Is your Retirement something to look forward to?

 Retirement - after working most of our adult lives, we now face the daunting prospect.

No more managers to tell us what to do. No more clocking in or out.

Our time is, at long last, our own. What are we going to do with it?

Even though we may have saved enough for our later years, there's always something that crops up to rock the boat.

Keeping busy is the most important.

If not for the money, for our own health and peace of mind.

Here are just a few tips, gathered from many sources, to help in your plans:

Live within your means.

Try to stick to a budget.

Only buy what you need, when you need it. IF you need it at all.

Buying just because it's on "special" is a waste of money.

Buying anything in bulk eats cash flow.

You may need that cash for something else very soon. An emergency.

Don't buy what you cannot afford to. Never use credit to buy instant gratification stuff.

In fact, never buy anything on credit. It will always bounce back to hurt you.

More so in your later years.

Travel.

If you can afford it, make up for all those holidays you missed out on because of work.

Visit friends and family you haven't seen for a long time.

Especially kids and grandchildren.

Make the most of them while you can.

Or take a cruise. It'll do wonders for you.

Fix up the house.

You've got the time now.

Fix all those irritating things you've put off for years.

Or paid someone else to do.

You can save a great deal of money by doing it yourself, while improving the value of the house.

For the day you sell and move to the retirement village.

There are so many things we can do. We just have to do them.

The most important thing is that we enjoy our Retirement!

Happy Days!

With very best wishes,

Chris Wilkinson.

BEE is breaking South Africa - Gerhard Papenfus v Gwede Mantashe...

In this candid and hard-hitting interview, Alec Hogg speaks to Gerhard Papenfus, CEO of the National Employers’ Association of South Africa.

About his open letter condemning Black Economic Empowerment.

Papenfus argues that BEE has distorted markets, damaged entrepreneurship, and entrenched elitism rather than broad-based upliftment.

He challenges prevailing political narratives, questions the sustainability of empowerment through ownership transfers.

And calls for merit-based economic reform to restore growth, accountability, and genuine inclusion.

ROB HERSOV & MATTHEW PARKS: Inside COSATU’s Power: Matthew Parks on Fixing South Africa...

South Africa is tired of noise. So we went straight to the engine room.

A blunt, no-soft-questions conversation with COSATU’s Matthew Parks.

In this episode of the Truth Report, Rob Hersov sits down with COSATU parliamentary coordinator Matthew Parks for a fearless, wide-ranging interview on the real mechanics behind jobs, policy, corruption.

And why SA’s economic recovery keeps stalling.

We dig into the mining “cadastral” bottleneck, the truth about BEE beyond the headlines, minimum wage vs living wage, and why politicians keep rewarding failure. This is political commentary without the theatre: facts, pressure, and uncomfortable honesty.

BizNews Director’s Cut: Trump’s chaos, Wall Street’s calm and SA’s policy hangover - Anthony Ginsberg...

Behind the political theatre, the US economy is surging.

Anthony Ginsberg warns that South Africa’s foreign and trade policy lag reality.

Why Every South African Citizen Must Vote in Local Elections...

When local government fails, daily life becomes harder.

• Roads crumble.
• Water runs dry.
• Refuse piles up.
• Streetlights stay broken.

These are not national problems debated in Parliament far away.

They are local problems, decided by councils elected where we live.

That is why local elections matter.

And that is why every South African citizen must vote in them.

Local Government Affects Your Everyday Life

Local councils control the services we depend on every day:

• Water and sanitation

• Electricity distribution

• Roads and transport

• Refuse removal

• Town planning and housing

• Community safety and by-laws

If your municipality is failing, it shows up in your home, your street, and your neighbourhood.

Voting is the most direct way citizens can influence the decisions made by those in power.

Not Voting Is Also a Choice — With Consequences

Many people say, “Voting doesn’t change anything.”

But not voting guarantees one thing: you hand your power to others.

Low voter turnout benefits organised political groups, not ordinary citizens.

When fewer people vote, a small minority ends up deciding for everyone.

Complaining later does not undo that decision.

If you don’t vote, you cannot expect better services.

