Highs and lows on way to the top
IMTHIAZ Ebrahim knew at the age of 12 that he was a trader by nature, but his success story is nothing short of remarkable.
The only time he ever worked for anyone was when he was at school.
“I used to work over weekends for an uncle in his store. I did everything from working the bakery, and that meant getting up at 5am, to working the tills,” he said.
Ebrahim, who is the guest at tonight’s Startup Grind meeting at 8 Morrison Street and now owns 51 Honchos chicken fast-food outlets, has a story to tell that will inspire any aspiring entrepreneur.
At 17 his father died and within two years his mother had remarried and moved to Johannesburg.
“I was studying for a BCom at Maritzburg university. My sister and I stayed on here.
“My father had left me some money, but wisely, I could only get access to it when I was 21. So I started moonlighting with my cousin’s bakkie wholesaling plastics. I would attend three lectures a term and then I would spot learn. In my third year when the spot I had studied did not come up in the exam I realised it was time to quit.”
Five years later, Ebrahim was broke, married and his wife had a baby on the way.
“I never told my wife. I would drop her off at university in the morning.
“Then I would go to a friend of mine and load up a whole consignment of popsicles. I would travel to Pomeroy (which is between Tugela Ferry and Newcastle). Offload the popsicles. Come back to Pietermaritzburg, fetch my wife from university, drop her off at home, then I would go back, load up another consignment of popsicles and head out for Pomeroy again. I got R350 a load,” he said.
Today the 42-year-old says he has enough in the bank to retire in a year.
His mother and wife drive luxury cars, he owns properties all over Pietermaritzburg and it all began when he rented a small payphone shop.
Needless to say he had to borrow the money for the rent at the start.
Then with the profits from that he bought an internet, photocopying and faxing shop called Access before stepping out and buying his first Honchos store.
Ebrahim says it is no longer just about making money but the legacy he wishes to leave behind.
“I learnt so many lessons on my journey. When I went under I owed about R200 000. When I started making money at Access I tracked down every one of those people and paid them back. It was little bits at a time, but I paid them all every cent,” he said.
He said he also learnt that when you were down people didn’t want to see you and then when you were coming up, people closed doors on you.
“You can only build yourself up if people open doors for you. That is why in October the first member of my staff opened her own store and now there is a second one in Richmond,” he said.
Ebrahim said because he had seen the bottom of the barrel, he was now committed to helping his staff to set up their own franchises. But before he would make the leap individuals “must shine”, be prepared to work hard and show they were “hungry for it”, he said.
The father of two sons, has two very simple mantras, work hard and play harder.
He has run both the New York and Chicago marathons and loves to fish and climb in the mountains.
“You have to go hard or go home,” he said.
Entry to the Google Startup Grind meeting tonight costs R50 and includes food and drinks. To book go to googledurban .eventbrite.com.
Tickets are also available at the venue. The fun starts at 7pm with the fireside chat with Ebrahim kicking off at 7.30pm. Catering is by Durban’s Chilli Chocolate Chefs.