The life journey of Unisa alumnus Jeff van Rooyen, CA(SA), is encapsulated in his book Unshackled: My Journey from the Township to the Boardroom, which he wrote to share how he pursued education against the odds posed by poverty and the apartheid regime.

Van Rooyen, a chartered accountant by profession, a passionate golfer, and a Unisa alumnus who currently serves as a member of the Unisa Foundation Board of Trustees, published the book in 2022.

In the book, he attributes his achievements to being able to study at Unisa and explained how they would not have been possible had he not studied through Unisa. The book that is currently available in bookstores and online, gave an account of how he never compromised on receiving the education that he yearned for even though racial classifications presented barriers to him.

"None of the universities in Johannesburg would accept me as they were exclusively for white people." He also recalls how the authorities handed him a litany of excuses and made a game out of his desire to study at a university.

During the apartheid times, students like him required ministerial consent to study at these universities. "What they did when you apply was to accept you, but a while later the university would halt the process and require ministerial approval. However, the minister often denied the request."

"Throughout these challenges, I was at least able to study through Unisa, which did not comprise online studies like in the present day. Writing by hand and posting assignments were the norm. We had limited contact with the lecturers and once a year, we had what they called a winter school held at Marabastad, in Pretoria – a few kilometres from the main campus."

He recalled in his book that racial classifications made it difficult for him to receive his first degree personally at a graduation ceremony "because I was classified as Coloured. They said I could only graduate in the Western Cape." He discovered this revelation in the graduation brochure.

"I was looking forward to my graduation ceremony, imagining my presence on the main campus but it wasn’t to be," he explained his disappointment of missing out on walking on stage to receive his BCom degree.

It was only two years later when he was about to graduate with an honours that both coloured and Indian people were allowed to graduate alongside white people. These obstacles, although daunting, fuelled his journey to becoming a chartered accountant in 1981 and to accomplish even greater things in life.

Van Rooyen grew up in poverty in the Alexandra Township of Johannesburg, "a melting pot," he says, "of races living together". Racial classifications became apparent to him when he was five years old because the schooling system classified people according to race.

From that experience, he strives to actively promote inclusivity through the Advancement of Black Accountants of Southern Africa (ABASA), an organisation he founded in 1985. Professional inclusivity is his passion which he believes might be achieved through ABASA, which promotes the professional interests of black people in the accounting profession – especially the interests of young accountants.

At 72, Van Rooyen serves as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Uranus Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd. He also chairs several other companies, holds directorships and is a member of various boards, including Exxaro Resources Ltd, the Public Accountants’ & Audits’ Board, Unicorn Capital Partners Ltd, and the Financial Reporting Standards Council.

Van Rooyen also contributes significantly to the world of golf through education. Early in the year, the Finding the Fair Way Foundation – an initiative he established to address the plight of golf caddies across the country – signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Unisa to capacitate golf caddies through education.  

* By Busisiwe Mahlangu, Communication Coordinator, Unisa Foundation and Alumni Relations