🇨🇦 So… We’re Canadian Now

Alright, this still feels slightly surreal to say.

I’m writing to you today as a newly minted Canadian citizen.

Actually — make that four of us. Me, Belinda, Connor and Angelique all stood there on Friday, right hands up, said the oath… and just like that, it was done.

After years of forms, uploads, background checks, refreshing portals, and wondering if we ticked the right box somewhere — it’s official.

And because we clearly now enjoy lining up for government milestones, this morning we were back in a queue from 7:30am until nearly 9:00am submitting our passport applications. If all goes to plan, in about 10 days we’ll be holding those blue Canadian passports in our hands.

That’s still a strange sentence to type.

Next up: NEXUS interviews on March 13th. That feels like the final boss level. If we pass that one, we’ll be crossing into the US like we belong there — no long lines, no interrogation vibes, just scan and go.

On the one hand, it’s a proud moment. It’s big. It matters. We’ve worked toward this for a long time.

But here’s the part I didn’t quite expect.

For years, citizenship wasn’t just a goal — it was the big checkpoint. Almost every major decision quietly depended on it.

You want to buy property… but hang on, let’s see what happens with citizenship first.
You want to make long-term plans… well, that depends.
You want to fully commit to something… let’s just wait until that’s sorted.

It influenced timing. It influenced risk. It influenced how far ahead we were willing to look.

It was always there in the background.

And now… it’s done.

Which leaves you standing there thinking, okay — now what?

When you finally reach the checkpoint that everything else was waiting on, you suddenly have to plan without that “we’ll decide after citizenship” line in the back of your mind.

We’ve climbed that mountain.

So now it’s time to look around and figure out which one we’re climbing next.

For now though — we’ll take the win.

Four Saffas. Officially Canadian.

Still braaiing. Still saying “howzit.” Just with a blue passport in the drawer… and a slightly bigger horizon ahead of us.

In This Week’s Newsletter:

• 📅 Upcoming Events

• 💭 Saffa Thought of the Week – Let’s Start Talking Again

• Bits & Pieces

• That’s a Wrap

📅 Upcoming Events

🍻 Pub Night – Small Group, Big Fun

We had our monthly South African Pub Night at Sailor Hagar’s last night and it was such a good one.

Eight of us pitched up. A couple of new faces, which I always love. There’s something about meeting someone for the first time and within 30 seconds realising you’ve got shared context — whether it’s calling a robot a traffic light or complaining about Canadian winter like it’s a competitive sport.

We played a bit of pool, chatted nonsense, and solved world problems as usual.

I did have to duck out slightly earlier than normal because apparently becoming Canadian requires standing in a passport queue at 7:30 the next morning 😅

But genuinely — if you’ve been thinking about coming to Pub Night, just do it. It’s simple. No pressure. Just good people.

🏉 Rugby Sevens – Let’s Go

Now this is the big one coming up.

HSBC Vancouver Sevens
📍 BC Place
📅 March 7–8, 2026

So I’ve decided to go to the Sevens this year.

Actually, full disclosure — Riaan is the one who convinced me at Pub Night last night. Somewhere around the fourth beer he informed me that it’s officially time I come back to the Sevens.

And honestly… he’s probably right.

It’s been a while. And if you’ve been before, you know — it’s not just rugby. It’s gees. It’s costumes. It’s noise. It’s a proper vibe.

And here’s the good news: Rugby Canada has given the South African Institute of Canada some proper discount codes.

20% OFF Two-Day Tournament Pass - Promo Code: SAIC720

10% OFF Single Day Tickets - Promo Code: HSA710

Important: You need to enter the promo code before selecting your seats. There’s an “Unlock” button on the ticket page — enter the code there first, then choose your seats. Don’t wait until checkout or it won’t apply.

If you’re keen, grab your tickets.

And if enough of us are going, let me know — we can try book seats in the same section and make it a proper Saffa block.

Let’s not just watch highlights. Let’s actually be there.

💭 Saffa Thought of the Week – Let’s Start Talking Again

Becoming Canadian this week has done something interesting to me.

It’s made me realise I don’t really want to sit quietly anymore.

For the last few years, while we were in that long citizenship process, there was always that voice in the back of our minds — don’t rock the boat. Don’t talk politics too loudly. Don’t say something that someone could misinterpret. Just get through the process.

When you’re in limbo, you keep your head down.

So I did.

Not because I don’t have opinions — but because stability for the family came first.

But now we’re citizens.

Now we vote.

And that changes something.

What’s been bothering me for a while — not just in Canada, but globally — is how divided we’ve become. People don’t really talk to each other anymore. They talk at each other. They sit in their own little feedback loops, listening only to voices that confirm what they already believe.

Left. Right. Doesn’t matter.

Blindly following a political party like it’s a sports team is a problem. When we stop thinking for ourselves and just repeat slogans, that’s when things start going sideways.

You could probably label me centre-right. I lean conservative in a lot of ways. I believe in logic. Practical outcomes. Sense and sensibility.

But I don’t think any party has it all right. Not even close.

And I don’t think shouting at each other fixes anything.

What we actually need is conversation.

Real conversation.

The kind where you’re willing to hear the other person out — not just waiting for your turn to respond.

You don’t have to agree.

But you should at least try to understand where they’re coming from. Understand their logic. Understand their fears. Understand their priorities.

If we only listen to our own side, we shrink.

Rights matter. Of course they do.

But rights come with responsibilities.

And one of those responsibilities is to engage like adults.

To think.

To question.

To weigh trade-offs honestly.

To admit when something doesn’t make sense — even if your “side” supports it.

This is my country now and I don’t want to just benefit from it.

I want to participate in it.

That means voting carefully.

It means speaking respectfully.

And it means being open enough to say, “Help me understand your perspective.”

Maybe that’s the real shift for me this week.

Not just a passport.

But ownership.

Bits & Pieces

• We Have a Winner! 📚🔥
  The live draw for The Democratic Republic of Braai is done — and we officially have a winner!

  If you missed it, you can watch the live draw here:

  👉 https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18KeJRcePH/

  Thanks to everyone who followed along and got involved. We’ll definitely do more of these — that was good fun.

• Best Chilli Bites & Droëwors Competition – Closed 🌶️

  Entries are officially closed.

  We’ll be placing the final orders and shipping everything out by the weekend or early next week. Once parcels start landing, the tasting begins.

  I’m genuinely curious to see which brand takes the crown — there are some strong opinions out there already 😄

• Tax Season Is Coming 💸🇨🇦

  With tax season around the corner, Maslow Pro Financial Services — run by Gwen, one of our SAIC Founding Members — is a great option if you need help.

  She understands the Canadian system and the South African context, which honestly makes life easier.

  And who doesn’t like saving a bit of money… legally?

  👉 https://howzitcanada.ca/sa-businesses/maslow-pro-financial-services-inc/

• South African Businesses – Get Listed 🇿🇦🇨🇦

  We’re continuing to update and expand the Howzit Canada business listings.

  A few of you have already submitted your forms — thank you! We’ll be loading those over the next week.

  If you run a South African-owned business (or supply South African products or services), here’s the form to submit your listing:

  👉 https://form.jotform.com/260376126137051

  Let’s make it easier for Saffas across Canada to find and support each other.

• Got Something for Bits & Pieces? 💬

  If there’s something you’d like featured — an event, a business update, something worth sharing — hit reply and let me know.

  This section works best when the community uses it.

That’s a Wrap

Alright, that’s it for this week.

From becoming Canadian… to pub nights… to rugby gees… to thinking about rights and responsibilities — it’s been a full one.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading.

And hey — let me know how I did in today’s newsletter. Is there anything you think should be better? Anything you want more of? Less of?

I respond to all replies, so give me a shout and let me know what you liked, what you didn’t like, what we should talk about next.

Always good to hear from you.

Until next week ;-)

So… it’s Tuesday again. At this point, I think the newsletter has quietly decided that Mondays are just too hectic, so Tuesday it is. Let’s call it a strategic move and not poor planning.

At home, things are a bit chaotic because we’re in full-blown Canadian citizenship oath ceremony mode for this Friday.

There are haircuts happening. Outfits being debated. Shoes being judged. According to Belinda and Angelique, Connor and I cannot be trusted to dress ourselves for this occasion. Our shoes are “too ugly”, our ideas are “silly”, and my suggestion of jeans, work boots, and a Howzit Canada T-shirt was shut down immediately.

Connor and I, of course, clearly don’t get it. We thought we were looking perfectly fine, but apparently this just proves (once again) that we don’t understand these things at all.

But ja, jokes aside, I suppose I do get it. It’s a big moment. Years of paperwork, forms, waiting, moving countries… and then standing there, swearing allegiance to a new country. That’s not nothing.

So we’ll do what the girls want. We’ll get the haircut. We’ll buy the shoes. We’ll try and look presentable.

Anyway, that’s the current vibe in our house — a bit of chaos, a bit of excitement, and a clear reminder that Connor and I have absolutely no fashion sense whatsoever.

In this week’s newsletter

• Upcoming events

• Taxes, Audits & Lessons Learned

• Saffa Thought of the Week

• Bits & pieces

• That’s a wrap

Upcoming events

North Shore Pub Night
We’ve got our next North Shore Pub Night coming up this Monday, February 16, at Sailor Hagar’s in North Vancouver.

It’s a relaxed South African pub night — guys and girls welcome — just a chance to grab a drink, have a laugh, and catch up with some familiar accents.

6:00 pm – 10:00 pm at 86 Semisch Ave, North Vancouver.

Rugby Sevens – heads up before you buy tickets

Rugby Canada has reached out to us through the South African Institute and is putting together discounted tickets for the upcoming Vancouver Sevens.

If you’re thinking of going, hold off on buying tickets just yet.

We’re expecting:

• 10% off single-day tickets

• 20% off multi-day tickets

They’re also looking at ways to help groups sit together, so if a bunch of us want to go together, that might be possible too.

More details and discount codes coming next week, so don’t rush into buying tickets yet.

And if you know of any other events coming up — or you’re organising one yourself — let us know. We’re still building out the events side of the site and would love to get more listed and help spread the word.

Taxes, Audits & Lessons Learned

So I had a chat with Gwen the other day about tax season in Canada, and it brought back a few memories… mostly the expensive kind.

First year here, we paid almost two grand for someone to do our personal taxes. And just to be clear — We just got completely ripped off because we didn’t know any better at the time.

Second year, we decided we were clever and did it ourselves online for free.

Third year… we got audited.

So ja. Turns out we weren’t quite as clever as we thought.

That’s kind of the thing with taxes — you’ve got to find your fit. What works for one oke doesn’t always work for the next one.

One thing a lot of people don’t realise is just how much you can actually claim in Canada. If you’ve got kids, for example, the government literally gives you money back. And it’s not some rare loophole either — almost everyone qualifies for something. The problem is, if you don’t know what you’re looking for, you don’t even know you’re missing out.

That’s where chatting to someone like Gwen actually makes sense. She’s a tax consultant in both South Africa and Canada, so she understands the whole story — immigration stuff, cross-border finances, and all the small things that are easy to get wrong when you’re doing this on your own. She’s also really sharp when it comes to financial immigration, which is one of those things you absolutely want to get right the first time.

If tax season is coming up and you’re not 100% sure you’ve got it right, it’s probably worth at least having a conversation with someone who knows the system properly. You can connect with Gwen here: https://maslow.pro/

Also worth mentioning — Gwen is one of the founding member sponsors of the South African Institute, so she’s someone who’s backing the community as well.

The video’s up now if you want to have a watch. It’s a lekker, practical chat — no doom and gloom, just real talk: https://youtu.be/SOwvR3VrWmE

Saffa Thought of the Week

Something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately is how other communities seem to do this stuff better than we do.

You look at so many other groups — Iranians, Indians, Chinese, whoever — and they’ve got solid support networks. People talk to each other. They share info. They warn each other. They pass on contacts so the next person doesn’t get ripped off.

And if I’m honest, I’ve always felt this is something we South Africans sometimes struggle with.

Take the tax story above. Paying two grand because we didn’t know any better is exactly the kind of thing that should be avoidable if we were talking to each other more. But a lot of us don’t ask. Maybe it’s pride. Maybe it’s not wanting to look clueless. Maybe we just think we should figure it out on our own.

The thing is, the world runs on communities looking out for each other — and we’re part of a community too. We’re part of the South African community here in Canada. Whether we like it or not, that’s our little tribe – and it only works if we actually help each other.

So here’s my ask this week:

If you’ve got a good tip, a lesson you learned the hard way, or a mistake you made that someone else could avoid, hit reply and tell me. It doesn’t have to be big or clever — just something real.

If we can save the next oke a bit of money, stress, or frustration, that’s already a win.

Bits & Pieces

• Thanks for the replies last week

  A big thank you to everyone who replied to last week’s newsletter. The number of messages about the “did we do the right thing?” question honestly surprised me. Clearly a lot of us are sitting with the same thoughts — and it really does help knowing you’re not the only one.

• WIN a copy of The Democratic Republic of Braai 🔥

  We’re so close! We need three more followers on Facebook before we do the live draw.

  If you haven’t yet, go and follow The South African Shop on Facebook:

  👉 https://www.facebook.com/thesouthafricanshopcanada

  We’ll do the live draw for The Democratic Republic of Braai as soon as we hit the number!

• Best Chilli Bites & Droëwors competition – closing soon 🌶️

  Entries are closing on Sunday, 15 February. If you’re planning to take part (or know someone who should), please get your order in.

  Official tasting packs are available here:

  👉 https://thesouthafricanshop.ca/products/the-best-droewors-chilli-bites-in-bc-tasting-pack-official-howzit-canada-bc-competition-kit

  We’ll be placing all the orders on Monday and then start shipping everything out for the tastings.

• Howzit Canada Facebook Group

  We’re going to start building out the Howzit Canada Facebook group a bit more and sharing more relevant, useful info over there.

  If you’ve got questions, need advice, or just want to see what others are dealing with, jump in and join the conversation:

  👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/howzitcanada

  Let’s see if we can help each other out.

• South African businesses – get listed

  If you run a South African-owned business, or supply South African products or services, we’re currently updating the Howzit Canada website.

  Here’s the new form to submit your business for listing:

  👉 https://form.jotform.com/260376126137051

• Got something for Bits & Pieces?

  If you’ve got something worth sharing — an event, business, job, tip, or win — hit reply and let me know. This section is exactly for that kind of thing.

That’s a Wrap

That’s it for this week. Thanks for reading, and thanks for all the replies, messages, tips, and stories that keep this whole thing going. I genuinely read every one, even if I don’t always reply immediately.

If you’re heading to the pub night, hopefully we’ll see you there. If not, keep an eye on the events page — more bits are coming as we catch up.

And as always, let me know how I did.

Anything you want more of? Less of? Something we missed?

Hit reply and give me a shout.

Chat soon,

Callie 👋🇨🇦

This newsletter was supposed to land in your inbox yesterday.

But you know how it goes — one thing leads to another, suddenly it’s Tuesday, and here we are.

Back in South Africa, I worked in the eventing world, and one thing that industry teaches you very quickly is that deadlines are not suggestions. If the show starts at 4pm, everything needs to be ready by 4pm. There’s no “we’ll finish it tomorrow.” Tomorrow is too late. The gates are open and people are already walking in.

When I eventually left that industry, I promised myself I was done with that kind of pressure. No more deadlines. No more living life by the minute hand.

Fast-forward a few years and here I am again, staring at a deadline — this time to get a newsletter written on a Monday… that’s now being written on a Tuesday 😅

Luckily, it’s not quite as serious as the eventing days. No gates opening, no crowds waiting, and no branding truck idling outside. Just me, a coffee, and a slightly late email.

The upside, though — and this is the part that really matters — is that even with the misty, rainy Vancouver weather still doing its thing, we’ve had some proper good news this week.

After more than five years of forms, waiting, more waiting, and a fair bit of patience, we’ve officially been invited to take our Canadian citizenship oath on Friday the 13th of February.

It means we’re right at the end of a long journey, and in a couple of weeks’ time, we’ll be official Canadian citizens. We’re excited, grateful, and smiling a lot more than the weather would suggest.

All that’s left now is to find another Canadian citizen who knows us well enough to vouch for us so we can apply for our passports — and then we’ll really be able to say we’re settled.

Not a bad way to start the week… even if it’s a day later than planned.

In this week’s newsletter:

• Upcoming Events 

• Saffa Thought of the Week 

• Bits & Pieces 

• That’s a Wrap 

Afrikaans Is lekker coming up again ;-)

Upcoming Events

The first event up is our North Shore Pub Night on 16 February (three days after I become a Canadian citizen — just putting that out there 😄). If you’re on the North Shore and keen for a proper catch-up, this one’s for you.

Beyond that, the calendar is starting to fill up nicely with a lot of the familiar favourites. If you know of any other events coming up — big or small — please shout. Now’s the time to get them listed so we can help spread the word.

Here’s what’s currently on the Howzit Canada events calendar:

• North Shore Pub Night — 16 February — North Shore, BC

• South African Pavilion at the West Vancouver Cultural Festival — 28 June — West Vancouver, BC

• Afrikaans Is Lekker — 24 July — Toronto, ON

• Afrikaans Is Lekker — 26 July — Edmonton, AB

• Afrikaans Is Lekker — 28 July — Kelowna, BC

• Afrikaans Is Lekker — 29 July — Saskatoon, SK

Keep an eye on the events page and bookmark it — we’ll keep adding to it as new things come in.

👉 howzitcanada.ca/event

Saffa Thought of the Week

With our Canadian citizenship ceremony coming up in the next couple of weeks, it does make you pause for a moment and think.

Was this the right decision?
Did we do the right thing for ourselves… and for our kids?
Was the risk worth it?

I reckon everyone who’s packed up their life and moved countries asks themselves those questions at some point.

It was a big commitment. A lot of time, a lot of paperwork, a fair bit of money, and plenty of patience. And when you’re sitting in Vancouver in a year like this — where it feels like it’s been raining non-stop, it’s dark by late afternoon, and you see friends back in South Africa swimming in Ballito — looking relaxed, tanned, and very happy — you do sometimes wonder.

