September Issue

www.startupafrica.co.za

startupAFRICA SEPTEMBER 2019 | ISSUE NO. 14

Chris Koney Lion King and Other Exploits Africa to the world

Editor's Note

PHOTO

BY:

AFRICAN CHILD IS HERE TO TAKE THE GLOBAL CENTRE STAGE

VICTOR

DLAMINI

I am a firm believer that Africa births the

I cannot express just how excited I am that

most talented and skilled people to walk on

the African child is here to take the global

this planet. Every time I experience

centre stage. It really seems to be a

phenomenal talent and then think that

wonderful time to be an African – trailblazer,

nothing can surpass what I have

entrepreneur, influencer, innovator, you name

experienced – another African trailblazer

it! In a world which often discredits and

showcases talent that completely blows my

disparages Africa and its people, I am thrilled

mind. Just the other day, I watched a video

that the African child can go out there to shift

of a 15 year old boy from Ghana who was

the perception by teaching, inspiring and

addressing a mature crowd – his level of

sharing their craft truthfully and organically, I

wisdom and conduct was moving. I couldn’t

like to call it “The African Takeover”.

believe that so much was coming from someone who is half my age – my heart

And while we’re here, we’re delighted to

swelled with pride.

introduce our Ghanaian cover star – Chris Koney, who, “from a career in journalism to

What makes my heart swell ever more, is

one in both Talent Management and

when my African brothers and sisters take

Communications; journey has taken him from

their talent abroad in an effort to show the

meetings with Beyoncé’s team, to trips

world what we’re made of. Just the other

between continents as Ghana’s

day, a couple of tweets popped up on my

representative on several agendas. In this

Twitter timeline, these were shout-outs to

issue, he shares with us a little about this

Nomzamo Mbatha for landing a role in

journey and what it meant for his talent,

Famous US comedian Eddy Murphy’s rom-

Shatta Wale to get a feature with Beyoncé on

com Coming To America 2. Two months

her latest album for Lion King”, as told by our

prior to this, I had learnt that H&M had

Content Lead (West Africa) Moyosola Kara.

joined forces with young South African designer Palesa Mokubung to refresh

Without spoiling it for you, I hope you enjoy

H&M’s spring collection with vibrant, bold

the stories of our African stars, as they are

and colourful contemporary avant-garde

told from a place of love.

pieces.

Happy reading and happy spring! xoxo

And just last week, Laduma Ngxokolo was flying SA’s flag high while showing off his unique Xhosa inspired prints at New York Fashion Week – win after win after win.

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CHRIS KONEY

By Moyosola Kara

FROM WORKING WITH BEYONCÉ TO REPRESENTING GHANA ON GLOBAL MISSIONS, CHRIS KONEY IS THE MAN YOU NEED TO KNOW. My very first introduction to Chris Koney was an insightful one. A mutual friend, Ma’ame, had in all earnestness, informed me that this was the person to meet if I ever needed to get anything done in the Ghanaian market. At the time, I imagined her statement to be a hyperbole of sorts and as it turns out, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

From a career in journalism to one in both Talent Management and Communications; Koney’s journey has taken him from meetings with Beyoncé’s team to trips between continents as Ghana’s representative on several agendas. He shares with us a little about this journey and what it meant for his talent, Shatta Wale, to get a feature with Beyoncé’ on her latest album for Lion King. In this interview, he’s also quick to highlight the importance of African talent to the global ecosystem.

As the theme of this month was tagged: “Talent Export”, I found from our interview that he in fact was the perfect fit.

Grab a coffee and have a read of our interview below: Chris Koney, you’re a bit of a silent achiever. Tell us a little about yourself, how you grew up, where you went to school, the whole 9 yards.

Born in Accra to Timber Merchant Nii Nsiah Okpoti Koney and Mrs. Jemimah Koney, a serial trader, educating the children was top of my parent’s priority list.

A typical African mother, she wouldn’t spare the rod whenever you go wrong and yes, you dare not go out to play with your friends when you haven’t done your homework. From Labone

Secondary School where I studied General Arts (Geography, Economics, Government and Elective Mathematics), I proceeded to the University of Ghana where I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree - Philosophy & History.

At the university, I fell in love with radio and wanted to build a career in communications contrary to the wish of my father to become a lawyer.

I enrolled for a one-month certificate course in Marketing, Public Relations and Advertising at the Ghana Institute of Journalism, where I would later pursue a Master of Arts Degree – Public Relations.

You’re quite something within the Public Relations sphere within Ghana and even in Africa, you also handle various types of clients from governmental institutions to musical artists, how has your career taken shape over the years?

Whilst in university, I was working parttime with a bi-weekly entertainment newspaper called Jive. After university, I assumed the role of Acting Editor alongside my fulltime job at the Call Centre of then Ghana Telecom, which later became Vodafone Ghana.

A senior colleague who served as a “fixer” for the BBC sold the idea of transitioning into a Corporate Communications professional to me after we discussed the prospects of journalism in Africa.

I had then served as the Media Officer for the maiden edition of the Most Popular Entertainer of Ghana (MPEG) Awards and with my basic training in PR, I had an idea what was ahead of me in corporate communications. I resigned from Vodafone Ghana and joined Charterhouse Productions, organisers of Ghana Music Awards, Miss Malaika Beauty Pageant and Night of Comedy and Music as Media Officer. After a couple of years, I joined MultiChoice Ghana (DStv) as Public Relations & Publicity Officer.

At MultiChoice, I had the opportunity to work with Channel O and the Viacom Media Networks on several projects. I was offered a role at Ghana Media Group and was responsible for Communications and Events.

