So, the universe decided to have a bit of fun with me last week.

Our Ford Explorer—big, spacious, and perfect for hauling stuff—has these fancy automatic folding third-row seats. Press a button, and they disappear into the floor. Great in theory… until one rogue grocery bag decides to mess with the system.

We always keep the seats folded down for extra cargo space, with a plastic crate in the back for shopping bags and loose bits. Then, mid-drive home from a grocery run, the milk tips over, bumps the seat button, and suddenly the seat starts folding itself up—with the crate and all our groceries still on top.

The seat didn’t stand a chance. Now it’s stuck upright, completely unhooked from whatever engineering magic makes it work, and I’ve lost my cargo space. Lekker.

So, if anyone knows a good (and reasonably priced) mechanic in Vancouver who can fix an Explorer seat that’s decided it’s had enough, let me know!

But hey, if there’s one thing we South Africans are good at, it’s laughing when life throws us a curveball. You just shake your head, make a plan, and carry on.

In This Week’s Newsletter

• 🍺 Upcoming Events

• 🎉 Free Sticker Giveaway – Just Because You’re Awesome!

• 🇿🇦 SAFFA SPOTLIGHT – Grant Sakinofsky’s wild immigration journey

• 🇿🇦 You Know You’re a Saffa in Canada When…

• ☀️ Keep Going—The Sun Will Rise Again

• 📢 Classifieds – Got Something to Share?

Upcoming Events

• 🍺 South African Pub Night – Monthly Meet-Up
  📅 March 17, 2025 – Meet up for a laid-back evening of good company, cold drinks, and plenty of Saffa banter at Sailor Hagar’s in North Vancouver. See details

🎉 Free Sticker Giveaway – Just Because You’re Awesome!

So, I’ve been having a blast with that beast of a printer I picked up last week—playing around, testing it out, and whipping up some cool stuff. I’ve made two bumper stickers just for you: a “South African Heart” one and a “Biltong Addict” one. And because you’re all so flipping awesome for sticking with this newsletter, I’m giving them away for free!

Here’s the deal: Head over to thesouthafricanshop.ca, find the stickers, and pick the one you want. At checkout, use the discount code howzit (all lowercase), and it’ll zero out the cost—product and shipping included. Just pop in your address so I can mail it to you. Stick it on your car, laptop, or wherever, and show off your Saffa pride in Canada!

One small catch: I’m still tinkering with the site’s back end (yep, I rebuilt it myself). If you’re only grabbing a sticker, select the “free shipping” option—no worries there. But if you add other goodies to your cart, please don’t use free shipping for those—I can’t cover that! Pick a paid shipping option instead. Bonus: if you do order extra stuff, I’ll toss in a few more stickers. Why not, right?

Go get yours now and let’s spread some South African vibes! 🇿🇦 thesouthafricanshop.ca

🇿🇦 SAFFA SPOTLIGHT: Grant Sakinofsky – From Running Pubs in London to Helping Thousands of Newcomers Land in Canada

Grant Sakinofsky has lived in four countries, run pubs in London’s West End, built successful businesses in SA, and now runs Smooth Migration, helping newcomers settle in Canada (and beyond). He’s helped over 1,500 people navigate the chaos of moving—finding housing, banking, insurance, and everything in between—all without charging a cent for his services.

In our chat, Grant shares some wild stories (think celebrity encounters and Supreme Court hearings), what it was like starting over multiple times, and why he believes South Africans have what it takes to thrive abroad.

👉 Watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/YL_dI5szvM8

If you’re moving to Canada (or already here and feeling lost), this is one you don’t want to miss! 🚀🇨🇦

🇿🇦 You Know You’re a Saffa in Canada When…

If you’ve made the move to Canada, you’ve probably had a few moments that made you realize—you’re still 100% South African at heart. Here are some classic SAFFA-in-Canada experiences:

• You automatically greet everyone with “Howzit” and then realize Canadians have no idea how to respond.

• You explain biltong for the 50th time and still get, “Oh, so it’s like beef jerky?” No. No, it’s not.

• You call a traffic light a “robot” and get blank stares like you’ve lost the plot.

• You say “lekker” in casual chat and suddenly find yourself in a full-on linguistics lesson.

• You’ve tried to make rusks at home because Ouma’s is way too expensive, but they never taste quite right.

• You say “just now” and “now-now” and have to explain the timeline every time.

• You bring your own flippen lekker spice to restaurants because Canadian food is suspiciously under-seasoned.

• You get excited when you find Mrs. Ball’s Chutney at the store—even if it costs three times the price it would in SA.

• You’re still not used to how polite people are—especially when someone apologizes after you bump into them.

• You take way too long picking out milk because this country has 47 different types, and none of them are just normal full cream.

• You’ve had to explain what a “chop and dop” is—and still don’t have a good English translation.

• You secretly miss the sound of hadedas but would never admit it out loud.

• You still braai in the snow because a little cold weather isn’t going to stop you.

• You call it a “bakkie” instead of a pickup truck and enjoy the puzzled looks.

• You say “ja, no, definitely” and leave everyone confused by your contradictions.

• You call a shopping cart a “trolley” and get pointed toward an actual train.

• You hear an South African accent in public and go full detective mode to track them down.

So, which one is so you? Or have I missed a classic one? Hit reply and let me know! Let’s see how many SAFFA-isms we can collect. 🇿🇦😆

☀️ Keep Going—The Sun Will Rise Again

When I was younger, I used to believe that the only thing that could truly be called “the end of the world” was a big bang—the kind where an asteroid actually hits Earth and everything explodes. That would be the end of the world.

Until then? The sun’s going to come up tomorrow, and life carries on.

No matter how tough things get, as long as you keep moving forward, things have a way of working out. A good friend—someone who’s practically family—just landed a job after nearly 10 months of searching. It wasn’t easy, but they kept at it, pushed through the tough days, and in the end, it all came together.

So if you’re feeling stuck, remember: tough times don’t last, but tough people do. Keep your head up, stay positive, and trust that your moment is coming. The sun will rise again tomorrow—just make sure you’re ready to meet it. ☀️🚀

Stay lekker, stay hopeful, and I’ll catch you in the next one! 🇿🇦🇨🇦

📢 Classifieds – Got Something to Share?

Hey guys, if you’ve got something to advertise or promote to the community, or if you know someone who does, let me know! I’ll pop it into this section so more Saffas can see it.

Whether it’s a business, job opening, or something to sell, this is the spot for it. Just hit reply and send me the details!

🏡 2-Bedroom Suite for Rent in East Van

Our first classified listing comes from Khadeejah and Naeem, who stayed in this awesome East Van suite for years and highly recommend it. Plus, it belongs to a fellow South African!

If you’re looking for a great spot to rent (or know someone who is), check out the details below.

📞 Contact info & full details in the image.