From Cape Town to Canada: A Global Executive Journey with Steve Felder - EP 66

Steve Felder is a South African global executive who has lived and worked across five continents over 25 years — from Cape Town to Joburg, Pittsburgh to Tel Aviv, Nairobi to Mumbai, Copenhagen to Montreal. He built his career in shipping and logistics with Maersk and Safmarine, leading businesses across Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, before making the leap into entrepreneurship. Today he runs a cybersecurity venture in Canada, sits on several boards, and is still very much a South African at heart. In this conversation, Steve shares an extraordinary story of relentless reinvention, the trade-offs of a global life, raising third culture kids, and what it really takes to thrive when you keep starting over.Timestamps00:00 – Introduction: Meet Steve Felder, Montreal-based global executive01:18 – Growing up in Cape Town, dropping out of UCT, and the early move to Joburg02:29 – First attempt to move to Canada; Sweets from Heaven and running US stores04:20 – Back to South Africa: Jetline and African Bank06:30 – Joining Maersk/Safmarine — entering shipping with no industry experience08:00 – Chief Commercial Officer for Africa; traveling the continent09:50 – Moving to Israel (2008) as MD; life in Tel Aviv, son born on Freedom Day12:30 – East Africa (2012): Running Maersk across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and beyond15:00 – Mumbai (2017): Leading South Asia; COVID lockdown in a 20-million-person city18:40 – Family splits between India and Copenhagen during the pandemic21:30 – Life today: sabbatical, pickleball, cybersecurity venture, boards and advising25:45 – Comparing countries: Kenya as the favourite27:40 – Settling in across relocations — and why Canada was the hardest landing32:00 – The importance of a strong family unit when relocating repeatedly33:40 – India: "Expats cry twice — once when you arrive, once when you leave"34:00 – How the kids identify: third culture kids who say "South Africa" even though they've never lived there36:40 – Red tape around the world: Kenya easy, India brutal, UAE astonishing41:09 – When did Steve realise he wasn't going back?44:45 – Are South Africans more adaptable? The can-do attitude48:21 – Living in Israel: perspective on the conflict from someone who was there51:21 – Advice to a young South African: stay or go?53:38 – Closing reflections and farewellIf this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who needs to hear it. Leave a review for Marilise and her books, and don't forget to follow and rate The Relocated South African wherever you listen to podcasts.Your documents should not slow down your new life. Apostil obtains, processes, and couriers South African police clearances, apostille certificates, unabridged documents, and more, directly to your door, anywhere in the world.Fast, professional, and stress-free. Need your documents sorted? Visit Apostil here -⁠https://tinyurl.com/apostilcoza⁠Documents with convenience.