Random Thoughts
by Fred Roed on 10/03/08 at 10:58 am
2 comments
Here are some random thoughts for the day, in a meagre attempt to seek clarity.
Electricity
India, China and many parts of USA have become used to rolling blackouts (i.e. ‘loadshedding’) over the past three decades. Comparitively, our energy systems here are not antiquated, as many would believe, and in fact the big reason why we’re struggling is that demand has outstripped supply. It is not because our supply has run out or that the power plants are run down.
Crime
A colleague of mine was chatting about an incident in Brazil recently. He was being driven to his hotel by a friend while visiting Sao Paulo and they stopped at a traffic light. It was late at night and there was a guy at the intersection selling flowers. Suddenly, without warning, the guy pulled up his shirt to reveal his stomach and did a pirouette in front of them. My colleague, highly confused (and somewhat alarmed), asked ‘What the hell is he doing?‘ The driver explained that the guy was simply indicating to them that he was not carrying a fire-arm, since high-jacking is so rife in Brazil. The colleague was in fact driving an old Toyota, as apposed to a more desirable brand, because his previous two cars had both been stolen.
Employment
At an entrepreneurial function last week, I watched a presentation on ‘high-impact entrepreneurship’. The speaker was talking about business stats in South Africa. Apparently, 80% of the work-force outside of the public sector is employed by small businesses. Conversely, it just so happens that 5% of our GDP is made up by SME’s. In the USA, this figure is closer to 50%. We’re at a hell of low base, and recent rumblings from SARS and our own derided parlimentarians are revealing signs of a major encouragement for the ‘little guy’ from our esteemed leaders.
If you’re considering leaving, as many of my friends are, it would probably be a good idea to think twice, and then think again (and then if you’re still depressed give me a call!) Not only is the grass not as green as it seems over ‘there’, but there are huge, somewhat hidden, opportunities lieing on our own lawns.
Fred Roed is the marketing guy in the Ideate crew. Fred is the CEO of web marketing company World Wide Creative and the co-founder of online learning portal Heavy Chef. Fred loves writing about people out there doing marketing right. Follow Fred on Twitter here. View more articles by Fred Roed.
SA Flights
Mar 13th, 2008
Here here!
Excellent article. This tiny tidbits of info to create context of our situation are always appreciated.
Marc
Ivone
Mar 20th, 2008
Now this is the type of attitude that South Africans should be having!
All the unhappy South Africans should open there eyes and realise that other countries are not all that great either. They have problems just like every other country