The first NSW event of 2024 with fellow Witsies and Wits Friends was an opportunity to meet with fellow Witsies and to hear what exciting events and initiatives Wits Australia has planned for 2024.
Guests met the newly formed Wits NSW State Committee comprising Asheena Budhai-Manuel, Neil Cochrane, Lambo Kanagaratnam, Michael Segerman and Danielle Warren-Smith.
This Witsie event featured our guest of honour, Wits law alumnus Stephen ‘Sugar’ Segerman, one of the creators of the Oscar-winning documentary ‘Searching for Sugar Man’, which rocketed the American musician Rodriguez to fame.
Sixto Rodriguez was American but he was unknown there, while in South African he had this huge following that he didn’t know about. Stephen (known as ‘Sugar’) had been on an epic, decades-long search to find the mysterious musician who had such a profound influence on his generation in South Africa.
“It was like hearing from a ghost when I received this call at 2am one morning and the person on the other end of the line said “Is that Sugar?”. I just knew it was his voice!”
Rodriguez finally passed away at the age of 81 in August 2023, but his album, ‘Cold Fact’ is now hugely popular globally thanks to Sugar’s documentary ‘Searching for Sugar Man’, made with Malik Bendjelloul, Craig Bartholomew Strydom and Camilla Skagerstrom.
The newly formed Wits Vic State Committee comprising Philip Mayers AM, Dana Eisenstein, Anthony Chait and Tony Savides, kindly hosted lunchtime Boeries at the Bowlo.
Captain Dr Paul Luckin AM and Geena Luckin OAM kindly hosted Leap Year Sundowners and a light dinner of boerewors rolls and snacks at their home.
Alumni in Australia have formalised fundraising for Wits in its centenary year with R80 million already pledged by the Zylstra family’s Skye Foundation. The Australian Friends of Wits University Limited (AFWITSU) was officially launched at the Point Piper Yacht Club in Sydney, Australia, on 26 May 2022.
Thank you Stephen Koseff for being the keynote speaker and to Philip Mayers and Anthony Chait for hosting.
Keynote: “Lessons in Leadership: adventures on the global banking stage, in community and philanthropy”.
Speaker: Stephen Koseff, former Chief Executive Officer and current Director Investec Limited, BidCorp Limited, Arrowpoint Capital (Melbourne) and Innovation Africa and others.
Developing the Next Generation: We cannot do it alone. We invite you to walk the Wits100 journey with us.
Dr Judy Dlamini, Chancellor, University of the Witwatersrand, in conversation with David Gonski AC, Chancellor, University of New South Wales: “A tale of two remarkable leaders and two iconic institutions”
If you can’t attend the Wits Alumni Homecoming in person, you can still celebrate our alma mater’s 100th birthday wherever you are.
A excellent episode from the Principle of Charity podcast series entitled Should Business Focus on Social Impact, or Just Stick With Profit? With Andy and Judith Sloan, presented by Dr Lloyd Vogelman, a former Wits SRC President, and Emile Sherman, an acclaimed film producer (The Power of the Dog, Lion, The Kings Speech etc).
Alumni in Australia have formalised fundraising for Wits in its centenary year with R80 million already pledged by the Zylstra family’s Skye Foundation. The Australian Friends of Wits University Limited (AFWITSU) was officially launched at the Point Piper Yacht Club in Sydney, Australia, on 26 May 2022.