You miss the people.
You miss the easy conversations.
You miss the sunshine, the food, the choice of biltong everywhere, and that general feeling of warmth.

Then you start doing the maths in your head. What we pay in rent here could buy a three-bedroom house on a private estate in Ballito — pools, tennis courts, ocean views — in two or three years. And ja, that definitely makes you stop and think.

But then I phone my mom in Joburg and she tells me she can’t really drive much anymore because the potholes in her area are so bad her car struggles to get through them. Or you hear about another break-in, more security issues, more things you constantly have to be aware of.

And suddenly you remember why you did this.

Is Canada perfect? No.
Is it expensive? Very.
Do we complain about the weather? All the time 😄

But are we safe? Mostly, yes.
Are the kids doing well? Yes.
Are we happy here? Honestly… most of the time, we really are.

That doesn’t mean we forget where we come from. It doesn’t mean we won’t always miss South Africa or feel that pull back home now and then. And it definitely doesn’t mean we’re closing any doors — there’s a reason we’ll be holding onto our South African passports too.

Who knows where the world’s going.

For now though, this is home. And even with the rain, we’re grateful for the journey that brought us here.

Do you ever find yourself asking the same questions?
Did you ever have that moment of “did we do the right thing?”

If you feel like sharing, hit reply and tell me — I read every response, and I know a lot of us are sitting with the same thoughts.

Win the Democratic Republic of Braai!

Bits & Pieces

• Best Chilli Bites & Droëwors in BC 🌶️

  Entries for the Best Chilli Bites & Droëwors competition are closing soon. If you’re planning to take part (or know someone who should), now’s the time to get sorted.

  👉 Order your official tasting pack here
  

• Diesel & Heavy Duty Mechanics 🛠️

  This one came up in the Howzit Canada Facebook group. There’s a big shortage of diesel and heavy-duty mechanics in Sparwood, BC, with opportunities to work on large equipment and very competitive pay.

  👉 Full details in the Howzit Canada Facebook group:

  https://www.facebook.com/groups/howzitcanada
  

• WIN a copy of The Democratic Republic of Braai 🔥

  We’ve got a proper South African classic up for grabs. If you love a good braai, this book belongs on your shelf.

  All you need to do is follow The South African Shop on Facebook — that’s it, you’re in.

  We’ll do a live draw as soon as we hit 50 followers.

  👉 https://www.facebook.com/thesouthafricanshopcanada/

  Good luck — and may your fire be hot and your wors be perfect 😄🔥
  

• SAFFA Jobs Canada 💼🇨🇦

  A quick reminder that SAFFA Jobs Canada is up and running — a space to share job opportunities, find work, and support each other.

  If you’re looking for work, hiring, or just keen to help a fellow SAFFA out, this is a good place to be.

  👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/1715283452355545
  

• Tax Season Is Coming 💸🇨🇦

  With tax season around the corner, Maslow Pro Financial Services — run by Gwen, one of our SAIC Founding Members — is a great option if you need help with your taxes.

  She knows the Canadian system well and understands the South African context too (and who doesn’t like saving a bit of money, legally 😄).

  👉 https://howzitcanada.ca/sa-businesses/maslow-pro-financial-services-inc/
  

• Afrikaans-Speaking Hairdresser 💇‍♀️🇿🇦

  For those in the Lower Mainland looking for a hairdresser where you don’t have to explain yourself twice — Lize Gouws is working at a salon in Aldergrove.

  Her clients love being able to explain exactly what they want in Afrikaans and be properly understood.

  📞 778 995 2216

Got something for Bits & Pieces? 👀

If you’ve got something worth sharing — an event, job, business, or win — hit reply and let me know.

This section is exactly for that kind of thing.

That’s a Wrap

That’s it for this week. Thanks for reading, thanks for being part of this community, and thanks for all the messages, tips, and connections that keep Howzit Canada ticking along.

If you’re heading to any of the events, we’ll hopefully see you out there — and if not, keep an eye on the events page as more things get added.

And as always…
Hey, let me know how I did in today’s newsletter.
Is there anything you’d like to see more of? Less of? Something we missed?
I read and reply to every message, so hit reply and give me a shout.

Chat soon,

Carel 👋🇨🇦

It’s been a pretty quiet week on our side, to be honest. Nothing dramatic, nothing exciting, just one of those weeks where life sort of ticks along.

The weather has actually been decent, which we’ll take. It’s cold, proper cold, and it freezes at night, but at least it’s not that miserable rainy, grey, never-ending wet weather. I’ll happily take crisp, cold days with a bit of sunshine over that any day of the week.

We’re also still waiting for the invite for our in-person citizenship ceremony. Nothing yet. No email. No update. But by now we’re professionals at waiting. After five years in Canada, you get very familiar with the IRCC process. You submit something, it disappears into the black hole, and then one random day, out of nowhere, something finally pops up.

So yeah, that’s been our week. Quiet, cold, sunny, and patiently waiting. Same same, but still all good.

In This Week’s Newsletter

• Upcoming Events

• Calling All Business Owners

• Saffa Thought of the Week

• 👉 Bits & Pieces

• That’s a Wrap

Upcoming Events

Not all of our upcoming events are on Howzit Canada just yet. We’ve got a volunteer, Karmen, who’s loading everything, but she was waiting on details from me and I fell behind. So yes, that delay is 100 percent my fault.

If you know of any South African events coming up, or if you’re organising something yourself, please email karmen@thesouthafricaninstitute.ca and she’ll get it loaded for everyone to see.

The good news is there’s actually a lot coming up.

We’ve already got dates for Afrikaans Is Groot. There’s also a proper rugby moment coming up, even though it’s not in Canada. The Springboks are playing the All Blacks in the USA, in Maryland. Proper test rugby. We’ll share full details once tickets and logistics are clearer.

We’ve also got the Rugby Sevens and the West Vancouver Cultural Festival coming up, so there’s plenty happening over the next while.

In the short term, there’s nothing happening in the next week. The closest event is Pub Night North in North Vancouver on February 16. Do your Valentine’s Day thing over the weekend, and then on the Monday come hang out with us at the pub for a couple of hours and just catch up.

Our North Van Pub ;-)

Calling All Business Owners

One thing I want to start doing a lot more of this year is putting the spotlight on South Africans who are running their own businesses in Canada.

We’ve already listed a whole bunch of South African-owned businesses on Howzit Canada, but I’d really like to go a step further and actually get to know the people behind them.

The idea is simple. I want to start doing one interview a week with a South African business owner in Canada. Nothing formal, nothing scary. Just a relaxed 15 to 30 minute Zoom chat. We’ll turn it into a Saffa Spotlight for the newsletter and also share it on YouTube.

We’ll chat about your business, how you’re finding doing business in Canada, what’s been harder than you expected, what’s worked well, and anything else you think might be useful or interesting for others in the community.

So if you have a business, or you know someone who does, and you’re happy to have a quick chat, give us a shout. We’ll set up a time and take it from there. We’ll start with one a week and see how it goes.

It’s really just about learning from each other and supporting the people in our community who are out there giving it a go.

Saffa Thought of the Week

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about these so-called “experts”.

We’re absolutely surrounded by them. Political experts. Financial experts. Economic experts. They’re everywhere. YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, and then again on the big news channels. Very confident opinions. Very strong predictions. Very sure about how things are going to play out.

And yet, if you look back a year or two later, hardly any of those confident predictions actually came true. In fact, most of the really bold, certain calls just never happened.

There’s a saying I really like:

“Follow the person who is searching for the truth, and run from the one who has found it.”

That line makes sense to me because once someone thinks they’ve found the truth, they usually stop listening. They’re not really open to other points of view or different ideas. It becomes, “this is how it is,” and that’s that. No discussion. No curiosity. And once someone shuts themselves off like that, they don’t really consider that they might be wrong, or that there could be another explanation. At that point, there’s nowhere useful to go.

I watched a really good video recently by Veritasium called The Expert Myth, and it was a proper aha moment for me. If you want to understand why this keeps happening, it’s well worth a watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eW6Eagr9XA

One of the big takeaways is that real expertise only develops in environments where patterns repeat and feedback is clear and fast. Things like chess, engineering, medicine, flying planes. You’re either right or wrong, and you find out pretty quickly.

Politics, markets, and big social issues don’t work like that. They’re messy, unpredictable, and constantly changing, which means most “expert” opinions are nothing more than a wild guess paired with a giant ego.

So maybe the reminder for this week is a simple one. Stay curious. Be open to changing your mind. Listen to different views, but don’t outsource your thinking to someone just because they sound confident.

Thinking for yourself is still one of the most important skills you can have.

👉 Bits & Pieces

Just a few quick bits before we wrap up.

• Chilli Bites & Droëwors Competition 🌶️
  Just a reminder that the competition is on and entries close 15 February. If you’re keen to take part, make sure you get your tasting pack ordered before then.
  👉 https://thesouthafricanshop.ca/products/the-best-droewors-chilli-bites-in-bc-tasting-pack-official-howzit-canada-bc-competition-kit
  

• Howzit Canada Gear 🇿🇦
  We’ve also started pulling together our Howzit Canada gear. T-shirts, hoodies, and a few other bits with lekker South African-inspired designs if you feel like repping your SA roots out in the wild: https://thesouthafricanshop.ca/collections/south-african-swag
  

• Supporting Matthew 🇨🇦🏑
  One of our community families, Loren and James Julius, reached out to share that their son Matthew has been selected for Canada’s Next Gen Field Hockey Program and the U18 team touring Germany in March. Huge achievement.
  Field Hockey Canada has set up an official fundraising page to help cover the costs. No expectations at all, but if you’d like to support or share the link, you can take a look here:

  https://www.canadahelps.org/me/6J3ArMq5
  

• Calling All Structural Engineers 🇨🇦

  Etienne van Heerden shared this one. A well-established engineering firm in Vancouver is looking for a Mid- to Senior-level Structural Engineer, with experience in industrial structures, sawmills, or heavy industry.

  If you know a South African structural engineer (or someone eligible to work in Canada) who might be a good fit, feel free to ping me for more info.

Got something you’d like included in a future Bits & Pieces? An event, fundraiser, small business shout-out, or something the community should know about? Reply to this email and let me know, and we’ll start including it here.

That’s a Wrap

That’s it for this week.

As always, thanks for reading, thanks for being part of the community, and thanks for supporting each other in big ways and small ones. If you’ve got feedback, ideas, or something you think we should be doing better, just hit reply and let me know. I read every message.

Have a good week, stay warm, and we’ll chat again soon.

Cheers,

Callie

I know this newsletter is very late.

I actually started writing this on December 29th, with every intention of having it ready for the 1st of January… and then life did what it does and laughed at my plans.

So let me start with this:

May 2026 be your best year yet, but not your best year ever.

For us, the year has actually started pretty well. We got a surprising amount of work done over the holidays, caught up on a bunch of things that had been hanging over us, and generally just started feeling a lot lighter. Less chaos. More breathing room.

Then we got our invites for our citizenship swearing-in ceremony on the 27th. Big moment. Proper goosebumps stuff.

Only thing — it was for a virtual ceremony.

Now listen, Zoom is great and all, but this didn’t really feel like a Zoom moment. Canada is adopting us, and we’re adopting Canada. That feels more like a stand-there, wave a little flag, soak it all in kind of moment… not sitting in front of a laptop.

So we asked if we could rather do it in person. Haven’t heard back yet, but either way, it already feels like the year is off to a good start.

2026 is on. Let’s make it a good one.

In This Week’s Newsletter

• Upcoming Events

• Saffa Thought of the Day

• Chilli Bites & Droëwors Competition 🌶️

• South African Institute of Canada Update

Upcoming Events

Alright, full honesty — the calendar is currently empty. Not because nothing’s happening, but because we haven’t finished pulling everything together yet. That’ll be sorted next week, promise.

But instead of leaving this section blank, I actually wanted to ask you okes for your thoughts on something.

Many of you will know Vorster from Netvleish. For years, he’s been putting on the Boere Fees up in Dawson Creek — and massive respect for that. The problem is, it’s far. Like… properly far. And a lot of people just battle to get there. Because of that, he’s decided to stop running it there and would rather help support more local South African events instead.

Which got me thinking…

We all know there are big South African festivals in other parts of the country, but out here in Vancouver / the Lower Mainland, we don’t really have a proper big one. And honestly, I reckon there’s scope for it.

So here’s a very early, very rough idea (emphasis on idea):

What if we put together a South African cultural festival towards the end of summer?

Maybe a one- or two-day jol. Somewhere like Ambleside Beach, or another big park.

The rough vision:

• South African vendors from all over

• All the SA shops represented

• Boerewors rolls, good food, potjie on the go

• Proper vibes

• South African businesses showing up

• Music — live if we can pull it off, Afrikaans playlists if not

• Somewhere around 50 to 100 vendors

• Just a proper jol for a day… or even a full weekend

Now here’s where I need your help:

• Do we make it open to everyone, like a cultural festival where Canadians can come taste and see what SA is all about?

• Or do we keep it more of a South African-only thing?

• What kind of entertainment would actually work?

• Do you know anyone locally who could help with music, performances, or organising?

• And the big one — would you actually support something like this?

Nothing is planned. Nothing is locked in. This is literally just the start of a conversation, and I’m wide open to ideas.

If you’ve got thoughts, contacts, experience, or even just opinions — shout. Reply to this email and let me know. Let’s see if we can make something lekker happen.

Saffa Thought of the Day

There’s a pretty good chance that 2026 is going to be a year of big change. Proper change. The kind that feels a bit shit-scary, but also strangely exciting at the same time.

Elon Musk recently said he believes 2026 could be the year of the singularity — a concept first talked about by Ray Kurzweil — basically the point where AI intelligence overtakes human intelligence. And from there… nobody really knows what the world looks like next.

That all sounds very heavy, but here’s the reality: even without fancy labels, it’s obvious that the work landscape is changing fast. Jobs will change. Industries will shift. A lot of people are going to feel unsettled, stretched, and lose their jobs.

One of the big AI guys was asked recently what advice he gives his kids in the middle of all this. His answer really stuck with me:

Live every day as if it might be your last.

Not in a panic way.
In a don’t-put-life-on-hold way.

And here’s the really important bit.

As clever as technology gets, people are still going to be your biggest asset.
Your relationships.
Your network.
Your community.

Now more than ever, it’s time to be there for one another — especially us Saffas out here in Canada. Most of us left the bulk of our networks back in South Africa, and this is exactly the time when community, connection, and looking out for each other matter most.

So take the time to reach out.
Phone your parents.
Spend time with your kids.
Have the coffee.
Hang out with your friends.
Check in on your mates.

When things change quickly, it’s the people around you that help steady the ship…

Chilli Bites & Droëwors Competition 🌶️

As many of you will remember, we launched the Best Droëwors & Chilli Bites Competition last year. The plan was to wrap it up in December… and then, well, December happened. Between suppliers being closed and not quite enough entries at the time, we decided to hit pause and do it properly.

Good news — it’s officially back on.

This is the Best Chilli Bites & Droëwors Competition in Canada.

Now, full disclosure: I love droëwors. Always have. And while the droëwors available here in Canada is good, it’s often just not that flavour — the one I used to buy at my spot back in South Africa. You know the one.

I’ve tried droëwors from a bunch of places, and honestly, Safari Outpost in Calgary is currently the closest to what I love. That’s my personal favourite. The problem? You can’t just ship droëwors from Calgary to Vancouver because of Canadian rules and regulations.

And that’s actually exactly why this competition exists.

This isn’t just about crowning a winner (although that part will be fun). It’s about all of us figuring out who makes the droëwors and chilli bites closest to what we love. Chances are, we’re all chasing slightly different flavours — and this is a way to discover them properly.

How it works:

• The tasting pack costs $55, shipping included

• We’ll buy droëwors and chilli bites from suppliers across BC

• Everything gets repacked into numbered, anonymous samples

• You receive a tasting pack plus a simple scoring form

• You taste, rate, and pick your favourites

• We tally the results and announce the winners — and who made what

That’s it. No gimmicks. Just good food, good opinions, and a bit of friendly competition.

Please spread the word, get involved, and make this one lekker.

👉 Order your tasting pack here:

https://thesouthafricanshop.ca/products/the-best-droewors-chilli-bites-in-bc-tasting-pack-official-howzit-canada-bc-competition-kit

South African Institute of Canada Update

A massive thank you to everyone who’s joined the volunteer group — we’re officially getting this going from next week.

We’ll be updating both the Howzit Canada and SAIC websites and, importantly, starting to properly build out the events listings. We’ve got a volunteer who’ll be reaching out to find as many South African events as possible — big or small.

So here’s the ask:

If you know of anything being organised —
a braai in the park,
a pub night,
a dinner, lunch, meetup, or get-together —
basically anything where South Africans are involved or welcome — please let us know.

Pop an email to karmen@thesouthafricaninstitute.ca and we’ll get it added.

This is all about rebuilding our networks. Most of us left a lot of that behind when we moved to Canada, and the only way we recreate it is by being intentional about it. Let’s invite other South Africans into our communities with open arms, spread the word about what’s happening, and make it easier for people to find their people again.

Little things add up.

And community doesn’t build itself — we build it.

That’s a Wrap

That’s it for this week.

Keep an eye on your inbox — this newsletter will be landing every Monday. Same place, same vibe, just a regular check-in with what’s happening in the South African community across Canada.

As always, hit reply and let me know what you think. What you liked, what you didn’t, or what you’d love to see more of. I read every reply.

Until next week — take care of yourselves, look out for one another, and don’t forget to make a bit of time for the people that matter.

Cheers,

Callie

P.S. Just a quick one — Angelique is now running TheSouthAfricanShop.ca and she’s busy saving up for a trip. So if you’re due for a top-up of SA goodies anyway, supporting her would be massively appreciated.

And good news if you’re local — she’s now doing local deliveries around Vancouver, Burnaby, and the North Shore, so if you don’t feel like taking the drive, she’s your delivery gal.

