I have been given the difficult task of bidding farewell, on behalf of the Kagiso family, to my dear friend, mentor, role-model and esteemed elder, JJ Njeke.

Eulogy

Someone once said that delivering a farewell address is very much like delivering a eulogy; the only difference is that for a farewell, the subject has the right of reply.

JJ, the Kagiso family doesn’t just want to say goodbye, we also want to say “Thank You” and we want to wish you well on your journey into a well deserved retirement.

The Arch

I feel that it is quite symbolic that in the very same month that JJ is going into retirement, one of the nation’s great leaders, the Archbishop Desmond Tutu is also retiring!

Both these individuals have left an indelible imprint on the life of the Kagiso family.

The Arch was instrumental in setting up the Kagiso Trust, whilst JJ was a founder-member of KTI. In their own fields, they have contributed greatly to the creation of a new SA society.

Both have a great sense of humour, and each possesses a unique and distinctive laugh!

But, most importantly, both individuals are highly principled leaders who have been unafraid to make difficult decisions and have striven for excellence.

History

I concede that it does not do justice to JJ’s immense contribution to Kagiso, but I will briefly sketch his history with the group.

JJ joined KTI in 1994 as Employee #1. He was previously the audit partner for Kagiso Trust.

JJ was one of the first black African CA’s in this country, and the first such partner at PWC. Having sacrificed a potentially lucrative career at PWC, JJ, together with Fani Titi, set about building KTI. From a zero equity base in 1994, KTI has grown into an impressive investment holding company worth around R4.5bn, all under JJ’s watch.

In 1994, KTI was located in Braamfontein, and JJ and Fani allegedly spent many, many hours looking for cutlery and office furniture. My, how times have changed! Broer, good thing you were as successful in chasing deals.

When the history of KTI is finally written, JJ will occupy a prominent position in our Hall of Fame.

EMCP

JJ is one of the most successful graduates of what I term the Eric Molobi Class Project of the early 1990’s. This “project” also included other successful professionals such as Roger Jardine, Fani Titi and Nkunku Sowazi.

JJ worked intimately with Eric for about 12 years and they were inseparable.

A typical day would end with a recap back at the office, where the day’s events would be discussed, anecdotes would be exchange and many laughs would prevail.

No matter how hard any of us tried, we could never get them to disagree on any matter.

Lasting Legacy

JJ: We will really, really miss you. You've had an incredible impact on this place, and you’ve touched us all. You’ve been a role model to a generation of black professionals, and we won't have any shortage of memories.

• We’ll remember you for the sheer effort and sense of professionalism that you've put into everything you've done.
• We’ll remember you for that infectious laugh and warm sense of humour, and your affinity for animal comparisons like “that company is a dog” and “that monkey is out of order”.
• We’ll remember you for never forgetting anything, especially when you were in your 40’s!
• We’ll remember you for your acting talents; in my ten years working with you, you have been the acting CEO of Kagiso Media, the acting CEO of Kagiso Ventures, the acting CEO of KFS and the acting chairman of Metropolitan.
• We’ll remember you for always being a dedicated bean-counter at heart; we know that nothing brought you more joy than the day that you were officially confirmed as SA’s #1 bean counter i.e. the day you became the Chairman of SAICA!! Fortunately, you’ve also been a great bean-collector, with many successful deals under your belt.
• And if we're honest, we'll also remember you for not spending money! JJ you have become legendary for shunning lavish spending habits; fortunately, this extended to your investment philosophy: to this day KTI is known never to overpay for assets!
• Most of all, though, we'll remember you for setting the high standards of excellence that have been the great differentiator for KTI. A rigid adherence to these standards has set KTI apart from its peers. My opinion is that without you, KTI would have been “just another BEE company”.
  

Family

Hopefully you will now have more time for your family, catch up with old friends, have time to appreciate the finer things in life, and go farming in Standerton.

I trust that you will spend far more time with your two boys and with Nondwe. Somehow, imagining you battling with your son’s algebra homework just doesn’t feel right!

As we say goodbye, we remind ourselves that farewells are not forever, nor are they the end. They are simply words to say that we will miss you dearly and that we will remember you fondly.

Someone once said: “Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.”

As Eric would have said, if he were here: “JJ, thank you and go well, broer, you deserve it.”