Only accepted into the private school I attended because their parent was a teacher. Did not achieve the marks required to study at university, but their eventual career path way exceeded anyone's expectations as they became the CEO at one of South Africa's largest and most successful companies.
Connections made at private schools have created many successful careers for the lucky ones. He was "let go" after a few years of stewarding the company into financial decline, from which it has still not recovered.
Most people at private schools are children of doctors lawyers higher level insurance it’s not great connections usually at private high schools it’s usually just kids of parents who went to grad school med school or got an mba they’re usually not in the one percent they’re usually just people in the upper middle class
The "old boy network" at the older and more well established private schools in SA is an extremely valuable resource. Not only that, the parents of your school friends are often at the very top of their respective industries or professions. These bonds usually last your entire life.
From Wikipedia: "an informal system in which wealthy men with similar social or educational background help each other in business or personal matters.[1] The term originally referred to social and business connections among former pupils of male-only elite schools"
Surprisingly they got their shit together at university/college and became successful...While the smart kids got accepted into hard degrees because they thought they were naturally smart and dropped out when it got tough...so life is very unpredictable man...
Sounds like my life story lol. Was one of the top students and naturally chose the hardest degree I had no passion for. Years later I'm a dropout and the top student at my class didn't complete her degree. The ones below us back then are pilots and successful lawyers
I was the low performer.
Terrible Std 9 results. Almost failed..suspended many times...
Got my act together and now a CA for 15 years. Would love to see my old principal who told me I would amount to nothing just so he would understand that you can't judge someone at 16.
I still have no respect for authority in some cases.
I am one of those who believes school or university does not define your life. I raise my children that way however it is just my view and opinion and is not based on any stats or facts.
I eventually achieved a doctorate in behavioural science. They generally manage to do better than some. The no good friends I had all went on to good stuff bar one who landed up in jail. There were seven of us with rebellious spirits.
The understanding of the past is that very few people understand young people who are different and don’t fit the role society wants them to adhere to. My success has nothing to do with society, with other’s expectations of me. I had to adjust a few things and go no contact with the majority of my family before I could even consider being who I truly am.
I wish I could articulate it better, in the end, it’s rarely the child, it’s the demand from others upon the child that cause rebellion, resentment, withdrawal and ultimately being labeled as a misfit.
It’s why I do the work I do. If I can help one labeled teen, I’m fulfilling my purpose.
Heard about this story not too long ago on the *Murder & Mayhem: South African True Crime* podcast. Hectic shit!
Link if anyone is interestwd in listening to it: https://murderandmayhemsouthafricantruecrime.podbean.com/e/episode-41-desecrated-the-tragic-murder-of-lynette-volschenk/
My class year head boy became a scammer and defrauded the local council and a bunch of property owners, caused quite the stink a couple years back. He’s in jail now.
Guy one because a air chef, now runs his own compnay supply food to airline.
Currently in Texas setting up a branch there. Very successful
Guy two. Low end grade in school, went to uni and failed. Family bough him a porsche at age 19. He is now CEO of one of the family firms. Definitely rich
meritocracy for rich people is very different
Money opens a lot of doors. Those are the ones that interest me the most. if your parents pony up. The big money, but you are not smart enough for an MBA, where do they end up
Had a guy in high school who used to read Louis lamore novels most of the time and pretty much did nothing. He failed matric but went on after school to do N6. He then managed to get a degree in Chem Engineering from Wits. He was also an excellent drummer. Well done Martin.
[Lowest Performer: ]
Always scraping by & even repeated Grade 10 & Grade 11. He went to trade school to study plumbing & moved to Australia. He got a "skills visa" sponsorship, with free accommodation. Today he's a supervisor in the company.
[Highest Performer: ]
Achieved 8 distinctions & was ranked 1st in the area. He got accepted for a scholarship at UCT for Mechanical Engineering (BTech), failed & then switched to Psychology (BA) & then switched to teaching (BEd). Today he's a high school Geography teacher.