Lekker way to support local and family. 💛

Sorry I missed last week’s newsletter — things have been absolutely bonkers on the tire front. Vancouver has officially slipped into full Raincouver mode: cold, wet, gloomy… and suddenly everyone remembers, “Hey, maybe I should actually sort out those winter tires.”

You’ll be amazed how many people are still cruising around on their summer tekkies. But hey, that’s why The Tire Valet has been running flat-out. Rain or shine, we get it done.

A surprisingly lekker bonus? I end up meeting so many new South Africans on tire calls. You rock up at a house, hear that familiar accent and immediately think, “Ah yes, one of our people!” Love it every time.

Anyway — on a much bigger and far more exciting note: our citizenship tracker finally turned completely green. Every single step… check! Now we’re just waiting for that golden email inviting us to the swearing-in ceremony.

Across the rest of Canada, ceremonies run until December 18th, but Vancouver shuts down early — the last one is December 10th. Since invites normally go out about six days beforehand, it’s pretty clear we’ve missed the 2025 window. And that’s okay, because it looks like we’ll be in the first ceremony of January.

And honestly? That’s actually pretty special. It means we’ll become Canadians exactly five years after the day we first arrived. Full-circle moment if ever there was one.

📅 Upcoming Events

I’m really hoping to see a bunch of you at the last South African Pub Night of the year in North Vancouver on the 15th. We had a proper good one in November — although I’ll admit, I got a bit too tipsy. Since I hardly drink these days, a couple of beers hit harder than I expected… and the next morning reminded me I’m not 25 anymore.

But it’s always a fun night — pool, darts, chats, laughs — so I’d love to see you all there.

Here are this week’s upcoming events:

• South African Pub Night – North Vancouver: North Vancouver, BC — December 15, 6:00 PM

• Hemingway’s SAFFA Pub Night: Toronto, ON — December 17, 6:00 PM

• Soweto Gospel Choir: Peace Tour: Vancouver, BC — December 19, 7:30 PM

🇿🇦 Saffa Thought of the Day

This past week has been a strange one for me. A good friend of mine back in South Africa took his own life, and it’s been sitting with me ever since. I keep replaying our last chat — his birthday at the end of October. He laughed, he sounded positive, and nothing about his voice hinted at how much he must have been carrying inside. Maybe that’s what’s been bugging me the most: how someone can seem okay on the outside while storms are raging silently within.

I don’t know exactly what he was facing, and I’m not here to judge his choices. But it shook me. It reminded me how quickly life can feel overwhelming, and how deeply people can struggle without ever saying a word.

And then — almost in the same breath — I found myself thinking about another friend of mine whose story went in a completely different direction.

At the start of the year, his wife left him. It broke him. When I spoke to him back then, he sounded like someone whose whole world had collapsed. It would’ve been easy for him to disappear into that dark feeling… but he made a different choice. He decided to face it, to think deeply about who he wanted to be and what he wanted from life. And slowly — step by step — he started rebuilding.

And then life surprised him.
Eight months later, I speak to him and he’s practically glowing.
He tells me he feels like a schoolboy again.
He reconnected with an old girlfriend and they’re deeply in love.
He found a job that energises him.
He started a small side business.
He’s trading stocks and making a killing.

His whole life — the one that once felt shattered — has reshaped itself into something joyful.

From heartbreak to happiness.
From confusion to clarity.
From rock bottom to a brand-new beginning.

And it all happened in a matter of months.

It’s made me think about how unpredictable life is. How the deepest valleys can feel endless… and then suddenly something shifts. A new door opens. A spark returns. Hope shows up in places we didn’t expect.

And since we’re heading into the holiday season — a time that can be incredibly tough for Saffas far away from home — I just want to say this from the heart:

If you’re in a hard place right now, please hold on. The story isn’t finished. You matter. You’re not alone. And better days can arrive when you least expect them.

And for the rest of us — hey, check in on your people.
Even the ones who seem fine.
Even the strong ones, the funny ones, the quiet ones.

And checking in doesn’t have to be deep or heavy.
It’s just… checking in.

A quick,
“Howzit, hope you have an awesome day.”
Or inviting someone for a coffee.
Or sending a message that simply says, “Thinking of you, bru.”

It’s those tiny moments — those small flashes of human connection — that remind people they’re not walking this world alone. And sometimes that little “howzit” lands in someone’s life at exactly the right moment.

We’re Saffas.
We look out for each other.
And we don’t let our people walk through the dark alone.

🇿🇦 SAIC Community Catch-Up

I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who reached out. My inbox is still filling up with replies from the last two newsletters after I put out the call for volunteers, and you SAFFAs are honestly incredible. And yes — just like I didn’t get around to writing last week’s newsletter, I also haven’t managed to respond to everyone yet.

Between the tires rush and life doing its thing, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind. But things are finally calming down. We’ve booked a few days off, and I promise I’m going to reply to every single person this coming week. I’ll get you added to the volunteer groups, and then we can kick off the new year with a proper bang.

Now, about the Biltong and Chilli Bite Competition — we’re going to have to postpone it to early next year. What I didn’t keep in mind was that some of our favourite suppliers, like Netvleish, are shutting down early for the Christmas season, so we’re now a bit too late to get everything ordered. On top of that, we haven’t quite sold enough entries yet to make it viable, and I haven’t had the time — or, let’s be honest, the sunshine — to film the videos I needed to promote it properly.

Between the tires and Vancouver being gloomy enough to make anyone feel like a soggy koeksister, it just didn’t come together this time.

If you’ve already bought an entry, I’ll reach out to you personally. You’re welcome to stay in for the competition next year, or I can do a refund — whatever works for you.

And finally, some good news: we’re definitely doing the West Vancouver Cultural Festival booth again next year. We’ve got a meeting coming up next week to start planning, and things are moving along nicely behind the scenes. Watch this space — 2026 is going to be a big one for the South African Institute of Canada.

🇿🇦 That’s a Wrap

So stay warm, stay safe, and stay lekker, man. And if you’re living in some far-off corner of Canada where there isn’t a cosy little South African shop around the corner to grab your Ouma Rusks or your Flippen Lekker spice, don’t stress — hop onto TheSouthAfricanShop.ca and go support Angelique.

She’s saving up to go to Ontario for a month next year to visit her friend at varsity, and she’s doing everything she can to make it happen. She’d really appreciate any support — every order helps her get one step closer to that trip.

Thanks for being part of this community.

Thanks for showing up.

And thanks for making this country feel a little more like home.

Have a stunning week ahead — and as always, if you’ve got ideas, feedback, jokes, or just want to say howzit, hit reply. I read every message.

Just when I thought things were finally going to quiet down with the tires… boom — out of nowhere, we get a whole new wave of people booking in. Honestly, I was convinced that everyone would be sorted before the 1st of October, because that’s when winter tires become mandatory on the highways. But here we are, heading into the end of November, and after having zero cars lined up on Friday morning, we suddenly had five booked by the afternoon.

Not that I’m complaining — it’s lekker to be busy, and we’re grateful for every single booking. It just means I’m still running around a bit, and I’m not getting to everything I want to as quickly as I’d hoped. But we’ll get there… slowly but surely.

And in some fantastic personal news — all of us passed our citizenship tests this weekend! Another big milestone ticked off. Now we’re just waiting for the invitation to take the oath. We decided we’re going to do it in person, not online, because it’s a massive moment for our family. It’s been a long, long slog to get here, and we want to do it properly — in a room with other new Canadians, standing up proudly, and getting the official photo at the end.

In this week’s newsletter:

• Upcoming Events – What’s happening for Saffas in and around Vancouver.

• Saffa Thought of the Week: “In the end, everything will be okay.”

• Report Back on the Call for Volunteers – Thank you to everyone who put up their hand.

• Droëwors & Chilli Bite Competition – A very serious (and very tasty) community project in the making. 🍖🌶️

📅 Upcoming Events

Not much happening this time of the year on the SAFFA calendar, unfortunately. And of course — just our luck — the little hiatus when the newsletter wasn’t going out was exactly when some of the coolest events happened… the Boere Fees, the Vernon Potjie Competition, and the Kelowna Day celebrations. Sorry we missed keeping everyone in the loop on those!

But here’s what is coming up:

• Sailor Hagar’s Pub Night – Vancouver (Tonight!)

  If you’re keen for a drink and a chat, come join us. Always a lekker vibe and a good place to meet fellow Saffas.

• Hemingway’s SAFFA Pub Night – Dec 17

  I think this one is still happening, but if anyone can confirm, please let me know so I can update everyone.

Since things are a bit quiet, we’d love your help!

If you know of any events, big or small — braais, markets, potjiekos days, charity drives, even informal meetups — please let us know ASAP so we can share it with the community.

You can reply directly to this email, or message me at callie@thesouthafricaninstitute.ca.

💭 Saffa Thought of the Week: In the End, Everything Will Be Okay

So just a quick follow-up from last week’s thought — you know, the whole thing of how stressing about yesterday or worrying about tomorrow doesn’t actually help anything. It just steals today’s joy.

This week I’ve chatted to quite a few people who are properly going through it… folks waiting months or even years with zero updates on PR or citizenship, people stuck in job situations they don’t like, people who feel like they’re in Canada but still kind of “in limbo.” And honestly, I know how heavy that waiting game can get. You feel powerless, like nothing is moving.

But here’s the wild thing I’ve seen over and over again: life can flip on you really quickly.

One day nothing’s happening… next day, boom — there’s the email, the approval, the job, the yes you’ve been waiting for. I’ve spoken to so many people who were right on the edge, feeling like, “Okay, I’m done, this is never going to work out,” and then suddenly something shifts.

And maybe — just maybe — it’s not happening to you. Maybe it’s happening for you. Maybe the delay is lining something up. Maybe the detour is protection. Maybe the wait is actually pushing you toward the right thing instead of the wrong one.

So if you’re in that space right now… hey, just hang in there, man. Take a breath. Keep going. Keep doing what you can with what you have today.

You don’t always know why things are happening, but you’ve got to believe that it’s all going to come together in the end.

And when it does, you’ll look back and think, “Ja, okay… now it makes sense.”

🙏 Report Back: Thank You to Everyone Who Stepped Up

After last week’s newsletter, we had so many people replying and saying, “Yep, I’m in — how can I help?” It honestly blew me away. I tried to respond to every single email, but if I missed yours, don’t stress — I’m working through them and I’ll get back to you shortly.

We’re busy organizing everything behind the scenes, and we should have clear next steps very soon. But I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who put up their hand, shared ideas, or even just sent a message of support.

This… this is what makes our community special.

You guys are special.

We’re all far from home, far from the support structures we grew up with in South Africa. That’s why this community matters. That’s why these connections matter. That’s why we have to show up for each other — because here, in this beautiful but faraway land, we are each other’s family.

Thank you for stepping up. Thank you for caring. Thank you for reminding me (and each other) why we do this.

🥩 Droëwors & Chilli Bite Competition — It’s On!

After the big success of the Best Biltong in BC competition earlier this year, we’re bringing the fun back — this time with Droëwors and Chilli Bites!

And honestly… what better time of the year to sit around the table and argue about which one is best than Christmas?

We’ve made things super simple this time. All tasting kits will be sold through The South African Shop, because Shopify Payments just works smoother and keeps everything organized.

👉 Order Your Tasting Pack:

https://thesouthafricanshop.ca/products/the-best-droewors-chilli-bites-in-bc-tasting-pack-official-howzit-canada-bc-competition-kit

How It Works

• We’re only shipping within BC (thanks, Canadian meat rules!)

• Sales close on December 15th

• After that, we place one big order from all official BC producers

• We package everything into numbered, blind-tasting packets

• You get a proper scoring sheet inside your pack

• Taste, score, send us a photo of your rating

• We tally the votes

• And we officially crown the Best Droëwors in BC and the Best Chilli Bites in BC

Who This Is For

• Families looking for a fun Christmas tasting activity

• Chilli bite addicts

• Saffas who love a lekker debate

• Anyone who wants to support local BC producers

• Anyone who misses the taste of home

Why You’ll Love It

• Blind tasting means zero bias — just flavour

• You’ll probably discover a new favourite

• It’s a fun way to support BC’s South African-owned businesses

• It’s a proper community project — we’re doing this together

• And let’s be honest… droëwors + chilli bites + Christmas? Yes, please

Current BC Suppliers in the Mix

• Netvleish

• Serengeti

• Beef Brew

• Biltong Canada

• Aikona Biltong

If you know of any other BC suppliers who legally make droëwors, chilli bites, or biltong, please hit reply and tell me about them so I can include them in the competition.

Do Us a Solid

Share this with your Saffa friends — and even your Canadian mates who love a bit of droëwors and chilli bite action. Let’s help our local producers get their flavours out there, and let’s get as many competitors (and tasters!) involved as possible.

Let’s make this big, fun, and delicious.

🎬 That’s a Wrap

And that’s a wrap, folks.

Looking forward to seeing some of you tonight at the pub night at Sailor Hagar’s in North Van — always a good time. For the rest of you, we’ll catch up again next week.

Just one last note… this time of the year can be tough for a lot of new families. It’s when we really start to miss the people we left behind back home. So maybe reach out to a friend, or another Saffa you know here in Canada, and just check in. Just say howzit.

It’s a small thing, but it makes a big difference.

That’s what we do for each other.

Last time I landed in your inbox — way back at the beginning of September — I basically said,

“Guys… I’m out. This is too much. I’m stopping the newsletter.”

And to be honest, that really was where I was at that time.

I had a proper speed wobble.

You know those days where it’s just one thing on top of another on top of another?

Cost of living going up.
Stress going up.
Everything feeling heavier and heavier.
And suddenly you’re spiralling a bit?

Ja. That was me.

So I pulled back from everything — less writing, less community stuff, head down, just trying to get through the day without feeling like I’m going to fall off the bike.

It became, “just survive the week,” not “Think about the Bigger picture.”

Snapping Out of the Speed Wobble

Funny thing is — sometimes you snap out of a wobble because of some random little moment.

The other day I was listening to this guy talk about the future — AI, job markets, massive changes coming, all the doom-and-gloom stuff we all hear every day.

And the interviewer asked him: What advice do you give your kids about the future?

And this oke replies:

And something about that just… clicked.

It made me realise how much time I’d been spending stressing about things I absolutely cannot control.

You know how your mind goes:

• “What if AI takes over all the jobs?”

• “What if the economy crashes?”

• “What if I can’t keep up?”

• “What if this? What if that?”

It’s like a never-ending game of “worst-case scenario bingo.”

But the truth is:

There are a zillion different ways tomorrow could go.

And the odds that I’m going to guess the right one are basically zero.

So what’s the point of sitting here ruining today, trying to predict tomorrow?

That realisation genuinely pulled me out of my wobble — like someone opened the pressure valve and pssshhhht, suddenly I could breathe again.

So Why Am I Back?

Once things started settling in my head again, I realised something important:

I actually missed this.

I missed that feeling of being surrounded — even just digitally — by a lekker South African community that actually gets all my jokes.

I’ve bumped into quite a few Saffas over the last few months — some who supported The Tire Valet, some who said how disappointed they were that we canceled a few of the events, and others who just messaged to check in and say,

“How are you, bud? Hang in there.”

And honestly, that stuff hits you right in the heart.

It reminded me why we started Howzit Canada and the South African Institute of Canada in the first place.

It’s not just about information.

It’s about having a little “third place” — not home, not work — but a space where we can connect, laugh, share stories, and not feel like we’re doing this Canadian immigration thing alone.

So ja… call it a comeback, call it a speed wobble recovery arc, call it missing the people…

But I’m back in your inbox — just in a more relaxed, sustainable, community-led way this time.

Quick Life Update

Before we get into how things are going to work with the newsletter and the community side of things, a lot of people have been asking how things are going… so here’s a quick little update from our side of the world.

🚐 The Tire Valet (TheTireValet.ca)

The big news is that The Tire Valet is officially up and running.

And I’ve got to say — I love working with Connor in the van. It’s great fun.

The two of us have figured out more things about tires, machines, tools, balancing, TPMS… all the stuff I never thought I’d become an expert in. Every week we learn something new, and every week we get a little bit better at this.

And the lekker part?

We’re getting nice and busy.

A bunch of Saffas have already supported us (thank you!), and now that the season is picking up, we’re pretty much flat-out most days.

👉 We are now official tire suppliers.

We buy tires wholesale.

So if any of you Saffas want tires — whether you want us to install them, or you just want to buy them through us and have them delivered to your own shop — give me a shout.

Don’t go through the website — just message me.

I’ll give you cost price, check stock, and help you pick the best tires at the best price.

Nice and simple.

🛒 The South African Shop

To be honest… I was on the brink of shutting down TheSouthAfricanShop.ca as well. I just had too much on my plate.

But Angelique was looking for something to do — something to learn, something to take ownership of — and then I realised:

This is the perfect little business to teach her how things work.

So Angelique has officially taken over the shop.

She’s moved everything back to Shopify to make it more user-friendly, she’s learning how to manage orders, update products, handle customer messages — and she’s genuinely loving it.

And here’s the cool part:

👉 If you live in Vancouver, Angelique will be doing local deliveries.

Order something, and Angelique will rock up at your door — lekker personal touch.

So if you’re thinking of stocking up on some South African treats (especially with Christmas coming up), it would honestly mean a lot if you ran a few orders through the shop.

It helps her see the orders coming in, keeps her motivated, and teaches her the business in a real, hands-on way.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The Rest of Life

Belinda is still working hard, Angelique is full-time on her shop project now, and Connor is fast becoming a proper tire guy.

Life is good — busy, but good.

Bringing It All Back (Community, Volunteers & A Fresh Start)

Alright — now let’s talk about the South African Institute of Canada, the Howzit community, and where things are going from here.

First things first… I owe a proper apology.

To everyone who was left hanging when things suddenly went quiet — I’m genuinely sorry.

Whether you were:

• one of the volunteers who put in a lot of work behind the scenes,

• someone who was excited about upcoming events we never got around to promoting,

• one of the people who relied on the community updates,

• or someone who just felt the momentum suddenly disappear…

I really want to acknowledge that.

We didn’t fade out slowly — we kind of just dropped everything. And that’s on me.

