Sekunjalo Chairperson Dr Iqbal Survé spoke candidly about his past, his rise in business, and the challenges facing South Africa, while also teasing the release of his autobiography. Picture: Video Screenshot
Sekunjalo Chairman Dr Iqbal Survé shared about his journey from overcoming poverty to becoming a South African media mogul on the Moya Podcast.
“We know our background doesn’t come from white capital monopoly backing,” quipped show host Ntsiki Mazwai during the start of the interview.
To which Dr Survé replied: “Like most black South Africans, I came from humble beginnings, I am very proud of that, because in my view, that part of my life taught me a couple of things.
“It makes you humble, teaches you humility. The second you understand that people struggle and how difficult it is to make a living.”
He said there was beauty in ordinary people.
“I don’t buy this nonsense that wealthy people are necessarily better. In our country we have we have so many people beautiful people that are poor and not given the opportunity.
“If people stopped being greedy and stopped these big corporates from trying to control everything and open our society up in many different ways - including business, for creatives, and artists we can become the most amazing country in the world.”
Survé said he didn’t see coming from humble beginnings as an obstacle in his life.
“Far from it. I think it was the greatest privilege ever given to me.
“To be in the struggle and to be able to have empathy with the poor is a gift that alot of people should enjoy, it makes you stronger.”
Dr Survé grew up in Cape Town. His father was the eldest of 11 children and they owned a tiny café.
He sold copies of newspapers to assist his family — 100 copies of the Cape Times in the morning, and 100 copies of the Cape Argus.
“If I look back at it, seven people slept in one room in our family.
“When I go back and look at it, it doesn’t seem so small.
“You don’t really feel the poverty at the time. It was hard, but if I look back it was just part of everything.”
He said apartheid was in full swing when he grew up in Cape Town.
“You were segregated from the time you were born until you died.”
Dr Survé studied medicine at the University of Cape Town and was only 10% of non-white accepted into the institution.
He said it was not easy because at the time you needed the minister of education to give you a special permit.
When you study there you are reminded that you are lucky to be here, Dr Survé said.
“It was a time I became very politicised. My family was very conservative.”
He spoke about witnessing the heartbreak of the Group Areas Act.
Survé said he learnt politics at school.
“We came from a poor family, but we were not that poor, we had food.”
One of the turning points was visiting Gugulethu township during his schooling career to watch a play “We shall sing for the Fatherland”.
He said the play was about two activists or guerillas talking about when liberation came, how they were left out of getting any benefits.
“Isn’t it ironic that so many people today have not benefited from post-apartheid South Africa?” Dr Survé quizzed.
Dr Survé said he was shocked by the poverty going in Gugulethu now.
“My God, it’s ten times worse now.
“I saw apartheid more than a race thing, it was about poverty and exploiting people.”
Dr Survé became actively involved in politics and started the first Black Student Society.
“I was always driven by this sense that apartheid was more than just about race.
“Apartheid is a grave injustice in terms of poverty, taking away people dignity.
“Just destroying people, killing their minds — killing their creativity.”
When talking about how he became an entrepreneur, Dr Survé said he was a medical doctor who qualified from UCT and went to Zimbabwe to do his medical elective.
He also hinted at his upcoming autobiography which he said would be released soon.
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