Or better leadership, and accountability.

Local Elections Are Where Change Is Most Possible

National politics feels distant and overwhelming.

Local politics is different.

At the municipal level:

• Your vote carries more weight

• Independent candidates can win

• Smaller parties can make a real impact

• Councillors are accessible and local

Many positive changes in South Africa have started at the local level.

Where the citizens held leaders accountable and demanded results.

Voting Is About Responsibility, Not Loyalty

Voting is not about being loyal to a party. It is about being loyal to your community.

You are not voting for slogans or history. You are voting for:

• Competence

• Integrity

• Service delivery

• Transparency

If a party or councillor has failed your community, voting them out is not betrayal.

It is democracy working as it should.

Democracy Does Not Work Without Citizens

Democracy is not self-sustaining. It only works when citizens involve themselves..

Every right we enjoy today — including the right to vote — came at a cost.

Many South Africans fought, suffered, and died for this freedom.

Choosing not to vote weakens the system meant to protect us all.

Your Vote Is Your Voice

Voting is not a miracle cure.

It does not fix everything overnight.

But it is the foundation on which accountability is built.

When citizens vote:

• Leaders know they are being watched

• Poor performance has consequences

• Good governance is rewarded

If we want functioning towns. Safer communities. And a better future for our children.

We must start where it matters most. And that is with local government elections.

Use Your Power

Local elections are not about politics in theory. They are about your life in practice.

Register - Show Up - Vote.

Because if you don’t choose who governs your community, someone else will.

And you may not like the result.

With very best wishes,

Chris Wilkinson.

Iran on a knife edge - Dr Iraj Abedian on killings, SA silence and Trump's gamble...

Iran is burning, and the world is hesitating.

Economist Iraj Abedian delivers a raw, emotional account of a nation held hostage by its own regime.

Why South Africa’s silence is so troubling.

And why Donald Trump may now be the only wild card left, as thousands are killed behind an information blackout.

First, Do the Work. Then Tell Us What You Have Done...

We live in an age of promises.

Every day, we are told what will be done. What is planned.

What is coming soon, and what someone intends to do for us.

Politicians announce grand visions.

Organisations release glossy strategies.

Individuals speak about future achievements.

Yet too often, very little actually changes.

There is a simple principle that cuts through all the noise:

First, do the work. Then tell us what you have done.

Promises Are Easy. Action Is Not.

Talking about action costs nothing.

Doing the work requires effort, discipline, and perseverance.

It means facing obstacles instead of explaining them away.

It means continuing when no one is watching and no applause is guaranteed.

Real work is often slow.

It seldom looks impressive while it is happening.

That is why it is so tempting to talk about it instead.

But intentions, no matter how sincere, do not improve lives. Results do.

Credibility Is Earned.

Trust is not built on plans. It is built on outcomes.

When someone tells us what they are going to do, we don't know if they will succeed.

When they show us what they have already done, the evidence speaks for itself.

This applies everywhere:

• In government, where citizens are tired of speeches but hungry for service delivery.

• In business, where customers value performance over promises.

• In communities, where real progress is made by those who roll up their sleeves.

• In our personal lives, where character is revealed through consistent action.

Let the Work Speak

There is quiet confidence in action.

People who focus on doing the work rarely need to convince others of their worth.

Their results do that for them.

This does not mean we should never speak about plans or ideas.

Vision matters. Direction matters. But words should follow work, not replace it.

Announcements without action eventually breed cynicism.

Action without fanfare builds respect.

A Simple Measure of Leadership

The simplest way to judge leadership is this: Not what is promised, but what is delivered.

Not what is said before the fact, but what can be shown afterwards.

Those who truly serve understand this instinctively.

They do the work first.

Then they tell the story of what was achieved.

Clearly, honestly, and without exaggeration.

Less Talk. More Doing.

In a world overflowing with noise, action stands out.

So let us value those who build quietly.

Let us reward results rather than rhetoric.

And let us remember, in our own lives as well:

First, do the work. Then tell us what you have done.

With very best wishes,

Chris Wilkinson.