When Lois left, we lost the glue that kept the volunteer structure together. And then when my own speed wobble hit, the whole thing just… stalled. Not because people didn’t care, but because I simply didn’t have the capacity to hold it all.

So ja — from my side:

I’m sorry for the sudden stop, and I’m grateful to everyone who stuck around anyway.

But now… it’s time to revive this thing.

And this time, we’re doing it properly — as a community effort.

The truth is, this community doesn’t belong to me.

It belongs to all of us.

The whole point of Howzit Canada and the SA Institute was always to create a little “third place” — a space for South Africans across the country to connect, share, support, and feel at home.

And for that to work, it needs many hands, many ideas, and many people who feel empowered to get involved.

So here’s the new plan:

**More community-driven.

More shared responsibility.
Less pressure on any one person.**
A few people doing small things keeps the whole machine running beautifully.

👋 We Are Looking for Volunteers (Big & Small Roles)

If you want to get involved — even in the tiniest way — here are some of the things we need help with:

🟢 Email Helpers

Check the inboxes for:

• info@howzitcanada.ca

• info@thesouthafricaninstitute.ca

Reply to simple messages or pass things on. No pressure.

🟢 Social Media Helpers

Keep an eye on:

• Facebook page

• Facebook group

• Instagram

• SA Institute page

• SAFFA Jobs page

Just help keep things active, friendly and tidy.

🟢 Event Scouts

If something is happening in your province — a braai, a market, a meetup, a show — send it through so we can share it.

(We are VERY BC-heavy, so help from other provinces would be amazing.)

🟢 Website Helpers

Update listings, fix details, upload events, etc.

We’ll show you how — it’s much simpler than it sounds.

🟢 Newsletter & Content Helpers

• Write the occasional article

• Share a personal immigration story

• Submit ideas for topics

• Help proofread or gather upcoming events

🟢 Community Ideas People

Even if you don’t want to “volunteer,” we still want your ideas.

If you think something could be done better — or differently — tell us.

We’re keeping this open-ended on purpose.

If you have a skill, or an idea, or a bit of time, or even just willingness — we want you involved.

🙏 A Special Shout-Out

I also want to give a special shout-out to Karmen — she quietly kept the Facebook page and group alive when everything else went quiet. No fanfare, no fuss, just steady support.

Karmen — thank you. Truly.

So… What’s Next?

We’re bringing this community back to life — but this time properly, with structure, with shared effort, and with a group of people who want to be part of something meaningful.

We’ll set up a small volunteer group.

Maybe do a monthly Zoom catch-up for direction.

And take it step by step from there.

If you’re keen to help — in any way, big or small — just hit reply and tell me what you’re interested in.

If you have suggestions — send them.
If you have ideas — send them.
If you just want to say “I’m in” — that’s enough.

We’re building this together.

That’s a Wrap

So ja — that’s us. A little speed wobble, a little regrouping, and now a fresh start with a calmer, more sustainable, more community-driven Howzit Canada.

If you’ve read this far, thank you.
If you’ve supported us through The Tire Valet or Angelique’s shop, thank you.
And if you’re still here in this community after all the ups and downs, thank you — truly.

Now it’s over to you:

👉 If you’d like to get involved in the community — in any way, big or small — just hit reply. Tell me what you’re keen on. Or if you’re not sure, just say “I’m in” and we’ll figure it out together.

👉 If you have ideas, suggestions, or things you’d love to see in the newsletter or on the site — reply. We’re rebuilding this with you, not at you.

👉 And if you just want to say hi — reply. I read every message.

It feels good to be back in your inbox again.

Here’s to building our little South African “third place” in Canada — one story, one connection, one lekker joke at a time.

Chat soon,

Callie

All right folks, I know this one is late. It was supposed to go out on Monday (September 1st), and here we are on Wednesday, September 3rd. It’s been a crazy busy time and I just haven’t had the chance to sit down and write properly. And to be quite honest, I also didn’t really know what to say or how to say it.

I’ve been standing at a bit of a crossroads—trying to figure out what comes next, making some hard decisions, and struggling with this one in particular. The truth is, the newsletter isn’t only late because I was busy; it’s late because I was sitting here trying to decide how to move forward. And it’s been a really tough call, because it’s genuinely sad for me to say I can’t keep doing this the way I have been.

A Year of Newsletters (and What’s Next)

I wrote the very first one of these newsletters on August 27th, 2024. That means it’s been a full year—52 newsletters! And honestly, I’ve loved it. It’s been a jol putting these together, sharing stories, and building this little Saffa community with all of you.

But here’s the reality: each one takes me a full day (sometimes more) to put together. It’s not just writing—it’s planning, thinking, pulling things together. And as much as I love doing it, it’s simply not sustainable anymore.

Over the past year, the newsletter hasn’t brought in a cent of income. Quite the opposite—just sending it out costs me about $80 a month. We tried a few avenues to make it viable with sponsors, but it wasn’t enough. So, as much as it breaks my heart (because I know a lot of you look forward to this landing in your inbox), I just can’t keep committing a full day every week to it.

From my side, I’m stepping back a bit to focus on the mobile tire service business and other things that keep life moving forward. As they say, sometimes the need to earn cash outstrips the need to have fun.

Going forward, the newsletter might shift to monthly updates or maybe someone else steps in to write pieces. If you’d like to help with writing, or even just cover the cost of the newsletter software, please give me a shout.

It’s not goodbye, it’s just a change of gears.

Upcoming Events

We had to make some tough decisions here too.

The Boerewors Roll Day at John Lawson Park (Sept 13) and the South African Heritage Day Festival (Sept 27) have both been cancelled. We had a lot of interest, but unfortunately not enough tickets were pre-sold to make the planning viable. Add to that the fact that the mobile tire service is launching on the same weekend as the Boerewors Roll Day, and I just don’t have the bandwidth to pull it all together.

👉 That said, if enough of you are keen, I might still head down to John Lawson Park on Saturday the 13th with a tent and a braai, just to chill and relax. Nothing official—no permits, no big setup—just a casual get-together. Everyone brings their own meat and their own everything, and we just hang out. If you’re interested, let me know, and swing by to say howzit.

The South African Okanagan Outdoor Market (Sept 20) is definitely still going ahead—and it’s going to be a fun one. Brett and the team are really going out of their way to make it a success. If you can, head down to Kelowna, take a little road trip, and check it out. If you’re already in the area, don’t miss it—it’s the first one, and I’m sure it’s going to grow into a really big event over the years.

Here are the other events still happening:

• Disney’s The Lion King – until September 12, 2025 – Vancouver, BC

• Friday Rugby Night – September 5, 2025 – Vancouver, BC

• Hemingway’s SAFFA Pub Night – September 17, 2025 – Toronto, ON

• Southern African Okanagan Outdoor Market – September 20, 2025 – Kelowna, BC

That’s a Wrap

Thanks again to everyone who’s replied and supported this newsletter over the past year. It’s really been special to connect with so many of you.

I’m open to suggestions—if you’ve got ideas on how we can keep this community moving forward, I’d love to hear them.

For the rest, I’ll still be around, the community’s still here, and I promise you’ll hear from me again—just not every single week.

Chat soon,

It’s been properly hectic this side the last few weeks

If you’ve been following The Great Tire Van Adventure on YouTube, you’ll know we’ve now got 21 days left to finish the van… and launch an actual business around it.
No pressure.

And it’s not just the van — it’s the whole shebang.

Branding, marketing, insurance, licenses, pricing, spreadsheets, late-night panics, surprise tax forms, and mysterious bolts left over after “finishing” a job— the classic ‘where the hell does this go?’ moment. You know, entrepreneurship.

The good news? The website’s finally live!
Go have a squiz: thetirevalet.ca

And even better? Connor’s joined me in the business.
Which, I’ve got to say, has been absolutely brilliant.
Working with my son is turning out to be such a lekker experience — lots of laughs, lots of learning (on both sides), and way more bonding than we ever got from watching TV together. It’s honestly been one of the best parts of this whole adventure.

So while the to-do list is still breeding like rabbits, we are making progress.

Life’s still life-ing — kids still need lifts, emails still need replying to, and laundry still seems to multiply overnight — but at least now it’s all happening with a bit of momentum behind it.

And honestly, the thing that keeps me going?
Every time I tell someone what we’re building, they say:

“That’s brilliant. I’d totally use that.”

And that gives me just enough fuel to keep the wheels turning. Literally.

In This Week’s Newsletter

• 🇿🇦 Upcoming Events – Pub nights, markets, and more on the go

• 💭 Saffa Thought of the Week: You’re Not Stuck

• 🤖 AI Tip of the Week: Just Start Talking to Her

• 🏁 That’s a Wrap Folks!

🇿🇦 Upcoming Events

There are loads of lekker events coming up in September — and then things start slowing down a bit. So now’s the time to get out there, connect with other Saffas, and make the most of it while the weather still plays along.

If you’re planning to join something, please RSVP or book your ticket. These things take a lot of planning, and having confirmed numbers really helps with food, seating, and supplies.

Speaking of which…
Pre-orders are now open for the Third Annual Netvleish Boerewors Roll Day at John Lawson Park!
Grab your roll, bring your gees, and help us make this the biggest one yet.

Here’s what’s coming up:

• Disney’s The Lion King – Till Sept 14, Vancouver

• Netvleish Boere Fees – August 30, Dawson Creek

• South Africans in New Brunswick – August 30, Fredericton

• Friday Rugby Night – September 5, Vancouver

• The Third Annual Boerewors Roll Day – September 13, West Vancouver

• Hemingway’s Saffa Pub Night – September 17, Toronto

• Southern African Okanagan Outdoor Market – September 20, Kelowna

• Heritage Day Braai Bash – September 27, New Westminster

💭 Saffa Thought of the Week: You’re Not Stuck

As I always say:
Don’t waste your life chasing some mythical dream.
Instead of trying to find what you think you’ll love, learn to love what you’re already doing. Stop staring at the greener grass on the other side — and start appreciating the patch you’re standing on.

That mindset has honestly served me well. Gratitude. Contentment. Resilience. They’re not just fluffy Instagram words — they’re proper life tools.

But here’s the thing: That doesn’t mean you have to stay where you are forever.

Sometimes… it’s okay to change your mind.
To admit that something isn’t working anymore.
To say, “I gave it a go, but this isn’t it.”

The problem is, we often talk ourselves into staying. We say things like, “I’ve already invested so much…” or “It’s not that bad…”

That’s just confirmation bias — when your brain tries to make a bad decision feel like a good one, just because it was yours.

Been there. Done that. Still do it sometimes.

But at some point, you have to ask yourself: Am I staying because it’s right — or just because I’m scared to move?

Because you’re not stuck.

You’re never really stuck.

You’ve got options. You can pivot. You can start again. You can walk away.

Changing your mind doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means you’re growing.

And that’s always a win.

🤖 AI Tip of the Week: Just Start Talking to Her

I know I go on about all sorts of AI stuff — from songs to storybooks and everything in between — but honestly, if you’re not doing anything with AI yet, here’s the one thing you should do this week:

Get ChatGPT on your phone.

Seriously. Just download the app, open it up, and start talking to her.

People always ask me, “How do you use ChatGPT?” And the short answer is — I talk faster than I type, and I read faster than I listen, so I just built a workflow around that.

Here’s how it goes:

1. I open ChatGPT first thing in the morning and say, “Howzit.”

2. Then I go through my emails.

3. When I need to reply to something, I copy and paste the message into ChatGPT.

4. I tell her what I want to say — just like I’d explain it to a mate.

5. She turns that into a clean, friendly, well-written email in my voice.

6. I read it (because I read faster than I listen), copy it, and paste it into Gmail. Done.

It’s that simple.

Sometimes she makes mistakes. Sometimes she forgets how I like to say things when they’ve updated the model. But most of the time, she gets it bang on. It’s like having a smart assistant who knows your tone, catches your typos, and never complains.

And here’s the best part — you can use ChatGPT for free. The basic version is solid. Obviously, I use the paid one (I’m in deep), but even the free version is a brilliant place to start.

So if you haven’t already, go download the app. Say hi.

You might be surprised how quickly you get hooked.

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🏁 That’s a Wrap

Sorry if this newsletter is a little shorter than usual — things are properly busy this side and time is of the essence right now. But as always, thanks for reading.

If you’re coming to any of the events, or if you’ve got something you want to share — an idea, a joke, or even a decent recipe — I’m all ears.

Thanks for being part of this mad little Saffa community we’re building. Means more than you know.

Chat soon,

– Callie

Alright folks, bit of an interesting week this last week. You know how it goes—sometimes life just decides to throw a couple of curveballs at you and see how you juggle.

So, on Friday, Connor found out he’d lost his electrician’s apprentice job, which was obviously a bit of a bummer. But to be honest, he actually seems a little happier now. The poor guy was really struggling with the early mornings—having to be on site by 6:30 wasn’t exactly his cup of tea. And maybe it’s all worked out for the best, because I’ve been secretly hoping he’d get involved in the tire business with me anyway. So now he’s agreed to jump in and help me get that off the ground.

That said, he’s still on the lookout for some side gigs to bring in a bit of extra cash while we build things up. So if you know of anything—especially in security or even something in the service industry or even some Handyman work—give us a shout. That’s kind of the point of a gap year, right? To figure out what you actually like doing. And in the meantime, he’s helping me out, so I’m not complaining.

And then there’s Angelique’s grand camping misadventure. She and a couple of mates went camping in Squamish and, as luck would have it, got caught slap bang in the middle of an atmospheric river. Proper chaos. They ended up having to move camp in the middle of the night as everything started flooding. By the time she got home, she was down for the count—fever, coughing, the works. Poor Belinda’s birthday on Sunday got completely hijacked because we had to rush Angelique to urgent care instead.

The urgent care shuffle, for those who haven’t done it, goes like this: get there at 9 a.m. sharp, find out you’re 19th in line, get triaged, go back home, wait for the magical “come back” text, then wait some more. It pretty much took the whole day, but hey, she got sorted out in the end and we got through it.

So yeah—bit of a wild week. But honestly? Still a good one. Got to spend time with the kids, got a teammate in the tire biz, and we’re all still standing. That counts for something.

In This Week’s Newsletter

• 🇿🇦 Upcoming Events

• 🇿🇦 Saffa Thought of the Week: You’ve Gotta Have Some Fun

• 🤖 AI Thought of the Week: From Storybooks to Songs

• 🏁 That’s a Wrap, Folks

🇿🇦 Upcoming Events

Vancouver crew — tonight’s Pub Night!
Come pull in for a couple of cold ones, some laughs, and a bit of pool and darts with fellow Saffas. We’ll be at the usual spot, Sailor Hagar’s, from 6 p.m. in North Van. It’s now officially a unisex event, so that’s cool.

Here’s what’s coming up:

• South African Pub Night – August 18, North Vancouver

• Disney’s The Lion King – August 20, Vancouver

• Hemingway’s SAFFA Pub Night – August 20, Toronto

• South Africans in New Brunswick – August 30, Fredericton

• Netvleish Boere Fees – August 30, Dawson Creek

🧠 I Need Your Help with September Events!

We’ve got three big events coming up in September and all of them need planning. So I need to know if you’re considering coming to any of them. Just hit reply and let me know — otherwise I won’t know how much food to organise, and things can go sideways fast.

South African Shop Boerewors Roll Day – It’s our annual Boerewors Roll Day on September 13th at John Lawson Park in West Van. You’ve got two options: pre-order a boerie roll from us for $12, or bring your own. We’ll set up picnic-style and hang out for the day. Hopefully no rain this year! Just a lekker day out, so let me know if you’re keen.

South African Okanagan Outdoor Market – September 20th in the Okanagan. Free entry, about 20 vendors, a proper market day. Bring the family, buy some treats, have a picnic and enjoy the vibe. But again — let me know if you’re coming so I’ve got an idea of numbers.

Heritage Day Braai at Hume Park – This one’s a proper sit-down feast. Only 120 seats available. $36 per adult, $15 per kid. The meal includes steak, boerewors, lamb chop, corn on the cob, chakalaka, sides, and dessert — all catered. This isn’t just a braai, it’s a feast. If you’re planning on joining, I really need to know.

🇿🇦 Saffa Thought of the Week: You’ve Gotta Have Some Fun

Life can be a bit of a mess, eh? Work is hectic, the kids are demanding, the laundry pile never goes down, and let’s not even talk about the daily drama of, “What are we cooking for dinner that everyone’s actually going to eat without complaining?” That question alone can break a person.

But if there’s one thing that helps hold it all together, it’s having a proper laugh. Especially with your partner.

I read something this week that really hit home. A happy marriage isn’t about fancy date nights or those picture-perfect holiday selfies. It’s about the small, silly stuff. The weird little inside jokes. The tickles that make you laugh even though you pretend to be annoyed. The quiet chats on the stoep with a coffee in hand, just talking rubbish and forgetting the chaos for a minute.

And the best part? You don’t need big plans to have fun. Sometimes it’s just pulling a face across the kitchen. Or sending your partner a ridiculous meme. Or cracking up over something dumb the dog did. That stuff counts.

Fun is glue. It holds things together when everything else is threatening to fall apart.

There’s actually a study where they got people to bite a pencil sideways between their teeth, just to force their face into a sort of smile shape. And guess what? Even that made people feel a bit happier. Apparently your brain sees your face smiling and goes, “Oh, cool, I guess we’re happy now!”

So if a fake pencil smile can do that, imagine what a real laugh can do. Even if it’s just at a stupid cat video.

Whether you’re married, dating, or living with your bestie, make space for a bit of fun. Laugh on purpose. Tease each other. Tell dumb jokes. Tickle someone if you must (but don’t say I told you to). When you’re smiling, it’s just harder for the small stuff to get you down.

And at the end of the day, laughter’s cheaper than therapy and a hell of a lot more fun.

🤖 AI Thought of the Week: From Storybooks to Songs

So when I first started messing around with AI, I went to this event where one of the startups had this pretty cool idea — you could create personalized storybooks for your kids. You’d give them the kid’s name, a photo, maybe some favourite animals or whatever they’re into, and it would generate a full story with their name and face in it. Lekker idea, right?

