OUR STORY
OFFERING
I tell non-fiction stories drawn from South African history to both corporate and public audiences. The intention is to inspire meaningful human connection by exploring those universal elements of the human condition which transcend our great divides.
My stories speak to thoughtful, curious audiences, who are willing to embrace complexity in order to draw wisdom from the generations who have walked this path before us.
For leaders, these stories offer powerful human insights, while providing big-picture perspective on what really matters in teams, in organisations, and in life.
MICHAEL CHARTON
As an accounting student at Stellenbosch University, I came to realise how little I knew about the South African story. Accordingly (having qualified as a chartered accountant in 2004) I made the unorthodox decision to study history.
Initially it was a simple pursuit in curiosity, however, it soon developed into something bigger: a passion for the great untold stories of South Africa and their potential for bridging our national divides. The product was a widening chasm between my financial career (then paying the bills) and a life-passion consuming my everyday thoughts.
Meanwhile a trip to the KwaZulu Natal Battlefields to witness the famous raconteur, David Rattray; had exposed me to the transformative powers of a beautifully-told story. So emerges the idea that the medium of storytelling could be applied beyond battlefields, to capture the broader brushstrokes of South African history.
I marinated over that idea for the next decade while continuing my studies (and financial career). But by 2015, my plans were sufficiently precise, prompting a corporate exit and the founding of INHERIT SOUTH AFRICA (Pty) Ltd in July 2015.
My first story ("MY FATHER'S COAT") took aim at the broad story of South Africa. It was released in late 2016 and received an extraordinary response. It was a transformative moment in my life, for it has enabled me to follow my passion and build several other non-fiction stories over the decade that followed.
APPROACH
My approach has been to identify meaningful (relatively-untold) South African stories and then to explore and shape them through the eyes of carefully selected characters.
At face value it is a simple model, but in drawing on our human instinct for connection, I can build empathy on opposing sides of our national divides, so inviting my audiences to appreciate (and embrace) complexity at a time when so much of the information we consume has been stripped of nuance.
REPEAT CLIENTS
CURTAIN-RAISER SERIES (RUGBY)
While building a broader portfolio of South African historical stories, I also began writing about the history of South African rugby. A labour of love, with little commercial upside given that rugby is both niche and seasonal. However, I remain convinced that the game produces characters and moments that illuminate the unique beauty of the human spirit.
The series began with a laughably obscure story about the 1937 Springboks and their tour to the Antipodes. Since then, it has expanded to explore South Africa’s great rivalries with other proud rugby nations—most notably France, Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, and the British & Irish Lions.
My intention is to complete stories on the remaining major nations—Australia, England, Scotland, Argentina, and Italy—over the next five years.