Writer: Ree Ntuli | Photographs: Supplied
Any Black person in South Africa will tell you just how burdensome and—quite frankly—exhausting it is to constantly refer to the legacy of apartheid as a framing tool for the stories that define us as a people. Nobody would like to forget the evil of the past regime sooner than its victims—hard as that might be for some people to believe. And yet, digging deep into the archives and excavating the soul-crushing truth of the past is a necessary exercise to give context to our present circumstances. Be it art, film, music, or sports, the narrative and theme are almost always eerily similar, if not the same. We are constantly thinking about how we can improve the quality of life at home, give back to our poor communities, and make it out of the ’hood.
I was reminded of this burdensome task as I drove into Ricollin Moodley’s home in Shelley Beach, KwaZulu-Natal, for our interview. Moodley is the subject of SuperSport’s Real World Champions campaign, which seeks to highlight and platform ordinary South Africans achieving extraordinary feats through sport.
After exchanging warm hugs and greetings, the first thing the 24-year-old self-taught painter had to explain to me was the absence of electricity. It had been the case for the past three days and would remain so for the rest of the week.
Still, it was Moodley’s unaffected manner of speech when delivering this news that pulled at my heartstrings. His philosophy seemed to be one of giving thanks in all situations and sweating neither the small nor the big stuff. The young artist simply doesn’t complain, no matter how much the situation calls for it. This perhaps explains why, during one of the most challenging times globally, he took to scouring nearby litterbins in search of any materials he could use in his work. While the rest of us bemoaned the heavy movement restrictions imposed by governments worldwide, Moodley—who, as his mother, the gracious Mrs Masola, tells me, was homeless at the time—chose to make the best of the time and conditions. He created art using materials such as discarded lipstick, stale food colouring, and charcoal.
Mrs Masola, who is now Moodley’s manager, takes over much of the conversation. She explains that this is primarily because she is highly protective of all her children, but particularly of her artist son, who was born prematurely after she survived a shooting while five months pregnant with him. The pride in Mrs Masola’s face when she speaks about her son’s artistry explains his determination and passion. It’s not difficult to understand the special bond the family shares and why Moodley has no qualms about having a “momager” at an age when most young men would cringe at the slightest suggestion of being “mama’s boys.” Theirs is clearly a relationship of mutual adoration and respect.
Although dim due to the rainy weather and power outages, the Masola household bursts with colour as soon as you step in. Colourful portraits of world-renowned South African artists and sportspeople, such as Grammy-nominated songstress Tyla and the Springboks’ Damian de Allende, Eben Etzebeth, Handré Pollard, Siya Kolisi, and Trevor Nyakane, among others, announce the presence of an artist in the house. The overpowering green and gold across every wall make it clear that Moodley is a huge fan of the Springboks. Such a fan, in fact, that Kolisi invited him and his family to a match between the Sharks and the DHL Stormers at Hollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium in Durban on 30 November, sealing the visit by gifting Moodley his post-match cap, which Moodley proudly shows me with a beaming smile.
When I ask Moodley how meeting Kolisi made him feel, he calmly explains that it felt like the realisation of a dream he always knew would come to pass. “I wasn’t as overcome by emotion as I had expected. It felt as though I was ticking one of the many boxes I had promised myself, and it felt good, just not in a stan-meets-idol sort of way. It felt like brotherhood more than anything, and I think a big part of that has to do with how Siya makes people feel. He doesn’t have any celebrity airs about him. Instead, he treats you like family. I think maybe that’s why I felt as though I was in the presence of blood family more than anything.”
I can’t help but notice the contrast between his tiny frame from a few years ago and his current bulkier, more sportsman-like physique, so I teasingly probe whether it could have anything to do with his recent proximity to the Springboks. He is only too happy to own his truth. “That is spot on! Before meeting the Springboks team, I didn’t really care much about what my body looked like. But also, because I suffer from asthma, I can’t lift the usual heavy machinery as it would put my body under a lot of strain. There’s also the issue of affordability—I can’t afford luxuries like gym membership fees, much less a personal trainer or gym equipment. But being inspired by the Springboks, I figured I could make my own gym equipment from ordinary things, so I wouldn’t be the odd one out when standing next to the Springboks giants.” His makeshift gym consists of 10- and 20-litre oil buckets that his father brings home from work. “I fill them up with beach sand to make them heavy.”
His crown of healthy, curly hair is yet another feature that makes Moodley stand out. We talk about how, quite differently from his two older brothers, who cut theirs, he decided to grow his. He explains, “My father is Xhosa and my mom Indian, and because of racism, we were forced in school to shave off our hair so we could present a certain way to fit in and be accepted. I decided to grow my hair later on to defy the system but also to embrace my identity by showing the world that I love being who I am. Racism has stolen so much from us as a family, which is why we use my mother’s last name instead of my dad’s. Our parents had to make these sacrifices to shield us from the brutality of apartheid and the everyday systemic racism that non-white people are subjected to.”
Despite the evil of apartheid and the scourge of poverty, Moodley defiantly continues to create beautiful art that he hopes will one day lift him and his family from their current circumstances. He dreams of collaborating with various lipstick brands in his future work and insists that, whatever the future holds, lipstick will always be his first love. He encourages everyone with a dream to “use whatever is available to make your dream a reality.”
Since the Real World Champions series launched, the powerful short stories have showcased South Africans defying adversity. Starting with former SA gymnast-turned-Olympic photographer Johann Meintjes and now with Ricollin’s inspiring tale, each episode has premiered on SuperSport’s YouTube channel and on SuperSport Variety 4 (DStv Channel 209) every second Monday. The next launches on 6 January 2025, so keep an eye on #RealWorldChampions on your favourite social media platforms.
Africa’s leading sports broadcaster, SuperSport, is looking for more heroes like Ricollin to platform and celebrate. South Africans are encouraged to identify and share stories of Real World Champions within their communities by emailing their proposals (no longer than 500 words) to realworldchamps@supersport.com.
