Look
Scam crisis targeting our elders
Research from the US shows that since 2024, seniors have lost more than $1 billion to increasingly sophisticated scams that blend old tricks with new technology. I’m sure the trend is similar in South Africa.
Fraudsters now pose as tech support, bank staff, or government officials. With the aid of artificial intelligence, they can clone voices, reference personal details, and launch mass phishing attacks that feel disturbingly realistic. Older adults are targeted due to their accumulated savings, greater trust in authority, and sometimes, isolation.
The best defence lies in awareness. Some important things to remember are to verify information before trusting someone new, never share sensitive information, be wary of urgent requests, and discuss scams openly with your parents & friends.
I believe financial planners can serve as an added safeguard by acting as a trusted sounding board, monitoring accounts, and slowing down potentially harmful decisions, which could protect our elders and provide some peace of mind.
Listen
The beauty of less
He is eighty-two, but he still leans over a dusty workbench with the same care he used fifty years ago. In a small workshop in South Africa, he breathes life back into old violins and organs, each instrument carrying memories, each note a reminder of future notes to come.
From his worn hands comes not only music restored, but wisdom about a simpler life. He has watched the world chase ever-higher bank balances, ever-bigger houses, yet he smiles when he says that more often brings less. He believes deeply that what matters is being useful, being needed, and being able to help others. Money is necessary, yes, but beyond a point, it does not bring joy.
His life has also known profound loss. He has buried two sons, grief no parent should ever have to carry. The pain never truly leaves, but he has learned to live with it, to keep going, and to do the best he can with the life he still has. That experience sharpened his sense of what matters most.
For him, retirement is not an end but a danger: the danger of feeling useless, invisible. Many older people fear that the day they stop working is the day they cease to be of value. He wants no part in that.
This wonderful filmed reflection is a great reminder to all of us that enough is enough and that there is beauty in having less.
Learn
Lessons from the library
I fondly remember my long nights in the Stellenbosch University library, built underground beneath Rooiplein. It spans about 17,000 m² (roughly the size of three rugby fields), holds more than 600,000 volumes, and provides study space for over 1,400 students.
Despite the silence, the library feels alive! It sparks curiosity, provides people with space to think critically, and fosters deeper growth. I loved this article as it draws inspiration from libraries across the globe. It urges leaders and businesses to mimic this space.
- To give people room to explore,
- to serve more than just transactions,
- To nurture trust, meaning and connection.
- To provide a community for like-minded people
For the financial planning industry, there’s so much to learn here. Rather than offering purely transactional services, firms can aspire to build spaces (whether physical or digital), where clients feel safe to explore ideas, share fears, ask questions, and grow their understanding.
That means investing in education, creating non-judgmental spaces for learning (such as workshops, guides, and open conversations), and offering support that extends beyond just numbers. Over time, trust built in that way becomes a strong differentiator.
Ponder
In this section, I invite you to think about a question I may pose or a thought I may share.
What may you gain by learning to say” You’re probably right”?
Oenophilia
“Oenophilia simply refers to enjoying wine, often by laymen.”
Nestled in the cool slopes of Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley sits Restless River, a family-run estate founded by Craig and Anne Wessels. Their vineyard boasts some of the oldest Chardonnay and Cabernet vines in the Hemel-en-Aarde region, which grow on ancient granitic, rocky clay soils that lend a strong sense of place to the wines.
Hemel-en-Aarde is renowned for its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, offering a wide range of choices. Their Chardonnay is made with great care and minimal intervention to preserve purity and freshness.
Delicate aromas of white peach, pear, citrus blossom and hits of vanilla. This summary afternoon drink will pair beautifully with a soft cheese and fruit.
Stay curious,
Elke Zeki