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Tag: Damilola Ojo

  • Four Fascinating South African Festivals

    Four Fascinating South African Festivals

    South Africa is a country on the southernmost tip of the African continent that boasts of many exciting and entertaining festivals. There are many culturally rich festivals to admire and explore in the vibrant country of South Africa. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares four fascinating South African festivals.

    THE NATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL

    This is also called the Grahamstown Festival, and it’s a popular South African festival that’s considered as more or less a rite of passage for the South African people. The ten-day festival is one of country’s oldest, biggest and most famous art festivals, which involves varieties of theater, music, dance and film presentations. Many creative performers aspire to make the cut to feature in this festival because of the festival’s popularity. It typically holds towards the end of June to the beginning of July.

    KNYSNA OYSTER

    This is an increasingly famous festival that holds in the coastal tow of Knysna for a period of ten days in the month of July. Much of its activities include oyster tasting (it is an oyster festival after all), oyster braais, oyster-eating competitions, and other molluscular sports. There is also live entertainment, as well as navy displays, special programs for children and a sporting event called the Knysna Cycle Tour, amongst other exciting events. The festival boasts of a large crowd so if you want to attend, it is best to book your accommodations ahead of time.

    CAPE TOWN JAZZ FESTIVAL

    This usually occurs around late March or early April, is considered one of the biggest musical extravaganzas in Africa. It’s a two-day event that sees a mix of local and international artistes on five different stages at the Cape Town Convention Center performing to a large audience of over 30,000. If you’re an avid jazz fan or simply just have a good ear for music, the festival is worth making an effort to attend. The festival has over time grown to be  a hugely successful event, and features great artists and excellent musical talents. If you want to attend this festival, it is best to book your ticket in advance before it gets sold out.

    OPPIKOPPI BUSHVELD

    It originally started as a rock festival, but, over the years, it has grown into something significantly bigger, and now has several stages where folk and jazz artistes, house DJs and comedians ‘cater to all tastes’. It holds at Northam, which is north of Johannesburg and Pretoria, in the month of August. The festival boasts of a line-up of local and international acts entertaining the many music lovers that flock to the event, for a period of four days across four different stages. There is also a comedy tent at the site of the festival, and in addition to the annual festival, the organizers also host a more intimate gathering over the Easter weekend that focuses mostly on rock and jazz.

  • Fascinating African Cultures To Know

    Fascinating African Cultures To Know

    Africa boasts of some of the world’s most fascinating cultures and traditions that dates back to hundred of years. There a couple of fascinating African cultures that you probably don’t know or might not even have heard of. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares four fascinating African cultures to know.

    Living With Their Mothers

    In the Gio tribe int, Ivory Coast children never live with their fathers. The women of the tribe have their own houses (typically small huts), where they live with their children until the children are old enough to move out.

    Sons are Raised by Uncles

    In the Northern Angolan Songo tribe, when male children reach the age 5 or 6 years, they are sent to live with their uncles on the mother’s side. This is because, in their society, chiefs inherit their titles and positions through matrilineal lines.

    Preserving Wild Animals

    The Massai people of Kenya and Tanzania are averse to killing wild animals. They freely keep cattle and livestock, but wild animals are left untouched. This is largely because they consider these wild animals clan members, and each clan is associated with a specific species which they often keep close to them and treat as a clan member.

    Beating the Suitor

    In the Fulani tribe in West Africa, the custom of beating the suitor is followed as part of the Sharo tradition. The custom is followed when two men are vying for the same woman. To determine the eventual suitor of the woman, the men are asked to compete for the hand of the woman by beating themselves up. The man who is able to take the beating while showing the least or no sign of pain, can take the woman as a wife. The people of the tribe might not practice the tradition as strictly as they once did, but there are still some parts of the tribe that practice it to the letter.

  • Five Ways to publicize your business for free

    Five Ways to publicize your business for free

    At the early stages of business development, free publicity can be a such a saving grace for start-ups, helping them save cost and drive sustainability, while giving the business much needed public exposure at the same time. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares five ways to publicize your business for free.

    TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FREE GUEST BLOGGING COMMUNITIES

    You can write and publish guest posts on well-trafficked sites in your niche, and take advantage of free guest blogging communities and use them as a good starting point for publicity. Try to refrain from making the article you intend to guest post too promotional, but make it clear enough for anyone who reads to come away knowing one or two vital things about your business.

    JOIN FORUMS RELEVANT TO YOUR COMPANY’S NICHE

    Join these forums, join their conversations and offer useful and insightful answers to questions asked. Try to be as active as you can on these forums so that you can use the platform to give your business good and needed exposure.