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Wilko's Weekly #150: From Survival to Stewardship...

 Last week, I shared my belief that South Africa is entering a third chapter.

A time not defined by struggle alone, but by growth and possibility.

This week, I want to take that thought one step further.

Survival teaches us resilience. But stewardship teaches us responsibility.

For much of our history, South Africans have focused on getting through the day, the year, the decade.

That instinct was necessary. It kept us standing.

But as a nation matures, a quiet shift begins to happen.

We start asking different questions.

Not “How do we survive?” But “How do we care for what we have?”

The emerging generation is less interested in slogans and more interested in solutions.

Less focused on blame, more focused on building.

They are learning — sometimes the hard way — that a country is not saved by speeches, but by everyday choices.

Honesty over shortcuts. Cooperation over conflict. Service over self-interest.

This is where Hope becomes practical.

• Stewardship is found in how we treat our neighbours. 
• How we raise our children.
• How we show up for our communities.
• How we refuse to give up on what is good.

It’s in mentoring, volunteering, learning new skills, and passing on wisdom gained. Through Experience

At my age, I no longer feel the need to convince anyone.

I simply want to contribute.

By sharing perspective, encouragement, and faith in our collective future.

If the next 30 years truly are the blossoming of South Africa, then each of us has a role to play.

Not as heroes, but as caretakers.

• Tending the soil.
• Protecting the roots.
• Encouraging the growth.

We may not all live to see the full harvest. 

But we can make sure that the ground is ready.

And that is more than enough.

With very best wishes.

Chris Wilkinson.

PS. If these messages bring you hope or encouragement, and you’d like to support my work, I accept donations via Back a Buddy. Even a small contribution helps me to keep sharing hope.

The Third Generation: A South Africa Ready to Blossom...

I have lived long enough to witness two very different South Africas.

I have survived 30 years of Apartheid and another 30 years of what we have called “democracy.”

These two eras shaped our nation in powerful ways.

Some painful, some hopeful, all of them significant.

But as I look toward the next 30 years, I believe we are standing at the threshold of something  new.

The blossoming of the Real South Africa.

This emerging era is not simply a continuation of what came before.

It is the beginning of a third generation.

One shaped not by the wounds of the past nor the disappointments of the present.

But by a growing desire for renewal, unity, accountability, and shared prosperity.

It is a generation that thinks differently.

Questions more boldly. Dreams more freely.

What inspires me most is the spirit of ordinary South Africans.

Across ages, backgrounds, and communities, people are doing the real work of rebuilding.

Fixing, teaching, creating, mentoring, innovating, and refusing to let cynicism take root.

In small everyday acts, a new culture is forming.

One that values honesty, fairness, hard work, and compassion.

This is where I place my hope.

Our country’s greatest strength was never found in systems or structures.

It has always lived in its people — resilient, determined, diverse, and deeply human.

The first 30 years were about division. The next 30 years were about transition.

The coming 30 years can be a time of growth, maturity, and shared purpose.

At 79 years old, I know time is precious.

But I also know that South Africa has a remarkable way of surprising us. 

Often, when we least expect it.

I hope I live long enough to witness the early blossoming of this new era.

To see the shoots of something better breaking through the soil.

And even if I witness only the beginning, I will be grateful.

Because the seeds have already been planted.

The roots are already spreading.

The next generation is already rising with courage and conviction.

South Africa’s story is far from finished.

I believe that the most beautiful chapters are only now beginning...

With very best wishes,

Chris Wilkinson.

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South Africa Took the Wrong Path — Here’s Why!

South Africa didn’t fail by accident — it followed a path shaped by policy choices, incentives, and ideology. In this episode of State of the Nation, John Endres breaks down why South Africa fell behind while other countries surged ahead — and why the debate is not about race or slogans, but growth, incentives, and outcomes. We unpack: • The policy choices that shaped South Africa’s economy • Why growth stalled while peers moved forward • The difference between good intentions and real results • Why employment, investment, and opportunity declined • What South Africa could still do differently • Why ideas matter more than personalities This is not party politics.

It’s a sober analysis of what went wrong — and what could still change.