Short documentary about Jason Noah - This video is part of documentary project 'BORN FREE - Mandela's Generation of Hope', by photojournalist and videographer Ilvy Njiokiktjien / VII Photo Agency.
When he drives his brand new BMW M4 through the city, the top open, girls as well as guys scream with excitement when they see him pass. “I never let it go to my head. Like I said: always be humble. But I won’t lie to you, it does feel nice.”
Jason Noah (21) spent 250 000 rand - almost 20 000 dollars - on his last birthday party. “I paid for all the celebrities myself, the venue, the alcohol, everything was on me. But it was worth it.” A video of him dancing with his dad at the party went viral, with the help of his almost 170 000 Instagram followers.
Such scenes were probably not what his father imagined when he “kicked” Noah out of his house three years ago, upon learning his 18-year-old son was going to have a baby. “He said: ‘You wanna be a father? Then go be a man.’”
“They say forex traders are sitting at home, making money, not doing anything. But we’re taking it very seriously, we’re working.”
Going behind his father’s back, Noah’s mother got a loan to help him try his luck at a new career: foreign exchange trading. Noah used part of the money to follow an introductory course in the field. “But what those people taught me didn’t actually work in the market. So I blew the 1000 dollar account to about 250 dollar.”
But then he met the right mentor, and his fortunes drastically changed. “I grew the same 250 dollars all the way up to about 20 000 in the first two weeks. And from there my life just started escalating.”
Noah grew up in a middle class family, with both of his parents working as police officers, but he witnessed from up close how many of his friends in Soshanguve - a township outside Pretoria - were less fortunate. “We all played soccer in the street. If my friend goes home to a household where there’s no food, obviously that’s not right. But that is part of what South Africa is.”
Sometimes these friends would eat at their house, and his parents even took some of them in for a while. One of them - Kiddie - became Noah’s best friend, and is now working for him. Besides donating to charity, Noah sees creating jobs for other people as a way of “giving back”.
And with his company he also passes on the knowledge that made him rich, teaching other young people how to get started with forex. “Two weeks back, one of my students came to show me their new car, a Golf 7R. He hasn't even finished school, doesn't even have a license. But he's here making all this money. So I believe our teachings work.”
About BORN FREE: Mandela's Generation of Hope
Children born in South Africa around 1994 are part of the Born Free Generation. This generation, the first to be born after apartheid, is supposed to bring unity and change to the country. They are Mandela’s human legacy: the first generation in which every South African has the same opportunities and racial segregation, on paper, is a thing of the past. They were to be the face of a new, free, and successful South Africa. Nelson Mandela always had a big heart for the youth, and would often refer to his dreams for the youth in his speeches. In this feature the born frees question the outcome of the dream Mandela had for them. They also talk about modern day racism; What is it like to be black, or colored in this modern day world? The South African story has many connections to other race related stories around the world.
Many born frees live successful lives, and are making careers that they wouldn't have been able to do during the old racist regime. There is a big group that is thriving in the new South Africa. But at the same time, there is still a long way to go. Corruption, crime and poverty are keeping many of the born frees captive. Instead of enjoying freedom and prosperity, this ‘born free generation’ struggles - sometimes even more than their parents - with unemployment and inequality. Official segregation may be a thing of the past, but class segregation seems to have taken its place. And for many South Africans, childhood is a time shaped by extreme violence and the aftermath of HIV and AIDS.
Note: More text available upon request
2 окт 2024
