So, this Sunday was our quarterly Costco stock-up mission—the one where we buy enough meat to make it through a zombie apocalypse. I usually get a whole case of eye of round for biltong, because buying in a case load saves 50 cents a kilo. I asked the guy at the meat counter for a case, but no luck—out of stock. So I did what any determined Saffa would do and loaded 12 loose packs of eye of round into the trolley.

While we were navigating the chaos of the Costco aisles, I saw a staff member pushing a massive trolley through the crowd—people were cutting him off left and right. I stopped, greeted him, and let him pass. Nothing dramatic. Didn’t even think about it. Just being friendly like we’re taught back in SA.

A few minutes later, that same guy tracks me down. “Why so many loose eye of rounds? Why not a case?” I explain they didn’t have stock. He says, “Hang on, I’ll go double check.” Comes back, still no case. No worries. I thank him, smile, move on.

Later, I head back to grab our usual mound of mince (also in bulk), and boom—same guy appears. “How much mince are you taking?” he asks. “About 10 packs,” I say. He tells me I should rather take a whole case—27 kilos of mince in six big tubes—and it’ll save me 50 cents a kilo. I’m in. Off he goes again.

But here’s the kicker: he comes back not just with the box of mince, but with a label that rings it up as tubes, not a case. Why does that matter? Because tubes are apparently $9.99 a kilo instead of $12.99. So instead of saving 50 cents a kilo, I saved $3 per kilo. On 27 kilos, that’s a saving of over $80!

And when I thanked him and said, “You’re awesome,” he just shrugged and said, “Oh well, you were nice to me, so why not?”

And that’s the lesson, hey. You never know what a small act of kindness might lead to. Sometimes it’s good karma. Sometimes it’s cheaper mince. Either way, worth it.

In This Week’s Newsletter:

• Upcoming Events

• Tax Season in Canada 🇨🇦 (Don’t Panic)

• Howzit Canada 2.0 – Can You Do Us a Solid?

• Community Thought of the Week: Want to Make Friends? Be One First.

• That’s a Wrap!

Upcoming Events

Alright, the calendar’s a little quieter right now, but there are still a few things to look forward to—and one we just came back from that deserves a shoutout.

🛻 South African Street Food Festival – Recap

This past weekend’s Street Food Festival was lekker and chaotic. We helped promote it, and wow, did the people show up! It was absolutely packed—maybe even too packed. The poor restaurant couldn’t keep up with the seating, so there was a fair bit of standing and waiting. But honestly? Everyone handled it like champs, the food was amazing, and the Saffa spirit was alive and well.
🎥 Watch the video here

🕺 Sailor Hagar’s Pub Night – April 21
Join us for our next monthly pub night in North Van! It’s always a vibe—cold beer, good chats, and a few familiar accents.
🔗 Event Info & RSVP

⛪ Afrikaanse Kerkdiens – May 3
A lovely way to connect in Afrikaans and meet others in the community. Held at the West Vancouver Baptist Church.
🔗 More Details

🎉 West Van Community Cultural Festival – June 6
This one’s big! We’ll be there repping South Africa with a proper stall. Come say howzit, grab some snacks, and enjoy the cultural celebration.
🔗 Festival Info

Tax Season in Canada 🇨🇦 (Don’t Panic)

If it’s your first time filing taxes in Canada, don’t stress—it’s a little confusing at first, but it’s honestly not as scary as it seems. I still remember our first tax season here… we used an accountant who charged Belinda and me $2,000 to do our returns. That was the last time we went that route.

Since then, I’ve been doing our taxes myself using Wealthsimple Tax (formerly SimpleTax), and it’s been smooth sailing. It’s especially easy if you’re a salaried employee—you can connect your CRA account, pull in your T4s automatically, and the system guides you step by step. Best part? It’s free. They ask for a donation at the end, but it’s totally optional.

🗓️ Important deadlines:

• File by April 30, 2025

• If you’re self-employed, you have until June 15, but you still need to pay by April 30

If you’re running a business, freelancing, or just want someone else to double-check things, getting an accountant might still be your best bet. And if you’re looking for someone trusted (especially a fellow Saffa), just hit reply—I can connect you.

Howzit Canada 2.0 – Can You Do Us a Solid?

The Howzit Canada platform is officially live (again!)—version 2.0 is up and running with over 400 South African businesses, events, and communities across the country. But now we need your help to spread the word.

This is your chance to help grow something awesome and win a lekker hoodie while you’re at it.

🎁 The Giveaway
We’re giving away any hoodie of your choice from our collection: the Howzit Canada, Don’t Fear the South African is Here, Biltong Addict, or Braai: The Original South African Social Network hoodie.

Here’s how to enter:

1. Click on any (or all!) of the posts below

2. Leave a comment or tag another South African

3. That’s it—you’re in the draw!

• Comment on 1 post = 1 entry
• Comment on all 3 posts = 3 entries
• We’ll do a live draw on Sunday, March 30

👉 LinkedIn Post
👉 Facebook Video
👉 YouTube Video

Go on—tag a mate, spread the word, and let’s build something epic together.

Community Thought of the Week: Want to Make Friends? Be One First.

At the top of this newsletter, I told the story of how being nice to someone at Costco saved me over $80 on mince (which, let’s be honest, is probably the most South African sentence ever written). But there’s a deeper point to that story too.

One of the most common things we hear from South Africans in Canada is: “I’m struggling to make friends.”

And honestly? Been there. Felt that.

But I came across something recently that really stuck with me. It said:

It seems small, but it’s such a powerful shift. Instead of thinking who’s going to invite me out, start asking who can I check in on, help, or just be kind to today? Whether it’s supporting someone’s side hustle, replying to a Facebook comment with something helpful, texting a quick “howzit”, or just greeting someone warmly at an event—it all counts.

And the truth is, it’s not about making best friends instantly.

It’s about showing up. Offering friendship without needing it to be returned right away. No pressure. No neediness. Just kindness.

Friendship follows when you show up for people. So if you’re feeling a bit disconnected, maybe just ask:
Who can I be a friend to this week?

That’s a Wrap!

If you enjoyed this week’s newsletter, do us a solid and forward it to a fellow Saffa in Canada—or post it in your WhatsApp group, neighbourhood Facebook group, or wherever your people hang out.

And if you’ve got an event idea, a community project, or just something cool to share, hit reply. We love hearing from you.

Until next time—be lekker, be kind, and maybe stock up on some mince. You never know.

Cheers,

Callie