Entrepreneur and family man Brad Moreland truly embodies the ‘do what you love and love what you do’ philosophy. His passions in life include his family and children, education and extreme sports and Brad has managed to turn all of those passions into successful business ventures. From Flip Clip, the innovative extreme sports accessory you never knew you needed until now, to Kairy, a groundbreaking app that will change the lives of families with special needs children everywhere – Brad has it covered. 

Where were you born?

I was born in Durban, South Africa and spent my teenage years in Cape Town.

What brought you to Hong Kong and how long have you lived here?

I had been living in London for eight years and was tired of the cold weather. I really wanted to move somewhere new and sunny. At the time I was working for Lehman Brothers and every time I spoke to my Hong Kong colleagues, their weekends always looked like so much fun – doing stuff in Hong Kong and travelling around Asia. I had been to Thailand and Bali on holiday but never Hong Kong. The thought of living in Asia seemed exciting, so I asked for a transfer and six months later I was here. Fortunately my lovely Saffa wife (girlfriend at the time) agreed to move with me. We have been in Hong Kong for 11 years now.

What did you do before coming to Hong Kong?

Before Hong Kong I was living in London and working in Investment Banking (Prime Brokerage). I moved to Hong Kong to do the same.

Tell us more about Flip Clip. What inspired the idea?

I was on holiday with my family in Bali and went for a long walk along the beach. After walking quite a distance, I got tired of carrying my flip flops. I thought it would be great if I could clip them on something like my board shorts. And so the idea for Flip Clip was born. I came back to Hong Kong and pitched the idea to my business partner. Together we designed the product as it is today. We are now also working on a new version called FC Xtreme which will be made public soon. We’re also working on two other large deals and if we can pull them off then we will be super stoked!

 Flip Clip supports the Surfers Not Street Children initiative. Can you tell us more about that?

Surfers Not Street Children is an incredible charity run out of Durban, South Africa. They take children off the streets and house, clothe and feed them as well as teach them how to surf.  By doing so, it gives them a greater purpose in life – an activity to focus their energy on. Some of the children have even gone on to become professional surfers. Not only is SNSC supported by the WSL, Kelly Slater, Jordy Smith and some other big names in the surf industry, but they are also supported by Prince Harry. The founder, Tom Hewitt,  has also received an MBE for his efforts. We are extremely proud to be working with SNSC and a percentage of all our proceeds goes to them. Please visit their website www.surfnotstreets.org to read more about the great work that they do and donate to their amazing cause if you can.

What is your favourite thing about Hong Kong?

This is a difficult question as there are so many things I love about Hong Kong. If I had to choose, it would be the safety, cheap and reliable public transport, amazing bars and restaurants, junk boats, hiking, wake boarding and making amazing friends from all over the world.

What do you miss most about South Africa?

I left South Africa 19 years ago, but I always miss the bush and that amazing feeling you get once you’ve landed and you realise you are in Africa. South Africa obviously has its issues which everyone is aware of, but there is no better feeling  than catching up with family and friends, being barefoot, and having a proper wood braai while watching the African sun set with a Klippies and Coke in hand. LOL!

What is your favourite place in South Africa?

Wow, this is a tough one but I would have to say Cape Town. The mountain, the beaches, the waterfront, the list just goes on! It’s always great to be on holiday in Cape Town as it has so much to offer. Only the wind can be lank kak sometimes…well most of the time actually. Haha!

Do you have a favourite South African expression or saying?

I have loads that I use all the time – ‘kiff my bru, howzit my boet, jas that’s lank kak, nooit bru’. Needless to say, the more beers I’ve had the harder the slang.

What’s next for you? We hear a move to Bali is on the cards.

Hong Kong is an awesome place and I have had an amazing time here. We’ve made some incredible life-long friends and my two sons were born here. However, it’s now time to head somewhere new and take on a new challenge, so we will be moving to Bali at the end of August 2018. I have also decided to leave the banking industry and will be doing something completely new. Although I’m a bit nervous, I am also really looking forward to the challenge. I will be starting up a new business there (Kereta Pantai Bali) and will also continue to manage the other businesses we started in Hong Kong – Flip Clip, Kairy and Evolearn. We will still be popping into Hong Kong occasionally for business and to maintain our PR, also allowing us to catch up with our friends as often as possible.