South Africa is OK!

news24

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This is a newsletter that I received from SA Business Hub, I'm impressed:)...

When I read this article by Scott Cundill, founder of Majestic and author of the outstanding book How NOT to Start and Run Your Own Business, I just had to share it with you. It is a positive spin on South Africa that is a great read!

Luther
WHY SA IS OK
-- By Scott Cundill

When told that I carry South African, Australian and UK passports, many ask me in a flurry “what the hell are you still doing here then???”

I’m here because I am South African born. And besides, the other countries are more screwed up than we are.

Here, there is hope.

Take Australia for example. You are not allowed to walk in a crowd after midnight. You cannot cut down a tree without council approval. If it says “don’t walk on the grass” and you walk on the grass, someone who is paid by the state WILL jump out and fine you. What you may think is the last Bastian of sun and sport is really unbearable thanks to a regimented system designed to control a bored youth with a serious drug problem.

The UK is worse. It is full of ill tempered children, the cities are filthy and traffic ridden and it’s way too expensive. And just you try and brave the health care system or find an affordable dentist.

Other SA emigration hot spots are Canada and the US. I’ve never been to Canada and it does sound fantastic, but shoveling snow six months of the year just isn’t for me. And then there are two groups of people in this world: those that like Americans and those that do not. Corporate Americans are the most personality-less human beings on the planet. They are fearful, politically correct zombies who do their job in fear of being fired or sued. Sure, I have met some of the best people in the world in the US, but there aren’t enough of them to justify living there. Corporate America has sucked that country dry.

Environmentally, you probably want to hang around here in SA. The water systems in all these other countries (including Australia) are shot to pieces and the cost of decent land in rural or city areas across the globe is nightmarishly expensive. While SA has serious environmental problems, there is still hope for a clean and safe future if we as individuals take a stand. Besides, with global warming a reality, beach side property is probably not a great investment right now and that writes off most of Oz.
Yes, I am passionate about South Africa, but is it perfect? No it’s not. But the reason why is one you probably do not expect:

South Africans simply DO NOT SUPPORT EACH OTHER.

The crime I can handle (trust me people, it’s EVERYWHERE, not just here). The government situation is a joke in all countries. The fact that we don’t support our own products and services is unforgivable. We are always fighting. It pains me to say it but most South African business owners HATE watching other South African business owners become successful. I struggled for years, going through some of the most depressing times of my life just to reach break-even. Very few other business owners supported me, most just shafted me. It’s even worse now as I watch it happen to others around me. My mission in life is to change it.

Small Business South Africa MUST support itself.

Australians are incredible. They support each other and it is testimony to a strong economy. The Olympic Games in Sydney were demonstrated this in action, but it doesn’t stop there. Australians are constantly supporting Australian stuff. There is real pride over there and this is why I am pushing so strongly for a real, authentic South African business community. If we can make one little attitude adjustment, we can really create an amazing country.

I’m not ready to emigrate yet and I will keep Majestic rooted here in South Africa for as long as possible. Regardless of the animosity that I receive from business owners who disagree with my direct and open approach to business, I WILL keep pushing until we have a 100% small business success rate here in South Africa. And to all those that share this sentiment with me:

Dankie.

Scott
 

marine1

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Oz more screwed up than this place? ROFLMAO, um ok if you say so.
 

TMoose

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Take Australia for example. You are not allowed to walk in a crowd after midnight. You cannot cut down a tree without council approval. If it says “don’t walk on the grass” and you walk on the grass, someone who is paid by the state WILL jump out and fine you. What you may think is the last Bastian of sun and sport is really unbearable thanks to a regimented system designed to control a bored youth with a serious drug problem.
Aaah, right. I see. They actually enforce laws there. Yeah, what a crap place :rolleyes: You're right, I'd rather be tortured to death here in good 'ole SA. Where people paid by the state rather take bribes or eat fried chicken than enforce the law.

SA is a good place to live, but comparing it to countries where things actually work right and then claiming that they are inferior is just plain stupid.
 

Grouter

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Oz more screwed up than this place? ROFLMAO, um ok if you say so.

I am Australian and have been back quite a few times and believe me, there's a lot of truth in what this guy says.

I'll stay here and take my chances, thank you very much. The grass always looks so green on the other side.
 

armitage

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Hmm, is it just me or is his pro's and cons are bit... weak? Grass jaywalking vs. getting raped and murdered in your home?

But i kinda agree with the sentiment of the article. We got a great place here. If south africans can get over their apathy for others and start working together this would be an amazing place.
 

marine1

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I am Australian and have been back quite a few times and believe me, there's a lot of truth in what this guy says.

I'll stay here and take my chances, thank you very much. The grass always looks so green on the other side.
Hmm weird that so many South Africans feel the opposite.
 

Bismuth

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Oz more screwed up than this place? ROFLMAO, um ok if you say so.

Yeah, I mean, they actually enforce their laws, unlike here. That is not a bad thing.

They say if you manage to control the small crimes, you will end up have less of the more serious crimes committed. If you think of it, that makes sense, as most criminals start off with petty crime.

They are not doing that here, that is why we have the problems we do. They are indeed doing it in Australia, that is why they don't have the problems we do.

