An Uncommon Place for Thought

My recommendations for artists that don’t receive the love they should I’ve been listening to a lot of music lately, and it’s got me thinking about all the artists that never reach the pinnacle of infamy that they deserve. The modern music industry is a mess that is constantly reinventing itself in order to stay relevant. This has translated to millions of artists and albums flooding the internet…

Global economic power dynamics are quickly shifting east as China affirms its new leadership role There has been much cynicism over the state of China’s economy. Following what can be regarded as a substantial decline in the economies growth numbers, and future projections, global investors have become more cautious towards what was once the global economic engine. A recent credit downgrade has…

The High Price of Power

The push for nuclear procurement in South Africa rides on in spite of the lack of economic and technological logic December 2015, Cape Town. Inside the great halls of parliament, a diversity of political parties debate the efficacies of an energy program submitted by the Department of Energy. The program involves a plan to procure nuclear reactors that could potentially add 9.6 GW of nuclear…

Man and His Machines

The automation of labour poses a unique opportunity for businesses. The people? Not so much. Living in the early 21st century has to be a privilege that I’m not sure most of us deserve. The pace at which technology has moved over the last two decades is uncanny and quite exciting. Smartphones. Holograms. Space Exploration.Driverless cars.  Virtuality Reality! Memes!!! The ability for advancements…

And in the darkness, a mighty tree fell

There was a tree that stood, up on a hill, where once there was a forest. It’s aged branches and bark showed the violence and abuse of the passage of time. It stretched over the ground where it stood, casting a shadow deep across the meadow where its brethren once hardened the earth with their roots. Now and then the wind will blow through the valley and spin bushes and flowers off into the…

The People’s champion

Capitec banks success in a hotly contended banking sector is a credit to the company’s model Capitec bank is a company that I am sure has gotten used to the praise it receives at the end of each financial year, and why not? The company has grown in leaps and bounds since its founding in 2001. The South African bank market is not what you would call an easy egg to break for new entrants. The…

Guts being torn out of SA film industry

All Hail The King!!

The Black Panther is more than another Marvel hero to me The Marvel Cinematic Universe has done an excellent job of introducing the world of superhero antics to a global audience. With billion-dollar blockbusters like The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and the X-men (under FOX), it’s hard not to see at least one of the spandex clad hero’s in a theater at any given point of the year. But…

The South African government is deeply divided at a time when it could hurt most 22 February 2016. Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan presents the budget for a new financial year to the South African parliament in Cape Town. Mr. Gordhan’s tenure as finance minister can be described as one with great context, as the minister holds his position only after having been removed by the president, Jacob…

2017 Oscar Short Film Nominations

This years Oscars are host to a variety of fantastically crafted stories in the short film category…but which one takes home the crown? Early 2016 my girlfriend (Sonja) came across an event at an independent cinema in Johannesburg called the Bioscope. At this point we had been to the Bioscope once or twice and were looking forward to seeing whatever fantastic independent film they had on display…

The election of Donald Trump, Brexit and the issues that tell us all one thing…things are changing. The year 2016 is well established in the foggy backyards of our minds as one the worst years in living memory. The innumerable deaths as a result of multiple conflicts, the most notable being Syria. The continued downswing in emerging market economies that has caused a halt in the march of progress…

Can Architecture Mean More Than Pretty Buildings?

In an age filled with the evolution of studies to face global issues, what of the artists and engineers who ply their trade in the art of building our cities and towns? Architecture is a subject that is rare to public discussion. In fact, the entire field seems to fade into the back of our minds as a mere luxury of excess. Those who would spend their time mulling over the nuances and history of…

No one knows whats going on…

Global Market Uncertainty reaches new peaks in a world of Brexits and Trumps, that some are describing as “Post-Globalisation” As one scrolls (or pages, for older readers) through the economic news articles that pile up in the average newsfeed, the resource that seems in highest scarcity is confidence. It does not take an avid search of business publications to uncover a skepticism towards the…

Is it possible for South Africa to achieve free tertiary education? And why is it a big deal?

Will the #FeesMustFall protest succeed in bringing down the price of tertiary education in South Africa? And should it? Pretoria 2015. Thousands of passionate South Africans wait anxiously on the lawn of the Union Buildings. The sprawl of young faces paints an image of diversity and rage as the struggle songs of their forefathers spill out from every corner. This group of angry students wait…

My Top 10 Superhero Movies

We are already halfway through 2016 and already we have seen 3 major superhero movies from the major brands that are DC and Marvel. As we all look forward to more from the two comic book companies that are really just movie studios now, I thought it would be good to take a look back at some of my favorites. So here we go: Number 1: Watchmen This choice might be a bit controversial for many but I…

The Art of Disruption

Tesla Motors: How start-ups pave a way for themselves In the age of information, novelty is hard to come by.  And this notion has for the most part, infiltrated all forms of business in a way that has seen a deep malaise amongst consumers and investors, especially in regards to tech firms. But, as is always the case, as soon as industries or companies become complacent in operation, disruption…

Could I vote for the DA? A Bornfree's guide to the blue party.

Is the blue party a reasonable alternative to the ANC and can they win? With the local elections rapidly approaching on the 3rd of August, it has come time for all undecided voters to pick their party. Being an election for governing municipalities, this election can be seen as the most impactful on the day-to-day lives of the average of South African. Today we will take a look at the Democratic…