So the last two weeks have been quite a ride in terms of global politics. The electoral show over in the US has been of particular interest to us in South Africa, for two – or maybe three – very relevant reasons.
Reason 1: Elon Musk, the South African born and raised billionaire who now holds a few titles:
Maverick, space explorer, boundary breaker, advocate for reducing our impact on the planet, anti-woke ruler of the town square in what used to be known as Twitter.
World’s richest man, billionaire businessman, tech visionary, potential saviour of humanity through colonization of Mars.
And… holder of influence in the leadership of the world’s most powerful country, with a mandate to cut costs, increase efficiencies and make some tough calls that will ruffle some feathers.
Musk made some big calls backing Trump so publicly. His influence in the campaign arguably made a huge difference, and if he can repeat his cost-cutting heroics at SpaceX with other governmental departments (and there is no reason to think he wouldn’t), the people who voted him (err, I mean Trump) into office will be well pleased. Along the way, he will be able to regulate and legislate an ideal environment for his own companies to thrive. It’s a very very good deal. In South Africa, we would love to claim him as our own… but he disowned us for some very relevant reasons a long time ago, which gets me to my second point…
Reason 2: AGOA. The local press has been having a field day for a while now about the African Growth and Opportunities Act, the legislation that gives us tariff relief for certain exports to the US. Trump is vehemently protectionist, and even though he doesn’t really know or care about us, we could hit a bit of a snag here because the US doesn’t look as kindly on us as it did in the past. The economic impact will not be as disastrous as we think, this political analysis puts it into a bit more context. This podcast is enlightening, because even though we should worry about our exports and the economy, there is a bigger story going on, and it does concern me….
Reason 3: “My actions speak so loudly you can’t hear the words coming out of my mouth”. South Africa makes a big show of being friends with everyone. We like the West, we like the East, we want to play with Europe and the US, but we also cosy up to Russia and Iran and China. Well, ja no fine, but of late we are suing Israel on the world stage, taking our pro-Palestine stance to the next level. There is a theory going around that we owe the Iranians, and that is what’s driving this behaviour, not our legacy support of Palestine. And if that happens to be true, we are shifting into enemy territory, which really really annoys and worries me. The US intelligence services have us under review as a security threat, and it should worry the hell out of any South African that is used to easy trade and visitor access to the US. Our luxury travel business does 95% of its business with the US. Of equal importance, I still want to take my boys to Disneyworld one day, and making an enemy of the biggest dude in school doesn’t really seem all that smart.
In South Africa, Rassie Erasmus is untouchable right now. The Springbok coach has led us into an unprecedented era of sporting success, and everyone loves the Springboks. From struggling to secure sponsors 7 years ago, we are now turning down billions in investment looking for the right partners. We are winning games and winning hearts. And it’s because the leader of this change has made a few very hard, very unpopular, calls along the way. The playing style in 2019, right up to the final, was not universally acclaimed. The controversial ref-shaming video, the social media antics, the cat-and-mouse selection moves… he is entertaining, mischievous, and the media loves to write about him. He stands for something, he isn’t afraid to put himself in the firing line to achieve it, he isn’t afraid to make enemies as long as his friends know they can count on him.
Western Province rugby, so long a mess of insider politics and maladministration, is sitting pretty. In the last test match against the All Blacks, they came under fire for giving preferential treatment for the big test match against the All Blacks to season ticket holders. The CEO Johan le Roux went on record: “We will UNAPOLOGETICALLY prioritize our season ticket holders”. Good on you bud. The people who will fill your stadium for all the minor games are the ones who got to watch that big game, and along the way, WP is back to financial health, the stadium is constantly full and we even have season tickets. Respect.
Our favourite restaurant in Cape Town, Magica Roma, shuts down over Christmas and New Year’s. I am sure there are legions of visitors to Cape Town that this irritates. The legendary Italian joint tucked away in Pinelands is an institution, and would probably be full of guests from far flung shores. But Ezio the owner knows who his clients are. They are the locals who fill the place night after night even in winter, and when they go on holiday, so does he.
If you try to please everybody you please nobody. More than the sides being picked by our leaders, I am more irritated by the lack of consistency that seems to be inherent in politics. It bugs me that we can’t trust the people in charge, that we know they will blow with whichever wind is strongest, and that they will be careful to play the middle and not make any firm calls. That’s definitely not how business operates, and the governing forces of business are something that I would love to see more of in government. There is something fundamentally wrong about Elon Musk having a macro-economic say in the forces that will govern the growth of his fortune… but he took a big swing and the associated risks, and it paid off. If his decisions don’t just benefit him but benefit that country – and by proxy the world – then hell. Go for it bud, I for one am looking forward to seeing how this plays out.
PG’s Pro Tip:
Be someone’s favourite. Be unique, be bold, stand for something. I am a big proponent of feedback, and curating your product/brand/message accordingly. I’m also a believer in filtering feedback for being appropriate for fit and staying consistent. Lots of people will not like what you are doing, as long as there are at least as many people that love what you are doing, you’ll have a market, friends and a story to tell. Stay the course.
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