the other hand R12/km is quite high.

No joining fee
Contract: 12 months

Road Trip

http://www.roadtrip.co.za

These guys have no non member options. The packages range from R232/month (20kms free, 5km minimum trip, R11.60/km) to R635/month (99kms free, 15km minimum trip, R6.41/km). They also offer a family option where you can add family members for R46 each per month. So in the example I used for Smart Guys, a family of four would cost R773/month with 99km free, 15kms minimum trip and R6.41/km. Very similar to Smart Guyz.

There is a corporate option too, from 20+ members, R79/month each and R9.69/km, minimum trip 15kms.

My thoughts: Similar plans to Good Fellas but a bit cheaper. Family options make it good. They also operate quite late which is good.

No joining fee
12 months contract

Good Fellas

https://www.gfellas.co.za

The original chauffeur service, these guys have been going since 2004. Did you know it started in PE? Packages range from Smartchoice (R85/month, R11/km, 15km minimum trip) to Smartchoice 90 (R661.50/month, R7.35/km, 15km minimum trip). There is one package which has a minimum trip of only 5kms but obviously the per km charge is higher.

Family members can be added to a package for R45.95/month each. And they mention that they will offer special packaged tailored to corporate as well as special function services where they provide drivers to take your guests home.

They have some unusual charges too. There is a R6.90 monthly admin fee and they charge you R250 if you cancel your membership. There is also a re-joining fee of R500 and a 2^nd time re-joining fee of R1000. I guess they are not locking you into a 12 month contract but don’t want you leaving and re-joining all the time.

No joining fee
Monthly contract

1 for the Road

http://www.1fortheroad.co.za

Similar packages as the others, minimum trip of 15kms, except for one package which has a minimum trip of 5kms. Subs range from R80 (no free kilometres, R10.50/km) to R560 (80 free kilometres, R7.00/km).

Family members can be added for R40/month and there is also a function membership for companies who wish to have function guests taken home.

The contract is for 12 months and the T&C’s say it auto renews unless you cancel, but I’m sure they will be changing that soon as it is now illegal according to the new Consumer Protection Act.

No joining fee
Contract period: 12 Months

Firefly

http://www.facebook.com/pages/FireFly-You-Drink-We-Drive

These guys freak me out because they don’t have a website. I don’t know how you can start a business without putting up a website. Anyway, maybe that’s just me. I mean, they do have a Facebook page.

Their rates are simple like Nite Owls. Non members can use the service and pay a R45 pick up fee, R11/km, and a minimum call out of 13km (R188 minimum). After 2:30am there is a R45 surcharge as well. This is definitely the cheapest non member rate, I guess it’s because they don’t have to pay for a website.

Members pay R520 for a year (R44/month), R9/km and minimum callout of R13km. The post 2:30am surcharge falls to R35. This means it’s worth being a member even if you only use it once a month.

No joining fee
Membership period: 12 Months

Scoota Express

http://www.scootaexpress.co.za/

These guys are really setting themselves apart. No membership fees, no minimum charge and no call out fee. This is crazy, use this service while you can! They also only charge R10/km! This is as cheap as taking a taxi and you only have to do it one way and your car gets home. Plus they operate until 4am.

They do the same as the others except the sweeper drives a scooter not a car. The thing that worries me, apart from the poor oke on the scooter trying to keep up, is the insurance cover. You need to check with your insurance that you would be covered in the event of an accident. I know that some of these companies are affiliated to insurance companies so just check. Also, you need cash because they take the money from you when they drop you off while most of the others just charge your account because you are a member.

No joining fees
No contract

Home Drive

http://www.homedrive.co.za

These guys have also got a simple charging system, no membership and you have to book earlier and pre pay (you can’t just call them and say come fetch me). They charge a fixed rate of R495 to drop you within a 30km radius of the departure point. Multiple drop offs are allowed as long as the entire trip does not take more than an hour.

They also offer a chauffeur service where they will collect you and take you wherever you need to be. Like a taxi, just more expensive.

R500 is a lot, I’m not sure how this service will compete against others.

