Lifes a Beach mag

Finally,  the Winter edition of life’s A Beach has hit the streets. Although slim in the number of pages we believe that the quality level is high. Our 3/4 page specials have given the magazine a more upmarket look; not so many tiny little ads. We are trying to provide maximum information and entertainment.  We have upped our print run so more people can have access to the magazine. This will mean more exposure for our advertisers and hopefully more business going their way.

I don’t know if this is the right forum to become philosophical, but I do feel that if enough people start to speak and act the truth instead of just padding their own nest regardless that we may have some future for ourselves, friends and loved ones. If we do nothing and say nothing things will just get worse for all of us.

It seems to me that the utopian view expressed world wide in 1994 of the Rainbow nation has become somwhat tarnished of late.  Greed and self interest seem to be the order of the day and I fear that many very talented and productive people are going to head for the hills and the Rainbow nation will become just a memory of what might have been if we had woken up in time.

Destruction of natural resources, over usage of carbon based power sources, destruction of our natural habitat and those of all other living creatures; these things are happening so fast that we can no longer say that it’s not our problem; it’s for the next generation to sort out.  Not true!!  It’s up to us to solve this.  If we start the healing process now, maybe there will be some chance for our children and grandchildren.

The Tsunami and the waves that followed not only physical loss of life in the affected areas but also in thousands of families round the world, volcanoes, the shrinking of the ice caps, the stink of pollution around Durban and Umkomaas, the electricity crisis, the rise in world-wide interest rates, the fall in property prices, and now the floods.  I can’t help feeling that these are all related in some way.  So-called civilisation has become self destruction of mankind.  We are all going to have to take a step back in the way we live.  For example, except for the very rich, who will not change the way they live no matter what happens; we will have to drive smaller cars, plan our trips better, to use less fuel, walk more, eat more natural foods , such as grains and beans instead of the high cholesterol, high animal protein foods that comprise the majority of many of our diets.  We will be healthier and thinner.  We will survive.  We will spend less time in front of screens, and more time outdoors.  Can’t be bad!

To get onto a more positive subject the Beachcomber website is growing daily.  Although, as a business owner, if you are one, you will automatically get a free listing you will get much better exposure for your business if you have an ad in there.  The sooner you can get your business on the website, the sooner you can reap the benefits and once the printed version comes out in October/ November this exposure will treble.  Don”t miss the boat!!!

Brenda and I are hard at work on the Winter 2008 edition of Life’s A Beach magazine. This will be our first Winter edition as last year somehow we managed to skip out Winter. Very convenient, but this year we are sticking to our quarterly plan and the edition will run for June, July and August. Through rain sleet, hail, burst water pipes, forced candlelit evenings etc which we have realised are a fact of life in Kzn and in SA as a whole, we will continue to do our stuff. We hope you like the new look for the cover which was introduced for the Easter edition on March. More modern, bright & cheerful was the idea.

After living on the South Coast for a while, we came to realise that unless you are rolling in the green stuff you cannot survive in the area with just one small business; hence the proliferation (good word that!) of families that run two, or three small businesses. We also realised that there is a vital need in this area for a full – on Annual Directory. Thus we have started The Beach comber Directory. It comprises a live website which is purely for reference and advertising purposes. Have a look at it in www.thebeachcomber.co.za.

Whatever you need from a dog collar to a wedding organiser to a wildlife organisation you WILL find it in the Beachcomber. Remember the more you use it the more people will advertise and the more useful it will become for everyone. The printed Directory will be coming out in October 2008. The deadline for advertising in this is the end of July 2008 so Don’t miss the boat. Remember the printed directory is for the whole year October 2008 till October 2009 and unlike the website, entries can’t be changed The ad stays the same for a year. If you have a business, whether big or small, you should already have a listing on the website, with a phone number. Make sure your details are correct. We are very excited about this project and we are sure it will benefit everyone in the region. Hugo, (that’s me!) is ready and waiting to jump into his car and rush to your premises to provide you with extremely cost effective advertising starting right now! on the web, which includes a printed ad, coming out in October.

Phew!! It’s been a tough year so far for all South Coasters, what with power cuts, property rates and interest rates increases, uncertainty about who’s going to be governing us in the coming years, the Zimbabwe problem, (and Boy is that a problem!) and now riots in Alexandra Township,not to mention the fact that to walk into a supermarket these days, with the spiralling prices, is like a survival mission. I keep telling myself that it can’t get any worse. Positive thoughts work, so I’m told.

Anyway, we just have to soldier on. The one thing we feel strongly about, here at LAB is that the beauty and prolific wildlife we still have in the area is worth preserving. (see article by the primates society in the new edition)

See you on the beach and Remember, Life’s A Beach! even though sometimes even we feel like changing the spelling; Life’s A B…..ch.

Hi Folks!!

Great news. Life’s A Beach / Lekker by die See is working on something exciting, affordable and brand new that is going to take the South Coast by storm!

We are creating a full online Directory for the Kwa-Zulu Natal South Coast. This has never been done before! The online Directory will include information on all businesses, restaurants, accommodation and lots more that the tourists and the locals, would like to have at their finger tips. Its new, its exciting and it will change your life forever! It is called The Beachcomber.

The Beachcomber website with FREE LISTINGS will be up and running before you know it. We are aiming for 15 April 2008!

