When Brian Ndlovu turned up for his first day of work at SWVG Attorneys on Monday, 24 July, he could have been any other graduate making his way in the world. But getting to this point was a monumental journey of dedication, dreaming, and the Jewish community’s effort to help one person follow his destiny.
Community members helped Ndlovu every step of the way, from funding his studies, to finding him a mentor, to giving him moral support. But it was a chance meeting that ultimately changed his life, taking him off the street and into the boardroom.
“On Wednesday last week [19 July] I saw my mate, Yaron Waks, at the Neighbourhood Square shopping centre and went over to say hi,” says attorney David Swartz. “He was chatting to Brian, who told me that he was studying for a BCom Law, had a wife and two kids, and was working as a car guard. I was so impressed, I asked him to meet me and my partners. We were going to discuss it further, but he blew us away with his grit, determination, and intellect. We offered him a job on the spot, and now he’s sitting here at his desk.”
To get to that point was a long road for a car guard from Zimbabwe. “I met Brian outside Neighbourhood Square,” says musician Jonathan Birin, who first helped Ndlovu step onto his new path. Like many members of the Johannesburg Jewish community, he knew Ndlovu because he was so friendly and “could talk about any topic”. Like others, he would buy Ndlovu tea – his favourite hot drink – and chat to him. “He eventually told me that he would like to study, and had even done a Unisa [University of South Africa] application, just to see how the process worked, but didn’t have the funds to pay for it. I told him I couldn’t promise anything, but I would try to help, and he should send me his Unisa application, which he had done by the time I got home.”
Birin got in touch with Glynne Wolman of The Angel Network (TAN). “I told her I had a good feeling about this guy, and asked if TAN could support him. That’s how we got the ball rolling. All kinds of people he had met over the years got involved to help him.”
Picking up the story, Wolman says Birin called her in about June 2022, and TAN agreed to fund Ndlovu’s studies for a term to see how it went. “His marks were phenomenal, so we carried on. He was conscientious and kept us up to date as he continued to do brilliantly.”
The organisation then got lawyer Melanie Levy on board, who mentored Ndlovu throughout his studies, even though she was based in Cape Town. Others donated clothes, money, books, and even a laptop. He passed with flying colours, achieving higher than 80% and even 90% in most of his courses, getting seven distinctions. He graduated with a Higher Certificate in Law from Unisa on 28 March 2023. TAN then agreed to sponsor him to do a BCom Law.
“He’s like a celebrity. Everyone is celebrating his success because everyone knows him,” says Wolman. “It shows how it really takes a village to make a difference to one person. Everyone did their bit. It’s the perfect example of how we ‘give a hand up, not a hand out’. Now, he in turn will become a contributing member of society and hopefully be in a position to do the same someday. It’s been beautiful to watch, but it didn’t happen in a vacuum. He had to want to do it, and he worked hard in difficult circumstances – from travelling far, to loadshedding, to studying at night. We don’t turn people away – Jewish or not. We know there’s a need in the community as well. We help where help is needed.”
Birin says Ndlovu has taught him life lessons as he’s always sharing quotations and proverbs, such as “education is a train that moves forward and never stops”, or “lucky goes to those who are prepared”.
Ndlovu clearly lives by these words, and he told Wolman, “Because of you, all my dreams that were shelved are now being realised. My life is forever changed and impacted. I know it will never be the same. You have empowered me to keep on dreaming.”
Ndlovu also told Birin about a friend who posted something antisemitic on TikTok. After Ndlovu explained to him that the Jewish community had supported him, the friend took down the post.
“Everyone played their part in getting Brian to where he is today,” says Birin. “It shows the Jewish community’s ability to network and its will for people to succeed, giving them an opportunity and watching them fly.” Sometimes it was just about being there. Having people like Birin and Levy to chat to about his courses and results kept him motivated and made him feel heard. However, Birin says that at the end of the day, it was Ndlovu’s will to succeed and not accept the status quo that got him where he is today.
On Facebook, many said they would miss seeing him in the parking area of Neighbourhood Square but they all celebrated his success.
Speaking to the SA Jewish Report on his first day on the job, Ndlovu said, “It’s my first day at a formal job in a long time. The reception I received was warm. The atmosphere is pleasant. I have my own desk. I love it, I love the people. At Neighbourhood Square, I made life-changing connections. This is where I met Jonathan and other good people. I’ve received a lot of help from the Jewish community. What can I say other than that I’m thankful for their generosity of spirit and the kindness they have shown me.”
Swartz says that appointing Ndlovu fitted in with the ethos of the firm, which is based on the principle of “always give back”. This has extended to the way Ndlovu’s job has been structured – he works half days so that he has time to study and be with his kids. The firm also gave Ndlovu a starting bonus so that he could buy clothes and get himself settled. He’ll join the firm’s weekly swimming programme for all employees who need lessons. His job will entail research and assisting attorneys, and they expect him to grow in the company.
“Brian is a rockstar,” says Swartz. “We know he’ll excel.”
