Tokyo Sexwale the New Donald Trump

Hair, no. Ethics, yes.

Martha Stewart soon won't be the only Apprentice boss with a rap sheet.

Tokyo Sexwale is South Africa's version of Donald Trump and he has quite a unique background. He was a freedom fighter, and as a result was imprisoned for 28 years. He spent five years working for the government, and was the premier of Gauteng, South Africa's smallest, but most industrialized provence. He later went into business and now has something of a massive business empire, including companies with interests in mining, energy, hotels, transport, telecommunications, property, health, banking, and financial services.

At a press conference held to publicize The South African version of The Apprentice, Sexwale said the job he enjoyed the most was premier of Gauteng, "because I had the most power. I have lost all that and lost my hair!" However, he says he will not return to government work.

Sexwale explains, "We've won political democracy. Now we need economic democracy as well, and we must do it our own way."

The acting head of programming at SABC3, the network that will air The Apprentice in South Africa puts it in an even more soundbite-friendly way, "The struggle is not ended. The battlefields have simply moved from the streets to the boardrooms."

However, it isn't cutthroat capitalism Sexwale advocates. "It's very important in this changing country that we have new role models, we bring ethics in business to the table and that we emphasise humane leadership," he argues.

Sexwale also claims with a wink that he was "urged by his wife" to pick to women as his George and Carolyn, and he did. "I wanted to send a very positive message," he explains when introducing the two he chose, former CEO of a bank, Wendy Lucas Bull, and his current media adviser, Gugu Msibi.

Sexwale, Bull, and Msibi agree that their equivalent of "You're fired" should be "uniquely South African" but they will have to let it come organically.

30,000 people applied for the show, and producers narrowed the list to 60 before making their final selection of 16 candidates.

The show's publicity manager, Michael van Dyk said in casting the program they were seeking "people that the audience will identify and engage with." He also cited a background in business as important, which does seem fair enough. The winner of the program will get a job at Sexwale's Mvelaphanda group of companies.

The South African version of The Apprentice begins shooting tomorrow, in the Johannesburg City Centre around the financial district says Van Dyk. According to Van Dyk, "The show will test their negotiation skills and ability to lead... Contestants will ... be given tasks that reflect the diversity and uniqueness of South Africa like selling boerewors or getting people into a taxi." Boerewors, apparently, are farmers sausage.

The program begins airing 8:30 PM, Thursday, June 16 in South Africa, and will air weekly.