Well… fast forward a few months and Google Gemini just launched their Storybook feature — and it basically does the same thing. You type in a few things, maybe upload a picture or a doodle, and boom: 10-page illustrated story in your choice of style, voice, and even language. It’s pretty amazing. Not always perfect — sometimes the pictures don’t line up or the story goes a bit weird — but it’s free, fun, and the kids love it.

But here’s the thing that hit me — all those clever startups working on this exact idea? Google’s just swallowed them. The model itself now is the product. That’s the crazy part about AI… it’s moving so fast that you might build something really cool, and before you even launch it properly, the tech just leapfrogs right over you and does it better, faster, and cheaper.

So yeah, if you’re building with AI — move fast. Like, really fast.

Anyway, in the meantime, go give the Gemini Storybook thing a try. Just Google “Gemini Storybook” and have some fun with it. It’s seriously cool.

And while we’re at it…

If you want something extra personal — like a custom song for a birthday, anniversary, wedding, party, or even a funeral — I’ve started offering that too. I made one for Belinda’s birthday the other day and let’s just say, it went down a treat. I’m setting up a little side gig where I’ll do them for $25 a pop.

Here’s the one I made for Belinda (trust me, she cried happy tears):

👉 Belinda’s Birthday Song

So if you want a song with someone’s name in it, maybe some in-jokes or special memories, give me a shout. They’re flipping awesome, and it’s the kind of gift that actually means something.

🏁 That’s a Wrap, Folks

Alright, that’s it for this week. Thanks for reading all my ramblings — always appreciated.

I’m off to grab an early dinner: lekker lamb shoulder chops with potatoes, rice, and salad. You know, like proper boerekos. Can’t go wrong.

Before I go — I made a little song about summer in Vancouver. It’s a short one, but I reckon you’ll enjoy it. Go check it out here:

👉 Summer in Canada – YouTube Short

And while you’re there, hit subscribe! I’ll be posting more fun music on that channel — especially about moving to Canada, South African-style.

If anything in this newsletter made you smile, or you’ve got something to share, just hit reply and say howzit. I read every response.

P.S. Seriously, just hit reply and tell me if you’re coming to any of those September events. It really helps. A Lot!

Chat soon!

– Callie

Eish, Monday hit out of nowhere. Been flat out with welding lessons, sorting bits and pieces, and trying to keep things on track. Suddenly realised it’s newsletter time with, like, two hours left—might be a bit late, sorry if it is.

Belinda and I did a mastermind course this weekend—two full days, eight hours each. No wonder Monday caught me off guard; the weekend just vanished. Up at 7, coffee down, brain proper tired by the end. But, man, it was worth it.

One thing that got me stoked was this AI music generator. It’s a proper jol. Pick a topic, choose a style, and bam—a tune in seconds. So, when Angelique dodged the dishes, I made her a rap song (her vibe, not mine, yuck). Got her laughing and upstairs quick, even if the dishes are still there. Small wins, hey.

Music’s a mood-lifter, gets you going, makes you feel good. When it’s about you? Whole new level. More on that in the AI Tip later.

🎵 Check the “Do the Dishes” tune → https://youtu.be/loFqkAHOCIo

What’s in This Week’s Newsletter

• Upcoming Events – What’s on for Saffas across Canada.

• Saffa Spotlight – Chatting ICBC insurance with Daniel.

• Thought of the Week – You’re in Canada, make it lekker.

• AI Tip of the Week – That neat music generator.

Upcoming Events

August’s a bit quiet, but there’s still some good stuff. The Netvleish Boere Fees in Dawson Creek is the big one. It’s a trek from Vancouver, but if you’re nearby or up for a road trip over the long weekend, go for it. Proper kuier, boere kos, and a cracking opskop. Vorster, Hantie, and the Gauche crew are solid people—worth the trip just to hang with them.

Here’s what’s coming up:

• South African Pub Night – August 18, 2025 – 86 Semisch Ave, North Vancouver, BC

• Disney’s The Lion King – August 20, 2025 – 630 Hamilton St, Vancouver, BC

• Hemingway’s Saffa Pub Night – August 20, 2025 – 142 Cumberland St, Toronto, ON

• South Africans in New Brunswick – August 30, 2025 – 399 Rookwood Ave, Fredericton, NB

• Netvleish Boere Fees – August 30, 2025 – 5892 243 Rd, Dawson Creek, BC

I’m looking forward to pub night next Monday. Bringing my boy Connor along for the first time—gonna be lekker to have him there. Come pull in, let’s make it a vibe.

Saffa Spotlight – Daniel on ICBC

Was at Real Canadian Superstore on the North Shore when I hear, “Howzit, boet!” It’s Daniel Poggenpoel, a Saffa at the ICBC counter. Here since 2008, been in insurance forever. Got chatting, and thought, let’s do a video to break down this car insurance business.

Daniel laid it all out—liability, comprehensive, collision, hit-and-run cover, low-mileage discounts, and why you gotta list everyone who might drive your car. Plus, tips on when collision cover’s a waste if your car’s a jalopy. He’s a straight-up oke, explains it clear, and sorts you out without the faff. If you’re doing a renewal, give him a shout—he’ll make it painless.

So when the time comes for you to renew your insurance, why not give Daniel a call? It’s all going through ICBC anyway, so it’s not going to make any difference to you. The only difference is he earns a bit of commission and you get to deal with another Saffa instead of some random oke you met at the garage for five minutes.

Need insurance on the North Shore? Hit him up at daniel.poggenpoel@sussexinsurance.com or pop by Superstore.

🎥 Watch the vid → https://youtu.be/WhWCGVuiw5o

Thought of the Week – Make It Lekker

Always had this motto: don’t chase what you think’s fun — make what you’re doing fun.

Too many okes get stuck in the “grass is greener” loop. “If I had that job, that house, that life…” Then they finally get there and… they still moan. Why? Because if you’re wired to look for what’s wrong, you’ll always find something. Doesn’t matter where you are or what you’ve got.

Truth is, happiness is on you. You can sit around and grumble, or you can decide to make it lekker. Same glass — half empty or half full, you pick. And here’s the thing: the situation doesn’t have to change for your mood to change. It’s how you decide to look at it.

Got dishes to do? Stick on a tune and turn it into a mini jam session. Stuck in traffic? Belt out your favourite song or call a mate you haven’t spoken to in ages. Stuck behind the desk? Grab a decent coffee, put your head down, and smash it out.

Every moment’s got something to complain about — but it’s also got something to enjoy. The difference is which one you choose to focus on. And the more you practise looking for the good, the more you start seeing it everywhere.

So next time you catch yourself thinking “I’ll be happy when…”, stop. You’ve got everything you need to make right now a bit more lekker.

AI Tip of the Week – Your Own Tunes

That mastermind course? Hectic, but a real eye-opener. If you’re not messing with AI now, you’re going to get left behind. This stuff isn’t creeping in slowly — it’s arriving all at once.

One of the coolest tools I played with was an AI music generator. Type in a few words, pick a style, and boom — your own song, just how you like it. Got me thinking: music’s going personal. Live gigs will always be great, but imagine a radio station that only plays songs about your life, in your style. The tech’s already here.

And then there’s this other little gadget I’ve got (haven’t worn it yet). It’s basically like the AI you see in online meetings that takes notes and action points — except this one clips onto your collar and stays with you the whole day. It listens to everything, records it all, and at the end of the day gives you a full summary, a to-do list, meeting bookings, and reminders. You can ask it to do stuff on the fly, and it just… does it. I’m not going to lie — it feels a bit creepy having something listen to you all day, which is why it’s still sitting on my desk. But imagine combining that with the AI music generator. It knows your mood, knows what you like, and starts making music for you in real time. Your own personal radio station that’s just for you.

And it doesn’t stop there. This week I also heard about two different AI agents that now have full “computer use” built in. That means instead of just working online, they can sit on your own computer and use all the programs you have installed. We’re probably a month or two away from you being able to load one up, head to the beach, and your boss will think you’re at your desk working away — meanwhile, it’s just your AI agent doing the job.

If you want to start getting into AI and don’t know where to start, drop me a line. Maybe we set up an AI Pub Group — beers, chats, and geeking out every couple of weeks. Or even an AI Zoom / mastermind group for those further afield. Keen? Hit reply.

That’s a Wrap

That’s it for this week. Catch you next Monday. Summer’s still here, so get out—braai, beach, whatever makes it lekker. Oh, and the van build’s coming along—check the updates on YouTube, have a laugh, drop a comment.

👉 See the van build → https://youtu.be/dHYdkXcI7Kw

Cheers,
Callie

Happy BC Day, Saffas!

Hope you’re all enjoying the long weekend, soaking up a bit of sun, and maybe even squeezing in a sneaky braai or two. However you’re spending it, here’s to making the most of this beautiful place we now call home. 🇨🇦☀️

On our side, it’s been a bit of a mix — some lekker moments, and then a whole bunch of chaos.

Saturday was Connor’s 19th birthday, so we hit the driving range for a bit and then grabbed some takeaways and sat on the cool stoep outside eating. Nothing fancy, but it was lekker.

Then Sunday came around and it was time for the big Costco run — our once-every-few-months stock-up mission. And let me tell you, I nearly passed out when I saw the price of Eye of Round. I use that for biltong, and when we first got here in Jan 2021 it was around $8 a kilo. Now? $16.99. I’m not even joking. I’m starting to wonder how we’re gonna afford the amount of biltong we go through. If anyone’s got a hook-up for cheaper Eye of Round, let me know — I’m all ears.

The rest of the weekend’s been full steam ahead on the mobile tire van and everything that comes with it. Tools, gear, planning, ordering, trying to keep it all moving forward. It’s a lot, but I’m loving it.

I guess the fact that I’m filming the whole thing for YouTube also helps a lot. Knowing I need to post something every day kind of forces me to keep pushing forward — even when I feel like I’d rather just lie on the couch and eat Ghost Pops.

If you want to help, go give the channel a follow. It’s free. I like it, YouTube likes it, the universe likes it. You don’t even have to watch the videos — you can skip them, ignore them, or just put them on double speed and laugh at me sounding like a squirrel on Red Bull. But hitting that subscribe button? It really does help.

👉 Click here to subscribe

In This Week’s Newsletter

• Upcoming Events: From markets to pub nights to Afrikaans is Lekker — there’s a lot going on.

• Thought of the Week: The Shit Pile Theory.

• Founding Member Shout-Out: Ria from Serengeti Trading

• AI Tip of the Week: My AI Agent Just Saved Me Two Days of Work!

• That’s a Wrap

Upcoming Events

August’s a bit quieter on the events front, but there are still a few things happening across the country. If you’re up for a casual hang, there’s a chilled kuier planned at Centennial Beach in Delta. But the big one to plan for is definitely the Netvleish Boere Fees up in Dawson Creek at the end of the month. I know it’s a bit of a mission to get there, but it’s properly worth it — spitbraai, kuier, and a good old-fashioned Saffa jol.

• Summer Saffa Kuier at Centennial – Delta, August 9

• South African Pub Night in North Vancouver – North Vancouver, August 18

• Disney’s The Lion King – Vancouver, August 20

• Hemingway’s SAFFA Pub Night – Toronto, August 20

• Netvleish Boere Fees – Dawson Creek, August 30

• South Africans in New Brunswick – Fredericton, August 30

Thought of the Week: The Shit Pile Theory

Here’s something I came across this week that really made sense — it’s called the Shit Pile Theory.

In the story, one oke left a busted-up plastic chair on the corner outside a community clubhouse. Just one piece of junk. But then more people started dumping their stuff there — broken umbrellas, scrap bits, old garden tools. Before long, you’ve got a full-blown mess. And that’s the Shit Pile Theory: shit attracts more shit.

It made me think about how it plays out with people too.

You’ve got one oke who’s always complaining, always negative, always in a bad mood — and that stuff spreads. Before long, the whole group is sitting around moaning, feeding off of each other’s bad vibes, and spiraling down the tunnel of gloom.

Turns out, it’s not just a theory either. Researchers at the University of Notre Dame actually studied this. They looked at what happens when you put a generally positive student in a dorm with someone who’s got a really negative mindset. Six months later, even the cheerful ones were showing signs of that same negative thinking. Just from being around it all the time.

But here’s the lekker bit — it works the other way too.

If you’re spending time with people who are upbeat, positive, and pushing forward, their attitude rubs off on you as well. You bounce back faster. You start seeing solutions instead of problems. The energy lifts you.

There’s an old saying that goes, “You can’t soar like an eagle if you’re surrounded by turkeys.” And it’s true — it’s hard to fly high when you’re surrounded by people stuck in the mud.

So the thought for today is this: don’t be that first broken lawn chair.

Don’t be the oke who starts the shit pile. Be the one who breaks the pattern. Help lift the mood, get others unstuck, and spread positive vibes.

Bring the light, not the rubbish. And look, I know it’s not always moonshine and roses — we all have off days. But that’s exactly why it helps to be surrounded by people who are bringing the light. On the days I’m down, your energy lifts me. And on the days you’re struggling, hopefully mine does the same for you.

That’s how we keep each other flying.

Founding Member Shout-Out: Ria from Serengeti Trading

Just a quick shout-out to someone who truly embodies the spirit of community — Ria from Serengeti Trading.

From the very first time we visited her shop after arriving in Canada, she’s been amazing. I still remember that first visit — we bought a bunch of stuff and she slipped a box of chocolates into the bag for free. Just because.

Ever since then, she’s been there. Helping where she can. Supporting the South African Institute. Letting us host Boerewors Roll Days. Helping us raise funds. Always giving, always kind.

And the best part? She’s not doing it for the attention. I’ve tried to get her on video, do a little interview, put her in the spotlight — and every time she just laughs and says, “No thanks, I’m fine.”

So Ria, even though you don’t want the fuss — this one’s for you. Dankie vir alles wat jy doen vir ons Saffas in Kanada!

AI Tip of the Week: My AI Agent Just Saved Me Two Days of Work

Last week I told you AI’s about to get freaky. This week? I actually tried one of those new ChatGPT agents — straight out the box, nothing fancy — and I was blown away.

We’re rebuilding the Women of the Future website, and I needed to load a ton of profiles from PDFs. Normally, that’s a proper admin slog. Copy the content, check the links, upload the headshot, format everything in WordPress, add SEO stuff… rinse and repeat. Honestly, it would’ve taken me two or three days to do the lot.

So instead, I opened ChatGPT in my browser, gave it a solid prompt with login details and step-by-step instructions, and then dropped in the PDF and the image.

And off it went.

It read the content, filled in the fields, checked the social media links to make sure they still worked, uploaded the image, added a caption and alt text for SEO — the whole lot. And then asked me if I wanted to publish.

It’s not perfect. Sometimes it forgets something small. And I did have to tweak the prompt a few times to get it just right. But still — I loaded 40 profiles in the time it would’ve taken me to do maybe five or six manually. It’s like having a junior staff member who actually wants to do admin.

And the best part? This isn’t some wild future thing. You can do this today. Right now. Just by asking nicely.

👉 Watch the video and see it in action 

That’s a Wrap

Alrighty, that’s it for this week.

And hey — if you’ve made it all the way down here, you clearly don’t hate what I’m saying. You might even like it a little. So do me a solid and go subscribe to the YouTube channel if you haven’t yet.

It’s free. It helps me out. And it makes the algorithm happy — which apparently matters now.

👉 Click here to subscribe

Also let me know how I did in this week’s newsletter. I respond to all replies, so shout if you’ve got feedback, suggestions, or even a lekker biltong tip. Always good to hear from you.

Cheers,

Callie

Eish, it was a big weekend for South Africans in Canada!

Between Afrikaans is Lekker in Calgary, Toronto, and Saskatoon, Saffella in Calgary, the South African market in Saskatoon, and our Boerewors Roll Day here at Serengeti in Vancouver, there was a lot going on. Judging by all the photos and posts I saw on social media, it looks like the Saffa community was out in full force and a lot of fun was had.

So yeah, a lekker weekend all round. Love seeing so many people getting together, catching up, and making Canada feel just a little bit more fun.

On my side, it’s been busy. Proper busy.

Most of the week was spent sourcing gear, planning, and lining everything up for the mobile tire van. We’re going with the name Mobile Pit Crew, and I need to have everything ready before the seasonal tire change kicks off. As the saying goes “As dit pap reen moet jy skep”. Being ready for the first season is what will make or break this business…

Of course, I’ve still got a million other things on the go. That’s one of my classic flaws. I do something, get it running well, and just when it starts bringing in money, I go chasing new ideas and doing the stuff that’s fun instead of the stuff that pays. Shiny object syndrome. Every time.

This past week has also been about refocusing. Figuring out what’s actually helping and what’s just noise. Because, as most of you know, Canada has a way of chewing through your savings at an alarming pace. And we’re getting to that critical point now where we’ve got to turn things around and start adding back into the savings instead of chipping away at it.

So yeah, time to focus on the stuff that works. Head down, getting things done. And so far, things are moving in the right direction, which is lekker.

Anyway, that’s me. Let’s check out what else is going on this week…

In This Week’s newsletter

• 📅 Upcoming Events

• 👋 Welcome, Rike!

• 🤔 Thought of the Week

• 🤖 AI Thought of the Week

• 📮 That’s a Wrap

📅 Upcoming Events

Not a whole lot happening in August, but definitely not nothing.

One of the highlights of the year is coming up this month - The Netvleish Boere Fees in Dawson Creek. Vorster’s been putting on an amazing weekend every year with great food, music, and proper Saffa vibes. It’s one of those events that’s totally worth the mission if you can make it.

Unfortunately I won’t be going this year—one of my best mates (We’ve known each other for 30 years) is getting married that same weekend—but I’ll definitely be back next year. If you’ve never been, give it a go. You won’t regret it.

