A Conversation with Mpho Makhado
Mypowa founder Shonisani Rerani caught up with Mpho Makhado, who is a co-founder of one of South Africa’s standout running clubs, Waterfall Athletics Club, affectionately known in the running streets as BlueWave or Woolies. More than just a recognisable figure in the running community, Mpho’s journey reflects a deep passion, a commitment to leadership, and a belief in creating something greater than oneself. In this conversation, he opened up about the journey of creating a club that feels like family, the lessons learned along the way, and what it truly means to move with purpose.
When you meet Mpho Makhado, you meet calm. A man who carries both humility and quiet, yet unshakable, strength. A respected figure in the running community, known for his graceful stride, the kind that makes you stop just to watch him run. His posture is polished and effortless. Mpho’s story goes beyond medals and miles; it’s one about resilience, community, and staying grounded in who you are.
From Venda to the City
Mpho describes himself as “just a Venda boy,” born and raised in a small village Ngwenani ya Ha Themeli near Thohoyandou in Limpopo. As the eldest of two sons,he grew up surrounded by family values (Instilled by his late grandparents Vho Sophia and Vha Venda Vho Joseph Sieba and from his dad’s side Vho Denga Makhado) who shaped his work ethic and love for people.
After finishing school, he moved to Johannesburg in search of opportunity. Tuition money was a struggle for his parents, however, he managed to attend Krugersdorp Technical College, upon completion of his studies he took a temporary job at the old railway company in Woodmead. One day, the company Managing Director noticed him and asked, “Young man, what are you doing here?”
“I’m here to work,” Mpho replied.
The Managing Director said, “No, you’re too young to be here, you need to go to school.”
That moment changed Mpho’s life. The Managing Director offered to sponsor his university studies, and that act of kindness led him to earn a Diploma in Property Management, which started his professional journey.
Today, Mpho is a husband, and father to two boys, and a man grounded in simplicity. “I’m just a simple guy,” he says. “Family, work, and the little things that make life enjoyable…that’s me. I do me, I don’t fake anything, and I don’t put myself under unnecessary pressures to fit in.”
Building a family and Self-Awareness
Shoni: How long have you been married?
Mpho: Almost 19 years now.
Shoni: Jeez, that’s a long time! That institution isn’t easy, hey?
Mpho: Not at all.
Shoni: Ever had moments of wanting to give up?
Mpho: laughs Yes, a few times. Marriage isn’t easy, even relationships in general. But you try to make it work.
He shared an analogy from a leadership course that stuck with him: “If you ever wake up and feel like you don’t want to go to your place of work, you’re in a very dangerous state of mind and it’s very hard to come back or recover from that.”
“I know myself,” Mpho adds. “I take exceptionally long to get angry in most of the situations or friendships. But once I do, I can treat you like you never existed. So, I have trained myself never to let people push me to that point, because once I reach it, there’s no return. Marriage is tough, we die and wake up again,” he laughs.
He continues thoughtfully: “Marriage is a God ordained institution it’s not just about my wife and me and our feelings. It is bigger, it’s our kids, our families, and it's about spiritual growth, stability and support system, and honestly, my faith and fear of God have kept me grounded. Without God, it would have been difficult to be where we are right now.”
Self-awareness, he says, has been key. “You need to know yourself as a man or person rather and what is important to you, then prioritise that without feeling pressured to be like others. I am not about proving a point. Marriage comes with sacrifices; it has a price. I may not have much but seeing my wife and my boys grow and happy, that’s wealth to me.”
My family is my everything.
The Running Journey
Mpho began running in 2015, inspired by his sister-in-law who ran the Comrades Marathon. His first race was the Soweto Marathon 2015, which he entered then went to buy his first proper running shoes the night before the race. Imagine he says laughing.
“It was tough,” he recalls. “But I had told my sister-in-law that there is no way she’d manage, and I would not. That race showed me flames, but surprisingly, I qualified for Comrades with a time of 04h49. My sister-in-law encouraged me to attempt comrades the following year. I ran my first Comrades 2016 and finished in 9h43. That is when running became part of my life.”
