Coming up at MiTH 2nd November 2022

INFO: 082 331 7271

ENTRANCE: R50.00 - Cash or Zapper at the Door

VENUE: The Knoll Historic Guest Farm

9pm: Priya Boshoff
Priya is a natural stage performer, who has enjoyed the privilege of performing in a variety of artistic fields, from singing to classical dance from the age of 6. Equally at ease in front of a large and intimate audiences, she has entertained audiences across KwaZulu Natal. She has earned favourable attention from her fellow musicians, and music-lovers alike, for her soothing vocal tone, sense of timing, natural stage presence, and phrasing of songs whilst maintaining respect to the meaning and story of the lyrics.

After 8 years in a corporate setting, and starting a family, Priya became aware of how limited time is, and left the corporate world to dive into her passion for singing and performing. Her classical vocal training under Mr Lionel Mkwanazi has helped her to understand and fine-tune her vocal instrument, allowing her to bring her poetic stories to life.

Priya’s vocal talents will be elevated with the accompaniment of piano, bass, and drums. Shemual “Shem” Mahabeer, with his wealth of experience in the music industry, will put his qualification in jazz piano performance, composition, and arranging to use on the MiTH stage. Talent “Mzukulu” Mbatha, a versatile bassist hailing from Nongoma in Northern KwaZulu Natal, will add his unique bass style influenced by genres such as maskandi, mbhaqanga, jazz, pop, contemporary rock, soul, and fusion. Rounding out the sound will be Donovan Jacob, a Durban-based drummer/percussionist with impressive versatility gained over more than 30 years of experience.


7pm: Matt Vend and SomGav
Matt Vend and SomGav have been playing and touring independently for a number of years, yet have never collaborated until now. Matt is no stranger to the live music scene with countless tours, shows, and DIY albums under his belt. This year alone he has spent almost half of the year living out of his car, playing in almost every nook and cranny of the country. Matt bumped into SomGav one day on the Durban beachfront, and this interaction has led the eclectic songwriter to produce the isiZulu folk singer’s first recordings, as well as invite him on an extensive national tour which opens at MiTH on the 2nd of November.

SomGav, a Durban-born singer-songwriter and guitarist , takes his influences from legendary isiZulu singers of previous generations, such as the acclaimed Madala Kunene, and weaves his own new style of guitar-playing titled “NgciNgci”, which is a combination of numerous genres including traditional African music, rock, and grunge. He is no stranger to the stage, having performed at numerous festivals as part of various groups.

Matt Vend is a singer/songwriter who adopts an old-time approach to performing live; armed with nothing but an acoustic guitar, a set of harmonicas, and a capo. Humanity, heartache, humour, and sadness drive his narrative, and even though he is influenced by 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s rock ‘n roll, and punk from Europe and North America, he still keeps his lyrics and artistic focus firmly cemented in his hometown of Durban, where he resides today.

Matt weaves an interesting musical tapestry of folk, punk, rock ‘n roll, blues, electronica, and maskandi wherever he goes. His eclectic performances have entertained people all over the world, including South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Thailand, Vietnam, Mexico City, the United States of America and the United Kingdom. Sometimes on street corners, sometimes in people’s homes, sometimes in dive bars, and sometimes at major festivals.

ABOUT MiTH: Arguably the KZN Midlands’ best-loved music venue, Music in The Hills (MiTH) is an opportunity for beginners, professionals, and passionate music fans to share the joy of music at The Knoll Historic Guest Farm. Visit www.mith.co.za for more details and directions. Musicians can contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for slots.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: MiTH takes place every second Wednesday at The Knoll Historic Guest Farm, Knoll Drive, Hilton. Doors open at 6pm and the music will kick off at 7pm. Entrance is R50 at the door. Bring your own booze. Food and soft drinks are available for sale.

DIRECTIONS TO MiTH: Take the N3 to Hilton, take the Hilton turnoff and go South into the Village (away from Hilton College). Travel 5,2km along Hilton Avenue (past two sets of traffic lights and Crossways Pub) and keep going straight as Hilton Avenue turns into Dennis Shepstone Drive. At the 5,2km mark, Knoll Drive will be on your right – the entrance to MiTH is the *second* entrance on your left into The Knoll Historic Guest Farm.