Here’s what else is coming up:

• Summer Saffa Kuier at Centennial – August 9, 2025 • Delta, BC

• South African Pub Night in North Vancouver – August 18, 2025 • North Vancouver, BC

• Hemingway’s SAFFA Pub Night – August 20, 2025 • Toronto, ON

• Disney’s The Lion King – August 20, 2025 • Vancouver, BC

• Netvleish Boere Fees – August 29, 2025 • Dawson Creek, BC

• South Africans in New Brunswick – August 30, 2025 • Fredericton, NB

Oh, and if there’s an event happening in your area that’s not listed here—or if you spot something we’ve missed—please shoot us a message. We rely on you to keep us in the loop, and we’d hate for anyone to miss out on a lekker kuier just because we didn’t know about it.

You can always email callie@thesouthafricaninstitute.ca or drop us a DM.

👋 Welcome, Rike!

We’ve got a new director joining us at the South African Institute of Canada — Rike Wedderburn.

If you’re in the Lower Mainland, that name should definitely ring a bell. Rike has been helping South Africans settle in for years. She’s one of those rare people who just quietly gets on with doing good — organizing events, building community, and being there for anyone who needs help or connection.

I still remember one of the first events we ever went to after arriving in Vancouver — a proper lamb-on-the-spit braai in Delta. That day, we met people who became lifelong friends. And over the years I’ve met so many others who had the same experience. That’s just who Rike is — always bringing people together and making life in Canada a little easier.

So ja, we’re seriously lucky to have her officially on board.

Welcome, Rike! So glad to have you as part of the SAIC team.

🤔 Thought of the Week

We live in a weird time.

Everything’s been reduced to bite-sized opinions and quick outrage. Thanks to social media, we’ve kind of trained ourselves to expect every issue, every person, every idea to fit neatly into a headline, a meme, or a tweet. But life doesn’t work like that. And people definitely don’t work like that.

I was thinking back to something that happened a few years ago back in South Africa. We had a hectic incident at our house. Belinda had just pulled into the driveway with the kids when some guys ambushed them, dragged them out of the car, hit her over the head with a gun, and forced them into the house and ransacked the place. It was rough.

After that, I got properly involved in community security. I wasn’t just thinking about protecting our house anymore. I wanted to stop the bad guys at the edge of the neighbourhood, not at my front door. So I helped organise security firms, boom gates, cameras at the access points, paid for guard huts, and ran a Facebook group where people could report incidents and stay in touch. I was properly stuck in.

Then, a while later — just before we left SA — I posted something casual on Facebook about maybe getting fireworks for the kids for New Year’s. I didn’t even end up buying them. But suddenly, I was public enemy number one. People jumped down my throat about how it would scare their pets. Overnight I went from “thanks for all you’re doing” to “the Devil reincarnate.”

And that stuck with me.

Because I see it all the time now — in politics, in life, in everyday interactions. We’ve forgotten that people are complex. You can do good and still make a dumb call now and then. You can disagree with someone and still recognize the value in what they’ve done. There’s no such thing as a perfect person. We all mess up sometimes. We all say things someone else might not like. That’s just being human.

So I guess the thought this week is just this: before you judge someone, before you write them off completely, take a second to zoom out. People are more than just one comment or one decision.

There’s always a bigger picture…

🤖 AI Thought of the Week

Stuff’s going to get real freaky, real soon.

We’re right on the edge of the next big leap in AI — and when I say big, I mean properly big. Some people are saying it could be as big as that moment when ChatGPT first dropped and the whole world went, “Wait, what just happened?” It’s that kind of jump.

Up until now, most of us have been using AI tools like ChatGPT as a super smart chatbot. You ask it things, it gives you an answer. You ask it to help you write something, boom, it helps. Super useful, but it’s still just a chatbot.

But that’s all about to change.

The next phase is agentic AI — something called AI agents. Now AI agents have been around for a little while, but until now, they’ve been stuck in their own little boxes. Sure, some could access the internet or do simple tasks, but they couldn’t act as you.

That’s what’s coming now.

The rumour is that with ChatGPT-5 — which is already rolling out to some folks and supposedly launching later this month — we’re going to see AI that can work inside your browser and use apps on your computer as you.

Yup, you read that right.

We’re talking about an AI that doesn’t just give you suggestions. It actually does the job. Clicks the buttons. Fills out the forms. Books things. Updates files. Basically, like a digital you that just gets on with things in the background.

Instead of you sitting there clicking away on your computer, you’ll just tell it what needs to be done — and it’ll go do it.

Once this kicks in — once AI is running inside your browser and can understand natural instructions — you’re not going to want to be left behind.

We’re entering a world where instead of hiring someone to do a job, you’ll just tell your agent what you want done.

For example, I won’t need someone to upload stories to the website anymore. I’ll just say: “When a new feature story comes in my email, take the info, log into WordPress, edit and format it, and send the link back to the person for approval. If they reply with edits, go back and fix it.”

Done. Start to finish.

That’s not the future — that’s literally about to be the now.

And while I’m not sure how it’s all going to play out when my AI starts talking to your AI, arranging things neither of us know about… one thing’s for sure:

Shit’s going to get weird.

📮 That’s a Wrap

Alrighty, that’s it for this week.

Hope you all have a lekker one, whatever you’re up to. Wish me luck with the van build — things are moving fast now and there’s still a ton to figure out. If you know anything about building tire vans or if you’ve got any tire-related contacts, shout. Honestly, any help is appreciated at this point.

Oh, and about that AI Tip of the Week — I keep writing them, but I’ve got no idea if you actually enjoy reading them. If it’s something you’re into, let me know. And if you’d rather not have all that AI talk in the newsletter, also let me know. I won’t take it personally. Just hit reply and say hey.

It’s been a good one in the Van Graan household. Angelique passed her driver’s test, which means we’ve now got a very excited teenager out and about on her own. She’s officially an “N” driver and loving every minute of the freedom. I’m still trying to get used to the idea of her driving around without us. Wild.

We also picked up the van we’re going to convert into our mobile tire business. It’s a Ford Transit, high roof, extra-long, and I’m planning to do the conversion myself. Which is equal parts exciting and terrifying. If you’re an engineer and you’re open to a bit of brainstorming, I’d really appreciate some help figuring out how to reinforce the floor. That equipment is heavy and I want to get it right. And if you’re in the tire business or know a tire tech or two, hit me up. I’m trying to learn as much as I can before I go full MacGyver.

Oh, and we seem to have a bear living in our garden now. The kids were outside having a braai on the weekend when it wandered up the path, saw them, and took off. Then last night, when Angelique’s boyfriend was walking to his car, he rounded the corner and came face to face with the bear standing up and peering into the car window. He turned around and sprinted back inside. Can’t blame him.

So yeah, driving licenses, vans, and garden bears. Just your average week.

In This Week’s Newsletter:

• 🗓 Upcoming Events

• 💬 Thinking of Hosting Saffa Expert Q&A’s — What Do You Want to Know?

• 🛂 Travelling to SA? Here’s the Follow-Up

• 🤖 AI Thought of the Week: ChatGPT Agents Are Flipping Nuts

• ✅ That’s a Wrap

🗓 Upcoming Events

It’s a massive weekend for South African events across Canada!

From pub nights and potjies to Jo Black and Appel doing the rounds, there’s something happening just about everywhere. So wherever you are—BC, Alberta, Ontario, or even out in the Prairies—this is the weekend to get out the house, find some fellow Saffas, and go have a jol.

If you’re in the Lower Mainland, pull in for the South African Pub Night tonight in North Van, and then come grab a proper wors roll with us on Saturday at Serengeti. Those are our own events, so it’ll be lekker to see some familiar faces there.

Here’s what’s on:

• South African Pub Night in North Vancouver - July 21, 2025 • North Vancouver, BC

• Saffella 2025 - July 25, 2025 • Oakville, ON

• Afrikaans is Lekker Toronto 2025 - July 25, 2025 • Oakville, ON

• Potjiekos Competition Alert! - July 26, 2025 • Oakville, ON

• Afrikaans is Lekker - Saskatoon 2025 - July 26, 2025 • Saskatoon, SK

• South African Market (Saskatoon) - July 26, 2025 • Saskatoon, SK

• Afrikaans is Lekker - Calgary 2025 - July 27, 2025 • Calgary, AB

• Boerewors Roll Day at Serengeti - July 26, 2025 • Langley, BC

So that’s it—no excuses. Get out there and support something. You’ll definitely bump into someone who sounds like your cousin.

💬 Thinking of Hosting Saffa Expert Q&A’s — What Do You Want to Know?

I had a great chat this week with Auden and Gwen O’Reilly, two of our Platinum founding members. They’re both in the finance and accounting world, and Gwen in particular is super sharp when it comes to things like taxes, Canada Child Benefit, and helping new immigrants figure out what they should be claiming… but often aren’t.

Turns out, there’s a lot of us missing out on benefits or helpful programs simply because we don’t know they exist—or we don’t know who to ask. I always say you can file your tax returns on Wealthsimple (because that’s what I do), but let’s be honest, sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know.

So here’s what I’m thinking:
What if we hosted a few online Zoom sessions with actual experts in our community—Saffas who’ve got the knowledge and are willing to help out?

Topics could include things like:

• Tax tips for immigrants (and what you can actually claim)

• Canada Child Benefit and other family support programs

• Buying property in Canada

• Mortgages and interest rates (and all the scary bank stuff)

• Wills, insurance, and protecting your family

• How to invest wisely (without falling for a crypto scheme on Facebook)

So, over to you:

👉 What do you want to learn more about?
👉 And if you are an expert in something and you’re willing to share your knowledge with the rest of us—let’s make it happen!

Just reply to this email and tell me what you’d love to learn (or teach). Let’s help a cousin out ;-)

🛂 Travelling to SA? Here’s the Follow-Up

So last week’s piece on South African passports stirred up a bit of a hornet’s nest.

Some folks were grateful, some were a bit stressed… and then there were the ones who told me I was talking kak.

Fair enough. The truth is, yeah—plenty of people are still flying in and out of SA on their Canadian or other foreign passports with no issues.

But here’s the thing:

This lovely little sh*t show is still murky. There are no clear guidelines, and it all comes down to how the guy at the airport decides to interpret the rules on the day. That’s just how it works.

The interesting part? For every person throwing shade, there were others messaging me saying, “Hey, this actually happened to me,” or “Someone I know got stuck.” Some were delayed, some were stopped, some had to sort out documents mid-holiday. So no—it’s not just drama. It’s happening, and it’s happening more often.

So, what’s new?

📅 First things first — Pre-1995? You’re in the clear
If you lost your SA citizenship before 1995, this whole issue doesn’t apply to you. The recent court ruling only affects people who lost their citizenship after 1995.

🧾 DHA launched a new citizenship verification system
On July 6, the Department of Home Affairs rolled out a fancy new portal to help check whether you’re still considered a South African citizen. The catch? It’s only available to government departments and a few private sector folks. You and I can’t use it yet, so we’re stuck guessing—at least for now.

🤖 New electronic tracking system coming September 21
Here’s where it gets interesting. From September 21, SA is rolling out new AI-driven border control tech. It scans your face, pulls up your info, and checks it against whatever databases it’s plugged into.

Now, they’re not saying it’s specifically aimed at catching dual citizens travelling on foreign passports. But let’s be honest—if it links up with the verification portal and spots that you’re on the system as a South African citizen, and you’re trying to enter on a Canadian passport, things might not go the way you hoped.

No one knows for sure—but it’s definitely not something to take lightly.

Bottom line?

I don’t have the magic answer. Wish I did. What I do know is that this whole thing is messy, inconsistent, and still unfolding.

You’ve basically got two options:

• You can renounce your South African citizenship, but good luck—it’s a 12 to 18 month wait, and the government says not to even follow up before the 12-month mark.

• You can try to get your SA passport sorted, but that’s also not exactly a quick and easy process, especially from overseas.

If you’ve got more info, or if you’ve recently been through this circus yourself, please hit reply and let me know. The more we know, the better we can help each other.

And for the record—yeah, I’ve had a few people come at me with,

“I’m a Canadian citizen. They can’t touch me at the border. They’ve got no leg to stand on.”

Look, maybe you’ve forgotten how things work when you’re dealing with authority in Africa. If the guy behind the desk decides you’re not getting on the plane, you can be the King of Canada and have the paperwork to prove it for all they care. It’s not going to make a difference.

You’ll likely have a better chance with a $20 donation than with your Canadian citizenship.

🤖 AI Thought of the Week: ChatGPT Agents Are Flipping Nuts

Okay, so this week I tested out OpenAI’s new ChatGPT Agent thing… and holy crap, it’s wild.

Basically, this new feature lets ChatGPT spin up its own little virtual computer—like, an actual screen—and then it goes out and uses the internet like a real person. It doesn’t just spit out text or ideas. It literally opens a browser, clicks around, scrolls, reads the screen, presses buttons… the works.

So I gave it a real-world task that’s been bugging me for ages.

See, I’m on LinkedIn. But because of the publishing stuff I do, I get flooded with sales spam. People trying to sell me software, websites, AI tools, VA services—you name it. And with LinkedIn’s terrible inbox setup, it just becomes this giant pile of messages I don’t want to deal with. I log in, see the mess, and go “Nope” and log out again. So I end up missing actual messages from real people I care about.

Enter ChatGPT Agent.

I logged it into my LinkedIn and told it:
“Please go through all my messages, find anything that’s just a cold sales pitch, reply with a polite ‘No thank you’, and archive the thing.”

And it did. All of it. It read each message, decided whether it was spammy or not, clicked the reply button, sent the message, and archived the chat—like a little virtual version of me just clearing house.

And here’s the crazy part: LinkedIn had no idea it wasn’t me. No API, no special plugin. Just the Agent sitting there quietly doing the work, like a digital intern that never sleeps.

Now my inbox is clean. I can actually see real messages again. And I might even start replying to people like a grown-up.

So yeah. This isn’t just ChatGPT giving you ideas anymore. It’s doing actual tasks for you online. Watch this space—it’s going to change everything.

✅ That’s a Wrap

That’s it for this week.

As always, hit reply if there’s anything you want to share, ask, rant about, or just chat. I read every single reply—even the ones that call me out. Let me know how I did, what you liked, what you didn’t, or if there’s something you’d like to see in the next one.

Cheers for being here. Catch you next week.

Last week it was time to renew Connor’s Vehicle insurance, and for once I actually sat down and read the fine print. Belinda insisted I double-check that he was properly covered…probably because she knows I normally don’t bother.

Anyway, after five years in Canada, I’ve been cruising around thinking I was all sorted. I mean, I had comprehensive insurance, right? Back in South Africa, that meant you were covered for pretty much everything. Accidents, theft, falling trees, probably even a UFO or two.

Turns out, in BC, “comprehensive” doesn’t quite mean what I thought. It covers things like theft and fire and animals running into the road, but not the actual accident if you cause it. If you crash your own car and you don’t have optional collision coverage, you’re not covered. And if someone hits your parked car and drives off? That’s a separate add-on too…

What really got me was realising that when we hit that deer last year, if I’d swerved and crashed into a ditch, I wouldn’t have been covered. I only had comprehensive. And if I had collision but not comprehensive, I wouldn’t have been covered for hitting the deer. So the only reason we got paid out is because I hit it straight on. No wonder the insurance wanted the video evidence.

Anyway, lesson learned. Go read your small print. Make sure you know what you’re actually covered for and what you’re not…

In This Week’s Newsletter:

• 🗓 Upcoming Events

• 🛂 Travelling to SA? Your Passport Might Be a Problem

• 🎓 Are You a Skilled Saffa Living in Canada? Marlize Wants to Hear From You

• 🤖 AI Thought of the Week

• ✅ That’s a Wrap

🗓 Upcoming Events

• Hemingway’s SAFFA Pub Night – July 16, Toronto, ON

• South African Pub Night in North Vancouver – July 21, North Vancouver, BC

• Saffella 2025 – July 25, Oakville, ON

• Afrikaans is Lekker Toronto 2025 – July 25, Oakville, ON

• Afrikaans is Lekker – Saskatoon 2025 – July 26, Saskatoon, SK

• South African Market – July 26, Saskatoon, SK

• Potjiekos Competition Alert! – July 26, Oakville, ON

• Afrikaans is Lekker – Calgary 2025 – July 27, Calgary, AB

• Boerewors Roll Day at Serengeti – July 26, Langley, BC

🛂 Travelling to SA? Your Passport Might Be a Problem

There’s been a lot of noise on social media lately about South Africans getting into trouble for travelling to SA with their Canadian or US passports. So let’s break it down properly.

The law has always said that if you’re a South African citizen, you’re supposed to enter and exit South Africa using your South African passport. That’s not new.

What has changed recently is a Constitutional Court case that the DA won. For years, if you didn’t officially apply to keep your South African citizenship when taking on another one, you automatically lost it. That meant loads of people were no longer considered SA citizens, so they just travelled on their new passports and carried on with life.

But now, thanks to that court case, everyone who lost their citizenship this way is considered a South African citizen again. Just like that.

So suddenly, a whole bunch of people are now dual citizens again — even if they haven’t been for years — and a lot of them don’t even know it. And if you’re a dual citizen, the law says you have to use your South African passport when you go in and out of SA.

So, what’s the risk?

This is where things get murky. A lot of people have still gone in and out using their Canadian or US passports without any issues. But it kind of depends on who you get at the airport.

I actually know someone personally — Michael, one of our founding members — who got stuck in SA for a month because of this. He moved to Canada when he was young and lost his SA citizenship. So when he travelled back to SA on his Canadian passport, the immigration officer saw he was born in Benoni and told him he had to enter as a South African citizen. Which meant using a South African passport… that he didn’t have.

So what followed? First he had to get his birth certificate. Then he had to get a South African ID. And then he could finally apply for a passport. It took him just over a month to sort it all out. Not exactly the holiday he was planning.

Others have had similar stories. Some people get stopped on the way out of SA and told they can’t leave until they’ve sorted out a passport.

Should you panic?

You’re probably okay. But should you take this seriously? Absolutely. While you might hear stories of most people getting through without a problem, the risk of being stopped is very real, and it's a massive headache if it happens to you.

Technically, if you’re a South African citizen and you enter or leave the country on a foreign passport, you’re breaking the law. I haven’t heard of anyone being locked up, but I have heard of people being stopped, delayed, or told they can’t leave the country until they get a South African passport sorted.