In 2018, I was appointed the Head of Communications for the Royal Commonwealth Society (Commonwealth Africa). I also consult for Prompt Communications, a Pan – African Marketing Communications, Talent and Stakeholder Management Company and the author of a column titled “The Society and You” in the Business & Financial Times newspaper.

Who are some of your current clients?

I work with most of the diplomatic missions in Ghana, government agencies and departments, chambers of commerce and prominent individuals.

ACHIEVEMENTS 01

GHANAIAN REPRESENTATIVE 2017 Environmental Protection & Sustainable Tourism Programme by GIZ Berlin and German Federal Foreign Office

02

AWARDS ADMINISTRATOR 2017 GN Money People’s Celebrity Awards

03

AWARDS ADMINISTRATOR 2015 GN Bank Awards (People’s Choice Awards)

04

WORKING TOUR/INTERNSHIP British Broadcasting House – BBC, Portland Place, London (2013)

05

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Miss Ghana UK Beauty Pageant (2011 – Date)

06

GHANAIAN REPRESENTATIVE 2009 AIESEC Global Village in Izhevsk, Russia

07

YOUTH AMBASSADOR 2007 BBC Newsmaker Writing Competition

You manage one of Ghana’s biggest stars who just featured on an album with Beyoncé, a huge feat, to say the least. What was that experience like for you?

To be honest, it still feels like yesterday when I spoke to the folks at Parkwood Entertainment on this project and I had a feeling it was going to be a masterpiece.

Shatta Wale released a song titled “Shatta Story” in December 2015, riding on a Beyoncé beat.

In the song he made key pronouncements about his career and interestingly in 2019 he is collaborating with Beyoncé. Often than not, Shatta makes reference to Beyoncé’s great talent and drive when we are talking about global powerhouses. He wished for it and it happened by God’s Grace, I can say. It is a win for Ghana and

a time for us to capitalise on this and reach out to the rest of the world with our works.

What was knowing but not being able to say anything, like for you?

I was just waiting for the world to know about this collaboration as I listened to it every other day on my player. There were instances I wanted to mention to close friends and strong pillars within Shatta Movement but hey, we have signed a NDA so we have to be cautious not to ruin anything.

Would you say that the time has come for African talent to be regarded just as highly as our Western counterparts and why would you say so?

The African sound is the new wave globally and we have the world’s attention

now. It is for us as practitioners, gatekeepers and campaigners to leverage on this and have a calculated plan to push our talents to the rest of the world. Once we build on the craft of our talents to meet the international standard and their relevance is evident, they cannot be ignored or overlooked.

You do some work for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, tell us a little about that.

Initiated nearly a decade ago by the U.S. Government, the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) is the pre-eminent annual gathering of entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, and thought leaders from around the world, providing a unique event that is a combination of an innovation marketplace and policy forum.

As part of the 2019 GES, the United States government, Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands Enterprise Agency and “Free Press Unlimited” organised a one week Press Visitors Programme for selected journalists, media and communications professionals around the world. I was fortunate to be selected as one of the African representatives.

What are your hopes for African talents and entrepreneurship?

The creative arts space is a multi-billion dollar industry around the world and I am very optimistic when the right and needed systems and structures are built, it will become a contributor to the GDP of African countries.

The major challenge faced by most African entrepreneurs is limited access to funding and with recent initiatives such as the Tony Elumelu Foundation’s $100m Entrepreneurship

Programme to empower African Entrepreneurs amongst others, the future looks bright.

The Ghanaian presidency has placed huge value on showcasing Ghanaian tourism and even inviting back those in the diaspora for visits to immerse themselves back in the culture. Were you involved in this? Tell us to what extent.

The tourism industry is playing an increasingly important role in the global economy and it is estimated that the African tourism industry contributes 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), 30 percent of service exports, and 235 million jobs.

Indeed, each year, approximately 1 billion people travel internationally and by 2030, consumer spending on tourism, hospitality, and recreation in Africa is projected to reach about $261.77 billion, $137.87 billion more than in 2015.

“The Year of Return” by the Ghanaian government is an amazing concept which, when well managed, has the potential to change the fortunes of several Ghanaians and also contribute immensely to the development of the country.

Prompt Travels, a subsidiary of Prompt Communications which I co-manage is running travels to Ghana and tours within Ghana for people in the diaspora.

Lastly, you’ve done fantastic work thus far for someone so young. I read through your old profile and it’s amazing to see that you’ve accomplished all the things you said you would many years back. What’s next for you?

Honestly, I am not at the level I wish to be in my professional career. I have been working on the basics or foundation for achieving greatness.

For the continent and us as Africans to take our rightful place, we need a paradigm shift and as a young person, I have a major role to play. I seek to create platforms for skills development and capacity for young people in order to equip them to scale into the next level.

How will young African entrepreneurs and businesses be positioned to build synergies with global players to unlock funds to become powerhouses?

I intend to provide solutions to these questions and these are the areas I wish to use my expertise and network to help.

Not only is Koney breaking new grounds and bread with global leaders, it is fantastic to note that he is looking to pay it forward.

The Africa we know today, despite all the odds that have been stacked against us, has gone through its own evolution. Not only is talent on our continent being given the full credit that it deserves and being exported to other continents at great value, we are finding our own voice and it is so beautiful to watch. In spite of our challenges and sometimes, even ourselves, Africa is charting new territories.

PROFILE

RECIPES

Kgadi Mpobane CEO of Breakout Marketing and Group Head of Breakout Africa.

Yield: One 12-inch Pizza Prep Time: 2 hr 15 min Total Time: 2 hr 30 min

What is your business about?