You can find iThemba Nursery at Church of Ascension on Brindy Rd, from 15h30 every Thursday. Next up on 27 October 2022. Please order via REKO Facebook before 10h30 on Thursday. Prepare to pay by EFT or Cash on collection.

Seedlings on offer this week - Organic Seedlings plugs @R1.50

Rape English giant - 40
Normal onoin-100
Swiss chard - 50
Coriander -30
Luttuce butterhead-40
Basil-30
Egg plant -30
Green mustard-100

Cavity trays @R15
Onion
Beetroot
Lettuce
Swiss chard

Plant bags @ R15
Rose genuim
Rosemary
Yarrow
Stone rose
Wild garlic
Hen and chicken
Lemon grass

Strawberry plant bag R20

Our Seedlings are organically grown with a medium made of coconut peat, vermiculate and organic fertilizer.

More about iThemba Projects

Fresh from her record-breaking crossing of the English Channel, two-time Olympian Michelle Weber took part in the PinkDrive Swimathon in Pietermaritzburg on Friday as part of the charity launch for next year’s aQuellé Midmar Mile.

Weber is also a two-time winner of the famous race across the KwaZulu-Natal dam near Howick, which is celebrating its 50^th anniversary in 2023.

The 26-year-old swimmer, who set the quickest time by a South African woman by crossing the English Channel in 10 hours and 21 minutes, is hoping her efforts will inspire the thousands of Midmar swimmers who will make their way to the event from 9-12 February next year.

Weber is planning to complete the eight-mile charity challenge in 2023 to raise money for PinkDrive, a charity close to her heart after her mother died of breast cancer two and a half years ago. She’ll then contend for a third senior title in the women’s elite race.

“I think it’s an amazing thing. Sport is so big and so powerful, and I think when you combine it with giving back, it just makes such an incredible movement,” said Weber ahead of diving in to do her bit at the swimathon.

“I think we have a role and responsibility as athletes… the Midmar Mile is so massive and it’s so amazing that people come together every single year for the swim and to support such a big cause. I think it’s just incredible,” added Weber, who will be gunning for a fourth Olympic Games in 2024.

The charity aspect plays a massive role at the aQuellé Midmar Mile each year with organisers aiming to surpass the R5 million mark in 2023.

The official charities for next year’s aQuellé Midmar Mile were announced at the launch on Friday. The major charities include: the Chad le Clos Foundation, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, CHOC, PinkDrive, CANSA, and Happy Bundles. The smaller organisations include: Little Eden, Umngeni SPCA, PMB SPCA, SA Legion, Society for the Deaf & Blind, Gateway Christian School, iThemba Lethu, KZN Cystic Fibrosis, Thandanani, Pevensey Place, Village Safe Haven, SA Guide Dogs.

Last year a single swimmer, Jo-Anne Barnard, raised a whopping R65,200 for CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation at the aQuellé Midmar Mile with even greater feats expected in 2023.

Those inspired to take on the 8 or 16-mile charity challenges next year can log on to www.midmarmile.co.za.

Supplied.

'We understand that "development" is a bit of a dirty word in Hilton... but it means more than just commercial development.

 

Our aim is to improve, develop, and maintain sustainable multi-purpose public spaces in Hilton.

 

Hilton has a broad population of people, and currently the public spaces do not reflect this.

 

A lot of green areas are overgrown and brimming with alien plant species. They lack basic facilities which would make them more attractive and usable to the community.

 

Picture trail running and mountain biking tracks, increased pedestrianisation, picnic spots, places for parents to walk safely with prams and young children, hidden places to explore, and perhaps even a skate park or basketball court for teenagers and the young at heart to hang out at.

 

Public space is for everyone.

 

What would you like to see in public space?

 

It takes a village, so let's Love Hilton Together.' shared Love Hilton during an exciting week which saw this pioneering initiative sign a Memorandum of Agreement with uMngeni Municipality.

 

 

Organisers of the aQuellé Midmar Mile have set the whopping target of R5 million to raise for charity ahead of next year’s 50th anniversary event.

Each year the world’s largest open water swimming event has supported numerous charitable organisations and next year will be no different as the race looks to have a wider influence for good.

Those organisations chosen as official charities for 2023 will be announced at the annual PinkDrive Swimathon in Pietermaritzburg on Friday night which marks the official launch of the fundraising campaign.

