With three companies operating already, Nelisiwe Masango the Director of Bear Run Investments is so passionate about business and investing that you forget she is only 23 years old.
One trait that manifests itself the moment you meet the young woman from Boksburg, 30 kilometers east of Johannesburg, is that she is not afraid to speak her mind.
“I hate to say where I am. Suffice it to say I’m from a small suburb east of Johannesburg “laughs Masango.
Another clear idiosyncrasy is her love for helping others, which is one of the reasons she started her parent company Bear Run Investments in September 2013.
“I started Bear Run Investments after witnessing a lot of people get caught up in the web of deceptive pyramid scheme owners and ‘get rich quick’ businesses. I felt the need to help educate these people on the proper investment channels and introduce them to fully regulated investment firms that will allow them to move as they see fit, ”she said.
She also got inspiration to watch the movie Pursuit of Happyness ’over and over again, a movie with Will Smith about a poor man who went on to make millions as a broker. His other motivation for starting his business is people with windfalls. Masango educates these people on how to invest their new found wealth and make it grow, rather than wasting it away.
Masango wanted to be a brain surgeon and his high school results reflect his possibilities of becoming one, but his love for the investing world has picked up.
“I felt I could help more people with their financial situation through investments than I would make as a brain surgeon. I would be limited as a doctor because I only have two hands to help one person at a time. Money might not solve all problems, but it helps, so I think I’m more useful now, ”Masango says.
Growing up, Masango attended the Haut de Boksburg where she was all-round. It was there that she fell in love with the arts, so much so that she took a year off to open a dance school in 2010 but decided to go to varsity the following year.
In 2011, she started a B.Com degree in Entrepreneurial Management, but quit after her freshman year. Masango then went on to invest and finance where she learned how the investment world generally operates.
“After I left the varsity, I started trading stocks, teaching myself how to trade on the JSE (Johannesburg Stock Exchange). I have to admit, a major influence I got came from the movie ‘Pursuit of Happyness’. I’ve watched this movie a million times and the fact that it’s a true story motivated me more to start my own business and make this one a success ”
“In 2013, I started Bear Run Investments and gave myself the time to learn and grow the business. It was difficult at first because the business didn’t have any money, but it has grown now and is making enough profit, ”says Masango.
This young businesswoman makes a success of her passion for the investment world and she is starting to reap the rewards, recently spoiling herself with a new car in the process.
“Starting my business with no money has taught me a lot. He taught me how to network with the right people and he taught me the value of money and how to manage it, “she says.
Masango expanded his business interests and established two other companies, one being his recruitment agency “Gentle Hands Agency”. The second business that this young woman has established is “FeFine”, which means “Women with Finances”. FeFine aims to promote financial literacy as well as financial independence for women of all ages.
“FeFine does not promote feminism but aims to create a movement that shatters gender stereotypes and lifts the young, intelligent and financially secure woman,” explains Masango.
In addition to her business commitments, 23-year-old Masango decided to return to school by completing her studies part-time.
“I want the title of Dr in front of my name, even though it’s not a doctor like I expected (laughs). I promised my mom that I would be a doctor so I would be a “Masango sneer.
Investment analyst, Gary Booysen, who is a portfolio manager / director at Rand Switzerland said he thinks I stumbled upon “an upcoming corporate star” when I asked him about Masango.
The two met to pursue potential business partnerships and Booysen was impressed with Masango.
Booysen, who won the 2013 Peoples ‘Business Day Choice Awards – Intellidex SA Top Stockbroker Review, says her impression of Masango is that“ she is very ambitious, brilliant and definitely a self-starter / entrepreneur. There’s no question that business is on his mind. She is young and still very eager to learn.
While the future looks bright for this young woman, she has no plans to slow down and she already has business ideas that she hopes to pursue. She also intends to diversify Bear Run Investments, to go into alternatives.
“When it comes to business, I plan to build a legacy. I want my net worth to be in dollars, I plan to be a millionaire in dollars. I plan to stretch my money as much as possible, Masango says. ” Besides his business ambitions, his love for helping others is evident in the future as well as his plans for opening his own charitable organization. She wants to be able to help other people without having to work too hard in her pockets. “Rich people are generally not charitable and charitable people are generally not rich so I hope I can have both,” Masango says. Achievements At the age of 23, Nelisiwe Masango is living proof that age is nothing but a number.
Translated from cnbcafrica.com
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