Capitec Masterclass:
Kermit Erasmus on mapping yourself
and finding your direction
As he ventures into podcasting, soccer star Kermit Erasmus is applying skills he learned earlier in his career to map himself and find new direction
To succeed at anything, it is important to know yourself and play to your strengths, and no one embodies that more than soccer star Kermit Erasmus. He is forging a new path for himself in the world of podcasting and knows that choosing the correct financial partner is crucial to this investment in his future. This article forms part of a series of masterclasses, powered by Capitec.
“For me, in football, the simplest thing you can do is work on your craft; I think it goes for any industry. If you’re good at something, you gotta try to perfect it, and I know there’s no such thing as perfection, but the closest you come to not making mistakes at something, the better you are at it. So, you gotta keep working at it – that’s the most important thing in life.”
Kermit Erasmus is at the peak of his career, having recently rejoined Orlando Pirates after a stint at Mamelodi Sundowns. But he has more than just his career as an athlete to be excited about. Erasmus is venturing into podcasting, a move he believes won’t only be a new challenge but will also be for a good cause. “At this stage in my career,” he says, “what would come after soccer would be something that I’ve started, a journey that I’m going on in the media space. We’ve launched a podcast that we’ve called Plugged.”
Kermit feels the need to show people the man behind the superstar who commands the nation’s respect. “[The podcast] is about spreading knowledge on things and experiences that I’ve been through… that people like us have been through and they can relate to, and also for people to understand that footballers are also human,” he says. “It will inspire and motivate people to pursue their careers and to take the steps into the things they want to do in their lives.”
For him, it started with self-belief. “The first ability you need is the ability to believe in yourself and then the rest will follow,” he says. “You obviously need to have the technical ability and the knowledge of how the game is played. And with that, the rest can be developed. These are the main things I had as a footballer growing up – I had the belief, I had the tenacity, and I had the hunger to want to be a footballer. It’s one thing to want to be something, but you need the desire as well.”
Kermit is proud of his come-up; he states he had to sacrifice his teenage years to forge his path. “I never really had a teenage upbringing because my life was constantly travelling, being part of the academy and not being at home or growing up with my parents. I had to basically be disciplined enough to do my own homework at the age of 12 or 13 years old, whereas before I was so used to being helped by my parents with projects and things like that.”
His path, having led to success, is worth scrutinising for those who are at the beginning of their journeys or those looking for inspiration for a personal journey (and who isn’t looking for inspiration?). He shares that his parents played a huge role in his development. “My dad had a big influence in that. At the time, he was unemployed and he took time out of his day to nurture the skill I had, and in doing that, developed the love I had for the game,” Kermit says. His mother, he says, shaped the intangibles. “My mom always talks about the three Ds; dedication, determination and discipline,” Kermit says. “I think those are three important and fundamental things in life that you need to succeed in anything you want to become.
“For me, in football, the simplest thing you can do is work on your craft; I think it goes for any industry. If you’re good at something, you gotta try to perfect it, and I know there’s no such thing as perfection, but the closest you come to not making mistakes at something, the better you are at it. So, you gotta keep working at it – that’s the most important thing in life.”
As he enters the media space, Kermit is not only taking advantage of his stature but also the effect he has on the public. For instance, his tweets when opining about the game and life itself resonate, indicating the interest of others in his thoughts. He prides himself on speaking his mind at all times – an important trait in a podcaster.
Plugged comes from a personal place. “As a footballer going through my career, I never really had the guidance of a senior player or somebody that we call an OG guide me on things that I needed or shouldn’t do, not only in football but in life,” Kermit says. “So, throughout my career, I’ve seen that there’s something lacking there – to have experienced senior players not only guiding players on the field but also off the field. And one of the options was being a coach, but it’s not my vibe because I am a player and I understand the game in different ways, so being in the content space is just to help motivate the youngsters, not only in football but in any industry… to help them be aware of the obstacles they might face and the challenges as well. And just to know what to do and how to move in certain industries.”
He believes his people skills are a crucial ingredient for his next step. “I’ve encountered so many people from different walks of life, from different countries and from different races, so I’ve just got a connection with people in general that would help me pursue and continue doing the things that I’ve been trying to do in the content space.”
As stated earlier, when Kermit speaks of the costs he had to pay, he doesn’t necessarily touch on finances but on the sacrifices he had to make, such as missing out on his teen years. But he is by no means out of touch as he emphasises the importance of a financial partner in any career one chooses to pursue. “As people, we’ve gotta make a living to prepare and plan for the future,” he explains. “And, in doing that, your financial partner is important because they provide those things that can help you save and invest in the right manner or based on your financial budget.”
Kermit Erasmus recommends podcasts that could help people map their careers and/or their lives:
I Am Athlete Podcast
“It’s a podcast [focusing on] ex-American football players.”
FULL SEND PODCAST
“It’s a podcast about friends of Jake Paul, some content creators.”
Hotboxin’ With Mike Tyson
“[Mike Tyson] is very knowledgeable – he gives a lot of advice and shares a lot of his experiences, from somebody who has also lived a crazy life.”
The Pivot Podcast
“They speak on serious things and mental health issues and things that we’d probably touch on as well.”
Click here to watch Justin de Nobrega’s masterclass on the Fourth Industrial Revolution and getting future-fit