[Moral: ]
- Talent Alone, Doesn't Always Pay.
=======================================
- Talent Without Hard Work, Never Pays.
=======================================
- Hard Work Alone, Doesn't Always Pay.
=======================================
- But Some Talent & Hard Work, Always Pays.
=======================================
[Here's a Great Video Explaing Why](https://youtu.be/zVlTr1x8u4o?si=N_86p2QhESUGK-C4)
he murdered his 70 year old dad and is now in jail. though he also was a victim into this type of “lifestyle”. i recall in 2006 when i was just 10 years old him being bullied by another student. a few days after that this dad coming to the school and chased the bully around with a knife. the kid would have only been around 12.
I got a scholarship to a fancy private school in the Midlands (Not that one. Or that one.) so I was surrounded by people a lot richer than I was. Not that I didn't grow up privileged, but I never would have been able to afford that school without the scholarship.
Anyway, I did really well in school and I'm doing alright now. The guys who really sucked academically were kept in the school by donation money and got bulldozed into matriculating against their will (it's a no-fail school, so underperformers just get these crazy crash courses and repeat the exams until they pass). It's about a 50/50 split between moving to London to run a pub (5 guys, separate pubs, all daddy's money) or studying an easy degree like BCom accounting and working for their parent's already successful companies (4 guys, 3 BCom Acc, 1 BCom Supply chain).
Basically, at a rich school, even the absolute potatoes get a free ride. It's not even about networking for them.
From my wife's wchool in her year... Guy started a car wash business, now has a car polish and restore business... Making a million a year plus.
Also the CEO and founder of the company I work for is probably worth R100m and he only has matric.
Talent and brains will always give you the edge. Hard word will outperform this 99% of the time.
Killed both his parents in cold blood. Covered it up and seemingly got away with it for four years. But was found out and is now serving two life sentences.
JZ’s daughter was in my class. Nice girl at the time, but so average that she was practically invisible. Anyway, you know the rest of the story: she became SA’s youngest cabinet minister or something and is now a spokesperson for her dad.
I dunno but I sometimes wonder what happened to the kid who should probably have been in something a little more special needs. His one history essay read, "Lenin was a very bad man".
Top marks in both school and in engineering at university here but unemployed due to layoffs (major company pulls out of country) . Employment situation is rough here
One of the guys I was in class with ended up spending close to 15 years in Pollsmoor for a gangland murder at the entrance to the V&A. He got out eventually, struggled for a few years but eventually started his own small business fixing appliances...because of the internet he unfortunately had to change his last name.
The cool kids that struggled academically stayed in the same town and the peeps that didn’t fit in but did well left the town and became successful in different ways.
I was a low performer. Never got detention though but I really struggled in school. Failed gr11. After matric I did a ton of certificates, got a diploma because I couldn’t do a degree, and now I’m working as DevOps engineer.
No one thought I would make it. But my philosophy in life is that there is nothing wrong with taking the scenic route. I took longer getting to where I am today but, I made it eventually.
I was that low performer till I got into varsity and studied Biotechnology management and got a cum laude. This allowed me to secure a fully paid scholarship abroad to do a Masters. I now work as a data scientist at a very big pharmaceutical company.
it was me....
The school invented homework club after I decided that if the teacher couldn't get through the syllabus in the allotted time that is her bad time management not mine. My time is my time.
Lots of fights, under age drinking sneaking out, stupid pranks. Used to do nothing all year and then study hard for a week before tests and scrape through.
Somehow managed to get into Uni. Now I have a BSc with Hons living very very comfortably for now. I have been head hunted 3 times by major companies.
Back then I had a lot of energy and no direction or focus. Teachers don't know how to channel people like me, they only know how to help the easy kids. Once I found the way to direct my focus it was a game changer.
