The old adage is, "Pain can either hurt you or change you"... and ProVerb believes that only those who adapt will survive in business after the coronavirus lockdown ends. Mindset is the building block for everything else. A creature of routine, luckily for him his kids are old enough to entertain themselves and he can do his radio show from home. He’s so old school he still keeps a physical diary, but this gives him the structure to be a success in life. He even diarises his relaxing time! One thing is certain - there is no going back, whether that’s good or bad is up to you.
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Lockdown for most people has been a chance to work from home and maybe take the foot off the gas slightly... but not for Gavin Koppel. His son Danny K has had him working flat out on shout4masks.co.za to produce and distribute face masks at cost for health workers. This is done through donations and public engagement on the website. The generosity of ordinary people has been incredible to see, and the legendary radio DJ could not be more grateful. Oh by the way, his comments on service staff are brilliant!
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For a Christian network to have a pandemic lockdown around Easter is a real kick in the teeth. However when you have dynamic, driven humans they will do what they must to ensure that technology and the good word can unite and be delivered to the faithful globally - without disruptions. Streamed sermons may become the new normal. Loyiso details the rigours of being a singer in South Africa, and how the music business was struggling anyway and may be crippled by the pandemic. Blessed to be with family in lockdown, the pop star and Masters student believes religious institutions will be doing some deep reflection about their form and function post Covid-19.
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Now living in France, Flip van der Merwe has stayed in touch with South Africa by listening to CliffCentral. Being a mountain of a man is hard enough at the best of times... now imagine being nearly 2 metres tall and having to be in lockdown in those tiny houses in France. How is life with his new partner in lockdown, and has he been able to connect with people back home? Basic human relations may need to evolve post Covid-19. Retirement was a no brainer for the former Springbok, and lockdown has been a time of solemn reflection for him.
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Singer extraordinaire Danny K has hit all the notes on stage, and now is doing the very same when it comes to being a social leader in these challenging times of the Covid-19 pandemic. Shout SA has ensured that masks can be produced and sold at cost en masse, with a view to making it affordable for medical professionals and those who really need them. shout4masks.co.za is where all the donations can be made. It's a challenging time, but Danny has taken the mantle from his father and believes that our mindset is crucial in beating this pandemic together.
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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder they say... but not in this case. If you have eyes and are alive, you realise beauty is Cindy Nell, and the cosmetics entrepreneur and mother has decided to have lockdown in nature with her family. What challenges has this disruption caused in her life? We often focus on children needing to do schoolwork and routines for them, but what about adults - how do they stay sane? Being a beauty queen doesn't make you immune from being human and anxiety is a reality for the spinning obsessed mom. The most important thing in all this for her is to make sure that her kids are not stressed by the pandemic reality, and everything is about connecting with them and preserving their mental health. The world will get back to normal. Kindness is on the other side of the Covid-19 horizon.
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Mr Big Chest, A.K.A Abuti Buns, has always had the dream of having a restaurant and just as Buns Out was named as one of the best burger joints on earth, Covid-19 struck. For a man who is constantly on the go, how is he adapting to this period of forced rest? Helter skelter being the norm, how will he use this time to reflect on his future plans? His mom wanted to come and be in lockdown with him, but he had a hilarious response to that. Something which has been quite cool is how the digital community has been a place of solace for Maps. Our reintegration into public life might be a slower process than we hope, and his business may have to make some tough decisions if the lockdown is extended, but he will control what he can. Find out why he compares the Queen of England to his burger joint... what a time to be alive!
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As Pesach comes around in 2020, the Holy Day will for the first time in living memory be observed without mass gatherings globally. However, perhaps the engagement via technological platforms has brought the global Jewish community closer than ever. The Rabbi is speaking to gatherings in countries he would never have spoken to, and as seder approaches, the message is, "Even if you are alone, you need not feel lonely." Kindness, sensitivity and caring would be the signs of a brave new world post Covid-19 - there is no going back, there is only higher consciousness and togetherness after this collective trauma. It may be the worst of times, but the wise Rabbi has declared unreservedly, a bias to positivity and spoken without hesitation, "It can also be the best of times."
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When you have crevices in your systems - whether it be in governance, business or your personal life - stress and trauma turn those into canyons. South Africa's societal and economic inequality has led to the application of a pastiche Chinese and European Covid-19 lockdown, seeming somewhat inhumane in the eyes of many. This has not been helped by outbreaks of a seemingly puritanical, heavy-handed response to citizens on the lower rung of our economic sector of society. Is it down to citizens or our leaders to tackle these philosophical dilemmas? The brutality of having to choose whether to save lives or to save the economy may soon be on the agenda for global leaders... should they seek to be popular or fiscally prudent? Often trauma forces us to ask questions which we would have preferred to answer at a different time, but leadership is needed when the chips are down, and Covid-19 has placed at the feet of leaders around the globe, a challenge not seen before.
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Some entertainment can happen without fans and none of the allure of the artist or art is lost, but stand up comedy needs the crowd, it’s not a vibe otherwise. They say comedy is not only there to entertain, but also to teach us about the human condition, but what does a stalwart of the comedy world have to learn about himself as he faces the lockdown solo, with Coco, who might be a stripper? When is Covid-19 scheduled to get funny, because some comedians have already made jokes and it’s been received awkwardly because of the timing? If you are used to being an entertainer, how do you entertain yourself? If your ex brings you food, how do you make sure it’s not poisoned? Dave’s routine - just like him - is hilarious!
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