‘I have lived peaceful in South Africa over 15 years because I stay within the ambit of the law’

Since stepping into South Africa about 14 years ago for academic pursuit, Joshua Awesome, a Nigerian professional, has improved his live and life expectations, as well as impacting the economy of the host country.

In this interview, which held at the backdrop of Meetings Africa at Sandton Convention Centre recently, Awesome, the first Nigerian to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in honour of Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa, shares with OBINNA EMELIKE, his experience as a resident and professional progress he has made, essence of legitimate living in foreign land, and sustained peace among the host and foreigners

The PhD holder also speaks on the place of the Nigerian Consulate in the affairs of its people here, the opportunities here, while dispelling some wrong impressions, especially Nigerians disorganised people in abroad. Excerpt:

Can you introduce yourself?

I am Dr. Joshua Awesome. I live here and also earned my PhD here in South Africa. I am an executive coaching psychologist, a mental health advocate and the founder of African Institute of the Mind.

We are a behavioural science research and human flourishing organisation. We also host the largest mental health conference in Africa, co-located with the Africa Healthcare Endowment.

The last one was held at Cape Town International Convention Centre and we had about 15,000 people in attendance.

What is your experience living here as a Nigerian?

Well, I live in Johannesburg and my work sometimes takes me to Midrand and others parts of the country.

I have lived here for over a decade and a half without any issue because I have stayed within the ambit of the law.

I have also travelled the entire country.

I am confident that I will not find myself in a crisis. Also, based on my values and experience, I have intentionally been guided by that.

You will not find me doing the wrong things. I will always do the right thing, regardless of what is happening around me. I think, that to a large extent, has helped me to only experience what I am expecting.

I am grateful that I wake up every day to life and health, regardless of whatever happens. The fact that I feel that I am in safe a place, kind of helps me. I am blessed living here in the Gauteng Province because I feel safe.

I have been to the Northwest, Limpopo Province, Eastern Cape and I have worked and continued to work in the Western Cape. And I have also been to the Northern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

But, encompassing the opportunity to travel the country and sometimes get to be engaged to do work across the country, the beauty I am experiencing is because of the beauty within me as a person.

So, I don’t go creating unnecessary tension in any place. I don’t speak to people in an offensive way. I also do not allow myself to be pulled into a space where unnecessaries begin to emerge. I say that because I think that many people who don’t live here have the wrong impressions about the country and they tend to become warriors via their keyboards.

I live here and I also commute. There are times when I use the Gautrain to downtown Johannesburg.

I am currently learning a musical instrument at a music school in downtown Johannesburg.

It is around the goal for my 50th birthday to learn a new language.

I was thinking a new skill, but the first day in class, I was told that music is a language. So, it helped me realise, well, it looks as if it is a language, but I am learning not just a skill.

If I were to use an expression, going to downtown Johannesburg would be as if you are going into Lagos Island. And in going to Lagos Island, you will meet all types of humans, walk past the marketplace and public buses.

You will see bus conductors and drivers. That is the type of setting.

So, what I am expecting is what I experience. I wouldn’t totally say it is perfect, but the reality is that I am at peace with myself and anything that is not peaceful does not land on me.

So, those are some of the experiences that I have had. In terms of corruption, there is corruption everywhere.

But one thing that I like is that the environment, pretty here much, does not allow corruption to fully take the day.

When you touch down at the airport here, you are not arriving in Johannesburg, but in Ekuruleni, which means a place of peace. Now, 14 years ago, for example, the city trusted me.

What you want to experience, plant the seeds for it.

Can you share your experience on legitimate living here?

I remember a story, a situation, a true life story, where I got a call from the police here and they asked me, are you so-so-so-and-so? Is this the plate number of your car? Is this the colour of your car? And I said, yes. They said that they would like to have a conversation with me and I asked what is this about and they said, well, there has been a bank robbery.

I laughed. They said, can you come in for questioning, for a conversation?

The detective in charge, after he asked me, I said to him, where are you? He said Pretoria North. I said to him, I don’t live there.