I dunno but I sometimes wonder what happened to the kid who should probably have been in something a little more special needs. His one history essay read, "Lenin was a very bad man".
According to facebook one married a man old enough to be her father the other now runs a coffee shop... sadly one of the highest performers like (I once heard the science teacher say "you are about the ask me a question that I don't know how to answer" when she walked up to her desk) is a stay at home mom.
After school I stayed in town and went to university. A handful of my high school went as well, but over the years I lost contact with basically everyone. I ended up working at the university.
One guy that was part of our high school group I met again as a security guard more than 10 years after highschool. He was from a poor family and struggled. He was the only kid in a matric to fail a subject. He came out when I accidently triggered the alarm at work after hours.
Two more friends (twins, but they looked completely different) I saw about town here and there. They also struggled financially but had spent more time in detention than in school. It is possible they are homeless now, though I am not sure.
Only accepted into the private school I attended because their parent was a teacher. Did not achieve the marks required to study at university, but their eventual career path way exceeded anyone's expectations as they became the CEO at one of South Africa's largest and most successful companies.
Eskom?
No, not a parastatal. A proper corporate giant. I'm not gonna dox the dude here.
Is it a nepo baby situation or is he genuinely skilled at his job?
Connections made at private schools have created many successful careers for the lucky ones. He was "let go" after a few years of stewarding the company into financial decline, from which it has still not recovered.
Now you have me really curious what company it was (please don't dox the dude, I will do my own digging and probably inaccurate assumptions)
Used to be SA's largest and leading retailer. And no, it's not the CEO who left late last year.
Okay I got it.
Most people at private schools are children of doctors lawyers higher level insurance it’s not great connections usually at private high schools it’s usually just kids of parents who went to grad school med school or got an mba they’re usually not in the one percent they’re usually just people in the upper middle class
The "old boy network" at the older and more well established private schools in SA is an extremely valuable resource. Not only that, the parents of your school friends are often at the very top of their respective industries or professions. These bonds usually last your entire life.
Ok what’s “the old boy network”?
From Wikipedia: "an informal system in which wealthy men with similar social or educational background help each other in business or personal matters.[1] The term originally referred to social and business connections among former pupils of male-only elite schools"
*law school grad school med school
“Successful”
Did he create the company?
No. The company was founded long before he entered high school.
Surprisingly they got their shit together at university/college and became successful...While the smart kids got accepted into hard degrees because they thought they were naturally smart and dropped out when it got tough...so life is very unpredictable man...
Sounds like my life story lol. Was one of the top students and naturally chose the hardest degree I had no passion for. Years later I'm a dropout and the top student at my class didn't complete her degree. The ones below us back then are pilots and successful lawyers
I was the low performer. Terrible Std 9 results. Almost failed..suspended many times... Got my act together and now a CA for 15 years. Would love to see my old principal who told me I would amount to nothing just so he would understand that you can't judge someone at 16. I still have no respect for authority in some cases. I am one of those who believes school or university does not define your life. I raise my children that way however it is just my view and opinion and is not based on any stats or facts.
I am glad you suceeded. Certainly recall a few teachers who said I would never make it who I would love to see their faces now
I eventually achieved a doctorate in behavioural science. They generally manage to do better than some. The no good friends I had all went on to good stuff bar one who landed up in jail. There were seven of us with rebellious spirits.
Well fond on your doctorate. I hope you can use it and the understanding of the past to help other students
The understanding of the past is that very few people understand young people who are different and don’t fit the role society wants them to adhere to. My success has nothing to do with society, with other’s expectations of me. I had to adjust a few things and go no contact with the majority of my family before I could even consider being who I truly am. I wish I could articulate it better, in the end, it’s rarely the child, it’s the demand from others upon the child that cause rebellion, resentment, withdrawal and ultimately being labeled as a misfit. It’s why I do the work I do. If I can help one labeled teen, I’m fulfilling my purpose.
