Billionaire Christo Wiese’s message to people who want to leave South Africa

Billionaire businessman Christo Wiese said South Africa is a land of great opportunity despite its significant challenges.

Wiese cited this as one reason people should consider staying in South Africa instead of leaving the country.

In a recent kykNET interview with Mia Spies, the billionaire was asked his opinion on young people leaving the country.

Wiese said there is tremendous negativity towards South Africa, which often hides the opportunities the country offers.

“I convinced my children that this country has big challenges but tremendous opportunities,” he said.

He added that his children did not only hear about South Africa’s problems around the dinner table. They also heard about the country’s positive aspects.

Although Wiese’s three children spent years overseas as part of their post-graduate studies, they all returned to South Africa after graduation.

“They were all extremely keen to return to South Africa after completing their studies, and they all now stay close to where I live,” he said.

He added that people’s perceptions of the country are highly influenced by what they hear from their family and friends.

“If you hear all day about how miserable the country is, you are obviously more likely to leave,” he said.

Wiese added that when his son asked him whether he should stay in South Africa, he advised him to do so, with one caveat.

“You have to accept, even if you are the smartest man in the country, you will not be able to become president because of the colour of your skin,” he said.

“If you can accept that you are essentially a second-class citizen in your own country because of your race, it is a great country.”

He added that there is an opportunity for people who benefitted from South Africa over the years to give back and make a difference.

Business opportunities in South Africa

Wiese said there are tremendous business opportunities in South Africa for young people who would like to follow this path.

He said the challenges to becoming a successful businessman worldwide are essentially the same.

“You have to decide what your business plan is, and after that, the most important thing to do is to work hard,” he said.

“Many young people ask me what the secret to success is in business. The answer is easy – work.”

He said if you have a good plan and work hard, you will be successful. However, the level of success will vary based on things like luck and how smart you are.

He said business magnate Anton Rupert explained that he would have never left his corporate job if he had known how difficult it was to start a business.

However, looking back at his entrepreneurial journey, he was surprised at how easy it was to become a successful businessman.

“That is the story of every entrepreneur. There are days you wonder why you have ever started your own business,” Wiese said.

“However, when you look back, you think it was actually fairly easy and a pleasure.”