    VOLUNTEER YOUR COMPANY LEADERS FOR INTERVIEWS

    Try to leverage on some of your media or online contacts to get as many free interviews as you can for your company leaders. The interviews should of course be on subjects related to your company’s niche. This might be a bit difficult to get at the get-go (well, no one actually said it will be easy), but if you remain persistent, your efforts will eventually pay off. It’s really all about networking, building relationships and leveraging on that to get what you need.

    PUT YOUR PRODUCTS OR SERVICES ON ONLINE MARKETPLACES OR CLASSIFIED
    ADVERTISEMENT SITES

    Take advantage of popular online marketplaces or classified advertisements sites related to your company’s niche, and sell your products, as well as market your business there. If it’s a hotel you’re running, you can consider putting your hotel up on popular hotel booking sites like Jumia Travel, to help market your business and increase exposure for it. Of course, these online marketplaces or booking portals collect some commission for this, but it is nothing compared to what you will spend on publicity and advertisement. You can also consider listing your business in business directories and local business listings.

    BE ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

    There’s really no better way to get free marketing for your business than through social media. You need to actively put out interesting, unique and viral-worthy content that can help you build a large following and get more exposure for your business. You can also ask friends, family and even employees to regularly re-post your content. Constantly engage with your followers, answer their questions and solicit their feedback. Embrace social media as a tool for marketing your business, and dedicate time to build on it to get some much needed exposure for your business. Occasionally, you can also hold contests and give one or two things away to your followers. People love free things and this can easily help you with free word-of-mouth marketing, because people are bound to talk about it.

  • Five Smart Tips to Simplify Your Life

    Five Smart Tips to Simplify Your Life

    It’s not that hard to live a simple life, you just need to be determined about it. If you are able to keep a few tips in mind, simplifying your life will be more achievable. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 5 smart tips to help simplify your life.
    Declutter
    Too much physical and mental clutter isn’t good, and it is necessary to declutter and get things more organized. This can help to not only simplify your life, but help you feel more in control of your life. So, if there are things in or around your house that you don’t need or that have no positive use or function in your house, you should throw it out. Also ensure items and important documents in your house are well arranged and easily accessible, so you don’t have to scatter the house looking for them, especially when going out or traveling.
    Identify Bad Relationships and Work to Fix Them, Or End Them
    To simplify your life, you need to learn to be decisive. Don’t invest some much time and energy in unhealthy relationships. You need to identify these unhealthy relationships that dampen your spirit, and decide to either figure out how to make them work, or put an end to them. Give it as much thought as you want, but don’t lose sight of the fact that you need to be decisive about it. As much as relationships can be complex and confusing, try as much as you can to understand emotions and aim for simplicity in your relationships.
    Have Some Alone Time
    Alone time is crucial for us, human beings because it gives us an opportunity to get to know ourselves, and helps with self-discovery. Until you have an understanding of who you are and your kind of person, simplifying your life will really only remain an aspiration. This is because you can’t really simplify what you don’t understand, and if you don’t understand yourself, simplifying your life will be difficult.
    Spend Less Time on Social Media
    It amazing how much Facebook, Twitter and Instagram posts and notifications can drag down and complicate a person’s life. Try to make face-to-face interactions a priority, and keep in touch with the people in your life through phone calls or hangouts, rather than stalking their social media profiles. You’ll thank yourself later for it when you see the results. Also, when traveling consider going to travel forums and blogs to get needed information from travel experts or enthusiasts, rather than depending on social media for all your information.
    Live Frugally
    Don’t live above your means, no matter how tempting it might be. Always remember that it is best to live within your means and be able to sleep well at night, than to live above your means and sleep with an eye open because of acquired ‘gbese’. Also, it is best to learn to live within a budget, so you don’t end up being stranded financial at very uncomfortable times. Even when you go out with friends or when you’re on vacation, it is vital that you have a budget to guide your spending and stick to it.

  • Four best kept secrets for business success

    Four best kept secrets for business success

    Business success typically requires hard-work, commitment and dedication. However, there are a couple of secrets, the knowledge of which can help significantly drive business success. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 4 best-kept secrets of business success.

    HAVE A WORST-TO-BEST SCALE

    The best way to avoid bad business decisions is to first recognize them, and one of the best ways to do this is by evaluating your business on a worst-to-best scale. Once you are able to recognize bad business decisions, it will be easier to eschew them, then identify the best options for your business and pursue them, which can significantly help to drive business success.