Friday’s event will also feature two-time aQuellé Midmar Mile champion and Olympian Michelle Weber talking about her recent swim across the English Channel, where she set a record for the fastest crossing by a South African woman.

Weber will then also dive in to play her part in joining the fundraising effort for PinkDrive – which is aptly taking place during Breast Cancer Awareness month.

PinkDrive is one of the main charities that benefits from funds raised at Midmar each year. The event now features two days dedicated to charity where swimmers complete the 8-mile or 16-mile challenges. This will take place on 9-10 February next year, ahead of the main competitive events on 11-12 February.

In the last seven years that the charity challenges have been held, they have collectively raised over R14.5million.

Meanwhile, founded in 2009, PinkDrive’s cardinal purpose is to contribute meaningfully towards preventing as many people as it can, from succumbing to breast, cervical, prostate and testicular cancer.

Its primary focus is on citizens without access to reasonable care for these conditions, and who reside in areas where health services do not reach.
Speaking ahead of the launch of the aQuellé Midmar Mile charity campaign, Race Director Wayne Riddin said: “We have set ourselves and the swimmers the massive target of raising R5 million for the various charities next year and I certainly believe this is possible to achieve if we all pull together.

“We are so grateful to all the swimmers who really put in an incredible amount of effort to raise funds for the various amazing causes as we look to be a force for good in our country and we wish them all the best with their training and fundraising in the months ahead.”

Those who would like to support PinkDrive or any of the other aQuellé Midmar Mile charities can head to www.midmarmile.co.za for more information.

Supplied.

Over the past couple of months, while waiting for our new space, we've continued to pour our energy into painting walls and developing projects.This past week it was an absolute joy to paint this colourful and vibrant botanical mural at 7th Heaven Old Age Home.

Mural by: Lelo Mncwango

More about Gallery ZAZA

With basic education in dire straits, will the business sector please step in?

The transformation of education begins with teachers. A shortage of quality teachers and the consequent ongoing delivery of poor educational outcomes are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the challenges facing basic education in South Africa. The crisis looks set to worsen in the years ahead given that more than half of the current teacher population is over the age of 55 and will soon be heading for retirement.

We’re neither creating attractive career opportunities for student teachers nor graduating a sufficient number of teachers each year. Some 15 000 new teachers currently graduate each year and the need is for 25 000 annually in order to maintain an effective teacher-pupil ratio. However, between 18 000 and 22 000 teachers leave the profession each year, either due to retirement, or to switch professions, often in search of more lucrative income.

Of particular concern is the dire shortage of specialist maths, science, technology and African language teachers and an over-supply of teachers in other areas. The shortage of specialist teachers is widely felt.

Our children don’t fare much better when it comes to reading for meaning with a 2016 literacy study revealing that 78% of grade 4 learners were not able to read for meaning.

There has been enough talk about how dismal the results are, and this despite the fact that South Africa’s basic education sector is sufficiently funded, at least comparable to equivalent sized economies, spending around 6% of GDP on education. Why then do we have such a huge problem?

Paul Esterhuizen, CEO of School-Days, believes it’s time to raise the bar and ensure the education sector starts focusing on attracting higher quality candidates. “Recent reports indicate that only one-fifth of Bachelor of Education students achieved more than 50% for maths in matric. Another, albeit older, study found that the majority of grade 3 teachers struggled to even achieve 50% in literacy and mathematics assessments designed for grade 6 learners. Given these alarming statistics it should not be any surprise that as a country we struggle with poor educational outcomes.”

He says we’re doing the children of South Africa a disservice and that every child deserves access to quality education that positions them to find meaningful work as an adult.
“As a country we need to be making an urgent and concerted effort to improve education delivery standards because this impacts us all. Poor educational outcomes are a contributing factor to lacklustre GDP growth which in turn exacerbates unemployment, poverty and inequality.”

Esterhuizen believes business may have some of the solutions required to save basic education in South Africa. “There are already a number of encouraging examples of previously poor performing schools that are showing that with the right interventions, learner results improve. Consider, for example, advertising and communications group Joe Public United’s ‘One School at a Time’ initiative that has seen considerable success. And the likes of Kagiso Shanduka Trust, the Adopt-a-School Foundation and non-profit Funda Wanda have initiated and delivered on successful partnerships with provincial education departments.”

The School-Days CEO believes it’s time to draw the business sector in to partner with schools and fund whole school development, attract more student teachers as interns at schools and do this on a platform that enables sustainability.