Shoni: You have always been fast, hey!
Mpho: Laughs Eish, it was tough!
Shoni: You have one of the most beautiful running postures I have ever seen, it’s so clean and polished. A friend of mine made me aware of it. Were you taught how to run and position yourself or it comes naturally?
Mpho: Laughs, that is just how I run.
Shoni: Surely people comment about your posture all the time.
Mpho: hahaha well I have heard those comments before, but it is just how I run.
He tells a funny story: “Once I ran a 21km in Pretoria after coming from a work trip, few drinks with colleagues a day before and inexperienced in running. The target was sub1h30 for the half marathon, I looked fine as my posture always is, next thing I knew, I woke up in hospital. I collapsed around 18km. So, trust me, my posture is deceiving I look like I’m cruising nice even when I’m dying.”
The Birth of Waterfall City Athletics Club
The Waterfall City Athletics Club began, like most great things, among friends with a shared dream.
“We were just a bunch of guys who loved running Mpho says. “We thought, why not start our own thing, a space that feels like home, where we can support each other and have fun. We had no sponsors, no systems just passion and teamwork.”
He laughs, “We didn’t even know what we were doing, but we believed in it.”
Though many know Mpho and Kenny Lethole as the co-founders, he emphasizes that it was a collective effort. “I told Kenny we need to document our story so that no one gets forgotten. Everyone who helped build it deserves recognition.” People like Velile Memela, Muzi Mkhize, John Legoale, Eli Motau, Bethuel Mashego, Sharon Ntshangase, Pumeza Poni, Lentswe Mononyane, and the late Adv Thando Ntsonkota (may his soul rest in peace), just to name a few of the guys.
He recalls the day he met Kenny: “I was running alone and met Kenny and Hlayisani Rikhotso at Virgin Active Waterfall, they invited me to join them for a 10km run. Yoh, that 10km was the toughest and fastest ever. I kept up only because my ego wouldn’t let me fall behind. Then it started raining, that rain saved me,” he laughs. “That’s how our brotherhood started. We started training together as 3 Ninjas during the week, and over the weekend with the entire group at Waterfall Virgin Active and that is where my pace started improving.”
As the club grew, they made inclusivity a priority. “People knew us as Kenny’s fast boys,” he says. “So, we went on a drive to change that narrative and recruited women, at the AGM we voted for a woman to lead the club as a Chairlady (former Chair Kholofelo Masilela) and showed that the club is for everyone not just fast runners. That was a game changer for me, and today we are a club with all different kind of runners.”
Shoni: yuup including us who run slow and walk a lot hahaha.
Mpho: hahaha the club is for everyone.
Waterfall City Athletics Club established 2018, currently has over 1000 members. A running community built on passion, discipline, and connection amongst friends. Known in the running streets as BlueWave or Woolies, the club brings together runners of all levels who share one goal: to move with purpose and have fun while doing it. From early morning runs to race day energy, Waterfall City AC is where fitness meets family. Visit their website at www.waterfallcityac.co.za for more information.
The People, The Impact
Shoni: Mpho, you guys have built a beautiful community with Waterfall Athletics Club. Do you ever sit back and take it in?
Mpho: I do, a lot. Sometimes I look at pictures on social media and think, wow, this is what we have built. The club has changed so many lives including mine. I have made friendships that are stronger than some of my family bonds. The club has changed the lives of so many kids from disadvantaged backgrounds. We’ve made a difference, and we shall continue to do so
Shoni: Ngoho Waterfall ndi Woolworths ya dzi running clubs
Mpho: hahaha we didn’t like that name at first. It felt arrogant.
Shoni: hahaha you are being modest; our club lives up to the Woolies name though
Mpho: hahaha I guess
Shoni: You seem like a calm guy; do you ever lose your cool. I’ve had an experience with you where we ran out of water while seconding a huge group of runners and you were so chilled and calm about it while I was panicking.
