Ubuntu is a term referred to in South Africa, and it describes a spirit of compassion and humanity.  It certainly is not unique to South Africa, but visitors to South Africa will often remark about how warm and friendly the people are. And for those locals who have traveled away from South Africa, you’ll understand what I mean when I say that you can ‘feel it’ when you arrive back on home ground. I want to tell you about two instances of Ubuntu that I experienced during this last weekend. The reason that they were so poignant, is because our … Continue reading Inspiration in unlikely places…post #29

As a white South African, I’ll be first to admit that my interest in literature and music has been largely focused on work coming out of Europe and the USA.  I had some exposure to South African and African authors at University, but I can’t say that they ‘grabbed’ me.  However, that has changed, and one African author who changed that for me is Chimanda Ngozi Adichie, a Nigerian author and speaker. Not sure if you do the same, but I’ll often read a book because of who the author is.  Granted, I do the reverse too; read a great … Continue reading ‘The thing around your neck’…post #28

Every South African that I know, watches Carte Blanche.  It’s a local news show which airs on a Sunday night.  The presenters dig into some controversial and provocative investigations into dodgy characters, businesses, and politicians.  Devi Sankaree Govender has been one of the key investigative journalists to host the show for many years.  Devi was one of the speakers at the Women’s Day event that I attended recently. Devi’s talk was entertaining and enlightening.  We don’t often think about what is going on, in the lives of television personalities, but we seem to think that their lives are somehow different … Continue reading Local wisdom cnt’d…post #27

I ended my last post sharing some insights which were shared with us at a Woman’s Day event, by Kerry Miller.  The second memorable and inspirational speaker was Saray Khumalo.  Saray had us so captivated that you could hear a pin drop.  Saray’s story is one of resilience, persistence and massive self belief. After all, what possesses an African ‘girl’ to take up mountaineering, let alone summit Everest? Saray’s story was filled with failures.  Only after several failed attempts, did Saray finally summit Everest in May 2019.  Saray has proudly raised more than a R1million towards various causes, with every … Continue reading Local wisdom, cnt’d…post #26

I’d normally have declined, but this time I thought – what the heck. I need this.  And so my colleague and I RSVP’d to attend an invitation to a Women’s Day event.  Trying to take some of my own advice and aligning to my priorities, vs. focusing only on the ‘to do’ list.  The speaker line-up for this event also grabbed my attention, making the decision to attend that much easier.  Kerry Miller (a local radio DJ), Saray Khumalo (the first African women to summit Everest), and Devi Sankaree Govender (a local journalist and television personality).  All of these women, … Continue reading Local wisdom…post #25