Is the world insane or are we just out of the loop?

A Saffer Survival Guide to Things We Definitely Didn’t Sign Up For

Let’s be honest.

When we said we wanted a little excitement in 2026, we didn’t mean this much.

Because right now, the world is doing the absolute most.
And South Africa? We’re not just watching — we’re participating.

🔥 Petrol Prices: The Real Villain of 2026

At this point, filling up your tank feels like applying for a home loan.

You pull up.
You take a deep breath.
You look away while the numbers climb.
You whisper: “Just stop at R500… please…”

But it doesn’t stop.
It never stops.

Somewhere in the world, there’s a global energy crisis, Trump is bombing, geopolitics are geopoliticking, and here at home we’re doing mental maths like:

“Okay, if I drive downhill both ways… maybe I can afford groceries.”

Petrol is no longer fuel.
It’s a financial personality test.

🌧️ Weather: Also Going Through Something

Remember when weather had manners?

Now it’s like:

• Floods in one province
• Heatwaves in another
• Wind trying to remove your roof entirely

We’ve gone from “chance of rain” to “biblical scenes.”

Even the animals are confused.
Crocodiles are popping up where they shouldn’t be. Rivers are moving like they’ve got deadlines.

At this point, checking the weather app feels like reading a thriller.  Nee man, it's become impossible to plan a bloody braai.  At lease here in the Highveld, soon it will be winter.  We'll freeze, but it'll be dry and we can stand outside without the risk of our fire being washed away by a torrent when we least expect it.

Sorry Cape Town, Winter is coming, get your braaikamers ready.

🏏 The Proteas: A Love Story (That Hurts)

Ah yes. Our national tradition.

Hope.
Belief.
Momentum.
Then… character development.

The Proteas gave us everything:

• Unbeaten runs
• Solid performances
• A feeling that maybe… just maybe…

And then?

March said: “Relax.”

It’s not even surprising anymore. It’s a ritual.
Like braais. Or load shedding schedules.  Remember those?  Oh my, I hope i haven't invoked something be dredging up that painful memory.

We support. We believe. We heal. We repeat.

🌍 Global News: Are We Okay?

Let’s zoom out for a second.

Because globally, things are also… not calm.

• Conflicts affecting fuel prices
• Red “blood rain” falling in parts of Europe
• Entire countries disagreeing on what day it is based on moon sightings

Even the moon is like:

“Don’t involve me in this.”

And then you’ve got reality TV shows with drama before they even start airing.

At this point, reality is competing with reality TV… and winning.

🐄 Even the Cows Are Stressed

You know things are serious when livestock are also having a tough time.

Foot-and-mouth disease.
Food pressure.
Agricultural stress.

Even the cows are like:  “Guys… what is going on?”

And honestly? Same.  Why are we still dealing with this?  Why didn't our Government wake up and heed the warnings loooong ago?  We went in search of answers and it's astounding that one of the root causes of this outbreak is simply down to poor vaccine provisioning and the fact that SA government is the only producer allowed to supply the SA market (by law). 

Can anyone say "central planning"? 

Well, due to all sorts of reasons, too boring or long to unpack (but super preventable) the supply dried up . 

It left millions of livestock without protection and now the infection is rampant putting the entire country's economy at risk.  

Beef may soon be a luxury item, or imported.

🚧 Life Is Feeling… A Bit Above Our Paygrade

That’s the thing about March 2026.

It’s not just one thing.
It’s everything, everywhere, all at once.

• The economy is doing push-ups
• The weather is freelancing
• The news cycle is in overdrive
• Your budget is hanging on by a thread

And you’re just here trying to:

• Drink your coffee
• Answer emails
• Remember why you walked into the kitchen

😂 So What Do We Do?

We laugh. Because honestly, what else is there?

We laugh at:

• The petrol pump
• The weather app
• The sports results
• The news headlines that sound made up

We send memes.
We voice note our friends.
We say things like “This country…” at least three times a day.

And somehow, we keep going.

✨ The Saffer Superpower

If there’s one thing we’re good at, it’s this:

Maak a plan.

Not a perfect plan.
Not a five-year strategy.

Just a:

“We’ll figure it out.”

We adjust.
We hustle.
We laugh through it.

Because being South African means knowing that things might be chaotic… but we’ve handled worse.

Parting Shots

March was mad.
The world is loud.
Life is doing the most.

But you?

You’re still here.
Still trying.
Still showing up.

And honestly, that counts for a lot.

So if things feel a bit out of control right now, just remember:

It’s not you.
It’s the world.

Stay strong. Stay laughing.
And maybe… just maybe… don’t check your petrol balance today.

Ed — Consumer Rewards 🇿🇦