Born Malcolm Jacobs on the 20th of November 1965, in Steenberg, Cape Town, South Africa, he completed his primary education at Sullivan Primary School and Heathfield High School. From a very young age, sport, especially football, shaped both his character and future. 

Malcolm was destined for greatness. He represented Sullivan Primary in inter-schools’ competitions across the Western Cape, where he excelled whilst developing a reputation as a naturally gifted young athlete. He began playing competitive football at age eight for De Lux Football Club. Slotted as an attacking midfielder, he distinguished himself with discipline, instinct, and a fierce passion for the game.

Malcolm went on to represent the South Peninsula Football Association, to which his club was affiliated, from Under-14 level up to senior football, becoming a highly recognised figure in youth football. 

After transitioning to senior football, playing for Square Hill United and Oregon Spurs under the militant SACOS League, under the famous slogan ‘No normal sport in an abnormal society’.

It’s important to note that during apartheid, football was racially segregated, which saw blacks, coloureds, and whites competing in separate league structures. Still, young Malcolm would not allow this Balkanizing system of racial segregation to hamper his progress. He walked away from the Coloureds/Indians league and joined professional outfit Cape Town Spurs in what was then known as the white league. 

Despite being labelled a ‘defector’, a derogatory term coined to shame coloureds athletes into staying in their segregated leagues, Malcolm would have none of it, as he was chiefly driven by the urge of professional coaching, in proper structures, decent facilities, and the opportunity to earn a decent income from his talent.

In 1987, Malcolm signed for Cape Town Spurs under coach Frank Lord, who made a significant step in his football career. Growing up in the notorious Cape Flats, where opportunities were scarce, he trained on uneven gravel fields in the dark, driven by a deep desire to rise above the limitations of his environment.

In 1988, Malcolm moved to Walvis Bay at the invitation of his brother-in-law Dickie Brenner, to join forces with Sporting FC. 

However, the magical midfielder ended up joining Sporting’s bitter rivals CS Maritimo, much to the chagrin of his hosts. The new kid on the block hit the ground running, manufacturing eye-catching displays week in and week out for the Portuguese outfit.

In his maiden season, Malcolm spearheaded his new employers to victories in the Atlantic Hansa Tafel Lager Cup Champion, Easter Tournament, Walvis Bay, Swakopmund Pokal, and a runner-up spot in the national league. 

He was rewarded with a call up to represent South West Africa/Namibia in the prestigious South African Inter Provincial Currie Cup, in Durban, highlighting both his individual impact and the strength of the squad during his tenure, certainly no mean feat. 

Regrettably, personal circumstances forced Malcolm to return home, only to resurface at Wynberg FC in Rylands, where he played most of his football until 1996. With the fall of apartheid, players were finally free to join any club across racial boundaries, ushering in a new era for South African football.

Throughout his entire football career, Malcolm won multiple accolades, including Sportsman of the Year and Player of the Year, and won several league titles. In 1997, Malcolm returned to Square Hill United as player-coach. Under his stewardship, the club won its first league title in a decade and reached the Hunters Gold Cup final, where they narrowly lost 2–0.

In his own words, Walvis Bay was not just a location in his journey; it was a turning point. Joining Maritimo was unplanned and completely transformative. That year shaped his game and confidence, friendships, and ultimately changed the trajectory of his lifestyle. 

Malcolm still has fond memories of his short-lived journey in Namibia, vividly recalling his debut for CS Maritimo against SKW. 

“Even though we lost that match league encounter, we got our revenge in the Easter Weekend Cup final, winning 2-0 with a goal apiece from Nardo Sardinha and me,” recalls Jacobs. 

He has great admiration for the way the club treated him and could not heaped enough praises for the old Fox Ivo De Gouveia. 

“I really felt connected to the Portuguese community. I enjoyed playing alongside Sandro De Gouveia; he was a complete footballer, brilliant, sharp, explosive, and could score goals like it was the latest fashion. I have never played with anyone like him, and even when I returned to Cape Town, no one could match his skill and impeccable footwork. However, the one who stood out was Ivo, the squad’s father figure, always leading by example. Ivo worked harder than men ten years younger than him, a relentless runner.  I heard about his early days playing alongside his late brother Carlos, and could see the greatness in his touch, his footwork, on-field intelligence, and even at his advanced age, Ivo was very strong, technically gifted, and immensely respected,” he said.

Malcolm recalls the day Maritimo hammered Rossing/Swakopmund 24-0, yet still fell short of winning the coveted league title. It is unbelievable and unheard of that the opening 20 minutes were still goalless, dead silent, and suddenly the impossible happened.

It was like the entire Maritimo team came alive, a team that looked like they were possessed or on steroids. Goals began pouring in; the crowd went electrified; hope turned into belief, and by the time the referee blew the final whistle, Maritimo led 24-0. If it were not for their goalie, Tony Bergman, the score might have been much higher. 

“I scored a double hat trick (6). Everyone else scored. The night belonged to all of us. It was unreal, felt like a movie, and yet we still lost the league title on goal average. Up to this day I can’t fathom how because I was too young to digest the goal average rule, I was under the misplaced perception that something was cooking behind the scenes,” he said.

“My exit from CS Maritimo was like tearing out a part of me, leaving behind a family I built a culture with and people who lifted me in ways I never expected. Sometimes I think Maritimo did not just offer me a great football season; it gifted me wisdom, direction, heart, and a glimpse of the man I would become. When I came back home, I quit guzzling Jwala (alcohol), stopped puffing Foes (cigarettes), and removed any disruptive influence that might propel me to make the wrong choices. I made peace with my past and resolved to make my life useful,” he said.

Nowadays, Malcolm helps broken hearted and financially challenged needy families, feed school-going children, pay their school fees, stationery, and other humanitarian activities. In an effort to advocate for the plight of families he had once experienced, Malcolm became a City of Cape Town councillor to uplift families, filling the gap left by absent fathers. 

What felt like a painful ending at 22 became the beginning of everything he was meant to be, and only now, 38 years later, he begins to realise that what shattered him at 22 was indeed shaping his destiny. 

“Thank you, Ivo, Walvis-Bay Portuguese community, CS Maritimo, and Carlos Kambaekua, ex Ramblers attacker, for giving me the opportunity to express my gratitude,” he said.