Further African expansion for Protea Hotels - two additional hotels in Kampala, Uganda

Hotels Theodore Koumelis - 04 March 2016, 08:15 Marriott International has expressed commitment to Africa as the region for future expansion of the global hospitality sector. The current pipeline includes an additional 91 hotels in the Middle East and Africa region set to open by 2020.

DUBAI - Protea Hotels announced the signing of contracts for the development of new hotel properties in Uganda. The deal was agreed between Protea Hotels, a member of Marriott International, and its local partner in the country. The new signing in Dubai affirms the company's confidence in the strength of the Ugandan economy and in prospects for growth on the African continent.

Marriott International has expressed commitment to Africa as the region for future expansion of the global hospitality sector. The current pipeline includes an additional 91 hotels in the Middle East and Africa region set to open by 2020. This will add more than 18,000 rooms to market, and bring Marriott hotels into eight new countries. In 2016 alone, ten new hotels will open on the African continent, with most placed in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Protea Hotels is a major South African hospitality company that currently has hotels in eight countries on the African continent. The strength of the Protea Hotels brand in Sub-Saharan Africa is evident in the unparalleled brand recognition that the company enjoys on the continent.

President, Middle East & Africa for Marriott International, Alex Kyriakidis, points out: "Africa is important to Marriott International's strategy because of its rapid economic growth, growing middle class and youth population, as well as the increase of international flights into the continent."

The East African region in general has seen impressive economic expansion – significantly higher than global figures – and with its newly discovered oil deposits soon to be commercially exploited, Uganda in particular offers great prospects for the future.

According to Stuart Cook, Managing Director of Protea Hotels Uganda, which will own the hotels, "The two new developments in Kampala are a symbol of our strong commitment to the continued economic development of Uganda. The tourism sector is one of the Government's key focus areas of growth; the two new hotels will directly create over five hundred new jobs and, with our close links to the Makerere University Business School's Hospitality Management Program, continue to identify and develop the next generation of industry leaders through our experiential training programmes."

"With its positioning in the moderate and upper moderate tier categories and with properties situated in major primary and secondary business centers and sought-after leisure destinations, Protea Hotels offers accommodation ideal for both business and leisure travellers." Kyriakidis explains. "The approach we take at Protea Hotels is to offer modern design and consistent amenities, along with proactive and personal service at a global standard. Every guest feels important and appreciated."

The contracts signed in Dubai are for the development of two new properties in Kampala, and bring the Protea Hotels presence in the country to four sites, with one existing hotel in Kampala and another in Entebbe.

The Protea Hotel Naguru Skyz and the Protea Hotel Pinnacle are both situated in Kampala's affluent suburb of Naguru, an area popular for both upmarket residential and commercial property which has become a sought-after location for company headquarters and diplomatic missions in recent years.

Work on the Protea Hotel Naguru Skyz is already well under way, and the hotel is scheduled to open in July this year. An early 2018 opening is targeted for the Protea Hotel Pinnacle. Boasting 141 and 105 rooms respectively, the hotels offer a mix of facilities for business and for leisure travellers; with numerous meeting rooms which are geared to cater for the high demand for conference and business meeting facilities in Kampala.

Additional features of the Protea Hotel Naguru Skyz are the day spa and gym. Topping it all is the Roof Terrace with its unique rooftop bar. Guests will be thrilled by the absolutely breathtaking views of Kampala from this amazing facility located six storeys above street level.

"The development of the two new hotels comes at a time when Kampala is ripe for the expansion of its hotel sector; the last hotel development dates back to 2007," says Kyriakidis. "The demand for additional, quality accommodation establishments is evident in the high occupancy levels experienced by existing hotels and the consistently high average room rates."

Photo caption: The Protea Hotel Naguru Skyz.

Source: Further African expansion for Protea Hotels - two additional hotels in Kampala, Uganda

Tenerife looks to Routes Africa hosting to boost African connectivity

Strategically located close to Africa – one if their biggest trade partners – Tenerife is the perfect choice to host Routes Africa 2016. The Government of the island are dedicated to promoting connectivity within Africa.

It was revealed this week that Routes Africa 2016 will be hosted by Tenerife Tourism Corporation. Although Tenerife is not in Africa, its increased connectivity and strategic location to Africa makes them the ideal host.

