Xolane Ndhlovu: The Inspiring Journey Of A Successful Afripreneur
It is often said that the road to success has many twists and turns. This certainly holds true in the life of South African entrepreneur and icon Xolane Ndhlovu, who is the current chairman of DafriGroup PLC, a multinational company headquartered in South Africa. Born to Nigerian and South African parents, Xolane spent his early years resident in many countries, including Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and Tanzania, before eventually settling in Mpumalanga, South Africa, in 2001.
A lifelong learner, Ndhlovu’s relentless quest for knowledge is evidenced by his extensive education, which definitely played a massive part in his later success. A diploma in media management, a bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), and an MBA from the prestigious Georgia Institute of technology are some of his scholarly achievements.
But life wasn’t always rosy for the young Xolane, who started his first employment as a dish cleaner in a kiosk before deciding to live his passion by becoming a DJ. He soon found success and street cred disk jockeying and became known as Master Ziggy. At the height of his music career, his music albums were recognized in international radio and TV stations, including; Channel O (Africa), 5FM (South Africa), and Energy100FM (Namibia).
In a clear case of self-sabotage, Xolane’s budding music career was cut short when he turned to gangsterism, leading a life of crime and violence. He became the most feared criminal in South Africa. But the long arms of the law soon caught up with him, and Xolane was arrested, charged, and convicted of attempted murder and unlawful gun possession. It’s pertinent to note that according to Xolane, his arrest was based on unverified allegations. In retrospect, the arrest would turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
“It was behind the bars that I decided to upgrade my outlook towards life and make a determined effort to pursue new goals.” He says.
Xolane’s watershed moment came after reading the autobiography of Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, in his book titled- Losing my Virginity, and decided to turn his life around. Inspired by Branson, Xolane started investing in start-up tech companies and founded UMEH Group. The endeavour earned him his first million dollars while still in prison; this thanks to legal access to a laptop and the internet granted him by the prison system.
The UMEH Group has since grown to become a multinational conglomerate with a valuation of R500 Million owing to its interest in multiple fields that include finance, real estate, media, blockchain, consulting, broadcasting, and many more. This umbrella organization has several independent companies like UMEH Capital Limited, WIF Global Limited, UMEH Logistics, UMEH Properties, etc.
UMEH Group has also made a massive impact in the media industry with UMEH Media. Founding top magazines and newspapers including Affluent Africa, Star Magazine, Daily Africa, FX magazine, MLM Magazine, and others are amongst its notable achievement.
A serial entrepreneur, Xolane Ndhlovu, became the chairman of DafriGroup PLC in 2019. This multinational company invests in businesses that can provide long-term returns with the goal of giving Africa’s economy a big push.
Founded in late 2019, DafriGroup currently has its headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa, and is set to have offices throughout Africa. The group’s subsidiaries include DafriTechnologies Ltd, DafriExchange, DafriBank, DafriEstate Ltd, Royal IVY (Pty) Ltd, OMAHA Hotels Ltd, etc. Many of these companies were created in response to various gaps in several industries in the African economy.
Take DafriBank as a case in point. As an online magnate, Xolane knows the pain points of African digital entrepreneurs and the difficulties they face in a bid to growth hack their business. One of the biggest challenges online Afripreneurs face is the lack of efficient banking and payment solutions tailored to their unique needs — this problem and many more led to the establishment of DafriBank. The digital Bank aims to promote online entrepreneurship in Africa by ensuring the financial inclusion of these underserved markets with DafriBank’s unique payment solutions.
Much more than just another genius entrepreneur, Xolane stands out for his philanthropic and social initiatives, which he has incorporated into his business model. He is the founder and president of the South African Entrepreneurship Centre For Ex-Offenders (SAECO). The organization offers entrepreneurship skills programs to ex-offenders. He also continually strives to eradicate poverty and promote education all over Africa. Via the UMEH Group Educational Fund, he recently donated N10 Million to his #FundKidsLikeSuccess campaign to award scholarships to students across Africa. In 2020, in the thick of the Coronavirus pandemic, he also made many generous donations. See details here.
Despite the vast wealth acquired by Xolane Ndhlovu over the years, he has remained humble and grounded, crediting his success story to self-determination and perseverance, and more importantly, the faith and love of people around him.