No joining fee
No contract

1 Way

http://www.1way.co.za

1 Way does not have a non member option and their packages are different from the others in that they don’t include free kms, just the more you pay per month, the cheaper you per kilometre rate is. Starting at R12/km for the R50 membership going down to R6.60/km for the R350 membership. Their minimum trip is 12kms, which is appealing.

If you’re trip home is mostly less than 10kms, then the option with the 6km minimum trip is the best. The R50 package is only worthwhile if you plan to use the service less than thrice per month. The created a spreadsheet with the trip distance and number of trips per month as variables, which makes it easy to see which package is the best for your usage pattern.

Family members get a 50% discount. They also give you a 10% discount for pre bookings which is clever as it incentivises pre bookings. They also don’t charge you extra for call outs after 2am (but you need to book before 2am as the call centre closes at 2am), but there is a R50 surcharge for pickups outside zone 1 (the website doesn’t say what zone 1 is).

No joining fee
Contract runs monthly

Scooter Angels

http://www.scooterangels.co.za/

These guys are based in Northern Suburbs and request that you pre-book for other areas. No membership fee, but members get better prices. Members pay R25 pick up fee (R50 after 12:30am), R50 for the first 6kms of a trip and R8 thereafter. Non members pay R45 pickup fee (R75 after 12:30am), R75 for the first 6kms of a trip and R10/km thereafter.

As you can deduce from the name, they use scooters so could get to you sooner if they were to encounter traffic jams, etc. Interestingly they only operate from Wednesday to Saturday, 7pm – 2:30am. Also, they only accept cash, paid to the driver on drop off. Which means you need to ensure you have a good stash of cash with you.

Home Hero

http://www.homeheroes.org/driveme

The new kid on the block, what makes these guys different is that they give you access to multiple sober chauffeur services. Potentially offering speedier service. It appears that they only have one contract type and don’t mention servicing of non members. The cost is R90 per month and R12.50/km.

Lift Club

http://www.liftc.co.za/

Lift Club is an extension of the sober chauffeur service. I believe this is a very smart move and puts their offering ahead of the competition. With these guys you don’t always have to be taken home in your car, while they offer this service, they also offer a personalised taxi service. The company strap line is “24 hour family transport club”. You need your kids picked up from school? Need to get from A to B? Need to get home with your car but have been drinking? These guys will assist wherever they are needed.

A family membership is R360 a month and the 50km included can be used however you like. The individual package is R90 with 12kms included. The rate for out of bundle kilometres is R8. If you are going to need a regular service, say fetching the kids from school or taking your elderly mother to the doctor, you can negotiate a customised package.

Bikefellas

These guys emailed me to tell me they offer a sober chauffeur service and would I please add them to this list. It looks like they started up in January, so they are very new. Which might explain why they don’t have a website yet. But you can see their ad on Gumtree. It sounds like the standard service but with no subscriptions. A call out is a minimum of R150 which includes 15kms. Additional kilometres are R10 each. The pricing is competitive, if you are travelling 15 kilometres or more.

I would just be a little nervous using a fly by night operator that doesn’t even have a website yet (see firefly above as well). There needs to be accountability and I want to know that the company has invested in their operation, has some infrastructure, etc.

In addition to the Top 10 this year, Eat Out will also be announcing, for the first time, the winners in the following niche categories:

Best Asian restaurant
Best Italian restaurant
Best Steakhouse
Best Country-Style restaurant
Best Bistro
Most Stylish restaurant

These categories are separate from the Top 10. Some of the winners may also be in the Top 10, but need not necessarily be.

Here is the list of candidates for the Top 10:

Azure Restaurant
Babel
Bosman’s
DW Eleven-13
Grande Provence
The Greenhouse
Hartford House
Jordan Restaurant
La Colombe
Mosaic Restaurant
Nobu
Overture
Pierneef à La Motte
Planet Restaurant
Roots
The Roundhouse
The Tasting Room
Terroir
The Test Kitchen
Tokara

You can see last year’s candidate list here.

Cape Town is fast becoming known as the beer capital of South Africa, maybe it’s because we have the oldest brewery in the country here (Newlands Brewery), or because we have a substantial number of craft brews being produced (and drunk) here. Maybe its because it’s the home of the We Love Real Beer movement. But whatever the reason, the fact is, Cape Town is no longer just about wine (and beautiful scenery, and beaches, and art, and, and, and…).

