New Challenges

After all the excitement around the Mr SA 2011 competition had settled, the year wound down with little furore, and before we knew it Christmas and New Year were behind us as well…..

Early in the New Year I realised that it is time for a new challenge or two. First on the agenda was a change in corporate environment, entailing change in employment for myself.

Change is as good as a holiday I always say, and like any good holiday, this year has flown by like no one would believe. And here we find ourselves in the fourth last month of 2011.

Before the year was through, I knew I had to undertake at least one challenge. And so I happened upon Ultimate Man SA 2011. A competition to rival all that have gone before.

The new Ultimate Man SA will be someone who can dream big, while still staying grounded. Someone who is big in stature, but also big in heart……

Follow me on this new journey, and share in the experience….

We are the world.....

In the immortal words of the late Michael Jackson...

" We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So lets start giving
There is a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a brighter day, just you and me"
(From the song "We are the world")



This weekend I had the privilege of attending a function organised by the Pretoria North Police in support of the "16 Days of Activism against Woman and Child Abuse" campaign...


It was heart wrenching to see that there were so many children, some of whom were barely of age to walk by themselves, that have been removed from their parents due to abuse or neglect....

The event was organised at the Voortrekker Eeufees primary school in Pretoria North, and was aimed at brightening the festive season for these children, who in normal circumstances would have had a dark and dreary Christmas...

All the children were treated to something to eat, some presents and a treat for the sweet tooth...However, not to be forgotten, there was something in store for the mothers as well, in the form of hampers to help them through the festive season hunger pains...

Myself and a good friend, as well as up and coming artist, Francois van Rensburg had the enviable task of handing these out...



We were also accompanied by some friends, family and loved ones for the day...


Even though we just gave some of our time for the day, we were able to make a difference in the lives of people who are in a less fortunate position than ourselves...

To end off:

"We can't go on pretending day by day
The someone somewhere will soon make a change
We're all a part of God's great big family
And the truth, you know, love is all we need"

So start today, show some kindness, and make a difference where you are, with what you have...And quite soon we will be creating a better world...

Are you imparting influencial knowledge?

Well known intellectual, and namesake of mine, William Smith...

While conducting a training lecture today I was momentarily interrupted by the thought: "Am I imparting knowledge that will make a difference?"

The lecture hall was filled by several technical personnel, all of whom are my senior by quite some years, and there I was, instructing them on how to maintain equipment in their facility.

The idea kept swirling in the back of my head, am I teaching these people something that will make a difference in the way the conduct business from now on, or will they have forgotten my name by the time I leave the gate?

Thankfully this question was answered by a comment from one of the participants: "we have been doing this for years, and now we have you to show us the right way of doing it".

Is this a reason to be arrogant? Have I somehow rose above their level? Not in the least...I have just shared with them what others before me have shared with me. The moral of the story?

Just be who you are, and share what you know. People might not remember your name, but they will be better of by what you shared with them...

Flyer design....

Spin 4 Charity…

This weekend also saw me organize a Spinathon to benefit The Chrysalis Foundation. Thanks to the Lakeside Mall, who agreed to let me use the space. Also many thanks to Innocent Dube, Marketing manager of the Benoni Virgin Active club, who agreed to let me use three of their Spinning bicycles for the event.




It was quite a busy morning in the mall with the end of month rush, and the pre-Christmas excitement. Hordes of people streamed into the mall to spend money on Christmas gifts for friends and family.

A respectable amount of money was raised for the cause. However, what was more important was doing some “footwork” to raise awareness. Flyers were handed out to bystanders, explaining the work that The Chrysalis Foundation does.



Posters were also put up to attract the attention of curious passers by. Overall it was an effective effort at showing that there are still people out there that care. It is also quite appropriate for the 16 Days of Activism Campaign, as we need to mobilize against the moral evils that face our society in every day life.

Hey sister, how’s your blister…??

Setting out to tame the streets of Bryanston

This past weekend I had the opportunity to be part of the annual “Sisters with Blisters" walk. Hosted at The Campus in Bryanston, Johannesburg it saw a massive turnout of people supporting the cause.

Everywhere you looked there were people strutting their stuff in their “sister outfits”. Some went to the extreme to look the part, while other just did their best to complete the designated distance in a pair of heels.

Included in these tortured souls with their blisters to boot, were a few of the Mr South Africa 2011 finalists. Showing that all South Africans are behind this drive to raise awareness, and stamp out this evil of abuse against women and children in our society.

Proud sponsors Jacaranda 94.2 Fm

The day was supported by one of South Africa’s biggest radio stations, Jacaranda 94.2 Fm and First for Women insurance. Overall it was a great success, and in excess of
R 300 000 was raised by the 4 000 entrants that took part.


Meeting Martin Bester from Jacaranda

Time to say thank you...

When I set out to do the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge this year, I decided to do it on behalf of The Chrysalis Foundation. They do great work in reversing the wrongs that have been done to a lot of young girls in our society today.

The question I was left with was,"How will I stand out, and show others what the reason for my riding is?" So I came up with the idea of having some armbands made. The bigger question was "Where?" and "How?"....

And as fate would have it, the next day I got an email from someone who was looking to get started in the branding business. I took a long shot and found out whether she would be willing to help out, and she jumped at the chance to help me make a difference in the lives of others.

This person is none other than Tanya de Kock, a new Facebook friend of mine, and as it turns out someone whose heart is in the right place. Even though she was starting out in a new business venture, she took it upon herself to carry all costs involved with having the armbands made.

When it came to the push, she was left in the lurch by her supplier, but she did not let this break her stride. She worked on the weekend, and got them to me the night before the race. I was quite pleased with the service and dedication that she showed for the good of the cause.

So if you need anything branded, corporate or personal, give Tanya a call on 071 460 1524.....