Malik Yoba is living his dreams
● It’s two hours before Malik Yoba is set to address hundreds of filmmakers and cinephiles at the Joburg Film Festival in Sandton. Having arrived in Johannesburg two days earlier, the American actor, social entrepreneur and philanthropist admits to being exhausted.
His baritone voice fills the room. Dressed in a tailored cream suit, he leans forward, smiles and says: “I woke up at 6.30am it’s part of it, I’m exhausted but it’s OK. This is all fun girl, this ain’t work. I wake up every single day excited, because I’m literally manifesting my dreams on a daily basis and being here is part of that.”
Yoba, 56, first captivated audiences in the ’90s in the Disney classic Cool Runnings and later in his role as NYPD detective JC Williams in the hit series New York Undercover. Since then, he has carved a niche for himself in Hollywood with multiple roles that showcase his versatility. From the intense drama of Empire to the heartwarming family dynamics in
Why Did I Get Married? Yoba has left an indelible mark on the silver screen.
Born in the South Bronx and raised in Harlem, Yoba has always been a dreamer. He fell in love with the arts at a young age. At 13, he joined The Metropolitan Opera Children’s Theatre Guild.
The early exposure to the theatre ignited a spark, prompting Yoba to explore and embrace the art of storytelling through performance. At 16, he honed his craft by collaborating with The Negro Ensemble Company, an experience that played a pivotal role in shaping his theatrical aspirations.
His life had taken a serious turn at 15, when he survived a gunshot wound. Instead of letting fear dictate his path, he channelled this close call into a deepened commitment to something greater. It was a wake-up call, reinforcing his belief in personal and social responsibility, fuelling a life dedicated to service, creativity, volunteering, community activism and entrepreneurship.
With well more than 50 film credits and a career that spans three decades, Yoba hosted a master class focused on youth development at the Joburg Film Festival. Attendees were treated to a special screening of his latest project, a documentary series, The Real Estate Mixtape, Volume 1: I Build NY. The series chronicles Yoba and a group of people 18 to 38 years old as they navigate his initial commercial real estate deal in New York City.
Yoba’s portrayal of detective JC Williams in New York Undercover won him fans, but it’s his work in property development that has garnered the award-winning actor an almost cult-like following among young people passionate about real estate.
Talk of his docuseries and real estate excites Yoba. His eyes light up as he describes how it began, as a case of art imitating life.
“My manager texted to say, ‘Oh, you got an offer for this show called God Friended Me.’I didn’t know anything about the show. I started reading the script. And I discovered that my character is a developer in Harlem, doing affordable housing. I grew up in Harlem, and the character on the page is saying all the things I say, in real life, and I literally pushed the computer away and said ‘Alright, God, I see you.’”
For Yoba the dream was simply to bring real estate, filmmaking and young people together. The vision for his documentary series may have been birthed while filming this show, but Yoba’s real estate dreams date to his childhood.
He describes scenes of the South Bronx in 1967, marked by burnt-out structures and vacant lots, mirroring the landscape of his upbringing. Harlem presented a similar scenario until his father orchestrated a move to a development sponsored by his hospital union. This development, designed for lowto moderate-income families, became a significant part of Yoba’s life.
The concept of property ownership became as natural as breathing, thanks to his father’s teachings.
“Growing up with my father always preaching ownership, it was just embedded like it’s a natural thing that I was going to own property,” Yoba explains.
But his encounters with white peers in the neighbourhood painted a stark contrast
penthouses and grand pianos in living rooms overlooking Central Park were foreign concepts. Influenced by these disparities, a resolve to give back to the community took shape. As a young boy Yoba visualised what Harlem could be and vowed to one day become a billionaire and make those visions a reality.
His inaugural foray into development was
I was already thinking I’m gonna be a billionaire one day, and I’m gonna fix all this s*** around me. I didn’t know that’s called development. I learnt that over time
Malik Yoba
at the age of 17 when he aimed to establish a BMX track in Central Park. Armed with research and a pitch meeting, Yoba faced scepticism but garnered praise for his audacity. It wasn’t until he reached his 20s that he bought his first property, later selling it for a substantial profit. This marked a turning point, steering Yoba’s focus towards development.
“I was already thinking I’m gonna be a billionaire one day, and I’m gonna fix all this sh** around me. I didn’t know that’s called development. I learnt that over time.”
In 2017, Yoba ventured deeper into real estate after a decade of collaborating with La Cité Development in New York. Last year, Yoba Development introduced the “I Build NY” programme, the first real estate development curriculum for high school students. The company also formed a partnership with the Pratt Institute School of Architecture.
Renowned as a serial entrepreneur, Yoba is founder and CEO of Yoba Development, steering a diversified portfolio in real estate, education and media. The company focuses on nurturing human potential through educational and media endeavours. Simultaneously, it engages in the development of sustainable, affordable, and market-rate mixeduse projects in evolving neighbourhoods. Yoba Development’s impact extends across real estate initiatives in New York, Baltimore, Augusta, Chicago and Charleston.
Yoba has touched lives from Yale to Rikers Island High School to Johannesburg Secondary School and he works with young people in Canada, Jamaica, Korea, Ethiopia, Belize and other countries in Central America.
He first visited South Africa in 1996 and again in 2012. In addition to speaking to filmmakers, Yoba will address architecture students at the University of Johannesburg. Yet he says he’s mostly here to learn.
“One of the things I want to share the most with the folks here is that you got to own your s***. Write, create, direct, learn to raise money, learn to market, learn all of this [stuff]. Don’t just be an actor, don’t just be a director,” he says.
When we meet again, it’s in Houghton at Sanctuary Mandela, the late statesman’s former residence. The re-envisioned home is now a hotel and restaurant. As Yoba arrives with a five-person entourage he is greeted by film festival director Tim Mangwedi. Moments later Mandela’s long-time personal chef, Xoliswa Ndoyiya, blushes as she hands him a copy of her book, Made With Love.
With Yoba building his real estate dreams and getting closer to becoming the billionaire he promised his teenaged self, he says he faces increasing difficulty in acting, especially with auditions. His love for the art remains but he’s more driven by his dreams of building a legacy. Unless directly offered a role, auditioning demands a return to an employee mindset, dedicating significant time to prepare and embody characters.
“At this point, I’ve lived that dream over and over, it can feel like Groundhog Day, because this is one of the only businesses I know where you could do something for 30 years and it’s like you started all over again,” he says.