    CREATE VISUAL REMINDERS OF LONG-TERM GOALS

    When trying to achieve business success, it’s easy to get ‘caught up in the daily grind’ and do things that are familiar, rather than things required for growth and profitability. Having visual reminders of your long-term goals can really help to create ‘tangible reminders’ that can help to keep your business focused on growth and profitability. It will help to serve as a constant reminder of your goals and help to
    keep you on track to achieving them.

    WELCOME HONEST FEEDBACK AND CRITICISM

    Over time, this has become less of a secret to most people, however, it is still a vital factor for business success. Feedback and criticism are good because they both help you realize the faults or failures in your business or business offerings. It important to learn how to effectively process criticism by receiving, assessing and letting go of hateful or negative criticism, and evaluating and acting upon constructive criticism. In addition, you should ensure that you solicit feedback from your target audience, open all channels of communication to receive this feedback and be gracious when receiving feedback. This way, people, especially your target audience, are more likely to be supportive of your business venture.

    PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR INTUITION

    A number of successful business people, Warren Buffet for example, have credited their intuition for helping them make some of their toughest business decisions. Intuition is in fact real, and it is not very wise to ignore it as a business person. If something about a business decision doesn’t sit well with you, then it is probably defective. Intuition comes from deep within your subconscious and is derived from previous life experiences; it’s more or less your true self speaking, which is why it is usually not wise to ignore it.

  • Six easy tricks to remember things easily

    Six easy tricks to remember things easily

    Occasional memory loss in inevitable, but there are a couple of tricks that can help you start remembering things much more easily than you do now. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 6 easy tricks to remember things easily.

    TRY VISUALIZING THINGS

    Converting words to pictures is one of the best ways to improve recall. This is because we naturally remember the things we’ve seen (that is, visual cues), better than we remember words. Also, the more senses you involve in trying to learn or remember something, the more likely you are to recall it. When you try to visualize something you want to remember, you increase your chance of remembering that thing. So the next time you’re traveling and want to remember important documents, you can try to commit your task to memory by visualizing the documents – maybe a stack of papers and with a passport on top – in the cupboard you keep them, and try to make the picture as vivid as
    possible. Do this as many times as you can throughout the day and see the results for yourself. The same also applies to students when reading or preparing for tests or exams. They should simply associate what they are trying to remember with a vivid enough picture, and it can help them remember even the most difficult things.

    USE MNEMONIC DEVICES

    This is a popular technique to remember things used mainly by students when studying for tests or exams. Mnemonic devices are very good for remembering things in a particular order. It’s also great for remembering mathematical order of operations.

    ASSOCIATE WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO LEARN WITH WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW

    The more mental connections you are able to make with what you are trying to remember, the easier it will be for you to remember it successfully. This is especially helpful when you trying to remember names and dates. When you go out, especially when traveling or going for events, you are very likely to meet new people and it is typically
    perceived as rude or careless if you hardly remember the names of those you meet. To help with this, when someone tells you their name, you should immediately try to associate it with something or someone you know. This will help you remember it better. Same thing applies with
    dates.

    WRITE OUT THE THINGS YOU WANT TO REMEMBER

    This is also a popular trick to remember things. Writing out the things you want to recall can really help to improve your recall because you will be forcing yourself to remember things actively, rather than passively. You will thus pay more attention to them as you write them down again and again, and as you do this, you are, in effect, actually teaching yourself what you want to remember; and as you know teaching yourself something is the best way to remember it. This trick can also help you discover the things that have made it to your long term memory, and those that haven’t, so you don’t waste time reinforcing the ones that have.

    LEAVE REMINDERS EVERYWHERE

    Leave reminders on your cellphone, calendar, bathroom mirror, dressing table etc., and you can also ask friends and family to remind you of important things you need to remember. However, it is important to choose friends or family members that are good at remembering things.

    GET ADEQUATE SLEEP

    A lot of people don’t know that getting proper sleep actually helps people remember things. If you’re sleep deprived, it will be harder for you to remember things because sleep is necessary to consolidate a memory (that is, make a memory stick) so that it can be recalled later
    in the future.

  • Five unmistakable signs you’re dealing with a typical Nigerian

    Five unmistakable signs you’re dealing with a typical Nigerian

    There are certain unmistakable signs that you’re dealing with a typical Nigerian that are hard to ignore. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 5 unmistakable signs you’re dealing with a typical Nigerian.

    After a long period of separation, you’re greeted with the state of your weight

    A typical Nigerian will break the ice with something like ‘you’ve added weight o!’ or ‘wow, you’re thinner now o, were you sick?’, when you see them again after a long period of separation. This is one of the major ways you’ll know you’re dealing with a typical Nigerian. They just can’t help it.

