Reedlio Farm Produce

We are an emerging black farming company based in Johannesburg. We mainly produce spinach, mustard leaf, okra, covo, tsunga, pumpkin leaves (muboora) and rape.

[K @begottensun]

Had a tough but fascinating talk with form 1 to 4 students at a 🇿🇼 high school in today. The topic was money.

My core message was simple:

Money is earned through value exchange.

You do not “get” money.
You earn it by offering goods or services valuable enough for other people to exchange money for.

Just like you don’t “get” a degree; you earn it.

I can tell a lot about a person about how they speak about money:
Let get that paper (not manufacturing it)
Getting that bread (not baking it)
Making Cheddar? (That’s valuable)

I tried to challenge how we speak about money. Instead of saying:
“Let’s go get money”.

We should ask:
“How do I become more valuable?”
“How do I create more value for others?”

Because if you can consistently provide value, you will never truly have “no money.”

Value can be:

Good food
Convenience
Security
Education
Entertainment
Skills
Technology
Solving difficult problems

A plumber earns because plumbing is valuable to people who cannot plumb.
A developer earns because software can solve problems.
A musician earns because joy and entertainment are valuable.

Then I asked the students what they wanted to become.

A large number said:

IRL streamers
YouTubers
TikTok influencers

A few said app developers.
Nobody said accountant.
Nobody said scientist.

What struck me was this:

Many of them admire wealth outcomes without understanding value creation.

One student said he wants to be like Elon Musk.

I explained:
Elon Musk became wealthy because he created massive value at scale, through payments, electric vehicles, internet infrastructure, rockets, communications platforms, and engineering companies.

Another said he wants to be like Mark Zuckerberg.

But the important question is not:
“How do I become Zuckerberg?”

The real question is:
“What value did Zuckerberg create for billions of people?”

Then someone said they wanted to be like Wicknell Chivayo.

Everyone laughed… 🤣

But... Whether you like him or not, whether you agree with the value he’s creating benefit to society or not, he’s creating value to someone or something. Could be at the detriment or others, who knows. But someone finds it valuable. You don’t get that rick without creating VALUE!

Pablo Escobar and Michael Jordan both have created value … for better or worse.

A lot of young Zimbabweans today can clearly see money… but cannot clearly see the value system behind it.

With people like Strive Masiyiwa, it’s easier:
We understand the value created through Econet and telecommunications.

The danger is when young people only see the money at the end, without understanding the years of value creation underneath it. Behind the slay queen with the orange iPhone, is a satisfied overweight married businessman.

Zimbabwe desperately needs a generation obsessed not with “looking rich” , but with becoming genuinely useful to humanity by creating value!!

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk

[Melissa Chen @MsMelChen]

Singapore’s Foreign Minister, Dr Balakrishnan casually explaining how he built his own AI agent (a 2nd brain for diplomacy) using Claude & WhatsApp integration etc. on a Raspberry Pi

“You cannot govern a technology you have only been briefed on.” 🇸🇬

[Science girl @sciencegirl]

Children in China are learning through a math Game challenge. This game is like a tug of war competition.

https://t.co/920mmChYbm

[Peter Girnus 🦅 @gothburz]

Last quarter I rolled out Microsoft Copilot to 4,000 employees.

$30 per seat per month.

$1.4 million annually.

I called it "digital transformation."

The board loved that phrase.

They approved it in eleven minutes.

No one asked what it would actually do.

Including me.

I told everyone it would "10x productivity."

That's not a real number.

But it sounds like one.

HR asked how we'd measure the 10x.

I said we'd "leverage analytics dashboards."

They stopped asking.

Three months later I checked the usage reports.

47 people had opened it.

12 had used it more than once.

One of them was me.

I used it to summarize an email I could have read in 30 seconds.

It took 45 seconds.

Plus the time it took to fix the hallucinations.

But I called it a "pilot success."

Success means the pilot didn't visibly fail.

The CFO asked about ROI.

I showed him a graph.

The graph went up and to the right.

It measured "AI enablement."

I made that metric up.

He nodded approvingly.

We're "AI-enabled" now.

I don't know what that means.

But it's in our investor deck.

A senior developer asked why we didn't use Claude or ChatGPT.

I said we needed "enterprise-grade security."

He asked what that meant.

I said "compliance."

He asked which compliance.

I said "all of them."

He looked skeptical.

I scheduled him for a "career development conversation."

He stopped asking questions.

Microsoft sent a case study team.

They wanted to feature us as a success story.

I told them we "saved 40,000 hours."

I calculated that number by multiplying employees by a number I made up.

They didn't verify it.

They never do.

Now we're on Microsoft's website.