Coming up in the last four months of this year we have no less than five beer festivals for you to enjoy. Each of them will be quite different, so arrange your diary so that you can attend them all. Here’s the list for you to enter into your diary:

29th Sept – 1st October: Oktober Bierfest is a new festival starting this year. It is taking place in Cape Town and in Johannesburg. SAB seems to be quite involved (apart from providing beer, obviously) as it is happening on the Village Green at the Newlands Brewery. SAB are apparently going to be brewing three Bavarian styled beers for the occasion. Tickets are R75 and you can find out more info here www.oktoberbierfest.co.za

30th Sept: The We Love Real Beer craft beer festival. This one happens twice a year and is the third one so far. Which means I don’t need to tell you much about it because you’ve probably already been before. You will only find craft beers at this festival, in fact, wearing your Black Label t-shirt could get you beaten up (but the Black Labour spoof t-shirts are probably fine). Let’s hope this year there is some craft cider for the girls, or even some water. Opens 4pm and tickets are R50 www.weloverealbeer.com

14th Oct – 30th Oct: Now this one is an institution. The Paulaner Octoberfest is in its 10th year and is well known for being a great party. Even though it runs for two weeks, it’s busy all the time. In fact weekends are so jammed you need to get there early. There is live music and 9,000 litres of the special Paulaner Oktoberfestbier, but no cover charge! Details on the website.

25th Nov – 27th Nov: The Cape Town Festival of Beer started last year with a bang so this year will naturally be bigger and better. This festival is all about the beer and the good times that go with it. All beers are welcome, whether craft or large production so there is a serious selection of beers. Added to that is the party tent with live music and a whole host of fun activities. Missing this would be a mistake. Tickets from R60 and details on the website.

 8th Dec – 10th Dec: Beer Essentials premium beer festival. This is running for the first time this year, in Joburg and Cape Town. They are trying to provide a more premium experience with tutorials, pairings, etc. It’s happening at the ICC and I don’t know much more than that. There is some information on their website.

So there you have it, five beer festivals in four months. What more could you ask for?

This means that the competition is well respected and the awards highly sought after. The winners of the top awards are listed below. To see the full results, visit the Old Mutual Trophy wine show website. If you are interested in tasting the winning wines, there will be public tastings in Cape Town at the ICC on Thursday 9th June 2011, 5pm – 8:30pm and Johannesburg at the Sandton Sun on Friday 10th June 2011, 6pm – 9pm. Tickets are R120.

Fairbairn Capital Trophy for the Most Successful Producer: Spier Private Cellar
Old Mutual Trophy for Best Red Wine: Thelema Shiraz 2007
Old Mutual Trophy for Best White Wine: Paul Cluver Chardonnay 2009
Old Mutual International Judges’ Trophy: Paul Cluver Chardonnay 2009
Old Mutual Trophy for Discovery of the Show: Nuy White Muskadel 2005
Old Mutual Trophy for Best Dessert Wine: Nederburg Private Bin Eminence Noble Late Harvest Muscadel 2008
British Airways Comair Trophy for the Best Shiraz: Thelema Shiraz 2007
Grande Roche Trophy for Best White Blend: Fleur du Cap Unfiltered Special White Blend 2010
Riedel Trophy for Best Bordeaux-style Blend: KWV The Mentors Orchestra 2009
American Express Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon – Museum Class: Cathedral Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon 1995
Just Riesling Trophy for Best Riesling: Jordan Riesling 2009
Miele Trophy for Best Chardonnay: Paul Cluver Chardonnay 2009
Trophy for Best Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Blend: Spier Creative Block 2 2010
Trophy for Best Sauvignon Blanc: Delaire Coastal Cuvée Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Trophy for Best Pinot Noir: Meerlust Pinot Noir 2009
Trophy for Best Merlot: Hillcrest Quarry 2008
Trophy for Best Pinotage: Rijk’s Pinotage 2007
Trophy for Best Shiraz-based Red Blend: Ormonde Theodore Eksteen 2008
Trophy for the Best Fortified Dessert Wine: Nuy White Muskadel 2005
Trophy for Best Semillon – Museum Class: Cape Point Vineyards Semillon 2006
Trophy for Best Riesling – Museum Class: Hartenberg Weisser Riesling 1999
Trophy for Best Sauvignon Blanc – Museum Class: Lomond Sugarbush Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Trophy for the Best Fortified Dessert Wine – Museum Class: KWV White Jerepigo 1933