So no, don’t panic, but do take it seriously. If you’re planning a trip to SA and you’re not 100% sure where you stand, take the time to double check. If you still qualify as a citizen, rather sort out a South African passport now than deal with drama at the airport. And if you’d prefer not to keep your citizenship, you’ll need to officially renounce it — and that process can take up to six months, so plan ahead.

🎓 Are You a Skilled Saffa Living in Canada? Marlize Wants to Hear From You

Marlize Underhay (one of us) is doing her Master’s research at Royal Roads University, and she’s looking for South Africans who’ve been in Canada for at least a year to share a bit about their work journey here.

If you’ve been navigating the ups and downs of finding decent work, being told you need “Canadian experience,” or just figuring out how to get your foot in the door — this is for you.

The survey is short, anonymous, and takes about 15 minutes. It’s all about helping her understand what’s really going on for skilled South Africans in Canada, and how we can make things better.

👉 Click here to take the survey

Seriously, go fill it in. It’s for a good cause and it helps one of our own.

🤖 AI Thought of the Week

Last week, Elon Musk launched GROK 4 — apparently the smartest AI in the world right now. Well, for now. ChatGPT-5 is just around the corner, and it’s going to be even better.

These models are getting smarter by the day. Literally.

And that’s the thing I want you to really think about this week:

Whatever AI you’re looking at today — this is the dumbest it will ever be.

Tomorrow it will be smarter. The day after that, smarter still…

It’s not like us humans. Hey, look at me. I forget where I left my keys. I walk into rooms and forget why I’m there. I’ve had entire conversations I don’t remember at all. Let’s just say I’m not getting smarter or faster by the day…

But AI? It doesn’t get tired. It doesn’t get distracted. And it just keeps getting smarter, better, and faster. And it’s not going anywhere.

So seriously, take 10 minutes and think about the job you do.

Ask yourself honestly:

How much of what I do today can already be done by AI?

And what’s stopping it from doing the rest?

When Grok 4 launched, Elon said it’s already smarter than most people on Earth. It’s like having a PhD expert in every subject, all rolled into one. Sure, it still struggles a bit with common sense, and no — it can’t move your mouse and type your password just yet. But that gap is closing faster than you think.

When people say things like “AI can’t do this” or “AI makes stuff up,” all I can say is: yet.

It can’t do it yet. But it’s coming.

It’s like looking at a baby and saying it’s useless because it can’t walk. Yes, it can’t walk yet. But give it time.

Also, yes — AI sometimes hallucinates. But have you met people? People hallucinate facts all the time. Just turn on the news and hear what all the “experts” there have to say...

So like I keep saying — AI isn’t a maybe. It’s not a someday.

It’s already here, and it’s only getting better.

Start thinking about it.

Because the people who figure out how to work with AI — how to partner with this new intelligence instead of ignoring it — are the ones who are going to build the future. And they’re the ones who are going to get ahead.

✅ That’s a Wrap

Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter. Hope it gave you something to think about, smile about, or at the very least made you double-check your insurance policy.

Oh, and P.S. — remember that Bitcoin thing I mentioned last week? When I wrote about it, Bitcoin was sitting at around $108,000 USD. As I write this now, it’s sitting at just over $120,000 USD.

So ja… maybe go give that one a second look.

👉 Why I Think Every Saffa Should Learn About Bitcoin

As always, hit reply if you’ve got thoughts, ideas, or just want to say howzit. I read every message — even the ones that chirp me.

Cheers,
Callie

You know that old saying—some days are diamond, some days are stone? Well, last week Monday was just kak.

First, our Canadian citizenship application got returned because of one small date discrepancy. That meant starting from scratch—again—and Belinda had to spend almost the whole day redoing forms, double-checking every detail, and basically trying not to lose her mind.

On top of that, there was the usual month-end business stress—cash flow issues, clients not paying, a bit of tax doom—and a couple of close friends got bad news about their jobs. You know… everything was just not cool.

And to add the cherry on top, the tire business plans hit a wall: couldn’t find the right van, financing was messy, tariffs threw a spanner in the works—and by the end of the day I was honestly wondering if I should just go work at the local car wash.

But then this Monday rolled around—and what a contrast. We found the perfect van, sorted the finance, tax issues got sorted, got the paperwork back in, and suddenly the sun was shining again.

What really helped me turn the corner, though, was a WhatsApp from my mate Brendon. I told him I was having a proper kak day, and he just replied: “It’s not happening to you. It’s happening for you.” We’ve mentioned that line in the newsletter before, but eish, on that day I really needed to hear it again.

And he was right. That awful Monday forced me to stop avoiding some big decisions and actually start getting serious about where I’m heading next—or at least start the process of getting serious and hopefully soon I’ll have a month end I don’t need to stress or write about!

So ja, if you’re in the middle of one of those proper kak days, just hang in. Talk to your people, take the hits, and remember—even the worst days might just be clearing the way for something better.

But enough about my week—let’s get to what’s happening in our community!

In This Week’s Newsletter

• 🗓 Upcoming Events – Braais, pub nights, and more

• 🥇 Best Biltong in BC – The winners are in!

• ₿ SAFFA Tip of the Week – Why I’m Paying Attention to Bitcoin

• 🤖 AI Tip of the Week – Your Personal Secretary (That Never Takes a Smoke Break)

• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Call for Volunteers – Keen to help? We’d love to have you

🗓 Upcoming Events

• MMC Canada 2025 – Central Kootenay, BC – July 11, 2025

• Hemingway’s SAFFA Pub Night – Toronto, ON – July 16, 2025

• South African Pub Night – North Vancouver, BC – July 21, 2025

• Afrikaans is Lekker Toronto – Oakville, ON – July 25, 2025

• Saffella 2025 – Oakville, ON – July 25, 2025

• South African Market – Saskatoon, SK – July 26, 2025

• Afrikaans is Lekker Saskatoon – Saskatoon, SK – July 26, 2025

• Potjiekos Competition – Oakville, ON – July 26, 2025

• Boerewors Roll Day at Serengeti – Langley, BC – July 26, 2025

• Afrikaans is Lekker Calgary – Calgary, AB – July 27, 2025

🌭 Boerewors Roll Day — Round 3!

As you’ve probably spotted in the events list, we’re doing another Boerewors Roll Day at Serengeti. Why? Because we heard from so many of you that you couldn’t make it last time thanks to the rainy weather. So we’re giving it one more go — third time lucky, right?

Come grab a wors roll, say howzit, and let’s hope the sun actually pitches this time. Lekker vibes guaranteed, rain or shine!

👉 Pre-order your boeries here

And the Best Biltong in BC Is…

After weeks of tasting, debating, and a few family squabbles over whose palate is superior, the Best Biltong in BC has officially been crowned.

We put five official suppliers head-to-head in a blind tasting, and the votes came in thick and fast. If you’re curious about how the contest worked, how many votes came in, or just want to hear some of the behind-the-scenes fun — you can watch the full video breakdown here: 👉 https://youtu.be/qt1OF8dGZV0

But in short, here’s what the samples were:

• Sample 1 – Beef Bru

• Sample 2 – Aikona – Hunter’s Biltong

• Sample 3 – Netvleish – Wet & Fatty

• Sample 4 – Canada Biltong

• Sample 5 – Aikona – Traditional Biltong

• Sample 6 – Netvleish – Dry & Lean

• Sample 7 – Aikona – Kalahari Biltong

• Sample 8 – Serengeti Trading – Wet & Fatty

And the winners are…

🥇 First Place – Sample 6: Netvleish (Dry & Lean)
🥈 Second Place – Sample 3: Netvleish (Wet & Fatty)
🥉 Third Place – Sample 7: Aikona Kalahari Biltong

Honourable Mentions:

• Sample 4: Canada Biltong

• Sample 8: Serengeti Trading (Wet & Fatty)

  These two were right there in the mix. In fact, the race for third place was razor-thin — just a three-point margin separated Samples 4, 7, and 8. It was only when I entered Dave’s (from Gabriola) vote on the final morning that Sample 7 edged into third.

⚠️ One last thing:
Biltong is like wine — it’s all about personal taste. Some folks love it dry and lean, others want it soft and fatty. The real win here is discovering which one you love most. Huge thanks to everyone who took part, and please go support these amazing suppliers!

₿ SAFFA Tip of the Week – Why I’m Paying Attention to Bitcoin

This week’s tip isn’t about biltong, braais, or border agents. It’s about money — and more specifically, how to grow your money when you’re an expat who arrived with a few million rand that now doesn’t even buy you a parking spot in Vancouver.

I just released a video where I explain why I think Bitcoin has finally turned the corner, and why I believe it’s something worth learning about — especially for South Africans in Canada who’ve been priced out of the property market.

I’m not talking about “crypto.”
I’m not giving financial advice.
And I’m definitely not saying go throw your life savings at it.

But what I am saying is:

📌 Bitcoin has matured
📌 Big institutions are now using it as a store of value
📌 You can borrow against it like high-end art
📌 And you can start with as little as $20 just to learn how it works

If you want to understand why I think it’s now a serious, long-term asset — and not just a gamble — check out the video:

🎥 Why I Think Bitcoin Deserves a Second Look

It’s beginner-friendly, no jargon, no hype — just one Saffa’s take on where we might still be able to grow our money without selling a kidney.

🔗 Want to Get Started?

Here are a few places where you can buy Bitcoin (Canada & SA):

🇨🇦 Canada-based platforms

• Newton

• Shakepay

🇿🇦 South Africa-based platform

• VALR

(Yes, those are referral links — I get a small kickback if you sign up using them, but that’s not why I made the video.)

Even if you’re not planning to invest right now, it’s worth understanding how Bitcoin fits into where the world is going.

🤖 AI Tip of the Week: Your Personal Secretary (That Never Takes a Smoke Break)

You know how people had secretaries back in the day? That amazing person who’d sit and take shorthand notes while you rattled off your thoughts, then go type it all up properly afterwards?

Well, that’s pretty much how I use ChatGPT — except mine works 24/7, doesn’t need coffee, and never complains about my accent.

I don’t type this newsletter. But I do write it. Every thought, idea, and opinion you’re reading comes straight from me — I just speak it out loud, tell ChatGPT what I want to say and how I want to say it, and it types it all up for me. It fixes the grammar, tightens the structure, and saves me a ton of time.

Truth is, I took woodwork in school, not typing. In hindsight… probably not the smartest choice. I still type with two fingers like I’m trying to defuse a bomb. If I had to write this all out manually, I’d never get it done.

Now I just talk. ChatGPT listens. And like a good secretary, she tidies everything up and hands it back to me — neat and polished, ready for copy, paste, and send.

Even my emails — whenever I get one, I either paste it into ChatGPT or read it out loud, tell her what I want to say back and how I want to say it, and boom — draft sorted. Done in seconds.

It’s like having a dictation machine on steroids — and honestly, I love it.

Want to try it out? Just open ChatGPT on your phone, hit the mic, and talk.
You’ll be hooked in 10 seconds flat.

🙌 Call for Volunteers – Let’s Build This Together

As most of you know, Lois has moved on from the team, which means there’s a giant hole to fill to keep this thing running. But this community runs on heart, and if we can each take on a small piece, the load becomes really light.

So here’s the idea: we’re building a proper volunteer crew — structured, easy to manage, with each person taking on one clear role. Nothing hectic, just one little part to keep the engine ticking.

Here’s what we need:

• 🧠 Content & Social Media Monitors

  Keep an eye on a few Facebook groups or platforms and flag anything worth sharing — a cool post, an event, or something helpful for the Saffa community.

• 📆 Event Scouts

  Always online? Help spot new events popping up in your province or area. Found something? Send it to the Event Coordinator to get it listed on HowzitCanada.

• 🗂 Event Coordinator / Uploader

  The central hub — once someone finds an event, this person gets it onto the website. Simple but super important.

• 👥 Community Moderators

  • SAFFA Jobs Canada (we’ve got one, need one more)

  • Howzit Canada Facebook Group (need two)

    Just help keep the peace, approve posts, and flag spam.

• 📣 Marketing & Promo Lead

  Help guide what gets shared each week and when. You don’t have to post it all yourself — just be the traffic controller.

• 📍 Regional Reps

  Volunteers from across the provinces to help us stay in the loop with local happenings and events.

If you’ve been wanting to help out, now’s your chance.

📧 Email Callie at: callie@thesouthafricaninstitute.ca

Let me know what you’re keen on, and we’ll plug you into the right spot.

Every little bit helps — and with the right crew, this thing can keep growing beautifully.

That’s it for this week! Thanks for sticking around — as always, I hope you found something useful, interesting, or at least slightly entertaining.

Summer is officially here—trust me, I’ve got the sunburn to show for it! But before we get into that, let me share a bit about this weekend’s adventure…

On Friday and Saturday, Angelique and I hit the road on an epic biltong-delivery mission for our tasting contest. When I say epic, I mean it: we basically covered every corner of Greater Vancouver—four hours on Friday, another five on Saturday—and poor Angelique was completely done by the end of it. Shame, she did so well! The good news? Almost all the biltong is now safely with our tasters. (There’s just one parcel left, heading out to Abbotsford today, because ja… that one was just a little too far for us!)

After all that running around, Sunday was pure summer magic. We got up early, joined Brian & Dries for a lekker hike around the Lynn Canyon and Rice Lake loops. My top tip: get there early, or you’re stuck in chaos. Afterwards, we cruised down to Deep Cove for some of those famous honey doughnuts and coffee by the beach. Absolute bliss!

To top it all off - one of our amazing founding members, Sal Moonsamy, had asked me to drop off her biltong package on Sunday. And when I got there, Sal surprised me with the most incredible homemade Durban chicken curry and basmati rice for our lunch. Sal, if you’re reading this—you are a legend. That curry was exactly what we needed after a busy weekend. Thank you!

With all this sunshine, I reckon I’m going to commit to at least one early-morning hike per week. With the sun up at 4:30 already, there’s really no excuse not to. That’s my summer sorted, how about you?

Speaking of being out and about, here’s what’s in store for today’s newsletter:

• 📅 Upcoming Events

• 🌟 Founding Member Spotlight: Sal and Raj Moonsamy.

• 🥩 Biltong Tasting Update: Quick update on where we’re at.

• 📝 Practical Tips: How important is having a will in Canada?

• 🤖 AI Tip of the Week (NEW!)

• That’s a Wrap

📅 Upcoming Events

• MMC Canada 2025 (Harvest Time Canada) | Central Kootenay, BC | July 11–13

• Hemingway’s SAFFA Pub Night | Toronto, ON | July 16

• South African Pub Night (Monthly) | North Vancouver, BC | July 21

• Afrikaans is Lekker Toronto (Jo Black & Appel) | Oakville, ON | July 25

• Saffella Festival 2025 | Oakville, ON | July 25

• South African Market | Saskatoon, SK | July 26

• Afrikaans is Lekker Saskatoon (Jo Black & Appel) | Saskatoon, SK | July 26

• Potjiekos Competition (Saffella & Bokkie’s Biltong) | Oakville, ON | July 26

• Afrikaans is Lekker Calgary (Jo Black & Appel) | Calgary, AB | July 27

Oh, and before I forget—we’ve got the Southern African Okanagan Market coming up in August. If you’re a South African (or you’ve got some lekker South African goodies you’d love to sell), make sure you sign up here to grab your booth—it’s only 50 bucks, so why not?

And even though visiting is completely free, it’s always a good idea to reserve your tickets here so we know you’re coming. See you there!

🌟 Founding Member Spotlight: Sal, Raj & Skye Moonsamy

This week we’re celebrating some truly awesome founding members—Sal and Raj Moonsamy, along with their daughter, Skye. They’ve lived across five continents over the past 30 years, but have now chosen Canada (and Vancouver specifically!) as their home.

Sal and Raj have been incredibly supportive of our community, with Sal always ready to lend a hand or offer friendly advice. (And yes, this is the same Sal behind the epic Durban chicken curry I mentioned earlier!)

Their daughter, Skye, studies down in L.A. but loves staying connected through the newsletter.

Keep an eye out—we’ll soon be filming some lekker cooking videos with Sal, featuring some favourite South African recipes.

In their words:

Sal, Raj, and Skye—welcome to the family, and thanks for all you do

Quick Biltong Tasting Update

Like I said earlier, we’ve delivered just about all the biltong, except for one lonely packet heading out to Abbotsford today. If yours hasn’t shown up yet and you’re not in Abbotsford, please give me a shout—chances are I accidentally dropped it at the wrong house!

Also, because it took a bit longer to get all the stock sorted, we’re giving everyone a few extra days to taste and pick their favourites. So if you haven’t sent me your top three yet, you have until Sunday, July 6th. Just pop an email to callie@thesouthafricaninstitute.ca, and I’ll announce the results right here in the newsletter on Monday, July 7th.

Oh—and remember, it’s not just one vote per pack. If your family can’t agree (trust me, you’re definitely not the only ones!), everyone can send in their own favourites.

📝 Practical Tips: How important is having a will in Canada?

Okay, look—I know nobody really wants to talk about this, but we probably should. And trust me, I get it: I’ve been here almost five years and I still haven’t sorted out my own will. But as the saying goes, “Don’t do what I do—just do what I say!”

The thing is, having a will here in Canada is really important. If you’ve still got stuff back in SA, you need two separate wills—one for South Africa, and another one for Canada. Definitely don’t try to combine them into one; that’s just asking for trouble.

Yes, you can absolutely write your own will here in Canada (it’s not that complicated), as long as you get two people who aren’t named in it to sign as witnesses. There are a few very clear rules to follow, though, and if you skip those, your will won’t be valid—and that’s a whole other kind of nightmare.

If you’ve got specific things you want to leave to specific people, it’s probably smarter to have it professionally done.

We’ve put together two helpful articles on the SAIC website to help make sense of it all:

• What Happens If You Die Without a Will in BC? A Guide for Immigrants

• Estate Planning for South African Immigrants

And hey—if there’s enough interest, I can set up a quick webinar with Veronica, a wills attorney, where she can answer everyone’s questions in plain, easy-to-understand language. Let me know if that’s something you’d find helpful.