Tenerife is the largest and most populous of the Canary Islands, and one of the most important tourist destinations in the world. Airports within the Canary Islands rank among the top ten for passenger traffic in Spain; with Tenerife South ranking seventh with more than nine million passengers. Between the two airports – Tenerife North and Tenerife South – more than 12 million people are served. Annually, Tenerife welcomes more than six million tourists, making it one of the top destinations in Europe.  

"We see Tenerife's future as island that is open to world and we must be outward looking. Enhancing air connectivity is essential for our future. We see a great opportunity for Tenerife to become future hub for air travel into parts of Africa and are working to strengthen ties with Africa, and dialogue on a Minister level really helps us to achieve these ambitions."

Carlos AlonsoPresident of the Cabildo of Tenerife

But, Tenerife is much more than a popular leisure destination, it is a hub for people, goods and data. The Canary Islands are one of the largest exporters to Africa, a market worth €227.42 million in 2014. The island is only a 45 minute flight away from Morocco, compared to a two and a half hour flight time to reach Madrid. At present, routes to Marrakech, Agadir, and Dakar are being served from Tenerife twice a week, and a route to Casablanca three times weekly.

The island is hoping to reposition itself to become an international hub, given their close proximity to Africa and ever increasing passenger numbers. Tenerife Tourism Corporation are focusing on continuing efforts to increase connectivity to Africa by collaborating with airlines, African ministers and destination marketers.

Of their trading relationship with Africa, President of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Carlos Alonso said: "Africa is our closest neighbour and natural trading partner. A lot of companies from Tenerife have strong commercial ties in West Africa. There are over 200 companies from the Canary Islands operating on the continent and import/exports have doubled in the last ten years. There are lots of opportunities for our business community as Africa continues to develop."

As well as exports, Tenerife is connected to Africa through the ACE consortium. This is a submarine communications cable, which has a system that runs along the west coast of Africa. The agreement was signed on June 5, 2010, and the first phase was put in service in December 2012. The system has positioned itself as a key driver of Africa's social and economic growth. Tenerife formally launched into operations in June 2015 as one of the landing points, along with the likes of Freetown, Sierra Leone; Lagos, Nigeria and Kribi, Cameroon.

Tenerife Tourism Corporation has undertaken effort to help implement a route development fund aimed at attracting new services in regions where there is no connectivity. The Corporation want to maximise the number of direct routes to the island in order to increase the potential market share of clients. Tenerife's hard work is paying off as they have attracted an additional 52 new routes between 2014 and 2015, with an estimated 757,214 new seats.

Continued growth in Tenerife has seen the island update both their cruise terminal and airport terminal. The Port Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife aims to open a third cruise terminal in September, in time to host the 2016 Seatrade Cruise Med event. Two terminals currently exist, but the new one will be the largest in the region at more than 8,000 square metres, in order to deal with the growing cruise passenger numbers.

In 2015, Santa Cruise de Tenerife reported a ten percent increase in passengers to 933,121. Aena, the state-owned company that manages most of Spain's airports, will invest more than 120 million euros into building a new terminal for Tenerife South airport.

"We see Tenerife's future as island that is open to world and we must be outward looking. Enhancing air connectivity is essential for our future. We see a great opportunity for Tenerife to become future hub for air travel into parts of Africa and are working to strengthen ties with Africa, and dialogue on a Minister level really helps us to achieve these ambitions," added Alonso.

Tenerife Tourism Corporation has been attending Routes events since 2012, and this will be their first time hosting an event. In 2015, they hosted the first annual West African Tourism and Air Service Development Forum, in which eight ministers participated to find new ways to work with the Corporation to work toward better connectivity with Africa.

Register for Routes Africa in Tenerife, Canary Islands, 26 - 28 June 2016

Source: Tenerife looks to Routes Africa hosting to boost African connectivity

This is how many millionaires live in South Africa

Commercial & residential property group, Knight Frank has released a new report showing how wealth has changed in South Africa over the past decade.

The 2016 Wealth Report has tracked global wealth over the last 10 years, from 2005 to 2015, noting that there are now 187,500 UHNWIs with $30 million or more in net assets, excluding their principal residence, globally.

This figure is up 61% from 116,800 people in 2005.

However, while the population of rich individuals is expanding and will continue to do so, it will happen at a far slower pace, the group said.

