Suevenir

City I dislike: Johannesburg City I think is overrated: Speaking the truth may get me banned from visiting. City I like: Cape Town City I love: Nairobi City I feel most myself in: Kuala Lumpur City I still need to visit: Reykjavik City I dream of living in: Tunis

I see many South Africans asking why smart, articulate, educated and capable young people with private-sector or civil-society experience are not going into politics. The answer is simpler than you think. 1. The moment you take on a real political role, you are designated domestically as a “politically exposed person” under the Financial Intelligence Centre Act. Schedule 3A covers party leaders, ministers, premiers, executive mayors and a long list of senior positions. Banks then have to dig into your source of wealth, get senior approval to keep dealing with you and monitor you more closely. For someone used to working for your money and living a normal financial life, that extra layer of scrutiny is a real deterrent. Simply put, the system is unintentionally manufacturing the current list of options for voters. 2. Party funding is extremely concentrated. A handful of big donors and public money tied to existing seats dominate the system. Michiel le Roux’s Fynbos entities have poured hundreds of millions into the DA over the years, sometimes accounting for nearly half of its declared donations in a quarter. The Oppenheimers have been major funders of several opposition parties. For its part, the ruling party has relied heavily on party-linked trusts, individuals and investment vehicles. The problems caused by their running out of funds are well known and long-standing. My point is this: if you're a new or outsider voice, you'll struggle to compete with those longstanding relationships and established political networks. 3. On top of that, the personal trade-offs are steep. Corporate salaries and career mobility usually beat political pay. 4. Party structures reward loyalty over pure competence. Never mind the risk of being pulled into scandals, the unending and unforgiving public scrutiny, and the limited room to actually change things; it makes politics a bad deal for anybody with real options. So, capable people aren’t staying out because they don’t care. Many are staying out because the incentives, rules and structures make it a low-return, high-risk choice compared with the private sector.

I get nominated for some 'influential young Africans' recognition every 3 business days, and every time I get an email, my reaction is "It's us! If Africa is not working, it is us!" There's not very much joy in recognition for me until we make Africa work. We need Africa to WORK.

Abdul El-Sayed to JD Vance: JD, habibi, there is this delicious irony in the fact that you're constitutionally obligated to swear me in in January.

Because I'm a politics junkie and a Keri Russell fan (THE AMERICANS!), I've watched every season of Netflix's The Diplomat so far, without loving it. But the end of this season's finale was actually brilliant and I did cheer out loud when Hal came out. #sorrynotsorry

But guys in arts, entertainment and recreation a.k.a content creators, emcees, musicians do you know that effective July 26 you're supposed to be issuing EFRIS invoices? You're part of the new gazetted sectors.

£5000 two months ago vs today has a difference of 3.5 million Ugandan shillings. That’s bonkers.

What does it take to build a food system that sustains farmers, protects biodiversity and strengthens resilience to climate change? In about 15 minutes, Josephine Akia Phiona, Country Coordinator @pelum_uganda, joins @ubctvuganda to discuss the 2026 Agroecology Week of Action, its significance and the conversations shaping Uganda’s food future. 📺 Station: UBC TV ⏰ Time: 6:30 pm The Agroecology Week of Action kicks off on Tuesday, October 27, at People’s Square, Hotel Africana, Kampala, bringing stakeholders together to explore how agroecological production, policy action and market opportunities can contribute to a just and resilient food future. #AgroecologyWeekOfAction2026 #PELUMUganda #Agroecology #FoodSystems

Perfect idea. Positioning the Uganda High Commission in London as a hub for @JulzKagwa and the Uganda Tourism Board would give us a strong, coordinated platform to promote the country freely across the UK and through our embassies in Europe. This kind of targeted marketing can drive more high-value visitors, boost foreign exchange earnings, and help establish Uganda as the next major tourism destination - the Pearl of Africa that travellers are actively seeking. @wekesa_amos

Tie yourselves thrice, Tweeple.