Kaizer Chiefs managing director Kaizer Motaung was on Tuesday honoured by the Henley Management College with an Entrepreneurial Leadership Award in recognition of his outstanding leadership in starting the Kaizer Chiefs business and turning it into of the best clubs on the African continent.

The awards ceremony was held in Rosebank and among the dignitaries were the Chiefs management and last year’s winner Herman Mashaba, renowned for building and popularizing hair product Black Like Me.

ADDRESS BY THE CHAIRMAN OF KAIZER CHIEFS, KAIZER MOTAUNG AT THE HENLEY AWARDS FUNCTION, ROSEBANK HOTEL, JOHANNESBURG.

Programme Director, General Manager of Henley Management College Ms. Fran Connaway, CEO’s and senior executives of various companies, all dignitaries and alumni, and current students of this wonderful college present here, ladies and gentlemen – Good Evening.

It is an extreme honour to be selected as this year’s recipient of the Henley Award for Entrepreneurial Leadership. I am proud to be recognised by such an esteemed international institution, as the Henley Management College, and I am humbled to be associated with past recipients like Herman Mashaba, Adrian Gore, Cyril Ramaphosa and all the others.

Henley Management College, which was established in 1945,and being the oldest independent management college in Europe, leads me to reflect on South Africa’s History and climate for me as an entrepreneur.

Growing up during the Apartheid government system made it nearly impossible for black entrepreneurs to rise. The efforts of black people in general, including entrepreneurs, were discouraged and in some cases completely, destroyed by the past political system. My parents, and in particular my father, Ceyland Motaung, were a great inspiration to me in my career choice to be a professional soccer player and entrepreneur.

My career as a soccer player was given a once in a lifetime boost in 1968 when I was recruited by former West Ham United player, Phil Woosnam as a striker for the Atlanta Chiefs in the North America Soccer League in the United States where Phil was the manager. My debut for Atlanta Chiefs was in a friendly game against Manchester City of England, and I was fortunate to score twice in that game. In that season I was voted Rookie of the Year, and I went on to excel as a player in subsequent seasons. My experience opened my eyes to professional soccer at an international level and sparked my desire to bring what I learned abroad to South Africa as an entrepreneur.

During my return trips to South Africa around 1970, I was presented with an opportunity to form another opposition team to the then biggest, and still legendary Soweto soccer giants, Orlando Pirates. Along with Thomas “Zero” Johnson, Ratha Mogoathleng, Edward “Msomi” Khoza and the late Ewert Nene, I formed Kaizer Chiefs in Phefeni, Soweto in 1970.

Since its inception, Kaizer Chiefs has emerged both as a unifying force across the country, and a business with purpose and remarkable accomplishments. I was very fortunate to have the friendship and support of great visionaries, like the late Gilbert Sekhabi who was my mentor in administration, the late Ewert Nene, a phenomenal communicator, negotiator, and motivator, the late Clarence Mlokoti, a very shrewd and strict administrator and former teacher, the passionate China Ngema, who founded our supporters club together with Sekhabi, and others that added value along the way. I am also thankful for all the people I encountered in the football industry.

Many of them contributed to my learning, growth and success, I will also remember the ones who perceived me as a threat and continually kept me on my toes. Those situations prepared me for competition and helped me overcome challenges. The difficulties, pitfalls and trying times allowed me to build my character and tested my will to win.

To all aspiring entrepreneurs, be advised that it was never smooth sailing and there were many ups and downside along the way. Sometimes the temptation to quit was almost overpowering but one had to have strong will power to succeed, and that goes with a whole lot of sacrifice and dedication.

Through it all, Kaizer Chiefs has grown to become a formidable business with dynamic ambitions. Kaizer Chiefs’ corporate vision is to become a football brand that all Africans can identify with, and the rest of the world recognises, which is being achieved. Two years ago independent research concluded that 14 million South Africans identify with the club at one level or the other. This broad base of loyal and fast growing support is approximately one-third of the country’s population.

Our commercial strategies and brand building mechanisms are dynamic, and overcome the challenges that emerge from opposition and competition. Most importantly, our on field results are the benchmark of our success. We are proud to have won more than 75 trophies over the 34 years of our existence, growing a massive fan base, and securing sponsorships, partnerships, and investors that are unrivalled in African soccer.

We now have a new breed of management in place that is tasked with taking the company and brand to the next level. In these ever changing times the team, coaches and management are facing new challenges and have serious responsibilities. I am confident that we have a very solid group of professionals who will uphold the Kaizer Chiefs legacy and fulfil its mission and vision.

Life, like sport and business, is about preparation. In order to be sufficiently prepared, one must practice, meaning participate in the activity even before the “real” opportunity presents itself. In that way, when your time comes to play in the game, you are able to maximise your effort and score. Education, both formal and informal, theoretical and practical, is of paramount importance to be successful.

Sir Winston Churchill once said, quote, “To every man there comes in his lifetime that special moment when he is figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered a chance to do a very special thing, unique to him and fitted to his talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds him unprepared or unqualified for the work which, would be his finest hour”, closed quote.

One must learn from their experiences to gain wisdom, which leads to prosperity, however that may be defined. Another very wise man of our time was Mahatma Ghandi who said, and I quote “Seven things will destroy us: Wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice and politics without principles”, closed quote.

As I move forward with the business of football, I am proud to have had a dream and to have pursued it vigorously. I now look forward to continuing to contribute to South Africa’s 2010 Soccer World Cup mission and to realise another long life dream of mine.

Ladies and gentlemen; I stand here before you humbly accepting this award, yet proud to be honoured as an entrepreneurial leader by Henley Management College. Individual achievements are never accomplished alone, and I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this moment, including past and present players, coaches, staff, and colleagues. I must say a special thanks to the millions of loyal supporters that form the base of Kaizer Chiefs success. Most importantly, I would like to thank my family for their unyielding support and sacrifice.

To my beautiful, loving, and courageous wife, Julegka, who is and has been my anchor through it all, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. To my children, who are and have been my inspiration to continue striving in life, I thank you. Last, but by no means least, I thank God Almighty for his continual blessings and grace.

Once again, I thank you very much for this distinguished honour.