Helmut Drewes

The True Size of South Africa 🇿🇦

Great post. The world still needs designers and engineers.

@SayEntrepreneur Is this why the @DOAgov_ZA published the notorious regulations on meat analogues last year? gov.za/sites/default/…

While Afrikaners do share significant Dutch ancestry, the link between their origins and the modern stature of the Dutch is actually quite complex. Height Disconnect There is a common misconception that Afrikaners are tall because they inherited "tall genes" from the Dutch. However, the Dutch only became the tallest people on earth very recently. The 17th Century Context: When Dutch settlers first arrived at the Cape in 1652, the Dutch were actually among the shortest populations in Europe, averaging around 165 cm (5'5"). The Dutch "Growth Spurt": The dramatic increase in Dutch height (growing by roughly 20 cm) only began in the mid-19th century and accelerated in the 20th century—long after the initial waves of settlers had moved to South Africa. Cause of Dutch Height: Research attributes the modern Dutch height to a combination of high-quality dairy consumption, excellent healthcare, low social inequality, and even natural selection within the Netherlands over the last 150 years. Why Are Afrikaners Tall? If they didn't inherit "modern" Dutch height, why is the Afrikaner community often noted for its large stature? Early High Living Standards: Historically, 18th and 19th-century Afrikaner (Boer) farmers were actually taller than many European populations of the same era. This is likely because they had access to a high-protein diet (meat and milk) and lived in low-density rural environments with fewer infectious diseases than the crowded cities of Europe at the time. Diverse Ancestry: Afrikaners are not solely Dutch; their genetics are a mix of Dutch (roughly 35-40%), German (25-30%), and French Huguenot (15-20%) ancestors, along with other European and non-European contributions. Cultural Factors: A diet traditionally heavy in meat and a culture that emphasizes physical activities like rugby may also contribute to the perception and reality of their heavy build and tall stature. Global Comparison Currently, the Netherlands is officially ranked as the tallest nation. However, ethnic groups such as the Dinka in South Sudan are also famous for being among the tallest people in the world, with many individuals exceeding 2 meters (6'7") due to long-term genetic adaptation to their environment.

NEW: Kentucky family rejects $26 million offer to convert part of their farm into a data center despite the offer being about 10 times the going rate for farmland in the area. "If it's my way, I'll stay and hold and feed a nation. 26 million doesn't mean anything." "As long as I'm on this land, as long as it's feeding me, as long as it's taking care of me, there's nothing that can destroy me if I've got this land." Video: Local 12 WKRC

@ashtonshudson Exactly, with a significant increase in consumers.

the only insane thing about this is that 8 years ago cape town got a massive warning for the shortfall in water storage. in the 8 years since, we have built literally 0 new dams. it’s not a rainfall problem, this is a planning problem

Recent wildfires scorched South Africa’s Western Cape. Landsat tracks the lifecycle—from lush vegetation, to fire, to burn scar—and provides critical data for recovery and monitoring. When every day counts, Landsat delivers. #LandsatInAction #WildfireMonitoring

Well worth a read. currencynews.co.za/the-economic-f…

@HHSGov Finally. Great message, glorious website.

Introducing: The New Pyramid

I can't believe this is a government website what the fuck.

On December 17, Starlink experienced an anomaly on satellite 35956, resulting in loss of communications with the vehicle at 418 km. The anomaly led to venting of the propulsion tank, a rapid decay in semi-major axis by about 4 km, and the release of a small number of trackable low relative velocity objects. SpaceX is coordinating with the @USSpaceForce and @NASA to monitor the objects.   The satellite is largely intact, tumbling, and will reenter the Earth’s atmosphere and fully demise within weeks. The satellite's current trajectory will place it below the @Space_Station, posing no risk to the orbiting lab or its crew.   As the world’s largest satellite constellation operator, we are deeply committed to space safety. We take these events seriously. Our engineers are rapidly working to root cause and mitigate the source of the anomaly and are already in the process of deploying software to our vehicles that increases protections against this type of event.

"Oracle’s stock jumped by 25% after being promised $60 billion a year from OpenAI, an amount of money OpenAI doesn’t earn yet, to provide cloud computing facilities that Oracle hasn’t built yet, and which will require 4.5 GW of power (the equivalent of 2.25 Hoover Dams or four nuclear plants), as well as increased borrowing by Oracle whose debt to equity ratio is already 500% compared to 50% for Amazon, 30% for Microsoft and even less at Meta and Google. In other words, the tech capital cycle may be about to change." - JPM's Michael Cembalest

A recent white paper from the European Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture (EARA) details the superiority of outcome-oriented and farmer led regen ag versus conventional ag systems. Field data from 50 farms shows: – 20x increase in bird populations, 275% better water infiltration, 70% higher farm profitability – 1,000% reduction in pest pressure by restoring predator-prey relationships – Soil surface temperatures 33°C cooler, 300% improved carbon sequestration, 46% higher forage yields – 45% increase in crop nutrient density, addressing the hidden hunger affecting 3 billion people globally – A yield parity achieved while approaching zero synthetic inputs, breaking dependence on €817 billion in annual subsidies The paper makes the case for moving from a prescriptive practice-based approach to performance-based payment system that rewards measurable improvements in soil health, biodiversity, and biogeochemical cycling—enabling farmers to lead the transition from extractive to regenerative agriculture.

Florida's citrus industry has collapsed from 244 million boxes of oranges in 1997-98 to just 12 million projected for 2024-25—a devastating 95% decline driven by citrus greening disease. This catastrophe resulted from decades of industrial farming that abandoned soil-building practices for chemical-intensive methods, creating weakened trees vulnerable to disease. As Brazil's citrus industry now follows the same path with 44% of trees already infected, Florida's empty groves serve as both a warning about industrial agriculture's risks and proof that regenerative farming can still restore even severely degraded systems.

According to @BugLundgren, who’s gathered data from over 1,000 farms, row-crop farmers see depression up 200%, Parkinson’s up 2,000%, and cancer up 200%. These farmers need more off-ramps from the industrial-ag treadmill.

@WandileSihlobo Fascinating graph. Probably excludes intra-Europe trade?

South Africa’s agriculture economy is booming

@NicklasGellner @medusajs @AuthorizeNet Would really be interested to test.

Any @medusajs merchants looking for a VISA (@AuthorizeNet) integration? Their team is building a Medusa integration and looking for a pilot case to test it. DM if of interest.

@typesfast South Africa is a strategic location.

The container ships are still all going around.

I can confirm I've replicated the CEA calculation for the so-called "tariffs charged to the USA" on these charts. It is the Census FT900 trade data, exhibit 4, for year 2024, and the formula is MAX(10%,(imports-exports)/imports) per-country on a customs basis.