by Thinus Ferreira
SABC2 will broadcast Siyamthanda on Saturday 11 December at 18:30, a TV special from SABC Sport about the Springbok captain Siyamthanda "Siya" Kolisi's earlier life and his journey to the top of rugby.
The 48-minute TV special is a co-production between SABC Sport and Red Bull Media House, featuring people who have made a key contribution to his life.
In Siyamthanda, Siya Kolisi sits down with his close circle of friends and family to talk about his journey from the dusty streets of Zwide and Grey Port Elizabeth to leading the Springbok team to victory in the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Siyamthanda is anchored by SABC Sport presenter Thomas Mlambo who had spent the day with Siya Kolisi, his close friends and family, including teammate Bongi Mbonambi at 50 on Gugs in Gugulethu.
"It was one of the most open and in some ways 'shocking' interviews I've ever done because of what Siya reveals. I was genuinely shocked at how hard his life has been and what he has overcome; ultimately I was inspired," says Thomas Mlambo in a statement.
The TV special also touches on the more difficult elements of growing up in the township as well as the pressures of success and the responsibility Siya Kolisi assumed when he took on his role as captain of the South African national rugby team.
"I'm not perfect but I can't afford to disappoint society and the young children who look up to me," Siya Kolisi says in the Siyamthanda TV special.
"Representation is everything. I believe in shared leadership; I do not know everything. If I could change anything from when I was a kid, it's the mindset. That's where you either make it or don't make it."
