Learn from go-getter’s success
SERIAL entrepreneur Yamkela Kiviet says he is so content with life that he has reached a stage where he just wants to use his vast entrepreneurial experience to support other young people’s businesses.
Kiviet owns a string of upmarket restaurants, runs a private college and a student accommodation business, is a stock trader, owns a funeral parlour, and is studying towards his MBA at the Regenesys Business School.
The 23-year old venture capitalist already holds a bachelor of business administration degree from the same institution and hopes to get his MBA next year.
Kiviet, who was born in Mount Frere in the Eastern Cape, says his journey into the business world started when he was at high school.
“I started venturing into business during my time at Maritzburg Christian School at the age of 17. I started an organisation, GMF, to do events in order to raise funds for the less fortunate around Pietermaritzburg,” he says.
After matriculating in 2011, Kiviet came to Joburg and enrolled at Regenesys Business School. He says he came to the city to hustle, and like many entrepreneurs, felt that Joburg was more feasible for his dreams.
Kiviet says he started a Christian magazine which failed and subsequently recorded a gospel album, Revived, which won the best praise album at the Independent National Gospel Music Awards in 2013.
“I realised being a musician for me was part of the route to becoming an entrepreneur. Music taught me the principle of hard work and sacrifice. It also gave me the characteristic of being fearless,” he says.
Determined to pursue his goals, Kiviet registered an events company in 2013 which also dabbled in company registrations.
Then followed the Melville Car Wash and Chesanyama, then the Melville Grill Lounge, the Ibiza Sky Lounge in Pretoria East, and the Esibayeni Meat Lounge, also in Melville.
“We are currently relocating this business to the Maboneng precinct because it’s the new hip spot.”
Kiviet says he also established Ngoxolo Funeral Services in Pietermaritzburg last year.
“I realised that there is nothing wrong with having multiple streams of income in multiple industries. The reality of business is that seasons change.”
His Oxford Private College is a Christian school offering Grade 1 to 12 through the Cambridge system.
“I was approached by one of my business partners. They told me where the school was falling short, so I bought a majority stake in the school.”
He doesn’t want to reveal how much he owns, saying cagily: “It’s something I’m content with. I’m pretty excited because education has always been one of the sectors I’ve always wanted to venture into.”
Kiviet now does a lot of incubation for an IT company, Pure Codes, started by a University of Johannesburg student, and a picnic events company, Revelatory Affairs.
Of his company’s expansion plans, he says: “I do have plans of expanding across the country. I think I’m at that stage where I want to empower other young people’s businesses.
“On April 26, I will launch my book, Suited for Change. I speak about things that are not popular, like not being able to pay your staff salaries.
“The book is speaking about the unspoken realities of entrepreneurship.”
Kiviet says the books that left an indelible mark on him are the Robert Kiyosaki classic, Rich Dad, Poor Dad; and Myles Munroe’s Unlocking Your Potential.
“If you think you want to be an entrepreneur and you’ve never read Rich Dad, Poor Dad, you are depriving yourself of secrets that could turn your dreams to cheques.”