Cederberg, 31.12.2024, by Simon Pocock

About

This is a first attempt at something resembling a chronological about section. It is a work in progress.

I was born in Cape Town in 1990, and moved to the UK in 1992 where I finished school and university. Today I live in Cape Town and this is what I am doing now.

Some Life Experience

From the age of 16, I’ve had a variety of jobs that taught me about hard work and exposed me to people from all walks of life. I have been a 13-year-old stunt double, gardener, waiter, labourer, cocktail barman, marquee rigger, braai chef, and traffic management operative. I also spent two years in my twenties as a volunteer wildfire firefighter. It put me in some uniquely challenging situations.

After school I spent 9 months travelling South Africa, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Singapore. The variety in cultures showed me how both different, and similar, people are.

At university, I studied business and human geography. I wanted a broad education on business practices and modern challenges like urbanisation and what drives cultural change in society. It’s an underrated combination and more people should do it.

I moved to Cape Town at the end of 2012 to do a postgrad diploma in Marketing and Advertising Management. I’m still here.

I’ve never had the same job title twice; but for me, there has been an obvious connection: Understanding the why, what and how of businesses, people, and technology has been a consistent theme. I’ve been trusted to travel to the USA, Brazil, Mexico, Germany, Switzerland, and Namibia for work. Which was very educational, and good fun.

Today

I love to read; books, blogs, articles and newsletters. About business, investing, crime, and legal dramas. If a book hooks me, I can read very fast. I once read 10 books in 10 days (traffic management operative is a pretty boring job). I recently started keeping a list of the books I have read. It has helped me know a little about a lot.

I am fascinated by the how the world works and the relationships between everything. I like to think about why things are the way they are and what might change in the future. I think long-term and plan far ahead.

I started running in 2015 and have since done over 40 events. It has taught me an immense amount about myself and life.

I was diagnosed with Type One Diabetes at 33, and I’m hugely grateful it didn’t happen earlier in my life. It requires discipline and resilience to manage.

I’m very ambitious. It’s annoying sometimes, but it gets me up in the morning.