Okay okay, I know—it’s Monday. The newsletter is late. For the first time in seven and a half months, I missed my newsletter send-off by more than just a few minutes.

But here’s the thing—we spent the long weekend on Vancouver Island, living on a boat in Nanaimo, and between all the exploring, sailing, and laughs, I just didn’t get around to it.

And actually? I think we’re going to shift things back to the way they used to be. Writing a newsletter on a Saturday afternoon or a Sunday morning is significantly more of a mission than I thought. It kind of interferes with weekend stuff.

So from now on, your Howzit Canada Newsletter will once again land in your inbox Monday evenings at 6pm—just in time to kick back your feet and have a glass of wine.

Now, onto this week’s story—one that reminded me exactly why we moved to Canada in the first place.

Our son, Connor, finished school last year and decided to take a bit of a gap year—you know, figure things out, maybe look into the trades, maybe study, maybe just enjoy sleeping till noon for a bit. He had a job at Sewell’s Marina for a while, but that ended when they shut down in November. And then, well… let’s just say the summer holiday turned into a bit of a winter hibernation.

Eventually, we told him: gap year’s fine, but it’s time to start doing something.

So he headed over to WorkBC, and honestly, I’m blown away. They signed him up for a forklift driving course—for free. Gave him access to LinkedIn learning, helped him write a proper CV, sent him for a traffic control course… all at no cost. Just pure support. Just: “Let’s get you working, boet.”

And now? Connor just landed a job as an electrician’s apprentice. His starting salary? Nearly $21 an hour. Full-time. With overtime pay, pension, and medical benefits. At 18. With zero experience.

And here’s the kicker: every 500 hours he works, his pay goes up. Every 1,000 hours, they send him for a 10-week course—on their dime—to keep training and upgrading. So he’s literally getting paid to learn, and within four years he’ll be a journeyman—a fully qualified sparkie.

That’s a proper living wage. Maybe not a palace-level lifestyle, but he can rent his own room, buy a car, eat, and even have a few drinks if he wants to.

Not that he’s doing that, of course. He’s still living on his parents’ dime. We told him he needs to start paying $750 a month for rent and food, and now every time we ask him to do something, he goes, “No no, I’m a tenant here.” Suddenly the oke’s got rights and has an opinion about everything. Gets cheeky.

But the bottom line? He can stand on his own two feet. And that’s massive.

You do the math, and it works out to the kind of salary you just don’t see in South Africa for someone that age—let alone starting out as an apprentice. That’s why we came here. For opportunity. For support. For the chance to give our kids a proper head start.

In This Week’s Newsletter

• 🎉 Upcoming Events – From boerie rolls to pub nights and a little bit of culture in between

• 🔦 Saffa Spotlight – Nick Duggan

• 🌟 Founding Member Shoutout – Michael Ping

• 💭 Thought of the Week – Dis Kak maar dis Oraait

• Thats a Wrap!

Upcoming Events

Hey, if you’re in the Greater Vancouver area—listen up! In two weeks we’re doing a Boerewors Roll Day at Serengeti in Langley, and just a handful of you have pre-booked your rolls so far.

If you don’t pre-order, it’s going to turn into a bit of a boerie bunfight, and no one wants that. Do us a solid: come through, come say howzit, and please pre-order your boerie rolls here so no one walks away hungry.

🇿🇦 Upcoming Dates to Remember:

• Today – South African Pub Night @ Sailor Hagar’s, North Vancouver (6pm–late)

• May 21 – Hemingway’s Saffa Pub Night, Toronto (6pm)

• May 24 – Stellenbosch Women’s Spring Breakfast, Toronto (9am–12pm)

• May 31 – Boerewors Roll Day @ Serengeti, Langley (10am–3pm)

• June 6–7 – West Vancouver Community Cultural Festival

• June 14 – Rooibos & Roses Ladies Tea, sponsored by Safari Outpost, Calgary (1pm)

Saffa Spotlight – Nick Duggan

This week’s spotlight shines on another interesting South African making a life in Canada—Nick Duggan.

Nick’s story spans continents: from South Africa to London, then Brazil, then Denmark, and now Vancouver, BC. Married to a Brazilian, raising a family in Canada, and still carrying that unmistakable South African spark.

He’s someone who knows what it means to start fresh and build a sense of home—again and again—and his story is a reminder that no matter how far you go, your roots stay with you.

🎥 Watch the full interview with Nick here

💆 And if you’ve ever wondered what Chinese cupping therapy is like… Nick tried it on me. Watch the cupping video here. Let’s just say, it left a mark.

🌟 Founding Member Shoutout – Serengeti Trading, Langley

A place—and a family—that’s very close to my heart: Serengeti Trading in Langley.

Before the South African Institute of Canada was even a thing—back when we were just doing boerewors rolls and had this crazy idea to do the first-ever South African pavilion at the West Vancouver Cultural Festival—Ria and Pascal were already there backing us. They donated loads of goodies for the tasting table and were willing to help, no matter what we asked.

And honestly, that’s how they’ve always been. Quietly supportive. Generous. Willing to chip in without ever asking for anything in return.

I’ve even offered to interview them, do a feature video, give them more exposure—but they’ve never once taken me up on it. They’re just helping because they believe in what we’re doing. No strings attached. And that’s rare.

The whole family—Biagio, Hermann, and Liza included—is just awesome. It’s one of those places where you pop in for some All Gold and end up chatting like old friends.

We’re super proud to have Serengeti as Business Founding Members of the South African Institute of Canada.

And if you haven’t been yet—make a plan! We’ll be right outside their shop in two weeks for our next Boerewors Roll Day. Come say howzit and grab a roll while you're at it.

💭 Thought of the Week – Dis Kak maar dis Oraait!

Many years ago—back in ’96 or ’97—we were living in a commune in Joburg, and one of our friends who worked with us, Bongani Baloyi, also stayed there. He had this saying that’s stuck with me ever since:

“Dis Kak maar dis Oraait” (It’s tough, but it’s okay.)

Simple words, but they’ve carried a lot of truth over the years. Especially when it comes to immigration.

Because let’s be honest—this journey isn’t always lekker. It’s not always exciting or easy or Instagram-worthy. Some days it’s just plain hard.

But if you can hold onto why you came—your goal, your reason, your bigger picture—then even the kak bits have meaning.

So if you’re in the thick of it right now, hang in there. It’s alright. We’re doing this for a reason. And it will be alright again soon.

Thats a Wrap

In last week’s newsletter, we mentioned the idea of a Best Biltong in BC competition—and yes, it’s happening! We’re putting the final touches on it now, and by next week’s newsletter, you’ll have a link to order your Biltong Taster Pack and get involved.

It’s going to be blind taste testing—so if you’ve been wondering who really makes the best biltong in BC, now’s your chance to find out.

As always, let me know how I did in this week’s newsletter. Is there anything you'd change, add, or want more of? I reply to every message—so send a shout and tell me what’s working (or not).

Until next week, be happy, stay awesome, and don’t forget to pre-order your boerie roll if you’re in Langley!

Cheers,
Callie