BACKSTORY: Hloni Mokoena of Malan Scholes Attorneys

What’s your one top tip for doing a deal? 

Listen to your client.

What was your first job?

I was a candidate attorney at a medium-sized law firm in Joburg.

How much was your first pay cheque and how did you spend it? 

It was a very long time ago, so I can’t remember the exact figure. I still lived with my parents, so a sizeable portion went to them; the rest I blew on clothes and fun times.

What is the one thing you wish somebody had told you when you were starting out? 

Things never get easier; you just get better at handling challenges.

If you could fix only one thing in South Africa, what would it be? 

Crime. It is a real shame that as South Africans we don’t feel safe in our own country.

What’s the most interesting thing about you that people don’t know?

I am absolutely obsessed with football.

What’s the worst investment mistake you’ve made? 

Not investing early enough.

What’s the best investment you’ve ever made? And how much of it was due to luck?

The time and money I spent on my own growth and education.

What’s the best book you’ve read this year and why did you like it? 

The Strange Alchemy of Life and Law by Albie Sachs. It provides a unique insider’s perspective on modern South Africa, and a rare glimpse into the working of a judicial mind.

What is the hardest life lesson you’ve learnt so far? 

To be at peace with the things you cannot control.

What phrase or bit of jargon irks you most? 

“Work hard, play hard.”

What is something you would go back and tell your younger self that would impress them? 

Just be yourself, always.

If you were President Cyril Ramaphosa, what would you change, or do, tomorrow?

The education system.