Growing up as one of ten children in their Cape Town home, Billy Paulson experienced extreme poverty and racial discrimination.
“I faced material, as well as emotional poverty, every single day of my childhood,” he said.
Although his circumstances did not encourage him to continue going to school, Paulson had a goal to make a difference in society, starting with himself.
In 1979, two years after marrying his wife, Maureen, the now father of four started making music and realised it is a tool for him to accomplish the vision of “making people beautiful”.
“My music is not only confined to stages and churches, but also schools, prisons, hospitals and street corners,” he said. As a result, Paulson has travelled to the Far East, Europe, USA and New Zealand. One of his songs, Step by Step, became an instant success on both secular and Gospel charts in 1984. Paulson is popularly known for his hit song Môre Sal Die Son Weer Skyn, which is often still featured in Afrikaans movies across the country.
In 1990 Paulson established Youth Development Outreach, a community development organisation in Pretoria. Now, 25 years later, the organisation still exists after he handed it over to a trusted team.
At the age of 36, after completing his matric, Paulson was motivated to pursue his studies.
“I don’t want people to be discouraged by age; that’s just a number. If you take care of your health, work hard and live your life to the fullest, you will reap the rewards of all the treasures God has placed aside for you. Your life must be a motivation, a living testimony for others to want to better themselves,” he said with passion.
After living all his life in the service of others, Paulson, at the age of 66, has started a business that will help build a legacy for not only his own family, but also everyone who has ever lost hope because of their circumstances.
“I’m making people beautiful in a different way now,” he smiles.
“Never would I have dreamt of a moment like this. Two months ago I left a very large, established, international real estate company to venture on my own. Without any financial backing other than a promise from God, I obediently went to my principal and asked to be released to fulfil my vision of establishing a real estate business that would benefit mostly first time homeowners and create wealth, and secondly to establish a property investment portfolio for our younger generation,” Paulson concludes.