The total number of ultra-wealthy individuals is forecast to rise 41% to 263,500 by 2025, but despite this long-term growth trend, data from 2015 shows the first annual dip in ultra-wealthy populations since the global financial crisis began in 2008.

Knight Frank defines wealth in the following ranges:

Millionaires are individuals with a net worth over US$1 million

Multi-millionaires have a net worth over US$10 million

Ultra-high net worth individuals (UHNWIs) have a net worth over US$30 million

Centi-millionaires have a net worth over US$100 million and

Billionaires have a net worth over US$1 billion.

The United States by far has the most wealthy people, with 4.2 million millionaires. The country dominates across all wealth categories.

South Africa has the 36th most millionaires in the world, down 5% from 2014 – either due to difficult economic conditions or to emigration.

According to Knight Frank, South Africa was one of the economies hardest hit by slowing global economic growth in 2015, losing 23% of its stock value during the year.

However, between 2005 and 2015, South Africa's millionaire population has grown 82% from 25,500 to 46,500 people.

Looking at South African cities, Joburg is by far the best city for super wealthy individuals, accounting for half of the super rich across most categories.

Joburg has 23,400 dollar millionaires, 1,030 multi-millionaires, and 320 UHNWIs – half of South Africa's totals.

Cape Town has 8,900 dollar millionaires, 390 multi-millionaires and 121 UHNWIs, the report said.

City Millionaires Multi-millionaires UHNWIs Johannesburg 23 400 1 030 320 Cape Town 8 900 390 121 Other SA 14 200 640 198 Total 46 500 2 060 639

South Africa also has 87 centi-millionaires and 6 billionaires.

While Cape Town has a smaller HNWI population than Joburg, that changes significantly over the December period, as thousands of super wealthy people flock to the city for holiday.

Knight Frank's data shows that Cape Town sees a peak multi-millionaire population of 2,690 people over December, compared to its lowest month (June), where only 380 multi-millionaires are present.

A reason for this is because the Mother City is a popular destination for second homes due its relative affordability. The city was once again found to have the lowest prime property rate in all countries compared in 2015.

$1 million in Cape Town could buy 255 square metres of prime residential property at the end of 2015, compared to 203 square metres in Sao Paulo, 99 square metres in Mumbai or 96 square metres in Berlin.

Wealthy individuals can get ten times more space in Cape Town than New York for the same price, the report said.

More on wealth

These are the 6 richest billionaires in South Africa

Richest banking executives in South Africa

South Africa's richest women vs the world

Source: This is how many millionaires live in South Africa

Why Africa is not number one investment destination

Much of Africa's perceived attractiveness to investors in comparison to other global regions has improved a lot over the past few years.

In fact, according to the 2014 Africa Attractiveness Survey by Ernest &Young, the continent moved from third last position in 2011, to become the second most attractive investment destination in the world, behind North America.

According to the findings, sixty percent of those who were asked indicated that there had been great improvement in the continent's investment attractiveness over the past year, which is up four percentage points in comparison to the previous survey.

Likewise, Ernest Young reported in 2014 that Foreign Direct Investment in sub-Saharan Africa increased by 4.7 per cent in 2013, and projected to continue on the upward trend.

In a similar breath, The Economist magazine established in 2011 that over the ten years to 2010, six of the world's ten fastest-growing economies were in sub-Saharan Africa.

Angola had 11.1% annual average GDP growth, Nigeria 8.9%, Ethiopia 8.4%, Chad 7.9%, Mozambique 7.9%, and Rwanda 7.6%.

In the period between 2011 and 2015, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Congo, Ghana, Zambia, and Nigeria all registered above 6.5% annual average GDP growth.

Now, even though I am not an investment guru, I am told that there remains a stubborn perception gap between those already operating on the continent and those who are not yet present.

In fact, recently, I read a piece by a financial markets reporter,Sara Sjolin, who observed that if a financial adviser offered his or her clients a chance to invest in a continent whose economies expected economic growth of 7% or above a year for the next decade, chances are most investors would jump at the prospect in a heartbeat.

However, Ms Sjolin crucially insisted that if the same financial adviser was to reveal that the country in question is located in sub-Saharan Africa, chances are that only the shrewdest amongst the investors would look beyond the woes of sub-Saharan Africa to invest.

The financial markets reporter cites conflicts in sub-SaharanAfricato be the major hindrance to many investors looking to invest on the continent.