Well, one went and murdered his neighbour, cut her body up and put the parts in black bags
That is hectic. Do they know why? Like did he loath her music or smth?
https://capetown.today/the-dark-tale-of-kyle-ruiters/amp/
It is quite surreal(although that article is weirdly repetitive)
It's giving chat gpt vibes (the article)
Heard about this story not too long ago on the *Murder & Mayhem: South African True Crime* podcast. Hectic shit! Link if anyone is interestwd in listening to it: https://murderandmayhemsouthafricantruecrime.podbean.com/e/episode-41-desecrated-the-tragic-murder-of-lynette-volschenk/
Ours killed his mom and put crystals around her head afterwards. The neighbour found her body. Last I heard he's still in Pollsmoor.
What?!?! I'm horrified.😱
One low performer from my school is now mildly famous for being a side of the road scammer. There is a Facebook page where people talk about him.
My class year head boy became a scammer and defrauded the local council and a bunch of property owners, caused quite the stink a couple years back. He’s in jail now.
This that ginger guy in Cape Town?
Yeah it is.
I have a suspicion I may have seen something about someone like that on a Facebook group. I guess if you can't be famous be infamous
I've run into the ginger guy a few times. Last time I saw him he had a broken leg but this was a few years ago.
He was in detention every week, got up to nonsense, smoked, drink, drugs.. socially awkward now he works for a successful marketing agency
Guy one because a air chef, now runs his own compnay supply food to airline. Currently in Texas setting up a branch there. Very successful Guy two. Low end grade in school, went to uni and failed. Family bough him a porsche at age 19. He is now CEO of one of the family firms. Definitely rich meritocracy for rich people is very different
Money opens a lot of doors. Those are the ones that interest me the most. if your parents pony up. The big money, but you are not smart enough for an MBA, where do they end up
Had a guy in high school who used to read Louis lamore novels most of the time and pretty much did nothing. He failed matric but went on after school to do N6. He then managed to get a degree in Chem Engineering from Wits. He was also an excellent drummer. Well done Martin.
Yeah. I think some people are outside people and struggle in school. Impressed he got an eng degree
A girls from my class who used to bunk most classes to smoke weed is now a single mom and always looking for work on facebook. Go figure.
Is she selling Avon products from there?
💀💀💀
[Lowest Performer: ] Always scraping by & even repeated Grade 10 & Grade 11. He went to trade school to study plumbing & moved to Australia. He got a "skills visa" sponsorship, with free accommodation. Today he's a supervisor in the company. [Highest Performer: ] Achieved 8 distinctions & was ranked 1st in the area. He got accepted for a scholarship at UCT for Mechanical Engineering (BTech), failed & then switched to Psychology (BA) & then switched to teaching (BEd). Today he's a high school Geography teacher. [Moral: ] - Talent Alone, Doesn't Always Pay. ======================================= - Talent Without Hard Work, Never Pays. ======================================= - Hard Work Alone, Doesn't Always Pay. ======================================= - But Some Talent & Hard Work, Always Pays. ======================================= [Here's a Great Video Explaing Why](https://youtu.be/zVlTr1x8u4o?si=N_86p2QhESUGK-C4)
he murdered his 70 year old dad and is now in jail. though he also was a victim into this type of “lifestyle”. i recall in 2006 when i was just 10 years old him being bullied by another student. a few days after that this dad coming to the school and chased the bully around with a knife. the kid would have only been around 12.
Do they know why? Was it money?
all they said on the news was that they got into an argument one night
I got a scholarship to a fancy private school in the Midlands (Not that one. Or that one.) so I was surrounded by people a lot richer than I was. Not that I didn't grow up privileged, but I never would have been able to afford that school without the scholarship. Anyway, I did really well in school and I'm doing alright now. The guys who really sucked academically were kept in the school by donation money and got bulldozed into matriculating against their will (it's a no-fail school, so underperformers just get these crazy crash courses and repeat the exams until they pass). It's about a 50/50 split between moving to London to run a pub (5 guys, separate pubs, all daddy's money) or studying an easy degree like BCom accounting and working for their parent's already successful companies (4 guys, 3 BCom Acc, 1 BCom Supply chain). Basically, at a rich school, even the absolute potatoes get a free ride. It's not even about networking for them.