Breakout is a creative agency which ensures that brands dominate in the market through carefully researched and executed marketing activities. We are alchemists who mix art with

We are non-conformists in that we buy

science to elevate brands, unlock

into skills and talent and we do not limit

value, and make visions real.

people to a university degree. Part of diversity ensures that each individual is

Please tell us about your team.

carefully picked based on passion, talent,

Teams don't work without teamwork

and work ethic. Our team consists of a

and the success of Breakout Marketing

range of creatives, graphic designers,

is largely due to the calibre of people

strategists and account managers.

we work with. We work with a diverse team of individuals, to survive we

What has been your biggest

believe that new, fresh ideas are

achievement so far?

imperative to succeed in the

Working with Medium sized enterprises

competitive world. Each person has a

and seeing the positive impact of our

unique perspective to bring to the table

efforts. We've all heard the saying "Small

which will benefit the business overall.

business is big business" however, there

RECIPES

has to be measurable actions to ensure the success of micro and medium sized enterprises.

Through the M. E.D (Marketing Enterprise Development) program, we have worked with enterprise development beneficiaries in ensuring that the right message is developed for the right customer and placed in the correct platforms at the right time. The success stories through the Marketing enterprise development program have changed the way many entrepreneurs view marketing as a business function.

We challenged SMME's to not limit their business under the "Small Medium and Micro" category but to think further and bigger.

What's the biggest piece of advice

Please share the following details:

you can give to other people looking

www.breakout.africa

to start a business?

Twitter: @Breakoiut_Africa

The fear and uncertainty is natural.

LinkedIn: Breakout Africa

You'll never know if you don't try, Just

info@breakoutcommunications.co.za

do it!

FROM AFRICA TO THE WORLD

BY REITUMETSE SHEBE

The Millennial duo Tshidiso Modiselle and Xolile Mvulane, who come from the southern-most area of Gauteng, the Vaal, are redefining fashion and taking Africa and the world by storm. Together they have established a brand known as BlakFinest. BlakFinest has solidified its mark through collaboration efforts with two of America’s popular beverage brands.

“The adverts with the beverage brands helped grow our brand. Our brand is recognised nationwide now. Our audience received the adverts very well.

We brought change in our region and now they believe that dreams can come true and that everything is possible”, says Modiselle.

The advert celebrates vintage clothing which fit in very well with Modiselle and Mvulane’s sense of style. Modiselle and Mvulase, who are both 28 years of age, constantly use their creativity and innovation to construct new ways of redefining tailored footwear, weaving-in leather as a staple to their shoe-making business. Some of their offerings include stitching, tailored-solutions, and visual redesign of any shoe type, bag and clothing items.

“I’ve always loved leather. Little did I know I would end up making shoes, formal shoes specifically. I was 22 when I realised my love for shoes. From then on, I became interested, not just in wearing them, but also in making them”, said Modiselle.

However, just like any business, they faced some challenges. “The biggest challenge was start-up capital. It’s hard trying to convince people to invest in something they don’t see. That’s when I realized that I had to come up with the capital in order for the business to take off”, says Mvulane.

Although it is known that handcrafted products carry with a high cost, Mvulane explains the reason behind that perception, “It takes time to hand stitch.

Even though we’ll be moving into using machines to speed up production, handcrafting still has that personal touch.

People who understand its value and quality won’t mind paying double the amount”.

The duo concluded that it is variety and diversifying of their business offerings that aided in the expansion and success of BlakFinest, “We didn’t have any background information on how to make a bag using leather but we made one and sold it. That’s how we ended up making handbags and laptop bags. We also tailor clothes”, said Mvulane.

Kennedy Udeze Reach for the sky

By Chidinma Anya

The Nigerian Aviation Industry has had a number of credible and highly esteemed pilots over its lifetime.

Thankfully, a large number of young pilots are doing phenomenal things in the career paths they chose to follow.

Kennedy Udeze is one of them. He is a South African trained pilot currently based in Rwanda.

Over his five+ years in the aviation industry, he has also gone ahead to become an aviation consultant. startupAFRICA contributor, Chidinma Anya recently caught up with Kennedy to talk about his life and career as a successful pilot based in Africa.

We’re interested in knowing who you are, can you tell us about yourself?

I am Kennedy Udeze, 26 years old, and married to the world’s greatest woman, Maureen. I am a Nigerian born and bred Airline pilot and an aviation consultant.

In 2012, I started my aviation career at the age of 19, training at the South African Flight Training Academy, SAFTA, Heidelberg, GP, South Africa where I obtained my private and commercial pilot licence. I then furthered my training for a Jet transition course to obtain a type rating on the Bombardier CRJ900 (which I

currently fly) at CAE, Copenhagen Denmark. I got my first airline job with Arik Air Nigeria, but I am currently with RwandAir. So, why aviation? What sparked your interest in here?

Well, I think my environment and the influence of the people I was surrounded by. I give honour to two people – my mother and my then-neighbour Capt. Kola Awosika. So, let me talk about the environmental factor; I was born and brought up in Ajao Estate, Lagos Nigeria.

Those who know that suburb, Ajao Estate, can attest to the sound of Jet engines taking off almost every 20 min (day and night), and my home was just 4.5km from the takeoff path of the Lagos airport runway 18L.

Describe your most memorable flying experience?

I know you’re probably expecting one memorable flying experience, permit me to share them all. I happen to have four of them…

As a boy, I would always run out of the house whenever I would hear the roaring sound of jet engines from a distance to catch a glimpse of the magnificent flying machine. I was always fascinated seeing those aircraft fly right over the house at low altitude, at the time the most frequent aircraft markings where white and red of which I got to know it was Sosoliso Airlines.

My first solo flight in flight school which was in April 2012. Whilst in training, you are assigned an instructor to fly with you for an exercise. On this day, my instructor felt comfortable with my performance and signed me off to fly solo.

