From Soweto to Great Hall: Football's doctor of dreams

Mail & Guardian

a day ago

Honoured : Graduates wore Kaizer Chiefs jerseys under their academic gowns when Kaizer Motaung received his doctorate. Photo: Supplied
In a week when academia and football crossed paths in a celebration of legacy, Kaizer Motaung — founder of Kaizer Chiefs Football Club — strode into the annals of South African history. At the age of 80, 'The Chairman' received an honorary doctorate in commerce from the University of the Witwatersrand, a rare moment when the beautiful game met the halls of scholarship.
This wasn't just a ceremonial hat-tip to a beloved football icon. It was a recognition of a man who built an empire from the streets of Orlando East, reimagined the game for black South Africans during apartheid and created one of the most revered clubs on the continent.
Motaung's journey reads like a script written in defiance of odds — with football as both a cultural force and economic engine.
When Kaizer Motaung launched his eponymous club in 1970, he wasn't just founding a team, he was making a statement. Inspired by a stint with Atlanta Chiefs in the United States, where he shared the pitch with legends such as Brazil's Pele, Motaung returned home with a dream — to build a professional football outfit with international flair and local pride.
He had worn the black-and-white of Orlando Pirates. But now he envisioned something new — gold and black jerseys with a Native American chief's silhouette. Kaizer Chiefs was born in Soweto amid doubt, scorn and admiration.
'We had no resources, no fanbase and no guarantees,' Motaung recalled at the Wits graduation ceremony. 'But we had vision, we had grit.'
That grit would turn Chiefs into a powerhouse not only in local football, but in African sport and pop culture. Today, the club boasts more than 14 million supporters. For generations of young South Africans, it was more than a team, it became an identity.
I first met Kaizer in the early 1970s through an unlikely confluence of football, apartheid-era travel restrictions and a shared community of resisters. At the time, the segregationist laws prohibited black teams from staying in hotels designated for white people.
Motaung and his squad had to be accommodated at the newly opened Palm Springs Hotel in the coloured-zoned suburb of Wentworth, south of Durban. The hotel, owned by the enterprising Twynham brothers, became a safe haven for Kaizer Chiefs — and an informal hub for sporting activism.
As a young sports journalist — and through my own ties to the Twynhams — I found myself welcomed into that circle. My fellow football-playing brother Jagethesan John Padayachee and I were invited to join the Chiefs entourage to Umlazi Stadium for a league clash against AmaZulu.
We sat beside the legendary coach Eddie Lewis. Lawrence Ngubane commanded AmaZulu's defence. Somewhere in the family albums, there's a photograph taken by The Star's Fanyana Shuburi: two suited brothers walking alongside Kaizer Motaung. It was more than a photo op, it was history in motion.
Fast forward to 15 July 2025, inside the Wits Great Hall where Motaung addressed a new generation of graduates in commerce, law and entrepreneurship. Some wore their academic gowns over Kaizer Chiefs jerseys. Others, including Motaung's grandchildren, had chosen Wits as their academic home.
The ululations echoed through the hall as Motaung took the stage.
'Nelson Mandela taught us that education is the most powerful tool to change the world,' he said. 'To the Class of 2025, use your talents and skills to empower others and build a better South Africa.'
Wits's chancellor, Judy Dlamini, called Motaung a 'unicorn' — a figure of rare integrity and effect. 'Build institutions that not only survive but thrive,' she told the graduates. 'Just as Kaizer Motaung has done.'
Vice-chancellor Zeblon Vilakazi reflected on how Wits Football Club defied apartheid. In 1978, they became the first integrated team to play in Soweto. They once beat Chiefs in a Mainstay Cup final — but in the stands, fans had already chosen their revolutionaries in boots.
Kaizer Motaung's achievements transcend football trophies. He helped pioneer South Africa's 2010 World Cup bid, served on the organising committee and mentored countless players who went on to represent Bafana Bafana on the world stage.
The award-winning entrepreneur received the Order of Ikhamanga in Silver for his contributions to sport and business. But it's his humility that disarms even the most seasoned observer.
'We faced obstacles — financial struggles, logistical nightmares, sceptics — at every turn,' he told the Wits audience. 'But we never gave up. Perseverance, hard work and belief carried us through.'
He paid tribute to his wife, Julegka, 'my rock', and to his parents for their moral compass. And he did not forget the fans and sponsors — 'the soul of Kaizer Chiefs'.
In a moment that silenced even the click of cameras, Motaung quoted former US first lady Eleanor Roosevelt: 'The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.'
Then he added: 'Whether you choose sport, business or community work, success is within your reach. Stay focused, stay driven and always believe in yourselves.'
For me, as a chronicler of anti-apartheid struggle and sport, it was a full-circle moment. Kaizer Motaung began his career when apartheid's walls loomed large.
He ends it — if it can ever truly end — with a doctorate, a thriving club and millions who call him 'Chairman'.
South Africa has produced many footballers, but few become institution-builders, social innovators and national treasures.
Now, with cap and gown added to the gold and black, Dr Kaizer Motaung belongs to history.
Motaung's milestones illustrate an extraordinary example of sporting excellence:
1944: Born, Soweto
1968: Joins Atlanta Chiefs (US), North American Soccer League Rookie of the Year
1970: Founds Kaizer Chiefs FC
1978: Leads Chiefs into non-racial National Premier Soccer League
2010: Member of SA Fifa World Cup bid and local organising committee
2025: Receives honorary doctorate in commerce from Wits University.
Marlan Padayachee is a veteran correspondent of South Africa's transition to democracy, and is now a freelance journalist, photographer and researcher.