Dear Safreans,

I am mindful that when November comes around and many people are starting to look forward to the holiday season, for freelancers this can be a time of uncertainty and stress.

Some clients may be demanding extra work with tighter deadlines and no guarantee that they will make payments before the end of the year. Others will only be planning new projects in the new year, which means that this is a time when costs are rising, while the freelancer’s income is dropping.

In Exco, we have gone through a very difficult period, where one member laid a complaint against another for a breach in protocol. As is the case whenever anything like this happens, the resolution is not completely satisfactory for all parties. That said, while I am sad about the fact that it happened at all, and the disruption that the resolution has inevitably caused, I am proud of the way the issue was handled by vice-chair, Hush Naidoo, and the committee, with minimum disruption to the general membership.

So, as we emerge from a time of stress, and enter another potentially fraught season, I am asking us all to be slow to take offence and quick to give encouragement. Let’s be gentle with each other!

Our photographer

This month’s featured photographer is Okkert Brits. His images can be seen on Instagram @images_of_black (https://www.instagram.com/images_of_black/?hl=en). Thank you to Okkert for the use of his images in the newsletter.

Yours in freelancing,

Lynne Smit, Chairman