But has Sjolin and other financial analysts got a point? It seems when you scratch beneath the surface, you indeed find that conflicts have greatly damaged sub-Saharan Africa's potential to become the number one investment destination.

Frankly speaking, you do not have to venture too far to establish why some of these investors are so quick to lose their nerves at the thought of investing in sub-Saharan Africa.

And although several inherent concernshavecontinuously placed the region at a disadvantage in comparison to other investment destinations across the globe, conflicts in particular have played a major role in derailing the much needed investments on the continent.

Political instability, terrorist attacks, and civil wars in many countries have been the key turn-off factor for many of the global investors.

For instance, in West Africa, Boko Haram, a terrorist group which operates predominantly in northeastern Nigeria has ensured that investors view Cameroon, Chad, Mali and Niger as nations likely to be hit by a barrage of attacks.

And although the West African nations recently formed a military coalition against Boko Haram at the beginning of last year, there remains a real threat and investor confidence cannot be assumed to be through the roof.

When you move to Central Africa, you will find that conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, and now Burundi, have all added to an already glum outlook of the region stability wise.

In the East of the region, you do not need me to tell you about the ongoing troubles in the world's newest country, South Sudan. Similarly,Al-Shabaab, a jihadist terrorist group based in Somalia has caused a lot of havoc both in Somalia and neighbouring countries since 2006; with fatal assaults on Kenya and Uganda.

And it is such conflicts that have led financial markets reporters warn that investors will almost always remain uneasy to invest in sub-Saharan Africa so long as Africa continually generates conflict-related headlines.

In the United States, for instance, Miss Sjolin's indicates that according to David Snowball, publisher of the Mutual Fund Observer newsletter, only about 0.3% of the average portfolio is invested in sub-Saharan Africa. That is just $3 out of every $1,000, contends the financial markets reporter. Not impressive at all.

Ultimately, much as I am as optimistic as anyone can be for sub-Saharan Africa to achieve and sustain peace and stability, it is time that we tackled head on Africa's major development hindrance: conflicts.

Of course, I am not naïve to think that conflicts are unique to Africa. They are not. In fact, as I write this, there are conflicts in many parts of the Middle East and elsewhere.

Similarly, at the current rate, almost any country is vulnerable to a terrorist attack.However, the difference is that conflicts in Africa are a major recurring phenomenon that once put out in one country;they emerge elsewhere and continuously preventthe fulfilment of our continent's potential as a whole.

Sub-Saharan Africa has so far done well to attract investors. However, if conflicts such as the RENAMO conflict in Mozambique, South Sudan civil war, CAR conflict, Sinai insurgency in Egypt, conflict in Somalia, persistent wars in DRC, killings in Burundi, to name but a few, were to be eliminated permanently, I am more than confident that Africa would by all means become the number one investment destination.

The ball is in our court to change this narrative. 

junior.mutabazi@yahoo.co.uk

Source: Why Africa is not number one investment destination

'Next Level Agency to arrange big concerts for Africa,' says Arthur Milanzi

LONDON (MaraviPost)—Next Level Agency (NLA), a leading independent worldwide booking agency, working with an extensive catalogue of artists and celebrities, is now branching into Africa to eradicate the trend of 11th hour cancelled international concerts and provide high class entertainers for African promoters, festivals and corporate clients, Maravi Post has learnt.

Two young Malawians Arthur Milanzi and James Woods are sitting on the management board of NLA and it is their connection to the continent that made them consider Africa as the next destination for business. 

According to the current trend, many international artists fail to appear in Africa for announced performances and collaborations with local artists. 

Most of the scheduled concerts get cancelled or fans do not get what they expect, due to unprofessional practice of local promoters or third party booking agents involved. 

However, Milanzi says NLA with its vast experience in bookings and tour management intends to change the trend and give Africans the entertainment they deserve.

"Africa is becoming the favourite destination for a lot of artists and a popular festival destination. We want to make sure that Malawi is at the forefront of hosting the biggest shows in South East Africa. We will be able to guide promoters and event organisers to ensure they have successful shows. We want to give the music audiences in Malawi a great experience," said the London based Milanzie.

Asked as to when NLA will register its Authority in the African Continent Milanzi said "Everything we've done over the years has lead to this moment. We are already in talks with promoters, companies and individuals in Malawi on up and coming shows this year. We are very excited to be a part of what will be seen a the turning point of entertainment industry in Malawi."

