
Magda
My Journey
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $14.47
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Jolanta Durno
-
By:
-
Magda Wierzycka
About this listen
How did a teenage refugee from communist Poland become one of the richest women in South Africa? In what ways did she disrupt the financial services industry? What drove her to become an activist exposing corporate and government corruption? What are her secrets for succeeding in business and life?
The founder of multibillion-rand financial services empire Sygnia Limited, Magda Wierzycka is South Africa’s most successful businesswoman. In this engaging and insightful book, she tells the story of her life, from her childhood in communist Poland, her family’s escape and relocation to South Africa, her early struggles in the male-dominated financial services industry and the formation and growth of her own company, Sygnia. With a business model built on transparency and low fees, it was a natural step for Magda to become an outspoken critic of corporate and government corruption, exposing wrongdoing and making her many powerful enemies in the process.
In this book, Madga shares the life lessons and business principles that have driven her and brought her success. This is a fascinating story that will inspire you to speak out, lean in, break out and ultimately empower yourself not only to survive in life and business, but to thrive.
©2022 Magda Wierzycka (P)2022 Penguin Random House South AfricaListeners also enjoyed...
-
Truth to Power
- My Three Years Inside Eskom
- By: André de Ruyter
- Narrated by: Nicky Rebelo
- Length: 13 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When André de Ruyter took over as Eskom CEO in January 2020, he quickly realised why it was considered the toughest job in South Africa. Aside from neglected equipment, ageing power stations and an eroded skills base, he discovered that Eskom was crippled by corruption on a staggering scale. De Ruyter takes the listener inside the boardrooms and government meetings where South Africa’s future is shaped, with ministers often pulling in conflicting directions, and candidly reflects on his three years at the power utility.
-
-
Precursor to America's societal decay.
- By joel on 11-30-24
By: André de Ruyter
-
The Stellenbosch Mafia
- Inside the Billionaire's Club
- By: Pieter du Toit
- Narrated by: Dylan Oosthuizen
- Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
About 50km outside of Cape Town lies the beautiful town of Stellenbosch, nestled against vineyards and blue mountains that stretch to the sky. Here reside some of South Africa’s wealthiest individuals: all male, all Afrikaans - and all stinking rich. Johann Rupert, Jannie Mouton, Markus Jooste and Christo Weise, to name a few. Julius Malema refers to them scathingly as ‘The Stellenbosch Mafia’, the very worst example of white monopoly capital. But who really are these mega-wealthy individuals, and what influence do they exert?
-
-
What a pity
- By Patrick S. on 08-16-19
By: Pieter du Toit
-
Genius
- How to Thrive at the Edge of Chaos
- By: Bruce Whitfield
- Narrated by: Bruce Whitfield
- Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Greatness comes from acting on purpose, and there is a generation of South Africans solving problems for the future. Learn how Pratley beat Armstrong to the moon, how a former Eskom quantity surveyor capitalised on Britain’s obsession with meerkats to create the UK’s most visible price comparison website, how to take a Mediterranean-style food concept to the Mediterranean, and how a device designed to beat diamond smuggling made it from the set of a popular US hospital drama into emergency rooms and pathology labs across the US.
-
-
Proudly South African
- By Anonymous User on 07-14-24
By: Bruce Whitfield
-
Shoe Dog
- A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
- By: Phil Knight
- Narrated by: Norbert Leo Butz, Phil Knight - introduction
- Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this candid and riveting memoir, for the first time ever, Nike founder and CEO Phil Knight shares the inside story of the company's early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of the world's most iconic, game-changing, and profitable brands.
-
-
Just read it. (or listen, whatever)
- By Dan D on 07-07-16
By: Phil Knight
-
Long Walk to Freedom
- The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela
- By: Nelson Mandela
- Narrated by: Michael Boatman
- Length: 27 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nelson Mandela is one of the great moral and political leaders of our time: an international hero whose lifelong dedication to the fight against racial oppression in South Africa won him the Nobel Peace Prize and the presidency of his country. Since his triumphant release in 1990 from more than a quarter-century of imprisonment, Mandela has been at the center of the most compelling and inspiring political drama in the world.
-
-
Surprisingly honest autobiography.
- By History on 11-17-11
By: Nelson Mandela
-
Gangster State
- Unravelling Ace Magashule’s Web of Capture
- By: Pieter-Louis Myburgh
- Narrated by: Marcel van Heerden
- Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this explosive book, investigative journalist Pieter-Louis Myburgh ventures deeper than ever before into Magashule’s murky dealings, from his time as a struggle activist in the 1980s to his powerful rule as premier of the Free State province for nearly a decade, and his rise to one of the ANC’s most influential positions.