He said, can you come to us here? I said, no, why don’t you come to me? He asked where I was and I said Santdton. He eventually came to me in Sandton.

We sat down and we had a conversation. By the time he finished interviewing me, he looked at me, shook his head and said doctor, you are not the person we are looking for.

But he said something that really made me feel grateful. He said, two to three days ago, I wanted to hotlist your car and the plate number. What this means is that if you drive past a checkpoint, you will be dictated and picked. South Africa’s technology has gone very far.

Again, my South African identity number is tied to my plate number, and to my house here.

So, if they scan that plate number, it will bring out that, and immediately they will just arrest me and point guns at me. But that was not the case because I have not been sowing bad seeds in the lives of people.

The police officer said that the reason he did not do that was that he felt deep within himself that I am clean and insisted on checking one more time before hotlisting my car. That was how they were able to reach me and eventually scheduled the meeting and had the conversation that then helped them corroborate the fact that this man’s car was cloned to rob the bank.

If I was living that life, even if I didn’t rob that bank, I would have actually been arrested because I have sown such a seed. We all need to be very careful and conscious of the seeds we are sowing because it will eventually germinate and ripe for harvest.

What are the opportunities for legitimate living for Nigerians in South Africa?

Quite interestingly, Johannesburg is called Igoli, which means City of Gold. However, there is no gold on the streets of the city.

What is important is that you can mine your own gold by intentionally planting the seeds of what you want to harvest. I would look at it from that angle.

So, for example, I remember when I came to South Africa, about 15 years ago. I came in as a student for graduate school programme at the University of Cape Town. I remember that I had come in for a conference.

That conference helped me to realise an area of development I needed to focus on and further led me to, from coming in as a visitor, to returning back to Nigeria and then applied for the course.

I got a student visa and came in here. But I was still doing my business as an entrepreneur by the side back in Nigeria.

Having a student visa afforded me the bridge. This is how I think anyone who wants to come in to create a path for themselves can look at. Do it the right way and do it right.

The right way could be through coming to study, whether you want to come to take a certificate course, a degree course, a postgraduate course, or a PhD. As you complete that path, it then opens you up to an opportunity to get an exceptional skill as well as exceptional skills permit. That exceptional skills permit then gives you a bridge to be able to finish in a very unique way.

And what do I mean by finish in a very unique way? You then are able to get a permanent residence as an exceptional skilled professional. It puts you on that pathway towards legally residing here and takes you away from a certain kind of persons, who don’t have that exceptional skill.

Also, you can take the research pathway, or you can take the academic pathway; become a lecturer, or you are privately doing your own consulting work.

There are legitimate opportunities in becoming a creative, a researcher, an academic, or professional in the health care sector.

If you are also in the tech space, there are opportunities in the exceptional skills list.

That list is released every two to three years, and it is a gazetted thing that the government legally releases.

If you are not in that age bracket for the exceptional skills list or not a Gen Z nomad, there is a visa for people like you too.

If you are a senior citizen, who is looking to retire. There is a space for such persons too here in South Africa. The point is that, do it the legal way and you will be legally at peace.

For me, just like mining, if you need to mine anything, it is going to take time.

If you want to harvest gold, you really need to be willing to roll your sleeves and dig. Dig here means, dig into your own mind and look at the exceptionality that you bring, or exceptional skills you bring to the world and then bring that to the marketplace. While here, also look for ways to collaborate because proximity is power.

We are now at Meetings Africa. The reason you were able to meet me is because you found me here. This is a conference that I come, an industry gathering I come to every year.

Interestingly, prior to the pandemic, I had been coming, and a colleague of mine said to me, you are always going to that Meetings Africa, nothing happens for you there. I said, well, we have to keep at it.

Not knowing that the post-pandemic was when I would have the opportunity to engage with a member of the board of South Africa Tourism and the Convention Bureau, and that is how I was hired to then do work for them around mental health, and I did a national roadshow for them.

My point is simple. Proximity gives you power and the good thing is that people who are publicly serving are accessible.

