Roelof van den Berg

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Group CEO and Co-Founder of Gap Infrastructure Corporation | Innovator & Visionary in African Infrastructure | Blaauwklippen Wine Estate Owner | Griquas Rugby Union Board Member | Govan Mbeki Award Winner

Chesterton’s Fence is a useful principle for any leader making changes:Before removing a rule, process, or structure, it...
28/05/2026

Chesterton’s Fence is a useful principle for any leader making changes:

Before removing a rule, process, or structure, it is worth understanding why it was put in place in the first place.

Every existing system does not deserve to remain untouched, but some things are doing a job that only becomes obvious once they are taken away.

The risk often lies in acting before the logic has been understood.

Something looks inefficient, outdated, or unnecessarily complicated, so the instinct is to clear it out quickly. Sometimes that is the right call. Sometimes it is not.

Some structures have outlived their usefulness. Others are holding risk in place, creating order, or protecting a standard that only becomes easier to appreciate once it has been disturbed.

Change usually holds up better when people have taken the time to understand the logic beneath the current system.

Removing something is easy. Knowing what will move once it is gone is the harder part.

I find a lot of value in doing something physically demanding before the day properly begins.A walk, bike ride, training...
27/05/2026

I find a lot of value in doing something physically demanding before the day properly begins.

A walk, bike ride, training session, or whatever it may be, clears the head and brings a certain order to the day before other demands begin competing for attention.

It changes the footing of the day.

By the time work starts, you have already asked something of yourself before the day starts asking things of you.

That changes the tone. Pressure feels easier to absorb, distractions carry less weight, and your attention settles more quickly.

The day ahead may still bring its pressures, but you are less likely to be shaped by it.

Early momentum is often the easiest part of a project to see.Starts tend to get attention. There is visible movement, cl...
26/05/2026

Early momentum is often the easiest part of a project to see.

Starts tend to get attention. There is visible movement, clear activity, and a sense that things are underway.

Finishing well calls for a different kind of discipline.

By then, the pressure has changed. Deadlines feel closer, patience is thinner, and the temptation to ease off on the last stretch can be surprisingly strong.

That is where standards, care, and follow-through matter most.

Finishing well says a great deal about the discipline behind the work. It shows whether quality was only present when it was easy, or whether it held its place when the process became more demanding.

A strong finish reflects a team that stayed attentive, kept its standards in place, and understood that the last part of the work still carries the name of everything that came before it.

What happens at the end usually reflects what was truly valued throughout.

Winning breeds winning, and a single victory is all you need to lay the foundation for success. I hope 2026 is that foun...
25/05/2026

Winning breeds winning, and a single victory is all you need to lay the foundation for success.

I hope 2026 is that foundation for Orlando Pirates, who deservedly claimed their first PSL title in 14 years to snap Sundowns’ eight-season winning streak.

Their success was built from the back, conceding only 12 goals across 30 games to overcome Sundowns, who should also be congratulated for winning the CAF Champions League for the second time.

It really highlights what a great season Pirates have had and already draws the battle lines for the 2026/27 season.

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the horizon, and 25 PSL players in the 32-man provisional squad, let’s hope Pirates taking the title against a powerful rival builds a great platform for Bafana Bafana in North America this year.

My work at Blaauwklippen Vineyards has reinforced the importance of drawing inspiration when the chips are down. The Ma...
25/05/2026

My work at Blaauwklippen Vineyards has reinforced the importance of drawing inspiration when the chips are down.

The Manor House fire in 2024 was an event that would knock down many a business and leader, but from the literal ashes, we realised there was an opportunity to tell Blaauwklippen’s centuries-long story through the Manor House and its rebirth.

The documentary that emerged took a couple of years to make, which makes Blaauwklippen showcasing it to delegates as part of the World Travel Market Africa’s 2026 Wine Tourism Track so special.

When we started the journey, we did not know what the end result would be. Today, I’m so proud of how we tell Blaauwklippen’s story, but more importantly, that of South Africa’s wine sector.

You can read more about the documentary and the WTMA here: https://www.wineland.co.za/heritage-on-display-blaauwklippen-debuts-documentary-at-wtm-africa-to-celebrate-sa-winemaking-history/

21/05/2026

For many years, infrastructure success was equated with scale. The larger the project, the greater the perceived impact.

What I see across South Africa today tells a different story. Smaller, repeatable infrastructure projects are moving from planning to operation more reliably.

They reach construction faster, carry lower ex*****on risk, and progress through funding and approvals with greater certainty.

