South Africa, the Philippines and the privilege of moving through the world with eyes open

 By Carel Nolte

Travel is a privilege. Not the Instagram kind. The real kind. The kind that reminds you that the world is big and people are complex and cultures are layered and the stories we tell ourselves about our own countries are often far too narrow. That was my ten days in Manila. A reminder that learning is everywhere and that EasyEquities has something very special growing in the Philippines.

I landed a tad tired and a bit fluey after a long stretch of work and year-end pressure. I left energised. Properly energised. The kind that stays with you long after the flight home (I say hopefully, while writing this in the Dubai airport, waiting for my flight to take me to the Comrades AGM in KZN)

This blog is about three things. Opportunity. Learning. Pride. All intertwined the way life usually is.

The Easy story in the Philippines is real and it is big

Let me start with the work because it deserves centre stage.

EasyEquities Philippines is not a side project. It is a serious business with serious potential, supported by some of the best partners and people one could hope for. Our partnership with GCash gives us access to tens of millions of Filipinos who are already comfortable with digital wallets and transacting on their phones. It is hard to describe just how powerful that opportunity is unless you have seen it up close.

The sandbox with the regulator is going well. More meetings in December. Guardrails being set. If all continues in this direction, we will open up to more and more clients. I say this quietly but honestly: a million clients by the end of 2026 is not a dream. It is a probable number if we keep executing.

And execution is happening because of people.

Rish Tandapany is our COO and president of our Philippine business. He has been involved in every step of this journey. Calm, and always solution orientated.

Jacs Leagogo, our director and legal head, manages to be both razor sharp and gracious at the same time. She also took me to one of the best Japanese restaurants I have ever visited. Classy human.

Chris Bautista (Filipino, but with a strong dose of US, UK and more thrown in) leads our largest Filipino team. Over 50 engineers. Chris is an exceptional leader, brilliant at what he does, and through fate we are extremely lucky to have a man of his calibre on the team. He likes whiskey, is direct, has a great laugh and thinks he is good at karaoke.

I visited during our EBA “party”, which my lekker colleague Paul arranged with AWS and team – so we had our team in Manila, Portugal and South Africa involved in an intensive three-day accelerated learning, hackathon-type event. Coordinating across time zones took compromise and dedication – thank you team. You feel the hunger in the room. The curiosity. The willingness to experiment. These teams are getting stronger and stronger because we give them the flexibility and trust to do great work.

Traffic in Manila can be two to six hours a day. Our approach is simple. Work remote. Work hybrid. Do what works for you. But be accountable and be connected. Output matters. Enablement matters. That is a big part of my job.

And then there is Isha, who works with our brand team but is based in Manila. Foodie. Coffee snob. Brilliant content mind. Kind heart. Deep thinker. Someone who will help us raise our internal culture game in 2026. She has side hustles too, because many Filipinos, like many South Africans, have to. Government policies do not always smooth the road for entrepreneurs. Yet people find a way. That spirit is gold, and Isha exemplifies it.

The privilege of travel and the joy of being surprised

I loved this trip. It reminded me that I had become a little jaded with travel. Too many hotels. Too many airports. Too much “always on”, and not enough of those days where I could read two books on a plane. Too many rushed work trips. Manila fixed that fast.

From Poblacion nightlife, to rooftop bars, to hours stuck in traffic, to working closely with the team, to learning from the culture, it was a full sensory reset. The chaos has charm. The rhythm is different but familiar.

Filipinos underestimate themselves. A lot. They will tell you their traffic is the worst in the world. It is not. I promise. Their food is weird. It is not. Sisig is delicious, even if the name does sound like seasick. Their ability to host is exceptional. Their kindness is deep. I found echoes of home everywhere. Like many Afrikaners who insist on feeding you or my black gogos who cannot rest until you have eaten a full plate, they simply want to make sure you are ok and want to talk about everything in your life.

We say South Africa does not have a national dish. True. We have many. All influenced by waves of culture and history. So does the Philippines. Diversity is flavour wherever you go.

Pride, perspective and the work ahead

The biggest lesson was about pride.

Filipinos sometimes speak about their country the way some South Africans do. With hesitation. With a bit of embarrassment. With an assumption that other places are better built, smarter, more functional. Travel teaches you that no place is perfect. All cities have flaws. All countries have challenges. And corruption exists everywhere. In the Philippines. In South Africa. In many so-called first world nations too.

The answer is not denial. It is perspective. It is participation. It is voting out the corrupt ones. Not giving them the power to define our narrative. As Salman Rushdie wrote in The Enchantress of Florence, you challenge the gods and you find their feet are made of clay. But you do it with courage and respect. Public service must be an honour, not a shortcut to enrichment. Servant leadership is not about being poor. It is about having the right priorities.

And here again the parallel between the Philippines and South Africa is striking. Our problems create perfect fertile ground for entrepreneurs. Their Grab is miles ahead of our Uber experience. That tells me we have a huge gap waiting to be filled. And people will fill it. They already are. When things don’t work, opportunities blossom.

We see the same in our own country. Coming off the G20 success in Johannesburg, there is a renewed sense of possibility. A reminder that when we get things right we get them very right.

Art, music and a few lines that linger

Every culture has anthems that say what people feel long before politicians catch up.

From the Philippines, Ben&Ben sings “We may fall behind but we keep on moving forward together.” A line that fits both our countries perfectly.

From South Africa, Zakes Mda writes that the greatest power of a people lies in the stories they choose to tell about themselves. We need to choose better stories. Not dishonest ones. Honest ones that also leave room for hope and action.

Chinua Achebe, from the greatest continent, Africa, reminds us that until the lions have their own historians, the story of the hunt will always glorify the hunter. Both countries are rewriting parts of their narrative. That is good. That is necessary.

Looking back looking forward

My one regret is that I am not a Filipino local at the start of the Easy journey the way I was in South Africa eleven years ago. What a ride that has been. But I am also deeply grateful to be part of this next chapter. A sachet economy (a great term I learnt) that understands small steps and fractional ownership. A young, ambitious population. A regulatory environment opening up. A culture that mirrors South Africa in unexpected ways. The opportunity is immense.

I left Manila proud. Proud of the Easy team there. Proud of our South African teams who support them. Proud of the work Charles, Almero and so many others have put in over the years – many of them quietly, often thanklessly, but always with intent.

As we hit year end, many of us are exhausted. This trip gave me the exact boost I needed. A reminder that the future is bright for EasyEquities. Bright for the Philippines. Bright for South Africa.

Not because everything is perfect. But because our people are diverse, restless, creative, hungry and deeply human. That is where progress always starts.

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