You must be thinking of that, how to create access for yourself, how to help yourself to be able to connect, be in the right place, and go to the right place.

Do not only network with Nigerians here because many times our people only stick with our people, they sometimes only eat our food. Do not live like that because you are not in your country. Live like somebody who is an economic immigrant, or someone who wants to economically immigrate. I am speaking about myself right now.

I am an economic immigrant. But there are people who want to economically immigrate. So, if you want to immigrate to South Africa, do it the right way.

Find the right people, look for the right community and do not keep friends with the wrong kind of people.

Accidents that eventually lead to situations that people will not be happy about, sometimes are because they are in the wrong places.

What about Nigerians who come here without skills, may be to do business?

The point is, as an entrepreneur, you have opportunities. In all that I have said, not once did I mention that jobs are waiting. These jobs can be created.

If you are an entrepreneur in the food industry, for example, Nigerian food is loved in this place.

You may want to think of opening a Nigerian speciality food store. But again, do it the right way. You never know where it could lead to.

There are supermarkets, food store chains that stock Nigerian food. For example, plantain is stocked in a big superstore here, peanuts, Gari, that we love and others. There was this hair food brand that has sulphur in it.

It ran out of stock. Somebody had to create a local version of it. So, the opportunities abound.

For example, shea butter is in high demand here and the organic one comes from West Africa. So, what it means is, even if you don’t have a certificate, if you think you are an entrepreneur, bring value to the country.

The other thing I would recommend is that South African Tourism and the body that really helps to sell South Africa in Nigeria needs to act right by engaging with some of us that have lived here long enough.

That can be their best tools, and best bridges to help in marketing this country.

In my own skills and in my area, I am doing that. 14 years ago, I climbed Kilimanjaro in honour of Nelson Mandela. I am the only Nigerian who has done that.

Prior to that, I did it with the Nigerian national flag. So, the fact that certain levels of government are trusting some of us, is that we are doing certain things right. In all of this, I did not call it a job. It was a partnership, a consulting work and a contract.

What about allegations of some Nigerians running drug cartels here?

There are allegations that Nigerians are doing drugs. We hear that some Nigerians are doing drugs.

From where I sit, as one who is involved in mental health and who hosts the largest mental health conference in Africa, co-located with the Africa Healthcare Endeavour, it sound absurd. Why will one run drugs. Well, thanks to our strategic partners in formal markets because last year we had 15,000 people at the conference. When I look at persons who are involved in drugs, they are trying to live the fast life and anything fast can cut you short fast.

You must be thinking of your own safety and well-being. You must realise that there is a certain type of environment that such a seed creates. Yes, that is the easiest way I can explain.

If you are planting that type of a seed and you are want to reap money from destroying other people’s lives, that has a way of leading to your downfall too in some way. Sometimes, you hear there has been a raid and a person was killed and they trace it back to drugs.

That is not something that will happen to someone who is in the right space, in the right place and with the right people. I think sometimes it is because many of them feel the pressure to want to do something and because they did not have the right foundation, the pressure pushed them into doing just anything.

For example, I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, so, the issue of drugs cannot come into my mind.

For someone who found himself or herself involved in drugs, maybe it is the type of company they keep.

Are you saying that those who commit crime are reaping their rewards?

Yes. In terms of crime level, some people who have not experienced the country are fast with their keyboards. The reality is, anything you desire in this place, plant the seed for it.

If you are reaping some harvests that is not what you expected, inspect what you have planted or inspect the environment that it is germinating.

May the soul of someone who was recently killed, rest in peace. It breaks my heart to hear that. You know, because as a researcher, when I hear a negative news about our people, Nigeria, I want to go and inspect.

So, in the last incident of a Nigerian who was killed, related to a pay taxi system, what I found out, and this is from people who are in that space, who also do pay taxi business, is that BOLT is not tolerable. So, if you, for example, you could have a BOLT account and you are using Uber.

Right now, you give your BOLT account to somebody else to use, that is the type of system that BOLT permits, which means that their system is not thorough. And because of that, you will have safety issues in such cases, where a person is using another person’s account, that is already a safety issue.