So go grab a coffee, check out the articles, and let’s make this the year we all stop procrastinating about our wills—myself included!

🤖 AI Tip of the Week (NEW!)

So every week from now on, I’m gonna share a quick “AI tip” here in the newsletter. Why? Honestly, because I really like you guys, and this AI stuff is about to change everything—how we live, how we work–a fundamental shift in everything we thought we knew. It’s happening right now, and we should all probably start making friends with it sooner rather than later.

Here’s two easy ways to jump right in this week:

1. ChatGPT as your personal cooking coach

ChatGPT is totally free—just download it onto your phone. My mate Brian Naylor does this cool little trick: he snaps a photo of the recipe he wants to make, opens ChatGPT in voice mode, and says something like this:

It’s seriously like having your own cooking coach right there in the kitchen. And if you’re feeling adventurous, ask ChatGPT to talk to you like Gordon Ramsay while you cook. Ja, really—it’ll even yell at you if that’s your vibe! Even crazier—you can do the whole thing in Afrikaans if you want.

It’s properly freaky hearing AI speak fluent Afrikaans!

2. Manus AI—a proper AI assistant

Another cool AI tool I’ve been playing around with lately is called Manus AI. It’s an AI agent, meaning you can literally tell it, “Hey, I’ve got a business idea—please research it and write me a business plan,” or, “I need a website for my idea, can you build one for me?” or even, “Make me a quick marketing plan.” Manus can also sort out your travel plans and other random tasks. It goes online, does all the legwork, and neatly packages it all together. Honestly, it’s scary how smart this thing is.

You get free credits to start, and if you use this special link, you’ll get an extra 500 free credits. (No strings attached, just free stuff.)

Give it a go—I promise you’ll be properly impressed.

Bottom line: AI’s here to stay, so let’s all start making friends with it!

🙌 That’s a Wrap!

Thanks for sticking with me all the way to the end—I really appreciate it! As always, I love hearing from you, so hit reply and let me know your thoughts, ideas, or just say howzit. I personally read every reply, and it genuinely makes my day.

Enjoy the sunshine, have a lekker week, and catch you again next Monday with The Biltong results!

Cheers,

Callie

Okay, real talk this week.

You know when you’re juggling all the balls—community, business, life—and then one drops and rolls under the couch? Ja, that’s been me lately. It’s been a tough one to write… but here goes.

A Bittersweet Update

Our amazing friend and team member, Lois Webber, will be finishing her full-time role with us at the end of June. It’s not because of anything she did—far from it. Lois has been an absolute champion: the kind of person who quietly keeps everything running, reminds you (again) what you forgot, and somehow still replies to emails with a smile.

But the reality is… the funding just isn’t there.

Her wage subsidy is running out, and I’ve been personally covering part of her salary through my other businesses—mainly my global publishing company. Unfortunately, with the current geopolitical uncertainty (which is hitting international publishing hard), it’s just not sustainable anymore.

So, What Now?

We’re not going anywhere.

The South African Institute of Canada is still growing, still moving forward, and still very much alive. We’re just taking a step back, doing some restructuring, and making sure we can keep giving our members the value and support they deserve.

There’s a real need for what we’re building—and we’re not letting go of that.

New Directors Joining the Team

As part of this restructuring, I’m really grateful to be welcoming two new directors who are stepping up to help carry the load:

• Madeleine Herholdt – She’s already been the behind-the-scenes organizing wizard for so much, and now she’s officially coming on board to help with operations and volunteer coordination.

• Mike Levitt – Our new numbers guy. Mike’s a Chartered Accountant and will be handling finance and admin, keeping the books balanced and the spreadsheets spreadsheeting.

It’s a team effort now more than ever. We’ll also be reaching out to all our volunteers after our first board meeting to share what’s happening next and how we can all work together in this new chapter.

Let’s Help Find Lois Her Next Gig

If you (or someone you know) needs admin help, Lois is your person. She’s calm in the chaos, dependable, friendly, and just gets stuff done.

She’ll still be volunteering with us when she can, but we’d love to help her find something more stable.

You can reach her directly at loiswebber12@gmail.com

In This Week’s Newsletter

• Upcoming Events – What’s on and what’s coming up

• Founding Member Spotlight – Boitumelo Oageng Cardwell

• Update on the Biltong Contest – Delays, stock issues, and a meaty update

• In the End, Everything Works Out – A little reminder when things feel upside down

• 📣 Help Us Keep Building

🇿🇦 Upcoming Events

It’s rugby season, and honestly, there’s nothing like shouting for the Bokke with a boerie roll in one hand and a coffee (or something stronger) in the other.

But here’s the thing — we need your help. If you know of any pubs, restaurants, lounges, community halls, or even backyard setups where the games will be shown, please reply to this email or post it in the Howzit Canada Facebook group.

Let’s get the word out, connect more Saffas, and make sure no one has to watch the games alone. Doesn’t matter where in Canada you are — if there’s a screen and a bit of gees, we want to know about it.

🇿🇦 Upcoming Dates to Remember:

• June 28 – Rugby & Boerie Brekkie, Kelowna (7:30am)

• June 29 – Afrikaanse Erediens, Mission (5pm)

• July 11–13 – Harvest Time Canada with Angus Buchan & Jeff Zak, Central Kootenay, BC

• July 16 – Hemingway’s Saffa Pub Night, Toronto (6pm)

• July 21 – South African Pub Night, North Vancouver (6pm–late)

• July 25 – Saffella 2025, Oakville

• July 25 – Afrikaans is Lekker, Toronto (6:30pm)

• July 26 – Afrikaans is Lekker, Saskatoon (6:30pm)

• July 26 – South African Market, Saskatoon (9am–3pm)

• July 26 – Potjiekos Competition, Oakville

• July 27 – Afrikaans is Lekker, Calgary (4pm)

P.S. If you’re in or near Kelowna, I can highly recommend Midtown Station Kitchen for catching a rugby game. We popped in after the last Vernon potjiekos competition and it was brilliant. Proper boerie breakfast with a piece of wors, baked beans, eggs — just the way we love it. Lekker spot, lekker people, and a great vibe to cheer on the Bokke.

🌟 Founding Member Spotlight: Boitumelo Oageng Cardwell

Let’s give a big shoutout to one of our Platinum Family Founding Members — Boitumelo Oageng Cardwell (aka Boi). Originally from Mafikeng, Boi is a talented chef who’s worked all over the world, bringing South African flavours to every table she touches.

I first met her at one of her South African street food days in New Westminster, and I’ll be honest — I was blown away. The food, the vibe, the warmth… it just felt like home. After that, Boi joined as a Platinum Family Founding Member, and she’s been part of this community ever since.

👉 Click to meet Boi and see the Street Food Day magic

And guess what? She’s not done yet…

🎉 Save the Date:

Annual South African Heritage Day – Big Braai Bash & Sokkie
📅 Saturday, 27 September 2025
📍 Hume Park, New Westminster, BC

We’re proud to be supporting Boitumelo in bringing this event to life — and if her last event was anything to go by, this one’s going to be epic. So mark it in your calendars now!

Biltong Tasting Competition Update

Okay folks, quick update on the Great Biltong Tasting Mission of 2025 — we’re running a tiny bit behind.

One of our suppliers is still waiting for a batch of biltong to be ready (you know how it goes… good things take time to dry properly). I’m hoping to pick it up by Wednesday, and as soon as it’s in hand, I’ll start packaging and getting the last round of tasters out.

The good news? All the long-distance shipments have already gone out. So this next round is mostly local — which means I’ll personally be driving around and delivering them. Look out for me sometime later this week or over the weekend, biltong boxes in hand.

And hey, if you’ve already tasted yours — don’t forget to mail me your feedback so we can crown the ultimate Canadian biltong champ. Taste carefully… it is a serious business, after all. 😎

🌅 In the End, Everything Works Out

You know that quote — “In the end, everything will be okay. And if it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”

I was reminded of that again today.

I’ve always believed that things work out the way they’re supposed to — even if it doesn’t look like it at first. Sometimes the rough patches are just part of something better we can’t see yet.

Take Johan and Judy, the couple with the houseboat in Nanaimo. You might remember we stayed on their boat for a couple of nights. Well, just last week, Judy told me they were really struggling to get bookings. Only two or three nights were booked, and things were looking pretty bleak. Johan was trying to find work but kept hitting dead ends — overqualified, no luck.

We’d chatted a few times, tried to come up with ideas to help, but it just wasn’t clicking.

Then this morning, Johan calls me — and everything’s changed.

Suddenly their Airbnb bookings have taken off — they’ve got almost 30 nights booked now. And even better? A charter operator in their marina hit something and damaged his catamaran. With his boat out of commission, he asked Johan if he could use theirs… or if Johan would take over the charters himself.

So Johan said yes — and in the last four days, he’s already taken nearly 40 people out on the water. He’s making some money, having a blast, and just like that, they’re doing charters and getting houseboat bookings. Everything’s bumping.

But here’s the kicker: they didn’t just sit back and hope.

They kept showing up. Judy worked hard on getting everything ready — from licences to house rules to listings. Johan helped people around the marina. They stayed positive and pushed forward, even when things looked slow.

So if you’re in one of those valleys right now — don’t give up.

It’s not the end. In the end, everything will be okay.

📣 Help Us Keep Building

If you’ve read this far — thank you. Really.

This community exists because people like you keep showing up. Whether it’s sending in a rugby meetup, sharing your biltong tasting feedback, or just forwarding this newsletter to a fellow Saffa… it all helps.

👉 Know someone who would love this newsletter? Please forward it to them.
👉 Got an idea for an event or want to get involved? Email callie@thesouthafricaninstitute.ca.

Let’s keep building something lekker together.

Cheers,
Callie

Hey, let me know how I did in today’s newsletter.

Is there anything else that you think should be better? I respond to all replies, so give me a shout and let me know what you liked, what you didn’t like. Always good to hear from you.

Yesterday was a big day in our household — Angelique officially graduated, Class of 2025! And there we were, sitting in the beautiful Orpheum Theatre, just me, Belinda, and Connor, clapping loudly and making as much noise as we could as she walked across the stage.

But I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a little pang of something missing.

You see, back home in South Africa, big moments for our kids aren’t just a parent-kid affair — they’re a full-blown family event. Oupas, oumas, uncles, aunts — everyone pulls in, makes noise, takes photos, and cheers when your kid walks across the stage. Here in Canada, it was just the three of us doing our best to make up the volume.

And that’s when it hit me again — how much we miss out on those extended family moments after moving abroad. But it also reminded me why community matters so much here.

I’ve always made a point of showing up to other people’s kids’ concerts, plays, and recitals. Not just because it’s fun, but because it feels like family. And sometimes, that’s exactly what we need more of in those moments.

In fact, I think most people are like that. So maybe instead of just going it alone, we should let others know when our kids have something special going on. I’d happily pitch up to support our new Vancouver family — and I know I’m not the only one.

The thing is, being typical South Africans, we just keep quiet and go at it on our own. But chances are, if you told someone, they’d be there cheering too.

Oh, and yes, Angelique graduated with honours. She’s a clever kid, but I’ll be honest: part of me looked at her marks and the number of times she arrived late for school and thought, either she’s a genius or school just isn’t as hectic as it used to be back in our day.

(Don’t worry — she already rolled her eyes at me.)

So here’s to milestones, showing up for each other, and making new family from the people around us.

📬 In Today’s Newsletter

• 🎉 Upcoming Events

• 🌟 Founding Member Spotlight: Michael Ping

• 🏡 Rental Prices Are Coming Down… Kind Of. Sort Of.

• ☀️ Something to Think About: This Is It

• 🥩 Biltong Tasting Contest: Updates Are Rolling In

• 🔧 RAND-Challenged… but Not Idea-Challenged

• 📮 That’s a Wrap

🎉 Upcoming Events

For those of you in Vancouver, don’t forget — tonight is Pub Night at Sailor Hagar’s! Come hang out, meet some fellow South Africans, and enjoy a proper kuier. We’ll be there from 6:30 p.m. – it’s always lekker to see new faces, so don’t be shy.

Here’s what else is coming up across the country:

• 🍻 Pub Night – North Vancouver

  Monday, June 16 @ Sailor Hagar’s

  Details here »

• 🍺 Hemingway’s Saffa Pub Night – Toronto

  Tuesday, June 18 @ Hemingway’s, Yorkville

  Details here »

• 🙏 Wainwright, Alberta – Eerste Afrikaanse Kerkdiens

  Saturday, June 22 @ Wainwright Church Centre

  Details here »

• 🛶 MMC Canada – Men’s Conference

  Thursday, July 11 – Sunday, July 14

  Details here »

It’s a bit of a quiet patch right now — summer plans, school holidays, you know how it goes.

If you’ve got something coming up in your town — even a braai in the park — let us know and we’ll help spread the word! Email me at callie@thesouthafricaninstitute.ca

🌟 Founding Member Spotlight: Michael Ping

I want to do a proper shoutout to Michael Ping, our very first Platinum Family Founding Member.

I only met Michael for the first time at the West Vancouver Cultural Festival — even though he signed up as a Platinum family member right after we launched the site. He was literally the second person to sign up, and the first to jump in at the Platinum level.

Michael’s originally from Benoni, but he’s been in Canada most of his life. He told me how he went back for a visit to SA recently, and because he didn’t have a valid South African passport, he ended up getting stuck there for a couple of months. And while he was there, he said something really hit him — just how much he misses the people, the vibe, the way we do things back home.

So when he got back to Canada and came across one of my videos about the South African Institute, he didn’t even think twice — he signed up for the $500 Platinum Family Membership to support what we’re doing. Not because he needed help settling in, but because he just wanted to back something that keeps that South African heart beating over here.

Michael’s had some pretty serious challenges with his eyesight since he was young — he can’t see much at all. But you’d never guess it by how involved and open-hearted he is. He’s got this calm, kind energy, and a deep love for the South African community.

So big thanks to Michael — for showing up, for believing in the idea, and for reminding us why we’re doing this.

And hey, if you’re in Coquitlam and you see Michael around, go say howzit. He’s always up for a chat.

🏡 Rental Prices Are Coming Down… Kind Of. Sort Of.

Yes, technically, average rents in Metro Vancouver dropped slightly last month. But before we all do a little happy dance, let’s be honest — it’s still flipping expensive out there, especially if you’ve got a family and need more than a shoebox.

I broke it all down (with some South African flair) in this month’s rent update. What areas are still sort of affordable? What’s the deal with basement suites?

👉 Read the full article here

☀️ Something to Think About: This Is It

Okay, so it’s finally summer. Like proper summer. The kind where the sun stays up late, the kids forget what day of the week it is, and you start thinking, “Ja, maybe I should just live outside.”

Just a reminder: this is the good stuff. And it doesn’t last forever. A few blinks and we’re back to grey skies and short days, so now’s the time. Don’t let it pass by while you’re stuck behind your laptop or sleeping in. Get out there. Go do stuff.

Light the braai. But don’t just do it at your house — take it to the lake, the park, the beach, wherever. And when the fire ban kicks in, grab the gas braai. No excuses.

This is the season for road trips, hikes, swims, camping missions, backroads exploring, or just a lazy afternoon at the beach. So here’s the challenge:

👉 Post your summer photos in the Howzit Canada Facebook group
facebook.com/groups/howzitcanada

Let us know what you’ve been up to — or even better, what you’re planning. If you’ve got a hike, a braai, a road trip, or anything fun on the cards, post it in the group. You never know who might join you. (In fact, I’m always looking for something fun to do — so I might just pitch up myself.)

And just to make it lekker — we’ll pick one person each month to send a random pack of biltong to. Yup. Free biltong for getting out there and living your best life. Not a bad deal, né?

So don’t sit still. Don’t wait. This is your window. Go have some fun — and take the rest of us with you.

🥩 Biltong Tasting Contest: Results Are Rolling In

The results are starting to trickle in — people have been testing their mystery biltong packs and sending us their favourites (and their photos)! We’re loving seeing how everyone’s making an event of it — some folks are getting seriously scientific, others are pairing it with beer and vibes, just like in the photo above.

If you’re one of our official tasters — or just curious about how to rate your biltong like a pro — here’s the short video that explains the whole thing:

👉 Watch it here

Also, for everyone still waiting — your shipments should all be out by the end of this week, so keep an eye on your mailbox (and maybe stock up on beer or Appletiser in the meantime).

Keep those votes coming — we’re getting closer to crowning the king of biltong in Canada.

🔧 RAND-Challenged… but Not Idea-Challenged

I came to Canada as an entrepreneur — and truth is, I’m still one. That part doesn’t change. But let’s be honest, starting something new here isn’t always easy. Startup capital is hard to come by. And let’s face it, we’re all a bit RAND-challenged. My million rands might’ve looked impressive back home, but they don’t get me too far on this side of the ocean.

Even when you spot a good opportunity, pulling it off solo can be tough.

Recently, I came across one of those rare gems — a mobile tire service franchise called GOMO Tires. It’s a fully kitted-out 4x4 van setup that offers mobile tire replacement and servicing at people’s homes and offices. It’s already doing well in the U.S., and I’ve managed to secure the chance to launch it here in Canada, starting with the North Shore.

I believe in it. I’m going to get it. And I’m ready to put in the graft.

But it also got me thinking… what if we stopped trying to do this stuff alone?

What if we created an investment group — a small network of like-minded Saffas in Canada — where each person puts in something manageable ($5k, $10k), and we spread the risk and share the reward? We could buy or start businesses together, share in the profits, and build something meaningful without each of us carrying the load on our own.

And once one business is running, we keep going — invest in the next one, and the next. Hedge our bets, share the journey, and maybe help a few others along the way.

If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, give me a shout. I’d love to hear from you.

📮 That’s a Wrap

Hey, let me know how I did in today’s newsletter. Is there anything you think should’ve been better? Anything you’d love to see more (or less) of?

I respond to all replies — so give me a shout and let me know what you liked, what didn’t land, or if you’ve got something cool going on we should share. Always good to hear from you.

Until next time — keep well, keep warm, and keep making Canada a little more like home.

– Callie

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