My mum realised my passion for these machines and did what a loving and caring mother would do for her child, every Sunday after church, she would give us a treat by taking my siblings and I to the international airport departure terminal, and drive through or drop off by the bridge on the departure wing of the airport, while we gazed in awe at the design and size of an aircraft. That was the closest I ever got to an aircraft as a child (but this treat comes with an all-week good behaviour [laughs].

Capt. Kola Awosika was my next-door neighbour, he had this elegant physique rocking his pilot uniform. It was always a pleasure seeing him in his uniform reporting and returning from duty. Overall, he was a great listener always ready to interact with my curios young self. He was my biggest motivation for becoming an Airline pilot.

My first passenger jet flight. Fresh out from flight school with just around 210 flight hours, I had completed my jet training and gotten hired by Arik Air Nigeria, it was my first takeoff on the Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft, we lined up on the Runway 18L Lagos domestic airport, and the Captain said “Your Controls”, my heart was racing three times faster than normal as I applied full thrust, the sound of the engine spooling gave me shivers and it was so overwhelming. I don’t think you would be able to understand this, only pilots can relate. ● The day I got to fly my mum as a passenger on the aircraft, which I operated from Lagos to Abuja. The look on her face echoed one phrase “I am so proud of you.” All the years she’s been fed with stories and pictures but she finally got to witness for herself. ● The day I flew my then-girlfriend, now wife. What’s a better date than a cockpit date?

What are your favourite and least favourite things about your job?

My favourite things so far are being able to work with diverse people from different, ethnicity, culture or nationality with a common goal to safely initiate and terminate a flight which has affected my personal life positively from communicating to understanding people and being safety conscious. Also, visiting new places/destinations and enjoying the food. Yes, I love trying new meals.

The least favourite things so far are time sacrifice. I am more of a family and entrepreneurial oriented person.

The amount of time you commit as an aviator will affect these two parts of your life, being far from home, family and business this mostly affects pilot of long haul operations.

What is your greatest achievement in your career to date?

My great achievement thus far is not having any major incident or accident that cost injury or loss of life. Being able to operate safely since I began my career from 2012 to date without my license being suspended or revoked is an achievement.

As a pilot, having made the move from flying in Nigeria to living and flying in Rwanda, what will you say was the difference in this experience?

Haven flown in Nigeria and been in-depth with a technical sector like the aviation industry, Nigeria sure needs a huge improvement or total overhaul in the mode of operation and executing of tasks and projects in the aviation industry both government and private organization, and this can only be done with transparency and zealousness.

The kind of move I made from Nigeria to Rwanda comes with a lot of responsibility and sacrifice. I moved with my family here, it was a bit difficult at first but we are settled now, moving to another developing country with cultural, language and socialeconomical differences is something to learn anew. Working in a peaceful, less stressful, less corrupt and ambitious environment like Rwanda will open you up to maximize your potentials. It’s worth the move, an unregrettable one.

Did you make deliberate efforts to stay within Africa or did the move just happen?

Not really. I was open to working outside Nigeria when there was a lot of uncertainty as regards job security and career advancement at my previous job, I had to be spontaneous in my job search, at that time, my present employer was looking for people with my skills and I did apply.

Do you think that there is potential on the continent with regards to growth in the aviation industry? What are your thoughts regarding the aviation industry within the continent?

Oh yes! There’s a huge potential on the continent. Africa is an emerging economy which presents exciting opportunities for global business in all sector. Just take a look at Ethiopia, Cote Ivoire and Rwanda they are the top emerging economy thus far in Africa and the safest and fastest way to connect people in this emerging continent is by air. Nigeria itself is a case study, every year the Nigerian civil aviation authority and national bureau of statistics releases the number of air passenger, flights and overflights for both

domestic and international flight, yearly these number increases significantly. With this data, the government and private aviation organization should be planning for expansion of facilities and workforce to accommodate this growth and even consider Nigeria as a transit hub.

Thus far, we know South Africa has the busiest airport in Africa, followed by Egypt then Ethiopia and there’s growth in these numbers by the year.

Now let’s talk about the aviation professionals that make up this industry, there are a lot of active, inactive, employed, unemployed and enthusiast in Africa hoping that the industry favours them by training, employing and retaining them in good working conditions and benefits else they won’t be wishing or working so hard to get a job outside the country or Africa. I’m optimistic that in years from now, with support from the government, very few Africans will be willing to leave the continent for career advancement because every advancement needed will be present.

Do you run a business? What is your vision over the next 5 years?

Yes, I do. I have been in aviation consultancy since 2013. But at the moment I have an Aviation consultancy startup company, Standerton Aviation Ltd, based in Lagos, Nigeria which commenced operations in February 2019.

We provide solutions on complex technical and legal issues for aviation schools, air charter & maintenance organisation.

I vision expanding the firm, Standerton Aviation.

Are you part of any philanthropy group in Nigeria? How are you making an impact within your community?

Yes, I am. My wife and I chair an NGO “The Maureen Girl Child Foundation” focused on reaching out to young ones especially the female gender, to let them know the adequate mannerism and social behaviours that will help them avoid being blackmailed or indulge in such activities.

We also provide platforms where male and females can discuss issues affecting them, and work towards creating a blackmail free society.

What are some valid lessons you'd like to share with someone who is interested in pursuing a career in aviation?

I have learnt through my years in aviation that, no amount of money invested in one’s self for knowledge is a waste.

No amount of hard work is too much work.

Communication, especially the listening to comprehend aspect is a big part of me now as there’s no safety in flying without adequate communication.

Flying has opened my eyes to Gods sovereignty, every day I ascend the sky, everything seen up there reminds me that there’s a God above.

My advice to every aviation enthusiast is, If you’re seriously considering being an aviator, aeronautical engineer, cabin crew, dispatcher, broker etc, Talk to people that have been in the industry, you need all the guidance you can get, the journey to achieve being qualified won’t be smooth, we fail to rise again but quitting isn’t an option, lastly you need God!

