Jack of all trades

While the hip students were concerned with keeping it real, other students crammed into the makeshift hall. DJ Sbu, real name Sibusiso Leope, is an entrepreneur who wears many hats as a record label owner, radio and television presenter and he is now fashioning himself as a motivational speaker as well.

He is at Rosebank College on Juta Street in Braamfontein as part of the Mageu Number 1 Smooth Inspiration Sessions to South African Youth campaign and to hand out student aid to some of the crowd. The room is extremely hot and Leope moves around a little, clearly still trying to find his routine and rhythm in the motivational space.

Most of the material he speaks about comes from his personal experience, as he explains that he did not come from a famous family and was not exceptionally bright at school, but worked very hard to get where he is. The students hang on his every word, with only a jaded minority whipping out their cellphones to take a picture of the celebrity.

“Education is key in ensuring that we have qualified people in order for us to build our economy. We want the youth to lead successful lives, and by providing them with opportunities such as student aid, students are enabled to better themselves. This is something I am very passionate about.

What I am most excited about the partnership is the fact that it is all about the spirit of ubuntu and assisting those in need. It is this spirit that makes South Africa so unique, and will be the key to the success of our country in the years to come,” remarked Leope after the talk.

Leope often deviates during his talk to crack jokes, making sure that the youth in attendance do not drift off. In some instances he goes into stand up comedian mode, drawing large howls of laughter from his audience.

“I think my speaking is getting better with every engagement. There are a lot of people that I admire who are good speakers. Our role is to create an industry for younger guys, because kids all want to be DJs or to be in the entertainment industry, but the number of young people who want to be speakers is growing.”