What’s your one top tip for doing a deal?
Always try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Ask yourself: “Why would this deal make sense for them?”
What was your first job?
Quantitative analyst in the FNB credit risk and analytics department.
How much was your first pay cheque, and how did you spend it?
About R13,000 after tax. I spent it on buying work clothes and putting down a deposit on the apartment I was renting at the time.
What is the one thing you wish somebody had told you when you were starting out?
Ensure that the journey is as rewarding as the destination. Remain in the moment and go together rather than alone — it’s a lot more fun.
If you could fix only one thing in South Africa, what would it be?
If I had to pick one thing, it would have to be education and youth development — especially in building relevant skills for the global economy we’re in. I believe a country’s riches lie in its people, and if we can further unlock our human potential, we have all the ingredients to become a thriving nation.
What’s the most interesting thing about you that people don’t know?
I have always wanted to be a game ranger. There is something special about living in harmony with nature.
What’s the worst investment mistake you’ve made?
I have made a few, but looking back, it was probably not starting my investment journey early enough. When I started, I mainly focused on saving instead of investing in the stock market. Considering what the stock market has done over that period, I could have benefited more from the power of compound interest.
What’s the best investment you’ve ever made? And how much of it was due to luck?
Investing in furthering my studies. Investing in growing your knowledge base is a lifelong journey that pays off tenfold during your career.
What’s the best book you’ve read recently and why did you like it?
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. I am a big proponent of learning from others, and this book provides a good framework you can adopt to be more effective in life and at work.
What’s the hardest life lesson you’ve learnt?
Timing is everything: a great idea pitched at the wrong time is likely to fail. It is in the toughest times that meaningful breakthroughs occur: don’t waste a crisis, lean into it. Leadership is recognising the opportunity and bringing the right group of people together to help you solve any problem or challenge.
What phrase or bit of jargon irks you most?
“Let’s take it offline.” It always feels like a missed opportunity to engage, clarify or have the tougher discussions.
What is something you would go back and tell your younger self that would impress them?
There is elegance in problem-solving and communicating simply. Your upbringing, culture and individual context give you a unique competitive advantage in corporate South Africa. Use it and have the courage to share it more openly.
If you were President Cyril Ramaphosa, what would you change, or do, tomorrow?
I would not want his role; he probably has one of the most challenging jobs in leading the country. But if I had the opportunity, it would be to increase the scale of public and private collaboration. I think that by working together, we could unlock more opportunities to create thriving small, medium and state-owned businesses to tackle unemployment.
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