BACKSTORY: Ditiro Capital’s Madichaba Nhlumayo

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

Be honest and direct in all your dealings. 

What was your first job? 

I was a trainee accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers. 

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

It was just under R3,000. I definitely saved some. I probably also spent some on entertainment (a movie, a book and coffee) and the rest on petrol to get to audit clients.

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

Growth is not linear, and life happens. Appreciate the process.   

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

Unemployment, particularly of the youth. And I would ensure that they are suitably skilled to participate meaningfully in the economy. 

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

I’m interested in history — learning about different civilisations and about ordinary people who achieved the extraordinary.

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

I invested in a retail outlet at Maponya Mall when it first opened, selling leather goods. It was a learning moment. 

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

I, alongside my partner, Mandisa Nkosi, provided seed capital to sustain Ditiro Capital while fundraising.   

What’s the best book you’ve read recently, and why did you like it? 

Discipline is Destiny by Ryan Holiday. It is a simple and pragmatic view of life and advice about it. 

What is the hardest life lesson you’ve learnt? 

I had to learn to listen more and speak less. 

What phrase or bit of jargon irks you most? 

“Normalised ebitda” (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation).

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

Learn to code. You’ll thank me later. 

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

I would reinstate the “family meeting” on a monthly basis to provide the country with a progress update on key deliverables in five to 10 priority areas, including energy, logistics, water, unemployment, crime, education and health care.