ludwick marishane
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AFRIPRENEUROFTHE
MONTHJuly2010
My passion is myaddiction to learningand mentoring othersto unleash their truepotential.
Canyoutellusali-leabout
yourselfandyour
background?
Iseemyselfasavisionary,
pursuingadegreewhichwillhelp
meunderstandtheworldof
business,andAfricawillbethe
firsttobenefitfrommyskills.
Iamabigfanoftheworldof
commerce,andIdonotthink
thatyouwilleverencounter
manyteenagerswhoareas
passionateaboutbusinessasI
am.Ihavegoodleadership
capabili=es,andaninnate
understandingofpeopleand
businessprocesses.
IgrewupinruralLimpopo,
experiencingafairlyhighlevelof
poverty.WhenIwas8yearsold,I
movedtoJohannesburgtolive
withmyfather.Withmydads
sternguidance,Ilearnedthe
importanceofaneduca=on,and
Igraduatedprimaryatthetopofmyclass.IwenttoMaryvale
Collegeinthe8thgrade,whereI
wasnotonlythetopofmyclass,
butIwasalsoawardedasthe
GautengProvincialWinnerfor
the2004Maths,Science&
TechnologyOlympiad.
Personalfamilyproblems
resultedinmehavingtomove
backtoLimpopotofinishofftherestofmyhighschoolcareer.
MyhometowninLimpopo,
Motetema,isnothingmorethana
socialillonitsinhabitants.Itis
extremelyrural,andthe
atmospherethereisonethat
systema=callypreventsitsresidents
fromescapingpovertysgrip.Being
aroundsomuchdespairseemsonly
tohaveamplifiedmyambi=onsto
preventmyselfandothersfrom
beingstuckinsuchatoxicmindset.
Isubsequentlydevelopedan
entrepreneurialmindsetanda
consumingpassionforbusiness.
In2009,Ireceivedfinancialsupport
formyDryBathventure(the
world's1stbath-subs=tu=nglo=on;
justapplyitandyoudonotneedto
bath).Ialsobecametheyoungest
andonly1st-yearstudenttoeverbe
invitedtobeadelegateatthe
BrightestYoungMindsSummit,an
annualeventwhichisreservedfora100ofSouthAfricasbrightest
postgraduatesfromalloverthe
country.
Ihavebeenconsideredfora
HarvardScholarship,anopportunity
IdecidedtoletpassbecauseI
believethattheresmoretolearn
fromdevelopingeconomieslike
SouthAfrica.IamcurrentlyProject
managerforUCT-BMF,andIama
designatedpeer-mentorinmy
universityresidence.Mycompanyis
oneofthe2009finalistsforthe
Innova=onFund'sNa=onal
Innova=onCompe==on.Ioenrun
workshopsforcoursesI'mvery
strongin;thisinvolvesmetutoring
mypeers.
Mypassionismyaddic9onto
learningandmentoringothersto
unleashtheirtruepoten9al.
Ludwick Marishane
Founder & Chief
Strategist
Headboy Industries
Afripreneur of the Month: July 2010
HEADBOY INDUSTRIES
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WhatisthestartupstorybehindHeadboyIndustries?
Whendiditstart?
Whileingrade11,Iinventedtheworlds1stbath-
subs=tu=nglo=on,DryBath.Theaimwastodevelopasolu=ontosolvetheglobalhygieneproblemthatalmost
3billionpoorpeoplearefacing.Thesepeopleliveon
aboutUS$2perdayandtheyhaveverylileorno
accesstopotablewater.Thislowlevelofhygiene
amplifiesthemedicalproblemsthatthesepeopleface,
includingTrachoma.DryBathisaneffec=vebody
sani=zerthatallowstheusertojustapplyittotheirskin
andoffersthemthehygienicprotec=ontheywould
expectfromabath.TheplanistosellDryBathto
chari=esatextremelylowprices,andthosechari=eswillsubsequentlyprovideittothedes=tuteindividualsfor
free.Governmentandcorporatesubsidies/dona=ons
willalsobeprocured.
IstartedHeadboyIndustriesin2008,whileingrade12.I
envisioneditasthefirstcompanyintheSouthAfrica
whichcouldhavethesoleopera=onofdevelopingideas
andcommercializingthemonthemarket.
Imetmybusinesspartner,MrKeoikantseMarungwana,
inmy1styearatuniversity,andweregisteredthecompanyinJuly2009.Thecompanyhasmul=ple
interestsandourgoalistodevelopintoatrulyAfrican
consumergoodsconglomerate.
Youhavestartedyourfirstbusinessquiteyoung.What
werethefactorsthatpushedyoutostartabusiness
insteadofato5job?
Myfatherhasalwaysimplementedasenseof
entrepreneurshipinmefromaveryyoungage.Ilearned
veryearlythatearningaprofitisbeerthanearninga
salary.IalwaystellmepeersthatIamextremelylazy,so
Ihavetoworkextremelyhardatthisyoungageinorder
toaffordtobelazywhenIamolder.Itrytofindbalance
inallthethingsIaminvolvedin.Allthecrea=veideasI
hadroaminginmyheadwereirrita=ngme,soIfinally
decidedthatImightaswellgivethemmybestshotto
seeiftheywouldbesuccessful.Ilovelearning,soas
longasIamlearning;itdoesnotmaerwhetherIamin
a9to5orself-employed.Myuniversityacademicsare
aboveaverageandIhaveanimpressiveresumethatcanearnmeatopjobifmybusinessendeavorsarea
completefailure.
