Price drives SA laptop rentals Rent-a-laptop.co.za

Increasing price pressure on laptops have resulted in more people delaying purchases or resorting to renting PCs, says a retailer.

“We, at The Notebook Company, are seeing pressure on our laptop sales. Tablet sales are also under increasing strain from the bigger format smartphones and from phablets, which are fast growing market share. But we are picking up the slack with laptop rentals,” said Christopher Riley, chief executive of The Notebook Company.

According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), currency fluctuations and lower resources prices are factors that have negatively impacted on laptop prices in Africa.

“Currency fluctuations both inside and outside the MEA region will remain largely responsible for the slower demand, particularly in key markets such as Turkey and Nigeria,” said Fouad Charakla, research manager for personal computing, systems, and infrastructure solutions at IDC Middle East, Africa, and Turkey.

Laptop rentals now make up a significant percentage of turnover at The Notebook Company.

Rand weakness

“More and more companies are currently turning to rentals, with some bigger companies renting hundreds of laptops for certain periods. Rentals now account for 15% of our turnover, which has wiped out the dip in the sale of laptops,” Riley said.

IDC data showed that PCs declined by 25.6%, with notebooks suffering a 28.6% drop to 1.9 million units in the Middle East and Africa region.

The weakness of the rand, which has driven up laptop prices, has contributed to softening sales.

“Right now, with the continued weakness of the rand, I do not see an upside. It is going to hurt consumers and they may cut back on buying, which will hurt the local market,” said Riley.

Expect to pay more for laptops as the rand weakens

 

The price of laptops in South Africa could rise as the rand continues to weaken against major international currencies, a retailer says

“The Notebook Company has been forced to up its prices this year. Due to the weakness of the rand against the dollar each shipment of computer goods needs to be considered to see if a price hike is required.  We don’t see the rand improving any time soon, so the prices of certain computer products will remain considerably higher than last year,” said Christopher Riley, CEO of The Notebook Company.

Riley added that the price of laptops and accessories had increased by 15% in recent years to make up for the falling local currency.

Over the past two years, the rand has depreciated from around R9.55/$1 to R11.94 on Monday. The price fluctuation hits retailers as most computer hardware in SA is imported.

“Some computer stock is flown in, and some is shipped in. When products are flown in, it is easy for vendors to adjust their prices timeously. But when they are shipped in the prices can be affected while the products are still at sea, meaning that computer vendors cannot always foresee higher costs,” Riley said.

He added that retailers often have to absorb squeezed profit margins as a result of these unforeseen price fluctuations.

“Vendors, in these instances, have to take a price knock until adjusting prices for the next shipment.”

The increase in price has seen sales stall as consumers decline to buy new laptops or delay purchases until the next version of Windows is officially launched.

The Notebook Company said that sales in the first three months of the year were flat compared to the same period in 2014. The depreciation has also had an impact on smartphone prices, forcing consumers to consider what they want versus what they can afford. Contract prices of premium phones have been trending upward from around R370 per month two years ago to around R500 this year.

“We do our best to mitigate against the weaker rand, primarily by leveraging Vodafone’s global purchasing strength. Having said that, any weakness in the rand does tend to translate into higher prices for the big name devices,” Vodacom executive head of media relations and social media Richard Boorman told Fin24recently.

But some manufacturers have seized the opportunity to offer lower-cost devices in an expanding mobile market. Companies like Huawei, Lenovo, Hisense and local player Mobicel have realised that cost is a major factor and market smartphones in SA directly at people who value affordability.

Data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) shows that smartphone growth hit a record 83% in the Middle East and Africa region, but price was a critical factor. Phones priced between $100 and $200 (R1 200 and R2 400) saw the largest surge in market share.

“Many new vendors have been eager to get into the region’s burgeoning smartphone space, with a number of them launching phones in this growing price band,” said Nabila Popal, IDC’s research manager for handsets and display solutions in the Middle East and Africa.

What would you pay for an Apple Watch?

How much would you be willing to pay for an Apple Smart watch? Would you pay R10 750 or R13 000? That is exactly what a South African paid for an aluminium and stainless steel piece respectively recently.