Is news24 an alt of Skinner's?. He will also find himself on my ignore list if he keeps spewing the garbage he does.

B
 

brixton tower

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I say choosing on which country to run off to depends on your personality. Lets first get this straight, most people who run off are either highly educated or are highly-liquid (very hard to find in these times) entrepreneurs.

For me there's only one country where I'd like to live and that's the US even with all its imperfection its beats Canada, Oz, NZ or the UK. One thing I like about America is that oppertunities are infinite...where in the world would someone like Obama be running for president, certainly not Europe- that bastion of all liberal thought.

I don't see the problems in SA through rose-tinted glasses but I'm certainly not willing to give up on her yet...that's probably because I've seen where we've been in the past and right now we're traveling over a bad road. It won't get better soon but hopefully we're enduring this pain so that future generations don't have to.
 

marine1

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I was being sarcastic mate.
Yeah, I mean, they actually enforce their laws, unlike here. That is not a bad thing.

They say if you manage to control the small crimes, you will end up have less of the more serious crimes committed. If you think of it, that makes sense, as most criminals start off with petty crime.

They are not doing that here, that is why we have the problems we do. They are indeed doing it in Australia, that is why they don't have the problems we do.

Is news24 an alt of Skinner's?. He will also find himself on my ignore list if he keeps spewing the garbage he does.

B
 

Syndyre

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Hmm, is it just me or is his pro's and cons are bit... weak? Grass jaywalking vs. getting raped and murdered in your home?

Exactly, all of these articles tend to be rather short on facts. If everything is so wonderful relative to other places then why are so many people leaving? He's also in the position of having foreign passports, which means he can leave at any time. A lot of people don't have that option and think they should leave now rather than take a chance.
 

Alan

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Exactly, all of these articles tend to be rather short on facts. If everything is so wonderful relative to other places then why are so many people leaving? He's also in the position of having foreign passports, which means he can leave at any time. A lot of people don't have that option and think they should leave now rather than take a chance.

Yeah strange how those with foreign passports always seem to be the most hopeful and positive about S.A. I guess it's because they can easily afford to be wrong :eek:
 
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marine1

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Exactly, all of these articles tend to be rather short on facts. If everything is so wonderful relative to other places then why are so many people leaving? He's also in the position of having foreign passports, which means he can leave at any time. A lot of people don't have that option and think they should leave now rather than take a chance.

Excellent points.
 

jano

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Yeah strange how those with foreign passports always seem to be the most hopeful and positive about S.A. I guess it's because they can easily afford to be wrong :eek:

Good point. I was fortunate enough to be born in Australia, because my SA parents lived there for 6 years. My wife and I have just come back from an Aus holiday - great country - but we're not ready to leave just yet. Mainly because we value our friends and family here (we've even discussed "group immigration"), but the safety net of an Aus passport certainly helps.
 

Geriatrix

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Good point. I was fortunate enough to be born in Australia, because my SA parents lived there for 6 years. My wife and I have just come back from an Aus holiday - great country - but we're not ready to leave just yet. Mainly because we value our friends and family here (we've even discussed "group immigration"), but the safety net of an Aus passport certainly helps.
Hehe, your not alone. Me and my friends are planning the same thing. But it helps that you already have a passport.
 

Frankie

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Good point. I was fortunate enough to be born in Australia, because my SA parents lived there for 6 years. My wife and I have just come back from an Aus holiday - great country - but we're not ready to leave just yet. Mainly because we value our friends and family here (we've even discussed "group immigration"), but the safety net of an Aus passport certainly helps.
I gather you don't have children yet - You and your wife are big enough to look after yourselves to a certain degree, but wait till you have children and you assess the risks they are exposed to and the ever degrading schooling system, then later their exclusion from the job market or at least the limitations imposed on their career development.
Surely your fancy car and household contents isn't worth losing your family, or your family losing their Dad, when it gets hijacked or the house invaded by savages.

I've been employed by a UK company for a good few years now, and right from the outset the employment offer included their assistance for me to emigrate to the UK - I have declined the offer till now, but this week I received my 5 year work permit.
I just cant take the risk of my pension investments in SA going down the drain like it did in Zim 1.0

I lived in Aus for one year and thoroughly enjoyed the country and the people.
 
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genetic

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South Africans simply DO NOT SUPPORT EACH OTHER.

Couldn't be more true. This thread is a prime example...

I for one am happy where I am, and am positive about SA's future. If only we could get more South Africans to work together...
 
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Syndyre

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Couldn't be more true. This thread is a prime example...

I for one am happy where I am, and am positive about SA's future. If only we could more South Africans to work together...

This is the kind of support that isn't needed. Blind faith isn't worth anything, its more often just dangerous. Supporting each other doesn't include ignoring reality.
 

MacNabs

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If this fellow is so pro south african why is he holding onto his other passports them? Burn them. I left sa because i had no safety net of a foreign passport. I now have nz residence which means i can now live and work in aus or nz. I had to work hard to get this and originally came into nz as a skilled migrant. It was hard, people who have foreign passports dont know how lucky they are. Most of them are fense sitting bull ****ters who dont really need to fear much because the **** hitting the fan is just as much of a stress to them as boarding a plane. Willing to put my cock on the block, none of them will give up their foreign passports.
 
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