This week's opinions.

Chinese products going at big mark-up prices in South Africa: 

A while back there was a store in town by where I live called Mr. Chen (a Chinese shop) & it looked very distinctly like Mr. Price. People were mocking it as if to say, the Mr. Chen shop was taking Mr. Price's look & feel. But you have to ask where Mr. Price gets it's merchandise from, I think up to 80% or more of Mr. Price's items are from China. In fact, there is an exact pair of flip-flops sold at Mr. Price sold at a manufacturer warehouse in China for a lower price. So who's the original? Mr. Price likely bought the item in bulk from China, probably Mr. Chen himself, & put a 50% mark-up on the price. Mr. Price is one of the more affordable shops in South Africa, imagine how much some of the other big franchises are marking up their merchandise they got from China. A Louis Vuitton hand bag made by Chinese workers was compared to one in one of the developed countries, the mark-up was something like 800%. You're not buying a handbag madam, you're buying a statement saying; "You're poor, I'm not."

Spying on employees: 

I don't know who made the idea of employers searching for people online & checking on their hobbies & interests alright outside of LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the career-oriented website, that's where employer searches should end. The politics or personal opinions of your bartender are not an indication of the bartenders ability. The politics & hobbies of the traffic cop are not of vital importance. Employers spying on employees' social media is like going to a cashier because they have a particular world view, do you want to cash out & leave the shop or not? The only cashier available is against everything you believe in, now what? Go to another shop? Ability is not an individuals world view or political belief.

Online work is still work - just as much a sitting in an office is work or cleaning tables & fixing cars is work. Don't discriminate because someone's workspace is also their home, many shopkeepers sleep right door to where they work. Work does not always involve a commute to a designated place.

Two ideas for any manufacturer willing to make them.

AUTOMATED SECURITY SYSTEM 

Industrial area motion sensing security system with two roving face recognition modules. If you enter a plot & your face is not recognised, the modules give you 20 seconds to leave. If you attack, they jet you with mace/stun gun & some immobilising net or rope. 

If you manage to damage both roving modules, armed security is automatically contacted. 

The roving modules are constantly on standby to preserve energy & only move to the area where motion is detected by the motion sensing field. 

SHARP DISC PROJECTILES AS MILITARY/DEFENCE WEAPONS 

This weapon system could be a steel sling system with sharp, 5cm wide iron discs. This shotgun type weapon would one or two discs at a time.

Was Ancient Egypt black?

According to my research, Ancient Egypt was partly black & had black Pharoahs. In prehistory, Egypt was likely 100% black much like the rest of Africa. But with the arrival of initially Hamitic then Jewish, Greek, Arabic, Roman & Ottoman populations - Egypt lost it's black majority. Ancient Egypt likely had the most (black) African input in it's foundation but slowly many other non-African cultures came to establish themselves in that land. The original Hamitic people that initiated "Kemet" are now called the Coptic people of Egypt. So the answer to "Was Ancient Egypt black?" is "Partly."

"Was Ancient Egypt black?" on YouTube

AFRICAN MORALITY.

Written on 1 Oct. 2026 10:20 AM 

Do we (as Trans-Saharan Africans) have a unified set of beliefs of what is wrong & right whether it be in our respective lands, tribes or countries? Are we all made aware of such ideals & indoctrinated them from an early age? 

Are we taught not to lie, cheat & steal or do we learn it from "the community". Is our faith & religion in-line with our laws? Are our tribal beliefs in-line with our laws? 

Religion, tribal beliefs & national law must all be unified into one for national harmony. If you are a Jewish land, it only makes sense that your holy scrolls, holy book or, in the case of a Jewish state, the Torah are simultaneously tribal beliefs & national law. This goes with Hindi, Buddhism, Vodun & whatever faith your land has. 

Your African set of beliefs & your land's faith should be documented in modern times to become your land's religion & law. This prevents a conflict of interest in spiritual matters & legal matters. 

Why electric motorbikes are inexpensive.

There are mainly two reasons electric vehicles in general are so inexpensive. One reason is because they need less maintenance: no petrol, no oil, no carburettor or filter problems & because most electric vehicles are automatic gearboxes - no gearbox & clutch repairs. The other darker reason is manufacturers using cheaper & inferior materials & technology. 

Low cost electric motorbikes from developing economies (southeast Asia & South Africa in this case) take this to the extreme when using weak electric motors & batteries for their vehicles. For example; at one of the popular newly established electric motorcycle factories in South Africa their strongest motor is 1500 W, if you're carrying 110 kg (i. e. 40 kg & yourself) on a 30° incline - it will struggle. The physics mathematics says it will go no more than 10 km an hour. You need a 3000 W electric motor power or more in South Africa. Furthermore, sales representatives of some electric motorcycle brands in South Africa don't even know what regenerative braking is. It's not a requirement seeing as their motorcycles don't have it but if you're in the motoring field, as your line of work - you should, at least, know more than me. No regenerative braking is bad if your battery range is weak (60 km or less). Talking of range, the type of material used in the battery plays a role in such. My experience of lead acid batteries is just not that great because you don't even have to reach a certain amount of charging cycles for the battery to weaken. The weather alone seems to weaken lead acid batteries. Lithium-ion seems ok but if we're talking about charging cycles & all-round battery superiority, sodium-ion seems to be the best. 

Delivery motorbikes need a minimum 100 km range which I simply don't trust cheaper lead acid batteries for. As an urban commuter, in my experience, you'll need a 70 km battery range on average. In time, the battery will decrease range as the charging cycles pile up & so choosing a higher kilometre range vehicle & better battery (i. e. a battery with more charging cycles like a sodium-ion battery) will be better in future. 

Roam Air motorcycles & Spiro of Kenya usually have 3000 W (3 kW) or a 5000 W (5 kW) electric motor while really expensive bikes from developed countries have 15 kW motor power & can cost as much as a car. Getting a 1,6 kW power electric motorbike will really show you flames on inclines, so save yourself the hassle. 

So between using cheaper battery materials & weaker electric motors is why some electric motorbikes are so inexpensive & virtually not worth buying aside from just odd fun or racing. Ideally speaking, for an everyday use electric motorbike - you'll need one with at least 3 kW power or more, 80 km range & a sodium-ion battery. This is a bike that will last you years. 

An e-motorbike which would be ideal in South Africa regarding the specifications. 

• Puncture proof tyres 

• Sodium-ion motorcycle batteries  

• Electric motorcycles online 

Zero FX vs Roam Air