What’s for dinner, luv?
By Craig Macaskill Posted 2017-06-05 In Blog Four blocks from where I live is an intersection on Louis Botha Avenue where unemployed men wait during the day, hoping that someone will offer them a job. That’s not permanent employment, just something to keep hunger at bay. South Africa is food secure as a country — […]
Mandela day and going beyond ourselves
By Craig Macaskill Posted 2017-06-05 In Blog The 18 July is Nelson Mandela day and is observed internationally. People are encouraged to make a change somewhere by volunteering 67 minutes of their time and expertise. A rather cynical piece popped up in the day’s wake, Mandela Day: a post-colonial exercise in the commodification of the good […]
What value do you place on agricultural land?
By Craig Macaskill Posted 2017-06-05 In Blog What do you like about farm life? Most people would mention the sense of space and sky that stand in contrast to the urban living conditions. The Afrikaans agricultural weekly magazine Landbouweekblad reported last week that the world’s largest cattle farm is on the market. Situated in Southern Australia, Anna Creek […]
Rhodes and skelms in Africa
By Craig Macaskill Posted 2017-06-05 In Blog Note for our international readers: “skelm” is a South African word meaning “scoundrel” or “worthless fellow”. Were you aware that the month of May is “Africa Month”? Government has been encouraging South Africans to participate in the celebration, which will culminate in Africa Day on 24 May at […]
AMCU, FAWU and Numsa to strike again for 1% pay rise
By Craig Macaskill Posted 2017-06-05 In Blog Just kidding. But it is the amount that the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK are on strike for. Here in South Africa it is more common to demand double digit pay rises. The Communication Workers Union (CWU), for example, is currently demanding a 15% pay rise. The strikes […]
The story of your life in 18 minutes
By Craig Macaskill Posted 2017-06-05 In Blog How would you tell the story of your life in 18 minutes? Think about it for a moment. The spotlight is shining on you and an audience of several hundred are watching. Where would you begin? Imagine telling the story of the world in 18 minutes. It’s what David Christian does. […]
The link between nutrition and poverty
By Craig Macaskill Posted 2017-05-23 In Blog If it is not the major challenge facing planet Earth today, it is certainly one of the top three: inequality. Various reasons are advanced for it, which we won’t go into here (it will be a chapter on its own on this website soon). We came across another, complementary perspective […]
“Junk” status for South Africa – what happens to agriculture?
By Craig Macaskill Posted 2017-04-12 In Blog To our overseas readers who may not know, the South African president fired several ministers including the respected finance minister and his deputy, and as a consequence, the country’s credit status has been lowered by both Standard & Poor’s and Fitch to the level derogatively called “Junk”. Today, […]
#BlackMonday for the Karoo
By Craig Macaskill Posted 2017-04-07 In Blog There is quite a hullabaloo in the country following a sizable cull of government ministers and deputy ministers. Today is #BlackMonday, and demonstrations are planned for Friday and beyond. Even Angus Buchan, a farmer-evangelist known and respected in agricultural circles, is uncharacteristically responding to the socio-political toxicity of […]
Smart business decisions can have tax advantages for successful farming ventures
By Craig Macaskill Posted 2017-02-20 In Blog See these five tips to maximise your tax returns in 2017: 1) Set your goal to be most profitable, not just to pay the least amount of tax. Frequently, businesses can focus so much on minimizing tax obligations that they often lose sight of the business’ real focus – maximizing […]