Soutie Begins

When I moved to London in 2008, there were two main obstacles to overcome. (1) Get a Visa, and (2) Get a Job. For the Visa, I used a company called Voyage Relocations. It is possible to navigate the legalities without support. I had friends who did, but I prefer the comfort of someone telling me I have filled in all the forms correctly. As my British wife and I head back in 2020, we are again using support for her Spousal visa process. It was/is nerve wracking sending original documents (degree certificates, passports, driver’s licences). The container for the opportunity to move was Age, Education, Previous Earnings, and English. For the job, I used a company called Acumen Resources. They arranged some interviews, and gave me some support in “How to do interviews”. Like exam technique and time management are the key to Conspicuous Knowledge (education as a signal), getting a job requires performing well in the lottery of CV sorting. I got interviews at McKinsey and Orbis. McKinsey said no, I wasn’t a creative enough thinker. Orbis gave it a lot of thought, but said yes. When I say McKinsey and Orbis, I mean individuals at those companies. Although we talk of the containers we call Companies as if they are people, it normally comes down to single decision makers.

One Foot in the UK, One Foot in SA

Hopping the Pond

I am navigating all the hoops involved in country and continent hopping. I did it in the other direction in 2008, aged 28, when all I had to do was pack a bag and jump on a plane. That, and get permission. In a world with borders and restricted movement, I had to get a work visa based on qualifications, language, age, and proof that I could self-support. Like borrowing money, where you need to prove you don’t need to borrow it. In the other direction, I am a citizen. This time, the lottery of birth works in my favour. My British wife is going through the process of getting a visa. Thanks to Social Media, in many ways I never “left” South Africa. During Lockdown, does it matter if you are reading Sindile Vabaza’s musings on your computer in the Cotswolds or in Claremont? In other ways, I have been a Scatterling of Africa and am returning home. Everything is temporary. The body regenerates every 7-10 years. We choose what we want to keep, what we want to discard, and what we want to add. Reinventing. Reinvesting. This time, I am “not leaving” the UK. I am not leaving the old colleagues, clients, neighbours, artists, dancers, yogis, family and friends who are not defined by the random location they were dropped on this planet.

Putney, London, United Kingdom, 2008

Beyond Good Ideas

I am not a successful entrepreneur. I have a small business, but that is not what pays my bills, and I am the sole employee. At the moment I have no clients, and I have only had a few small projects. Most of my work is unpaid musing and study. I started the business to do Engine repairs, and to use my monetizable skills in a stomachable way. I live off my Engine which I built using money I was paid for professional work. I had a few public shares in the first company I worked at, that were given to us as part of a Broad-Based Share Scheme. I had no shares in the other two, which are privately held. My Engine is invested in two Equity Funds (from the firms I worked at) and a portfolio (that I selected) of large publicly held global businesses. My thoughts on business are therefore academic. Small business is hard. The odds are steep. With plenty of musing, I see few easy paths. It’s not just about good ideas. It is also about building Capital, overcoming barriers to entry, managing risk, and navigating complexity.

Melilla Border Fence

Boxing Opportunity

Money is made in containers. An ask, an offer, and a box. Meritocracy without a denominator is Privilege. The problem is we are seduced by numbers. It is easier to manage and reward things you can count. I came to the UK in 2008 on the Highly Skilled Migrant Program. Not dissimilar from the points-based system being suggested now. It is one of my most obvious hypocrisies for someone who believes in the four freedoms of movement. Without the free flow of Capital, Goods, Services and People, we live in a system of Global Apartheid. South Africa introduced Homelands and Dompas (internal passports) using Self-Determination and all the other tricks to justify the borders we see between nations. Nations put opportunity in boxes. Based simply on the lottery of birth. Money is made by actually solving problems, or artificially restricting our ability to solve problems and limiting who gets to benefit.

Dieper Begrip

As jy jou ore oplei, kan jy hoor dat die grense tussen tale vaag is. Engels is 'n duidelike voorbeeld. Baie min mense op Mud Island praat soos die Koningin. Ek is 'n Engelsspreker van die eerste taal (met 'n Suid-Afrikaanse aksent) en daar is baie stede waar ek sukkel om te verstaan. Glasgow is die mees voor die hand liggende voorbeeld. Dit is wanneer hulle die 'dieselfde' woord sê. Wannee jy na Duits, of Nederlands, of Sweeds, of Frans luister, sal daar woorde wees wat die tale skakel. Daar is selfs woorde wat Spaans en Sanskrit (Naranja - Oranje) verbind. 'Lycka' in Sweeds beteken 'joy/happiness or geluk'. Dit is maklik om die verband met Lekker in Afrikaans te sien. Iets wat lekker is, bring beslis vreugde en geluk. Om ander tale te leer, kan wees om 'n voorwerp rondom en om te draai. Om 'n wyer uitsig te kry. 'N Dieper begrip.

Wiki-wandering

I am a Soutie. I don't believe in (dom) passports but I am lucky to have two. A green one by birth, and a red one through a points-based immigration system (age, qualifications, income, ability to speak English) and 'naturalization'. I regularly write 100 (ish) word posts based on Wikipedia entries on different countries around the world, as I try to understand how they came into existence. My theory is that as we pushed back on the idea of being ruled by a Sovereign Person, we had to invent 'The People' to empower. We did this by creating imaginary differences between us - with flags, anthems, airlines, currencies, sports teams, borders, armies and religion. It is my hope that we come up with a better story than nations as a tool for empowerment.

Mandela burning his Dompas