    They have two phones

    This can definitely be considered the trademark of a typical Nigerian. The two phones usually consist of one smart-phone and one flip or classic mobile phone. It doesn’t matter if the smartphone is a dual-sim phone and there really isn’t a need for the other one, it’s just a necessary trademark for the typical Nigerian to have them both. Although, some argue that having two phones isn’t just to show off and it’s the current state of power in the country that makes it imperative to have a backup phone, in the event the battery of the other runs down and there is no opportunity to charge it. This is a valid argument and one of the major factors contributing to the two phone trademark of typical Nigerians. Other variations of the two phone trademark includes having one smart-phone and a blackberry smartphone.

    They’re extremely security conscious and watchful

    This is not without good reason, considering the security forces in the country isn’t exactly top-notch and the security situation in the country is also more or less a mess. Due to this fact, typical Nigerians are highly security conscious and are more inclined to be as secretive as possible with details of their private and personal life, sometimes even bordering on paranoia with how secretive they can be. There is of course the spiritual side, and the fact that it’s just not safe to be so open about your private life because of the ‘wicked souls’ that might hear about it and do all that’s within their power to work against your happiness, even going as far as dabbling in the diabolical. For these reasons and because of the many heart-wrenching stories of people that have at one point or the other been careless with their security and paid dearly for it, a typical Nigerian just can’t help but be extremely security conscious and watchful.

    The need to add ‘O’ and ‘Sha’ to their sentences

    These two slangs add ‘salt’ to a typical Nigerian’s lingua. The slangs are used for emphasis in most casual conversations engaged in by typical Nigerians and is not limited to class, as you can sometimes find even the wealthy casually making use of it in conversations. The two slangs can also be used to express mounting anger or irritation over an issue or subject of discussion.

    They call strangers by familiar names

    A typical Nigerian finds it easy to call a complete stranger by familiar and endearing names like ‘mummy’, ‘daddy’, ‘uncle’, ‘sister’, ‘aunty’, ‘chairman’, ‘oga’, ‘bros’, ‘dear’ etc. They do so as a sign of respect or to establish some kind of connection with the individual. Some do so because they simply don’t know the name of the person and don’t want to ask for it. General names for referring to strangers like ‘ma’, ‘madam’, ‘sir’, ‘young lady’, ‘young man’, ‘miss’, ‘mrs’, ‘mr’ etc. don’t seem to be enough for the typical Nigerian; however some argue that calling a stranger by familiar and endearing names is done because Nigerians generally have a familial culture that accords everyone with respect.

     

  • Five safety tips for traveling long distances

    Five safety tips for traveling long distances

    Whether traveling by air or by road, there are a couple of safety tips you should keep in mind to protect yourself from certain avoidable occurrences. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 5 safety tips for traveling long distances.

    Ensure you get enough sleep

    This might seem like an obvious fact but there are still a lot of people that ignore this and drive through long distances while tired or while taking heavily caffeinated beverages to help them stay awake. You should not for any reason, no matter how late you are going to be, drive through long distances if you are tired or sleepy. It is better to get to your destination late than not make it there at all. If you’re very tired and can’t drive, then you can consider putting in a little extra money and booking a flight to the place, if there are available flights. There are a lot of online flight booking platforms like Jumia Travel, that offers you cheap and great prices for flights.

    Try to know all the laws regulating your route

    This is to avoid being harassed by traffic officials. If you are not sure about any of the traffic signs, it’s best to ask someone or take another route that you’re familiar with.

    Keep your valuables safely locked away

    This can be especially helpful if you’re traveling by air because there are baggage handlers that might try to steal them. It is important to never pack your valuables in a checked baggage because they are of course not safe there. It is best to put valuables in your carry-on bag or if your valuables won’t fit in your carry-on bag, you should contact the airline before your flight and ask if you can declare the extra value of your items and if they can cover loss or damage. If the airline can’t, it’s probably best to ship it or leave it behind if you don’t have to travel with it.

    Make sure someone knows when and where you’re traveling to

    Make sure you inform either a friend or relative about your travel plans and keep them updated as your journey progresses with texts and phone calls, until you reach your destination.

    Stay focused

    Especially when you’re driving through long distances, you’re likely to encounter repetitive scenery like long stretches of road or endless fields that can distract you and make your mind wonder. It is therefore important for you to make a conscious effort, especially when driving alone, to keep your mind focused so you don’t get distracted while driving, because that can turn out to be extremely dangerous for you. Listening to music or to the radio can help you stay focused while driving.

     

  • Five common retirement mistakes people make

    Five common retirement mistakes people make

    It is important to start preparing for retirement early to avoid being tragically unprepared when the time comes. In the process of retirement preparation, it is also important to note the retirement mistakes most commonly made. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 5 common retirement mistakes people make.

