Having family spread all over the world makes life interesting and challenging in many ways. My wife and I are currently in London as we have children in the UK and I have some clients to visit. Landing at Heathrow I get the normal enquiry on the reason for my visit. The answer is the same every year, family, football and business. I immediately get asked which football side I support and on saying the word “Spurs” I get a wry grin, a sarcastic comment and then a look of pity and waved through.
I know that many St Francis Bay residents have family and friends in the UK who they try to visit regularly, and the biggest shock is always how expensive things are compared to home. A modest 6-person pub lunch cost around 200 Pounds which converts to R4,500. EINA! We are coming home sober and thin!
The tourist challenges of visiting family abroad are real however when it comes to our financial planning there are many things that we need to be aware of if we have beneficiaries living in another country.
The first thing we need to do is make sure that we have a will that deals with all our worldwide assets. In some cases, having a will in a foreign jurisdiction may also be wise or necessary if we have assets outside of SA and failure to do so can lead to significant additional expenses on our passing. Is our will updated and where do our beneficiaries are resident is important to consider as this may influence how long it will take to wind up our estate, and how the process will unfold.
Do our children living abroad have updated wills which consider the succession laws of that country? In South Africa, we have the Intestate Succession Act, 1987 (Act 81 of 1987). In other countries such as Japan, the descendants of the deceased are allowed to discuss the division of inheritance among themselves in order to reach an agreement as to the dissolution of the estate and such agreement will be enforced unless there is a dispute.
Countries which impose Sharia Law require that male descendants receive twice the share of any female descendant, and allow male beneficiaries to override certain claims, rights or even the use of assets after the testator’s death. In Turkey the rights of succession differ from South Africa in that children have first claims to inheritance followed by parents and spouses deemed on the third tier in the rights of succession.
Are your assets in trust? There are so many considerations that one may not be aware of, and which may prevent your assets from being dealt with as per your wishes on death. Getting advice around these issues is vital.
The speaker at our Rocking Retirement breakfast at the St Francis Brewery on the 7th June, is Mandy Dix-Peek, Head of Fiduciary at Old Mutual Wealth, and she will be discussing these issues in her talk “The Emergence of the Global Citizen” Be sure to book your spot and prepare any questions you may have.
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Dirk Groeneveld, Certified Financial Plannert.
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See also: Wildside Marketing
This Kromme Enviro-Trust Newsletter is a round-up of some of the recent events and activities of the Kromme Enviro Trust. As always, if you want more information, please check our website (https://stfranciskrommetrust.co.za) or respond to this email.
Our thanks to those who braved the wind and took the opportunity to assist in the coastal clean-up on Sunday 21 April. The feedback is that there was less litter than at previous events, which is very positive as it indicates that by holding two events a year we are not getting the same build-up of rubbish along our coastline. However, as you can see in the pictures below, our volunteers still managed to clear a fair amount of rubbish from the beach. As usual the primary culprit is plastic in all of its forms, bottles, containers, cutlery and bags, quite a lot of metal and far too much fishing tackle, lines and other gear. Thanks to Kouga Municipality for coming out on a Sunday to remove all of the rubbish collected.
It was good to see members of the Sport For Youth Soccer Programme in attendance doing their bit on the Wildside. Also, our thanks to FOSTER, Rotary, Nevermind Restaurant, Bruces • Ocean • Museum • Cafe, Slipway Surf Crew, and NSRI who supported the morning’s event and also to St Francis Safaris who donated an eco-ocean cruise for the free raffle which was entered by those who helped out on the day. The lucky winner was Jenny Pike from Cape St Francis! The next clean-up will be in September for the International Coastal Clean-Up.
Members of the local football team with rubbish collected around The Lighthouse and The Wildside.
As always, we had a good turn out from our Eco Kids to assist with the coastal clean-up. The kids are very enthusiastic and bring back all sorts of interesting things for the prizes that were on offer. Thank you to Bayview Boating for their sponsorship.
On Saturday 23 March our Eco Kids were “On The Trail Of The Bees”, an event that took place at The Links.
