I started writing a weekly column for The Common Sense a year ago. It’s been quite a ride. What have I learned along the way? In this week’s column I am going meta and writing about my column.

Midway through 2025, I met with Dr Frans Cronje, who was bristling with excitement as he told me about his latest project: a digital news platform that was going to shake up the domestic media scene.

I was curious to learn about this yet-to-be-named publication which sought to combine hard-nosed realism with a relentless positivity for the future. Before I left the meeting, and almost as an aside, Frans said to me: “You should write a column for us.”

I was at once intrigued and intimidated by the proposal. I said I would think about it, but I knew that I couldn’t say no to Frans Cronje (very few people can).

Given my position in one of South Africa’s most prominent think tanks, I had long felt that I needed to publish more regularly and train my writing muscle. In this, I was inspired by the late John Kane-Berman – Frans’s predecessor at the Institute of Race Relations (IRR) – whose weekly columns were always concise and incisive.

Now, I am not comparing myself to the great JKB, but he certainly set the standard that I had long wished to emulate.

I was similarly inspired by other prolific South African columnists such as William Saunderson-Meyer, Simon Lincoln Reader (who also writes for these pages), Jonathan Katzenellenbogen and, of course, my colleague at the Free Market Foundation, Dr Martin van Staden.

Collectively, these writers have produced thousands of articles by simply showing up every week. The weeks turn into months, years, and in some instances decades and the words keep coming.

These chaps, and a few others who I haven’t mentioned, are like familiar companions, shaping my understanding of South Africa and the world.

It was time for me to contribute too.

Nevertheless, I was a bit daunted by the prospect of a weekly publication schedule. What on earth will I write about, I thought? What if nobody reads my stuff? Will I be able to hit my deadlines amidst my other work and family commitments?

I once read that you should let fear be your compass. If you’re intimidated by a big project or feel some resistance to it, that’s a sign that you should probably do it. So, I jumped right in, committing to a weekly column on a Friday (and sometimes a Saturday) for what became The Common Sense.

My first piece went live on 5 September 2025, entitled “Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars.” It sought to capture the awkward contradiction of life in South Africa where you fluctuate between giddy optimism and utter despair. This is an unhealthy attitude, I wrote:

"If everything will be okay in the end, or we’re all screwed anyway, then why bother to change anything at all? Pollyannas and prophets of doom share a common trait: passively observing from the sidelines."

I concluded with a sentiment that I like to think still applies to my approach to living at the southern tip of Africa, and how I write about it:

“We have real problems here in South Africa. But none of these problems are unsolvable. We have a choice about what kind of future we want, and we can either make it happen or let it happen. I choose to make it happen.”

Surveying old writing is like peering into a time capsule. You learn about what animates you and identify some recurring themes.

Over the past year, I wrote a lot about the pernicious effects of race law, how to resist the perils of socialism, and the turbulent relationship between South Africa and the United States. I also managed to sneak in a couple of humblebrags about running the Comrades Marathon.

You can explore my earlier pieces by visiting my author profile.

On Writing

The more you write, the easier it becomes.

Sometimes, however, you hit the wall and meeting the weekly deadline seems almost impossible. If life gets too hectic, or I run out of things to say, I will either repurpose a speech or share an extract from a report I have written.

I hope you will bear with me when I do this; often I am simply unable to do more. But I must remind myself that if I can’t be bothered to put in the effort to write a piece, then why should anyone be bothered to read it?

Which is the reason why I don’t use artificial intelligence (AI) to write my articles. Not because I am anti-AI (I am not), but because writing is thinking. And when you delegate your writing to a model, you effectively outsource your thinking.

AI is a fantastic research tool and fact checker, but it is no substitute for human insight and observation. And the messy imperfection of human writing is exactly what makes it appealing. Just like humans themselves.

In addition to being a columnist for The Common Sense, I am also a reader and a fan. It has been a pleasure watching the publication grow over the past year. It is now a staple in my reading diet, and I am chuffed to be able to contribute in my own small way.

I am indebted to my editors, who are far too patient with my late submissions and who catch my many errors. And to you, dear reader, thank you for your precious attention. I will not waste it.

Ansara is CEO of the Free Market Foundation.