DryBath -
AFRIPRENEUROFTHE
MONTHJuly2010
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In my view, a person
only truly fails when
they give up completelyon themselves
BeforeDryBath,Iinventedahealthiercigaree
(composedofthecamelliasinensisplant);Ithen
proposedittothe3largestcigareemanufacturers.Theyallturneditdownandsaidthatitwasagainst
companypolicyforthemtoacceptexternally-developed
inven=ons.Ihavesinceplacedthisideaonholdun=lI
canaffordthehighcapitalneededfor
commercialisa=on.Theaimoftheinven=onisto
provideanon-addic=vewayinwhichpeoplecankill
themselves(Imveryfrank),althoughaninven=on
whichhaltedsmokingwouldbemoreeffec=ve(Im
workingonit).
Beforethehealthycigaree;my=mewasspent
aemp=ngtopublishasecurity-themedmagazineandamobiledic=onarywhichIauthored.Ihavelearned
extremelyimportantlessonsfromeachofmy
endeavours.Theywereallfinancedbymeandhave
painfullyconsumedallofmyincome.
IamalsocurrentlyworkingonaproductIcallEarNews.
Thisisanewsservicethatseekstoeliminatethehuge=me,paper,electricity,ink,andfuelwastagecausedby
thenewspaperindustry.Iamaddictedtonewsand
currentaffairs,butIfeelthatitcanbefedtousmore
efficiently.EarNewsisaservicethatworkslikethis-
ConsumerswithphonesthatcanplayMP3musictracks
willbeabletopurchasepre-recordedbundlesofnews
atvariousshops(senttotheirphonesviaBluetooth),
theycanthenlistentothenewsatany=meontheir
cellphones.Thiswillmakeitmoreefficientformore
peopletoabsorbmorenews.IamatastagewhereIam
designingtheInforma=onSystemthatwillbeinvolved
inactualisingthisservice.VenturecapitalistswhomIapproachedtofundmyDryBathprojectexpressed
moreinterestinthisproject.
I am very frank
AFRIPRENEUROFTHE
MONTHMay2010
Whydontyougiveali-lebitofbackgroundaboutyourentrepreneurialhistory?
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Whatsyourdefini9onofsuccess,anddoyou
believeyouveachievedityet?
Forme,successliesinonesabilitytolearnand
pursuetheirpassions;itisalsoamplifiedwhen
onecanhelpotherunlocktheirpoten=al.I
believeIamsuccessfulbecauseIhavebeen
equippedwiththetoolsIneedtopursuemy
goals,andIcontributeagreatdealof=meto
helpingmypeers.
Whathavebeensomeofyourfailures,andwhat
haveyoulearnedfromthem?
Iamluckytohavestartedmyentrepreneurial
journeyatsuchayoungage,andIhappento
considermyfailurestohavebeennothingmore
thanexpensiveentrepreneuriallessons.Ihave
hadmanybusinessideasthathavedevouredall
myallowanceincome,andIhavelearnedallthe
invaluableentrepreneurialso-skillsthatare
importantforsuccess.Inmyview,apersononlytrulyfailswhentheygiveupcompletelyon
themselves.
Whatmo9vatesyou?
Thefactthatthereisalwayssomethingtolearnin
everythingIgetinvolvedin.Ilovelearningand
helpingthepeoplearoundmetopursuetheir
passionsandhappiness.WheneverIgetlazyor
doubul,Iremindmyselfthatthereamillionsof
peoplewhowouldliterallykilltohavewhatIhave,andIoweittothemtogiveitmybestshot.
Whatisyourgreatestfear,andhowdoyou
managefear?
MybiggestfearisthatonedayIwillcometoa
conclusionthatitallwasnotworthit,andthat
onedayIwillgiveuponeverything.Therealityof
ithappeningisrealbutveryslim,butIliketo
believethatthebeautyoflifelieswithinthefact
thatitisunpredictablesoIjustcon=nuedoing
whatIknowbestandtakingeverydayasit
comes.
Whatadvicewouldyougivetootherteenage
entrepreneurs?
Ifyous=llabuddingentrepreneur,enjoytheride
andfocusonlearningasmuchaspossible.With
moreexperience,youwillrealizethatthe
entrepreneurialjourneyisnotaneasyone.It
requiresanenormousamountofeffort,
dedica=on,andcommitment,butthepoten=al
rewardsareunlimited.Iwanttoemphasizethat
beingenentrepreneurgoesbeyondjuststar=ngabusinessitissimplyabouthavingtheabilityto
iden=fyandcapitalizeonalltypesof
opportuni=es(thisiswhatiscalledthe
entrepreneurialmindset).Lessonsthatstand
outarethatentrepreneursshouldavoiddebtas
faraspossible,andthatgoodresearchingskills
canhelponeavoidalotofexpenseson
employingdifferentskills.
HowhasAfriversitybenefi-edyourendeavors?
Afriversityhasprovidedmewithexperienced
mentorship,anditiscurrentlyworkingon
securingforeignfundingforHeadboyIndustries,
whilesimultaneouslynego=a=ngwithSouth
Africanretailersinordertogetthemtostart
retailingDryBath.
Theorganiza=onisverycommiedtotheir
incubateesandthereare=meswhenIfeellike
theyareworkingharderthanIamtomake
DryBathasuccess.
I love learning and helping the peoplearound me to pursue their passions andhappiness
AFRIPRENEUROFTHE
MONTHJuly2010
To contact Ludwick please email him at:
For more information on our other
Afripreneurs, contact us at:
[email protected] visit www.afriversity.org
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