Offered on bidorbuy.co.za with a price tag of R9 000 and R11 000, the proud South African willingly paid for the exclusivity of owning the two brand new watches.

While the watch is set to take the world by storm,  there are some “dilemmas” with the gadgets and wearing them may not be as straight forward as some imagined. It appears as if a number of people’s high acidity levels have caused unwelcome skin reactions.

Apple’s website, although admitting to some problems, was also quick to point out that the device has been examined by certified dermatologists and users may be wearing it wrong.

In addition, apparently, some heart rate readings of tattooed consumers could potentially affect and play havoc with the smart watch’s mechanism, and social media sites were quick to pick up on the case with the hashtag #tattoogate as many frustrated consumers vented their annoyance.

Despite these hiccups, South Africans may overlook first generation flaws and purchase the device regardless.

“Apple loyalists are naturally going to love the smart watch. The watch’s release again represents a chance for Apple to change the world, again, with an industry-defining product,” said Christopher Riley, CEO of The Notebook Company.

The watch, not yet released in South Africa, has no local price tag or forthcoming launch date as yet. You can find the two bidorbuy listings here and here.

Tablet users to top 1bn this year

While the tablet market is cooling off from its highs of the past four years, more than 1-billion people worldwide will use a tablet in 2015.This is the word from Christopher Riley, CEO of The Notebook Company, who says: “While tablet sales accounted for more than half of The Notebook Company’s turnover from 2011-2013, we are now focusing on the sale of laptops – and we expect tablet sales to drop to around 10% of our sales during 2015.”

According to new figures from eMarketer, the 1-billion figure represents nearly 15% of the global population and more than double the number three years ago. By 2018, the number of tablet users in the world will reach 1,43-billion.

One of the key points raised by eMarketer is that the growth in the number of global tablet users will slow dramatically in 2015 – and continue to “taper off”. The total number of tablet users is expected to increase by 17.1% this year.

While this figure is still relatively robust, it is a long way behind year-over-year gains of 54,1% in 2013 and 29,1% in 2014. By 2018, the growth rate for new tablet users worldwide is expected to be just 7,9%.

Riley says that, during 2011 to 2013, tablet sales outstripped laptop sales at The Notebook Company. “We became one of the largest sellers of Apple iPads in SA during this period – as there was a strong demand from our users, something which was exacerbated by a shortage of stock. But our focus has now shifted back to the sale of laptops.”

He says the company is expecting an increase of 10% to 15% in laptop sales for the 2015 calendar year, compared to last year.

Paperless education ‘unlikely to succeed’

Paperless education ‘unlikely to succeed’

The Gauteng Education department’s plan to introduce a paperless education programme is ill-conceived, as there will simply not be enough funds to provide each pupil with a tablet or a laptop, says Christopher Riley, CEO of The Notebook Company.

Riley’s comments follow yesterday’s statement from Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi, who said a number of schools in Tembisa are set to pilot a paperless education programme. 
He said the school would receive state-of-the-art Internet connections at no expense to government. The schools were also supplied with tablets and training to conduct lessons online.

“It is noble attempt, but I just don’t see how the government can afford all the tablets. Most students’ parents will certainly not be able to pay for tablets or laptops,” says Riley.

All text books are available online but, again, students need to own a laptop or tablet – as well as have an Internet connection – to access them.

“Introducing a paperless education system would certainly help to end the embarrassing non-delivery of school textbooks which have been plaguing the country for some time now. But it remains an unobtainable goal simply due to the cost of implementation. This could be summed up as a case of covering the problem of textbook delivery, rather than finding a solution,” he adds.

SA to buck global tablet sales trend

While tablet sales were roaring during 2013, there are some market analysts, including IDC Corporation, which expect sales to drop significantly during 2014. South Africa could buck the trend, however.
At least one local notebook and tablet retailer, The Notebook Company, has said that local sales should improve “slightly”.

Christopher Riley, CEO of The Notebook Company, comments: “In a recent announcement, the IDC has stated that tablet sales will halve during 2014. Personally I just don’t see this happening – certainly not in South Africa, and certainly not at The Notebook Company.”
Riley says he expected his company’s tablet sales to increase by high single digits, “or possibly by double digits”.

