Daine Klate, a known figure in the football world following his decorated career at the highest level in the Premier Soccer League, could have been an accountant if he had not pursued a different calling.
‘In high school I had a key interest in accounting,’ reveals Klate. ‘I would have probably become an accountant like two of my childhood friends. I had a passion for that, and I was studying bookkeeping as well. Maybe I will go back one day and get my degree. I was good at it.’
That’s probably why the former winger turned out to be savvy with his finances during his playing days, although he admits to making mistakes. At the age of 15, Klate left home to chase what would eventually become an impressively glittering day job – making his SuperSport United debut four years later when coach Pitso Mosimane threw him in the deep end.
It then became clear that the young Klate had to mature quickly beyond his age, while most of his peers were enjoying being teenagers.
Klate had to find a balance as an elite league athlete in his teens.
‘I started earning my own money at a very young age, so of course I was bound to make mistakes. But the most important thing for me was to learn how to manage money as quickly as possible. When you make small decisions, they pay off in the long run,’ says Klate.
Then a youthful tactician himself, coach Mosimane perhaps shaped the career of a player who went on to win six league titles and feature for Bafana Bafana.
‘When I signed for SuperSport, there were a lot of young players - me, Richard Rantjie, Sibusiso Khumalo and Siboniso Gaxa. We were all new to earning money. The most important lesson coach Mosimane taught us was to invest in ourselves.’
How so?
‘It was crucial for us to watch football at home, so our money went into that. And then, obviously, a place to stay and gym membership. Those things are essential to improve your life and career. The minute we had earned enough and qualified for a townhouse, we explored the options of buying instead of renting. It was the right thing to do, but a big lesson too,’ says Klate.
This season, Klate has joined the Nedbank Cup as an ambassador, working in partnership with the bank to help educate the nation about the importance of making decisions that will benefit their futures. Together with his former football mentor, Pitso Mosimane, and colleagues such as Teko Modise, Stanton Fredericks and Siphiwe Tshabalala, the group will share how small, everyday choices can have the biggest impact on our lives.
Now, at age 38, he admits to having regrets, but celebrates the moments where he made those ‘small decisions’ to guarantee he stood out among his teammates.
‘I know better now. When it comes to property investment for example, I now know it’s not just about buying property. I paid R470 000 for my first apartment and in hindsight, I should have probably kept it,’ says Klate.
‘If I were to sell it now, it would have been worth about R1,4 million. I am wiser now in that regard. I also believed in living in the now. You want a fancy car and a nice house now. But there’s a thin line between doing it now and saving for the future.’
As a father of two boys, Zack and Alex, Klate is better placed to be a genuine example, given that they are showing an interest in sport too. Their dad could have been an accountant had his talent not turned him into one of South Africa’s best players of his generation.