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Design Indaba 2009

This past weekend, like every other was a very busy one. Amongst all the activity, the Design Indaba was one of the coolest things I got to attend this weekend with amazing local and international talent on display.


This very cool lion was created using bajillions of beads. Mental


But it's also one of the things that pissed me off the most.

As soon as I walked in to the CTICC, it looked a giant had eaten an Absa sandwhich and hurled all over the venue. This lead me to conclude that Absa was the main sponsor of the event. Through some people who know people who are people, I also know that this sponsorships costs around R1.2 million. That's a lot of bank charges buddy.

If you're not up for reading the rest of this post, I guess the short version is this:

"Dear Absa

Please fuck off from the Design Indaba. Stop spending my money on shit that doesn't

a) have anything to do with you
b) doesn't benefit me in any way

Seriously, no one gives a crap about whether or not you sponsor the Indaba, but we do care about the time spent waiting for your inept staff to respond to queries and resolve problems. Hell even answering a simple question seems too much for an Absa employee these days.

You want a worthy cause to spend your 1 million rand on? Create more jobs to deliver quality service, or even better, spend more time training your existing staff so that they don't give me a coronary every time I talk to them.

Sincerely,
The guy whose money you spent last week without asking.

P.S - your insane bank charges should fuck off too. Seriously - it's not funny any more."

Seeing that Absa had spent R1.2 million (and probably more) on this event seriously pissed me off. They were spending my money painting pretty pictures instead of training and upskilling staff or creating new jobs and stimulating the economy. In other words, do something useful instead of dicking around doing things they think will make them look cool.

Don't get me wrong - I understand the value of the Design Indaba. I am at my core a creative soul and value any form of creative expression and am deeply grateful to those companies and individuals who help this happen. For example, I don't mind seeing that Woolworths was also a major sponsor at the Indaba. When I walk in to Woolies, I get great service from well trained staff. They have their shit together. Not like Absa.

The longer I stayed at the Indaba, the more this chewed at me. made me want to change banks. But then I got to thinking - are any of the other banks out there any less crap?

What do you reckon?



P.S - I only saw the 5cm x 5cm card saying "Please don't take any photographs" on my way out of the exhibition hall. I wasn't trying to be sneaky.

Comments (5)

Ha! They all suck hairy dog balls!!! But if you want to experience really rubbish service try Standard Bank. They make ABSA look like a 5 star service group.

At the end of the day it looks like you need to decide whose bullshit you can stand putting up with.

I would love to change banks, but I know that ABSA would fuck up every debit order I have and leave my credit record in ruins (again). I wouldn't trust them to move a wheelie chair let alone my financial life.

Ditto for the receiving bank. Unless you have a private banker, you can pretty much bet on the fact that most things will go wrong.

Without the funding from Absa, there wouldn’t be a Design Indaba. They are the main sponsor…

No, without Absa the Design Indaba would have a different main sponsor.

Possibly even one that made sense.

you fucking oaks make me laugh....all businesses have problems. I've been with fnb and std...absa sicks ass...

and at the end of the day...absa get what it wanted...You bitching about there advertising and sponsoring the indaba...the next time someone says bank...you gonna think ABSA!!! pmsl