Photos: Johannesburg meets Sujimoto

Article by Sujimoto...

Gossip, good or bad, is the first unsolicited tourist information you encounter before arriving at your destination.  Before embarking on my trip to “Joburg”, I had an earful of good stories of this amazing city, its contemporary lifestyle, beauty and people; above all, I was warned about the silent prejudice towards MALE immigrants; especially Nigerians.  After a 6 hour flight, I arrived early in the morning to O.R Tambo International Airport Johannesburg. I got on the immigration line and as I stood there wishing and waiting to be called by the pretty immigration lady who I could charm and make my way into the wonderful city as quick as possible, Uff… a thick voice calls me, “Sharp my man, passport please”. Feeling disappointed, I feigned a smile.
As I got there, the officer kept staring at my Sujimoto badge on my jacket and then  uttered “HAAAAA, sharp man he responded, you are the young Entrepreneur chap on the news and all the blogs man big up, I love you ‘braa’, keep doing what you do because you motivate us even here in South Africa”. He stamped my passport and even escorted me to the chauffeur; he was very nice and extremely helpful. I tried to show gratitude with a 50 USD note, and he said thank you brother, it is not necessary. This first encounter set a positive tone and immediately contradicted my perception of him. His kindness and hospitality is hard to forget.

A Free Society

They say freedom is not only the absence of physical incarceration but the presence of a free mind and soul, a free state where its people are still poor and suffer from basic human amenities is not free at-all, a country that has refused to supply its citizens the most basic infrastructure like electricity is an incarcerated society pretending to be free. I would not say the same for Johannesburg. Driving in the city towards the Michael Angelo Hotel made me think I was in a dream; I was overwhelmed by the beautiful infrastructure, the road network, the bridges, and the composed society where traffic lights (robots) work. The only feelings in my mind was that how can we replicate this in Nigeria, our beloved country.

Apartheid 

My first days were full of surprises and impressions, not only because sheer beauty of the city but reality that a city in Africa can be comparable and even more beautiful than some of the top cities in Europe. Honestly, I was blown away. Some critics would say South Africa is only developed because of the presence of an Apartheid system, some think Apartheid brought more beauty to South Africa than failures. Some would even argue that without the presence of the white South Africans, the economy, the infrastructure and its efficient society would never have been this advanced. I personally don’t subscribe to such notions, on the contrary, I garnered from my experience engaging with both black and white races at all levels, in different strata of government and also business captains. I am of the opinion that the country is developed because of the combined effort of its citizens, towards accepting nothing but the best for its people, be it white or black.

Black successful South Africans

Gone are the days where the black-Africans are the “marginal”. I was opportune to have intellectual meetings with black young South Africans, who are entrepreneurs and captains of industry.  I visited the famous Meat Lounge, and it was a pleasant experience, which gave me a glimpse of the ecosystem for the successful black business community. It was marked by opulence, and my conviction was further accentuated. The glaring and flamboyant drive through of the Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren cars driven or 'conspicuously' parked by young black people displaying their success. I then stopped to ask myself, is this a yardstick of accomplishment or a function of the country’s distinctive loan schemes?  Although there were whispers that those cars and successes are backed with loan debts, but nonetheless, I am an optimistic student of success and it is well displayed in Peter's Meat Lounge.

NIGHT LIFE, Famo and Tamy.

Joburg SLEEPS when it dies, but no one sleeps in SA. I would never sleep or leave the city without experiencing the amazing night life. The night life in Joburg is something that I have never seen before, the vibe, service and ROI, makes you think you are somewhere in Las Vegas or Manhattan. Harlem Club, a place where beauty is redefined, the vibration, the people, the friendliness and above all the girls.... Never in my life have I seen so many beautiful girls in one place. As a young single guy, I was amazed by their physique. I thought to myself, how could God have been so fair to have given their girls such an amazing endowment?! How can a human being be all shades of beauty and blessed with a beautiful shape, a shape that's meant for about 3 girls to share. It was a memorable experience and I had a blast!  

Apparently, Nigerian guys have left a precedent, which is quite evident anytime a South African girl hears you are Nigerian. Their physiology and behaviour changes automatically, their smile and interest is increased by almost 200%. Well, I wouldn't say the rest, but FUN is an understatement when it comes to the description of my experience in Joburg. 

Meeting with Honourable Minister for Finance , CNBC & Luxury Table.

This trip wouldn't have been a successful one, without the help of the pretty and amazing Desiree of CNBC and Miss Kabelo, who were instrumental in my discussions with South African Honourable minister of Finance, Minister Nhlanhla Nene. I kept asking about how their role and experience in the South-African economy can be replicated in Nigeria or how they are bilaterally or unilaterally helping their sister country get better. Minister Nene, an articulate soft spoken man assured me that the South African government holds Nigeria firmly as one of its diplomatic allies; he said they have been doing a lot and they would do more.

