Young trailblazer making waves in corporate circles

Zesimdumise Ndwandwe Nxumalo, popularly known as Ze in corporate circles is a rising star making a name for himself in the country’s biggest boardrooms. He is the owner of an investment company, Zig Holdings. Companies Ze has consulted Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) listed companies such as Blue Label Telecoms and EOH. He has found himself on the board of Richmark Holdings. He has also been involved in advisory work on some of Cell C’s biggest campaigns.

The 26-year-old entrepreneur was born in northern Johannesburg and spent most of his life in Durban. He has managed to squeeze us into his very tight schedule where he unpacked the secret behind his success.

Why did you decide to go to the transport route?

In 2014 I stopped swimming so I could focus on my studies, 3 months later I got bored so I decided it would be a good idea to create a revenue stream to supplement the little pocket money I was receiving from home. An opportunity I deemed fit while I was studying was ridesharing platform, Uber after a friend had introduced it to me. He informed me about getting a car and placing it on the platform where a driver could get requests from passengers and all I need to do was manage the driver and source a car. I couldn’t let this pass me by because upon realizing it would teach me to be a manager as I was expected to manage a car, driver, and passengers. It was a great start.

How did you manage to get funding?

I did not have funding to source a car so I went to a car dealership where I made them a proposal that if they give me a car I can make money for both of us. They agreed and we went 50/50 and it went well. After some time, I got practical business experience and realized I had what it takes to make it in the business world so I requested my dad to get a car on my behalf, which he agreed to so we went from one car to four. Funding is a huge challenge that needs to be addressed for young entrepreneurs.

Where did you get your business acumen?

Whilst I was in boarding school, I used to purchase and resell KFC to the boys who’d actually buy because it was a luxury back then in our setup. My father taught me from an early age that there is nothing for free and I recall that when I asked for pocket money for the movies he would actually make me work for it. He taught me the skill of doing business from a young age.

Do you believe that entrepreneurship is something you are born with is a process that you have to learn?

Nobody is born a star, entrepreneurs are created through mentorship and the skill comes from education, hard work, resilience, determination, and ambition. My discipline and hard work came from an early age and it is all thanks to my strict parents for that, who also come from a swimming background and ensured I had a very tight schedule that I had to follow.

Did you come across any challenges on your entrepreneurship journey?

It was fun when I started out but I encountered challenges when I tried to expand. I made mistakes and if you regard those mistakes as lessons then you can forge forward during the hard times. Entrepreneurship and not depending on a set salary is hard but it can be done.

What is the one lesson you can take away from hardship?

Throughout hardship, you must never give up.

What has been your highlight in your entrepreneurship journey?

You should celebrate as many stepping stones as possible, you need to be proud of each and every achievement, and I’m saying by throwing a party. You need to only look back and acknowledge your journey and what you have overcome. My highlight is the appointment to Richmark Holdings’ board at such a tender age, I am actually the youngest director.

How did you manage to build a name for yourself?

I introduced something directors and shareholders from other companies have never witnessed before. I believe the world is ever-changing, technological advancements and social media have social relevance in the industry so I can balance my professional skills with a social element. People often focus on the corporate side of things but never take it to social implications. I come to these companies to focus on the social relevance.

What advice can you give to the up and coming entrepreneurs?   

Never give up, always try to better yourself, they must be willing to learn and be mentored because there’s nothing as depressing as an individual unwilling to take advice. I encourage them to take lots of advice and put that into practice.When you’ve got business ideas, approach government, private institutions and SETAS funding small businesses. Seek advice from entrepreneurs running businesses similar to yours and learn to market yourself.

How do you balance work and social life?

It's all about getting your priorities right and knowing where you want to be in 10 years. I had to cut down on a lot of social aspects in my life, I can’t go out and party a lot. People need to learn how to get out of a 9 to 5 mentality, especially if you aspire to be an entrepreneur. You need 6 hours sleep and the rest equaling 18 hours, you need to better yourself. Go to work, after work read a lot, perform research and attend courses and conferences. Make use of online publications to empower yourself.

Which books would you recommend?

33 strategies of war and The 44 lessons of power by Robert Green

I urge young people to read more biographies so they can understand how others have made it.

Has being young ever come as a disadvantage for you?

Definitely, people tend to undermine you when you are very young and therefore you need to go the extra mile to prove yourself. I believe young people need to be presentable in order to be taken seriously by their business partners or potential sponsors. Professionalism is key and people need to be careful with their approach, they shouldn’t use slang and men should wear suits.

To what do you owe your success?

I owe it to a number of factors, certain events and people who have been in my life. I was groomed to be a better person. I owe it all to God for being with me through the hard times. I also owe it to the company I keep. However, do not undermine people or make them feel like you are better than them, you need need to surround yourself with successful people.

Young people need to be wary of people they hang around with.