Watch Mayor Of Cape Town Geordin Hill-Lewis Talking Sense with Gabriel Makin...

Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, joined Gabriel Makin to talk about Cape Town and South Africa.

The conversation looks at his successes in the city, what challenges he has faced.

And then transitions to a discussion on what is needed to make South Africa successful.

FRANS CRONJE: Changes Rob's mind? Can the GNU Actually Save South Africa's Economy?

 



In this hard-hitting conversation, Rob Hersov and Frans Cronje unpack the real strategic equation facing South Africa.

Beyond the headlines and doom narratives, we examine voter psychology, ANC decline, MK and EFF momentum, fixed investment rates, electricity myths, deindustrialisation, corruption, and whether real reform is actually possible.

  • Is the economy stuck at “care and maintenance” growth?
  • Can fixed investment rise to 25% and unlock 4–5% GDP growth?
  • Is BEE reform finally negotiable?
  • Are young professionals better off staying and seizing opportunity in a skills-short market?
  • And what does South Africa’s foreign policy gamble mean for investment?
  • This is not blind optimism.
It’s a sober look at the political and economic math.

If you're politically engaged, building a business, investing, or deciding whether to emigrate — this conversation matters.

South Africa’s Economic Reset: AI Boom, Stablecoins, Inflation Target Shift...

Dawie Roodt breaks down what’s actually happening in the economy, and why South Africa is sitting on growth potential it refuses to unlock.

He covers the global shift in growth driven by AI, the rise of stablecoins (including a new rand stablecoin), why inflation targeting matters for the rand, and why South Africa’s biggest brake on growth is still politics.

IN THIS EPISODE:
• Why economic growth is the single number that changes everything • The 200-year growth “exception” and why the next wave could be even bigger (AI) • Why manufactured goods keep getting cheaper — and why services get pricier • Money is evolving again: stablecoins vs central bank digital currencies • The rand stablecoin (“ZARU”) and why exchange controls could become irrelevant • World economy snapshot: US strong, India rising, China weaker than official numbers • Trump’s world: why AGOA matters and why SA can’t afford to pick fights • ANC ideology is 100 years old — and its policies still reflect that • Cadre deployment = incompetence, plus corruption = stagnation • Why the rand strengthened: lower inflation target + lower volatility • Why markets improved doesn’t mean the real economy is fixed • “BEE” vs real empowerment: education, safety, opportunity — not “billionaire empowerment” • Debt warning: ~R5 trillion, narrow tax base, SARS pressure • The bottom line: SA can grow 3–5%… but not with the ANC dominating

Click the pic below to watch the video.

Wilko's Weekly: I Do What I Do Because It Makes Me Feel Good...

 People sometimes ask why I write.

Why I post messages of hope. Why I keep going, week after week.


The honest answer is simple:


I do what I do because it makes me feel good.


That may sound selfish at first.

Shouldn’t we do things for others?

Shouldn’t we be motivated by service, duty, or obligation?

Yes ! But here is something we don’t talk about enough:

  • Doing good feels good.

  • Encouraging someone lifts the encourager.

  • Sharing hope strengthens the one who shares it.

  • Writing positive words plants those words in the reader’s mind.

  • But also in the writer’s heart.

When I sit down to write something uplifting, I feel better.

  • My thinking becomes clearer.

  • My mood shifts.

  • My perspective improves.

  • I am reminded of what really matters.

In a world where so much noise pulls us downward, choosing to focus on what is good is not just helpful.

It is healing.


And here’s the interesting part:

  • When you do something that makes you feel good (without harming anyone), that goodness spreads.

  • A kind word offered freely.

  • A thoughtful message shared.

  • A reminder that things are not as dark as they seem.

  • These small acts ripple outward. But they also ripple inward.

We are often told to chase happiness as if it were a prize somewhere out there.

In truth, happiness often arrives as a by-product.


It comes when we contribute. When we create. When we give.

I don’t write because I have all the answers.

I don’t post because I am trying to be important.

I do it because when I send a positive message I feel much better.

It steadies me.


At my stage of life, I have learned something simple:

If something honest and constructive makes you feel good, do more of it.

  • Not for applause.

  • Not for recognition.

  • Not for money.

  • But because it strengthens your own spirit.

And that is reason enough.


If what you do makes you feel good, and leaves the world a little lighter, then keep doing it.


Our World needs more of that.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


With very best wishes,


Chris Wilkinson.


PS. I do not get paid for Sharing.


If you'd like to help me cover costs with a small donation, please click below. Thank you.




Why I Belong to (and Support) a Political Party...

 I am a member of a political party, and I donate to it as well.

I do this deliberately, and for a simple reason.

If I expect a political party to work for me, I must first be willing to belong to it and support it.

This idea isn’t unique to politics. We accept it quite naturally in other parts of life.


If you belong to a sports club, you pay membership fees.

If you’re part of a community organisation, you contribute time, money, or both.

These contributions keep the organisation alive, active, and able to serve its members.

Without them, the club or organisation simply cannot function.


A political party is no different.

Political parties do not exist in a vacuum.

They need offices, volunteers, administration, communication, and the ability to organise and campaign.

All of this costs money and effort.


When members contribute financially, they are not “buying influence”. They are sharing responsibility.


Belonging also matters.

Membership is not just a card or a name on a list. It is a signal of commitment.

It says, I care enough about this vision, these values, and this direction to be part of it.

It also gives members a stronger voice, because real influence comes from taking part.

Not from standing on the sidelines and complaining.


We expect political parties to deliver results while keeping our distance from them.

We criticise, complain, and demand change.

But without engaging, joining, or contributing.

That approach weakens democracy rather than strengthening it.


Supporting a political party through membership and donations is a form of civic responsibility.

It is an acknowledgement that democracy is not a spectator sport.

If we want better governance, we must help to build what makes it possible.

Just like a sports club or a community organisation.


A political party works best when its members are invested.

Not only emotionally or ideologically, but practically as well.

In short, I belong and I donate because I believe responsibility goes hand in hand with expectation.

If I want the party to work for me, I must be willing to support and contribute to it.


With very best wishes,


Chris Wilkinson.


PS. I do not get paid for Sharing, so I appreciate a little help, if you can.


Helen Zille - Talking Sense with Gabriel Makin...

Chairperson of The DA Federal Executive and Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille joined Gabriel Makin to talk about:
  • Johannesburg,
  • the Race for Mayor,
  • the ideology of the DA,
  • and the difference between the ANC and DA.

https://www.chriswilko.com/2025/06/hope-is-more-than-just-four-letter-word.html

Watch Mayor Of Cape Town Geordin Hill-Lewis Talking Sense with Gabriel Makin...

Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, joined Gabriel Makin to talk about Cape Town and South Africa. The conversation looks at h...