<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nDrug addiction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Fortuin grew up with a single parent, his mother. He was never a gang member but says he was closely associated through friends that were. With drug addiction came various things. \u201cI was in and out of police cells, but never convicted for crime.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the time his life took an about turn he had six cases pending against him. Fortuin says he would have been heading to Pollsmoor prison if it wasn\u2019t for a social worker who made an appeal to the magistrate. \u201cWhen I changed my life \u2013 there was a certain moment \u2013 I was sleeping outside in the rain. My feet were so cold. I was outside the house on the concrete floor.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fortuin says \u201csome people might call it something else, (but) I had an encounter with the Holy Spirit\u201d. He describes it as an out of body experience \u2013 \u201cGavin outside speaking to Gavin inside.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the time he says he looked a mess with torn clothing, down and out with nowhere to go. \u201cA switch happened, I said this can\u2019t be my life.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He went to his mother and told her he wanted help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though he had been to rehabilitation centres before Fortuin says this time it was different. \u201cI wanted to be somebody and make something of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rehab<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
His journey ahead started at rehab at the Tehillah Community Collaborative in Elsies River, where he met a motivational speaker, Cole Davids, who became a mentor. Fortuin says Davids was willing to walk the journey with him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He would accompany Davids to conferences and youth camps. Davids would assist with clothes and food. \u201cHe took me along on his motivational talks. I was like a sponge that absorbed everything. Today we are not that close anymore, but he started that process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fortuin says he\u2019s honoured to be the only African co-author of an American book project compiled by Johnny Wimbrey, a motivational speaker from Texas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His wife, who has met Wimbrey at one of his training sessions in South Africa before, saw a social media post inviting authors to collaborate. \u201cI was selected, interviewed and accepted as one of 20 co-authors to be featured in the book.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The book, entitled The Power of Mental Wealth<\/em><\/span>, has chapters from international celebrity authors Heather Monahan, Les Brown and others.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFortuin says his chapter is titled \u201cTurn your pain into power\u201d. It is about \u201cidentity, purpose and vision as prerequisites to reaching one\u2019s full potential\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Youth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Fortuin is passionate about the youth and loves working with young people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t feel like I can change anybody. All I can do is pick up a mirror so they can discover their greatness within. That\u2019s my philosophy \u2013 because once something comes from within nobody can kill it. It is like an egg \u2013 if you break an egg from the outside its ruined, but if the egg is broken from the inside then there\u2019s life. It\u2019s for the young people to discover their greatness from within.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fortuin is hoping to have his autobiography published in 2023. It will go to the depths of his personal journey but also share \u201cpillars of personal development and leadership tools\u201d. He wants to call it From the gutters to the podium<\/span>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe American book The Power of Mental Wealth<\/em><\/span> is available at select Wordsworth and Exclusive Books branches or from Fortuin directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Contact gavinsfortuin@gmail.com or call 071 226 2890.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Yesterday, 5 April, marked 10 years of sobriety for Gavin Fortuin (36) of Highbury.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":55442,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"68","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"90","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"90","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"946e9da2-bee7-45e2-bf9a-195aab859ed5","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"4","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"[{\"keyword\":\"Gavin Fortuin Highbury\",\"score\":83}]","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"[\"\",\"\"]","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"1","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"","article_feature_type":"","article_main_image_caption":"","article_media_icon":"","article_template":"","author_byline":"Carina Roux","background_color":"","block_editor":"1","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":[],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-55440","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n
Onwards and upwards | TygerBurger<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Yesterday, 5 April, marked 10 years of sobriety for Gavin Fortuin (36) of Highbury. Today he is a married man recently inducted into fatherhood, but his life in the 10 years prior to that turning point was one of drug addiction and the wrong kind of friends.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Onwards and upwards\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Yesterday, 5 April, marked 10 years of sobriety for Gavin Fortuin (36) of Highbury. Today he is a married man recently inducted into fatherhood, but his life in the 10 years prior to that turning point was one of drug addiction and the wrong kind of friends.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"TygerBurger\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TygerBurger\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-04-06T04:01:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-10T08:32:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/decb44353ee24c079016d870e668c26c.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Carina Roux\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@tygerburger\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@tygerburger\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"TygerBurger\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"TygerBurger\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0f71e348ba4b9942416d90370345e952\"},\"headline\":\"Onwards and upwards\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-04-06T04:01:07+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-10T08:32:06+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":690,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/decb44353ee24c079016d870e668c26c.