When former Arnold Schwarzenegger trainer Reg Park went to South Africa to visit the Nelson Mandela Yard Interpretation Centre in Alexandra, he couldn’t help but notice a group of men performing intense body building routines in a private yard nearby. When he went to the home, he found Masite and a group of men working out on professional-grade equipment. Park was impressed with their dedication in pursuing their athletic goals in spite of there being almost no gyms in Alexandra township.
Sources: Reuters.com, Groundup.org.za.
After Masite had trained with Park for some time, Park surprised Masite by bringing a famous entrepreneur to visit him — Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group. Masite negotiated with Branson to get sponsorship from Virgin Active, Branson’s U.K-based chain of gyms that has branches in South Africa and Namibia. The result is iKasi Gym, with two branches in addition to the one Masite still runs out of his home.
Sources: Groundup.org.za
Masite says that he is counting heavily on the government to dedicate some funds to his gym. The fitness entrepreneur hopes government officials will visit his gyms, see the good he is doing for the community, and give him some financing, says Yahoo.com. The company’s vision is “to have our community members prolong their lives due to the healthy lifestyle they acquire from our service.”
One of ikasi Gym’s initiatives is to help keep the elderly healthy in the community of Alexandra. Several elderly people in the community who have suffered from strokes or other life-changing medical events have found a community for healing–both physically and emotionally–in iKasi, according to Usebuild.co. iKasi gym has helped over 50 people recover from strokes.
iKasi has helped some athletes from Alexandra move into professional athletic and bodybuilding careers. Bongani Madonsela, a regular member of the gym, was named one of the top four arm wrestling champions in the world. Another local athlete, Jerry Malatsi, was ranked among the top five arm wrestlers, and local athlete Duma Zulu was named one of the top eight, according to Usebuild.co.
Larger chain gyms in South Africa can charge about $60 a month to be a member — a fee most Alexandra residents cannot afford with unemployment in South Africa at 25 percent. An iKasi gym membership costs 100 rand ($7.05) per month, and has attracted over 350 members. Becoming fit has helped some members of gym members get jobs working security, according to Reuters.com.
iKasi gym trains its members to train their minds and their bodies. One dedicated member of the gym said that when he went to become a member of iKasi, Masite said to him, “You can’t start today because you have to prepare your mind.” The gym teaches people to have discipline, and also instills hope in the unemployed. Aspiring models, boxers, arm wrestlers, and actors meet at the gym to motivate each other.
Source: Allafrica.com.
iKasi is involved in the community, with Masite often lending money to members when they’re in financial crisis. If you take a look at iKasi’s Facebook page, you’ll see that they held a memorial service for a member who passed away. They also post motivational posts from the gym.