OTHER GOLD MEDAL WINNERS:
Sutherland Viognier Roussanne 2009
Buitenverwachting Husseys Vlei Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Tokara Zondernaam Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Spier Private Collection Shiraz 2008
Lomond Syrah 2008
Chamonix Reserve Chardonnay 2009
Hillcrest Quarry 2009

This would explain why Groupon has been so successful in the United States, becoming one of the fastest growing internet startups ever and swiftly expanding to other countries around the world. South Africa is one of the countries that Groupon has expanded to, but not before a bunch of copy cat sites had started up with others arriving shortly after Groupon too.

In fact Groupon decided it would be easier to purchase a going concern rather than starting from scratch and so they bought one of the first group buying sites in SA, Twangoo. Unfortunately for Groupon, the domain groupon.co.za was already (cleverly) taken by another group buying site wicount.co.za. Groupon has been looking at its options and I see that groupon.co.za now redirects to their local site mycitydeal.co.za.

For those who are unaware of how group buying websites work, here’s the low down. The website presents a deal with an attractive discount (ideally more than 40%). The service or product provider will specify how many deals must be sold to make it worth their while. Users can then purchase the deal and only when enough people have purchased the deal does it ‘tip’ and at that point all purchasers will be charged and receive a voucher by email to redeem the product or service at the discounted rate.

This means there is no risk for the service or product provider, nor for the website as the deal is only valid once there are a certain number of purchasers. So everyone wins, the provider gets exposure and feet through the ‘door’, the website gets a cut and the consumer gets a good deal.
So what can go wrong?

From the service/product providers perspective it’s a fairly safe bet. As long as the website doesn’t sell more vouchers than they are supposed to (this has happened), because this can put the resources of the provider under huge pressure. Providers also have to be careful not to devalue their brand. Offering deep discounts on group buying sites can undermine an exclusive or high end brand.
I’m not sure how rigorous the controls are, but there is potential for fraud on the side of the group buying website. If they sell 100 vouchers but tell the provider that they only sold 90, they will only pay the provider for 90 and if the provider is not monitoring how many vouchers are redeemed they would lose out on the additional 10. The group buying site may try to take a share of the ‘breakage’ by assuming that a certain percentage of vouchers will not be claimed and so only paying the provider for a percentage of vouchers sold.

In another scenario, a customer could forward their email voucher to friends who could then also use the same voucher without actually purchasing it. This can only happen if the provider does not have a list of valid vouchers to check the voucher against. This can be particularly difficult if the voucher is for a chain of restaurants or shops. Although in some cases, they don’t mind how many vouchers are used, if they are still making a profit and it brings in more custom.

For the customer, the process is fairly risk free. It can occur that when someone presents their voucher for redemption against a product or service, the provider has not trained the staff on the offer and there can be some awkwardness in trying to get it sorted out, particularly if it’s a restaurant.

The other major problem is that most of these deals have a lot of terms and conditions. Initially this was not the case but it has become the case now. One of the early restaurant deals was a R200 voucher for R100. These vouchers could be used at any time and the customer could redeem more than one at a time. Now the conditions for restaurant deals tend to be more specific, only one voucher per table, only valid on a certain day of the week, etc. So it’s important for the customer to check the terms and conditions of each deal to see if it suits them.

Sometimes the discounts offered are not as deep as advertised. Many times, if you go and check the price of the service, it’s lower than advertised so the discount is more around the 10% to 20% mark than 50%. Alternatively the deal is ‘constructed’ so that there is no usual price to compare it to. Customers must be aware that the deal may not be as good as it first appears.

