In this hard-hitting episode of Trust Revolution, Shawn sits down with Bronwyn Williams, a South African futurist and economist, to dissect the collapse of trust in centralized systems. Bronwyn analyzes how globalization and technology challenge institutional credibility, using South Africa’s governance struggles as a backdrop. She critiques AI’s centralizing risks, questions Bitcoin’s decentralized promise, and discusses ways businesses and individuals can rebuild trust. This conversation unravels the dynamics of power and agency in a low-trust world.

About Bronwyn Williams

Bronwyn Williams is a futurist, economist, and partner at Flux Trends, a leading consultancy focused on strategic foresight and trend analysis. Based in Johannesburg, she brings nearly two decades of experience advising global public and private sector clients on fintech, alternative economic models, and sustainable futures. She is the author of Rescuing Our Republic, a book tackling South Africa’s systemic crises, and co-author of The Future Starts Now (Bloomsbury UK), which explores global trends shaping the future. A sought-after speaker and media commentator on platforms like CNBC Africa and eNCA, she also runs What The Future Now?, unpacking chaos theory and future scenarios.

Quotes to Remember

• “Institutions work as long as they give people what they want.” — Bronwyn Williams
• “Democracy is governance by the governed, not a menu of services.” — Bronwyn Williams
• “Automate away your costs, not your value.” — Bronwyn Williams
• “Money is an illusion… Power equals money, not the other way around.” — Bronwyn Williams
• “Bitcoin opened Pandora’s box… It accelerated CBDCs.” — Bronwyn Williams

Resources & Links

• Book: Rescuing Our Republic by Bronwyn Williams – Analysis of South Africa’s governance challenges.
• Book: The Future Starts Now by Bronwyn Williams – Exploring future trends and economic models.
• Book: The Human Experience by John Sills – Insights on building trust in business.
• Follow Bronwyn on X.
• Flux Trends: fluxtrends.com for her trend reports.
• Blog: What The Future Now? for chaos theory and future insights.

Subscribe: https://podcast.trustrevolution.co

Music in this episode by More Ghost Than Man.