Man of the Capital

By Baradi Moletsane I experienced a new wave of wisdom on entrepreneurship, while interviewing Marc Wachsberger, the Managing Director of The Capital Hotels and Apartments. Whilst excellently executing his role in mergers and acquisitions in a corporate finance firm, he noticed that hotels were overpriced and that residential apartment leases were a lot more affordable.

It was then that Marc was inspired by this market inefficiency and started his

new business by leasing furnished apartments and then sub-letting on a per-night basis to compete with hotels.

Today, he successfully owns nine apartment hotels across South Africa.

“When I started the business, I was involved in everything – I’ve even been the porter and carried bags to the room for guests, as well as checking them in on arrival. Today, our company employs more than 600 people,” Marc Wachsberger.

I’ve stayed at a few of The Capital Hotel and Apartments in Johannesburg, I have also hosted a Customer Engagement Forum at one of them, I’d like to commend you on doing a phenomenal job on these apartments, something really refreshing from the traditional old school hotel feel. I am interested in knowing about where your journey on entrepreneurship began?

Thank you so much for the feedback.

It’s always such a delight to know that our customers have experienced The Capital’s brand promise. When I was five, I told my teacher that I wanted to be a businessman, and not a fireman like my friends did. You could say that I’ve kept to that plan! I’m a disruptor by nature, and also love empowering people with entrepreneurial skills – this confidence gives them the passion they need to succeed.

What are the things that you appreciate about the industry you work in?

The hotel industry has been ripe for disruption for a while, and I’m having great fun doing things differently.

I love working with people who are passionate about hospitality, and the industry offers so much opportunity for growth.

If someone has the right attitude, there’s nothing to stop them entering the industry as a cleaner, and working their way up to managing a hotel.

Three words that best describe you?

Driven, entrepreneurial, disruptive.

What’s the most important lesson your line of profession has taught you?

You need angles. If you have no angles then you are the angle for someone else’s business. In other words, look at what your strengths are and what you bring to a deal. If you are not an expert in property and you have limited capital, you need to then find another angle, like perhaps bringing a tenant to the deal.

Got you! Tell me about the challenges within this industry?

The market is tough at the moment, but a bad property market is the best time to grow – and entrepreneurs are not affected by the bad times – they’re the best time for nimble investors who understand cyclical growth to take carefully calculated risks.

And who has been your guide in this journey? Someone whom you look up to…

My father has always been my role model – he was an entrepreneur too, and has always been driven to innovate and challenge the status quo. We have always spoken about business around the dinner table, as far back as I can remember.

What do you wish you would have accomplished (by now) in your life?

Our long-term goal is to drive into every city centre in South Africa, and then expanding into Africa. Our goal has been to open two new properties every year, and we have achieved that – and plan to continue on that trajectory.

Finish this sentence: The career path I chose to follow allows me to…

Empower people and create jobs, thus creating a better South Africa.

Some words of advice for the South African entrepreneur/business aspirant…

Always look for opportunities where others see challenges. Protect the downside first, and watch the upside second – and anticipate whether your business has the capacity to ride out the storm of unexpected market conditions.

We’d like to follow The Capital’s journey on social media…

Instagram: @thecapitalhotelsandapartments LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcwachsberger-649bb574/ Twitter: @TheCapital_SA Facebook: The Capital Hotels & Apartments

Lastly, something random you’d like to share with the reader?

When I’m not at work building The Capital Hotels and Apartments group, I focus on my family, which is incredibly important to me – I’ve been married for seven years and have three children aged 7, 5 and 1. I’m quite introverted socially, but I love mountain biking and playing golf.

Tsitsi Dangarembga CURATING THE ZIMBABWEAN STORY USING PEN AND PAPER © Tsitsi Dangarembga By David Clarke, Ayebia, CC BY-SA 3.0

By Rita Kufandarerwa

Forged in the fires of Rhodesia and

Honesty:

England, Tsitsi Dangarembga was introduced to the Zimbabwean literary

“I was not sorry when my brother died.”

scene in 1988 with her debut novel,

This is the captivating statement that

Nervous Conditions. The unforgettable

opens Nervous Conditions. The books

piece of work was translated to over 9

goes on to paint a vivid picture of how

languages and it catapulted

the protagonist, Tambu allowed herself to

Dangarembga into the prestigious foyers

be honest with the complicated feelings

of feminist literature. As the script writer

of her brother. In The Book of Not, a

behind iconic Zimbabwean movies such

sequel to Nervous Conditions,

as Neria and Everyone’s Child

Dangarembga portrays Tambu’s true

Dangarembga claimed a spot on the

feelings that somehow felt like a

panel of the well venerated filmmakers in

psychosis of some sort. There is a type

Zimbabwe and beyond. Thirty-one years

of honesty that is healing, this is the one

after her debut, the decorated writer has

that Tsitsi’s works teaches us to have as

been nominated for the St. Francis

a necessity to avoid falling into the deep

College Literary Prize. The coveted prize

crevices of our minds.

is a biennial literary award that first came to life in 2009 which celebrates mid-level

Steadfastness:

career writers.

The prime movers in Dangarembga’s I was introduced to the writings of Tsitsi

pieces all overcome soul-crashing

Dangarembga in my English literature

circumstantial destinies. From female

class in high school. When the national

oppression, HIV-AIDS, patriarchy, sexual

examinations came, I chose to answer

abuse to unjust laws, we learn that these

the questions on the radical novel which

challenges resolve themselves positive

confronted sexism and systematic

conditions. This is made possible by

racism. There are many young women

boldly rebuking unfamiliar definitions of

like me who were introduced to Tsitsi’s

what one should be.

work at different stages of their lives, but

In the last chapters of Nervous

they are all in consonance with the fact

Conditions, Nyasha declares that “I won’t

that her works pierce every life that

grovel. I won’t die.” This is a declaration

encounters her creations. The teachings

of steadfastness as the young woman

from Dangarembga’s work are universal-

refused to remain oppressed.

honesty, steadfastness, resistance and freedom.

