Sthembiso Zwane

Sthembiso Zwane - Joint CEO at GoGetta

“I would like to be remembered as the first black man to bring to market the biggest Crowdfunding Funding Platform in Africa. A platform that will enrich the lives of many and create an investor ecosystem that enables the middle class to invest alongside the sophisticated investors in Africa.”

Q1: When did you join The Grind? How did you get to know about the Foundation?

A1: I joined The Grind in 2018 or 2019 through Sandile Malinga and Mzwandile Riba. They had initially reached out to me at a family gathering and we had a soft conversation around what The Grind really is. I then went on to invite two friends of mine to join me at the AGM where the new Chairman was elected. This was when I realized that I want to make a difference and why not start here.

Q2: Tell us about your career journey and where you are today.

A2: I started a career in finance in 2017, where I was an Investment Analyst at Grovest Corporate Advisory. In my first year of working, I was nominated to attend the Italia Re-StartUp conference in Milan as a foreign investor. We went on to find a couple of businesses whereby we invested in. We managed to grow a retail investor base from a mere R100m to over R3.5bn in 3 years. At the beginning of 2020, I was promoted to Investment Principal and started sitting on the Boards of various companies in which we had equity interests. In December 2020, I was nominated and won the Leading Innovators of Section 12J Investments in South Africa. In October 2021, we won the Best Venture Capital Investments Firm award in Gauteng. I have started a new role as the Joint-CEO and Shareholder of an African focused Debt and Equity based Crowdfunding Platform called GoGetta. We seek to build a retail investor base for businesses all over Africa. We are a crowdfunding platform for Africans by Africans.

Q3: What personal sacrifices have you had to make in your career?

A3: I have had to work very long hours on weekdays and some weekends all in the name of growing myself as an individual and further realize my full potential as an equity investor. With this came many hardships and struggles with both my family and my social circle due to the fact that I had very little time to spend with them on any given day. I missed birthdays and gatherings all in the name of building a better future for myself. Finance has always been something close to my heart and a lot of the time that is what would get me through.

Q4: Looking back on the past 2 years, what has been the impact of Covid-19 on you and your family, as well as the way you work? 

A4:  The biggest impact of Covid-19 on me was that I had to start working from home and I started feeling as though home has become a workspace and is no longer a place of peace and serenity. One of the other major impacts was that we could no longer have Christmas lunch as a family because my cousin tested positive for Covid-19 3 (three) days before we were meant to travel to KZN to see our Grandparents. We were fortunate enough not to have lost anyone to the virus during these times.

The one thing I can say that this whole pandemic has done is that it has taken away is the physical and social interaction in the office which is priceless.

Q5: How do you see the industry in which you work change post-Covid?

A5: I think from a retail investor perspective our investors have become a lot more cautious as to where they put their money and how long they will hold. It is going to be a tough journey ahead. I truly believe that digitization will play a major role in my new business venture.

Q6: What would you like to be remembered for - what type of legacy would you like to leave?

A6: I would like to be remembered as the first black man to bring to market the biggest Crowdfunding Funding Platform in Africa. A platform that will enrich the lives of many and create an investor ecosystem that enables the middle class to invest alongside the sophisticated investors in Africa. The youngest black man to ever do it.

Q7: As we wrap up the year and reflect on where we are, are you happy with what you achieved this year?

A7: Look it has really been a tough year on all fronts. However, I feel like much has been achieved through it all and I am content with progress that we have made this year. I look forward to seeing growth in my new business venture and learning more about the African landscape in the new year.

Q8: Which fictional character do you resonate with, and why?

A8: I would like to think its… Goku from Dragon Ball Z. Puts his family and friends first, but he’s constantly working on being a better version of himself.

Grind Feed: Sthembiso Zwane