What it then means is that if a crisis happens, they cannot trace it to the original owner.

Now, I need to be very clear, I am not being a judge here for anyone or for any situation, neither am I justifying wrong. I am simply saying, what we want to experience, let us plant the seed for it. For example, if I want to earn money through a paid taxi system, like the BOLTs, the Ubers, the In-drives, I need to do the right thing and get properly registered with the system, so that if I have a situation where safety-related issue comes up, I am able to ask for help through my own profile, and it.

So, that was the case of the Nigerian guy, who was killed maybe two weeks or three weeks ago. But that was just after a long time because things have improved a lot here in the Nigeria-South Africa relationship. It has been a peaceful coexistence.

So, what do you think has been responsible for the sustained peace?

So I think first and foremost, nothing lasts forever. Sometimes a crisis calls for conscious reflection. I found myself in a crisis, for example, where I had a spinal cord injury.

And that injury got me to reflect and I was able to pull myself back from constantly over-driving myself and even the accident itself was an accident.

Many, who reflect on their crisis, do better to learn from it and avoid further occurrences. I guess most Nigerians here have learnt and should learn, if they haven’t, from past experiences here.

So, the peace is primarily because people are beginning to sow the seeds they want to reap here. Just be law abiding, do the right things and enjoy your stay here.

In your opinion, how can the alleged drug peddling by Nigerians be curbed?

First and foremost, be honest with yourself. If you have been taking drugs, find help. Help is available.

For those who sell drugs, remember that if what you are doing is cutting short people’s lives, your life will be cut short too someday. So, if you don’t want that to happen to you, turn a new leaf.

Just make a decision, conscious decision not to die in that manner, instead go for legitimate living.

Are Nigerians still running multiple associations in South Africa?

I am not part of the executives of the Nigerian association here. But someone I know is a part of that association’s executive. When they were going to do their last election and the nominations, the voting was done at the Nigerian Consulate here.

I was stunned and humbled because what it meant was that all the other multiple groups now was being sent a signal that this is the legitimate one that the government of Nigeria recognises. So, that is also a statement to the public because if people are not organised, you will not be taken seriously, especially here in South Africa. But to be taken seriously means do things the right way.

That body is able to advise our people. For example, they have a lawyer in that body who is their PR secretary. He is a legal person and used to be an intern at the Department of Justice.

He knows the law and now owns a law practise. When there are cases and incidents of Nigerians having crisis, he is able to intervene from a legal perspective and it also sends the signal to those who might want to take advantage of the crisis to abuse our people to realise that these people are organised and that changes a lot of things.

My conclusion is if this step has shown those outside that we are now taking ourselves seriously, they too will start taking us seriously.

How is the relationship between the embassy and Nigerian residents here?

Well, honestly speaking, I was happy to hear about that the embassy is recognising one association and supporting the elections inside the the Consulate. It is a good start.

But I think it could be better. For it to be better, the people who are there need to see themselves as servants of the public. After all, that is what public servant means.

Any advice for Nigerians intending to come to South Africa?

You want to come to South Africa, do it the right way and do things right. If you have the opportunity, take the study route. If you already have a degree, take a postgraduate course, diploma, certificate or master’s programme or PhD programme.

That then gives you a pathway and automatically you are coming as an exceptional skill. That exceptional skills path then helps you to be able to get a permanent residence.

If that is not your pathway and you are not the book type, maybe you are an entrepreneur, you have to find an area that is of interest. For example, creative industry skills, technicians, AI technology, and tech skills are in demand here.

If you are in the food industry, Nigerian food is loved here. So, you can open a Nigerian speciality food store.

Do them the right way and eventually grow your business. Find a niche.

There is a Nigerian, for example, who owns a cafe that serves Nigerian food. He has now grown it from just being a Nigerian food restaurant to becoming an African food restaurant. He is now getting franchises.

All these people that I have mentioned are not coming here to get jobs, though there are work opportunities in the academic space.

But you can become an entrepreneur and succeed just do it the right way and do things right.