Resistance Powerless, most people who find themselves in some of the circumstances that protagonists in Dangarembga’s works have no choice but to resist the adversities that threaten to swallow them. In Neria, the widow fought to get back her marital home from a deputation of patriarchal relatives. In Everyone’s Child, Tamari resists the sexual abuse that befalls most girl orphans. In the Book of Not, Tambu refuses to give up her dreams of liberating herself by getting an education.

Freedom A stoic activist herself, Tsitsi is a glutton for freedom. Her work advocates for removal of political, social, career and love shackles that purloin our droplets of freedom. Amaiguru in Nervous Conditions simply wanted her freedom from her husband who pocketed the salary that she earned. In the Book of Not, Damgarembga touches on how the free Zimbabwe had a way of suffocating a young black woman with the continuation of some colonial practices.

Tsitsi Dangarembga is the proverbial wine that gets better with time. While many stop tapping the letters on their keyboards writing word after word, arranging a story, Tsitsi is climbing to even greater heights. Her latest book, This Mournable Body, she depicts a growing sense of constriction as Tambu lives in a hostel without a husband or kids. The transformation of Tambu throughout the Nervous Conditions trilogy shows the versatility of Dangarembga as a writer.

Personally, or professionally, Tsitsi continues to inspire young black women.

When she is not teaching her readers to be honest, steadfast, resist oppression and claim their freedom, she is inspiring them to tell the African story as aptly as they can. We are reminded to never lose sight of ourselves every time we consume Dangarembga’s art. Zimbabwe and Africa are well represented by Tsitsi using her pen and paper. Her name is spoken at film festivals in Germany, book fairs in Harare, movie productions in Germany and innumerable arts showcases. The laurels and nominations confirm the greatness of Tsitsi’s work, we continue to be inspired.

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INNOVATE

CHANGE

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GIVING COLOUR TO THE COLOURLESS

By Reitumetse Shebe Pouring life into worn-out sneakers by refurbishing them is always an interesting process and more so, an innovative solution to repurposing shoes. This is the one idea that led Tshepang Ramoji to create a business model out of that aligned with his passion for creating sneakers.

The Vaal born Ramoji (23-years-old) turned his passion for sneakers to a business called Colourway Sneakers. “I love the fact that sneakers are a universal language. They are canvases used to tell individual stories of the many clients that we meet”, said Ramoji.

Earlier in the year, Tshepang attended a month-long summit on rubber development in China. During our one on one, Ramoji expressed the wealth of knowledge he amassed: “China was where I learned ways of manipulating rubber, which is often used for an outsole of the sneaker. I later attended a Sneaker Design Academy to learn about the past, present and the future business of the sneaker culture, including customisation indepth and everything on sneaker designing”, said Ramoji.

In tending to his various customer needs, Ramoji and his team have come up with a solution to ensure that all his customers are happy. As one can imagine, customising sneakers require incredible attention for detail.

“Before starting the actual custom design on a client’s sneaker, we arrange a full briefing that includes the design brief or the inspiration for the wearable art; the timing, the deadline of the work as well as the designer’s quote. The actual design process is carried out in the following stages: development, presentation and refinement,” he continued.

South Africa and the rest of Africa have a formidable sneaker culture, which seems to grow more and more each time. Bearing in mind the innovative and creative solutions that Colourway Sneakers brings to the fore, it isn’t hard to see the brand expand and take advantage of this sneaker phenomenon across the continent.

PROJECTING PROFITABILITY KEY TO SME SUCCESS

from clients, it is vital for small business owners to ensure their projects are profitable as much as possible to ensure their business is cushioned.

This is according to Lauren du Plooy, director at Rae & Associates and

Cash flow is the lifeblood of any business,

QuickBooks trainer/writer who says that in

however, ensuring a positive flow can

an ideal world, every small business would

prove especially challenging for small and

be in a position to employ a project lead

medium enterprise (SME) owners with

who could ensure projects are correctly

multiple projects on the go. As there are

scoped, managed and tracked, and, most

some factors that are out of the business

importantly, correctly invoiced.

owner's control, such as late payments

"However, as entrepreneurs are known to

It also allows users to keep track of every

wear many hats, oftentimes small business

expense including petrol, travel, incidentals

owners fill this role themselves," she says.

and time with all this information displayed

"When you're performing a juggling act with

on a dashboard. This also includes those

hundreds of balls, things can fall off the

that may be reaching shaky ground in as

radar - slips get lost and smaller project

far as profitability," du Plooy adds.

spends are overlooked or forgotten and all of this can add up."

This type of functionality greatly empowers business owners. "With a quick view, they

Du Plooy and her team offer professional

are able to immediately confirm client

business consulting, services and products

requests that are in scope and have the

for entrepreneurs and business owners

necessary discussion around those that

and she says they see this kind of

aren't. They are also able to ensure the

oversight often with clients - the results are

project team resources are on track for

as one might expect – projects can end up

time promised and delivered, including

costing the business money.

non-billable time, which is invaluable to know for future project scopes."

Project profitability or lack thereof shouldn't be a mystery, she points out, and it is for

Most businesses drive the opportunity to

this reason that Intuit QuickBooks have

secure retainer work and it can be easy to

introduced their Projects Profitability

over-deliver in these situations. In fact,

feature to the South African Market.

without constant monitoring of time and

"Technology is providing businesses with

expenses, businesses can slip into a

impressive tools that are able to manage

rhythm with clients that sees these

calculations and tracking, ensuring

elements being misused.

business owners who should be constantly aware of their bottom line are costing correctly."