I spoke to some service/product providers who had offered deals on group buying websites and the feedback was generally positive with many of them happy to offer a deal again in the future. I have also spoken to several customers who have purchased deals and their experiences have also been positive.

I have personally purchased several deals from two different group buying sites and have found my experience to be positive, although research revealed that the actual discount I received was nowhere near as deep as the 50% advertised.

As a user, my one concern is that there are too many group buying websites and this is affecting the quality of the deals. The majority of the deals are for spa treatments and restaurants, when there is so much more out there. The four purchases I’ve made have had nothing to do with restaurants or spas.

There are currently (that I’ve found, there may be more) about 25 group buying sites as well as several one day only deal sites (slightly different principle, where a product is available at a special price for one day and anyone can purchase) as well as several aggregators which pull all the specials off other sites to display them in one place.

There are too many sites and we will see the emergence of dominant players over the next few months. These will be the ones that offer the better deals consistently and don’t resort to pseudo discounts and too many terms and conditions. One of the 25 has already thrown in the towel and several others appear to be non starters. I think there will be some clarity on who the major players will be by year end. I think there is space for maybe 3 big players and some niche players which will specialise in certain products and services eg. Salewine.co.za which focuses on wine.

Citymob.co.za is one of the latecomers, with over 20 sites already launched, the obvious question is what makes this one different. Luke Jedeikin, sales and marketing director at CityMob says:

“We want to refresh the group buying category with a distinct focus on quality, community and strategic partnerships. Group buying is primarily a social activity and in building consumer and retailer loyalty, we believe in mutual respect and consistently sharing local insights.”

Let’s hope those insights push them ahead of the pack. I’ll be watching this all unfold with keen interest because I do believe group buying, harnessing the power of the internet, will benefit us all. It will be interesting to see if the Consumer Protection Act has any effect on group buying as it has provisions around vouchers and the validity periods thereof. Vouchers now have to be valid for a number of years as opposed to the 3 or 6 months we are used to seeing. Does this apply to group buying vouchers?

Below is a list of the sites I know of. Please feel free to comment below if you know if others or share with us your experience as a customer or service/product provider.

www.twangoo.co.za (now merged with Groupon)
www.groupon.co.za (mycitydeal.co.za)
www.wicount.co.za
www.ubuntudeal.co.za
www.zappon.co.za
www.citymob.co.za
www.cityslicker.co.za
www.dailydeal.co.za (not functional)
www.hotdeals.co.za (not functional)
www.Dealson.co.za
www.sweetdeal.co.za (not active)
www.Dealify.co.za
www.skoop.co.za
www.collectivecow.com (Joburg/Pretoria only)
www.bangoo.co.za (not active)
www.ucit.co.za
www.youdeal.co.za
www.vuvuplaza.co.za
www.dealio.co.za
www.justhenga.com (Only Joburg so far)
www.groupbuying.co.za
www.salewine.co.za (only wine)
www.dealaday.co.za (not active)
www.eishcoupon.co.za (not functional)
www.groubo.co.za (not active)
www.247deals.co.za
www.sacoupons.co.za
www.dealison.co.za (not active)
www.buywithus.co.za (not active)
daddysdeals.co.za
dealstoday.co.za
www.garethcliffdeals.com
www.voucha.co.za (not active)
www.sugar-rush.co.za (not active)
southafricadailydeals.co.za (not active)
www.gemgem.co.za (deals for kids)
livingsocial.com (no SA deals yet)
www.mobstir.co.za (Johannesburg only)
www.fooddeals.co.za (Johannesburg/Pretoria only)
www.buybargainbuys.co.za (Seems to be focused on PE)
www.dealclick.co.za (Johannesburg only)
www.buyitforward.co.za

Aggregators:
www.alldeals.co.za
www.dealchecker.co.za
www.dealzela.com
www.todaysdeals.co.za (not functional)
www.dealsitez.com
www.dealspade.com
www.mydealsonly.com
www.whatsthedeal.co.za
www.dealzone.co.za
yadda.co.za
www.dealafrica.co.za
www.dealscout.co.za
www.mydailydeal.co.za

One Day Deal Sites:
www.24hoursonly.co.za
www.onedayonly.co.za
www.extremedeals.co.za