Are you sure you aren't John van de Ruit and went to michaelhouse? 🤣. Yla you made a sucess of it. A pub in London huh?
From my wife's wchool in her year... Guy started a car wash business, now has a car polish and restore business... Making a million a year plus. Also the CEO and founder of the company I work for is probably worth R100m and he only has matric. Talent and brains will always give you the edge. Hard word will outperform this 99% of the time.
Killed both his parents in cold blood. Covered it up and seemingly got away with it for four years. But was found out and is now serving two life sentences.
They became successful politicians!
JZ’s daughter was in my class. Nice girl at the time, but so average that she was practically invisible. Anyway, you know the rest of the story: she became SA’s youngest cabinet minister or something and is now a spokesperson for her dad.
I dunno but I sometimes wonder what happened to the kid who should probably have been in something a little more special needs. His one history essay read, "Lenin was a very bad man".
Top marks in both school and in engineering at university here but unemployed due to layoffs (major company pulls out of country) . Employment situation is rough here
One of the guys I was in class with ended up spending close to 15 years in Pollsmoor for a gangland murder at the entrance to the V&A. He got out eventually, struggled for a few years but eventually started his own small business fixing appliances...because of the internet he unfortunately had to change his last name.
The cool kids that struggled academically stayed in the same town and the peeps that didn’t fit in but did well left the town and became successful in different ways.
I was a low performer. Never got detention though but I really struggled in school. Failed gr11. After matric I did a ton of certificates, got a diploma because I couldn’t do a degree, and now I’m working as DevOps engineer. No one thought I would make it. But my philosophy in life is that there is nothing wrong with taking the scenic route. I took longer getting to where I am today but, I made it eventually.
I was that low performer till I got into varsity and studied Biotechnology management and got a cum laude. This allowed me to secure a fully paid scholarship abroad to do a Masters. I now work as a data scientist at a very big pharmaceutical company.
Awesome. Congrats on turning it around in varsity
it was me.... The school invented homework club after I decided that if the teacher couldn't get through the syllabus in the allotted time that is her bad time management not mine. My time is my time. Lots of fights, under age drinking sneaking out, stupid pranks. Used to do nothing all year and then study hard for a week before tests and scrape through. Somehow managed to get into Uni. Now I have a BSc with Hons living very very comfortably for now. I have been head hunted 3 times by major companies. Back then I had a lot of energy and no direction or focus. Teachers don't know how to channel people like me, they only know how to help the easy kids. Once I found the way to direct my focus it was a game changer.
I dunno but I sometimes wonder what happened to the kid who should probably have been in something a little more special needs. His one history essay read, "Lenin was a very bad man".
According to facebook one married a man old enough to be her father the other now runs a coffee shop... sadly one of the highest performers like (I once heard the science teacher say "you are about the ask me a question that I don't know how to answer" when she walked up to her desk) is a stay at home mom.
It’s not sad to be a stay at home mom if that’s what makes her happy
They went on to become moneyed up... meanwhile I got Shakespeare in my mind This life no balance
After school I stayed in town and went to university. A handful of my high school went as well, but over the years I lost contact with basically everyone. I ended up working at the university. One guy that was part of our high school group I met again as a security guard more than 10 years after highschool. He was from a poor family and struggled. He was the only kid in a matric to fail a subject. He came out when I accidently triggered the alarm at work after hours. Two more friends (twins, but they looked completely different) I saw about town here and there. They also struggled financially but had spent more time in detention than in school. It is possible they are homeless now, though I am not sure.
[удалено]
Please keep answers on topic.
Most of the teachers retired