‘We are fairly bullish about sales for this year. We are starting to leave the fumes of the global financial meltdown behind us – and I believe that, in itself, will play a part in more buoyant sales figures. Even if, globally, we see an increase in tablet sales during 2014, we are still seeing a growing market. It might be that it is just hard to emulate the sales during 2013, which were pretty good.”

According to the IDC, tablet sales reached 221-million units in 2013, up 54% on the previous year. But it said that this year’s sales will drop by as much as 22%, taking sales to 271-million units.

IDC also said that, by 2017, tablet sales would have slowed to single digit growth.
One of the reasons given for this decline is that consumers are opting for smartphones over smaller tablets.

Tom Mainelli, research director: tablets at IDC, says: “In the US, where tablets have been shipping in large volumes since 2010 – and are already well established -we’re less concerned about big phones cannibalising shipments and more worried about market saturation.”
It is further felt that, while consumer preferences have tended towards small tablets over the past 24 months, the rise of large phones could push consumers back towards larger tablets.

“The difference between a 6 inch smartphone and a 7-inch tablet isn’t great enough to warrant purchasing both,” Mainelli says.

But Riley insists that tablet sales will increase in South Africa during 2014 – and might even breach the double-digit mark. “We saw an increase in tablet and notebook sales in the last two quarters and we are expecting further sales growth during the next two quarters … we certainly see room for continued growth.”

I had the honour of interviewing George Ross (right hand man to Donald Trump ) who is also know for his role in the television program The Apprentice

I had the honour of interviewing George Ross  (right hand man to Donald Trump  ) who is also know for his role in  the television program The Apprentice.

Discussing:
1. If you are not technically up to date; you are living in the middle ages.
2. The importance of face to face personal relationships.
3. 80/20 Principle.
4. How important it is to prioritize your emails and actions within your business and life.

Saying all that: It is still not easy, but at least we know what MUST be done!

For more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_H._Ross
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Apprentice

Allow us (the notebook company) help you with getting your emails prioritized, your data safe, your computing hassle free, sharing of your data streamlined - We have the same problems and understand the problems associated.

The interview can bee see here:

BEAM ME UP SCOTTY

Picture courtesy of Google

‎

BEAM ME UP SCOTTY

PC companies like Dell  need to do some serious morphing and think of the PC as more of a hybrid, because the PC of 2030 –and beyond – will be a computer, a personal assistant, microphone, and  an ear piece, which will talk to a “virtual computer  in the cloud”.

This is according to Christopher Riley,CEO of The Notebook Company, the Pretoria-based notebook and accessories retailer. “Ultimately, “he said, “is that users will have access their own virtual PC in the cloud.”

He said the user would access, and store, everything in the cloud – including diary schedules. “Right now the PC already equates to a PC, a laptop and a smartphone. The blurring of the lines will get more and more blurred- and increasingly rapidly,” he said.

If a user wants to access his diary to check his meeting schedule for the day he will verbally engage with his “PC” and ask:”Susan, what is my diary schedule for the day?”. Then Susan, or Sue, or whatever the user wants to use as a nickname,  the virtual PC in the cloud will reply.

“Susan,  Sue, or Siri, will be like an artificial intelligent assistant (AIA)- and this is looking more and more like the future PC.  This scenario,”said Riley, “is also not that far off”.

“Maybe we should call our AIA Scotty, like Scotty from that iconic science fiction movie from the 1970s, STAR TREK? And say: ‘beam me up Scotty’ ’’Riley quipped.

Large increase in the prices of laptops and tablets threatening as Rand dives to its weakest level against the dollar in four years

The Rand is at its weakest level against the dollar in four years - and while this might be good news for South Africa’s export and manufacturing industries - this could well play havoc with prices in the computer industry, with at least one laptop retailer, The Notebook Company, saying that prices of laptops and tablets are likely to rise by 10%.

The Rand has pressed through the physiological R10 to the dollar exchange rate for the first time in four years, sparking fears that technology companies sourcing their products in dollars would have to institute increases.

