Conversation with Nico De Klerk

Speaker: Nico De Klerk

Where Pilgrimage Meets Social Entrepreneurship: A 1700-Mile South African Journey

In 2018, Nico De Klerk, a social entrepreneur, public speaker, and academic, embarked on an extraordinary journey. He walked 1,700 miles on foot from Pretoria to Cape Town, aiming to engage with and support current and aspiring grassroots social entrepreneurs in their efforts to combat inequality in South Africa.

Over the course of more than four months, Nico encountered over 25,000 individuals across more than 100 townships in South Africa. He spoke with high-school students and community leaders, including those from marginalized communities. He listened to their narratives and conducted spontaneous workshops to inspire and educate them about the principles of social entrepreneurship. The walk also inspired the "Be a Nelson" Movement, aimed at identifying and empowering emerging grassroots changemakers throughout South Africa.

Walking as a practice for inner and outer change has long fascinated Nico, even before he undertook this long walk. The Camino de Santiago, a well-known pilgrimage from France to Spain, was the subject of his PhD, which he completed in 2016 and soon thereafter undertook that 500-mile pilgrimage on the Camino. Reflecting later on his experiences in both the Camino and South Africa, he remarked, “You really have to open yourself for the unknown, and then things happen.”

Nico is the Founder and CEO of StreetBiz Foundation, a not-for-profit organization, dedicated to addressing inequality through entrepreneurial mindset development. He is the author of No Fit: My 1,700-mile Walk from Apartheid, which chronicles his pilgrimage across South Africa, and he has co-edited African Leadership: Powerful Paradigms for the 21st Century.

In recognition of his efforts, Nico was awarded the Edward de Bono Award for the Best Global Social Innovative Project in 2018 by Life Learning Academia. He has served as a keynote speaker and been invited to present at numerous leadership and entrepreneurial forums worldwide, including in the USA, Italy, Canada, Tunisia, Russia, Slovenia, and Malta.

Previously, Nico held positions as a lecturer at the School of Social Innovation at Hugenot College in South Africa and at Princeton Theological Seminary in the United States. He led a team from township schools to the World Championship for Student Entrepreneurs in Moscow, Russia, where they achieved a commendable fourth place among the world's best.

Nico has two married daughters: Lize living in South Africa and Sunica in Spain. In his words, his mission in life now is to “serve his country in the best way possible to promote alternative education, provide access to Black youth, address inequality, restore dignity by addressing the legacy of Apartheid or simply to create joy and hope in the lives of fellow South Africans.”

Join us for a conversation with this inspiring grassroots changemaker and thought-leader, moderated by Neha Yadav and Michael Gordon.

Five Questions with Nico De Klerk

What Makes You Come Alive?

People! Interacting, conversations and thinking that eventually lead to a moment of insight, alternative understanding, opening up new options for perspectives, new behaviour, identity growth, and "fullness of live". This breakthrough moment I refer to, can be observed with the words, "I never thought of it like this".

Pivotal turning point in your life?

Close to midnight on March the 5th, 2012, a huge owl approached and sit close to me, staring at me for about5 - 7 minutes. No blink and no movement from either of us. Everything was abnormal, as this was not in nature but in a city, its approach was with intention, the energy and the outcome, looking back. I did not make much of it at the time but certainly my life took a turn from that date onwards, which I only recognized in time (meaning years)

An Act of Kindness You'll Never Forget?

How people gave up their comfort and beds in townships (ghetto's) during the long walk in South Africa. There are no guestrooms meaning they ended up on the floor. I felt not good about this until I was taught that this is what they wanted to do it, that I should learn to receive, acknowledge, appreciate and master the skill to do the same. That is the Ubuntu culture in Africa. Recently, my home got flooded just before I had to leave for weeks to serve the Be a Nelson Movement, concerned about mold and damage. Without me knowing, friends cleaned up my place and actually upgraded it with new stuff (all carpets) where needed. I was totally blown away by this on my return, as it took them days and days.