Moving Up

Moving Up is a powerful autobiographical narrative of resilience, identity, and self-discovery set against the backdrop of rural Pella and post-apartheid South Africa.

Reginald Tshepo Pheqe takes readers on an unforgettable journey from barefoot schooldays in the red soil of the North West to navigating city life, systemic inequality, and corporate spaces that were never designed for boys like him.

Growing up without electricity, running water, or certainty, Reginald learned survival before he learned vocabulary. He collected rainwater before dawn, walked miles barefoot to school, endured language barriers, bullying, and political unrest — all while quietly nurturing a dream he could not yet name.

As South Africa shifted through the end of apartheid, so did he.

This is not just a story of poverty.
It is a story of dignity.
Not just about ambition.
But about belonging.

Through vivid storytelling, cultural memory, and emotional honesty, Moving Up explores:

• Impostor syndrome in professional spaces

• Rural African childhood traditions and survival

• The psychological effects of apartheid-era education

• Teenage identity, masculinity, and responsibility

• The journey from invisibility to quiet authority

This memoir speaks to anyone who has ever felt like an outsider in rooms they worked hard to enter.

Moving Up is a testament to resilience — a reminder that success is not about escaping your past, but honoring it.