What’s your one top tip for doing a deal?
Build relationships before you negotiate contracts. Trust and alignment make for better deals and fewer surprises down the line.
What was your first job?
My first job was working during weekends and holidays at a bank’s client enquiries desk. I’d taken out a student loan from the same bank and needed to earn money to cover the monthly interest, so I started repaying it by working there.
How much was your first pay cheque, and how did you spend it?
I earned R12 an hour and worked about 32 hours a month, so my first pay cheque was R384. Every cent went towards covering the interest on my student loan — a crash course in financial discipline.
What’s the one thing you wish somebody had told you when you were starting out?
Save more than you spend, especially when you’re starting out. The earlier you build that habit, the more freedom you’ll have later.
If you could fix only one thing in South Africa, what would it be?
I’d create an environment that truly encourages entrepreneurship, where starting and scaling a business is simpler, better supported and not burdened by red tape. Entrepreneurs are engines of growth, and we need many more of them.
What’s the most interesting thing about you that people don’t know?
I’ve been with Prescient for 20 years, holding leadership roles for most of that time. I’ve always flown a bit under the radar, quietly building credibility, leading with consistency rather than noise.
What’s the worst investment mistake you’ve made?
Taking a tip without doing my own homework. It taught me that conviction without understanding is just speculation in disguise.
What’s the best investment you’ve ever made? And how much of it was due to luck?
About 15 years ago I invested my retirement savings to help seed a collective investment scheme run by a highly credible but solo fund manager I knew well. It was a bold call, but it paid off handsomely. He’s outperformed across all periods. Luck played a role, as it always does, but backing his investment process and thinking made the difference.
What’s the best book you’ve read recently and why did you like it?
Still Life by Sarah Winman: a beautifully written, heartwarming novel that transported me to another time. It was a reminder of the power of connection, art and resilience.
What’s the hardest life lesson you’ve learnt?
That the biggest regrets often come from risks you saw but didn’t act on. Knowing something is a risk isn’t enough; you have to respond decisively.
What phrase or bit of jargon irks you most?
“Like” – when it’s used as a filler every second word. It dilutes what people are trying to say and distracts from the message.
What is something you would go back and tell your younger self that would impress them?
Stay hopeful and true to your dreams. You’ll build a life filled with love, a wonderful family and a partner who supports you unconditionally. You’ll be deeply loved, and that will mean everything.
If you were President Cyril Ramaphosa, what would you change, or do, tomorrow?
I’d make it easier to do business in South Africa by cutting red tape, creating real incentives for innovation and actively supporting SMEs and job creation.
