The halfway mark of the year offers a valuable pause—a chance to reflect not just on what markets have done, but what they’re teaching us. And in classic fashion, 2025 has reminded us that while headlines change, human behaviour doesn’t.
After two years of unusually smooth gains, the first half of this year brought us back to more normal conditions—complete with tension, turbulence, and surprise.
Early optimism was fuelled by falling inflation and improving sentiment. Then came April 2nd, when President Trump’s sweeping tariff announcement rattled global markets. Within days, some indices were down over 20%. Fear spread faster than facts.
Yet by late April, many of those policies were softened. Markets rebounded. As of June, most are back in the green—some even at new highs. The speed of that turnaround was a powerful reminder: markets don’t wait for comfort.
This last week the JSE hit a new all-time high, breaking through the 100,000 mark. The next six months will bring more news, more noise, more temptation to react. But your advantage is not in predicting. It’s in persisting. Through patience, resilience, and focus on your plan—not the panic.
This year has already tested that discipline. And it’s shown—once again—that those who stay the course tend to finish ahead.
Dirk Groeneveld, Certified Financial Planner
t. 083 261 9287
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Car Parked At Sandy Beach
Photo by Jeremy Bishop
More photos here
More beaches here
© Barry Culligan
This Friday, 25 July, will see the initial delivery of dredging pipes alongside Shore Road. These pipes are 15m in length with a diameter of 315mm. This pipe delivery marks the start of the Long Term Coastal Protection Scheme (LTCPS). The scheme will dredge sand from the Sand River Delta and other priority areas on The Kromme to various discharge points along the beachfront for beach nourishment, extending up to Main Beach.
The final pipeline will comprise pipes ranging in length from 15 to 90m. Due to their length, the pipeline will be assembled onsite. This process begins with the delivery of the pipe (week 1), and then the subsequent welding will take place over the following 6 weeks (week 2-week 7). Until this is completed, the parking along Shore Road will be limited.
The third phase will involve moving, placing and joining the pipe in its final location. The majority of the pipeline will be floated into position to minimise any impact. With the exception of the canal crossings, the pipeline will remain above ground to allow for cleaning in the event of blockages.
The dredging process is estimated to commence three months from the initial placement of the piping.
Miller Engineered Solutions is the appointed contractor for the dredging.
Further details, updates, and progress reports are available on the St Francis Property Owners Association website under the SFPO NPC (SRA) menu.
SFPO NPC Contact:
Lyn Aitken – Administration Manager
Phone: 042 294 0594
Email: info@sfpo.co.za
Office Address: 9 Philippa Place, St Francis Bay
All three Woodridge Surf Lifesaving Club members are pupils at Woodridge College. All three reside and train in St Francis Bay.
The SA Presidents Team is the SA National Junior Team.
Individual events
– 2025 COMMONWEALTH GAMES CHAMPION- 100m Manikin Carry
– 2025 COMMONWEALTH GAMES CHAMPION- 50m Manikin Carry
Team events
– 2025 CWG CHAMPIONS – TEAM SA – 4x25m Manikin Carry
Jessica Harcus 2025 CWG Champion
Team events
– 2025 COMMONWEALTH GAMES CHAMPIONS- TEAM SA – Line Throw
– 2025 COMMONWEALTH GAMES CHAMPIONS- TEAM SA – 4x50m Manikin Carry
– 2025 CWG SILVER MEDAL – TEAM SA – 4x50m Medley Relay
Team events
– 2025 COMMONWEALTH GAMES CHAMPIONS- TEAM SA – Line Throw
– 2025 COMMONWEALTH GAMES CHAMPIONS- TEAM SA – 4x50m Manikin Carry
– 2025 COMMONWEALTH GAMES CHAMPIONS- TEAM SA – new SA Record – 4x50m
Obstacle Relay
– 2025 CWG SILVER MEDAL – TEAM SA – 4x50m Medley Relay.
Gian and Liam 2025 CWG Champions
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