Many people believe that quitting your job and becoming an entrepreneur is a romantic notion, but being your own boss isn’t just about freedom. Nor is it about the status that comes your way when you innovate the product or service that no one knew, until now, they simply could not live without. And it’s not even about the amazing income you’ll be getting when your start-up hits the big time. Entrepreneurship is none of these things. It’s about plain hard work which often garners little – if any – reward. It’s about keeping going even when you feel you have no more to give and remaining focused and consistent when all you want to do is walk away. It’s about searching through dustbins for business, leaving no stone unturned.

After hitting a brick wall in both his business and personal life in 2006, Pepe Marais discovered his purpose on which he rebuilt all aspects of his life over the course of the next fourteen years. The results of his purposeful approach to life have been nothing short of spectacular and in this, his second book, Pepe once again sets out to deliver on his personal purpose: to bring out the best in those around him. The life lessons that Pepe provides in 20 Habits That Break Habits are based on Aristotle’s insight that we are what we repeatedly do, and that excellence therefore is not an act, but a habit. Through his own experience, Pepe has learnt that there are two kinds of habits: those that limit us and those that liberate us. And in order to eradicate a limiting habit, you simply have to replace it with a liberating one.

Exhausted? Strung out? Shackled in your own invisible straitjacket of stress? Seventy per cent of us spend most of our day in a state of stress, with our nervous systems in a position of fight, flight or freeze. Modern day stress has become pervasive in all aspects of our lives through constant pressure, the weight of perceived expectations and the drive to be always on. Many live with an energy and nervous system that feels like a tightly clenched fist, rather than an easeful, gently unfurling hand. Staying shackled in a state of overwhelm and stress has far-reaching consequences on our health. We often only pay attention when illness strikes, having tuned out to all the messages our bodies were sending us along the way. Health whispers until one day it screams. Let’s not wait for the scream.

This is the codex of hustle. A book of the lessons that I wish someone had shared with me earlier. Lessons that will help you push harder, keep leaner and leapfrog the successes of ‘those successful guys’. – MARNUS BROODRYK Another one of those books about ‘rules’? Yes – except that this one may be the defining factor that will turn your dream into reality. Many have succeeded at being an entrepreneur, but many, many more have failed. Which side would you rather be on? Sure, entrepreneurship is often about breaking the rules. But there are also a number of them that you should follow if you want to survive long enough to see what happens when you do. A business should be more than just a venture – it should be an adventure! The difference between a successful journey, rather than a wasted one, is knowing when to do what. That is what this book is about. Not science, but experience. The rules of hustle.

ERIK KRUGER is a high-performance coach and founder of the Mental Performance Lab. He writes an email early each morning which he sends to many thousands of subscribers. The aim of his daily message is to inspire people, asking them to reflect and act. Packed with more than 160 thoughtful reflections on what it takes to live a life of action and not words, Acta Non Verba’s purpose is to get people moving, creating, and generating an unstoppable drive in both their business and personal journeys. The words Acta Non Verba is the sign-off Erik uses in all his emails. This simple Latin phrase, meaning ‘Actions Not Words’, has started a movement. It’s a plea; a call to create your life instead of living it by default, a call to show your intentions instead of merely speaking about them. It’s a call to live to your fullest potential.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is upending life, work, and play as we know it … and it’s only just getting started. The rise of AI is a milestone on par with the discovery of fire, the invention of the wheel, and the creation of the internet. In short, AI is going to change everything. For some, that’s an exciting prospect. For others, it’s terrifying. However you feel about AI, there’s no escaping it, whether you’re in a global metropolis or a farmer in rural KwaZulu-Natal. Dr. Mark Nasila has been watching AI’s ascent for over a decade, studying its effects on everything from agriculture and aviation to healthcare, education, entertainment, crime prevention, energy management, policy creation, finance, and anything in between, and applying them to his role at one of South Africa’s most successful financial institutions, First National Bank, a division of FirstRand Group.