Dreaming and doing with Songezo Zibi

How much time do you spend with people who don’t share your views? Probably not nearly enough, says Songezo Zibi, national leader of RISE Mzansi, a modern political organisation of patriotic South Africans, who joined me as a guest on my podcast, Willing & Abel.

With over two decades’ experience in roles spanning the automotive, mining, media, banking and financial services industries, Songezo is an author, speaker, strategist and mentor. But he’s also a man who asks questions and truly listens to the answers.??

His time as the editor of Business Day (in one of his many professional lives) taught Songezo that in life and business – and politics – it's really helpful to ask what it is that you don't know. Coming from a place of curiosity is so important. When I watch mainstream media today, I see so much behaviour that presupposes everything already, and the line of questioning is based on an agenda, so you don't actually get fresh and unexpected responses.

I asked Songezo for his advice to younger people in getting them to question what they don't know. He related it to his past as a writer and editor, revealing that the best opinion pieces that he produced had followed a heated argument with somebody. In those instances, what he ended up writing was not what he’d initially intended. Rather it was shaped and sharpened by the argument that he’d just had. So his advice is, “Always look for somebody who disagrees with you; they will make you better.”

This reminded me of the saying that a candle loses nothing by lighting another candle. That’s what I see Songezo wanting to do – inspire and ignite thought, as opposed to the people who see their role in life as blowing out candles.

Light is also a universal symbol for hope, which we touched on at various points in our conversation. Songezo shared with me what drives him when he feels like throwing in the towel: “When I'm doing something alone, I have thoughts of giving up a lot more often. But what keeps me going is seeing other people. It drives me in a way that I cannot describe. And then we find out later that all of us were thinking of giving up, but none of us did. I love that.”

Doing hard things with people who energise you is something that has emerged in many of my conversations with podcast guests. It’s a privilege that I have also experienced in my life that has undoubtedly made me more successful at solving problems.

When it comes to solving South Africa’s challenges, such as eliminating poverty and building wealth, people have a much better chance of achieving that when they’re safe and have the opportunity to be joyful, says Songezo. I agree that we all hold so much in this country that the ability to allow joy to penetrate is a difficult thing. We need to succumb to joy, to let go, to let joy in.

So a great deal of Songezo’s work these days is organising people around joyful activities like soccer tournaments for gogos! (Apparently, they’re “wild”) In fact, it’s his upbringing in a close-knit community in Mqanduli, Eastern Cape, that informs a lot of what Songezo is doing now in politics. He says, “Sometimes I wish South Africa could be like the village I grew up in, where everybody cared for one another, and everybody's kid was everybody's kid.”

We know it takes a village to raise a child. I think we need to update the saying to “It takes a village to raise a country”.

The Willing & Abel Podcast is the home of hopeful conversations that challenge perspectives. Listen to the full episode with Songezo if you’re interested in how to get involved as an active citizen, and how to grow as a person while you build something meaningful in this uncertain world. Also click the follow or subscribe button on our podcast profile to make sure you don't miss more episodes!

Season 1 of Willing & Abel Podcast is brought to you by M&C Saatchi Abel , a proudly South African award-winning creative company founded on the principle of Brutal Simplicity of Thought.