Rose of Soweto: The Dingaan Thobela story

Taken from his mother at birth and raised in a strict household in the poorest part of Soweto at the height of Apartheid, few would have given Dingaan Thobela good odds at turning out a success. Enveloped by the love of his grandmother and embraced by the belief placed in him, the boy with the multi-coloured jersey made from off-cuts of material, refused to give up hope for a better future. Instead he held onto his dreams and proved that, no matter where you come from, no matter what circumstance you are born into, if you remain true and persevere, you can succeed. Dingaan, which means king in Zulu, went on to make world boxing history and in the process became an icon and symbol of hope for a nation in the grips of change and Nelson Mandela's favourite boxer and friend. Adversity followed however and he was tasked to pick it all up again and rise from the ashes of disparity. Life is not an easy road, but true life stories like those of "The Rose of Soweto" show us that good guys can sometimes win and that to be successful, we need to put ourselves out there and take hold of the opportunities presented. You can be all you want to be, even if the odds are against you. It is in the darkest hours that the smallest light shines the brightest.