On The Trail Of The Bees
The next event is scheduled for 25 May and we will send out details closer to the time. If you have children between the ages of 4-10 and want to get involved in the Eco Kids programme, please just reply to this newsletter with your details and we can add you to the Whatsapp communication channel.
As many of you are aware the Enviro-Trust has a small wildlife sanctuary where we hold and care for small birds and animals for short periods of time until we are able to either release safely back into the wild or identify where they can go for long term care. It is with regret that this facility is temporarily closed for the next 3-4 months but should this change then we will of course share an update.
We do have details of other persons who can care for and re-habilitate specific species of wildlife so should you need that information then please get in contact with the Kromme Enviro-Trust and they can help you and point you in the right direction.
As most of you will know, this continues to be our Lead Project in 2024. Started in 2023, continuing with this lead project into 2024 and possibly beyond, is down to the amount of work involved. It is crucial to ensure that we sustain momentum in securing sections of the dune field to be recognised as nature reserves. To date, there has been significant discussions with Eskom, who is the majority landowner for the dune area and we are pleased to announce that Eskom are very positive about this project and wishing to drive forward the concept of recognising areas of the dune field as nature reserves. This would go a long way in preventing mining companies from submitting applications for prospecting or mining as they would have to avoid areas classified as nature reserves, therefore making it logistically difficult to achieve. Of course, there is a great deal of consultation and preparation to be undertaken including with Government departments at both local and national level, so this will not be achieved overnight but at this moment in time, it is heading in the right direction.
Since the devastation of the Spring High Tides last year the rehabilitation of the walk has been an ongoing project for the Kromme Enviro-Trust. As frequent walkers will know the walk was hugely impacted as board walks were washed away, the high point was crumbling and debris was strewn along the low water mark points. It has been a labour of love for the people involved in repairing the trail and it is great to see it back in shape with improvements made for everyone’s enjoyment.
Thanks to everyone who went to the Raising the Costa Concordia talk, we got some great feedback and a significant donation to the Trust. We are planning more talks over the winter months and will send out advance notice once speakers and dates are confirmed.
Thanks for your continued support.
Ben Rodrigues, the rising South African artist, is taking the music world by storm with his viral single “Was It Real.” The song, which has captured the hearts of millions on TikTok, is not only a testament to Rodrigues’ talent but also a deeply personal reflection on love, loss, and self-discovery.
Rodrigues was taken aback by the overwhelming response to the song on TikTok. “I was extremely shocked to get such a positive reaction to the first snippet I released,” he said. “The first week, I was in disbelief with how much attention it was getting. It actually made me wonder, was it real? (pun intended).”
Listen to ‘Was It Real?’ here:
The inspiration behind “Was It Real” stems from a failed ‘situationship’ Rodrigues experienced. Every lyric in the song is carefully crafted from true events, capturing the emotional rollercoaster of love and uncertainty. From late-night calls to cultural misunderstandings, “Was It Real” delves deep into the complexities of modern relationships. Rodrigues collaborated with producers Devon Murray and Aidin Nortje, who played instrumental roles in bringing the song to life. “From the first studio session, we instantly got along,” Rodrigues explained. “We knew we had a banger on our hands.”
The success of “Was It Real” on TikTok has been nothing short of astonishing for Rodrigues. “I was expecting there to be a few hate comments and maybe not too much engagement,” he said. “But from the first video, people have been insanely supportive, cheering me on, offering help and services.”
While Rodrigues may seem like an overnight sensation, his journey in music spans nearly a decade. From humble beginnings learning guitar to experimenting with different genres, Rodrigues has honed his craft to create music that resonates with audiences worldwide. When asked about his musical influences, Rodrigues cites artists like Will Linley, One Direction, Benson Boone, and Justin Bieber. However, he emphasizes the importance of maintaining his own unique style, which spans across various genres.
Looking ahead, Rodrigues is excited to continue sharing his music with the world. “They can expect the music to get better and better,” he said. “And most importantly, they can expect the unexpected. Like I always say… this is just the beginning.”
“Was It Real” is now available on all major streaming platforms. Keep up to date with Ben Rodrigues on social media: @thebenrodrigues
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