You know when you make one of those “how hard can it be?” decisions… and then halfway through you’re knee-deep in printer parts, wondering if you’ve just broken everything?

Yup. That was me this week.

As you may know, we recently bought a second-hand printer and started our new little printing business in Canada. Belinda and I have been in the game for a long time, so we’re a bit fussy when it comes to quality. This printer had a slight issue—just a tiny bit of banding in the prints. Nothing major, but enough to bug us.

Now, I had two options:

1. Pay a local printer technician hundreds of bucks an hour, or

2. Embrace my inner Saffa cheapskate-DIY-spirit and maak a plan (make a plan).

Naturally, I chose Option 2. I hit up Alibaba, bought a replacement printhead for a third of the local price, ordered a full service kit from China, and roped Connor into helping me take the whole thing apart. How hard could it be, right? YouTube has everything!

Except… it doesn’t. Turns out this printer is from the pre-YouTube era. So I ended up downloading the service manual, feeding it into ChatGPT (bless its patient little circuits), and figuring it out step-by-step.

We replaced the printhead. Fired it up. Nothing. Just Blank Vinyl. I had a mild panic attack and a full night of ink-themed nightmares.

But the next morning, I had an idea—sucked the ink through manually, gave it a go… and boom, it printed beautifully. I did a little fist pump and told the printer I never doubted it for a second. (I definitely did.)

Moral of the story? You can do anything—even rebuild a printer with parts from China and some questionable manuals. All you need is a healthy dose of “I’ve got this” 

Another exciting development: we’re doing a Banff road trip on Sunday, April 6th! We’re driving up to Banff to celebrate my mate Brendon’s birthday, and we’ll also be popping into Calgary on the Wednesday to film a couple of interviews and maybe grab a beer with some folks.

If you’re along the way—or in the area—and keen to say hi or show us your town, give us a shout. Would love to connect!

In This Week’s Newsletter

• Upcoming Events

• Full Benefit, Part II: When the World Gets Wobbly

• Quick Update on Howzit Canada

• SAIC Founding Member Shoutout

• That’s it for this week

Upcoming Events

Not a lot on the calendar just yet, but I’m sure things will start filling up fast as soon as summer decides to show its face properly. In the meantime, here’s what’s coming up:

• South African Pub Night – Monday, April 21, 📍Sailor Hagar’s, North Vancouver | 6PM–10PM. No RSVP needed—just swing by and join us for a drink and a chat. Everyone’s welcome.

  👉 Details here

• West Vancouver Community Cultural Festival – Friday & Saturday, June 6–7,📍Ambleside Park, West Vancouver. We’re officially part of this year’s Cultural Festival! We’ll have a stall set up, so come say hi and support the South African community.

  👉 Event info here

And if you happen to be in West Van next Saturday (April 5th), Belinda and I will have a little table at the Gleneagles Community Garage Sale in Horseshoe Bay from 10am to 1 pm. Nothing fancy—just a chance to get out the house and maybe sell a few bits and bobs. Come say howzit if you’re nearby.

Full Benefit, Part II: When the World Gets Wobbly

If you’re subscribed to the SAIC newsletter, you might’ve already seen a version of this—but I really believe it’s important enough to share again here with my Vancouver friends.

If you’ve been watching the news lately, you’ll know things are feeling a bit tense out there. There’s talk of trade wars. US President Trump is tossing around tariff threats like confetti. Pressure’s building between Canada and China. The cost of living is climbing, and the election’s heating up—it’s a lot.

And while it’s easy to get swept up in the panic or start pointing fingers, I want to offer something different: Full Benefit thinking.

It’s not some cheesy motivational quote. It’s a mindset—a mental switch that elite teams like the Navy SEALs train for.

When the mission goes sideways—when they’re cold, exhausted, and everything’s falling apart—they don’t say “this sucks.” They say: “Full Benefit.”

Not because they enjoy the chaos, but because they’ve learned to own it. To reframe adversity as fuel. Because the tough times? That’s where real growth happens—not just survival, but transformation.

And right now? Canada’s in one of those moments.

Global trade pressure is forcing the country to look inward. For years, it was somehow easier to ship to the U.S. than to sell something across provincial lines. Rules and red tape made us fragile. Dependent.

But that’s changing—and fast.

The pressure is real, and it’s forcing Canada to adapt. We’re having to find new ways. Smarter ways.

We’re starting to break old silos, rethink outdated systems, and build more self-reliance into how we live, work, and trade.

More resilience. More connection. More creating.

And yes, it’s messy. It’s uncomfortable. But this kind of pressure? It’s exactly what leads to real progress.

And here’s the thing—it’s not just about Canada.

It’s about you. Whether you’re starting a business, navigating immigration paperwork, raising a family, or just trying to figure out life in a new country—this moment might feel heavy.

But maybe it’s not just a hurdle. Maybe it’s a forge.

You’re not just enduring—you’re being shaped. Pressured, yes. But also sharpened.

And that’s where South Africans have something unique to offer.

We know how to keep going when things don’t make sense. We’ve had to be resourceful, alert, and tough from the get-go. We’ve learned to smile through the chaos, pivot when things break, and look after each other when systems don’t.

That kind of resilience? It’s gold in times like these.

And while nobody’s exactly thrilled about tariffs or trade drama, here’s a wild thought:

Maybe a few years from now, we’ll actually thank Trump.

Not because we agree with him—but because all the noise, pressure, and tension might have been the nudge Canada needed. The pressure. The pivot. The moment we had to step up and strengthen from within.

So take a breath. Stay steady.

Whatever comes next—face it head-on.

Full Benefit.

Quick Update on Howzit Canada!

Last week we officially relaunched HowzitCanada.ca, and thanks to you lot, it’s already off to a great start.

We’ve had over 700 visits to the website in just a few days! So whether you shared the link, checked out your own listing, or just clicked around to see what this whole thing’s about—baie dankie. Your support means the world.

We’re building something bigger than just a directory. This is about reconnecting South Africans across Canada and helping each other settle in, thrive, and feel a little less alone.

Oh—and speaking of community spirit…

We just did the live draw for our hoodie giveaway and we’re thrilled to announce the winner is: Andrea Tombi Lee! 🎉

Andrea didn’t just enter—she nominated a bunch of fellow Saffas and helped spread the word like a champion. Couldn’t have gone to someone more deserving.

Thanks again to everyone who got involved. More giveaways and community goodness coming soon!

SAIC Founding Member Shoutout

A huge thank you to two of our newest founding members of the South African Institute of Canada😀 

• Boitumelo – Platinum Family Founding Member

• Harris – Family Founding Member

You guys are helping keep the lights on and the mission moving. Seriously—we can’t do this without you.

That’s it for this week

If you’ve made it this far—well done! Gold star for you. 😄

Thanks again to everyone who’s been helping spread the word, building this community, and reminding us that being South African in Canada doesn’t have to mean doing it all alone.

Quick heads-up: from next week onwards, this newsletter will be hitting your inboxes on Sunday mornings. Apparently, some study reckons it’s the best time to send a newsletter—more chill vibes, less inbox chaos. So grab a coffee, put your feet up, and read it when you’re ready.

And if you’ve got an idea for an event, want to host something, or just feel like sending a virtual high-five, you can hit reply or email me directly at [email protected].

Until next week—get out there, maak a plan, and maybe take your printer apart (just kidding, please don’t… unless you’ve got a backup).

Cheers,

Callie