"Global enterprise achieves 40,000 hours of productivity gains with Copilot."

The CEO shared it on LinkedIn.

He got 3,000 likes.

He's never used Copilot.

None of the executives have.

We have an exemption.

"Strategic focus requires minimal digital distraction."

I wrote that policy.

The licenses renew next month.

I'm requesting an expansion.

5,000 more seats.

We haven't used the first 4,000.

But this time we'll "drive adoption."

Adoption means mandatory training.

Training means a 45-minute webinar no one watches.

But completion will be tracked.

Completion is a metric.

Metrics go in dashboards.

Dashboards go in board presentations.

Board presentations get me promoted.

I'll be SVP by Q3.

I still don't know what Copilot does.

But I know what it's for.

It's for showing we're "investing in AI."

Investment means spending.

Spending means commitment.

Commitment means we're serious about the future.

The future is whatever I say it is.

As long as the graph goes up and to the right.

[Safdar Alam @SafdarAlam]

Why (Islamic) Banks Lend Instead of Invest: The Economics They Don’t Want You to See

PART 2/4

So, let’s talk about Islamic Banks and Debt

Let’s imagine an Islamic bank, that is quietly going about it’s day, and is presented with an investment opportunity. This opportunity is to invest in property, perhaps a development, and take risk on the outcome, and hope to profit from this venture. It can partner with an experienced developer to reduce risk.

And also let’s imagine the same Islamic bank has received multiple mortgage requests to provide financing to customers to purchase property. Let’s see, in real terms, how an Islamic bank will approach these two differing opportunities for deployment of capital.

The bank has around £1mn to invest and must choose between these two directions. Let’s see how they make their decision.

Basel III

Of course, I had heard of Basel III in my career, but it was one of those things that did not directly impact my work, so I ignored it. I knew it is important for all banks, but things like risk and regulatory requirements was dealt with by different teams. My role was to make money for my bank, and we left these kinds of things alone, to be dealt with by those whose job that was.

Basel III is a global regulatory framework for banks, developed by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) after the 2008 financial crisis, to strengthen banking sector resilience through higher capital, liquidity, and leverage standards, ensuring banks can better absorb economic shocks and continue financing activity.

This is all fine, but what does it mean in reality, and how does this impact our discussion here today?

In fact, understanding this regulatory framework will be absolutely critical in our drive to understand what banks do, and why they do it. And it will explain why I felt that everything I was doing in Islamic finance was debt.

These regulatory requirements are in place so that banks don’t become insolvent. A bank becoming insolvent is a very different matter to a regular commercial entity becoming insolvent, because people hold their deposits at banks, and people trust banks. And because governments protect deposits held at these banks.

If a bank becomes insolvent, as we have seen since the 2008 crisis, and since, it can spread panic amongst the financial markets and amongst people. The process of a bank run is a very interesting one, along with the mental and emotional reactions from people who hold deposits at any bank, but that is for another day.

These rules are in place so that banks can demonstrate that they can survive adverse market conditions. They should ensure that banks are “resilient” and they can weather negative events.

So, back to our situation, when the Islamic bank assesses the two financing opportunities, their decision will be firmly rooted in understanding the regulatory capital impact of potential financial transactions they undertake.

Let’s consider the direct investment into property of £1mn. This property will become an asset of the bank, and Basel III states that each asset will have a Risk Weighting, that indicates, as the term implies, how risky that asset is for that bank. This means the asset can go down in value, it can become hard to sell that asset (liquidity), or other events could occur that mean the bank can lose some or all of its investment into that asset.

These factors are assessed for any kind of asset on the bank's balance sheet, with property as one key category. Basel regulations assign a range of risk weights to property investments, typically from 70% to 150% depending on the type (lower for secured loans, higher for direct holdings). Many direct property investments fall in the 100%-150% range. For our illustration of buying a property—the most common form here—I'll use 115% as a reasonable midpoint within that band.

So we can calculate the risk weighting of this investment as 115% of £1mn, being £1.15mn. Now, Basel III states that banks must maintain a minimum amount of Regulatory Capital of 8% of Risk Weighted Assets (RWA). There is also a requirement to maintain a Capital Conservation Buffer of 2.5% of these RWA, which adds up to 10.5%.

10.5% of the RWA here (which is £1.15mn) is around £121,000. Does this mean the Islamic bank must now hold this amount of cash? The answer is no, as Basel III specified in form this regulatory capital can take. It can either be Tier 1 Capital (which is the equity of the bank, ie the ordinary shares it has issued, plus some forms of preference shares and also retained earnings from previous years)) or Tier 2 Capital (which is mainly bonds/Sukuk, and other forms of debt assets held by the Islamic bank).