Their advantage lies in ex*****on discipline. Tighter scopes support practical design, predictable timelines, and controlled risk. Repeating similar asset types allows teams to standardise delivery, improving cost certainty and speed with each project.

This approach also aligns more closely with bankability. Projects with clear delivery paths, realistic time horizons, and predictable cash flows are easier to prepare and finance, reflecting Infrastructure South Africa’s focus on project preparation and investment readiness.

National Treasury’s 2026 Cities Economic Outlook reinforces how much of South Africa’s economic future depends on whethe...
20/05/2026

National Treasury’s 2026 Cities Economic Outlook reinforces how much of South Africa’s economic future depends on whether its metros can deliver infrastructure, services, and investment conditions effectively.

A significant share of economic activity, movement, and opportunity sits in and around these urban centres. When metros are working well, the effects extend well beyond their boundaries.

They support investment, improve the flow of business activity, and strengthen the conditions in which growth and employment can take place.

Urban delivery sits close to the centre of the growth story. Infrastructure reliability, service performance, and a stable operating environment shape whether broader economic momentum can hold.

Strong metros support a stronger economy around them.

19/05/2026

Changing a life is more often than not achieved step by step rather than in one fell swoop.

In March, Gap Infrastructure Corporation donated 23 laptops to Ipetleng Secondary School in Bolokanang, Petrusburg, and Barkly East High School in Ekhephini (formerly Barkley East), areas where GIC has partnered with the local community to deliver projects for much-needed services and infrastructure.

These schools support hundreds of learners, playing a vital role in their respective communities. I’m very proud that GIC is playing its part in helping learners access the digital world, which will be crucial to their futures.

My friend and colleague, Olebogeng Manhe, is also sharing the same video today because we both strongly believe in how access to knowledge and opportunity drives real change, and what it means when, as Olebogeng says, “learners are backed to do what they do best: learn.”

It’s why changing lives is integrated into our daily work at GIC. Every day is an opportunity to change a person’s life in small ways that, over time, really move the dial.

South Africa produces businesses that punch far above its weight. Case in point, and a brand I've enjoyed watching over ...
18/05/2026

South Africa produces businesses that punch far above its weight.

Case in point, and a brand I've enjoyed watching over the last few years: Old School.

As reported, brothers Stef and Daneel Steinman wanted to wear vintage shirts to support the Springboks at the 2019 World Cup, but couldn't find any, so they made their own.

As Daneel, Old School's CEO, says, "𝘞𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢 𝘚𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘣𝘰𝘬 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘸𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘵."

As he explained, they had no concept of intellectual property or copyright at the time.

On the eve of launch, they were sued by the SA Rugby Union for those exact things. But instead of it being the end, Old School and SARU reached an agreement that led to a partnership that has only grown.

Only a few years later, the company has partnered with South Africa's leading sports teams, including the Springboks, Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates, and has now partnered with international brands such as LIV Golf, Liverpool, and the NBA.

It sounds simple, but sometimes the best way to grow a business is to just get started, and if things go your way, avoid fatal mistakes while learning from them on the way.

There is a certain kind of judgment that only comes from repeated exposure.When you have seen enough projects, setbacks,...
14/05/2026

There is a certain kind of judgment that only comes from repeated exposure.

When you have seen enough projects, setbacks, false starts, and recoveries, you begin to recognise patterns earlier. That is the value of experience.

Certain warning signs stand out more quickly, and so do the smaller indicators that suggest a team, plan, or process is holding up well under pressure.

Repetition sharpens the eye. You start to see which problems are likely to pass, and which ones are more likely to grow if they are left alone.

A recent article in the Harvard Business Review about exceptional companies summarises so well what separates the very b...
13/05/2026

A recent article in the Harvard Business Review about exceptional companies summarises so well what separates the very best from everyone else.

In short, it highlights what the best CEOs do differently (or avoid doing) to drive performance. These are:

1. Creating strategic clarity to align the organisation
2. Getting the talent to match their growth ambitions
3. Relentlessly focusing on high-impact priorities
4. Leveraging systems to implement routines that drive intent and accountability

The focus on high-impact priorities, for example, is very important. An organisation has a finite amount of capital, expertise, and crucially, time, to theorise and implement initiatives designed to move a business forward.

Assumptions are very dangerous in business, but if there is one assumption I always make, it's assuming that our leadership team or I may be wrong about an initiative. Always stress-test an initiative's real performance and outcomes against our initial objectives.

Sunk costs are always a bad decision away.

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