Kiss of fire: Nando’s Brozin bears Olympic torch

Robbie Brozin held the Olympic torch high in France this week as he ran the Olympic Torch Relay in the run-up to the official Olympic Games, all while contemplating the importance of keeping alight South Africa’s flame of democracy.

“It was very emotional,” Brozin, the co-founder of Nando’s, told the SA Jewish Report from France this week, the morning after his 200 metre run with the Olympic torch through Paris on Monday evening, 15 July. “As I was running, I had such a sense of the value of our democracy, and how the work we do in South Africa keeps its flame alive. It’s this same flame that represents the values of the Olympics.”

The Olympic Torch Relay is this year being run from Marseilles to Paris through many of the French towns, taking the Olympic torch and flame through Olympic Games 2024 country. The flame and relay run represents spreading the Olympic message of peace and unity, and provides a unifying link for celebrating the Games.

The torch was lit in Greece, the original home of the Olympics, and brought to France to make this trip. The lighting ceremony took place in Greece on 16 April 2024, and will eventually light the Olympic Games torch on Friday, 26 July, at the opening ceremony.

“I was so proud to be able to be a torchbearer, especially as a South African,” said Brozin. “The whole day was quite surreal.”

Brozin said that with Coca-Cola being the global sponsor of the Olympics, it recommends certain people and companies to carry the torch. So Nando’s was chosen for the philanthropic work it does.

He carried the torch because of the work Nando’s does in eliminating malaria; helping African artists and young designers; as well as reimagining the City of Joburg, among other philanthropic projects.

Donning a white short-sleeve tracksuit with #138 on it to represent his number in the lineup of torchbearers, Brozin ran “about 200m” holding the torch specially designed for this particular Olympic Games by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur.

“I got the torch from a young guy called Alex, who was a downhill BMX skier from Switzerland. When he hands it over, it’s called ‘the kiss’,” said Brozin. “I then did my run, and handed it over to the next person who was French and couldn’t speak English, so we didn’t quite vibe.

“The whole run for me took a few minutes, but they were minutes I will never forget.”