Is Standard Bank Closing Down?

Recently Standard Bank removed its ATMs from Bryanston Shopping Centre, The Wedge Morningside, and Morning Glen Mall.  Earlier, Standard Bank closed its branches in Sunninghill and Rivonia (those ATMs went too), and Bryanston Shopping Centre.

Are they going out of business? There is nothing obvious about this on the internet.  We see headlines like "Standard Bank to close 1 out of every 6 branches in SA" but that dates to March 2019.  They seem to have shut a much larger percentage than 17%, at least in northern Johannesburg –more like 67%.

I phoned them on 0860 123 000 but their call centre agent had no information.

The Standard Bank ATM and Branch Locator shows branches remaining in Sandton at Woodmead Retail Park and  Sandton City.  Bryanston has branches at Nicolway and Hobart Grove.  Branches in Alexandra are at Alexandra Plaza (3rd Street, Wynberg) and Alex Mall (London Road, Far East Bank).  Despite their removing ATMs from shopping centres, they have left those at many filling stations, like 90° on Rivonia and the BP on Bowling Ave next to Morning Glen Mall.  And at the remaining branches.

From August 2021 Standard Bank permanently removed ATM Saswitch fees.  So you can draw money from your Standard Bank accounts at the ATM of any other bank without extra costs.  Even cheaper, draw at Pick n Pay, Builders Warehouse, Cambridge Food, Checkers and Spar. You can make cash deposits at Pick n Pay or Shoprite stores anywhere in the country.  It looks like Standard Bank isn't closing just yet.

Odd Jobs:  Back to top

"I once worked at a cheap pizza shop to get by. I kneaded the dough."

New on the Block, Movers and Shakers  Back to top

• Rivonia Pharmacy (Ground Floor), 353 Rivonia Health & Wellness in Rivonia Area Shops – Link Pharmacy, conveniently situated downstairs of the doctors.
• Post Link Coachman's Crossing, Ground in Coachman's Crossing – Copy & Print, ID Photos, Stationery, Large Scanning & Printing, Graphic Design, Domestic Courier, International Courier, Vehicle Licence Renewal, Lamination & Binding, Internet Station, Packaging Material, Shredding, AutoCAD, Canvas Printing.
• Tobacco Zone, Lower Level in Bryanston Shopping Centre – Pollute the air, destroy your health, and annoy those around you! What's not to like?
• Nedbank ATM, Lower Level in Bryanston Shopping Centre – Kiosk on the main plaza.
• Xpanda Pro Bryanston, Upper Level in Bryanston Shopping Centre – Security Gates, Burglar Bars, Roller Shutters, Garage Doors, Driveway Gates & Balustrades.
• Hey Gorgeous, Upper Level in Bryanston Shopping Centre – Beauty products and skin care.

Today's Tasty Mondegreen

“Saving his life from this warm sausage tea”.

Correct lyric: “Spare him his life from this monstrosity” from Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. Source

The End of an Era at 90 Degrees

The anchor tenants at 90° on Rivonia Shopping Centre (Cor. Rivonia Road and Kelvin Drive in Morningside), the Spar supermarket and Spar Tops liquor, closed in early May.  It probably no longer made sense for the owner of both, Fontana Morningside, to have two sets of shops just 600 m apart.  So they closed the smaller ones, leaving most of the centre empty.

This is a blow for us, because 90° is closer.  We found the smaller shop more interesting and customer-friendly. Also, they had a working bread-slicer, unlike at The Wedge.  That machine has lacked a blade for at least three years (despite complaints) and has now stopped working entirely.

There is a rumour that a Checkers might replace the Spar at 90 Degrees.  They do not seem in a hurry.  We await developments..

The Start of a New One at Morning Glen

Your Editor was treated to a tour of the new developments at Morning Glen Mall.  Regular shoppers will be aware of the imposing –possibly overdone– upper level entrances, the new Panarottis Restaurant, and the improvements to the parking.  The main Kelvin Drive entrance has been much improved: Levelled out from the entrance inwards, so there is less of a hill to climb when leaving.  There are now two lanes each way deeper in.  Road markings and parking bays have been repainted.  There are now very visible direction signs, both painted on the walls, and by way of hanging banners.

Behind the scenes much more has been happening.  At the west end, straight in from the main Kelvin Drive entrance, where Mica Hardware was before they moved to the east end of the centre, serious construction has been going on unannounced.  The parking has been extended out as a parking deck with a lower level underneath.  Space is being provided for shops and restaurants with a view from the deck over the leafy suburbs towards the Sandspruit and Rivonia.

There will be a new entrance with a curved passage leading from the parking deck into the mall next to Clicks.  Protea Home is moving down to the shop along the south side of that entrance.  Protea Home's old shop will be split to provide a passage for access to the upper level restaurants and the planned scenic lift from the new deck.

