Professor Steven Friedman

Once again, we welcomed ๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ณ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฒ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ป ๐—™๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ป talking on Things Political. One thing about Prof Friedman is that you never quite know what he is going to say until he begins speaking. What you can be certain of, however, is that it will always be engaging, thought-provoking, and often controversial!Prof Steven Friedman is a public commentator and academic currently serving as a Research Professor at the University of Johannesburg. Throughout South Africaโ€™s democratic era, he has written ...
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Adri Visser: From Paralympic Pools to Changing Hearts and Minds

"I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." This verse from Psalm 139:14 is the foundation of Adri Visser's self-perception, and her life is a beautiful testament to its truth. A six-time African swimming record holder, a beloved radio personality, and a champion for disability rights, Adri's story is one of unwavering faith and relentless determination. Casual Day Coordinator for Retailers with NCPD (January 2025), Casual Day Champion, Paralympic swimmer (six African recor...
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Our Guest Speakers

We have often been asked why we have guest speakers. Having guest speakers isn't just about filling a slot on the calendarโ€”itโ€™s about bringing the outside world into our club! We love hosting experts and storytellers for so many reasons! Fresh Perspectives:ย They challenge our thinking and introduce us to ideas we might never have encountered on our own.Expert Insights:ย Whether itโ€™s a deep dive into a niche hobby or professional advice, we get to learn from the best in the business.Networking...
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Camp I Am

This Wednesday, we invited Kai Crooks-Chissano to talk about Camp I Am. Camp I Am is an activity and skills building programme for children and is an international organisation.Their motto โ€œ๐‘ฐ ๐’‚๐’Ž ๐’˜๐’‰๐’‚๐’•๐’†๐’—๐’†๐’“ ๐‘ฐ ๐’˜๐’‚๐’๐’• ๐’•๐’ ๐’ƒ๐’† ๐’‚๐’” ๐’๐’๐’๐’ˆ ๐’‚๐’” ๐’Š๐’•โ€™๐’” ๐’ˆ๐’๐’๐’… ๐’‡๐’๐’“ ๐’Ž๐’† ๐’‚๐’๐’… ๐’Ž๐’š ๐’„๐’๐’Ž๐’Ž๐’–๐’๐’Š๐’•๐’šโ€ reflects the unique camp experience in which every child feels cared for, is confident to express his/her feelings, and empowered to imagine whatever they want to be. Camp I Am provides activities for children in selected under-resource...
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Mr Alwyn Colyn, MD of Fezemax Training Academy

Established in 2008, Fezamax Training Academy is a leader in artisan development, training over 200 learners annually.As a QCTO and NAMB-accredited centre, they provide elite technical training trusted by global brands like Liebherr, Hitachi, and Bidvest. What does Fezemax Training Academy do: Corporate Training: Tailored skills development and trade testing to bridge workforce gaps. Apprenticeships: Expert-led training in Diesel/Auto Mechanics, Welding, and Forklift Maintenance. A...
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How De Wetshof Estate became a Chardonnay House

๐“๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐–๐ž๐ž๐ค: ๐‰๐จ๐ข๐ง ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐š ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ž๐œ๐ข๐š๐ฅ ๐ญ๐š๐ฅ๐ค ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐‰๐จ๐ก๐š๐ง๐ง ๐๐ž ๐–๐ž๐ญ! Discover how De Wetshof Estate became a world-class "Chardonnay House" and hear from Johann on his recent induction into the prestigious French Commanderie de Bordeaux. Itโ€™s a rare look into the heritage, culture, and site-specific Bordeaux-styled red wines that have put De Wetshof on the global map.Commanderie membership is a tremendous honour as it underscores the important role heritage and culture play in the world of wine.Donโ€™t m...
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White Canes

Recently, Willemien Kleijn, of South African Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind, spoke to us about how white canes change the lives of people with visual impairments. While guide dogs are excellent mobility aids for people with visual impairments, they are not the right choice for everyone. The Orientation and Mobility Department, where Willemien works, offers an alternative through the use of the white cane. Serving individuals with visual impairments across Gauteng, the department pro...
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Mr Mxolisi Mhalgeni

Last Wednesday evening, ๐Œ๐ฑ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข ๐Œ๐ก๐š๐ฅ๐ ๐ž๐ง๐ข shared his inspiring journey towards becoming a commercial pilot. Mxolisi's journey with Rotary began in 2018 when, as a student of at Tersia King Learning Academy, he attended a Rotary Leadership camp, which played a pivotal role in shaping his mindset and ambition. In 2022, Mxolisi joined one of South Africa's leading airlines as a Passenger Handling Agent, where he was responsible for check-in and boarding coordination. Within a year, he was...
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The Teddy Bear Foundation South Africa

24 September 2025 Our Club recently had an inspiring talk by Dalene Bishop of the The Teddy Bear Foundation South Africa about the comprehensive support they offer for abused children and their families, going beyond medical and psychological care; including role-playing exercises to prepare children for court appearances, as well as addressing various aspects of rehabilitation and additionallyworking tirelessly to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable and face justice. Our Club r...
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Jean-Noell Dollet told us about Armagnac

8 October 2025 Jean-Noell Dollet is the Marketing and Commercial Director for France & International of Le Cub des Marques. Armagnac is the oldest known type of brandy. It is single distilled, which makes it brown in colour, robust and full-bodied. It is predominantly made from four types of grape, though a total of ten types of grape can be used to make it. Aged for many years in oak barrels, its tasting notes include grape, leather, earth, oak, praline and Christmas cake! Armagnac is p...
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