Simon de Haast

What an incredible honour to sing the South African national anthem ahead of the Springboks vs All Blacks in Baltimore. 🇿🇦 Standing in that stadium and singing for my country, the team and thousands of South Africans was an experience I’ll never forget.

Captured does not mean submitted A total of 2 274 potential candidates were captured on the OCNS but were not finally submitted by deadline on 28 August. Because these candidates were not finally submitted to the IEC within the deadline, they are not in contention for 2026 LGE.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck on Rogan taking about how Netflix has changed filmmaking. A major considerations is dealing with distracted viewers. To keep them tuned in, “you re-iterate the plot 3-4x in the dialogue because people are on their phones.” Then, in action films, you change the ordering of climatic fights. In traditional action films, you’d have “three set pieces” in every act (I, II, III) and each would “ramp up” (spend the big money on third set piece). But streaming has to hook viewers within 5 minute, so the incentive is to put a major battle or action sequence much earlier. Also, the directors have less incentive to make a film look great because so many people watch on laptops and phones. They do say that streaming allows for more bets on risky projects since the theatre economics are geared towards IP, sequels and super-heroes. Example: an independent film with a $25m budget would spend $25m on marketing (1:1 ratio). But since it splits box office with the theatre, the film needs to make $100m (1/2 of which is $50m) just to break even. They’re realistic about the state of film and call it a supply-demand issue. If the demand is for at-home viewing (eg. Netflix 300m+ subs), then filmmaking approach will change to feed the algo. When there’s demand for theatre, Damon will go team up with Christopher Nolan to make “The Odyssey”.

This man is pure GENIUS. He took a work/safety vest to a major event. Afterwards, he flagged traffic so the vehicle he was riding in could get out of there quicker 🤣

As received. A friend forwarded this to me: This is what some of the dignitaries had to say about SAs as the host nation of G20 : Article on LinkedIn by Dr Nick Eberhl "Your people are extraordinary." A German delegate told me after the G20 session. "I've attended summits on six continents. I've never experienced warmth like this." She wasn't talking about our weather. The #Hospitality Paradox Having coached leaders across five continents through cultural transformations, I know hospitality can be performed. But what G20 delegates are experiencing in South Africa can't be taught in a customer service manual. A Japanese delegate had this to say: "Your security guards smile while being vigilant. Your drivers share stories while navigating. Everyone — from the protocol officers to the coffee vendors — treats us like welcomed family, not foreign dignitaries." Think about that. We're hosting world leaders during economic uncertainty and political complexity. Yet our people are radiating warmth that money can't buy. The Ubuntu #Advantage One trade representative put it perfectly: "In othercountries, hospitality is a transaction. Here, it feels like a tradition." She's right. Our hospitality isn't trained — it's inherited. Passed down through generations who understood that a stranger at your door might be tomorrow's blessing. That treating visitors with dignity costs nothing but creates everything. While other nations deploy armies of consultants to design "visitor experiences," we simply deploy ourselves. The Competitive #Edge Nobody Measures A French delegate shared something profound: "We came to discuss economic frameworks. But what we'll remember is how your people made us feel. That's not soft power — that's real power." Every taxi driver who asked about their families. Every security officer who learned their names. Every cleaner who greeted them in their language. These weren't scripted interactions. They were South Africans being South Africans. In a world where AI can replicate everything except authentic human connection, we have the ultimate differentiator: People who give warmth without expecting returns. The #Talent Truth Right now, global companies are spending billions on "employee engagement" and "customer experience design." Meanwhile, we're naturally producing professionals who understand that excellence isn't just about what you deliver — it's about how you make people feel while delivering it. This G20 isn't just showcasing our conference facilities or our infrastructure. It's revealing our superpower: The ability to make the world feel at home in Africa. Your #Strategic Question While everyone's focused on digital transformation and AI integration, what if the next competitive frontier is human connection? What if the warmth your team naturally possesses is worth more than any technology you could acquire? Because this weekend, the world's most powerful people aren't talking about our GDP or our credit ratings. They're talking about our people. And that's a currency no economy can print. 🇿🇦

A delicious cube burger created by Third Wave BBQ in Australia.

My wife wants to use a different Indian takeaway because they "stopped giving us free poppadoms". What actually happened is I started eating the free poppadoms in the car on the way home

A group of the country's rugby power brokers, including billionaire Johann Rupert, is reportedly compiling an offer to rival SA Rugby’s proposed equity deal with US-based Ackerley Sports Group (ASG). sarugbymag.co.za/rupert-grou…

CHAMPIONS! Before you go to bed tonight, please vote for our CHAMPION @ronwen30 for @ballondor. It will take 86 seconds at the most. This legend deserves it. PLEASE! lequipe.fr/en/special/select… ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦

In Singapore, you're registered as an organ donor automatically if you're over the age of 21. Opting out results in you being put at the bottom of the organ priority list if you ever need a transplant. What do you think of this system?

I'm trying out this kindle phone.

"The concepts in modern operating systems — apps, windows, desktops, notifications, and so on — have so permeated our understanding of personal computing that it’s hard to imagine anything else, let alone believe there could be anything better." New essay, link in reply.

Oh lol Publicis did a funny at Cannes and upset people 🤣 youtube.com/watch?v=mL-1hXYB…