“With the weakness of the Rand, we can no longer absorb our higher dollar-based costs. We will have to start increasing prices, immediately, and the price increases could be as much as 10%,” said Christopher Riley, CEO of  Pretoria-based laptop and accessories retailer, The Notebook Company.

“We have been trying to absorb the currency hits, but this is no longer possible,” he said.

He said Apple iPads account for a high percentage of sales at The Notebook Company, so the need to increase prices by as much as 10% was “not a decision taken lightly”.

It is expected that many technology companies – certainly those who deal  in dollars – are going to have to increase prices, across the board, said Riley.

“Few companies will be able to absorb the weakness of the Rand – and this, too, might not be an overnight thing.”

The Notebook Company puts its blood where its mouth is, and not its money

The Notebook Company, the Pretoria-based notebook and accessories retailer – which recently announced the opening of a consumables division -  has promised its clients the cheapest ink, toner and paper costs in the industry.

This was confirmed by Christopher Riley, CEO of The Notebook Company, who said: “People talk about putting your money where your mouth is, but what about putting blood where you mouth is?”

“The rationale behind this standpoint”, added Riley “is that if we don’t save our clients money then I will personally donate a unit of blood for every case brought to my attention”.

Riley said the cost of consumables has become “exorbitant”. “I believe we can save our clients thousands of Rands a year in the costs of ink, toner and paper.

“It’s crazy to acknowledge, but printer ink costs more than human blood.”

He said the investment in the new consumer division has not been significant as it will be piggy-backing off the company’s existing infrastructure.

“Besides this expedient factor, because the new consumables business is not our core focus, it enables us to come into the market on a competitive footing – and offer our clients really pencil-sharpened prices. We don’t have to make big profits from this division. It is a value added offering – which, in itself – will bring its own business benefits. We are not hunting for market-winning margins,” he said. “But If I do not save my clients money – and there are complaints – I will stick to my promise of donating a unit of blood for each complaint.”

There might be an increase in laptop sales in Q2- The Notebook Company

The Notebook Company, one of South Africa’s leading retailers of notebooks and accessories, believes there might be an increase in the sale of laptops during the second quarter due to the fact that there will be a “full range of  laptops entering the market, running Windows 8 – which might just create a slight increase in sales”.

This is according to Christopher Riley, MD of The Notebook Company, who said his company is expecting a 20% increase in laptop sales during the second quarter.

“It’s very possible that people were holding back on purchases, not really knowing what to buy before Windows 8 had worked its way into the market – and shown what its performance rating is. Additionally, it is also branded laptop ranges that are entering the market, running Windows 8.  If people were holding onto their Windows 7 machines to see what the market was going to do– to see if Windows 8 got bad reviews or not – they might now be inclined to jump in and go for a new laptop with Windows 8 

“In Fact,” said Riley, “we were, until recently, advising clients to hold any purchases – and to stick to their Windows 7 platform – to see what would happen with Windows 8, so that they could make an informed decision.”

Google’s Android tablets set to overtake Apple iPad says The Notebook Company

The tablet market is arguably one of the most fiercely competitive marketplaces in the world, with a number of the world’s biggest companies fighting for market share. But, while Apple iPad has been the clear leader since the tablet market started in full force in 2010, its lead is about to be eclipsed by Google’s Android devices.

This is according to Christopher Riley, CEO of Pretoria-based notebook and accessories retailer, The Notebook Company – and one of South Africa’s leading sellers of Apple iPads.

“We are seeing some pretty distinct market shifts and Apple’s heydays as the hands-down leader in the tablet market seem numbered,” said Riley.

IDC has already reported that shipments of tablets running Google’s Android operating system will surpass Apple this year for the first time. “There are a growing variety of smaller and cheaper Android-driven tablets from Google to Amazon.com, which are really becoming increasingly popular with consumers.  It’s not just the tablet market where Apple seems to be losing traction,” said Riley.  “Samsung, arguably Apple’s biggest rival, is coming to market with a slew of tech-savvy and funky  tablet and iPhone solutions, which are starting to take a bite of Apple’s market.”
Samsung’s fourth generation of its flagship Galaxy is about to hit the market and it is this range of smartphones that knocked Apple off its pedestal as the world’s number one supplier for part of last year.
“There is a lot of market anticipation for the new Samsung Galaxy,” said Riley, “and we could very likely see more inroads this year.”

