4 South African entrepreneurs reaching for the stars

There is one thing that every successful business has in common: it started with an idea and a lot of hard work. We've all heard the story of how Google started in a garage and went on to become so huge that the phrase "household name" is insufficient to do it justice. As South Africans, we have a number of home-grown entrepreneurial success stories which prove that anyone with a great idea and a solid work ethic can change the face of an industry.

From business failure and serious injuries to millennials' favourite burger joint

In the words of RocoMamas' co-founder, Brian Altriche, failure led him to ultimate success. Success was the last thing on Altriche's mind in his early 20s while he recovered from a serious car accident. His first restaurant had already gone bankrupt by this time, and an energy drink project had also failed. As tends to be the case, surviving the accident left Brian with a fighting spirit and determination to succeed. After a stint as a franchisee for Ocean Basket, he spotted a fresh new idea: attracting millennials to the fast food market. This led Altriche to open the first branch of RocoMamas, which now has 65 restaurants in South Africa and 13 in other parts of the world. Perhaps the true mark of Altriche's success in appealing to the millennial market is that RocoMamas boasts being the creator of the most Instagrammed burger in South Africa.

When patience and persistence are the "spice" of life - anything is possible

Google is far from being the only business to have started in a garage. It shares these humble origins with countless businesses around the world, including Ina Paarman Foods. In the early days, after Ina had resigned from her job at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology to pursue her dream of launching a cooking school, money was tight. Ina's first marketing strategy, therefore, involved her children getting on their bikes to go and put letters in the neighbours' post boxes. Seven years later, Ina decided to shift her focus from her cooking school to a food manufacturing business. The rest, as they say, was history and Paarman Foods began exporting its products in 1995. The company subsequently partnered with Woolworths in 1998.

If a forward-thinking entrepreneur steps in to solve a problem, success will follow

Matchmaking comes in all forms, and DigsConnect was born from the need to match students looking for accommodation with landlords looking for tenants. It was the brainchild of Alexandria Procter, who was on UCT's Student Representative Council when she realised the scope of the problem that students had finding suitable accommodation. DigsConnect's website and app allow landlords and estate agents to post listings suitable for student accommodation. Students then filter through the results to find their new home and their new "digsmates". The company has been gathering traction since its formation in 2017, and in 2019, the company received a R12 000 000 investment from undisclosed investors.

Equipping young South Africans with the skills they need to succeed

For many businesspeople, empowerment of impoverished people is an obligation. For Luvuyo Rani of Silulo Ulutho Technologies, it's a passion. His story starts in 2004, when his office was an old car that many a South African would refer to as a "skedonk". From that car, he sold computers to schools, and from those humble beginnings, an empire was created. The innovative teacher-turned-businessman allowed computers to be paid for in small instalments, making them more accessible than ever before. He soon opened several internet cafes in Khayelitsha, helping to overcome the digital divide in the area. Today, Silulo Ulutho Technologies offers an array of business services as well as training and internet cafes. 

As the ideas of entrepreneurs evolve into the businesses of tomorrow, every new enterprise has one thing in common: the need for suitable premises. 3Cube Property Solutions has an array of industrial and commercial properties for sale and to let in various parts of Gauteng. Contact us and allow our team to find you the perfect premises.