Alec Hogg: Loyalty an endearing quality, even if it encourages sociopaths

Loyalty is deeply ingrained into the South African culture. Sometimes a little too deeply as we tend to overlook or even reject the failings of friends.

Published on:

19 May 2015, 6:37 am

By Alec Hogg

Nice to see the Jannie Mouton Fan Club is alive and well. His "20 Lessons" celebrating the anniversary of PSG's second decade, was comfortably the best read story on Biznews yesterday. Deservedly so. Mouton put a lot of thought into it. And shared the most valuable of gifts – the wisdom of one who has been there, done that.

On the subject of the Jannie Mouton Fan Club, I've been a member since he gave my first business a break back in 1986. It was a quarterly research report on Development Capital Market stocks for his firm SMK. We've been on good terms ever since, having done a fair amount of business in between.

That's an endearing characteristic of South Africans, especially Afrikaners. Loyalty is deeply ingrained into the culture. Sometimes a little too deeply as we tend to overlook or even reject the failings of friends. It makes us easy prey for the occasional sociopath. But I'd take a little hurt over cynicism any day.

@alechogg I agree completely. Especialy wrt Afrikaners. Ive watched my hubby do business with them for 4yrs now without any problems
— Thabitha Serumula (@thabitha) May 19, 2015