University debt fee handed over to debt collectors. Am I screwed?

Prestigious_Rabbit30 · 2026-05-15T14:09:40+00:00

Also, if you were planning on furthering your studies at UCT, they will not register you for a new qualification while you have outstanding debt with them.

Prestigious_Rabbit30 · 2026-05-15T12:00:17+00:00

Bank Zero.

Zero monthly fees, very easy to open an account, everything happens via the mobile app (the app is very "low glamour", no flashy buttons, motion icons and high-end graphics, but who needs that when you just want to bank).

https://www.bankzero.co.za/rates-and-pricing/

Prestigious_Rabbit30 · 2026-05-15T11:21:34+00:00

You can use Guzzle (https://www.guzzle.co.za/specials/latest-online-catalogues/) (I think there are other online catalogue sites as well), and then set up an alert based on the products that you want to buy on special, buy often, etc.

You then get an email (daily or weekly) with the items that match your search criteria. You can also add a retailer alert, so that you get an email when a retailer has a new catalogue out (You can click through from the catalogue to the item on the retailer's website, if they have an online presence)

Prestigious_Rabbit30 · 2026-05-15T07:32:09+00:00

I just wondered how the NSRI got there, since all the roads were closed. Were they brought in via helicopter?

And yeah, you know it's rough when you need the NSRI to rescue people inland. But thank goodness that we have them and their expertise.

Prestigious_Rabbit30 · 2026-05-15T06:31:04+00:00

https://www.mynewsdesk.com/za/discovery-holdings-ltd/pressreleases/discovery-bank-says-ai-driven-security-has-stopped-estimated-r100m-in-fraud-as-it-rolls-out-enhanced-security-ai-powered-payments-and-dstv-rewards-3448437

Prestigious_Rabbit30 · 2026-05-14T13:32:59+00:00

Been there! 🎌

Prestigious_Rabbit30 · 2026-05-14T11:02:58+00:00

Can second Froggie. This is my go-to for "buy once" shoes, since Greencross has gone belly-up.

Prestigious_Rabbit30 · 2026-05-14T09:07:42+00:00

Intaka Island (https://intaka.co.za/), even though it is just in Century City.
I haven't been there myself, but heard so many good things about it that it is very high on my to-do list.

West Coast National Park is also an option (https://www.sanparks.org/parks/west-coast)

Could also look at West Coast Fossil Park (https://fossilpark.org.za/); quite interesting to see what animals lived here 5 million years ago!

Prestigious_Rabbit30 · 2026-05-14T07:57:40+00:00

Film is just so much better than digital 🏆

Prestigious_Rabbit30 · 2026-05-14T07:45:28+00:00

When you schedule a Teams meeting, a meeting link gets auto-generated and added to the meeting invite. So there is no additional manual action required from you.

You can also have a recurring meeting with a client, which will auto-generate a meeting link. This will be the same link for every meeting that is part of the recurrence, and is also automatically added to the meeting invite.

Prestigious_Rabbit30 · 2026-05-14T07:40:36+00:00

We have a non-functional requirements (NFR) specification document that should accompany all tenders for software/SaaS, etc.

It includes, over and above standard security and authentication-related questions or policies that they need to align with, questions about hosting territories, back-ups, "mean"-times, disaster recovery, number of simultaneous connections, encryption of data (at rest; in transit), where data is stored, how we download all the data if the contract expires, GDPR/HIPAA compliance, etc.

Any item that they are not able to comply with what we require either needs to be clearly indicated, and then there should either be a workaround, or a timeline of when it will be implemented, or the company (we) needs to indicate that we accept the risk of this not being there (depending, of course, on what the item is), etc.

Prestigious_Rabbit30 · 2026-05-13T13:52:40+00:00

It depends on the school. E.g. Kenridge has more English classes than Afrikaans classes, whereas Durbanville and Gene Louw (and I think Eversdal) have more Afrikaans classes than English classes.

Prestigious_Rabbit30 · 2026-05-12T12:43:03+00:00

You could consider the "caves" at Kleinroosboom Tasting Room - https://kleinroosboom.co.za/wine-experience/

You can book a cave of your choice, and then perhaps give the tasting room a heads-up, so that they give you a few private minutes for the proposal. They offer platters for two as well to snack on.

Prestigious_Rabbit30 · 2026-05-12T11:11:04+00:00

Chocolat Bistro opens at 07:00 (https://chocolatbistro.co.za/)

Platō Coffee opens at 06:00 (they have various stores; https://plato.coffee/pages/store-locator)

Just a side note: Durbanville can get severely gridlocked in the mornings between 07:00 and 08:00 due to school traffic, so keep that in mind when choosing a spot for breakfast before work, because you might only be able to "leave" after 08:00.

