Vivian Reddy

Reddy was born on 22 February 1953 in Greenwood Park, a suburb of Durban.{{Cite web |last=Khoza |first=Amanda |date=2014-10-12 |title=Businessman and superstar |url=https://www.citizen.co.za/witness/archive/businessman-and-superstar-20150430/ |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=Witness |language=en}} He was designated as Indian under apartheid. His father was a teacher and he was the youngest of nine children. At the age of 16, he was selected to represent South Africa at a Boy Scout Jamboree in Japan, where he met Neil Armstrong, his adolescent hero.{{Cite news |date=2003-08-27 |title=It's the Reddy Connection |newspaper=The Star |url=http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=327&fArticleId=215641 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080929013432/http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=327&fArticleId=215641 |archive-date=2008-09-29}}

After finishing high school, Reddy enrolled at Springfield Training College, but he decided a fortnight later that he wanted to be an electrical engineer. After he was fired from his engineering apprenticeship, he founded Reddy's Electrical, an electrical contracting firm; he apparently began the firm with only a R500 loan and a borrowed bakkie.

Reddy's Electrical was later renamed as Edison Power. The company frequently did business with the state, including in a series of contracts for the procurement of smart electricity meters in the City of Johannesburg. An independent investigation concluded in November 2013 that there was no evidence of irregularities in a R1.25-billion contract between Edison Power and City Power.{{Cite web |date=2013-11-05 |title=Investigation clears City Power in awarding of R1.25bn tender |url=https://www.news24.com/Archives/City-Press/Investigation-clears-City-Power-in-awarding-of-R125bn-tender-20150429 |access-date=2018-12-17 |website=News24 |language=en}} However, a subsequent forensic investigation, commissioned by the City of Johannesburg in 2017, concluded that one of the related contracts was irregular and did not comply with "legislative and administrative" regulations.{{Cite web |date=2017-07-16 |title=Reddy's City Power deal 'irregular' |url=https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/reddys-city-power-deal-irregular-20170715 |access-date=2018-12-17 |website=News24 |language=en}}

Reddy is also known for his personal and business links to former President Jacob Zuma.{{Cite web |date=2012-11-23 |title=Nkandla: Reddy an unapologetic benefactor |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2012-11-23-00-nkandla-reddy-an-unapologetic-benefactor/ |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}{{Cite web |date=2006-12-01 |title=Zuma’s sugar daddies jump ship |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2006-12-01-zumas-sugar-daddies-jump-ship/ |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}} He joined Zuma's political party, the African National Congress, in 1990.{{Cite web |last=Khoza |first=Amanda |date=2014-10-12 |title=Businessman and superstar |url=https://www.citizen.co.za/witness/archive/businessman-and-superstar-20150430/ |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=Witness |language=en}}

Reddy is involved in several South African charity initiatives such as the Orphans of AIDS Trust Fund.{{cite web|url=http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/aids-orphans-trust-gets-r45-000-1.82289#.UGVZNkQig4s |title=Orphans of AIDS Trust Fund|website=IoL}} He has donated substantially to various community projects such the Wingen Heights Secondary School building project{{Cite web|title=Vivian Reddy Contributes To Wingen Heights Secondary School – Vivian Reddy|url=https://vivianreddy.co.za/vivian-reddy-contributes-to-wingen-heights-secondary-school/|access-date=2020-06-23|language=en-US}} and donating R6 million to the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality to build a clinic.{{citation needed|date=May 2019}} He treated the residents of Bayview, Chatsworth to a Diwali celebration in commemoration of 150 years of Indian settlement in South Africa since 1860.{{citation needed|date=May 2019}}

Reddy and his first wife, Mogi Naidoo, share three children, Yavini, a paediatrician, Shantan, and IT student Kuber.{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}} In 2003, he married his second wife, Sorisha Naidoo, who is a media personality, actress, and cast member of The Real Housewives of Durban. They have two children together: a son, Saihil, and daughter, Kalina.{{Cite web |last=Maako |first=Keitumetse |date=23 February 2023 |title=RHOD's Sorisha Naidoo seals month of love with sweet birthday message to husband |url=https://www.news24.com/life/arts-and-entertainment/celebrities/rhods-sorisha-naidoo-seals-month-of-love-with-sweet-birthday-message-to-husband-20230223-2 |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=News24 |language=en-US}} In 2021, following a dispute at the Press Ombudsman, the Daily Maverick published an official apology to Naidoo for "insinuating that she had married him [Reddy] for his money".{{Cite web |last=Davis |first=Rebecca |date=2021-06-28 |title=Tarina Patel, Sorisha Naidoo and Nonkanyiso Conco – The Real Housewives of State Capture |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-06-28-tarina-patel-sorisha-naidoo-and-nonkanyiso-conco-the-real-housewives-of-state-capture/ |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}}

For his 60th birthday in 2013, Reddy spent R10 million on an extravagant celebration at his home in Umhlanga with 150 close family, friends and prominent political figures.{{Cite web |title=Reddy's R10m birthday bash |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/reddys-r10m-birthday-bash-1475895 |access-date=2018-12-17 |website=IOL News |language=en}}

{{Self-published|section|date=June 2023}}

Reddy has achieved the following awards:{{Cite web |title=Awards & Accolades – Vivian Reddy |url=https://vivianreddy.co.za/awards-accolades/ |access-date=2020-06-23 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Vivian Reddy Joins World Leaders at CGI to Initiate Change – Vivian Reddy |url=https://vivianreddy.co.za/vivian-reddy-joins-world-leaders-at-cgi-to-initiate-change/ |access-date=2020-06-23 |language=en-US}}

• 1992 Four Outstanding South Africans (FOYSA Award)
• 1993 International Senate Award
• 1993 Distinguished Service Award
• 1993 South African Young Achiever Award
• 1998 Rotary International – Paul Harris Community Service Award
• 2003 Global Indian Entrepreneur of the Year Award
• 2007 Voted the Most Admired Businessperson in KwaZulu-Natal
• 2009 Award for Sustainable Contribution to Engineering and Business
• 2011 Living Legend Award from City of Durban
• 2012 Invited to Bill Clinton Global Initiative

{{Reflist}}

• {{official|https://www.vivianreddy.co.za/}}
• [http://www.whss.co.za/ Wingen Heights Secondary School]

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Category:Living people

Category:1953 births

Category:Businesspeople from Durban

Category:South African people of Indian descent

Category:21st-century South African businesspeople

Category:20th-century South African businesspeople

Category:Members of the African National Congress