Schalk Dormehl: Corruption, Personal Sovereignty, and Opportunity in South Africa

03/07/25 • 111 min

Please welcome my thoughtful and thought-provoking friend, Schalk Dormehl. Schalk is an aspiring polymath and a fellow lover of liberty and action-based philosophy.

We jam on the past, present, and future political landscape of South Africa, personal sovereignty (one of my favorites), and civic responsibility in today's world. Lastly, we touch on entrepreneurship, crypto, and AI in the context of South Africa and on the global stage.

Schalk Dormehl Quotes From the Episode "Like you own yourself, you own the things that you make, you own the things that you trade the things you make with. Other people are not allowed to just randomly harm you, and you aren't allowed to just randomly harm other people."

Schalk Dormehl on personal sovereignty and individual rights.

"The ANC has been an exceptionally negligent and poor steward of South Africa. The results have been massive amounts of unemployment and essentially the type of scenery that one would imagine when you read Atlas Shrugged."

Schalk Dormehl on how the ANC's mismanagement of South Africa is comparable to the dystopian society in Atlas Shrugged.

"And the irony is if you look at the African countries, the corrupt countries that had communism did better than the non-corrupt countries that had communism. You can buy your way out of ridiculous rules in one system, but you can't buy your way out of the rules in another system."

Schalk Dormehl on corruption and communism.

Additional Resources

Show Notes

00:32 - Kicking Off with Schalk Dormehl
01:40 - The ANC’s Grip on South Africa: Politics Since 1995
03:44 - Johannesburg’s Fall from Glory: Economic Decline and De-Industrialization
04:38 - Blame Game Politics: How the ANC Uses Scapegoating to Stay in Power
06:02 - Race, Policy, and Power: South Africa’s Complex Political Landscape
10:54 - Land Seizures and Economic Fallout: The Truth About Expropriation Without Compensation
19:01 - Elon Musk vs. South African Bureaucracy: How BEE Laws Have Impacted Starlink
24:02 - The Death of Civic Responsibility: Why South Africa and Many Other Countries Struggle with Accountability
31:21 - When Communities Take Charge: Grassroots Resistance Against Riots
32:36 - The Mystery of the Power Grid: How South Africa’s Electricity Crisis Stabilized
49:21 - The Brain Drain: The Cost of Losing Skilled Professionals
1:08:12 - A Silver Lining for South Africa? How Government Fractures Could Lead to Change

Great ideas. Bold conversations. Be part of it, connect with us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Please welcome my thoughtful and thought-provoking friend, Schalk Dormehl. Schalk is an aspiring polymath and a fellow lover of liberty and action-based philosophy.

Schalk Dormehl on personal sovereignty and individual rights.

Schalk Dormehl on how the ANC's mismanagement of South Africa is comparable to the dystopian society in Atlas Shrugged.

Schalk Dormehl on corruption and communism.

Additional Resources

Show Notes

00:32 - Kicking Off with Schalk Dormehl
01:40 - The ANC’s Grip on South Africa: Politics Since 1995
03:44 - Johannesburg’s Fall from Glory: Economic Decline and De-Industrialization
04:38 - Blame Game Politics: How the ANC Uses Scapegoating to Stay in Power
06:02 - Race, Policy, and Power: South Africa’s Complex Political Landscape
10:54 - Land Seizures and Economic Fallout: The Truth About Expropriation Without Compensation
19:01 - Elon Musk vs. South African Bureaucracy: How BEE Laws Have Impacted Starlink
24:02 - The Death of Civic Responsibility: Why South Africa and Many Other Countries Struggle with Accountability
31:21 - When Communities Take Charge: Grassroots Resistance Against Riots
32:36 - The Mystery of the Power Grid: How South Africa’s Electricity Crisis Stabilized
49:21 - The Brain Drain: The Cost of Losing Skilled Professionals
1:08:12 - A Silver Lining for South Africa? How Government Fractures Could Lead to Change

Great ideas. Bold conversations. Be part of it, connect with us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Previous Episode

John Wang: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome with Big Asian Energy

Please welcome John Wang to the show. John is a leadership coach to the Asian American community, a corporate speaker, and host and writer of the Big Asian Energy podcast and upcoming book of the same title.