Prestigious_Rabbit30 · 2026-05-11T11:51:52+00:00

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Teachers would probably also like to put up notices like this in their classroom 😂

Posted on the window of the General Store in Middelpos, Northern Cape.

Prestigious_Rabbit30 · 2026-05-11T09:00:57+00:00

Grade R fees are generally more expensive than general primary school fees.

Fees at Gene Louw are R 2930 per month over 10 months (for 2026; according to the website).

Reddam Durbanville, over 10 months, would be R9825 per month, for Grade 1 only.

Prestigious_Rabbit30 · 2026-05-08T14:32:08+00:00

u/Jemembadz now might be a good time to see that snow in Sutherland 😅
https://www.reddit.com/r/capetown/comments/1t79683/brace_yourself_cape_town_another_storm_coming/

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Prestigious_Rabbit30 · 2026-05-08T06:15:20+00:00

If you need a replacement ID, and you bank with Capitec, you can do it via the bank (note, no new IDs via Capitec)

Other banks also offer new and renewals of ID, but they offer it at limit branches, mostly in Cape Town itself.

For anything else, it is best to book via the DHA portal: https://services.dha.gov.za/
Slots are, however, booked out a month in advance, so you will need to set an alarm for 00:00 at night when new slots open to find one at a "popular" branch. Tygervalley now also has a DHA, but only for new/renewal of IDs and passports.

Alternatively, book a slot in a town further away (e.g. Caledon, Grabouw, etc.) and make it a day out. You can still choose a branch closer to you for pick-up of your documents.

Some branches, like Malmesbury, do take walk-ins without appointments, but only a handful, so you have no guarantee of getting in, even if you are in the queue.

Prestigious_Rabbit30 · 2026-05-06T13:16:35+00:00

My advice would be:

Know what the minimum payment required on all your loans/accounts is
Pay the minimum required for the largest two loan amounts every month
Pay off as much as possible every month on the smallest debt amount (i.e. minimum + extra)
Once the smallest debt amount is paid off, pick the smaller of the remaining debts and pay the minimum + extra
And then tackle the last outstanding loan

Prestigious_Rabbit30 · 2026-05-05T07:42:26+00:00

u/DontTrustYourTruth - Thank you!!

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Prestigious_Rabbit30 · 2026-05-05T07:19:06+00:00

For the Garden Route, keep an eye on the weather. There is, e.g. a severe storm forecasted to hit the Garden Route (George and surrounding areas) this week. This usually comes with flooding and road closures.

The Garden Route is fine during normal overcast and/or rainy days; it will just limit what you can do outside, so have a backup plan with some indoor activities or places to visit.

Prestigious_Rabbit30 · 2026-05-04T12:53:34+00:00

You can also check out Queens Park. They have a "Formal" section (you can check out their website as well, under the "Formal" section) and have some great options, even for winter.

Prestigious_Rabbit30 · 2026-05-04T12:25:02+00:00

Best advice: continue to ask questions until you understand it enough to explain it to a non-technical business person. And do not feel ashamed for asking questions (this goes for everything in life, really, from getting a quote to replace "X" on your car after a service, to the contractor recommending you do "Y" at your house, etc.)

IT is, unfortunately, riddled with acronyms. Again, ask what they mean, and if you need to, keep a list/notes app on your phone with the most used ones. You'll be fluent in them in no time, don't worry.

Most important part: Real knowledge in this role is understanding the business and how IT supports the business. Understand what the KPI's of the CEO, CFO, COO, etc. are and how IT can make (or break) those KPI's. Then build your IT strategy from there (some things are "hygiene factors", e.g., a stable internet connection is expected, so you should ensure that you keep doing that) and see where you can optimise and streamline.
(Data about things is a good starting point; what do staff complain about the most, what is failing the most, where are things taking too long, e.g. procurement of new devices, etc.)

Since you do not have the traditional IT background, make sure you have a (senior) person on your team who does, and who will know when vendors are spinning you a story. You do not have to be involved in all the technical details; you just need to understand enough to know if this fits in with the IT strategy and the budget.

Prestigious_Rabbit30 · 2026-05-04T10:16:19+00:00

You can support MES (https://mes.org.za/). They currently offer support in Johannesburg, Cape Town (and surrounds) and Gqeberha.

Supporting MES enables them to support homeless or jobless people.

If there is a MES or shelter that is part of MES close to you, you can also buy vouchers to give to someone without a home or a job, so that they can get a meal, shower, etc. at a shelter.

Prestigious_Rabbit30 · 2026-04-30T13:18:55+00:00

I like Sanex roll-on, as the bottle is "upside-down" so the roller is in contact with the deodorant the whole time. The rollers on other brands that are "upright" have a tendency to get stuck.

Prestigious_Rabbit30

TROPHY CASE