We look forward to seeing how the centre develops.  The new tenant mix is still under wraps, but if you want to start a new restaurant (or a new branch), this might be your opportunity.

You know you're South African if...

You think we have the best politicians money can buy.

Gone for a Dirt Nap:  Back to top

• Fontana Morningside Spar, Shop 10 in 90° on Rivonia – Supermarket: household items, groceries, lovely fresh bread, cakes, fruit and vegetables, wine, specialist foods, extensive delicatessen, snacks, more… Was a friendly compact supermarket with a solid range of less-usual items such as exotic rice, interesting cheeses and imported meats. Sister store to Superspar at The Wedge, Morningside, which remains.
• Spar Tops, Shop 12 in 90° on Rivonia – Bottle Store. Sister store to Spar Tops at The Wedge, Morningside, which remains.
• Body Fuel Express, Shop 03 in Petervale Shopping Centre – Filtered water, juice, frozen yoghurt, spices, energy drinks, just-fizz cooldrinks, rooibos infused ice-teas, water filters.
• Maskscara Nails - Sandton, Shop 04 in Petervale Shopping Centre – Nail salon.
• JM Beautify, Shop 19 in Morning Glen Mall – Cosmetics shop. Scented soaps, bath crystals, scrub masks, body creams, and exfoliators. Select from our shop and have your products delivered to your door. Was Lower Level.
• Coachman's Wine and Liquor Emporiumm, Shop G01 in Coachman's Crossing – Was a small bottle store. Now disappeared entirely.
• Andiccio24, Shop G04 in Coachman's Crossing – Pizza, hot & cold drinks, ice cream. Free delivery up to 10 km until midnight. Free wi-fi.
• The Book Place in Coachman's Crossing – Where good books cost less. Mostly second-hand, some new. Moved out entirely.
• Mugg & Bean in Coachman's Crossing – Coffee shop franchise.
• Trendzz Unisex Hair Salon, Shop G24 in Coachman's Crossing – Hair and face: Hair cut, colour, highlight, straightening, perm, spa. Eyebrows and facials.
• Get Fit Challenge Jozi (Suite 1) in Coachman's Crossing – A 12 week challenge: Participants attended a 1-hour group training session once, twice or 3 times a week.
• Ghorbany Carpets, Shop 02A in Bryanston Shopping Centre – Persian Carpets, rugs, chobi, Pakistani, Afghan, Nepal, kilims, shaggy, modern carpets. Was on Lower Level.
• Stellar Boutique, Shop 32 in Bryanston Shopping Centre – International Luxury Designer Collection, Personalized Image Consulting. Design Houses: Joseph Ribkoff, Frank Lyman, FDJ, Pringle, Carducci. Was Upper Level.
• The Bubble Shop Bryanston (Kiosk) in Bryanston Shopping Centre – Bathroom Accessories: Bath crystals, bubble bath pearls and oils, lotions, imported soaps, potpourri, aromatherapy. Watch batteries, watch repairs, 3-layer masks. Was Upper Level.
• Standard Bank ATM in Morning Glen Mall – Was Lower Level in Entrance 2, outside Pick 'n Pay.
• Standard Bank ATM in The Wedge, Morningside – Left of the entrance to Superspar, right of the lift to lower parking. Was Upper Level.
• Standard Bank ATM in Bryanston Shopping Centre – The bank branch closed earlier, the ATM too, now. Was Upper Level.
• Crystal SLD, Shop 16 in 90° on Rivonia Basement – Shoe repairs, laundry, dry cleaning. No job is too small.

Thought for the Week:

"Don't let yesterday take up too much of today" –Will Rogers.

POPIA: Update on The Information Regulator

The Information Regulator (South Africa) has, probably wisely, abandoned its old website at the Dept. of Justice, which now redirects to their new site, https://inforegulator.org.za/.  That is probably the good news.

The bad news is that, 11 months since the POPI Act came into force on 1 July 2021, they still do not have an online process to register Information Officers.

The slightly better news is that they do claim to respond to registrations by email.  We are still waiting for an acknowledgement of our application prior to 1 July 2021, but let's try again... we'll report back on whether they do indeed respond.

If you would like to try too, and tell us of your experience, here are the steps:

1. Download the registration form obtainable somewhere on www.inforegulator.org.za (but not easy to find!)
2. Complete the form.
3. email it to Registration.IO@inforegulator.org.za
4. Within 7 days (they say) you should receive acknowledgement for registration and, an unspecified time later,
5. Receive the registration certificate with a reference number.

Overheard At the Checkout

"I joined the Pick n Pay Coffee Club – I can save 20% on coffee."
"Wow, that's great, especially considering the price of coffee now."
"Pick n Pay also has a Baby Club."
"Did you join that too?"
"No; we don't want a baby right now, even at 20% off...“