He needs no introduction to the South African business community – he is, after all, the founder of the Purple Group and former CEO of the South African Post Office – and he’s one of the country’s most passionate, engaged and thoughtful citizens. But Mark Barnes is also a consummate lover of art, books and a fun lunch or three. Here he talks the good stuff in life.
What’s the best book you’ve read in the past year? And why?
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. I fell in love with the main character, Elizabeth Zott – so much so that I wrote to the publisher and asked if I could marry her in the sequel.
How do you keep fit?
I don’t, but I do tread water for about 15 minutes in my (heated) pool and take walks around golf courses that are much longer than the official distance.
Weekday, low-key restaurant go-to? What do you order?
Bellinis in Illovo, Joburg. It’s just around the corner, and its steak, egg and chips signature dish is hard to beat.
What is the one artwork you’ll always love, and why?
Sit by Angus Taylor – magic out of rock.
Do you have a hobby? What is it?
I’m trying to draw distilled essence pictures – line drawings, in pencil – barely recognisable, but obvious.
The one unusual item you can’t live without?
A silver bracelet made for me by an old lady silversmith in Cumbria. It’s engraved with all my children’s names on the inside (against my skin), and the hallmarks show on the outside. I never leave home without it.
Who was your high school celeb crush?
I didn’t even know how to spell “celebrity” at school – it wasn’t in the curriculum in Mpumalanga.
Three songs you’d take to a desert island?
Purple Rain by Prince; Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd; and Everybody Knows by Leonard Cohen. (But I’d take a hundred – I watch music videos until the early hours of the morning.)
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