Our futures are ours to build

There’s a question I hear far too often from young South Africans, particularly young Jewish South Africans: Is there still a future for me in this country? 

My answer has never changed: Of course there is a future, and it is bright! 

But the future isn’t something we inherit or wait for politicians to deliver. It’s something we build ourselves. 

Believing in South Africa has never meant ignoring its difficulties. We have lived through uncertainty, division, political disappointment, and economic hardship. We have watched extraordinary opportunities squandered and too many talented young people leave our shores in search of something better. 

Yet, for all its frustrations, this remains an extraordinary country. A country rich in talent, ingenuity, and human possibility. A country that has given generations of Jewish South Africans the freedom to build businesses, raise families, practise our faith, serve our communities, and contribute to national life. 

Our family has always believed that being proudly Jewish and proudly South African aren’t competing loyalties. They are complementary responsibilities. Our heritage teaches us the value of education, enterprise, resilience, and community. South Africa gives us the opportunity, and the obligation, to put those values to work. 

Over the past few years, Jewish communities around the world have faced increasingly hostile environments. Antisemitism has become more visible, increasingly normalised in certain circles, and more difficult to dismiss. 

We are fortunate that South Africa hasn’t followed this trend to the same extent. Despite our challenges, we remain a community that can live openly and proudly as Jews, welcomed as an integral part of South African society. 

We are not spectators in the South African story. We are woven into its rich tapestry, and we have a responsibility to help shape its future. 

Through the Ichikowitz Family Foundation’s work across Africa, particularly our research into the aspirations and attitudes of African youth, I have become convinced that one of the greatest forces for change is the young people and their determination to shape their own future. 

Yet determination alone is not enough. Young people need opportunity, encouragement, investment and, above all, the confidence that their contribution matters, which is why our family is once again proud to sponsor the Ichikowitz Family Foundation Rising Star Award at the Investec Jewish Achiever Awards. 

This award recognises young people who aren’t simply waiting for their moment, but who are already making a difference. Entrepreneurs, innovators, artists, athletes, community leaders, and extraordinary individuals whose achievements remind us how much talent exists within our relatively small community. 

Last year’s winners, Caleb and Judah Levitan, demonstrated beautifully that age is no barrier to excellence and that extraordinary achievement can begin with curiosity, discipline, determination, and the courage to dream beyond what others consider possible. 

My hope for this year’s Rising Star nominees is not just continued success, but that you use your success to create opportunities for others, strengthen communities, solve problems, and inspire those who follow. 

Do not allow the pessimists to convince you that your ambitions are too big for South Africa! 

Do not allow those who question our place in this country to dictate the limits of your contribution. 

To every Rising Star nominee, mazeltov! 

You represent the very best of what our community can offer this country. Be ambitious. Be courageous. Be proud of who you are. And above all, make sure that when South Africa’s next chapter is written, you have helped to write it. 

Ivor Ichikowitz, Chairman of the Ichikowitz Family Foundation