by SFT | Mar 15, 2026 | St Francis
German students strengthen Kouga ties through study tour. From the southwest of Germany, where the Black Forest meets the Rhine River along the French border, a group of young German public administration students journeyed to the golden shores of Kouga.
Fourteen second-year students from the Hochschule Kehl, University of Applied Sciences in Public Administration, travelled with their lecturer, Prof. Dr. Gert Fieguth. Over more than a decade, he has become a familiar and warmly welcomed visitor to the region.
They arrived on 17 February 2026 for a ten-day study tour. The trip took them from Cape Town to Addo and then into the heart of Kouga, including Humansdorp, St Francis Bay, and Jeffreys Bay.
Although this was the first visit to Kouga for this year’s group, they stepped into a relationship that has deepened steadily over time.
A long-standing partnership
What once formed only a small part of a broader South African study tour has, as Fieguth reflects, “become the most intense part of the trip, thanks to Kouga Local Municipality, as well as the hospitality of the community and the people of Kouga.”
The visit traces back to the original twinning agreement between Kouga Local Municipality and Ilsfeld Local Municipality in Germany. Over the years, the exchange has grown into a strong institutional partnership.
Fieguth describes Kouga as “an excellent place to study with very open and helpful people” for future public administrators.
Kouga Economic Development and Tourism section
For the students, Kouga offers something especially valuable. It is a municipality comparable in size and challenge to those where they will one day serve in Germany.
“In terms of size and challenges, Kouga is very similar to the municipalities where our students will work,” Fieguth explains. As a result, it is an ideal environment for comparing solutions across different contexts.
The study tour was experiential, but it was also academically rigorous. Students must submit a research paper to progress to the next year. Even so, he emphasises that “the content aspect is even more important,” as exposure to what he calls “a highly efficient South African administration broadens the students’ horizons enormously.”
Tourism and renewable energy focus
This year’s research focus was tourism and renewable energy. That theme guided the group through museums, tourism offices, environmental sites, and local businesses.
Kouga’s Economic Development and Tourism section designed a comprehensive programme for the visit.
The students engaged with environmental specialists, tourism products and activities, financial experts, public servants, restaurateurs, shop owners, and local youth. They explored heritage and natural assets, analysed tourism products, and experienced the local economy in motion.
Their presence during the off-peak season also supported local business activity.
Learning in both directions
In these encounters, learning flowed in both directions.
The students compared administrative systems and often expressed admiration for “the South African pragmatism that can lead to quick, citizen-oriented solutions,” as well as the strong service culture they observed.
At the same time, they recognised that bureaucratic hurdles are similar to those in Germany. In this way, the visit highlighted shared challenges in public governance.
Cultural exchange in Kouga
Cultural immersion formed an essential part of the journey.
The group attended church services, visited schools, held conversations with residents and traditional leaders, and even celebrated a birthday at a family home in Jeffreys Bay.
“This is very important,” Fieguth notes.
“We try to integrate cultural exchange into the whole programme,” ensuring that learning extends beyond lecture rooms and interview notes into lived relationships.
Lasting value for the municipality
For Kouga, the benefits are both tangible and lasting.
The visit yields a body of research that will be shared with the municipality’s Economic Development and Tourism section.
“The students compile a collection of their research findings and make it available to the municipality,” he explains.
Several are already planning three-month internships in municipal departments and local schools. This is part of a long-standing tradition that has seen students contribute to fields ranging from HR to the environment.
Many also return later with partners and families. In turn, this strengthens tourism ties and people-to-people connections.
Building future public sector leaders
Fieguth believes international cooperation plays an important role in shaping future public sector leaders.
“Public sector leaders need to think strategically,” he says. “It is very helpful if they have a good understanding of international developments and can think outside the box.”
Even where solutions cannot be transferred directly, the exchange expands the range of possibilities for addressing local challenges.
Looking ahead to 2027
Looking ahead, the partnership continues to build momentum.
“I hope that this partnership will continue and be successful for both sides,” Fieguth says, adding that preliminary discussions are already underway for a 2027 research theme on small and medium-sized enterprises and economic development.
“We had a fantastic, wonderful and intense time in Kouga,” Fieguth reflects.
“Many thanks to everyone who took the time for us. It was a great experience.”
More here – German students strengthen Kouga ties
by SFT | Mar 15, 2026 | Financial Planning, St Francis
If you’ve been following the financial headlines recently, you will have noticed the excitement around gold and silver. Over the past two years both metals have enjoyed an impressive run, reaching record highs and producing eye-catching gains. Naturally, this raises a question that many investors quietly ask themselves: Should we have owned more of it?
It’s a fair question. Watching an asset class surge while you’re not heavily invested in it can be uncomfortable. Gold in particular has a powerful story behind it. It feels tangible. Real. It has been seen as a store of value for thousands of years and historically even formed the backbone of global currencies. In uncertain times the narrative is simple: own something you can hold.
But before making changes to a long-term portfolio, it’s worth stepping back and thinking carefully about what would actually have been required to capture those gains.
The Hindsight Trap (looking in the rear view mirror)
One of the most powerful psychological forces in investing is hindsight bias. Once something has happened, our brains convince us that it was obvious all along. But markets don’t work that way. To have meaningfully benefited from the recent rally in gold and silver, you would have needed to make a large and concentrated bet before the rally began. At the start of 2024 that case was far from obvious. Gold had been moving sideways for years. Interest rates were high. Silver had been stuck in a trading range for a long time.
