By Braam Pretorius.

In the early 2000s, the world chased the dot-com dream. Money poured into websites that sold dog toys and virtual pet food, each start-up valued as if it would change the world. When that illusion burst, investors were left with empty domains and broken promises.

Two decades later, the story may feel similar, but it is actually totally different. The stakes are higher, the scale industrial, and yet, the tone in the media is strangely familiar. It feels less like a market...

Reflections from a man and his dog

I have a black Labrador named Bella. She’s 18 months old, full of energy, mischief, and love. She doesn't speak in words, but I’ve come to realize that she doesn’t need to. If I listen closely, I hear her spirit loud and clear.

The other day, I found myself wondering…

If Bella could talk, what would she tell me about life?

What would she want me to remember on the hard days? The quiet days? The busy ones when I forget to breathe.

Here’s what I imagine she’d say,...

I’ve had many dogs in my life.

Big dogs, small dogs. Fiercely loyal, wildly playful, stubborn, gentle, they’ve all left paw prints across the timeline of my years. But none quite like Bella.

Bella is our 18-month-old black Labrador. If you know the breed, you’ll understand: boundless energy, a heart full of mischief and love, and eyes that seem to ask, “What are we doing next?” But lately… I’ve started wondering if Bella is something more than just a very clever dog.

Let me explain.

Over the past...

In warm and lively corners of restaurants across Durbanville, Cape Town, something truly extraordinary has been happening for the past 23 years. Month after month, through...

Some stories begin long before the first word is written. This one began in the Angolan bush, echoed through the silence of loss, and finally found its way home through the...

By Braam Pretorius

I’ve learned over the years that persistence opens more doors than privilege ever will. You don’t need money, influence, or even luck. You just need to show up every day, do one small thing, and treat people with respect, maybe offer them a cooldrink now and then.

Back when I lived on a plot in Mooiplaats, east of Pretoria, I decided to subdivide the land myself. A company quoted me a small fortune to handle the admin, and they warned it could take nine months. I thought, ag...

By Braam Pretorius

Last night, with a rooibos in hand and internet tabs multiplying like rabbits, I went exploring down one of those late-night tunnels where YouTube, Reddit, and half-forgotten blogs all conspire to feed your imagination.

The ideas I found...wild, but strangely compelling:

• Some believe we live inside a simulation, a reality coded and maintained by powers beyond us.
• Others claim the world ended in 2020, the pandemic was not just a disruption but a cosmic reset, with humanity now...

By Braam Pretoriuis

You know you’ve made it when a Founder from Dubai, a School Teacher from Navarra, a Salesperson from Fujitsu, and someone from Heineken Beverages all check out your LinkedIn profile… in the same week.

Now, this could mean one of two things:

1. You’re on the verge of being headhunted for a hospitality-tech-education-beer hybrid startup.
2. Or... it’s nearly the end of the quarter, and they’re all subtly checking whether you’re still alive and kicking, because their KPIs say, “...