-
-
Well written and very brave,
- By Lwazilwenkosi on 04-19-23
-
Truth to Power
- My Three Years Inside Eskom
- By: André de Ruyter
- Narrated by: Nicky Rebelo
- Length: 13 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When André de Ruyter took over as Eskom CEO in January 2020, he quickly realised why it was considered the toughest job in South Africa. Aside from neglected equipment, ageing power stations and an eroded skills base, he discovered that Eskom was crippled by corruption on a staggering scale. De Ruyter takes the listener inside the boardrooms and government meetings where South Africa’s future is shaped, with ministers often pulling in conflicting directions, and candidly reflects on his three years at the power utility.
-
-
Precursor to America's societal decay.
- By joel on 11-30-24
By: André de Ruyter
-
The Stellenbosch Mafia
- Inside the Billionaire's Club
- By: Pieter du Toit
- Narrated by: Dylan Oosthuizen
- Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
About 50km outside of Cape Town lies the beautiful town of Stellenbosch, nestled against vineyards and blue mountains that stretch to the sky. Here reside some of South Africa’s wealthiest individuals: all male, all Afrikaans - and all stinking rich. Johann Rupert, Jannie Mouton, Markus Jooste and Christo Weise, to name a few. Julius Malema refers to them scathingly as ‘The Stellenbosch Mafia’, the very worst example of white monopoly capital. But who really are these mega-wealthy individuals, and what influence do they exert?
-
-
What a pity
- By Patrick S. on 08-16-19
By: Pieter du Toit
-
Genius
- How to Thrive at the Edge of Chaos
- By: Bruce Whitfield
- Narrated by: Bruce Whitfield
- Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Greatness comes from acting on purpose, and there is a generation of South Africans solving problems for the future. Learn how Pratley beat Armstrong to the moon, how a former Eskom quantity surveyor capitalised on Britain’s obsession with meerkats to create the UK’s most visible price comparison website, how to take a Mediterranean-style food concept to the Mediterranean, and how a device designed to beat diamond smuggling made it from the set of a popular US hospital drama into emergency rooms and pathology labs across the US.
-
-
Proudly South African
- By Anonymous User on 07-14-24
By: Bruce Whitfield
-
Shoe Dog
- A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
- By: Phil Knight
- Narrated by: Norbert Leo Butz, Phil Knight - introduction
- Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this candid and riveting memoir, for the first time ever, Nike founder and CEO Phil Knight shares the inside story of the company's early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of the world's most iconic, game-changing, and profitable brands.
-
-
Just read it. (or listen, whatever)
- By Dan D on 07-07-16
By: Phil Knight
-
Long Walk to Freedom
- The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela
- By: Nelson Mandela
- Narrated by: Michael Boatman
- Length: 27 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nelson Mandela is one of the great moral and political leaders of our time: an international hero whose lifelong dedication to the fight against racial oppression in South Africa won him the Nobel Peace Prize and the presidency of his country. Since his triumphant release in 1990 from more than a quarter-century of imprisonment, Mandela has been at the center of the most compelling and inspiring political drama in the world.
-
-
Surprisingly honest autobiography.
- By History on 11-17-11
By: Nelson Mandela
-
Gangster State
- Unravelling Ace Magashule’s Web of Capture
- By: Pieter-Louis Myburgh
- Narrated by: Marcel van Heerden
- Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this explosive book, investigative journalist Pieter-Louis Myburgh ventures deeper than ever before into Magashule’s murky dealings, from his time as a struggle activist in the 1980s to his powerful rule as premier of the Free State province for nearly a decade, and his rise to one of the ANC’s most influential positions.
-
-
Well written and very brave,
- By Lwazilwenkosi on 04-19-23
-
Steve Jobs
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Dylan Baker
- Length: 25 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Based on more than 40 interviews with Jobs conducted over two years—as well as interviews with more than a hundred family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues—Walter Isaacson has written a riveting story of the roller-coaster life and searingly intense personality of a creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing.
-
-
Good Biography, Fine narrator
- By Chris on 10-27-11
By: Walter Isaacson
-
Rise
- The Brand New Autobiography
- By: Siya Kolisi
- Narrated by: Treasure Tshabalala
- Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There have been many comments made and books written about Siya Kolisi, captain of the Springboks, and the first Black man to lead his country in more than 128 years of South African rugby. But now, for the very first time, Siya Kolisi shares his story in an extraordinarily intimate memoir, charting his journey from being born into the impoverished Zwide township, to leading his proud nation to an astonishing victory at the Rugby World Cup in 2019.
