2008 is Makhaya Ntini's testimonial year, a fitting tribute to an athlete who has reached second place in the ICC test match bowling ratings and who helped to etch his name in the record books by taking 13 wickets for 132 runs against the West Indies in April 2005.
Ntini is quick to point out the importance of relationships and partnerships in both his professional and private life. He quickly refers to his personal relationship with the Gupta family and his responsibility as a brand ambassador for Sahara Computers, supplier of Information & Communication Technology (ICT) and digital lifestyle solutions.
“The first time I met representatives from the company was at a function at a cricket union, when the company had committed to sponsoring the UCB. It was at that time that I met and befriended Atul Gupta CMD of Sahara and, over time, this relationship has grown into a family bond,” says Ntini.
“We share a lot and do a great deal for each other,” he adds. “It's a personal friendship based on mutual respect and admiration.”
Like many fellow sporting celebrities, Ntini is aware of the typically short life span of a professional career and understands the value of partnership with the business world.
He also concedes that the concept of a ‘brand ambassador', a blanket term that refers to celebrity endorsement of commercial products and/or services, is still being established in South Africa and is nowhere near as organised and regulated as it is in places such as Europe, the Middle East or the Far East.
“But this is likely to change, especially with the continued prevalence of brands like Sahara … and there is every reason to believe that the endorsement of good quality product by sportsmen will play a bigger role in commerce in the future, especially given the synergy that exists between the IT industry and sport,” says Ntini.
But how does technology fit into the lifestyle of someone like Ntini? By his own admission, he relies quite extensively on devices such as notebooks and other digital lifestyle products to keep in regular contact with friends and loved ones – especially when he is away on tours.
“We may be thousands of kilometres apart, but it helps to be able to communicate at the touch of a button – it really does make the world a smaller place. When I return from a tour, I make it a priority to take my family away for a little while, to enjoy each other's company and for me to show them some of the places I have been to. Fortunately I have the technology and means to record and store large files, including video and sound clips that I can easily access, modify and re-save,” says Ntini.
When asked what keeps him driven and committed, Ntini's reply is simply that “loves his job” and his advice to those who look up to him is equally straightforward:
“Never lose sight of your dreams, always have goals and never let circumstance get in the way of achieving what you would like,” he adds.
