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HILTON MENDELSON in UK
Published Date
05 August 2009
Home Town in SA
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Now Living in
Manchester, England
Occupation
Project Manager &
Business Analyst,
CEO WEZIMBABWE
Best Thing About the Country?
England is a cultural melting pot and benefits greatly from the ability and willingness there generally is amongst people to get to know each other. It is also a bit of a rat race meaning that the fundamentals of survival and achieving success supersede the pettiness that pervades in other places that makes people insular.
Biggest Cultural Difference?
In England, often without any valid basis at all, people consider themselves to be the best at everything and aspire to this. In SA and Zim there is almost a cultural expectation that tends towards low expectation. That said the our countries are relatively young and we are in many ways finding our national identities and hopefully when this happens we will begin to raise our nation aspirations and have a collective sense of endeavour. The music is much better in Africa much more soulful and the spirit with which we do things is a lot more deep rooted and soulful. I guess people here are too busy. There is a irony in all this, we have much to be proud of but are not, the Brits have much less to be proud of now but are.
Top Things to Do or See?
The Lake District, Edinburgh and Freak Show Central, London Town.
Website
Article Image
I was born and raised in Bulawayo, a place I am intensely proud of and passionate about. My heritage is a strange mix, as with most coloured people from Southern Africa, of Zulu, Ndebele, German and Jewish. My culture is difficult to describe because of the various influences on my life and I like it that way. I cannot be pigeon-holed and this has allowed me to connect with people on every level of society and from most cultural backgrounds. I grew up during the awkward often difficult times of racial integration in post Apartheid Zimbabwe making many friends and enemies along the way.
I have studied many things and held down many different jobs but have long since learned that all of this is just experience that sets you up for the next step in life and much of it is entertainment for those who seek to define you. What is important is that you define yourself.
The achievements I am most proud of are setting up and coaching Giants Basketball Club multiple Zimbabwe Super League (National championship) winners and setting up and running WEZIMBABWE and Zimfest in England with and amazing group of Zimbabweans from every race, tribe and background. My dream is to see the world’s richest continent, Africa, rise up and claim its place in the world and I work every day to help achieve this.
I believe that South Africa has a key role to play in this along with the rest of Southern Africa. I am proudly coloured, proudly Ndebele, proudly Zimbabwean and very proudly African.
Last of the summer festivals - Zimfest. Those who’ve been to Zimbabwe and Southern Africa will know the warmth and passion of the people they found there. Rarely is that sort of laid-back soulful atmosphere available in London, but it is on the 5th September at Prince Georges Playing Fields, Bushey Road, Raynes Park, SW 20 9NB. Tickets: www.zimfestlive.com
I have studied many things and held down many different jobs but have long since learned that all of this is just experience that sets you up for the next step in life and much of it is entertainment for those who seek to define you. What is important is that you define yourself.
The achievements I am most proud of are setting up and coaching Giants Basketball Club multiple Zimbabwe Super League (National championship) winners and setting up and running WEZIMBABWE and Zimfest in England with and amazing group of Zimbabweans from every race, tribe and background. My dream is to see the world’s richest continent, Africa, rise up and claim its place in the world and I work every day to help achieve this.
I believe that South Africa has a key role to play in this along with the rest of Southern Africa. I am proudly coloured, proudly Ndebele, proudly Zimbabwean and very proudly African.
Last of the summer festivals - Zimfest. Those who’ve been to Zimbabwe and Southern Africa will know the warmth and passion of the people they found there. Rarely is that sort of laid-back soulful atmosphere available in London, but it is on the 5th September at Prince Georges Playing Fields, Bushey Road, Raynes Park, SW 20 9NB. Tickets: www.zimfestlive.com
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