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Ernest Messina is a businessman with an academic background. He was born on the farm Klein Simonsvlei near Franschhoek on 2 November 1957. He is the youngest son of two teacher parents. Growing up in this educational social milieu had a great influence on his life. He attended 4 different rural primary schools which left an indelible imprint on his socialisation in respect of his rural roots. He matriculated in 1974 from Spes Bona High School in Athlone a suburb of Cape Town. In that year he was Head Boy.

He enrolled for a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in History and Anthropology at the University of the Western Cape in 1975, University of South Africa and the University of York in England. He completed two masters’ degrees and a D Phil in History on research topics: Die Voortrekkereeufees van 1938 and Black Consciousness in the Western Cape respectively. He has gained valuable insights and learnt amazing life lessons through both successes, setbacks and failures. He is an avid reader and has travelled extensively both domestically and internationally including 19 different countries. These experiences and knowledge he shares by doing inspirational speaking sessions to corporates and different other groups.

He was first a teacher at Schoonspruit Senior Secondary school in Malmesbury, a History lecturer for 12 years at UWC and later represented Business South Africa on the Council of UWC. He is one of the three founder members of The Western Cape Business Opportunities Forum (WECBOF). He is formerly and or currently involved in the following organisations: National Scrap Metal (Cape Town), Chairperson of Groot Constantia South Africa’s oldest wine producing estate, Chairperson of the Franschhoek Empowerment and Conservation Trust, The first Chairperson of the Franschhoek Valley Transformation Charter, a mentor of young people, a Director of Bridge House School and the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, Chairperson of the AHI Western Cape, and a member of the National Executive of the AHI, Director of Isipani Construction, Dinheiro Risk Management as well as Co-Chair with Anant Singh of a new commercial radio station for Cape Town, Smile 90.4FM.

He has a few publications among other an internationally acclaimed recipe book Weskuskos with Ina Paarman.