Entrepreneurs

Rags to Riches: Denise Mhlanga

Written by Brendah Nyakudya
Wednesday, 08 February 2012 14:29

Growing up, Denise Mhlanga always knew she wanted to be a writer. Her journey to become an award-winning specialist property journalist had some unexpected twists and forced her to make some hard decisions – but it has all been worth it, she says.

You have a very inspirational story. Who motivated you in life?

My late sister was an extremely inspirational person who encouraged us all to get an education. My mother was also very supportive, and I feel her love instilled a sense of confidence, amazing strength and wisdom in me that has been worth its weight in gold in all the things I did in my life.

Rags to Riches: Shaun Battleman - Activist, Teacher, Entrepreneur

Written by Administrator
Monday, 19 December 2011 10:42

From fighting the apartheid government of old to battling to get a petrol card for his fledgling business, the Black Management Forum’s top entrepreneur for 2011 knows what it means to struggle – but that hasn’t made him less of an optimistic South African.

The current discourse on the South African economy is focused on the need to develop a generation of black industrialists, based on the cornerstone of entrepreneurship, where power and wealth creation is not tied to political office. The shortcomings of black economic empowerment, complicated by the challenges of “tenderpreneurship” and a global recession have also contributed to the growing calls for a new wave of industrialists. This year the Black Management Forum celebrated South Africa’s entrepreneurs with the top prize being awarded to a relatively new player, African Access Holdings, a diversified company that has become entrenched in the South African landscape. The company was by former teacher Shaun Battleman, Thabo Mpama and Mateli Mpuntsha in 2003.

Rags to Riches: Lere's shoe shine experience

Written by Brendah Nyakudya
Tuesday, 04 October 2011 14:56

When Lere Mgayiya’s ambitions of being a pilot were destroyed, after an unfair dismissal, the future looked bleak, with no hope of securing permanent employment. But, as with most things in life, what started out as a misfortune turned out to be the start of the rest of his life as it was then he found his “inner entrepreneur” and started Lere’s Shoe Shine Experience. Since then he has won the Sanlam Money Game a programme that pits budding entrepreneurs against each other to see who can make the biggest profit in three days with R30 000 and in 2004 he was also national runner-up in the SAB Kick-start Competition in 2004, a youth focused programme aimed to stimulate sustainable enterprise development... And that’s just been the beginning.