Supercars may tickle the fancy of the rich and famous, but Dyalan Munsami has taken things up a few notches – with a 770 horsepower hypercar with a top speed of 350 km/h.
Not that the Randburg businessman is a speed fiend – he considers his new acquisition, the South Africa-made Barnard, an excellent investment.
One of only three in the world, the asking price was in the seven figures, and he reckons in a few years it could be worth three times its current price or more, depending on the manufacturers. It is said they plan to build no more than two cars a year.
“I am currently the only person to own the Barnard hypercar in the world, and I purchased this special car for an amount that I cannot disclose. I love cars, but the vehicles I collect have a great investment value,” Munsami told POST. “Only three have since been built and I have number two. It is the original prototype and I know it will become a huge investment in the future.”
Built by a family-run company in South Africa, the other Barnard cars – which have been in development for 12 years – are yet to find buyers.
“I wanted to have this in my collection, which includes Ferraris and classic muscle cars from the ’60s and ’70s,” said Munsami. “Also, I wanted to show my support as a local businessman to a South African car manufacturer.
“This is South Africa’s first hypercar and the vehicle which is now in my garage is the original,” he said.
“This car has been to the Yas Marina race circuit (in the UAE) for extensive testing and it has been put to its limits on that track.”
Yet it was only 15 years ago that he left Durban on a bus to Johannesburg with his wife and minor children. All they had was some money and a suitcase of clothes.
This ironic trip came almost a quarter of a century after his father Munsami “Bobby” Venketraju was arrested and detained for being in the Transvaal without a permit.
In those days, all Indians travelling across provincial borders had to have a special permit. They had to secure one from the Department of Indian Affairs before leaving and to surrender it on their return.
There were just four provinces in those days; Indians were banned from the Orange Free State. Bloemfontein and its surrounds were out of bounds.
To get such a permit was almost impossible.
Venketraju was an accomplished bookkeeper and ballroom dancer. He was so good on the floor that white women were his partners. Even when he took part in competitions, they had to compete “underground” so that they kept out of view from the authorities.
In those days, Dicky Loader was the top pop star and he presented Venketraju with the silver trophy.
Venketraju left Durban, took his wife Narasamma and four children, Loshni, Dyalan, Sangran and Ravesrie, and set up home in Boksburg.
According to Loshni, her father did not worry about such technicalities as a permit, and it got them into serious trouble.
“We were like any family in the area. Late one night, there was a knock on the door and my father opened, he was met by two stony-faced Afrikaaner policemen who asked him for his permit.
“When my father told them he did not have one, they promptly arrested him.
“They left us behind, but had him locked up until they worked out deportation arrangements,” said Loshni.
Back in Durban, the family was eventually allocated a house in the resettlement township of Phoenix. For the first time, the family had their own home.
They were there for only a few months when Bobby and one of his brothers, Ramachandra or “Ram”, were killed in a car crash in Pietermaritzburg in November 1981.
“It was left to my mother to raise us and Dyalan, being the oldest son, finished school and did not want to go further. He decided to get a job,” said Loshni.
Both sets of great-grandparents came to South Africa from Andra Pradesh in India to work in the canefields as indentured labourers. But they were determined that their children would be “born-frees” and harboured great ambitions for their descendants.
On the maternal side, Latchmana Naidu from Chittoor was 18 when he arrived on board the Umlazi.
Also on the ship was 6-year-old Lutchmamma Naidu, who was from North Arcot. Eight years down the line they were married. Their first child, Chengamma Naidu, was born and she and her younger siblings resided in Sheringham Road, Overport.
She married Narainsamy Naidu.
“She was a talented dressmaker who made the most beautiful baby smock outfits,” said Loshni.
Their fifth child, Narasamma, who is also known as Ann, married Munsami “Bobby” Venketraju.
On the paternal side, grandfather Venketraju Chetty, whose parents were also from Andhra Pradesh, India, was born in Durban and his family settled in Cato Manor.
They spent most of their lives there until the apartheid government enforced the Group Areas Act.
They were forced to move and were relocated to Chatsworth.
Fast forward to 1996 and Dyalan and his family – wife Sushila and children Shailen, Duren and Mishka – were off to start a new life in Johannesburg.
”It was a struggle to get a job and I was ready to try anything,” recalled Dyalan.
After a while, he bought a bakkie and landed a job installing aerials and satellite dishes. It was an occupation which he enjoyed and he made great strides.
His financial status improved and he started giving back to the community. He installed satellite dishes free of charge to churches, and soon he was working in African countries.
“I had saved enough to buy a property in Randburg where I set up my business headquarters.
“My sons, Shailen and Duren, joined me, and while the hours were extremely long, we made the effort.
“At times we were getting only two hours a night sleep.”
Sushila took over the accounts and is currently the chief financial officer of the company.
“I now head up a group of companies and have offices nationally in South Africa, Europe and recently in Madagascar, and in the process have created more than 700 jobs,” said Dyalan.
Although most businessmen invested their cash in the stock market, he decided to go for supercars.
While Dyalan is a successful businessman, his sister Loshni manages his Durban office and is also the South African head of the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin.
His brother Sangran and other sister, Ravesrie, hold down executive positions elsewhere.