Semadi Ernaus Motau: Chairperson - The Grind Foundation (2013 - 2019)
Semadi Ernaus Motau - Chief Executive of Navigare Securities
“I want to inspire others to grow into better versions of themselves.”
Q1: Tell us about where your life (and career) was circa 2013, before The Grind?
A1: I have always been grateful for the opportunities afforded to me from early in my life. I was privileged to work part time for an independent stockbroker while I was completing my studies at the University of Pretoria in the mid-90s. I started as an assistant to the economist before looking to the trading desk. From here I quickly established myself as a trader across both bonds and equities. I then moved across to cover institutional investors in global equities with UBS. In 2002 an opportunity presented itself to be one of the founding shareholders of Noah Capital Markets which is still a going concern today. In 2007 I joined the team at Bank of America in the global markets business. It was during this era of my career when my journey with the Grind Foundation started and grew to what it is today.
Q2: How did the idea of registering a Foundation come about?
A2: Well, The Grind was actually a chat group on the Bloomberg platform. It was started by some financial market participants. I am not sure of the names of the original members, but I think I was number 5 or so to be invited. The idea was for young black professionals in the industry to share ideas and just lend support to each other. The forum quickly grew into a discussion/debating room about the issues of the day which were dominated by politics, economics and social ideologies. After a day of endless debating about what was going wrong or right in South Africa, a statement was made by one of the members of the group…Why not stop complaining and rather do something about the issues that mattered to us as a collective. So the idea of forming a vehicle that would be anchored around the desire to want to contribute to our communities in our own way was born.
Q3: Was it an easy sell to the founding members?
A3: The idea was the easy sell, besides we used the meetings as an opportunity to catch up socially assisted by the sharing of a beverage or two. We were a group of young, daring and socially present individuals. The more daunting task was to coordinate the alpha personalities into a cohesive force that would deliver on the desired outcomes. Our biggest advantage in my opinion was the strength of our shared value system. As we shared the stories about our upbringing, we quickly appreciated the extent to which we had more similarities with a particular interest in education especially concerning mathematics. We realized that we were just a bunch of nerds driven by a yearning to be great at what we did but also to leave a legacy for those that would follow in our footsteps.
Q4: As a Grind member, what about our mission resonates with you?
A4: In the preamble of the Foundation’s trust deed, the trustees are requested to be guided by four principles. The first is quoted as follows: “We are in the business of developing fellow South Africans, we are not just a charity organisation and as such we help those who want to help themselves.” In my personal life I have learned that when I help someone who themselves have the will to play their part then my efforts are most effective in contributing to achieving success. The sooner every South African takes the lead in improving their own personal situation the clearer the path to inclusive prosperity will be. This can be achieved by one person, one home, one block/village, one community and one South Africa.
Q5: What, in your opinion, has been our biggest moment / milestone so far?
A5: There are many achievements to date that the foundation can be proud of given the limited resources. Back in 2018 the trustees guided the membership on a strategy to be more deliberate in incorporating the participation of women into the activities and management of the foundation. If we as the foundation are serious about our contribution to a better educated youth or to more empowered communities through better access to resources, then women and men together need to be part of this journey. I am inspired by the energy infused by those ladies that have put their hands to come along on this very important endeavour.
Q6: What would you like to be remembered for - what type of legacy would you like to leave?
A6: I want to inspire others to grow into better versions of themselves.
Q7: This edition of the newsletter is inspired by Heritage Month and Our Origins. How important is heritage to you?
A7: Allow me to borrow a phrase once again from the preamble… “We are a citizenry that owes its being to mothers and fathers who through sacrifice and dedication ensured that we have the skill, knowledge and character to be men and women who today are courageous enough to face the daily grind.”
We stand on the shoulders of giants; heritage is an important anchor of who we are. Our foundation is rooted in heritage, this is evident in the themes of our annual reports ably collated by our treasurer Nyiko Mageza:
2017 – The Age of The Black Child. This was motivated by the matriculants of 2016 who fighting for their rights in modern SA were inspired by the class of 1976
2018 – There was an Africa rich and proud. A journey down the rich history of African dynasties
2019 – Shoulders of Giants. Black businesspeople who exemplified excellence in business at a time when the system was designed to stunt the growth of African people.
Our parents, grandparents, single parents, foster parents, teachers, community leaders are my heroes and heroines. They contributed to who I am today. They are my heritage!
S.E.M.
Sebata se gata ka boya!
Grind Feed: Semadi Motau