After the CNBC event, I was privileged to be invited to a luxury dinner of 18 top brands at Athol Place Hotel, owned by The Morukuru Family. In attendance was the representative of Aston Martin, Mr Rens Rademeyer and Chris from Forbes. The GM's accommodating and yet professional disposition could be best described as a distinction between luxury and exclusivity with engaging and informed conversation, most times drifting towards why Nigeria hasn’t met expectation when it comes to luxury goods. A point raised was the fact that our country is rich, has big spenders and buyers but the big brands have still refused to come. Some spoke about instability, some spoke about competitive efficiency, while others complained that the government’s policies do not give them flexibility; just to mention a few. Well, with my little knowledge, I was able to convince them that the principal constituent of failure is excuse(s) and only the brave people who are ready to engage in what the ordinary mind see as impossible, these vital few would reap the rewards of success. Though being the only Nigerian at this exclusive gathering nevertheless my little opinion motivated many. Did I mention Aston Martin may most likely bring their show room to Nigeria before the end of this year? A remarkable night that ended it turned out to be hmm?

Architectures and Hotels

The architecture of any city is its identity. This is the first boarder you meet and it forges your perception of the country, its history and the values of its people. It’s like love at first sight. It’s ok to have a good hearted girl but what drives (first attraction) you to a woman or a man is their body and beauty. Same thing in Johannesburg, the beauty of its architecture is par excellence and easily meets international standard. I’ve been around and seen places, but my stay at the Micheal Angelo, was one of the best, owing to its five star experience, impeccable service from the staff and efficient management. The plush ambience at Saxon international is a blend of pure sophistication where royalty and true aristocrats meet to dine. The Davinci, a palace of contemporary art and beauty that one will only see on the streets of NYC. Oh! The Emperor, owned by Mr Chaim Cohen, Jewish developer who saw the importance of luxury living. He is a true builder whose spatial representation in his building pays tribute to the Roman archetypes with magnificent interiors synonymous  to the “Address” in Dubai. It has a striking approach similar to the Coliseum in Rome, but an impeccable contemporary interior. I was surprised when he told me silently that the building was 8 years old.

Another noteworthy person is Lynn of Lynn estate; she’s a testament to what you can achieve through dedication and hard work.  She told me her hardship and her commitment to the lord has given her all what she has. I met her one day in her Triplex penthouse, every Tuesday, there is a service where different group of people worship. Apart from the beauty of the penthouse on the third floor and suspended swimming pool, I was moved by a successful lady who has a religious commitment to bring people to her multimillion dollar penthouse every Tuesday for worship. She is divine and exhibits an extraordinary character that is worthy of emulation.

In Yoruba, we say (kilo wa ni sokoto tonbe ni sokoto) (what we are looking for in SOKOTO is right in our sokoto 'trousers'), I have always looked into European architects and made them my chief source of inspiration but little did I know in our “backyard” lies a gem. South African architectural society is very organized, characterized by the enthusiasm ,ambitious  and creative personalities, demonstrable by their works. I met with different architects from different books of life; Blacks, Jews, Whites, French, and they all had one thing in common, Ï call it “the drive”. It’s the single and vital ingredient missing in our country. We need to apply imagination to dream big and embrace the attitude that anything is possible. How could I forget Xavier, a French speaking Belg. He is a renowned head architect of GLH. Xavier expressed his passion for Nigeria and was committed and impressed about our new project, and hopefully if our numbers are in accord, he would win his first project in Nigeria at the Lorenzo apartment by Sujimoto.

Friends

I was also privy to travel with my friend, an ambitious Xhosa man called Theo, who introduced me to the Executive members of Bloemfontein, a city of gold and tranquillity. Very soon, Sujimoto SA is convinced that we shall have the tallest building in Bloemfontein before 2020.

Miss Kenewile who was my sister and my guide, and now an executive business developer for Sujimoto SA, was a blessing to me. She and her son Giogio would be part of our family forever! An enchanting lady whose understanding of the city’s intricacies is better than a GPS. She had her hands and eyes everywhere. Her entrepreneurial spirit and the attitude of possibility is an asset that would push us as high as possible, I love her beyond my sister, and thank you so much for such an amazing time in your beautiful Country.

Nigerian embassy 

How could I visit a city without paying respect to our embassy? The Nigerian Embassy both in Joburg and Pretoria represent the true meaning of our strength in Africa. I loved the serenity, easy accessibility and the attitude of the staff.

I had the opportunity to meet the admirable Head of Chancery, Alhaji Saliu. He was very helpful and knowledgeable. 

My visit to Pretoria almost kept me in Pretoria longer than expected. The acting ambassador, Mr Cobham, is more than a diplomat but an ambassador at large, a diplomat at heart, and an enchanting realist who understands the beauty and challenges of a country. He is extremely optimistic about everything he says. I must say this man won a disciple and I wish him nothing but the best. I’m proud to say he is a big Sujimoto fan as well! I discovered that the man I’ve been talking to for the past 3 hours has been reading about our works since July last year! Small world and I would tell you that the dividends of the reputation you nurture and build, is the number one currency of LIFE. Guide it well.