-
-
Inspirational and Aspirational
- By Annabel Roberts on 07-01-24
By: Siya Kolisi
-
Land Matters
- South Africa’s Failed Land Reforms and the Road Ahead
- By: Tembeka Ngcukaitobi
- Narrated by: Lungile Lallie
- Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why has land reform been such a failure in South Africa? Will expropriation without compensation solve the problem? What can be done to get the land programme back on track? Tembeka Ngcukaitobi tackles these questions and more. Going back in history, he shows how Africans’ communal land ownership was used by colonial rulers to deny that Africans owned the land at all. He explores the effect of the Land Acts, Bantustans and forced removals. And he considers the ANC’s policies on land throughout the 20th century, during the negotiations of the 1990s, and in government.
-
-
The Ice Breaker to the Elephant in the Room
- By Anonymous User on 02-22-25
-
Freezing Order
- A True Story of Russian Money Laundering, State-Sponsored Murder, and Surviving Vladimir Putin's Wrath
- By: Bill Browder
- Narrated by: Adam Grupper
- Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Browder’s young Russian lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, was beaten to death in a Moscow jail in 2009, Browder cast aside his business career and made it his life’s mission to pursue justice for Sergei. One of the first steps of that mission was to uncover who had killed Sergei and profited from the $230 million corruption scheme that he had exposed. As Browder and his team tracked the money that flowed out of Russia—through the Baltics and Cyprus and on to Western Europe and the Americas—they discovered that Vladimir Putin himself was one of the beneficiaries of the crime.
-
-
Red Notice Part II —- The Empire Struck Out
- By R. Alembik on 04-16-22
By: Bill Browder
-
Am I Being Too Subtle?
- The Adventures of a Business Maverick
- By: Sam Zell
- Narrated by: Sam Zell
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Self-made billionaire Sam Zell consistently sees what others don't. From finding a market for overpriced Playboy magazines among his junior high classmates, to buying real estate on the cheap after a market crash, to investing in often unglamorous industries with long-term value, Zell acts boldly on supply and demand trends to grab the first-mover advantage. And he can find opportunity virtually anywhere - from an arcane piece of legislation to a desert meeting in Abu Dhabi.
-
-
Excellent story, but ....
- By David K. Robbins on 08-06-17
By: Sam Zell
-
The Innovators
- How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 17 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Following his blockbuster biography of Steve Jobs, The Innovators is Walter Isaacson’s revealing story of the people who created the computer and the Internet. It is destined to be the standard history of the digital revolution and an indispensable guide to how innovation really happens. What were the talents that allowed certain inventors and entrepreneurs to turn their visionary ideas into disruptive realities? What led to their creative leaps? Why did some succeed and others fail?
-
-
A History of the Ancient Geeks
- By Mark on 10-21-14
By: Walter Isaacson
-
Barbarians at the Gate
- The Fall of RJR Nabisco
- By: Bryan Burrough, John Helyar
- Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 22 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A number-one New York Times best seller and arguably the best business narrative ever written, Barbarians at the Gate is the classic account of the fall of RJR Nabisco. An enduring masterpiece of investigative journalism by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar, it includes a new afterword by the authors that brings this remarkable story of greed and double-dealings up to date 20 years after the famed deal.
-
-
Good book but too dense
- By Andrew M. on 08-01-21
By: Bryan Burrough, and others
-
The Warren Buffett Way
- 3rd Edition
- By: Robert Hagstrom
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Warren Buffett remains one of the most sought-after and watched figures in business today. He has become a billionaire and investment sage by buying chunks of companies and holding onto them, managing them as businesses, and eventually reaping huge profits for himself and investors in Berkshire Hathaway. The first two editions of The Warren Buffett Way gave investors their first in-depth look at the innovative investment and business strategies behind the spectacular success of living legend Warren E. Buffett.
-
-
Suggest getting the print copy.
- By Kevin Martin on 10-25-15
By: Robert Hagstrom
-
Fortunes
- The Rise and Rise of Afrikaner Tycoons
- By: Ebbe Dommisse
- Narrated by: Adrian Galley
- Length: 20 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The past three decades have seen a remarkable rise of Afrikaners in business. With Koos Bekker at its helm, media group Naspers began dominating the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and was turned into a global consumer internet group. Johann Rupert strongly extended Richemont’s share internationally in the upper-end market of luxury goods, while Christo Wiese and Whitey Basson at Pepkor and Shoprite became Africa’s largest clothing and food retailers.
-
-
The breadth of research was impressive.
