Entrepreneur, Collen Mashawana Shares His 20 Most Important Lessons Learnt Throughout His Life

Collen Tshifhiwa Mashawana, renowned African Entrepreneur, a marketer, investor and current chairman of Afribiz Invest took the time to share his 20 Most Important Lessons Learnt Throughout His Life . Collen’s career began at Microsoft South Africa after obtaining a Diploma in Information Technology (IT). It is here where he learnt communication and soft skills that would see his career advancing at a fast pace. He joined Dimension Data in 2005 as a Senior Account Executive where in 2008, he received the Esprit du Corp Award for “The Best Person Representing the Organisation’s Culture and Vision.” In the same year, he was appointed as National Public Sector Director for South Africa at Internet Solutions. There he built strong relationships within Government. During this time, Collen devoted a lot of time in understanding Government’s service delivery mandate that resulted in his strategic approach for Afribiz Invest, an Investment Company he had founded in 2005 with the aim of making a meaningful contribution to the economy of the country.

Lessons I have learnt in my few decades of living :

1. When you meet young people – INSPIRE THEM.

2. When you meet children – EDUCATE THEM.

3. When you meet old people – HELP THEM.

4. When you meet wise people – STUDY THEM.

5. When you meet leaders – HONOUR THEM.

6. When you meet foolish people – AVOID THEM.

7. When you meet humble people – TREASURE THEM.

8. When you meet arrogant people – IGNORE THEM.

9. When you meet gracious people – EMULATE THEM.

10. When you meet aspirational people – ELEVATE THEM.

11. When you meet strong people – SUPPORT THEM.

12. When you meet godly people – BLESS THEM.

13. When you meet elderly people – RESPECT THEM.

14. When you meet weak people – STRENGTHEN THEM.

15. When you meet hardworking people – ENCOURAGE THEM.

16. When you meet kind people – ESTEEM THEM.

17. When you meet Honest people -PROMOTE THEM.

18. When you meet virtuous people – REWARD THEM.

19. When you meety evil people – EVADE THEM.

20. And in all situation “Watch, Pray and wish everyone well.

Raised from a business background with humble beginnings, Collen always had a natural entrepreneurial passion for business which led to the establishment of multiple ventures including car washes, cleaning services, restaurants, pay phones and metre taxis at a young age. Collen describes his professional journey as ‘exciting’ but notes that he has also encountered a number of obstacles along the way. Overcoming these challenges, he required persistence, out-of-the-box thinking and an innovative approach. “You have to dream big and be different to be able to set yourself apart, that’s what we’re doing,”These he ran in parallel with his career in IT which led to his remarkable transition from corporate to business.

During Collen’s notable career, he has served as an Executive and a Board Member of Multinational companies in the Construction, Engineering and IT Sectors, namely, Dimension Data, Internet Solution and Group Five. Collen has now concentrated more on his career as an entrepreneur which has contributed towards building strong relationships within all spheres of the Pan African Region. This has resulted in a more strategically focused approach of aligning his experiences and consolidating his businesses into a single holding company, Afribiz Invest, focusing on Consulting Services, Construction, Property Development, Energy, ICT, Mining, Security and Financial Services with over 20 subsidiary companies within the infrastructure space and also the establishment of the Collen Mashawana Foundation.Collen is committed to Corporate Social Investment by giving back to the underprivileged and has been involved in many programmes that aim to empower others. This he does through the Collen Mashawana Foundation which has been involved in creating jobs and continues to thrive in changing the lives of ordinary South Africans.The Collen Mashawana Foundation primary focus is to alleviate poverty and also promote a housing initiative which builds houses for the elderly and child headed families.

Collen Mashawana is currently studying his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) with Henley Business School. In 2018 Collen was honored by the Department of Social Development with an Award of Entrepreneur of the Year through the South African Men of the Year. Collen Mashawana has further been nominated as one of the 80 most influential South Africans for 2020.