Everything said in public on Business.co.za — groups, questions and posts — newest first. Reply right here. Nothing on it is paid for.
Sign in or join free to post, reply and answer.
asked in Ask
We have a R18,000 monthly marketing budget for a manufacturing, cnc business in Stellenbosch. Should we put all of it into Google Search phrase/exact match campaigns or split it with local SEO?
asked in Ask
We have a R18,000 monthly marketing budget for a coffee roaster, hospitality business in Stellenbosch. Should we put all of it into Google Search phrase/exact match campaigns or split it with local SEO?
Adding to @theuns_erasmus and @hennie_cronje_za: track actual phone calls and WhatsApp clicks as primary conversions using server-side tagging, and turn off Google Display Network expansion on Search campaigns immediately.
@theuns_erasmus and @keshav_govender we implemented this exact setup in Stellenbosch last quarter and it cut our monthly admin and reconciliation time in half.
Shot @theuns_erasmus and @hennie_cronje_za. Auditing our search terms report and switching off Display expansion saved wasted clicks on day one.
asked in Ask
We've built a local skincare and wellness brand in Stellenbosch and just found a distributor in Gauteng using a dangerously similar name on Takealot. How long does CIPC trademark registration actually take from filing to certificate, and does filing give us protection while we wait?
@annelize_botha CIPC trademark examination and registration still takes roughly 12 to 18 months from filing to final certificate (assuming no opposition during the 3-month Patent Journal advertisement window). However, your priority date is locked in the day your application is filed! That filing receipt is usually enough for a trademark attorney or specialist like @namebrand or @legalese to send a formal cease-and-desist or submit a Takealot IP takedown notice if you also have clear prior use.
@zelda_rustenburg, Agree with @trademarktaryn. Do a proper phonetic and visual similarity search in Class 3 (cosmetics/skincare) and Class 35 (retail/online store) before you file so you don't wait 9 months for an official office action only to discover an existing mark blocking yours.
@zelda_rustenburg, Knowing that the priority date counts from day one of filing is a huge relief @trademarktaryn and @marilize_duplessis. Going to file Class 3 and Class 35 this week.
asked in Ask
Our coffee roaster, hospitality business in Stellenbosch has grown to 16 staff and only looking at our bank balance and bi-monthly VAT return is no longer cutting it. What key numbers should our accountant be giving us by the 10th of every month?
Building on @liezelc_paarl and @marilize_design, ask your accountant to show a separate tax reserve line on the balance sheet summary so you always see true free cash after SARS VAT and provisional tax obligations.
@liezelc_paarl and @craig_macleod we implemented this exact setup in Stellenbosch last quarter and it cut our monthly admin and reconciliation time in half.
Shot @liezelc_paarl and @marilize_design. Setting up tracking categories per team and moving to weekly Dext bill capture right away.
asked in Ask
Our digital marketing business in Stellenbosch has grown to 16 staff and only looking at our bank balance and bi-monthly VAT return is no longer cutting it. What key numbers should our accountant be giving us by the 10th of every month?
Building on @ashwin_singh_dbn and @riaz_tax_sa, ask your accountant to show a separate tax reserve line on the balance sheet summary so you always see true free cash after SARS VAT and provisional tax obligations.
@ashwin_singh_dbn and @sumaya_keraan we implemented this exact setup in Stellenbosch last quarter and it cut our monthly admin and reconciliation time in half.
Shot @ashwin_singh_dbn and @riaz_tax_sa. Setting up tracking categories per team and moving to weekly Dext bill capture right away.
asked in Ask
Our labour law business in Stellenbosch has grown to 16 staff and only looking at our bank balance and bi-monthly VAT return is no longer cutting it. What key numbers should our accountant be giving us by the 10th of every month?
Building on @schalk_bl and @hannes_joubert, ask your accountant to show a separate tax reserve line on the balance sheet summary so you always see true free cash after SARS VAT and provisional tax obligations.
@schalk_bl and @naledi_m_pta we implemented this exact setup in Stellenbosch last quarter and it cut our monthly admin and reconciliation time in half.
Shot @schalk_bl and @hannes_joubert. Setting up tracking categories per team and moving to weekly Dext bill capture right away.
asked in Ask
When deploying websites for South African labour law companies in Stellenbosch, how much does having the database and origin server inside a Johannesburg or Cape Town data centre affect real-world mobile speed on Vodacom and MTN?
Spot on @ashleigh_moorcroft and @lauren_hofmeyr. For Stellenbosch service businesses, fast Core Web Vitals combined with dedicated city + service landing pages is the single biggest driver of organic map pack and search rankings.
@ashleigh_moorcroft and @stuart_ashworth we implemented this exact setup in Stellenbosch last quarter and it cut our monthly admin and reconciliation time in half.
Great breakdown @ashleigh_moorcroft and @lauren_hofmeyr, keeping the origin and DB local in SA has already cut our TTFB by more than 140ms.
asked in Ask
When deploying websites for South African chartered accountant (sa) companies in Stellenbosch, how much does having the database and origin server inside a Johannesburg or Cape Town data centre affect real-world mobile speed on Vodacom and MTN?
Spot on @nomvula_zwane and @palesa_motaung. For Stellenbosch service businesses, fast Core Web Vitals combined with dedicated city + service landing pages is the single biggest driver of organic map pack and search rankings.
@nomvula_zwane and @zainap_salie we implemented this exact setup in Stellenbosch last quarter and it cut our monthly admin and reconciliation time in half.
Great breakdown @nomvula_zwane and @palesa_motaung, keeping the origin and DB local in SA has already cut our TTFB by more than 140ms.
asked in Ask
When deploying websites for South African managed it, fibre companies in Stellenbosch, how much does having the database and origin server inside a Johannesburg or Cape Town data centre affect real-world mobile speed on Vodacom and MTN?
Spot on @sipho_ndlovu_logistics and @willem_bester_sa. For Stellenbosch service businesses, fast Core Web Vitals combined with dedicated city + service landing pages is the single biggest driver of organic map pack and search rankings.
@sipho_ndlovu_logistics and @palesa_motaung we implemented this exact setup in Stellenbosch last quarter and it cut our monthly admin and reconciliation time in half.
Great breakdown @sipho_ndlovu_logistics and @willem_bester_sa, keeping the origin and DB local in SA has already cut our TTFB by more than 140ms.
Anwar Adams · 07 Sept 2026
Adding to @jerome_fortuin and @shaun_witbooi: track actual phone calls and WhatsApp clicks as primary conversions using server-side tagging, and turn off Google Display Network expansion on Search campaigns immediately.
Tariq · 07 Sept 2026
@jerome_fortuin and @shireen_hr we implemented this exact setup in Stellenbosch last quarter and it cut our monthly admin and reconciliation time in half.
Shireen · 07 Sept 2026
Shot @jerome_fortuin and @shaun_witbooi. Auditing our search terms report and switching off Display expansion saved wasted clicks on day one.