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2022\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\\\/\",\"name\":\"Onwards and upwards | TygerBurger\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/decb44353ee24c079016d870e668c26c.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-04-06T04:01:07+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-10T08:32:06+00:00\",\"description\":\"Yesterday, 5 April, marked 10 years of sobriety for Gavin Fortuin (36) of Highbury. Today he is a married man recently inducted into fatherhood, but his life in the 10 years prior to that turning point was one of drug addiction and the wrong kind of friends.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/decb44353ee24c079016d870e668c26c.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/decb44353ee24c079016d870e668c26c.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1080,\"caption\":\"Gavin Fortuin\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Onwards and upwards\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/\",\"name\":\"TygerBurger\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"TygerBurger\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/tyger-burger-site-icon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/tyger-burger-site-icon.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"TygerBurger\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/TygerBurger\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/tygerburger\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/tygerburger\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@TygerBurger-SA\"],\"description\":\"Tygerburger has been a staple in the northern suburbs of Cape Town for many years, providing readers with timely and relevant local news. TygerBurger is a free weekly community newspaper distributed in the northern suburbs of Cape Town, serving areas including Bellville, Durbanville, Parow, Kuils River, Brackenfell, Kraaifontein, Goodwood, Milnerton, Table View, Tyger Valley, De Grendel, Mitchells Plain, Eerste River, Elsies River, and Ravensmead.\",\"email\":\"tygerburger@novusmedia.co.za\",\"telephone\":\"+27219106500\",\"legalName\":\"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd\",\"foundingDate\":\"2025-01-01\",\"vatID\":\"4100318916\",\"taxID\":\"2000\\\/018234\\\/07\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0f71e348ba4b9942416d90370345e952\",\"name\":\"TygerBurger\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ae2ee35b60e108b154991fcbdb6e9114c9fa89c1b3386c09fa6f9b73c43dd5af?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ae2ee35b60e108b154991fcbdb6e9114c9fa89c1b3386c09fa6f9b73c43dd5af?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ae2ee35b60e108b154991fcbdb6e9114c9fa89c1b3386c09fa6f9b73c43dd5af?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"TygerBurger\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/tygerburger\\\/author\\\/tygerburger\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Onwards and upwards | TygerBurger","description":"Yesterday, 5 April, marked 10 years of sobriety for Gavin Fortuin (36) of Highbury. Today he is a married man recently inducted into fatherhood, but his life in the 10 years prior to that turning point was one of drug addiction and the wrong kind of friends.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Onwards and upwards","og_description":"Yesterday, 5 April, marked 10 years of sobriety for Gavin Fortuin (36) of Highbury. Today he is a married man recently inducted into fatherhood, but his life in the 10 years prior to that turning point was one of drug addiction and the wrong kind of friends.","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\/","og_site_name":"TygerBurger","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TygerBurger\/","article_published_time":"2022-04-06T04:01:07+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-09-10T08:32:06+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":1080,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/decb44353ee24c079016d870e668c26c.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Carina Roux","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@tygerburger","twitter_site":"@tygerburger","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"TygerBurger","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\/"},"author":{"name":"TygerBurger","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#\/schema\/person\/0f71e348ba4b9942416d90370345e952"},"headline":"Onwards and upwards","datePublished":"2022-04-06T04:01:07+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-10T08:32:06+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\/"},"wordCount":690,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/decb44353ee24c079016d870e668c26c.jpg","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2022","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\/","name":"Onwards and upwards | TygerBurger","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/decb44353ee24c079016d870e668c26c.jpg","datePublished":"2022-04-06T04:01:07+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-10T08:32:06+00:00","description":"Yesterday, 5 April, marked 10 years of sobriety for Gavin Fortuin (36) of Highbury. Today he is a married man recently inducted into fatherhood, but his life in the 10 years prior to that turning point was one of drug addiction and the wrong kind of friends.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/decb44353ee24c079016d870e668c26c.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/decb44353ee24c079016d870e668c26c.jpg","width":1920,"height":1080,"caption":"Gavin Fortuin"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/onwards-and-upwards-20220405-5\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Onwards and upwards"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/","name":"TygerBurger","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#organization","name":"TygerBurger","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/tyger-burger-site-icon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/tyger-burger-site-icon.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"TygerBurger"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TygerBurger\/","https:\/\/x.com\/tygerburger","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tygerburger\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@TygerBurger-SA"],"description":"Tygerburger has been a staple in the northern suburbs of Cape Town for many years, providing readers with timely and relevant local news. TygerBurger is a free weekly community newspaper distributed in the northern suburbs of Cape Town, serving areas including Bellville, Durbanville, Parow, Kuils River, Brackenfell, Kraaifontein, Goodwood, Milnerton, Table View, Tyger Valley, De Grendel, Mitchells Plain, Eerste River, Elsies River, and Ravensmead.","email":"tygerburger@novusmedia.co.za","telephone":"+27219106500","legalName":"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd","foundingDate":"2025-01-01","vatID":"4100318916","taxID":"2000\/018234\/07","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/#\/schema\/person\/0f71e348ba4b9942416d90370345e952","name":"TygerBurger","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ae2ee35b60e108b154991fcbdb6e9114c9fa89c1b3386c09fa6f9b73c43dd5af?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ae2ee35b60e108b154991fcbdb6e9114c9fa89c1b3386c09fa6f9b73c43dd5af?