Bernard Parker – Inspiring a new generation of believers, responsibly betters and passioned readers
Football fans across the country have been witness the rise and rise of Bernard over the past two decades. From breaking out as a promising young talent to eventually establishing himself as a legend in the local game and Kaizer Chiefs’ record scorer, he’s made a tremendous impact on and off the pitch.
On it, he’s represented the country at the highest level: while off it, he’s had the opportunity to inspire millions of children across the country and he continues to take this responsibility seriously.
Bernard, who now plays his football for TS Galaxy is the flavour of the month in this early-Spring-September as he reflects on another reaching two massive milestones. I had the pleasure of speaking to the football star about his latest venture with Boyle Sports, as well as his upcoming autobiography titled From a Shack to Destiny: Bernard Parker, “Die Hond”.
We kick off our conversation by asking the same question I ask every guest in every interview – How does it feel to be Bernard Parker right now?
“Thank you so much for the warm welcome! Yeah it feels good to be me today, I am just blessed and grateful for what’s happening right now, grateful for a lot of things. It’s feeling really good!”
Despite his profile as one of South Africa’s most successful strikers of all time, it doesn’t take long to see that Bernard greets and speaks with genuine humility no matter who he’s addressing. Some footballers thrive on the “Bad Boy” persona, but Bernard has built his personal brand in a grounded and authentic way and it’s no surprise to see this continuing to boost his personal brand.
It also explains why big brands are still interested in working with him and we launch into the newest chapter of his life. Bernard was recently announced as the first-ever South African ambassador for international betting brand, Boyle Sports. He could not hide his excitement when I asked how it felt to make history:
“Ahh thank you guys, it really feels amazing. I think it’s been a deal we have been working on a lot in the background. So, Boyle Sports is a very popular sports betting brand from overseas but they recently (2022) launched in South Africa. The conversation with me began some months ago where they explained what they were looking for and why they felt I might be a fit. I was really honoured and after hearing their pitch I was happy to sign on with them.”
Sports betting is a massive industry across the globe and South Africa is no different, however, introducing a “new” player to the game is always a tough task. Bernard spoke confidently about why he believes he and Boyle Sports have struck the right balance:
“We believe in a lot of the same things, I think that’s what attracted me to them, but I also think South Africans are in for an interesting experience with the way Boyle works. We are also going to be extremely focused on not just encouraging people to participate, but to do it responsibly and gamble responsibly. So there’s going to be a lot of positive messages to encourage people to bet in a way that will see them getting involved in the sports they love but in a healthy way for managing their finances and mental health.
It’s been a busy time for Bernard during the next phase of his career. His first book, From Shack TO Destiny is set to hit shelves across the country this month and the former Chiefs man admits it’s been an emotional challenge putting his story into words.
“Writing a book is not simple at all, I really learned a lot during this process. For those who don’t know, I’m from the East of Joburg, I grew up in a pretty modest area and I think I always faced both opportunities and challenges. So now channeling those stories into a book and into a story that helps people understand has been so important to me.
“I especially want young people to read this book, especially young people who might be growing up in similar circumstances to mine, especially young coloured kids and young black kids, we want them to be inspired by my story and know that they too can make it.”
Before we end the conversation, I take a moment to check in on Bernard’s personal life and how his family is dealing with the hectic schedule which sees him still playing professionally while also launching these new ventures.
“I’ve always been a very family-oriented person so I think although my schedule is a little different, they are still used to having me around the house – maybe a bit more on some days but I also have projects that keep me busy. Overall, it’s a really nice balance and to see the kids growing into their own as well is just really nice. Wendy is also busy with a few of her own projects, so when we are all together we are together, but otherwise everyone has enough to focus on right now.”
Before wrapping, the football fan in me had to ask if there was one thing he wished he could have done for South Africa before retiring fully from international football.
“My time with Bafana Bafana was really great and I don’t think I have any regrets per se on the way I handled myself. But there’s a part of me that wishes I could have been called up a few more times for the national team so that I could have beaten Benni McCarthy’s record and become the top scorer in South African history! Even Benni believed I was going to do it, but sadly the coach at the time let me know that he would be choosing a different group of players for the future of our team. I obviously understood, but I still feel if I had been called up a few times I would have broken Benni’s record!”