     

    Relocating Without Knowing the Place     

    Most people decide to move to a more rural setting when they retire, because they consider it quieter and more relaxed than the city life they’ve had. Some also do it to be closer to their families. However, the mistake most people make is not knowing the area they are moving too well, so what was intended to be a relaxing getaway becomes a stressful experience that defeats the point of relocating. Rather than relocating immediately to a new place, first rent an apartment in the area and get a feel of the place for at least a year. If you are satisfied with your experience then you can consider buying property there and relocating completely.

    Not Knowing What to Do With Your Time

    A lot of people spend time trying to figure out what to do with their money after retirement, but few people think of what to do with their time. If you don’t have a plan on how to spend your time after retirement, it can make the process a bit more difficult, because you might find yourself feeling useless and even depressed about it at some point. Try to find a hobby or side job that you enjoy, that won’t be too stressful or place too much of a demand on you, and use it to occupy yourself after retirement. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you will automatically be happier after retirement, because boredom and the feeling of uselessness can easily taint that happiness. Most times, retirement is not what people actually want, even though they spend all their time dreaming of it, they actually just want to finally do something they can enjoy and have more control over.

    Falling Into the Temptation of ‘Post-Retirement Spending Hike’

    Though many retirees intend to spend less after retirement, they actually end up spending more in their first few years of retirement. This is mainly because of the excitement of finally ‘being free!’. You, therefore, see these retirees begin to do things they’ve always been ‘dying to do’ without really minding the cost. It is important for people to take note of this possible spending hike and use a budget to efficiently plan for it. You must stick to the budget and agree to let go of anything you know you won’t be able to realistically afford. It’s better to be responsible with your money and avoid regrets later.

    Keeping Too Many Cars     

    At some point, you need to ask yourself what exactly you are doing with four cars as a retiree. If you don’t have a good reason for keeping so many cars, you should sell the extra cars, hire someone to use the car for a cab business for you, or give them out to your children, grandchildren, friends etc. You should also consider that as you get older, walking instead of driving has added health and fitness benefits for you.

    Underestimating Future Cost of Living

    This is why you should always have a retirement plan laid down. Typically, people underestimate the money they would need to comfortably live on after retirement. This is mainly because they don’t plan for retirement according to their spending habits; they instead plan with the belief that their spending habits would have been reformed by the time they retire, only to find out that is not the case. The general rule of retirement is to set aside 65 to 70% of your current household budget, then factor in every likely and possible expense you would ever incur, even if they seem far-fetched. You need to plan realistically and consider contingencies and unexpected costs.

     

     

     

  • Five useful tips for road travel

    Five useful tips for road travel

    To make the most of your road travel and make it a tad less stressful, there are a few useful tips to keep in mind. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 5 useful tips for road travel.

    Let People Know Your Whereabouts

    This is mainly a safety precaution. It is important to let friends or family know your whereabouts at every major point of your road travel, especially if it’s a long road trip. In case anything of note happens, it is important to have people who know where you are and can raise an alarm where necessary. This is especially important when you’re traveling alone.

    Don’t Carry Too Much Cash on You

    This might seem like a no-brainer but a lot of people neglect this when traveling long distances by road. It is advisable to set aside some petty cash to settle one or two expenses along the way like buying snacks or food or settling toll gate fares, but never carry an unnecessarily large amount of cash on you for road travel. Debit cards should be substituted for large wads of cash, and your bags or anything that can be associated with large wads of cash should not be kept carelessly and conspicuously in your car, so you don’t attract the wrong attention to yourself.

    Try To Pack Light

    Try as much as you can to pack light for road travel, so you don’t have to pay too much extra cash for excess luggage or squeeze your things in your car with little room for yourself.

    Have Entertainment Options

    Especially if you’re not the one driving, you should try to preload your phone with entertainment options to keep yourself gleefully occupied during the road trip. You can also bring along novels, mp3 players and other sources of entertainment (depending on your preference) to keep yourself entertained. Also, be sure to have a power outlet to plug into when your devices are running low on battery. A power pack can help with this if you’re traveling by bus, while simply plugging your device into the available power outlet in a vehicle, is appropriate when traveling with your own vehicle.

    Anticipate Likely Trouble Spots

    This especially applies when you’re traveling with your own vehicle. It is best to plan your road travel well, particularly the timing of your travel, so you can avoid certain trouble spots at rush hour. This can save you the stress of dealing with avoidable traffic situations and make your travel easier. Try to take likely trouble spots into consideration during your road travel and plan for either the best routes to use to avoid them or the best times of the day to ply the route that will make it easier for you.