Howzit!

Started with a kak Monday. Ended with the best biltong in the province. Lekker.

Author

Carel Van Graan
July 07, 2025

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

🌭 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!

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:

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:

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

🇿🇦 South Africa-based platform

(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: [email protected]

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.