- By Anonymous User on 02-28-25
By: Ebbe Dommisse
-
Lead from the Outside
- How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change
- By: Stacey Abrams
- Narrated by: Stacey Abrams
- Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
National leader Stacey Abrams has written the guide to harnessing the strengths of being an outsider and succeeding anyway. Leadership is hard. Convincing others - and yourself - that you are capable of taking charge and achieving more requires insight and courage. Lead from the Outside is the handbook for outsiders, written with an eye toward the challenges that hinder women, people of color, the working class, members of the LGBTQ community, and millennials ready to make change.
-
-
Uplifting
- By Jean on 02-03-19
By: Stacey Abrams
-
The Snowball
- Warren Buffett and the Business of Life
- By: Alice Schroeder
- Narrated by: Kirsten Potter
- Length: 36 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here is THE book recounting the life and times of one of the most respected men in the world, Warren Buffett. The legendary Omaha investor has never written a memoir, but now he has allowed one writer, Alice Schroeder, unprecedented access to explore directly with him and with those closest to him his work, opinions, struggles, triumphs, follies, and wisdom. The result is the personally revealing and complete biography of the man known everywhere as "The Oracle of Omaha."
-
-
2,220 well-invested minutes!
- By BogKid on 01-07-09
By: Alice Schroeder
-
The Dealmaker
- Lessons from a Life in Private Equity
- By: Guy Hands
- Narrated by: Simon Shepherd, Guy Hands - introduction
- Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Dealmaker is a frank and honest account of how a severely dyslexic child who struggled at school went on to graduate from Oxford and become a serial entrepreneur. It describes Guy Hand's career in private equity, first at Nomura and then as head of his own company, Terra Firma. It looks in detail at the huge deals that Terra Firma has done over the years, involving everything from cinema chains and pubs to waste management, aircraft leasing and green energy.
-
-
Very Interesting, rather self involved
- By Michael Bereslavsky on 03-06-24
By: Guy Hands
What listeners say about Magda
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- D. Bann
- 10-01-22
Highly Recommended
Magda can come across as arrogant or like she's boasting at times, but I don't think that is the case - she's telling a story of her life which is filled with success, so I guess it's difficult not to come across that way at times. I really enjoy her direct nature and telling it how it is. Her stories are interesting and enlightening, and I recommend this to anyone, whether interested in business, entrepreneurship, politics, the financial services industry, women in business or state capture, it's a must read.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Terry
- 07-11-23
Inspirational and enlightening!
Having never really felt knowledgeable about the financial investment world I was a bit apprehensive about starting this book but Magda’s straightforward delivery and inspiring insights into her life and the choices she has made kept me riveted. I don’t normally leave reviews but I decided to on this one as I would like to whole heartedly recommend this book. Her insights are enriching and her story is inspirational. A person like Magda with her intelligence and business ethics could make a real difference to all our futures!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Sophia Maritz
- 08-13-22
Brilliant
A truly inspiring story by a woman of purpose and passion, for women who need to find their voice and make their mark in the work environment.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Brent Leeuw
- 08-06-23
Thank you Magda for writing this book
I have 3 daughters and my plan is to encourage each of them to read this book and then to encourage as many woman to do the same.
A true role model not only to woman but all leaders. This book gives me hope!
That despite the most horrendous challenges we as humans can overcome and rise above them to achieve our wildest dreams.
Thank you for your honesty, your courage and your willingness to put yourself out there. You are an inspiration.
I wish you all the best in all your new ventures.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Helen Riding
- 12-06-22
Bold and brave
I have casually followed Magda's journey in the media for many years, having worked in the same industry and having a personal interest in SA business and politics. So it was a refresher for me, yet revealed much more of Magda's personal perspective which many people could learn from. It is amazing to me how much she has achieved. Magda is bold and brave in many ways and we are fortunate that a SA bureaucrat saw fit to admit her family as refugees. Well written and well narrated. Grateful for the audio book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Rurik McKaiser
- 06-14-24
What a BOOK
What a book! What a story! What a woman!
I am SOOOO in awe of this Super Hero.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 06-18-22
Great Read
Highly recommended audio book. This is an inspirational story. It is well written and brilliantly narrated. Thank you.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 01-07-23
An inspiring story every South African should read.
An amazing story and one I going to recommend every South African. I feel so much more enlightened about the country myself and it’s financial institutions, politics and what it takes to make it. Well Done Magda your an inspiration.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- M. Van Reenen
- 11-03-22
WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT
Such a waste of money. So many pages of patting herself on the back. Really expected more insight into her business and career.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 10-21-22
Good read
It's a good and interesting book.. Seems aimed at women to a certain degree
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!