Howzit!

Okay… it’s been a while.

I just checked — the last newsletter went out on February 17th. So ja… a bit more than two months ago. Not exactly the weekly rhythm we were going for.

To be honest, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind.

I was sick for a while, and then straight after that, things went absolutely mad with the tire business. In a good way. A really good way.

Connor and I have been flat out — 9, 10-hour days, six days a week, and then the odd Sunday call-out as well. It’s proper hard work… but it’s also lekker. We’re building something, we’re working together, and for the first time it actually feels like it’s working. We’re even making money — which definitely helps 😄

There’s still a lot of catch-up to do from startup costs, but overall, I’m happy. It’s been a good kind of chaos.

The downside of that, though, is that something had to give… and unfortunately, a lot of the South African community stuff fell into that category.

Where Things Are At (And Where We Need Help)

I want to be upfront about this.

I’m not able to run the South African Institute of Canada anymore. I can still support where I can, but I don’t have the capacity to lead it day-to-day anymore.

So instead of just letting things drift… I’d rather open it up to the community and see who wants to step in.

There are a few parts to this:

🇨🇦 West Vancouver Cultural Festival (Urgent)

This is the big one.

Every year we’ve taken part, and it’s always been a great event. We get a free stand, good exposure, and it’s a proper chance to show off a bit of South African culture.

But this year, it falls right in our busiest tire season — and I simply can’t take it on.

So here’s the ask:

👉 If someone is keen to take this on, please reach out ASAP.

What it involves:

• Organising the booth

• Getting a few volunteers together

• Being there across the two days

• Coordinating basic setup and activities

The good news:

• We still have a lot of the materials from last year (beads, setup items, etc.)

• It doesn’t need to cost much — last year was about $1,000, but this year could be significantly less

• We can look for sponsors again to help cover costs

We need to confirm participation within the next week — so if you’re even slightly interested, shout.

🌐 Websites & Online Stuff

The good news here — this I will keep running.

• HowzitCanada

• South African Institute website

We’re a bit behind, but I’ve started bringing in some AI tools to help speed things up, so this side of things should catch up soon.

🏢 The South African Institute of Canada

This is the bigger conversation.

The nonprofit has now been running for over a year — which actually puts it in a good position. It’s no longer “brand new,” which means it should start qualifying for grants and more structured opportunities.

But… a nonprofit needs people.

At minimum, we need:

• 3 directors

• People who actually want to run with it and build something

The cost to keep it going is minimal (a few hundred dollars a year), but without people behind it, it doesn’t make sense to keep it alive.

So here’s the reality:

👉 If we can find a small group who wants to take this forward — amazing, let’s do it.
👉 If not, we may need to shut it down… which would honestly be a pity given what’s already been built.

📨 The Newsletter

We’ve got about 800+ subscribers on this list.

That’s not nothing.

So there are a couple of options here:

• Someone (or a small group) takes over the newsletter as part of the Institute

• Or we open it up and let different people contribute each week

• Or we rethink the format completely

I’m open to ideas.

Let’s Figure This Out

This isn’t me disappearing — it’s just me being realistic about capacity.

The community is still there. The platform is still there. The audience is still there.

What we need now… is people who want to take it forward.

If that’s you — or if you’ve got ideas — please reach out.

Let’s make a plan.

That’s a Wrap

Hey, let me know how I did in today’s newsletter. Is there anything else that you think should be better? I respond to all replies, so give me a shout out and let me know what you like, what you didn’t like. Always good to hear from you.