NLA started in 2008 and has managed to organize tours with American artists in Europe as well as branch off into untapped markets of Asia, Australia, Middle East and Latin America.  

NLA's references include international touring with such names as Chris Brown, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, 2 Chainz, Sean Paul, Nelly, Busta Rhymes, B.o.B., Lupe Fiasco, Jeremih, The Game, Ja Rule, Eve, Dennis Rodman, Gloria Gaynor, Bobby McFerrin, Tiësto, Chuckie and Paul van Dyk to name a few. 

For 2016, NLA already has confirmed shows with R&B superstar Jason Derulo in Sri Lanka and Macau, 'Blurred Lines' singer Robin Thicke in Philippines, 5 cities tour across Australia with US rapper Tyga and more to be announced. 

Source: 'Next Level Agency to arrange big concerts for Africa,' says Arthur Milanzi

Sub-Saharan Africa: Spotlight on PCOs in Africa

It's been said time and again by many in the industry and in many different ways – Africa is rising, and South Africa is in a pivotal position to facilitate and be part of this continental growth. At the forefront is the MICE industry, introducing internationals to the natural wonders of the continent, its top-notch hospitality, and ever-developing convention and conference infrastructure. 

The Year That Was

Many PCOs have reported strong progression, new developments and, of course, some exciting events organised. We spoke to five of these top conference organisers to find out what their highlights were.

Conference Consultancy SA has seen many milestones, thanks to an intensive review of their mid- and long-term business plan. Says Danielle Henn, Operations Manager: "The success we saw in 2015 was mainly as a result of our 2014 goals and our 0% staff turnover – in fact, we added two more positions to our establishment to meet demand," she explains. "In 2015 we have organised more conferences than before, more efficiently and with greater effect...Our client base expanded, and ultimately our Managing Director, Pieter Swart CMP CMM, has been recognised by the Professional Congress Management Association (PCMA) as Global Meeting Executive of the Year 2015, awarded at IMEX Frankfurt. 2015 also saw our internal commitment to professional development with two of our executives studying towards their Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation." Both Danielle Henn and Corné Engelbrecht passed this stringent exam on 27 January – adding to Conference Consultancy South Afr ica's achievements. 

2015 was an eventful year for Event Dynamics, a division of Tourvest Destination Management. Says Gugu Buthelezi, Team Leader for the Government and Association Division: "Two of our biggest highlights include successfully organising the South African International Renewable Energy Conference in Cape Town, which saw 3 000 international and local delegates coming together to discuss issues around renewable energy. We also had some restructure within the team which has been implemented to create a focused approach in the Association and Government Space, and to create opportunities to upskill current staff in this specialised space." 

MCI Group, whose association business in SA is predominantly healthcare, finance and education, delivered a growth of almost 10% on Gross Margin – a great feat considering the current economic climate. "2015 was a growth year on a group level for MCI," says Sylvia Andres, VP of Marketing and Communications, "New offices in the USA, new partnerships with global partners such as Emirates and Expedia are testimony to this…2015 was an investment year for MCI South Africa. That being said, we have started making in-roads with both the local corporate and association market and are optimistic for the years ahead." In Africa, they successfully activated two high profile international association conferences for the Project Management Institute and the African Securities Exchange Association. 

Scatterlings Conference and Events have seen some tremendous growth, having secured a number of significant, large international association conferences until 2018. 2015 was another year of stellar performance, says Managing Director Rowan Moss. "Highlights included the organisation of the World Congress of Pharmacology at the CTICC and the International Mineralogical Congress at the Sandton Convention Centre. Other key conferences included another spectacular SAPOA Convention, IFLA/LIASA Conference. Scatterlings continued is successful Medical congress with the WITS Paediatric Fund conferences, WITS golf day, ICPA Conference, SA HTA Conference, National Blood Transfusion Congress as well as the Microscopy Congress. Scatterlings also did extensive work in the construction sector with the Master Builders Southern Africa conference, the SACPCMP Conference and the WABER Conference in Ghana."

