5 Mid Mornings

Are we quick to block people or purely just protecting our peace?

SARB indicator suggests SA economy may be headed for slower growth

• Sharp Decline: The SARB’s Composite Leading Business Cycle Indicator fell by 1.8% in April (dropping from 121.1 to 118.9), completely reversing the previous month's gains.
• Slower Momentum: Because this indicator tracks forward-looking economic data, the sharp decline points directly to a loss of economic momentum and slower growth for South Africa in the near term.
• Widespread Weakness: Eight out of the ten data components decreased, heavily dragged down by plunging business confidence, fewer approved residential building plans, and slower job advertisement growth.
• The Outlook: While economists note that an outright recession isn't an immediate threat, the country remains stuck in a low-growth rut (around 1% GDP growth for the year) exacerbated by high energy costs and tight monetary policy.

Because of the state of our economy we have to give up so many “luxuries” but no matter how bad things get, what’s a “luxury” you refuse to give up?

A wife surprised her husband with front-row World Cup tickets—but the twist is, she funded the entire thing by selling her foot pics online. The husband is ecstatic about the matches, but the timeline is deeply split down the middle on how the bag was secured.

• The Reality: In this economy, secure the bag by any means necessary, right? But let's be entirely honest—most gents walk around claiming they want a "traditional relationship" and are highly protective of their partner's image online. Yet, the second an all-expenses-paid trip to the World Cup drops into their lap funded by anonymous foot-fetish subscribers, suddenly the morals get a little blurry.
• The Math: World Cup tickets, flights, and accommodation cost a premium fortune. If a few high-resolution shots of your toes can wipe out a financial hurdle that would take months of corporate grinding to afford, is it actually a hustle or a relationship dealbreaker?

Today, for wellness Wednesday – we get to chat to Donovan. He is a national record holder, a powerhouse from Joburg's Pirates Running Club, and a man rewriting what is physically possible, no matter the age. Just two months ago, he shattered the South African record by running a staggering 288 kilometres in a brutal, last-man-standing endurance race.

His name is Donovan Shirley, and last weekend, he took on his most meaningful challenge yet. To launch his "Get Back Up" campaign for men's mental health, Donovan ran the entire Comrades route in reverse through the night, then turned right around to smash the official "Up Run" on zero sleep - covering 185 kilometres in 24 hours to raise vital funds for SADAG.

He is an absolute machine with a massive heart, and he joins us right now. Donovan, welcome to 5 Mid Mornings!

The internet is in an absolute chokehold right now over a viral post where someone brought actual, physical Tupperware containers out of their bag at the table to pack away a single burger meal. Half the timeline is calling it genius financial budgeting, and the other half is cringing so hard they can't look at their screens.

The digital landscape has long been dominated by rapid-fire, bite-sized content designed to satisfy short attention spans—think TikTok videos, Instagram Reels, and character-limited tweets. However, the trend is shifting. Long-form writing—ranging from deep-dive essays and serialized digital publications to independent platforms like Substack—is experiencing a major resurgence and finding new life among digital audiences. Readers are increasingly seeking depth, nuance, and slow-paced storytelling over the endless, chaotic scroll of social media headlines.

A proposal being discussed in Russia suggests switching off electricity and internet access at night to encourage people to spend less time online and more time connecting offline, with the aim of addressing declining birth rates. The idea has sparked debate, with critics arguing that economic pressures, housing costs, and financial uncertainty play a far bigger role in family planning than late-night screen time. In this episode, we unpack the proposal and ask whether limiting technology could really influence how people build relationships and start families.

Driven by data from Euromonitor International, the article highlights a notable shift in global consumer behaviour as growing awareness of sleep health and personal caffeine sensitivity changes lifestyle habits. Rather than giving up coffee or energy drinks entirely, individuals are becoming much more intentional about the timing of their consumption. This shift is manifesting in an increasingly popular trend of pulling caffeine intake forward to much earlier in the day to ensure that the body has ample time to fully metabolize the stimulant before bedtime, thereby protecting vital deep sleep cycles.

For the late-afternoon and evening hours, the demand is moving rapidly toward caffeine-free and herbal alternatives. As consumers prioritize overall wellness, the market is seeing a major rise in specialized functional teas and decaffeinated beverages. Ultimately, the article underscores a broader cultural pivot toward proactive sleep hygiene, where managing our daily chemical relationship with caffeine is recognized as a fundamental pillar of achieving a restorative night's
rest. Karabo is known for drinking a lot of caffeine/energy drinks, can we challenge her to cut down to, at least, 2 a day and only in the morning?