We finally hit submit on our Canadian citizenship application! 🎉

After what felt like approximately 47 years of paperwork (but was actually just under five), we’re officially in the queue to become citizens. Another quest unlocked!

From our very first work permit application back in June 2020, through all the waiting periods, PR applications, and the magical cycle of documents that always seem to expire just when you need them most — it’s been a journey.

Now we’re told it takes anywhere from 4 to 8 months if you submit online. So if all goes well, we’ll be waving tiny Canadian flags and singing O Canada (with feeling) sometime before the end of the year.

We’re excited — not just about the Canadian passport (which let’s be honest, is a very handy travel companion), but also about officially calling this place home.

And no, we’re not giving up our South African passports — two is better than one, right? 😉

If you’ve gone through the process recently, let us know how long it took you — and if you’re still waiting, I’ll keep you posted on how long ours takes.

Onward and upward!

In This Week’s Newsletter:

• Upcoming Events – From boerie rolls to festivals, here’s what’s coming up near you.

• The Best Biltong in BC Contest Has Officially Launched!

• 💸 Free Financial Emigration Help – Thanks to Platinum Founding Member Gwendolyn from Maslow Pro

• 🧠 Thought of the Week: Don’t Be the Guy in Flip-Flops

• 🎬 That’s a Wrap!

📅 Upcoming Events

Super excited for those of you in Vancouver — this Saturday is Boerewors Roll Day at Serengeti Trading in Langley!

Come by on Saturday, May 31st, pick up your favourite South African goodies, grab a lekker boerie roll, and say howzit to the South African Institute of Canada team. We’ll have a bunch of volunteers there, so come meet the crew behind the scenes and show some support.

Honestly, it’s the perfect four-in-one:

1. Grab a boerie 🌭

2. Stock up on your South African favourites 🛒

3. Meet the SAIC team 👋

4. Support the Institute financially ❤️

Please pre-order your boerewors roll 👉 here to avoid a bun fight if we run out.

✨ Other Events Coming Up:

• Celebrate Africa Day – Nanaimo - 📅 May 31

• West Van Cultural Community Fest – 📅 June 6 & 7 

• Rooibos & Roses Ladies Tea – Calgary - 📅 June 14

• Phuza Sunday: Beer, Braai & Beats – Toronto - 📅 June 15 

• SA Pub Night – North Vancouver - 📅 June 16 

• SA Pub Night – Hemingway’s, Toronto - 📅 June 18 

The Best Biltong in BC Contest Has Officially Launched!

Yes, yes, yes — it’s finally happening! After months of arguing about who makes the best biltong in BC, we’ve decided to settle it once and for all.

I would’ve loved to make it the Best Biltong in Canada, but thanks to those lovely interprovincial trade rules, we can’t legally ship biltong across provincial lines. So for now, we’re starting with BC. It is what it is — at least it’s a start in figuring out the best biltong in Canada, even if we have to go province by province.

We might not all agree on how dry it should be, but at least we can agree to taste them all. 😄

🍽️ How it works:

• You order a Biltong Taster Pack for $50

  (Available until June 15)

• Inside, you’ll get 10 unlabelled samples, each in a food-safe brown paper bag, numbered only — proper mystery meat style

• Taste them however you like — all at once, elimination style, blindfolded with a Castle in hand — up to you

• Pick your Top 3 and tell us why

  (“Too dry,” “Perfectly salty,” “Melts in my mouth,” etc.)

• We’ll gather everyone’s votes and reveal:

  • Who made what

  • How much each one costs

  • And which ones came out on top

But more importantly — you’ll find out which one you actually like best, so you never waste money on chewy sadness again.

💥 How you can help:

• 👉 Order your taster pack here:

  https://howzitcanada.ca/product/best-biltong-in-bc-blind-taste-test-starter-pack/

• 👉 Tell us where you get your biltong – drop a comment on the LinkedIn or Facebook post! Tag your favourite supplier, throw down some smack, and let us know who’s got the good stuff. Engagement helps us spread the word. 😉

• 👉 Share this with your mates — the more tasters, the better the results!

Now let’s be honest — we all know someone’s Uncle or Cousin who makes legendary biltong in his garage using an old wine fridge, a desk fan, and a spice mix he guards like it’s state secrets.

But unless he’s got all the proper health permits and paperwork, we unfortunately can’t include him in this round.

Rules are rules — even for the biltong masters of suburbia. 😉

Let the great biltong battle begin. 🔥

🎁 Bonus for the Biltong Fans:
Our friends at Netvleish have given us a special coupon — get $5 off your next order!

Use code: HOWZIT5 at checkout on netvleish.com

Because let’s be honest — there’s no such thing as too much biltong.

💸 Free Tax/Financial Emigration Help — Thanks to Platinum Founding Member Gwendolyn from Maslow Pro

This week’s Founding Member Shoutout goes to Gwendolyn from Maslow Pro, one of our awesome Platinum Founding Members — and someone who’s actually doing something super useful for the community.

Right now, she’s offering her clients free help with tax/financial emigration from South Africa — that’s the whole process of ending your tax residency with SARS and getting your finances sorted properly across borders.

Here’s the deal:

• It’s free to clients of their Financial Practice.

• If you’re not a client yet, you can sign up — and this service will be included at no extra charge

• It’s only for a limited time and limited capacity, so if this is something on your to-do list, now’s the time to reach out

• Terms & Conditions Apply (as Always 😉)

If you’ve looked into this kind of thing before, you’ll know it usually costs an arm and a leg — so this is a solid opportunity to get expert help from someone who knows what they’re doing (and actually gives a damn).

📍 Reach out to Gwendolyn here:
🌐 www.maslow.pro
📧 [email protected]
📞 437-230-4834

Thanks again to Gwendolyn for being a Platinum Founding Member — and for stepping up to help others in the community get their financial ducks in a row.

🧠 Thought of the Week: Don’t Be the Guy in Flip-Flops

You know that old story — two okes are walking in the bush when they spot a lion. One starts putting on his running shoes. The other one says, “What’s the point? You can’t outrun a lion!” And the first guy replies, “I don’t need to outrun the lion. I just need to outrun you.”

Well, AI is the lion — and a lot of people are still standing around in flip-flops.

This isn’t some future problem. It’s not just a buzzword or a trend that’ll blow over. It’s already here, and it’s going to change everything — how we work, how fast we work, who stays relevant, and who gets left behind.

The good news? You don’t need to become an AI genius overnight. You just have to start.

Learn a tool or two. Play around with ChatGPT. Try out Google Gemini. Figure out how these tools can save you time and help you work smarter. It’s moving fast, but you can still catch up — if you start now.

I made a video where I go on a bit of an AI rant (you’ll see what I mean), and I also show off what Google Gemini can do with video. It’s absolutely next level — proper “wait… is that real?” kind of stuff.

🎥 Watch the video here:
👉 AI Rant

And if you’re job hunting, I also wrote a piece on the SAIC website showing how AI tools can actually help you land your next job — even if you’re not the most tech-savvy person around.

📄 Read the article: How to Use AI to Find Your Next Job
👉 SAIC Article

Here’s the deal:

Lace up. Learn the tools. Don’t be the guy standing in flip-flops when the lion shows up.

🎬 That’s a Wrap!

Let us know how we did in today’s newsletter — anything you loved, hated, or think we should change? Just hit reply, I read every message.

And don’t forget:

👉 Pre-order your boerie rolls for Saturday

👉 Get your Biltong Taster Pack before June 15

Catch you next time!

PS: Please forward this newsletter to your mates! We are at 700 subscribers and would love to get to the magical 1000 ;-)