"An effective cloud accounting solution can help business owners capture costs onthe-fly, which enables them to demonstrate exactly which areas are aligned to project scope and which aren't when the time comes to have potentially difficult conversations with their clients," says Du Plooy. "For businesses looking at accounting solutions now, my advice to them is to investigate their options thoroughly."

"The ideal package for businesses wanting to grow will be versatile, available anywhere and through any device and be rich in features. Being able to deliver a trial balance and customised invoices is no longer sufficient, our clients today are demanding much more from their software and this includes a need to ensure they are costing their projects efficiently, addressing one of the major challenges faced by thinly stretched project-based businesses today," she concludes.

SOUTH AFRICA’S PREMIER ENTREPRENEURIAL COMPETITION ANNOUNCES 2019 WINNERS

Following a gruelling judging process and assessment of 15 inspiring finalists, South Africa’s premier annual entrepreneurial competition, the Entrepreneur of the Year® competition sponsored by Sanlam and BUSINESS/PARTNERS, announced this year’s overall victor, as well as five category winners, at an awards ceremony held in Johannesburg.

The event saw Andrew Weinberg,

Carmen Stevens Wines is an

Managing Director of Retail Engage, walk

independent, award-winning small batch

away with the coveted title of 2019

winery and the only black-owned brand in

Entrepreneur of the Year®. Speaking at

South Africa. 95% of the wines are

the awards ceremony, spokesperson for

exported under the Catoria label and

the competition, Gugu Mjadu says that

marketed via online wine retailer, Naked

while this was by no means an easy

Wines. www.nakedwines.com/producers

decision, the judges were all in

/carmen-stevens

agreement that Weinberg stood out in terms of his entrepreneurial spirit and the

2019 Medium Business Entrepreneur of

scalability of his business.

the Year®: Uzair Essack, founder and owner of Cape Crops. Cape Crops is a

“Given the exceptionally high calibre of

fruit and vegetable export company

this year’s finalists, choosing one overall

based in Cape Town, which has turned

winner required lengthy deliberation

the traditional fruit and veg sales model

among our esteemed judging panel.

on its head by taking a tech savvy

However, there was no denying that

approach and utilising innovative

Weinberg’s customer engagement and

marketing strategies.

incentives solutions business, Retail

www.capecrops.com

Engage, was a notch above the rest because of its innovative approach to

2019 Innovator of the Year®: Wynand

providing retailers with insight into

Geldenhuys, founder and owner of

purchasing behaviour.”

Vectra. Vectra is a modern-day information technology consultancy that

The four 2019 category winners are:

specialises in creating integrated e-commerce solutions through a unique

2019 Emerging Entrepreneur of the

data-driven design approach.

Year®: Theo Baloyi, founder and owner

www.vectra.co.za

of Bathu Swag. With a bold vision to build an African-centric footwear brand that

Now in its 31st year, the Entrepreneur of

can compete with big names on a global

the Year® competition sponsored by

scale, Theo Baloyi is the entrepreneur

Sanlam and BUSINESS/PARTNERS

behind the inspiring township success

provides prizes worth R2 million. Each of

story of Bathu Swag. www.bathu.co.za

the five category winners received R70 000, and the overall winner received

2019 Small Business Entrepreneur of the

R200 000, towards further growing their

Year®: Carmen Stevens, founder and

businesses.

owner of Carmen Stevens Wines.

CLOSING THE GENDER FUNDING GAP While women have made great strides in entrepreneurship over the past decade, female entrepreneurs still lag behind their male counterparts when it comes to raising capital. While the goal remains to close any funding gap that exists in this regard, a positive upshot has been that many women business owners have proved to be resourceefficient by necessity.

This is according to Gugu Mjadu, spokesperson for the 2019 Entrepreneur of the YearÂŽ competition sponsored by Sanlam and BUSINESS/PARTNERS, who refers to a report published by Barclays and the Female Founders Forum, which found that men are 86% more likely to access venture capital investment than women.

“Yet global research shows us that

1) You’ll never get business finance if

women tend to do better with the

you don’t apply

business finance they get,” says Mjadu,

A major contributing factor to the gender

citing a recent US study by Boston

funding gap, is the mere fact that not

Consulting Group (BCG), which found

enough women apply for capital, says

that while women generally receive less

Mjadu. “As Phillipa mentioned, women

finance, they produce more revenue per

tend to be more risk averse than men,

dollar funded.

which is not necessarily a bad thing.

However, this risk averseness often

One local female entrepreneur, who has

prevents female entrepreneurs from

first-hand experience with the challenge

taking the first step and applying for

of raising capital, is Phillipa Geard – the

capital, which can limit the growth of an

CEO and founder of RecruitMyMom, and

otherwise thriving business.”

a previous Entrepreneur of the Year® competition category winner. “There are

2) Explore all possible funding

companies and investors who have

avenues

capital to invest, but the right information

“Whether it be through savings, business

is hard to find – especially for women,

loans, financial grants or support from

who unfortunately tend to be less

family or friends, it is important to explore

connected than men are in this regard.”

all of your options and identify the best funding avenue for you and your

Geard admits that she was unfamiliar

business,” says Mjadu. “There is no one-

with the whole concept of business

size-fits-all when it comes to financing a

finance at the start of her entrepreneurial

business, and you’ll need to do your

journey. “I had no idea where to start

research and talk to other entrepreneurs

looking for capital to start a business. I

to find out what’s out there.”

just had an idea and never thought about the fact that raising capital was an option.

3) Network, network, network!