He's the founder of Mastery Academy and has coached Asian American clients from Google, Apple, AmEx, Goldman Sachs, and other Fortune 500 companies.

He's also a celeb on TikTok, making videos that have reached over 25 million views, and a TEDx presenter.

John's done some pretty cool (dare I say, intense) personal development, including training to walk on airplane wings mid-flight in an aerobatics performance to become a more confident speaker.

We talk about the bamboo ceiling, culture vs. race, high-context vs. low-context communication, how to overcome imposter syndrome, and so much more. I hope you enjoy!

John Wang Quotes From the Episode

"Imposter syndrome just means that you're challenging yourself, which you should be."

John Wang on redefining imposter syndrome as a natural part of personal growth.

"If there's no risk, there's no stakes, we're not going to learn."

John Wang on the importance of risk-taking in learning.

"The best work you can do is working on yourselves. Because a child will learn more from watching what you do than what you tell them to do."

John Wang on the most effective way to help a student learn.

Additional Resources

Show Notes

0:00 – Meet John Wang: The Leadership Coach Empowering Asian Professionals
3:47 – From Taiwan to Canada: John’s Immigrant Experience
5:22 – The Bamboo Ceiling: Why Asian Americans Struggle in Leadership
9:27 – Culture vs. Race: Which One Holds You Back More?
13:40 – High-Context vs. Low-Context Communication: Why It Matters
19:27 – Filial Piety and Social Hierarchy: The Asian Cultural Mindset
24:49 – Finding the Balance: Assertiveness Without Losing Cultural Respect
30:05 – Mastery Academy: John’s Mission to Equip Future Leaders
35:06 – Imposter Syndrome: Why So Many Asian Professionals Feel Like Frauds
45:08 – The Confidence Myth: Why Competence Alone Won’t Get You Ahead
49:20 – Own Your Achievements: Stop Downplaying Your Success

Great ideas. Bold conversations. Be part of it, connect with us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Next Episode

Shawn Wells: Rethinking Health with the Author of "The Energy Formula"

Please welcome my friend Shawn Wells to the show. He's known as "The Most Trusted Voice in Supplements" after formulating over 1000+ supplements and having patented 40 unique compounds. He's also known for the catchphrase "Caffeine is Dead," which we'll get into, especially as it relates to his energy drink company, Update.

When Shawn and I met in 2018, he was living outside of Dallas, TX and in a marriage he wasn't happy with. Nowadays, he's moved on, literally and metaphorically, to a much happier relationship and to "Dripping" (Dripping Springs) outside of Austin, TX.

We're going to jam on Big Pharma, supplements, psychedelics, what it means to be a formulator, habit trackers (Oura Ring vs. Ultrahuman), biohacking, his book The Energy Formula, and what an average day looks like for Shawn.

Thank you for joining me Shawn!

Shawn Wells Quotes From the Episode "Investing in my health, my brain, my creativity, and my network is more important than any dollars and cents I have in a bank."

Shawn Wells on prioritizing personal well-being, creativity, and meaningful relationships holds greater value than accumulating financial wealth.

"At some point, AI is going to 1,000,000X us, and it won’t be able to be contained... It will be an inorganic evolution, but an evolution nonetheless."

Shawn Wells on AI's rapid progression and its potential to redefine humanity.

"You have to learn how to have wearables be a tool but not dictate your day. It’s similar to weighing yourself, someone can become obsessive, and it can be an unhealthy habit."

Shawn on how to properly use fitness trackers and avoid psychological dependency.

Additional Resources

Show Notes

0:00 – Introduction to Shawn Wells and His Background
5:12 – The Impact of Nutrition on Mental and Physical Health
12:45 – Shawn’s Journey with Biohacking and Self-Experimentation
18:30 – The Connection Between Mental Health and Physical Vitality
24:55 – Psychedelics and Their Role in Neuroplasticity and Personal Transformation
31:20 – Financial Wealth Versus Health and Personal Fulfillment
35:18 – The Power of Investing in Creativity and Relationships
42:10 – The Future of AI and Its Influence on Human Evolution
50:22 – Hormonal Health and the Importance of Vitamin D
56:48 – The Role of Wearables and Biofeedback in Self-Awareness
1:02:15 – Building Resilience Through Self-Compassion
1:08:30 – Final Thoughts and Actionable Takeaways