by SFT | Nov 8, 2026 | Financial Planning, St Francis
Most of us know that to retire one day, we need to put away part of what we earn. But “save” means different things to different people. I prefer the word “invest”. Saving makes me think of a money market account. Investing means thinking long term and owning a share of the world’s great companies.Here’s the difficulty. To most people, cash feels safe and equities feel risky. Over the long run, the opposite is true. I believe this is the main reason so many people reach retirement without being financially independent. Retiring comfortably has less to do with picking the right investment and more to do with managing our emotions around it.If we invest regularly in a simple, diversified portfolio, the odds are firmly on our side. It sounds too simple, but success usually comes from doing simple things, consistently.
Meet Wanda Retirewell. She’s 26 and has just started her first job. Her parents are still working because they never planned for retirement, and she’s determined not to end up in the same position. So she gets advice. From her very first payslip, she invests 10% of her income every month until she retires at 65. The money goes into a balanced fund targeting inflation plus 5%, and she stays in that fund once retired. If she sticks with this plan, Wanda can keep her standard of living until the age of 100.Now let’s change just one thing. Instead of the balanced fund, Wanda puts the same money into a savings account. Her picture changes completely. She runs out of money at 73 and has to go back to work or lean on her family.
Investing feels scary to many people, and our industry doesn’t help by making it sound complicated and sophisticated. It isn’t.
The graphic below shows what various asset classes returned over 20 years. In orange is what the average investor actually earned. The gap is sobering. It comes from people not having a long-term plan that is personal to them and the life they want to lead, or not sticking to it.
Cash is not an investment. Keep a sensible emergency fund, but put the rest of what you can into a strategy that you and your Lifestyle Financial Planner have built around your dream life.
Choose a planner who focuses on you, not just your money. That’s someone who will hold your hand through the temporary dips on the way to the long-term highs. Have a plan, and stick to it.
—
Dirk Groeneveld, Certified Financial Planner
t. 083 261 9287
e. dirk@clientcare.co.za
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 | Nov 8, 2026 | St Francis, Surf Editorial
Three months. Two waves. The results are in. Leaderboards are LIVE
Michel Roque (Brazil) and Spain’s Carla Morera de la Vall claimed the Open titles at the Alaïa Surf Challenge, as the first event of the Wavepool Surf Tour wrapped at Alaïa Bay in Sion, Switzerland.
Both finished with two division wins. Roque took the Open Men’s title with 17.48 and added the Masters crown with 18.32. Morera de la Vall won the Open Women’s division with 18.01 and also claimed the Junior Girls title.
From 1 August to 31 October, competitors submitted their best waves from the Swiss pool. Judges assessed the performances on Commitment, Creativity and Control, with each competitor’s two-wave total deciding the main division results.
João Roque Pinho © Surf Pics
João Roque Pinho finished second in Open Men, ahead of Kilian Rosskopf and Russell Winter.
Ella Aebi took second in Open Women, followed by Elena Bérot and Rachel Bonhote-Mead.
Winter won the Legends title with 16.90, edging Richard Dodd by 0.28, with Hugo Mergulhão third and South Africa’s Jeremy Saville fourth. Bonhote-Mead claimed the Masters Women’s title with 16.04.
Loghann Tilsley took the Junior Boys title. Gaspar Thierry won the Grom Boys division, edging Jeremias Matena by just 0.11, while Jana Hauser claimed the Grom Girls title.
Loghann Tilsley © Surf Pics
Carlos Lopes and Carla Kummer won the Longboard divisions. Ben Neumann topped Adaptive with a two-wave total of 17.50.
The specialty awards brought more names to the front. Former Championship Tour surfer Winter took Best Turn among the men, with Aebi winning the women’s award. Roque Pinhoand Bérot claimed Best Air. Rosskopf and Bonhote-Mead won Best Barrel, while Vind Pahlsson took the Golden Fin Award.
“We’re stoked with the quality of surfing and the calibre of the winners. Russell Winter coming in at 50 years old and winning Best Turn with pure power surfing was a real highlight. Then you have an exciting young talent like Carla Morera de la Vall winning the juniors, strong performances from both the local Swiss men and women, and big inverted airs helping decide the Open titles. There was plenty to celebrate across the divisions.
“We had an outstanding judging panel, and I thought they got the results spot-on. I’m proud to have been part of this first event and excited about what comes next,” said Wavepool Surf Tour COO Clyde Martin.
Carla Morera de la Vall © Surf Pics
With the inaugural event complete, attention now turns towards the 2027 WPST World Final, with qualifying surfers to be announced soon.
The opening event offered US$20,000 in cash and product prizes.
Next comes Ride The Future, running from 13 November to 13 December 2026. The standalone specialty contest welcomes footage from any wavepool worldwide, with surfers competing for Best Air, Best Turn and Best Barrel. Its results do not count towards tour rankings or World Final qualification. Ride The Future registrations are open here.
The Alaïa Surf Challenge was made possible with the support of Alaïa Bay, Sion Tourisme, Wavegarden, Surf Eye, Hurley Europe, Ocean & Earth, EQ Premium Organic Sun Care, NMD Bodyboards, Igloo and Surf Collab.
