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...

A couple of months ago, I was flying from Cape Town to Johannesburg on a FlySafair flight. Next to me sat an Indian lady and her husband, business owners who regularly commute between the two cities, splitting their time between a factory in Johannesburg and a wine and horse farm in the Western Cape.

I was working on my then-latest story, Book of Conspiracy, when I noticed her quietly (and very politely!) reading over my shoulder. That small moment sparked a conversation that changed...

By Braam Pretorius

What if the world we know, our history, our politics, our faith, was nothing more than an echo of something older, deeper, and far more alien?

That’s the question I asked myself when I started writing 3I/Atlas. For years, I’ve been fascinated by the rise of Artificial Intelligence, the murky waters of interstellar theories, and the eerie synchronicity between ancient myths and modern scientific breakthroughs. Combine that with a lifelong love for the Karoo, quiet truck stops,...

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...