We should note that cash does not count as regulatory capital here, so the bank cannot say that it holds this £121,000 in cash as the required regulatory capital for this asset. It can, however, use that cash to purchase the necessary debt instruments that do qualify.

Or the Islamic bank can point to existing Tier 1 and Tier 2 capital that has not already been allocated as regulatory capital for other assets on its balance sheet. In any case, the Islamic bank must now ensure regulatory capital to the value of £121,000 is allocated specifically to this property investment.

So, in total, the bank has paid £1mn for the property, and allocated £121,000 of regulatory capital to support this investment.

Now let’s look at how the bank will approach providing home loans instead of buying property.

Risk Weighting for Debts as opposed to Investments

Let’s assume the bank wants to provide financing to a customer who wants to purchase the same property of value £1mn. Let’s also assume the bank just provides the whole amount as a loan, ignoring the fact that in reality, a deposit would be required.

When the bank provides this loan, something important takes place. It is Credit Creation. The bank does not need to go and find £1mn in cash to make this loan – it simply creates this £1mn out of thin air and places it into the account of the customer (in reality, it will not do that, but send this £1mn straight to the seller).

So we see one major difference already compared to actually buying property, which is that in order to buy the property, the bank must deliver £1mn in cash to the seller, but to provide a loan, the Islamic bank simply creates this credit out of thin air and says, “Voila, here is the £1mn”.

This credit creation is ,after all, why banks exist, and why they work so hard to obtain a banking license in the first place. The history behind how banks obtained this power, and how governments contracted out the practice of creating money to banks, is something that I recommend every reader to study.

There is possibly no more disturbing and damaging event in our financial history than these events.

Let’s carry on – so the bank magically creates this £1mn, and now the bank has, an asset on it’s balance sheet, a loan of £1mn that is repayable by that customer. This is an asset for which we must calculate the risk weighting as before. Because this is a loan, and not a direct asset like a property, it attracts a much lower risk weighting than the previous asset. These range from 20% to around 40%, and we can use 35% for our purposes here. So the risk weighting attached to this financing is 35% x £1mn which is £350,000. We apply the same regulatory capital requirement as above of 10.5%, which comes out to around £37,000. We note this is quite a lot lower than the equivalent requirement for £121,000 for the property investment. This is expected, because such a loan has lower risk volatility associated with it then the investment.

The property can fall in value, or rise, and it can fail to deliver returns (lease income or rental income) or it can be destroyed (insurance will be in place) and it also needs to be maintained – tax and duty payments, upkeep, repairs, and all the general headaches associated with actually owning property.

With a loan however, all the bank needs to do is to make sure it is repaid. They will have conducted risk assessments on the customer, and also conducted a valuation on the property itself, and the property will act as collateral in case the customer defaults on this loan. The risks associated with this are regular business for any bank.

So, to purchase a property for investment purposes, the Islamic bank needs to allocate £121,000 of regulatory capital, and deal with the real risks of ownership. And to provide a loan of the same amount, the bank needs to allocate £37,000 of regulatory capital, and face only credit risk supported by collateral (the property).

So can we say the Islamic bank can provide loans for around 3 properties compare to buying one property as investment? This would work out t the same ratio of the risk weightings (115% vs 35%).

Well, the answer is no – the answer is not that simple.

Remember, for the investment, the bank had to use real cash of £1mn, but for the loan, it created this £1mn out of thin air, because it is a loan. This is the key distinction that sends out analysis into the stratosphere.

Let me demonstrate.

PART 3/4 to come tomorrow. Stay tuned.

[Fundamental Investor ™ 🇮🇳 @FI_InvestIndia]

A businessman once bought a massive diamond in South Africa, about the size of an egg yolk.

But to his disappointment, the stone had a crack inside.

He took it to a skilled jeweler, hoping for advice.

The jeweler examined it carefully and said:

“This diamond can be split into two perfect gems, each worth more than the original stone. But one wrong strike and it will shatter into worthless fragments. I won’t take that risk.”

The businessman traveled the world, showing the diamond to jewelers in many countries.

Each one gave the same answer: "Too risky".

Finally, someone told him about an old master jeweler in Amsterdam known for his golden hands.

He flew there the same day.
The old jeweler studied the diamond through his monocle and warned him again of the risk.
The businessman interrupted:

“I’ve heard that story before. I’m ready. Just do it.”

The jeweler nodded, agreed on the price, then turned to a young apprentice working quietly nearby.

The boy took the diamond, placed it on his palm, and struck it once, clean and precise.

The stone split beautifully into two flawless gems.

Without even looking up, he handed them back to the master.

Astonished, the businessman asked:

“How long has he been working for you?”