While Apple might be facing more competition, Riley said he still believes that iPad sales will be the main contributor to The Notebook Company’s total revenue for the year. “For the past two years Apple iPad sales have been our main sales line.

" This is changing and, therefore, we are also offering a wide range of Android devices. We are also suggesting big name brands  when clients are looking at Android devices. We have offered low-end no-name tablets before, but we always warn clients that it is a case of ‘you get what you pay for’” 

In the meanwhile, the shine seems to be coming off Apple, with its share price being the first to show this – losing more than one-third of its value since hitting a high last September.

Microsoft’s Surface tablet will lift the level of competition in the local tablet market – but will it sell much?

Microsoft’s long-awaited – and much-touted – Surface tablet is due to hit South Africa’s shores within the next few months and, while it is expected to lift the already high level of competition in the tablet market, sales are unlikely to be huge, said Christopher Riley, the founder of Pretoria-based notebook and accessories retailer, The Notebook Company, one of the biggest sellers of the Apple iPad.

Riley said Apple is currently facing elevated competition from Android-driven tablet devices – which are generally cheaper than the iPad – as well as from an invigorated Samsung, whose tablet sales have risen meteorically in recent months.

“Apple’s share of the global marketplace has fallen from 51,7% to 43%, while Samsung’s has doubled from 7,3% to 15%. The arrival of Microsoft’s tablet in South Africa isn’t going to make a huge impact. Microsoft has lost too much traction over the last three years and the entrance of the long-awaited Surface is just that – it is long-awaited. It is late – and Microsoft has arguably lost its chance to become a core player in the tablet market.

“It is being touted as a great tablet from a price/performance perspective. Of course, time will tell. But I don’t believe they will be big sellers locally.”

Commenting further, Riley said that while Apple iPad sales still account for the lion’s share of the company’s revenue, sales have dropped in recent months as other tablets become more popular, including the Samsung devices.

The  Microsoft Surface will be available in both Windows 8 Pro and Windows 8 RT (run time) versions.

Vat Calculation Problems

Hopefully www.notebook.co.za/apps/vat will help you with your VAT201 Form

Samsung takes a chunk out of Apple – The Notebook Company

Apple, the incumbent “king of the tablet”, is under threat from Samsung as it saw its slice of the worldwide tablet pie falling from 51,7% to 43,6%, while Samsung’s spurred upwards from 7,3% to 15%.

It might not yet be time to worry, but, according to Christopher Riley, the CEO of Pretoria-based notebook and accessories retailer, The Notebook Company – and one of the largest sellers of Apple iPads -  Apple’s heydays in the iPad market “might well be over”.

“They are certainly not down and out, buy there is certainly increased completion of late, including a big jump in popularity by Samsung – and an increase in competition from Android-based tablets.

“The importance of recent sales statistics – as gleaned from MIRROR NEWS – show that Samsung’s market share has effectively doubled, while Apples has declined. These are the facts on the table right now. It also seems certain that Samsung will further increase its market share as the year progresses.”

Sales of Samsung Galaxy tablets made the 7.9 million mark in the last quarter of 2012, compared with just 2.2 million in the entire 2011 – according to research firm IDC.

“There is a strong move upwards,” said Riley. “even though Apple is still the best selling tablet, with a comparative sales figure of 22.9 million.”

Additionally, Samsung’s Galaxy S3 smartphone outsold the iPhone for the first time over the Christmas season, reporting a total of 18 million sales compared to Apple’s 16.2 million.

“All around, Apple is facing more competition,” said Riley.

He added that he is also noticing a “definite swing” towards more sales of Samsung and Android-driven tablets. 

“Apple’s iPads are still our top seller. But we are seeing increased interest in other tablets, something that started during the latter part of last year.”

Acer and Lenovo sales doing well at The Notebook Company …end users look for more ‘bang for buck’

As the consumer continues to battle with over indebtedness, price/performance is becoming a bigger issue, with end users looking far more closely at specifications to ensure that they do not pay too much by “buying features they will not use”.

