The Initiative

The Mountain and the Dream: The Birth of The Initiative

About five years ago, I had a dream. One of those crystal-clear dreams that lingers in your memory for days. In that dream, I was the instigator of an ‘academy’ situated on a mountain - a school for the next generation of earthlings. It was an inspiring environment where young people from all over the world met and, like a rolling snowball, jointly developed a platform for ethics and leadership.

An incubator for positive leadership, you might say.

I woke up with a singular thought: this feels like a mission! This is something I have to do!

For a few days, I carried it with me. I Googled similar initiatives; I was enthusiastic, but at the same time, it felt like a heavy burden. An idea far greater than my own capabilities. And so, it seeped into the background. Eventually, I forgot about it entirely.

But I didn’t get away with it. Last year, during a beautiful mushroom trip, the idea returned in all its clarity. I thought: I can no longer ignore this; I must do something with it! And because I happened to be in Cape Town at the time, I suddenly saw the plan within a South African context.

This country has so much potential and so much wealth. Yet, it is largely on its back. Thirty years after the birth of the Rainbow Nation, the country has been hollowed out by state capture, corruption, and organised crime. But in the meantime, a lot of good has happened too. A large Black middle class has emerged. The new generation of students is growing up with friends of all colours. For over a year now, we’ve had a coalition government after years of single-party dominance. Since then, the Rand has earned a better credit rating and is, for the first time, more or less stable. The opportunities are there; it’s just a matter of doing it.

Could I contribute to a new generation of leaders in politics, government, business, and education? Entrepreneurs and leaders who know each other personally, despite their different skin colours and backgrounds. Perhaps it's just a drop in the ocean. But why not try?

I called my cousin Frits. In daily life, he is the heart and soul behind The School of Life Amsterdam, so he knows a thing or two about academies. Moreover, his South African mother had left him—along with his brother and sister—a large nature reserve, high in the mountains in the hinterland of the Western Cape. He had the knowledge and the mountain!

Frits was immediately enthusiastic. A leadership conference on Sneeuberg!

Not quite knowing how to proceed, we decided to simply build a website and see how people would respond. Could we find candidates, sponsors, promoters? And what would "real" South Africans think of our ideas? After all, both of us were just "fake" Africans.

The website went live, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. I gathered a group of supporters to further develop the plan together. I was ready to schedule a cycle of Zoom calls. I had approached people to act as ambassadors. Everything was set to go.

And then, I did nothing.

I was afraid of the sheer volume of communication it would trigger. I was afraid that involving so many others at such an early stage would turn our plan into a plaything for a random group of supporters. Afraid it would take on a political charge and drift away from the goal I had in mind.

I didn’t have the energy. So, I did absolutely nothing.

I went to Italy, where new challenges were waiting for me. There was no time or space in my head for grand South African plans. Frits, too, got sucked back into his daily concerns in the Netherlands. For six months, all plans stood still.

But then I returned to South Africa. And people asked me: "How is it going? What’s the status? Is anything going to happen?"

I had completely lost my motivation. All the energy we started with had evaporated. But that website was still there. And I had told the story far and wide. There was no way back. My pride was at stake!

We decided to just pick a date. Mid-March 2026. We would see who showed up and then figure out the next steps together with the participants. Frits was all for it. He was 100% sure he could put together a solid training programme.

I wasn’t so sure. For me, it was a heavy struggle. I was here in Cape Town, and I was the one with the (very limited) network in South Africa. The one-eyed man leading the blind.

So, tentatively and without knowing exactly what I was selling, I began recruiting candidates. Between 20 and 40 years old, ambitious, with a love for their country and a mix of all colours and backgrounds.

I felt like an imposter. A white Dutch man daring to say something about the future of South Africa. But I had to push through. I told myself I could hand over the baton in the coming years, but for now, I really had to get to work!

Fortunately, help arrived. Nicci joined us. She has been doing training for years and loved our plan. Together, we gathered the candidates.

And then, it started to get fun! All the participants shared their backgrounds and motivations with us via a form. Such beautiful stories; it felt so good to support these young people in realising their dreams.

Next week it’s happening: March 19 to 22. We will gather in the mountains of the Karoo. No internet, no phones. Fourteen participants—a beautiful bouquet of people.

I’m looking forward to it. I am certain it will be a success. And I am very curious to see how our plan will transform in the hands of this group.

I’ll let you know in a few weeks…

www.theinitiative.co.za