In the late 19th century, Alex van den Heever’s family played a key role in making Afrikaans an official language in South Africa, a language linked with oppression. Alex grew up with the privileges of the Apartheid regime.
Renias Mhlongo’s family were hunter-gatherers in the greater Kruger National Park, displaced by Apartheid’s segregation laws. Rejecting education in the oppressor’s language, Renias left school at age 10, facing a future of poverty.
Our Talk.
You will discover the three key principles that enabled Renias and Alex to build a strong and enduring relationship.
Alex and Renias were paired as guide and tracker at Londolozi Game Reserve to take safaris for discerning travellers. Their story explores their 30-year journey together, detailing how they communicated, breached and built trust, established shared identity, and overcame cultural barriers.
Acceptance, curiosity and warmth became the ideals by which they formed an unbreakable bond. The presentation highlights their path towards a profound connection despite their stark differences.
With humour, sensitivity, and humility, Alex and Renias demolish the walls that isolate each one of us.
They demonstrate how to break down cultural barriers that separate us. It is not a methodology they offer but rather an ability to inspire the audience and open their minds to their potential as individuals and as a team.
The presentation culminates with a few insightful and extremely entertaining stories told by Renias in his mother tongue, Shangaan, which Alex translates for the audience.
Presentation Videos: