Born in South Africa in the year 1945, Cyril James was raised in the slums of Durban. He was educated at a primary school named St.Theresa's in Sydenham, just outside the city. He did not go any further with his studies because of the unjust laws placed on non-whites by the apartheid government. He learnt a lot by reading old newspapers whenever he came across them. At the age of fourteen, he left school after doing his Standard 5, and went to work at Durban Harbour, cleaning the cargo hold of ships after they had been offloaded. Sometimes washing and ironing crewmembers clothing, and helping the chef in the galley for a few shillings. He became a seaman, started as a galley boy and was soon promoted to a cook, and when he left the sea, he joined a few leading hotels in Durban and Cape Town until he felt the urge to go elsewhere. For the next twenty-five years he went into engineering, working as a piping material supervisor at many projects around South Africa, and other countries in Africa. He is married to a petite, elegant lady named Linda who works with him and constantly supports his endeavor. Behind every successful man, there is a great woman
