A Year That Asked More of Us Than We Expected

As 2025 draws to a close, I find myself reflecting not only on what we achieved at Pitso, but on what we endured, what we learned, and who we became in the process.

This was not an easy year.

We faced financial pressures that required us to rethink our assumptions and sharpen our decision-making. Projects stretched far beyond their original timelines, testing our patience, our systems, and at times, our confidence. Some partnerships, we entered into with hope and good faith, did not turn out to be fruitful. And this reminded us that alignment matters just as much as ambition.

We also experienced moments of profound human vulnerability.

We mourned the passing of our Indexer, Dr Harpur, whose contribution to our work and our scholarly community remains deeply valued. We stood beside one of our team members during a difficult hospitalisation. And this was a sobering reminder that no deadline, no deliverable, and no business goal outweighs the well-being of the people behind our work.

These moments changed us.

There came a point where we made the deliberate decision to pause. To step away briefly from the work. To catch our breath. To tend to our mental health and restore our clarity. This was not an act of retreat, nor a sign of weakness. It was an act of leadership and care, grounded in the understanding that the kind of company we are building cannot, and should not, be built overnight.

We did not give up.

Instead, we reflected.

One of the most important milestones of the year was hosting our annual Pitso Team Summit. It was a space for honesty, where we looked closely at our challenges, named our missteps. We extracted lessons and committed to doing better. We spoke openly about what was no longer serving us, and about the changes we needed to make to ensure sustainability, integrity, and growth.

Out of this period of reflection and recalibration, meaningful progress continued to emerge.

We officially launched our “In Collaboration With AI” Research Series, opening up critical conversations about the evolving relationship between knowledge, technology, and authorship. This work represents our commitment to engaging thoughtfully with the future, rather than resisting it or adopting it uncritically. Alongside this, we continued to grow our Reviewer Circle, strengthening the quality, rigour, and community behind the work we publish.

Through it all, I have been reminded of the quiet strength of this team. A team that understands that publishing is not merely about outputs, but about people, process, and purpose. A team that shows up with care, even when the path is uncertain. I am deeply proud to lead such thoughtful and supportive individuals.

I am also profoundly grateful to those who believed in us from the very beginning.

In the complexity of running a company, it is easy to move forward without always looking back, but we have not forgotten. We remain especially thankful to the University of Fort Hare, which trusted us with our very first publication, Foundations of Education. That early belief mattered more than words can express, and it continues to ground us as we grow.

As we look ahead to the coming year, we do so with humility, clarity, and renewed resolve. We are not chasing speed for its own sake. We are committed to building something meaningful, sustainable, and worthy of trust.

To everyone associated with the Pitso brand, clients, partners, reviewers, authors, collaborators, and supporters, thank you for walking this journey with us. We look forward to a fruitful new year and to continuing to nurture the relationships that make this work possible.

Some years are about momentum. Others are about foundations. And 2025 was about laying ours with care.