For now, the Wavepool Surf Tour’s first chapter is complete. Here are the final results.
Alaïa Surf Challenge Results:
Open Men
- Michel Roque (Brazil)
- João Roque Pinho (Portugal)
- Kilian Rosskopf (Switzerland)
- Russell Winter (United Kingdom)
Open Women
- Carla Morera de la Vall (Spain)
- Ella Aebi (Switzerland)
- Elena Bérot (France)
- Rachel Bonhote-Mead (Switzerland)
Masters Men
- Michel Roque (Brazil)
- Seth Pahlsson (Sweden)
- Russell Winter (United Kingdom)
- Richard Dodd (United Kingdom)
Masters Women
- Rachel Bonhote-Mead (Switzerland)
- Steph Tissot (Switzerland)
- Alena Ehrenbold (Switzerland)
- Emilie Pahlsson (Denmark)
Legends Men
- Russell Winter (United Kingdom)
- Richard Dodd (United Kingdom)
- Hugo Mergulhão (Portugal)
- Jeremy Saville (South Africa)
Junior Boys — U18
- Loghann Tilsley (Switzerland)
- Matias Banto (Switzerland)
- Mael Luginbuehl (Switzerland)
- Jeremias Matena (Czechia)
Junior Girls — U18
- Carla Morera de la Vall (Spain)
- Ella Aebi (Switzerland)
- Zoë Hauser (Switzerland)
- Lara Liselotte Popp (Germany)
Grom Boys — U14
- Gaspar Thierry (France)
- Jeremias Matena (Czechia)
- Knox Pahlsson (Sweden)
- Gabin Mozer (Saint Barthélemy)
Grom Girls — U14
- Jana Hauser (Switzerland)
- Fiona Fernandez Junyent (Spain)
Longboard Men
- Carlos Lopes (Portugal)
- Matteo Kunz (Switzerland)
- Nick Crettenand (Switzerland)
Longboard Women
- Carla Kummer (Switzerland)
Adaptive Men
- Ben Neumann (Germany)
- Erwan Bleuez (France)
Best Air — Men
- João Roque Pinho (Portugal)
- Michel Roque (Brazil)
- Kilian Rosskopf (Switzerland)
Best Air — Women
- Elena Bérot (France)
- Zoë Hauser (Switzerland)
Best Barrel — Men
- Kilian Rosskopf (Switzerland)
- Jeremy Saville (South Africa)
- Theo Vialette (France)
Best Barrel — Women
- Rachel Bonhote-Mead (Switzerland)
- Ella Aebi (Switzerland)
- Mathilda Colelough (Switzerland)
Best Turn — Men
- Russell Winter (United Kingdom)
- Kilian Rosskopf (Switzerland)
- Matias Banto (Switzerland)
Best Turn — Women
- Ella Aebi (Switzerland)
- Carla Morera de la Vall (Spain)
- Elena Bérot (France)
Golden Fin Award
- Vind Pahlsson (Sweden)
- Seth Pahlsson (Sweden)
- Kilian Rosskopf (Switzerland)
For more information on the Wavepool Surf Tour, visit:
www.wavepoolsurftour.com
Media Enquiries
Craig Jarvis
Marketing & Communications
craig@truthcollective.co.za
About The Wavepool Surf Tour
The Wavepool Surf Tour connects surfers from wavepools around the world through a shared online competitive format built specifically for wavepool surfing. Competitors participate throughout the season from their local wavepools, with the leading performers advancing to the live Wavepool Surf Tour World Final.
by SFT | Nov 8, 2026 | St Francis
The Rotary Club of St Francis are hosting the sixth annual Amazing Race on December 6, 2026 and are thrilled to welcome Dirk Ellis Volkswagen and Milk & Bread as this year’s event sponsors.
To get into the mood and celebrate their R20 000 sponsorship, excited Club members jumped aboard a new Volkswagen with Dirk Ellis Volkswagen’s Marketing Manager, Werner van Wyk in Jeffreys Bay last week.
And – getting ahead of the event, Milk & Bread – Grab ‘n Go – Indulge’s Manager, Elsa Jansen handed over their R20 000 sponsorship cheque to Sister Ingrid Williams of St Francis Hospice at the Club’s October meeting.
A huge thank you to Dirk Ellis Volkswagen and Milk & Bread, as well as all the local companies sponsoring the checkpoints, for making this important event possible.
Although the focus of this event is raising much needed funding for St Francis Hospice, it is also a fun and adventurous way to showcase the beauty of Cape St Francis and St Francis Bay, with participants travelling to various parts of the two towns.
Entry numbers are limited, so enter now to avoid disappointment. There are lots of great prizes for the winners, best dressed team and best dressed car, and many more.
Vehicle registration costs R350, accommodating up to four participants. Additional participants incur a R50 fee. The Amazing Race will finish at 13:00 at St Francis Brewery, where the prize-giving ceremony will start at 13h30.
For more information and entry forms contact Chrissie at chrissie@localrealestate.co.za / 083 600 6286, or Hantie at info@stfrancismarket.co.za / 083 294 2211. Or find our stall at St Francis Market on 28th November 2026.
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