Another bias then reinforces the illusion: survivorship bias. We constantly hear about the investments that worked out. The big winning bets make the headlines. The countless bets that failed rarely do. Looking backwards, winners appear inevitable. In real time, they never are.
The Difference Between Assets and Businesses
There is also an important difference between owning commodities and owning businesses.Gold and silver certainly have practical uses in the real world. They appear in jewellery, electronics, and many industrial applications. But as financial assets they produce no income. No earnings. No dividends. They simply sit there. In fact, they cost money to store and insure.
Shares, on the other hand, represent ownership in businesses. Real companies that employ people, serve customers, solve problems, and generate profits. Over the coming decades we cannot predict exactly what challenges the world will face. But we can be fairly confident about one thing: human ingenuity will continue to adapt. Businesses will keep innovating, finding new ways to create value.
The long-term case for owning productive companies remains far stronger than trying to guess which asset might shine next.
Diversification Means You Didn’t Miss Out
There is another important point that often gets overlooked. If you own a diversified global portfolio, you didn’t completely miss the gold rally anyway. Many global equity funds include mining companies and businesses connected to the commodities sector. You may have captured some of those gains already—just not through a concentrated bet.
And that’s precisely how diversification is meant to work. As Nick Murray once said, diversification means you will never own enough of any one investment to make a killing in it—but you will also never own enough to get killed by it. It’s a trade-off that protects long-term financial independence.
Process Over Outcomes
In the end, successful financial planning is not about identifying the next asset class that will make headlines. It’s about building a plan robust enough to support your life across many different outcomes. Our role as financial planners is not to chase whatever is performing best this year. It is to help protect your financial fortress so that you and your family can remain financially independent for the rest of your lives.
Markets will always rotate. Today it might be gold. Tomorrow it could be something entirely different. The headlines will change. The hype will move on, but the principles that build lasting wealth remain the same: stay diversified, stay disciplined, and focus on the long term rather than the latest trend.
Dirk Groeneveld, Certified Financial Planner
t. 083 261 9287
e. dirk@clientcare.co.za
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Disclaimer:
This article is for information purposes only and does not constitute financial advice in any way or form. It is important to consult a financial planner to receive financial advice before acting on any information contained herein. Client Care and PWM and its directors, officers, and employees shall not be responsible and disclaim all liability for any loss, damage (whether direct, indirect, special or consequential) and/or expense of any nature whatsoever, which may be suffered as a result of, or which may be attributable, directly or indirectly, to the use of, or reliance upon any information contained in this article.
by SFT | Mar 15, 2026 | St Francis
The Friends of St Francis Nature Reserves (FOSTER) held its 2025 Annual General Meeting this week, celebrating a landmark year for conservation in the St Francis area.
After more than three decades of dedicated work, the Irma Booysen Flora Reserve, Seal Point Nature Reserve, Seal Bay Nature Reserve and Erf 1990 were formally proclaimed as protected nature reserves under South Africa’s National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act (2003).
The proclamation secures the long-term protection of approximately 330 hectares of natural habitat in the St Francis region.
Protected status marks a major conservation step
FOSTER Chair Matt Gennrich described the proclamation as a watershed moment for local conservation.
“These reserves are central to the character and environmental health of the St Francis area. Protecting them safeguards biodiversity, water systems, recreational spaces and ultimately the quality of life for our community.”
The proclamation stands as one of the most significant achievements in FOSTER’s history and reflects years of steady work by committed conservation supporters in the area.
Reserve management continues across the region
FOSTER manages the reserves through a wide range of practical activities. These include alien vegetation removal, clearing invasive bitou bush, maintaining walking and cycling trails, managing firebreaks and ensuring access for emergency services.
During 2025, some R519,000 was spent on reserve management. More than 94% of that total went to labour, which also supported local employment.
This ongoing work plays an important role in keeping the reserves healthy, accessible and environmentally resilient.
Community funding remains essential
FOSTER relies on donations, membership contributions and community fundraising events to sustain its work. Annual operating costs are approximately R560,000, while current membership covers only a portion of that amount.
As a result, community support remains essential.
Popular fundraising events during the year included the FOSTER Golf Days, the annual FOSTER Jol, the Fun Run, and a new series called FOSTER Fireside Chats, which feature expert speakers on environmental topics.
These events help raise funds while also building awareness around conservation in the St Francis region.
Strong partnerships support conservation work
FOSTER continues to benefit from strong partnerships with local organisations. These include the St Francis Cycling Club, St Francis Running Club, Kromme Enviro Trust and Rotary.
Together, these partnerships support trail maintenance, environmental awareness and broader conservation initiatives across the region.
This collaborative approach continues to strengthen local conservation efforts and deepen community involvement.
Advocacy and future conservation goals
In addition to reserve management, FOSTER remains active in environmental advocacy. The organisation submits comments on municipal planning frameworks, participates in coastal clean-up initiatives and works with the Thyspunt Alliance on discussions around proposed large-scale developments in the area.
FOSTER is also working toward the proclamation of the Cape St Francis Nature Reserve. That process is more complex and is currently underway with the assistance of conservation specialists.
Community involvement remains central
Gennrich emphasised the importance of community participation in protecting local natural heritage.
“Strong communities don’t wait for others to protect their environment. They step forward, get involved and make a difference. The St Francis reserves belong to all of us, and their future depends on continued community support.”
Residents are encouraged to become members or contribute to the organisation’s conservation work.
The full report, as well as the accompanying slides, can be found on the FOSTER website: www.foster.org.za
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