This is according to Christopher Riley, CEO of Pretoria-based laptop and accessories retailer, The Notebook Company –and one of the biggest suppliers of Apple iPads.

“End users are really doing their homework and they are not ‘over-buying’ as much as they used to in the past. Users traditionally have the habit of buying laptops, and technology, that they will never completely utilize. People generally buy laptops, from a spec point of view, that they will never fully utilize. They might use 60% of the specs and features, meaning, in effect, that they are actually overpaying. But during the first quarter of this year, we have seen a definite trend where users are becoming far more discerning. They are looking more closely at the specs and features of their purchases, looking at it from a stricter ‘what features do I really need’ scenario.”

Riley said that while the sale of Apple iPads had currently dropped “around 40%”for the first quarter of the year, there had been a surge in the sale of Acer and Lenovo laptops.

“Looking at the semi professional market we have sold a lot of Acer laptops. Spec and price is the main reason because users seem to think they are getting good bang for their buck. When it comes to the graphics and gaming market, Lenovo seems to have the edge on other products right now – also from a features and price/performance perspective.

“It will be interesting to see if Apple iPad sales increase in the second quarter of the year. We were predicting a drop in sales for the first quarter, but it looks like sales are going to drop by as much as 40% - which is far higher than we thought. One of the reasons for this drop could be that the iPad market is slightly saturated and that people are still recovering from overspending over the festive season. Additionally, Apple has introduced so many new products and models to the market over the past six months that it may have caused a certain amount of confusion – and it also might have cannibalized overall Apple sales as users who might have bought iPads have opted for other products.

“But, despite this,” said Riley, “we are expecting a pick-up in iPad sales during the second and third quarters; but I don’t think it will achieve the heights we reached in 2011 and 2012.”

Notebook sales struggle as the economy splutters – but sales stability may return later in the year

Apple, the incumbent “king of the tablet”, is under threat from Samsung as it saw its slice of the worldwide tablet pie falling from 51,7% to 43,6%, while Samsung’s spurred upwards from 7,3% to 15%.

It might not yet be time to worry, but, according to Christopher Riley, the CEO of Pretoria-based notebook and accessories retailer, The Notebook Company – and one of the largest sellers of Apple iPads -  Apple’s heydays in the iPad market “might well be over”.

“They are certainly not down and out, buy there is certainly increased completion of late, including a big jump in popularity by Samsung – and an increase in competition from Android-based tablets.

“The importance of recent sales statistics – as gleaned from MIRROR NEWS – show that Samsung’s market share has effectively doubled, while Apples has declined. These are the facts on the table right now. It also seems certain that Samsung will further increase its market share as the year progresses.”

Sales of Samsung Galaxy tablets made the 7.9 million mark in the last quarter of 2012, compared with just 2.2 million in the entire 2011 – according to research firm IDC.

“There is a strong move upwards,” said Riley. “even though Apple is still the best selling tablet, with a comparative sales figure of 22.9 million.”

Additionally, Samsung’s Galaxy S3 smartphone outsold the iPhone for the first time over the Christmas season, reporting a total of 18 million sales compared to Apple’s 16.2 million.

“All around, Apple is facing more competition,” said Riley.

He added that he is also noticing a “definite swing” towards more sales of Samsung and Android-driven tablets. 

“Apple’s iPads are still our top seller. But we are seeing increased interest in other tablets, something that started during the latter part of last year.”

Tablet sales will be more than 30 million ahead of laptop sales in 2013 – The Notebook Company

It is expected that more than 240 million tablet PCs will be shipped during 2013, effortlessly surpassing the  207 million notebook PCs projected to ship during the year, said Christopher Riley, managing director of laptop and accessories retailer, The Notebook Company.

“We are also witnessing this trend at The Notebook Company,” said Riley, “and have been since the introduction of the first Apple iPad.”

He confirmed that the company is currently selling more tablets than laptops – a trend it expects to carry on “into the future”.

According to market research firm NPD Group DisplaySearch, tablet shipments are projected to grow 64% in 2013 compared to 2012.

