Building Impact Across Borders: A Founder’s Journey Through Startups, Setbacks, and Social Change with Justinus Adriaanse

In this wide-ranging and deeply personal conversation, we sit down with Justinus Adriaanse—a South African-born entrepreneur whose life journey spans tech startups, social impact, and the pursuit of a more just world. From launching and scaling one of South Africa’s leading real estate platforms to founding a tuition-free coding academy for underserved youth, Justinus shares a remarkable story of transformation shaped by adversity, leadership, and an evolving worldview.

We explore the cultural forces that shaped his early assumptions, the inflection points that shifted his path, and the lessons learned from business success, personal hardship, and moving his family across continents. With honesty and clarity, Justinus reflects on growing as a leader, learning to code at 30, building inclusive organizations—and why happiness might just come down to expectations (and a good meal at Nando’s).

Links and Resources

• Justinus on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinusadriaanse/
• WeThinkCode – A South African non-profit coding academy co-founded by Justinus https://www.wethinkcode.co.za/
• Private Property – Real estate portal he helped grow and transform https://www.privateproperty.co.za/
• Tommy Gun’s Barbershop – The Canadian business Justinus now helps operate and grow https://www.tommyguns.com/
• Solve for Happy by Mo Gawdat – Book on happiness and expectations https://www.mogawdat.com/solve-for-happy
• Crucial Conversations & Crucial Influence – Frameworks that shaped his leadership style https://cruciallearning.com/
• Time to Think by Nancy Kline – On creating space for better decision-making https://www.timetothink.com/
• The Art of Possibility by Rosamund & Benjamin Zander – A book about mindset shifts and reframing assumptions https://www.benjaminzander.org/the-art-of-possibility/

Quotes Worth Sharing

• “You can’t always change the world you live in, but you can change your expectations of it—and that’s where happiness begins.”
• “Coding taught me a process for problem solving—without risk. That’s the magic.”
• “If we create the right process and work on ourselves, we can make a great partnership with 80% of the population.”
• “We’re either building a country that works for everyone—or eventually it works for no one.”
• “It’s not about picking the best decision. It’s about picking the best decision people can buy into.”

Chapter Breakdown
02:50 – Growing Up in Apartheid-Era South Africa.
07:00 – Building & Scaling Private Property
20:00 – Turning It Around
28:00 – A New Life in Canada
35:00 – Tommy Gun’s & Canadian Business
40:00 – Tech for Opportunity: WeThinkCode
52:00 – Reframing Identity Through an MBA
69:00 – Partnership Conflict & Crucial Conversations
77:00 – Coding, AI & Problem-Solving
83:00 – Buying vs. Building a Business
88:00 – Entrepreneurial Cultures: SA vs. Canada
94:00 – Long-Term Focus & Leadership Growth
103:00 – On Happiness, Health & Perspective
Finding joy in the simple—Nando’s included.