The old jeweler smiled.

“This is his third day. He doesn’t know the real value of the stone, that’s why his hand didn’t tremble.”

Sometimes the more we fear losing something, the less capable we become of doing what needs to be done.

Treat life’s challenges as if they are lighter than they seem, and your hand will stay steady.

[Rosita Díaz @RositaDaz48]

A Chinese doctor moved to the U.S. and couldn't find a job at a hospital. So he opened a small clinic and put up a bold sign that read:

“Cure for $20 — If you’re not cured, get $100 back!”

One day, a clever American lawyer saw the sign. “This looks like a scam,” he thought, “but maybe I can make a quick $100!” He walked in, feeling confident.

Lawyer: “Doctor, I’ve lost my sense of taste.”

Doctor: “Nurse, Box 22 — three drops in his mouth.”

Lawyer: “Ugh! That’s kerosene!”

Doctor: “Perfect! Your taste is back. That’ll be $20.”

A few days later, the lawyer came back.

Lawyer: “Doctor, I’ve lost my memory. I can’t remember anything.”

Doctor: “Nurse, Box 22 — three drops.”

Lawyer: “Wait! That’s kerosene again!”

Doctor: “Wonderful! Your memory is restored. That’s $20.”

Still determined, the lawyer tried one last time.

Lawyer: “Doctor, my eyesight is failing. I can’t see a thing!”

Doctor: “Ah, sorry — no cure for that. Here’s your $100.”

The doctor handed him… $20.

Lawyer (squinting): “Hey, wait a minute — this is only $20!”

Doctor: “Fantastic! Your eyesight is back. That’ll be $20.”

[Reedlio Farm Produce @ReedlioP]

@sadhna6389 @threadroll

[Mindset Machine  @mindsetmachine]

The moment Apple ended Blackberry's reign:

[Reedlio Farm Produce @ReedlioP]

@GenuisHealth Bundle

[Reedlio Farm Produce @ReedlioP]

@AndrewBolis Guide

[The Figen @TheFigen_]

A technique that makes transporting giantly heavy objects easy.

[Tawanda Nyambirai @tawandan1]

I have a once in a lifetime opportunity for those who want to buy a home. The greatest empowerment deal Zimbabwe has ever seen that will revolutionize property ownership. The targeted beneficiaries are my country men and women in the diaspora, local professionals, and the informal sector. A flexible scheme brought to you by TN CyberTech Bank and its partner Lucile Real Estate. We lead and others will certainly follow our example:

We have over 100 houses in Ruwa. They are on title deeds. We are selling them for a Cash Price of $75,000.00. But you don’t have to buy 💯 of the house. You can buy 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90% or 100% of the house on a co- ownership arrangement with the Bank. For the percentage you can afford, the following are the terms:
1. the deposit is 10% of the Cash Price.
2. The interest rate is 18% per annum.
3. You can take occupancy on paying the deposit. If you are in the diaspora, you can immediately rent the house out. However, you only pay us rent for the percentage that you are not yet buying. For example, if you are buying 50% of the house for now, and if the rent is $500.00, you only pay us $250.00 for our 50%. You can use your $250 to reduce your monthly installment.
4. Once you have paid for your chosen percentage, we can obtain title deeds for you that reflect your share of the property as an undivided share. As a co- owner, you can sell your share, rent it out, or use it as security for loans.
5. You will have an option to buy us out (our percentage) on agreed credit terms and at an agreed price after the currency chance that was announced. This will help both you and us to transition to the new currency without either of us owing the other thereby eliminating potential disputes over exchange rates.

I will follow through with a post on the possible scenarios and possible installments. Feel free to ask questions on this great empowerment deal!!

[Reedlio Farm Produce @ReedlioP]

@grok @DAKABOY_i @Inako_Yolwa @zibuseman Please use the inequality and poverty index on all these top 20 African countries and redo the list order

[Reedlio Farm Produce @ReedlioP]

@grok @DAKABOY_i @Inako_Yolwa @zibuseman Please dig deeper and show the top 20 for africa compared to SA Africans

[Mindset Machine  @mindsetmachine]

Neuroscientist reveals how complaining changes your brain ‼️‼️

[Mindset Machine  @mindsetmachine]

She literally dropped the hardest quote.

[The Sigma Mindset @thesigmamindset]

If you are around people who don't recognise your worth, listen to this:

[Elon Musk @elonmusk]

💯
https://t.co/lrfyLK3ID9

[Logan Weaver @LogWeaver]

Charlie Munger was a big believer in mental models.

But he’s not the only one—Warren Buffett, Ray Dalio, and Howard Marks too use mental models before investing in a company.

10 most powerful mental models I've learned from genius investors: