Once in a while, I attend these that are hosted by Endeavor South Africa every month at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS). The aim is to inspire, seek out and nurture what they call “high impact” entrepreneurs in several countries including ours. The entrepreneurs are those who will influence and change communities through their business endeavors – awesome initiative, honestly! Last night we were treated to an hour and a half with Dr. Richard Maponya and his daughter Chichi Maponya.

The guy’s a legend! Famously known as one of the original township hustlers who worked his business up to empire – status – and this as a black man DURING APARTHEID!! The whole message was to encourage black entrepreneurs to “persevere”, keep knocking down barriers and breaking glass ceilings and all those types of clichéd but sweet cheerleading chants.

In light of reports about Julius Malema’s cream covered hands in many many tender pies, (and many of his senior “comrades’” business dealings via the good old membership card) what is the fucken point? That was pretty much the energy in the room come Q&A time. This lovely old man, who has clearly worked very hard for his success and had come to share his experiences with the rest of us, was suddenly bombarded with these questions.

In new millennium South Africa, does it matter how hard you try at succeeding or is it all about who you know? Isn’t business, anywhere in the world, all about who you know anyway? Is the bickering and whining, like the woman who has recently moved back from London said, all about that South African chip on the shoulder? Should we just get on with it already?