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ae2ee35b60e108b154991fcbdb6e9114c9fa89c1b3386c09fa6f9b73c43dd5af?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"TygerBurger"},"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/author\/tygerburger\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/decb44353ee24c079016d870e668c26c.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":277223,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/kuils-river-forty-under-40-award-finalist-passionate-about-inspiring-youth\/","url_meta":{"origin":55440,"position":0},"title":"Kuils River Forty Under 40 Award finalist passionate about inspiring youth","author":"TygerBurger","date":"10 September 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Gavin Fortuin (40) from Highbury, Kuils River is as a finalist in the Forty under 40 South Africa 2025 Awards, in the Community Development category","rel":"","context":"In "Community"","block_context":{"text":"Community","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Photo of Gavin Fortuin","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/GavinFortuin1_50650.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/GavinFortuin1_50650.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/GavinFortuin1_50650.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/GavinFortuin1_50650.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/GavinFortuin1_50650.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":312964,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/two-gunmen-jailed-for-life-over-pregnant-womans-murder-in-kraaifontein\/","url_meta":{"origin":55440,"position":1},"title":"Two gunmen jailed for life over pregnant woman’s murder in Kraaifontein","author":"TygerBurger","date":"18 March 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Two men have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the fatal shooting of a pregnant woman and the attempted murder of two others.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Jeremiah Fortuin (42) and Ricardo Cloete (43) were convicted for the murder of 21-year-old Shahieda Nathan","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/ca76181369904b8c96c9cf1fc955f572.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/ca76181369904b8c96c9cf1fc955f572.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/ca76181369904b8c96c9cf1fc955f572.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/ca76181369904b8c96c9cf1fc955f572.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":42622,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/coach-to-empower-disabled-youth-through-sport-activities-20241204-7\/","url_meta":{"origin":55440,"position":2},"title":"Coach to empower disabled youth through sport activities","author":"TygerBurger","date":"4 December 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Coach Fortuin at Astra School is creating inclusive sports leagues to empower children with disabilities.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/7d774ace0281475f9d7723bb4557b3fd.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/7d774ace0281475f9d7723bb4557b3fd.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/7d774ace0281475f9d7723bb4557b3fd.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/7d774ace0281475f9d7723bb4557b3fd.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/7d774ace0281475f9d7723bb4557b3fd.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":58178,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/vyf-moorde-die-naweek-in-kraaifontein-20170725\/","url_meta":{"origin":55440,"position":3},"title":"\u2018Vyf moorde die naweek in Kraaifontein\u2019","author":"TygerBurger","date":"25 July 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cDis kommerwekkend dat mense links en regs in Kraaifontein vermoor word,\u201d s\u00ea Gavin Riddles, woordvoerder van die gemeenskapspolisi\u00ebringsforum (GPF) hier, nadat daar na bewering vyf mense hier vermoor is oor die afgelope naweek. Riddles s\u00ea die polisie se hande is vol en hulle het die hulp en ondersteuning van buurtwagte\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/b6fc1f248ab1435e9bee789b1e4d112f.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":284514,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/watch-we-dont-see-it-as-a-land-invasion-we-see-it-as-a-land-reclaiming\/","url_meta":{"origin":55440,"position":4},"title":"WATCH | ‘We don’t see it as a land invasion, we see it as a land reclaiming’","author":"Lauren O\u2019Connor May","date":"6 November 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The Chief of the Strandfontein Aboriginal Khoisan Village, Wayne Fortuin, stated their community is leading a resistance against the City of Cape Town's court ruling preventing land occupation. Despite the City\u2019s claims of unlawful invasion, Fortuin asserts their presence is a peaceful reclamation of historically significant land. The conflict continues\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Multimedia"","block_context":{"text":"Multimedia","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/multimedia\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Wayne Fortuin says the Khoisan were the original owners of the ground they have invaded.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/khoisan1_62516.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/khoisan1_62516.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/khoisan1_62516.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/khoisan1_62516.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/khoisan1_62516.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":42701,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/highburys-aspire-cycling-making-cycling-accessible-for-all-youth-20241126\/","url_meta":{"origin":55440,"position":5},"title":"Highbury\u2019s Aspire Cycling: Making cycling accessible for all youth","author":"TygerBurger","date":"27 November 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Former cycling champion William Newman launched Aspire Cycling in Highbury to inspire and develop the next generation of cyclists.","rel":"","context":"In "Community"","block_context":{"text":"Community","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/1ceb7a3e9bd94f2d81c50e04a899a334.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/1ceb7a3e9bd94f2d81c50e04a899a334.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/1ceb7a3e9bd94f2d81c50e04a899a334.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/1ceb7a3e9bd94f2d81c50e04a899a334.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/1ceb7a3e9bd94f2d81c50e04a899a334.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"TygerBurger","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55440","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55440"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55440\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55442"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55440"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55440"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55440"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=55440"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=55440"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/decb44353ee24c079016d870e668c26c-1024x576.jpg\")