Mining magnate Patrice Motsepe tried to convince students at the Tshwane University of Technology, in Pretoria yesterday, that being a billionaire was overrated.
"Money doesn't mean that you'll be happy. Money is very, very important but having it doesn't mean you'll be happy. So always pursue what you think makes you happy," Motsepe told the boisterous students.
The 51-year-old - South Africa's first and only black billionaire and the fourth-wealthiest man in the country, according to Forbes magazine - was on the latest leg of the Motsepe Foundation's national road show to listen to suggestions on development projects.
The foundation, established earlier this year, plans to spend R200-million between now and June 20 to help the poor.
The mogul, who owns Premier Soccer League club Sundowns, has committed himself to giving away at least half of the money generated by the family's businesses, in line with the Giving Pledge, a philanthropic initiative of US billionaires Warren Buffett and Bill Gates .
The Americans have recruited nearly 100 billionaires around the world to donate some of their wealth to charity.
Motsepe's total assets are estimated at R29.9-billion by Forbes.
Motsepe, who arrived almost two hours late for the meeting, showed impressive patience as he was bombarded with an assortment of questions about bursaries and requests for training at his publicly traded conglomerate, African Rainbow Minerals.
"Man cannot live by bread alone, which is correct, but man can also not live without bread," Motsepe said.
"So the thing I want to emphasise is don't always run for jobs because you think [you'll get] a lot of money. Go for jobs that you love. If you can make a lot of money in the process, it's even better."
His informal speech had just enough statements about striving and dreaming and believing in one's dreams.
The students clapped, chanted, laughed, murmured, nodded and whistled.
Motsepe smiled and laughed and sang one of the Sundowns supporters' songs, Ke bo Yellow.
It was not quite Bill Gates, who is credited with the memorable line to students: "Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger-flipping: 'opportunity'."
But his words had the desired effect.
He told students: "When you apply for money from us, it's a grant, a gift. All we ask is that, when you're done, please try to help where you come from. We don't want you to pay us back."
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