By Sheree Russouw
He postponed his wedding to compete in The Apprentice but Tristan Davies, the first casualty of the business-driven reality TV show, still believes he has emerged a winner.
In this week's debut of what has been described as a gruelling "15-week job interview", viewers witnessed the surprise exit of Davies, a 26-year-old broker.
Only one of the 16 candidates is promised a coveted job with Tokyo Sexwale, the head of Mvelaphanda Holdings. But for Davies it was still a "phenomenal achievement" to have been selected as a candidate for the show, beating 35 000 other aspirant apprentices across the country.
"My fiancée, Sindy, advised me not to be the first task leader but that's what I did because in the history of The Apprentice worldwide the men have never won the first task - and I thought I could make history and change that."
But it was a decision that cost him his place on the show.
"Boy, did I learn the hard way," he says, ruefully. "We lost against the women and we were shell-shocked and then I was dismissed."
It's been two months since Sexwale fired him, but Davies says his leadership abilities were never in doubt. "I played the game with honesty and integrity ... I never expected to be the one to go."
Davies, whose first name - fittingly enough - means "loud and bold" in Celtic, now stages corporate events but envisages his future in television.
"I pray that I remain in TV. In 10 years' time, I'd like to be sitting where she is," he says, pointing to the show's producer, Thami Ngubeni.
The task that cost Davies his job was to boost the profits of two Joburg inner city street hawkers. The men made a profit of about 900 percent, while the women made almost 16 000 percent.
"Insignificant as I am, I was able to change five people's lives - those of the vendor we helped and the people in his family. The council is now going to support Selby by buying goods from him and that would not have happened if we weren't involved. We taught him to sustain and market his products."
Being in a vendor's shoes, says the broker, was "hectic".
"You understand what they go through daily. You have to concentrate when you're working on the streets. I sold Chappies for 10c. We were selling a single toilet roll for R5. I thought we were doing great."
He urges the business community to support street vendors: "If each corporation adopts a vendor, imagine what a difference we will make."
Davies describes the remaining candidates as "exceptionally strong players", but won't reveal who he believes will win. Besides, he's now focused on the "hardest deal I had to close": wooing his wife.
The couple plan to marry after the winner of the show is announced in September.
Catch a repeat of The Apprentice on Sundays at 4pm on SABC3.