After the 11th of July, I’ll never look at a homeless person the same way again.

By Alec Hogg

In just under a month, I'll be joining 200 CEOs at the iconic Liliesleaf Farm in Rivonia for an experience far removed from my comfortable environs. Purposefully held on one of the longest and coldest nights of the year, the annual CEO SleepOut raises millions for the homeless – with the side benefit of providing a dose of empathy.

The CEO SleepOut initiative began in Australia in 2006 and spread to South Africa in 2015. We're proud as punch for Biznews to be this year's media partner, particularly as the 2018 edition honours the centenary of Nelson Mandela's birth, being held at the iconic Liliesleaf Farm.

The upside is I get to engage with some amazing CEOs, and work again with my old pal Ali Gregg of The Philanthropic Collection, who tends only to tackle the biggest of challenges. The CEO SleepOut is one of her most successful initiatives in a long and successful career, having raised tens of millions of rand for charity.

The downside, as every year in Davos reminds, is that my body wasn't built for the cold. But it's only one night of sub-zero temperature, not the lifetime which some fellow homo sapiens endure. And as the veteran participants have shared, you never look at a homeless person the same way again. What's a brief chill compared with that gift?