As women, we are often risk averse, so

As a first step, Mjadu urges female

anything requiring risk, felt scary.”

entrepreneurs to get out there and connect with other business owners and

To help other aspiring female

potential financiers. Echoing this

entrepreneurs who may share Geard’s

sentiment, Phillipa adds that any

sentiments, Mjadu offers the following

exposure is helpful in this regard. “Start

tips on how to gain access to business

networking so that you can find out who

finance:

to speak to about access to business finance, but to get the ball rolling, look for ways to gain exposure."

INNOVATE TO KEEP YOUR BUSINESS ON TOP When it comes to running a business,

(BUSINESS/PARTNERS) – one of

it’s easy to get caught up in the day-

Africa’s leading business risk

to-day operations and lose sight of

financiers – who cautions against

the bigger picture, but it’s absolutely

relaxing on your efforts. “In

vital for business owners to adopt an

challenging times, like what we have

innovative mindset in order to stay

been experiencing over the last

ahead of their competitors. In fact,

couple of years, it is especially

over 80% of companies believe there

important to innovate and have a

is a strong connection between

broader, strategic view.

creativity and business results, a study by Adobe and Forrester

Businesses always need to be ready

Consulting shows.

to adapt and recognise new

This is according to Arnold February,

opportunities, or risk being pushed

Regional Investment Manager at

out of the market by the competition.”

Business Partners Limited

In order to do this, February suggests business owners set aside time in their diaries on a regular basis to take stock and focus on new ways to innovate. He notes that there are a few things worth considering in this regard. “First, consider the skills within the team; where the business is positioned within the broader market; the business’s current resources and business network; and finally, review the current business model,” February explains.

It helps to look at the three aspects of innovating within the business, namely quick, intermediate and big innovations, he adds.

“Start with the quick-fix, low-cost ideas that are easy to implement – you’d be surprised how small tweaks have the potential to release a bottleneck and increase business substantially”.

“Intermediate innovations might require a bit more investment in terms of time and resources, such as coaching, new business tools and apps, or upskilling staff with training. Lastly, big innovations include major changes to the way you engage with your customers and your staff, or even your

business model, and require a longer-term approach and significant financial investment.”

February says that once business owners have gathered their innovation ideas, it is advisable to take a structured approach towards implementation.

“Decide where you want to focus your attention, whether it is on your operations, staff, customers or products. Once you start implementing, be open to feedback throughout. Innovation takes you out of your comfort zone, so you need to be able to take it on the chin if you experience some hiccups during the roll-out”.

“With huge potential to help a company to do things better, be more efficient and stay on top of their game, innovation needs to be prioritised by business owners. Business Partners Limited offer technical assistance funding to their clients; specifically focused on coaching, training and improving efficiency through innovation and software upgrades within the business.” February concludes.

OPINION

What a (great) time to be an SA entrepreneur

BY DOV GIRNUN

As South African entrepreneurs, we’ve always punched above our weight on the global stage. But lately, we’ve been undervaluing ourselves. Letting the country’s challenges get to us. Now it’s time for us to rediscover the unshakeable optimism that’s made us great.

Recently, I attended a week-long program at Stanford Business School with 63 entrepreneurs from emerging markets around the world – Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Brazil, Turkey.

Most of them were CEOs and founders of high-impact companies that are growing rapidly. As the only South African entrepreneur participating in the programme, I spoke about the tough environment and hurdles we face here in South Africa, and their responses were a massive wake-up call to me.

In short: we don’t know how good we’ve got it here in South Africa. In Turkey, the lira has dropped off a cliff. In Mexico, businesspeople have bodyguards picking up their kids from school.

Other countries battle with bureaucracy,

that we can, in fact, play on a global

corruption and crime that make our

stage. We are way better off than we

issues look like a walk in the park. But

think we are. There are entrepreneurs

despite huge adversity and hardship, the

around the world who are making it work

entrepreneurs in those countries are

in far tougher environments. It’s time to

building businesses that compete

rediscover our positivity muscle, and

globally. We operate in an environment

reawaken that famous South African grit

that many of my fellow emerging market

and optimism. And let’s face it, the one

entrepreneur classmates would give an

thing that people in the US have in

arm and a leg for.

spades is relentless optimism. Yes, they have a market with 330 million people.

I recently chatted to Paul Harris, one of

And yes, they have massive consumer

the doyens of African banking, and he

spending power. But their unwavering

agrees with my assessment. In fact, he

optimism and belief that whatever it is

commented that great South African

they are doing will be successful is their

companies have been built in much

biggest strength. It should be ours too.

worse macro conditions than we have

So let’s lose our self-imposed

right now.

persecution complex. In life you have two options: either you look at the glass half

Part of our problem is that we

full, or half empty. That choice will

underestimate ourselves. Our

ultimately become self-fulfilling. Let’s

benchmarking is completely wrong. As

change our own narrative from one of

South African entrepreneurs, we’re

doom and gloom, to one of optimism and

constantly comparing ourselves to New

success. Let’s stop being so hard on

York, Sydney, London and Tel Aviv.

ourselves. Let’s stop talking about Plan B

That’s not an apples-for-apples

– because frankly, for many of us, there

comparison! As an emerging market, we

isn’t one. We simply have to stay and

should be measuring ourselves against

make it work.

Jakarta, Riyadh, Mexico City, Sao Paolo and Istanbul. Those markets revere us as

This isn’t the time to be taking cover or

global players and hugely successful

heading for the hills – let’s get out there

entrepreneurs. And even when we do

and grab our opportunities by the scruff

compare ourselves to first world

of the neck. What a time to be a South

economies, we still don’t do too badly,

African entrepreneur.

despite the uneven playing field. * Dov Girnun is the Co-Founder and CEO I came back from my Stanford experience

of Merchant Capital. Views expressed are

with a new energy and a new conviction

his own.