The mayor of Johannesburg recently came to New Yorkto attract investment in Johannesburg, bringing his own inspiring backstory.
Executive Mayor Herman Mashaba spoke with potential investors in South African tourism, construction and manufacturing at a luncheon at the Four Seasons Downtown New York.
Though he is from a different hemisphere, Mashaba was in his element among the investment community. He is one of South Africa's most successful investors, as well as a successful author, speaker and international celebrity.
Herman Mashaba's biography is like a fairy tale success story. He grew up in a South African village, and his father died when he was 2 years old. The only people to look after him were his older siblings because his mother was always away taking care of white children and doing housekeeping for a white family.
In spite of growing up in apartheid South Africa, where it was illegal for a black man to even own a business, he became a vastly successful entrepreneur. His success in insurance, hair products, construction, energy and real estate, made him wealthy enough that he could put his "extra money" into causes he believed in-such as the Field Rand Foundation, which is dedicated to teaching children life skills through music; and Black Like Us, an organization that supports women artists.
As chairman of the Free Market Foundation, Mashaba has dedicated himself to bringing the fruits of capitalism to South Africans and working to realize Nelson Mandela's pledge that "Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another."
In recent years, Mashaba has become an increasingly vocal critic of South African President Jacob Zuma and the African National Congress-the party of Nelson Mandela-which Mashaba believes has abandoned Mandela's vision. Mashaba's passion for social causes eventually led him to get into politics himself.
"The people of South Africa rewarded me for my business ideas," he told the audience at the Four Seasons New York Downtown. "I am indebted to them in my country. So a few years ago when things started to become uncomfortable for me, I threw my hat into the ring. I offered my services."
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He ran for mayor of Johannesburg in 2015 and was elected. Now in office for 10 months, Mashaba has hired 1,500 new police, added a night shift to the city's maintenance operations, launched road repair projects and taken other radical steps to spruce up the city and make it more attractive to visitors and investors. His plans to revitalize Johannesburg ultimately depend on bringing in foreign dollars, through both tourism and direct investment.
Mashaba's mission to churn up the Joburg economy actually reaches beyond his concern for the city itself.
Johannesburg, he said, is "the economic heartbeat of South Africa, the economic heartbeat of the continent. I strongly believe the economy of South Africa is not going to work as long as Johannesburg doesn't work."
In August, Mashaba plans to lead a voluntary cleanup program to inspire citizens to take pride in cleaning up their city and making it inviting to visitors.
"My wife and I visited Rwanda, and I was very impressed with what they do," said Mashaba. "Once a month for four hours the entire society cleans up, not just the city, the whole country. In July, I'm sending a team to interact with Rwandans to learn from them, and we'll be launching this program so I can get the residents of the city of Joburg once a month to all go out and clean. I'll lead the cleaning campaign myself."
In Rwanda, the monthly cleanup is compulsory, but it won't be in South Africa.
"Living under a democratic government, you can't force people, but I'm working with my marketing people on it," said Mashaba. "I'm totally convinced I'm going to get a big percentage of my community behind this."
If successful, the campaign will build morale and community spirit while helping make Johannesburg show a smiling face to visitors.
"When people are visiting, you need a clean city, a safe city, a responsive government and professional public service," he said.
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The shift from private business to government is even more challenging than business, Mashaba said.
"It's been an excellent journey," he said. "It's quite a daunting task. It's scary. After 10 months of having this administration, I can tell you. I thought in the last 35 years of my career I was a hard working man. I can assure you, the last 35 years in business I was on holiday. So for you as business people, if you think you are hard working, you guys are on holiday. Join the political office, public service, you'll see."
Nonetheless, it's obvious from the twinkle in his eye and the spring in his step that he relishes what he is doing.
"At the same time," Mashaba said, "it's a privilege, the job I am doing. Every morning I wake up grateful. I have always declared with this job that I am not a politician. I don't want to become a politician. I am a public servant. The people of Johannesburg demanded change. I am here to give it to them."
In spite of South Africa's problems, Mashaba said, it has something unique and important to share with the world through its valiant attempts to live up to Nelson Mandela's vision of "a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities."
"I am totally convinced that in the long-term South Africa will be a model of what human beings' society can be," Mashaba said. "For some reason, God must have had a plan in South Africa to show what the world should look like. God didn't make a mistake. We're not an accident, to be who we are, to be black, white and everything, men and women. God made us, and now our survival is dependent on our coexistence."
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