Jeffreys Bay – Jeffreys Bay is getting a glow-up, one sweep at a time.
Since January 2025, a dynamic street cleaning initiative led by Kouga Local Municipality has been breathing fresh life into the town’s streets and sidewalks. With brooms in hand and boots on the ground, twelve dedicated workers – hired from within Kouga’s own communities – are on a year-long mission. This to keep Jeffreys Bay spotless and sparkling.
Local service provider, Infinity Landscaping, is driving the clean-up efforts, having secured the contract to carry out this bold beautification project.
The cleaning initiative covers a range of tasks. They include sweeping streets, trimming grass along sidewalks and in designated parks. Furthermore, clearing bulky waste like tree branches and unwanted furniture.
And the best part? Talks are already underway to roll out this winning formula to other towns across the municipality.
The team of twelve workers is split evenly between Jeffreys Bay’s two central business districts. CBD 1 (De Reyger Street, Schelde Street, Oosterland Street, Goede Hoop Street, Salamander Street, Drommedaris Street, Woltemade Street, St Croix Street, Duine Road). CBD 2 (Plane Street, Flame Crescent, Waterkant Street, Da Gama Road, Vriesland Street, Diaz Street, Ferreira Street). Six residents are assigned to each area. To ensure fair opportunities, only one person per household may be employed in each section. All workers must reside within the municipality.
The municipality keeps the gears turning by supplying refuse bags and herbicide. Infinity Landscaping ensures that safety never takes a back seat. From protective gear and warning signs to the right tools for every task. Thus this partnership is delivering results where it matters most.
“This initiative not only keeps our streets clean, but also uplifts Kouga’s urban environment, creates job opportunities, and ensures that residents enjoy well-maintained public spaces.” said Kouga Executive Mayor, Hattingh Bornman.
Read further: Friday 13th – What Could Go Wrong?
Kouga – At 39 years old, Ndumiso Nongcaula, and employee at Kouga Local Municipality, has achieved a significant academic milestone – earning his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Durban University of Technology.
His journey from Kokstad to his current role as Humansdorp Area Engineer: Electrical is a testament to perseverance and the relentless pursuit of knowledge.
“My dream was to become a soccer player,” Nongcaula recalls. “But that dream faded when I was 15, after I broke my leg during a match. That moment forced me to rethink my future.”
Although he did not study immediately after matriculating, Nongcaula’s career took him into local government. He worked in a factory in Johannesburg before he joined the Greater Kokstad Municipality. His path led him to Kouga Local Municipality in 2019, where he now oversees electrical operations and ensures electrical safety for workers, residents, and animals across the municipality, under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
He began his MBA journey in 2022, with his research focused on the role of the electricity department in supporting sustainable municipal revenue — using Kouga Local Municipality as a case study.
“There were moments when I wanted to give up,” he admits. “I had to pay a statistician to analyse my data because the university would not accept anything that was not verified. The financial strain was tough, but my research supervisor, Professor Govender, kept pushing me.”
Now, with his degree in hand, Nongcaula is filled with pride and gratitude. “I am overwhelmed with joy. This MBA is not just about me – it is about growth, about using knowledge to improve service delivery. That is why I have already started working on my PhD proposal to take this research even further.”
Despite his demanding career, Nongcaula remains deeply committed to his community as an ordained minister, spending his free time on evangelism and mentoring young men.
Looking ahead, his ambitions stretch far beyond his current role. “I see myself as Director General of CoGTA one day. That is my goal – to make a bigger impact on local government and ensure municipalities operate efficiently.”
Read further: Friday 13th – What Could Go Wrong?
No one really knows when Friday the 13th got its reputation, but like most superstitions, it crept in quietly, made itself at home, and refused to leave.
Let’s start with the number 13. It’s long been considered unlucky, partly because it follows 12, a number cultures have historically found comforting. There are 12 months in a year, 12 hours on a clock face, 12 gods of Olympus, and 12 apostles at the Last Supper (we’ll get back to them). Thirteen feels like a mistake. An afterthought. One too many.
Then there’s Friday. In many cultures, Friday has carried a whiff of misfortune. In Christian tradition, Jesus was crucified on a Friday. Some versions of the Adam and Eve story say the fruit was eaten on a Friday. Even Chaucer, writing in the 14th century, claimed that bad things happen on Fridays. Though to be fair, most things were bad in the 14th century.
The specific pairing of Friday and the 13th is a relatively modern invention. One popular theory ties it to Friday, October 13, 1307, when King Philip IV of France ordered the arrest of the Knights Templar. Many were tortured or executed. It was a deeply unlucky day for them, though they weren’t around to start the rumour.
The superstition gained cultural traction in the 19th and 20th centuries. Thomas Lawson’s 1907 novel, Friday the Thirteenth, told the story of a stockbroker who deliberately crashed the market on that day. Then came the mid-century trivia books, horror films with Jason and jamie, and newspaper columns that helped codify the date as one to dread.
The fear of Friday the 13th even has a name, paraskevidekatriaphobia, which sounds like a joke but isn’t. It’s estimated that millions of people avoid travel, big decisions, or even going to work on this day. Some businesses lose money as a result. Others profit handsomely.
Despite its ominous reputation, there’s no hard evidence that more accidents or bad luck occur on Friday the 13th. But that’s hardly the point. Superstition doesn’t need proof, just a pattern and a story. And this one has both.
So, whether you avoid ladders, knock on wood, or scoff at the whole thing, Friday the 13th will keep arriving, just like this one. It’s nature’s justification that sometimes things suck, and sometimes they don’t, but Friday the 13th doesn’t actually care…
Further reading: A Storm Was Brewing – Lighthouse Photo Of The Day by Clive Wright
Further reading: How to Pronounce Paraskevidekatriaphobia? | Fear of Friday the 13th (Phobia Name)
See more of Clive’s stunning photos, like A Storm Was Brewing, on Facebook
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Reaching retirement is a major milestone. After years of saving, investing, and working toward financial freedom, you’ve finally earned the right to slow down. But with that change often comes an unfamiliar feeling: for the first time, your money is expected to work harder than you are.
Many new retirees instinctively want to shift everything into “safe” assets—stepping back from market exposure and embracing the comfort of low volatility. That instinct makes emotional sense. But from a planning perspective, it’s a trap.
Modern retirement isn’t a 5- or 10-year glide to the finish line—it’s a 25 to 30-year journey. That means your retirement portfolio has to keep pace with inflation, fund rising healthcare costs, and support decades of lifestyle expenses. Shifting to ultra-conservative investments too early can quietly erode your financial independence.
It’s easy to see retirement as the end of your investment journey. But in reality, it’s just the next phase. At 65, many retirees have a one-in-three chance of living into their 90s. That’s a multi-decade time horizon—one that demands growth, not just safety.
The key is balance. You don’t have to chase risky returns, nor do you need to sell everything and sit in cash. A sensible strategy combines growth-focused investments with a safety net: we often suggest holding one to three years’ worth of spending needs in cash or short-term assets. That way, even during market volatility, you can avoid selling long-term investments at the wrong time.
“Playing it safe” with your entire portfolio feels comforting today, but it can create real risk tomorrow. Inflation may not make headlines, but over 20 or 30 years, it quietly undermines purchasing power. That’s the real danger.
Market volatility is temporary. Long-term investment returns are permanent for those who stay invested.
You’re not managing a declining pot of money. You’re still building wealth, just from a different starting point. Your investment strategy should reflect that. Now more than ever, you need a plan designed for the decades ahead, not just the next few years.
We’re here to help you stay anchored in that perspective, so you can enjoy your retirement while your money keeps working in the background.
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