“Projections are also being made,” said Riley, “that, by 2017, nearly three tablets will be sold to every one laptop.

“In fact,” Riley quipped, “the name of the company – The Notebook Company – is now essentially misleading, as we sell more tablets than notebooks.”

But Riley said while sales of laptops might be under pressure the company is hoping to increase its business as a “lot of clients will be looking to make a switch to laptops rather than upgrading or buying new desktops”.

He believes this could turn into a “fairly big” market for the company over the next 12 – 24 months.

The Notebook Company extends credit terms to customers via RCS

The Notebook Company – one of the country’s leading notebook and accessories retailers - which also runs the on-line Sites: Laptop.co.za and Notebook.co.za – has announced that it has been approved as an RCS ‘acceptor’, allowing the company to issue and accept RCS cards as payment for goods for up to 24 months.

The RCS Group is an independent, financial services company operating in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. Since its inception in 1999 RCS has provided credit and financial services to more than one million customers. Christopher Riley, MD of The Notebook Company, said that even though he is skeptical about selling to customers on credit – given the dire financial conditions facing many companies and consumers -  “going the RCS route enables us to enter into credit agreements with the call on an established, well run financial institution.”

He said he expects credit sales via RCS to grow over the next 12 months, and could have “a noticeable” impact on the company’s overall revenue.

“It is hard to project what revenue will now be generated via RCS sales, but I do believe it will be more than a blimp on the radar screen.”

Credit deals offered by The Notebook Company

The notebook Company offers short term rentals on laptops, iPads, projectors and related IT equipment. The company also offers a variety of longer term finance applications, from personal applications, business applications to Vodacom contracts.

Clients can apply online at www.notebook.co.za/finance

About RCS

The RCS Group is an independent, financial services company operating in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. Since its inception in 1999 RCS has provided credit and financial services to more than one million customers.

RCS has since evolved to offer a diverse product range to customers, including private label cards, retail cards, personal loans and insurance.

The major shareholders in the RCS Group are The Foschini Group (55%) and Standard Bank (45%). Both the shareholders are listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

This is the Official BLOG for the notebook company Notebook.co.za Laptop.co.za tabletZ.co.za LaptopSA.co.za

Website addresses are:
www.notebook.co.za
www.laptop.co.za
www.tabletZ.co.za
www.LaptopSA.co.za

Blog: www.notebook.co.za/Blog
YouTube: www.youtube.com/thenotebookcompany
Twitter: www.twitter.com/thenotebookco
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thenotebookcompany

BEE: www.notebook.co.za/bee

eMail:
Accounts: accounts@notebook.co.za
Customer Care: CARE@notebook.co.za
Sales: sales@notebook.co.za
Technical or Repairs: tech@notebook.co.za

Phone numbers:
Nationwide: 0860 128 128
0860 L A P T O P (527867) 
0860 N O T E B O O K (668326)

Johannesburg:(011) 34 22 900
Pretoria:(012) 34 22 900
Cape Town:(021) 44 87 117
Bloemfontein:(051) 44 46 600
Nelspruit:(013) 75 27 810
Polokwane:(015) 49 12 901
Witbank/Middelburg:(013) 65 62 900
Rustenburg:(014) 57 72 903
Port Elizabeth:(041) 45 46 601
Durban:(031) 46 46 601

Address:
www.notebook.co.za/address
www.notebook.co.za/view
the notebook company Building
1209 Pretorius Street
Hatfield
Pretoria
0083

Post Box Address:
P.O. Box 22096
Lyttelton
0140

Hours:
08H30 - 17H00 Monday to Friday and 08H30 - 12H00 on Saturdays.

Banking Details:
STANDARDBANK: 011530987 BC: 010645(00) 
International Swift: SBZAZAJJ IBAN: 011530987010645 BIC: ZA051001
ABSA: 9211677128
FNB: 62271602750 BC: 250066(00)
NEDBANK:  1028444052 BC: 160345(00)

Important Links:
notebook.co.za/auctions
notebook.co.za/fax
notebook.co.za/apps/vat
notebook.co.za/apps/paye2
notebook.co.za/backup
notebook.co.za/blood
notebook.co.za/blog
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