“The end goal has to be to continue to upskill our teachers, and keep them in the teaching profession,” he argues.

“Given the long-term impact of education on the economy, we need urgent interventions to improve educational outcomes. This will require the political will to implement meaningful reforms, potentially rethinking how education is delivered and moving the focus away from merely covering a prescribed curriculum to encouraging mastery of that curriculum. We need to be attracting high quality candidates to the teaching profession and rethink how we train and support our teachers. We need to find ways to alleviate pressure on over-subscribed schools in the public sector and harness the power of technology to deliver quality education at scale.”

Over-crowded classrooms in many government schools prompt the need for parents to consider private education with independent education providers who have been positioning themselves to bridge the gap in the market for more affordable private schooling.

For many families, however, private education is not affordable. Esterhuizen established School-Days to help families afford school fees. Based on reward and incentive programme principles that assist parents and members of the public to pay school fees, either at their own or at a disadvantaged school, the programme incentivises members to shop with partner merchants to earn Edu-Time Points (ETPs) while still earning their normal retailer loyalty points. ETPs can be donated to a chosen beneficiary or used to pay a child’s school, college or university fees.

Esterhuizen re-iterates that, “We need to innovatively be challenging the business sector to participate in solutions to the basic education dilemmas that we face: the reality is that the current status quo must not be allowed to continue. The future of this generation of learners is depending on committed leadership to ensure that they receive the quality education they all deserve. Business leaders, now is the time to get on board with meaningful solutions.”

The School-Days initiative
The School-Days programme enables members of the public to raise education funds for their chosen beneficiaries, simply by shopping at School-Days Partners whilst still earning their normal retailer loyalty points. The initiative started with the idea of raising funds, vis earning Edu-Time Points (ETPs), to help families pay towards their family’s school, college and university fees. Now the School-Days focus has extended to giving the public the opportunity to assist others and their Edu-Time Points allow them to choose. Support up to two South African schools of their choice as beneficiaries; Support disadvantaged schools by choosing the non-profit Adopt-a-School Foundation; or, as originally intended, use their Edu-Time Points (ETPs) to pay towards their child's school, college and university fees.

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Welcome to our second newsy update for October 2022, find out about; breast cancer awareness month at Hilton Health, St Anne's College welcomes Rachel Kolisi as their guest speaker, QSolutions' alternate power packages, the big annual Festive Season launch at The Ellenbird and a choir performance coming to The Church of the Ascension in Hilton, KZN Midlands.

To subscribe and join this tribe of human beings who choose to live, learn and love in Hilton over and over again, click here. We are all about local, Hilton local, we love Hilton real hard!

Read the newsletter online if you have not subscribed.

Keep on doing your part to #LoveLocalRealHard - every rand spent at a Hilton based business makes a larger impact right where you live.

We are so proud of KSS Bongumusa, he has spent the past six weeks futhering his K9 training at Genesis K9 in Pretoria. We believe in empowering our staff and Bongumusa has now qualified as a DH4 level handler!

 

Pictured here: Bongumusa Gumede with Thys Klein from Genesis K9 Group.

 

More from Knight Security Solutions

Diced and sprinkled into salads, soups and tacos. Blended into smoothies. Mashed as a spread on bread and crackers. Mixed with lime juice, coriander and salt for a creamy guacamole. Or simply cut in half, drizzled with lemon juice and eaten with a spoon. Nutritious, versatile and delicious, avocados have become a kitchen staple in many homes around the world.

Avocados have many recorded health benefits;
They are an excellent source of monounsaturated fat, fibre, vitamin B, C, E and K, folate, potassium, magnesium and carotenoids.
These fruits can regulate blood pressure and nervous system function.
The fibre in avocados is beneficial for gut health.
Regularly consuming nutrient-dense avocados can protect against heart disease.
Avos are rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds.
Thanks to their high fibre and fat content, avocados help promote satiety and, therefore, support weight loss.

 

Because of its nutrient density, an avocado is a smart choice during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

 

Who would’ve thought that something that tastes so good can be so healthy? That’s the astonishing, all-round awesomeness of avocados!

 

More from The Local Choice Pharmacy Hilton Health

Welcome to our third newsy update for October 2022, find new ways to support local businesses.

To subscribe and join the tribe of human beings who choose to live, learn, shop, heal and thrive in Hilton, click here. We are all about local, Hilton local, we love Hilton real hard!

