Step back back and return to basics

First published on I Am An Entrepreneur in 2020. I have been looking back over some of the things I wrote during lockdown to see if it is still relevant. It is now two months since the South African government instituted a lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and two weeks since the country was shifted to Level 4 lockdown, with Level 3 on the near horizon. The painful reality is that, in this time, businesses have downsized, laid off staff or shutdown completely.  For the entrepreneur, it has been even more drastic considering that so many of us...

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Sylvester Chauke: The reluctant entrepreneur

This was to have been published in Destiny Man magazine January/February 2019 issue. It was never published. A part of me wanted to rewrite it. Below is exactly how I wrote it then before final sub-editing. The plan is to share more of what I wrote in other spaces, on here. If, ten years ago, you had asked Sylvester Chauke where he thought he would be in 2019, he would have probably said “an incredible Chief Marketing Officer at one of the big telecommunications companies. I never thought of myself as an entrepreneur because I didn’t think I had the risk appetite or the emotional capability...

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Forbes Africa: School Radio Taking Back The Air Waves

Over the last year, I have been doing a bit more freelancing writing with different publications. As editor of Destiny Man previously, I was not able to contribute to more spaces and it has been fun exploring a broader range of topics now that I can freelance. The reality, however, is that, it can be extremely difficult building a life solely as a freelancer so the approach I have taken is to write about subjects that are of interest to me and/or have a positive impact on the society. The Children's Radio Foundation is doing some great work with children continentally, using radio not only...

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This Is True Africa

I was recently approached to write an article on interesting trends in Africa for Africa Travel Market Magazine which is positioned as "a new glossy travel, trade and business publication that dares to reposition the African continent as a destination of choice. The trailblazing magazine features a strong lifestyle element and is available in both traditional (print) and digital (embracing new media and social media) platforms." While the world 'discovers' us all over again, I truly believe the future of this continent lies in the hands (and minds) of the many people who quietly go about...

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Don’t Leave Out The Dads

Becoming a father was life-changing for me. In a way, I finally understood what my legacy should be, is and will be - it is about creating a foundation for my children to be able to experience life to the fullest. It is about them being able to pursue their dreams. It is about them being able to grow up in a community, society, country and world that allows them to thrive. I may not be able to change the world but I will do everything in my power to ensure that I do my part in making my little patch of earth better for my having been in it. As a writer and speaker, who was raised by his...

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