18/08/2023
18-03-2013 , after doing some work to prepare for the week at my Mentosync Media office in Maboneng, i then walk down to Patapata for lunch with 2 friends. What was meant to be an innocent social lunch, needed up in me sharing a dream of owning a platform to host entrepreneurs so we may slowly get towards solving their challenges. As a young entrepreneur then, I was encountering a lot of challenges and had so many dreams that can contribute in changing the world. My friends who are in the IT space, made it seem like I was crazy and thinking the impossible. They spoke buzz words like solutions architect, black people can and can’t … etc. anyway, me being the earless one, I listened to their impossible and lived on.
2014 I ventured into the cattle feedlot business and then later years meat processing. In this cattle journey I told all the stakeholders involved that we need a system to manage the value chain and they said I’m complicating a working machine. I later formed meat hampers and warned them that one day food has to go to the people , that how life evolves. Is waar, Meat Hampers became that and more. Then boom , people woke up. I then asked an IT guy to create me an online platform that will later incorporate groceries,etc. He came with a ridiculous quotation and timelines for payments. I then parked it because something in me kept on saying “Wally, IT CAN BE DONE”.
Fast Forward 2019 March, i meet at Russian lady at an entrepreneurship webinar. I tell my story and after that she texts privately to say “interesting, well done”. I was left with an owkay… then His boss emailed me and asked for a proposal or clear concept of what I want to do. He also sent an NDA for me to sign so that there’s a level of comfort. Now the train was moving slowly. He then sent me what he can do me a quote. He said to me , Are you building an Amazon for South Africa … I said NO, I’m building a Rolls Royce for Africa. He showed me the challenges and how to overcome them. He also gave me a quote to start the work… I rested for 3 months processing it. After 3 months I gave him an “x” amount. Then ya Kgatlampana.
He asked me later that that week, what inspired you. I told him “as Africans we have always been traders,but today we are scattered. My dream is to unify this continent in trade. I shared this dream with many,socially and in business but for some reason they thought it’s just another Wally crazy dream like Meat Hampers.
2020 during lockdown, I was the only meat truck delivering to households in the streets working 12-16 hours a day. The pain of seeing black business being excluded out of the economic activities was painful. Then I realised, I was not crazy. Maybe this is a calling that I need to do on my own and not include others in the formation. My tech guy kept going even when I skipped my payment promises.
Then came the payment story. Who’s your payment gateway going to be.. I reached out to Vodacom as part of my plans was to incorporate and resasitate the township economy. Vodacom being Vodacom,they treated me like a dreamer with no vision… fair enough. And then after a few months I realised they are wasting my time. I went to MTN ,the home of Momo and boom they spoke corporate language than solution to my challenge.
I had made it clear to my guy that PayPal is not my option at all, so I need a localised payment system.
One shushu day on a flight to Cape Town,I meet an old man. We chit chat and we end up talking about my dream and how banking in SA is not inclusive. He gave me his number and said “call me”. I sent him a WhatsApp of which he responded. He linked me with a guy from a Zulu named company. The guy on the other side said to me “tell me your challenge , let’s see if I can give you solution”. Me being Me I went all out. He said Ho! Is your platform existing ,I said 65% done. He said call me in 6months. There was I thinking this is another MTN/Voda situation. I worked hard,every cent goes to the developer and his partners. 6 months later I called. 1st thing he sent an NDA,then forms,then an onboarding fee. Heee banna. Ok… then once admin was done,this guy moved to USA and kept quiet. Then one shushu day he calls, “buddy, how far?” I said 80%… he said I’m going to give you ,Your own wallet system, Vodapay,Apple Pay,Pay Flex, prepaid systems,instant Eft and 3 other payment methods as your primary methods. I couldn’t believe it. I drive home, and then called him again to ask him to send that on email. He later explained to me that they developed these systems do they offer them as a value add to me. Wa e bona life.
Today as I write this essay 10 years later, the system is 95% complete,in testing phase for functionality. Every entrepreneur will have his ship front to manage,with features like order management, stock control,supplier management,logistics and deliveries,online auctions,reservations system like booking.com for local tourism promotions,events & ticketing system… etc. Today I understand that at times we are not just crazy dreamers but we are entrepreneurs with a gift from the powers above. NO ONE SHOULD EVER TELL YOU IT IS IMPOSSIBLE. Believe in yourself everyday. I look at this baby everyday of the way as we test and I say “our children are going to realise their potential “. I decided long ago that on this platform I will work with under 30’s as the majority to maintain and guide their fearlessness energy.
BE ON THE LOOKOUT… YOUR IDEAS ARE VALID…YOUR BUSINESS IDEA IS A REALITY … WE WILL WALK THIS JOURNEY WITH YOU …. POWER OF THE MIND 🏆🛒✊🏾