Mpho: I do lose my cool sometimes, and I don’t like it when I do. But it takes me a lot to get there. Sometimes its quickly accepting what’s happening and realising that there’s nothing you can do at that given time, try work on solutions while being calm. But yes, I do lose my cool.
Shoni: On race day, you’re always calm even when chaos hits. How do you do it?
Mpho: Well, I do get frustrated, but I try not to show it, because if I do everyone in the team will also panic, so I try keep calm as much as I can, “If there’s nothing I can do, I don’t stress. If no one’s dying, then all is good”.
Shoni: You guys pulled off a beautiful race as always, well done hey!!!
Mpho: Thank you, we always try. A few hiccups here and there but the team really did well.
Mpho is grounded in perspective.
On Criticism and Leadership
Big clubs come with big opinions. “Yes, we get criticized a lot,” he admits. “But one pastor of mine once said people never criticize something that’s not great and has no impact on anything. So, when criticism come, I know we are doing something great.”
Even disagreements among the founders are handled with love. “We fight sometimes,” Mpho says, “But we move on quickly because it’s about what is best for the club, and we understand that it’s nothing personal.”
We get criticized a lot, we know about some of the things that are said about us, but we keep moving and learning. We are open to work with everyone.
What is Resilience to you Mpho
“Resilience,” Mpho says, “is understanding that nothing in life is easy. You can quit and have nothing, or you can hang in there and see how far you can go.”
It’s not just about running long distances; it’s about life: marriage, parenting, work, and dreams. “Sometimes resilience isn’t strength, it’s just refusing to give up when it would be easier to.”
He believes in giving your best, so that even if something fails, you find peace in knowing you tried.
MOMENTS THAT BROKE HIM AND HOW HE GOT BACK UP
When asked about the moments that truly broke him, Mpho pauses, his voice softens.
“When my dad died during Covid, that broke me beyond words,” he says quietly. “I was a proper daddy’s boy. I saw that man as a starring, I still do. To move from that, from being daddy’s boy to suddenly having to plan his funeral and make decisions as the eldest, with everyone looking to me for guidance… that was hard.”
He takes a breath before continuing.
“I haven’t healed,” he admits. “But every day, you wake up and keep trying.” You learn to live with the pain.
ADVICE ON RELATIONSHIPS
“Stay resilient but also know when something isn’t healthy. Anything that’s not building you positively isn’t for you. Give your best, but don’t lose yourself.”
ADVICE TO THE DREAMERS
“For anyone afraid to start,” he says, “remember a man who’s afraid to lose sight of the seashore will never discover new islands. Don’t be paralysed by fear or failure. You might lose something, but maybe that loss will lead you to something better. You just need to try, try and see what is on the other side…it could be greatness.”
WHAT DOES “FINDING MYPOWA” MEAN TO MPHO
“When you start a family, focus shifts to them, you lose yourself a bit,” Mpho reflects. “I’ve learned it’s okay to prioritise myself too. For years I’ve prioritised others over me, but now I know I’m enough.” So, finding mypowa means prioritising myself and not being scared to say no.
Shoni: Prioritizing yourself when you have a family can be hard hey, sometimes it can come off as being selfish. Where does one draw the line?
Mpho: That’s true, it is hard, but I guess it’s about finding a balance. Prioritising yourself doesn’t mean neglecting your family, it’s about being healthy and whole as an individual. When you don’t prioritise yourself everything else can crumble.
Shoni: hmm That’s deep hey
Fun Fact about Mpho:
Mpho was once part of a church music group during his youth. Whether or not he could sing he says it is not important, but he assures me he was definitely in the group. When I asked him to sing for me, he politely declined LOL, so I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.
Stories like Mpho’s remind us that what’s meant for you will always find you and so will the people who are meant to elevate and grow with you.
Mpho, thank you for your time and, most importantly, your openness throughout our conversation both on and off the record. I learned so much from you. It’s just a pity you didn’t share a few tips on how to be a faster runner, scared of eating my dust maybe? LOL
May you continue to soar higher, stay grounded, and remain true to yourself. Tap into your POWA always, Mpho!!!