Tribal Meetings has also seen growth, although not in the same way as 2014, says newly appointed CEO, Nadia Allie. "We have added four new clients to our database who have given us good turn over for 2015," she explains, adding that they are in the process of expanding their DNC division to increase their flagship products whilst maintaining their presence in the conference arena. After fourteen years at the helm, Muhammad Khan has resigned as CEO and Allie, who has been Acting CEO for the last few years, has taken over the position. 

Forging Ahead into New Markets

Although 2016 is set to be a year of consolidation for MCI Group's business in South Africa, the company is growing its Johannesburg offices, and plans are underway for a satellite branch in Durban. Andre says the future of MICE in Africa looks bright. "On an educational level, there is enormous potential for international associations to grow their membership by hosting congresses in Africa...strong currency exchange rates also make Africa a more attractive destination for the international market. For the incentive market, there are many spectacular, luxurious, yet affordable destinations in Africa, if you know where to look." She goes on to say that South Africa's place on the continent is secure: "Not only are there a huge number of South African professionals and academics gaining notable reputations on the international stage, the country itself is world-renowned for its beauty, diversity and hospitality."

Scatterlings will continue with repeat business from Europe, after having organised conferences in Zambia, Mauritius, Rwanda, Ghana, Kenya and Namibia recently. A bulk of their 2016 conferences is located in the SADC, says Moss. "Scatterlings Conference and Events is organising all the conferences for the African Union Foundation and this exposes us to the entire African continent…Our big congress for 2016 is the World Psychiatry Congress at the CTICC." He says South Africa will remain a powerhouse in the MICE market. 

Tribal Meetings will continue investing in the USA. "We have done good business from the USA for the last 16 years and have grown in this market," Allie explains, although she adds that Africa is the new economy. "If one considers that four of the fastest growing economies in the world are in Africa, one in three people are moving towards becoming middle class in a population of 1.1 billion, that number presents a huge opportunity…The MICE industry should be poised to exploit this opportunity."

Event Dynamics will focus on growing business in the Association and Government space says Buthelezi. "A crucial element of this space is to have skilled staff as this is how we win tenders; upskilling or developing the current team is therefore a key focus area for 2016." She goes on to say she is confident in SA's place in Africa's growing MICE economy. "South Africa has always been the gateway into Africa for the MICE space. With the current status of the Rand, hosting conferences or events in South Africa is fast-becoming an attractive alternative option. Confirmed conferences in South Africa are seeing maximum capacities of international delegations which are also boosting our touristic portfolios."

Conference Consultancy SA will be maintaining their business plan in 2016 and looking into the future to optimise their core competencies and build on the existing focus areas. "Our focus will remain on servicing our local clients, however some of these clients are broadening their scope into Africa and East Africa in particular," Henn explains. "Generally, our off-shore expansion is with clients in North America and Europe, and we will continue to grow that business."

PCO Achievements

These are just a few of the high level events and feats by PCOs, a testament to our industry's ever-growing success. 

* MCI's team successfully produced a congress with over 14 000 participants while managing 2 other huge congresses in Toronto (7 000 delegates) and Korea (7 000 delegates), MCI USA was launched, and won two ICARUS awards.* Scatterlings have secured a number of international association conferences including: INTS 2016, SAVCA 2016, Rotary International Presidents Conference, World Council of Entersomal Therapists, SA HIV Clinicians Conference, South African Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism Congress, National Pharmacy Congress, World Psychiatry Congress 2016, Joint Assembly of IAMAS, IAPSO and IGA 2017, and International Congress of Endocrinology 2018 with 8 000 pax.* Event Dynamics organised the South African International Renewable Evergy Conference with 3 000 pax, and SAIREC 2015.* Conference Consultancy SA Managing Director, Pieter Swart CMP CMM, received the PCMA Global Meeting Executive of the Year 2015.

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Source: Sub-Saharan Africa: Spotlight on PCOs in Africa

Living in danger: Hard life for migrants in South Africa

Media playback is unsupported on your device Living in danger: Hard life for migrants in South Africa

1 March 2016 Last updated at 00:03 GMT

South Africa is a popular destination for migrants from across the world.

Estimates of the number of foreigners living in the country vary, but according to the last official census the number was just over two million.

For some, life in South Africa can be tough - xenophobic attacks and a weakening rand are just two of the problems they face.

The BBC spent the day with foreign shopkeepers in the township of Diepsloot, close to Johannesburg, to find out what life is like and what their hopes are for the future.

Source: Living in danger: Hard life for migrants in South Africa