Club Member N.K. Khumalo: Lessons Learned
From South Africa to the United States
At our meeting on Monday, March 19, Rotary Ventura South member Nkosi Khumalo, better known to his fellow members as "N.K.," told the inspiring story of his personal and professional journey from his homeland of South Africa to his current home and business location in Ventura. Along the way, he applied many of the basic life-lessons his mother taught him, and added to those with guidance and input from friends and mentors.
One of those lessons from N.K.'s mother can also be attributed to Ben Franklin, to whom is attributed the adage of "early to bed, early to rise." N.K. noted that he gets up every morning at 5:30, thanks to a pattern his mother set for him at an early age when the family operated a chicken business. "I hated getting up for those chickens," said N.K., "but I love those early hours now. I can catch up on emails and hit the gym before the day gets started."
N.K. related the story of his early years as a partner in an information technology business that he and his brother created in South Africa in 1999. "We went through tough times for over a year with a handful of employees," he said, "but with persistence, we managed to grow quickly." The brothers eventually took the company public and tripled the share price, finally selling the business that then employed more than 500 people. It is now the largest information technology business in South Africa.
N.K.'s entrepreneurial spirit is still going strong as he creates a private equity business to purchase baby boomer companies. His advice to others? "Focus on people," he said, "especially those who have given you a leg up along the way." N.K. is also focused on giving back. He has started a program of scholarships at two high schools in Ventura, beginning with four $5,000 scholarships in the initial year, then doubling the number of awards each year thereafter until the goal of 100 scholarships per year is met.
Thank you, N.K. for sharing your inspiring story!