Read the newsletter online if you have not subscribed.

Keep on doing your part to #LoveLocalRealHard - every rand spent at a Hilton based business can improve the community you live in.

Pictured here: Happy residents at Everglades Stud.

Grace College is delighted to announce that Mr Henko Jansen has been appointed as the new Head of School at Grace College and will take office on the 1st of January, 2023. Henko is the current Deputy Head of Grace College and has been an integral part of the impressive growth the school has shown over the past couple of years.

Mr Jansen has an unfailing dedication to Grace College and has a keen sense of the Grace College strategy, as well as current and emerging trends in education, both in South Africa and internationally. He was a crucial part of Grace’s online teaching and response to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Alongside his keen academic mind, his enthusiasm for sports will be a driving force in our Sports Program's sustained growth and excellence.

We do not doubt that Grace College will continue to thrive in all aspects under Mr Jansen’s leadership.

Grace College also uses this opportunity to express its gratitude to the school's current headmaster, Mr Vincent Luksich, for his ten years of passionate and committed leadership that helped lay the groundwork for the school's future expansion and improvement.

Pictured here: Mr Henko Jansen has been appointed as the new Head of School at Grace College. Mr Jansen will take office on the 1st of January 2023.

More about Grace College

Arbor Day at Laddsworth saw the Eco-Club present and plant one of the 3 trees added to the Laddsworth Estate. What made this tree special is that it was grown from a sapling of the old Celtis Africana that had shaded the Grade 1 Kelly Garden for many years, but had unfortunately fallen over in the first term due to a bad storm. The tree was planted right next to where its predecessor once stood tall and we hope it will one day again provide shade to the Laddsworth pupils reading in the Kelly Garden.

 

More about Laddsworth Primary School

 

Meet Mandisa – our new statue who has the potential to change lives and enhance belonging.

In this, St Anne’s 145th anniversary year, we are excited to unveil our new statue of a young woman in matric, MANDISA. She stands proudly at our school entrance on the grass area near the Chapel garden.

The unveiling of Mandisa is symbolic of a powerful journey of transformation for our beloved school, St Anne’s. Our community has worked together to ensure that we are more intentional and effective in creating a St Anne’s which is embracing, nurturing and relevant by focusing on building an authentic sense of belonging for staff, pupils and parents and today is a lighthouse for our continuing journey of belonging.

The late Karabo Che Mokoape inspired this project and it is an initiative spearheaded by the Ngikhona transformation committee, which is comprised of staff and pupils, to symbolise our intentional approach to growing belonging for staff, pupils and St Anne’s families. Mandisa has become a reality through a very generous donation, for which we are so appreciative.

Mandisa honours the first Black African girl who began her journey in Grade 8 in 1981 and who went on to matriculate in 1985. Mandisa Penny Ntloko-Petersen was that history-maker and is now a parent of a current Grade 9. The statue does not resemble Mandisa but is a more universal representation. It is fitting that she is named Mandisa, which means ‘one who, by her presence, brings happiness,’ in isiXhosa.

In a special unveiling ceremony on Wednesday, our Guests of Honour, Mrs Mandisa Ntloko-Petersen and Dr Judy Dlamini, shared messages of hope for the future. Dr Judy Dlamini encouraged current Ladies in Blue, saying that “we will only be better and stronger as a country if we support each other across all social identities” and embrace people for who they are, not who we want them to be.

Follow this link to ‘Meet Mandisa’ and find out more about how you can support this worthy cause, or to watch the Unveiling Ceremony.

Pictured below L-R; Kari Greene (Board Chair), Mrs Mandisa Ntloko-Petersen (first Black African St Anne’s Matriculant), Dr Judy Dlamini (Chancellor of the University of the Witwatersrand), Mrs Debbie Martin (College Head).

Our school is opening it's doors to the public for parents looking for a nurturing, beautiful, clean environment for their child to attend their first few years of schooling. We offer:

- Small intimate classes,
- Fun, clean environments,
- Plenty of outdoor space to connect with nature
- Passionate, experienced, loving teachers
- Holistically individualized curriculum that follows your child's needs, guiding them to love learning.

We provide a beautiful place to learn, play and grow! Come join us.

For more information kindly email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

More about Hilton Gardens Childrens Academy, KZN Midlands.