CAPE TOWN - A young student from Mpumalanga abandoned his studies due to a lack of finances. He then became a successful entrepreneur and is now also launching a property stokvel.
Nicolas Manyike overcame financial deterrents to complete his Business Management degree and instead, pursued becoming an entrepreneur.
Nicolas says that a year after enrolling at Sedibeng College Vanderbijlpark in 2013, he relocated to the “city of gold and honey” as he describes Johannesburg, to pursue his dream of becoming a PR Guru and businessman.
However, here he and his business partner too faced difficulty.
“When we relocated to the city of gold, we suffered to get a place to stay, I remember with my business partner we had to make use of the Ekhaya shelter for the homeless, from that moment I knew something needs to be done”, says Nicolas.
He says that Tale PR & Communications was founded during the same year, when he was working for one of the biggest banks.
Today, Nicolas is the CEO of Public Relations company, Tale PR & Communications, he is an award-winning Publicist, Artist Manager and an entrepreneur.
His company represents local brands such as fast-food franchise, Nkukhu-box, media personality, Lubabalo Mashiqana and fashion designer and celebrity stylist, Humbu Vhuluhani to but name a few.
Born and raised in Mkhuhlu, Bushbuckridge, the 24-year old entrepreneur says that he initiated a property stokvel that aims to focus on buying land and properties that will generate an income for them.
“There’s no freedom without financial freedom, ownership of land and properties”, says Nicolas.
The stokvel, registered as Property Stockvel Investment, aims to buy and rent out properties that will generate an income for the greater community.
This is similar to a traditional stokvel which are usually created to buy groceries for the festive season or to assist people with funerals and debts, says Nicolas.
“The property Stockvel it’s a true radical economic transformation, we want to create wealth that will allow us to retire comfortably at an early age, but most importantly to create a legacy for the next generation. We have engaged with property experts and property Management Company that will manage the properties," he said.
"We want to buy land and properties in places where there is competitive rental income and which are close to working areas and educational institutions” he added.
So far, Property Stockvel Investment has 10 investors so far which each contribute R5 000 per month.
The aim is to accumulate R1 million to buy a property.
His future plans is to buy shares for listed properties.
Picture: Manyike Nicolas. (Supplied).
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Nicolas voiced his concern about the stark unemployment rate which is growing dramatically and affects the youth.
“I encourage other young people to start businesses, they must not just start a business but they need to think creatively and be problem solvers by creating more jobs. Our future plan is to invest or diversify our portfolio to Agriculture and logistics” said Manyike
Nicolas adds that a person’s upbringing and where they come from need not determine one’s capabilities or where they end up in life.
“”We have a strange situation in South Africa where so many people are without work, especially the youth but they’re resistant to start their own business and very fearful of taking the financial risk”
“They need to understand that there’s no freedom without financial freedom. Starting a business is not easy but worth it”
Nicolas provides tips on starting a business:
1. Have a business idea
-To start a successful business, they need to look for a great problem first and then try to find a great solution.
2. Be passionate
-They need to be passionate and love what they do to be successful.
3. Take the risk
-We never know the outcome of our efforts unless we actually do it. In order to achieve greatness, they need to take calculated risks.
4. Believe in yourself
-Believe that you can succeed, and you’ll find ways through different obstacles. Confidence is a key.
5. Have a vision
-An entrepreneur is someone who has a vision for something and a desire to create it. Keep your vision clear at all times.
6. Take action
-The world is full of great ideas, but success only comes through action. They need to remember that procrastination is the enemy of success.
7. Get a mentor
-A good mentor is an invaluable asset to a business, ask an expert to be your mentor.
8. Learn from mistakes
-Many entrepreneurs point to mistakes as being their best teacher. When you learn from your mistakes, you move closer to success.
9. Spend wisely
-When you spend money on your business, be careful to spend it wisely. It’s easy to spend too much on foolish things and run out of capital too soon.
10. Understand your industry
-Don’t play games you don’t understand, even if you see lots of other people making money from them.” Truly understanding your industry is key to having success.
11. Deliver more than expected
-Deliver more than customers expect. It’s a great way to get noticed in your industry and build a loyal following of advocates.