The A5 printed booklet of The Beachcomber Directory will have FREE LISTINGS of every business in the new Ugu Municipal area. It will be indispensable to everyone. It will have maps of every area ( to scale, and not just the coastal strip). We are working on the maps and they will take a little longer as we aim get them as accurate as possible.

The Beachcomber’s printed A5 booklet will be distributed in October or November 2008. You the business owner can book adverts right now from as little as R390.00 for a whole year. This price includes advertising on the online website version starting in the next week or so as well as the printed version which will be published in October or November 2008. The Directory will be arranged alphabetically by category, so get your booking in ASAP as the listings in each category will be on a “first come first served basis”. You can be at the top of your section if you take an advert right now, because if you snooze you’ll lose!!

If you would like to book an advert in The Beachcomber or would like to know more, please contact Hugo on 039 681 3673 or 082 781 5103. You can also e-mail us on ads@lifesabeachmag.co.za.

Thats all for now. So talk to us about this exciting project we are waiting for your call.

Hugo and Brenda

Life’s A Beach / Lekker by die See’s Easter Edition for March to May 2008 has hit the streets. We hope you our loyal supporters and readers like the new cover design. We have plans to make Life’s A Beach / Lekker by die See more powerful than before by publishing interesting information and articles for everyone, so look out for our next issue which will be the Winter Edition for June to August 2008. Don’t forget to book your space by the 16th May 2008 if you want to be part of the exciting happens at Life’s A Beach / Lekker by die See.

It has been brought to our attention that someone on the South Coast is spreading a rumour that Life’s A Beach / Lekker by die See is closing. This is not true, we are here to stay and our message to whoever is spreading such idle gossip is “Thank you very much because such actions only serve to spur us on to greater efforts to make Life’s A Beach / Lekker by die See the finest lifestyle, advertising and informational magazine on the East Coast

We are introducing a whole new approach as we understand from speaking to the public and clients alike, that there isn’t enough editorial material featured in our magazine. We hear the comments from people, “It’s only adverts” too often and we have taken serious steps to correct this situation. We have already begun offering a fantastic advertising and editorial package to local leisure, restaurant, accommodation and businesses in our area and this has elicited a very positive response already. If you would like further details regarding this deal please phone us on 039 681 3673. There will be more editorial and features on shopping malls from the Easter edition. We are also tweaking our cover design slightly to make it more eye catching with a slightly more modern feel. We hope you like the new cover and layout of the magazine and would invite any comments from you the reader. Yes! we aim to continue to be seen as one of the leading FREE magazines, particularly on the South Coast. For the last sixteen years, Life’s A Beach /Lekker by die See has the distinction of being a source of entertainment, useful information and just plain fun, for visitors and locals alike. We intend continuing this tradition. Life’s A Beach / Lekker by die See was born in 1992 and is still going strong today. We are turning sixteen this year and will be around for the next sixteen years and longer.

If you would like to be part of the exciting happenings at Life’s A Beach / Lekker by die See, please contact us on 039 681 3673 or e-mail us on ads@lifesabeachmag.co.za. We look forward to hearing from existing and new clients.

Don’t miss the Easter Edition for March, April and May 2008 where the winners of the Life’s A Beach Cover Competition will appear on the front page. This edition will be out on the streets and in the Tourism Information Centres during the first week in March, so don’t forget to get your copy.

To everyone who donated prizes and to Eben from Active Light and Jade Lee from Lee Models thank you for all your support which made the competition a success

So guys and girls please keep supporting Life’s A Beach Magazine.

Cheers, Hugo and Brenda

Life’s a Beach Magazine / Lekker by die See was established in 1992 under the name of Lekker by die See. At that stage, the magazine was a 20 pager, and was mainly in black and white with some colour on the cover.

Since then, Life’s A Beach Magazine / Lekker by die See has grown in size, style and content and has become well known on the Kwa-Zulu Natal East Coast, particularly in the South Coast region. The magazine has a good reputation in the South Coast area and is tastefully and attractively presented. The magazine offers advertising to a wide variety of businesses, but focuses predominantly on tourism, accommodation, business and leisure issues.

We would like to broaden our services in the Durban North, Umhlanga and Ballito as we have a low key presence in these areas at the moment. Although we do understand that there are many other publications servicing these areas we believe that as a hands on owner operated Magazine we can offer you the client a special service. So please contact us we would love to hear from you.

We would also invite the public to send us articles of interest, such as diving, surfing, bodyboarding, wildlife in fact anything of interest. We published all articles FREE OF CHARGE in our magazine. So all inspiring writers get your thinking caps on and send us some news. Our e-mail address is: ads@lifesabeachmag.co.za or fax us on 039 681 2642.

Life’s A Beach Magazine / Lekker by die See is published quarterly as we find that this works best for local businesses as their busiest periods seem to be concentrated around the four main school holiday terms. The tourists visit us on the South Coast mainly during these times.

Our pricing is extremely competitive which gives us a huge advantage when standing up against competing advertising media. We will always go the extra mile for our clients.

We have currently gone into a business agreement with a local website directory called South Coast Directory, whereby we can offer our clients a choice of an individual website or directory listings or a combination of both at very competitive rates. For R75-00 per month you the advertiser can receive a 1 page website, which can operate as a shopfront for your business.

So advertise with us now and experience the hands on owner driven personal touch from start to finish at Life’s A Beach Magazine / Lekker by die See. So make your Life a Beach today and call us we would love to hear from you.