South Africa’s future is in the hands of entrepreneurs and industrialists. Khudusela Pitje is embracing his role in the economy and his part in positively impacting communities. From his first pay cheque of R1 250 per month at Lindsay Saker Rosebank to spearheading a R1,6 billion turnover business that in many ways is still just getting started, here’s how he’s laying the foundations of exponential growth.
Khudusela Pitje spearheads New GX Capital, a R1,6 billion turnover company that he still calls a family business. Having built a diversified utilities infrastructure-focused investment holding company structure, his ten year goal is to reach a market cap of R10 billion. He’s focusing on utilities infrastructure projects and companies because of their social and economic impact across the African continent. His strategy delivers on a clear market need as well as meaningful community upliftment. Infrastructure development boosts economic growth and in the process creates much needed jobs in South Africa and across the continent.
But that’s all external success. What Khudu is achieving is much more personal. When his father passed away in 1997, he kept the newspaper article announcing the death of the former Mayor of Mamelodi and wrote five words across it: I will make you proud.
HM Pitje isn’t here to see what his son has achieved, but that isn’t stopping Khudu. He has a vision that is vast and long-term in what he sets out to achieve. There are no shortcuts to greatness. Just focus and dedication to the end goal.
Khudu has a life and business philosophy that he follows unwaveringly: Be a good person and the rest will take care of itself. He doesn’t mean be a perfect person — no one is perfect — just be good. Have good intentions and be aligned with the universe. Don’t take shortcuts. Have a long-term view. And if you feel yourself drifting into areas that make you uncomfortable, pull yourself back before they start to become comfortable. Draw a line in the sand and stick to it.
Hand-in-hand with this is transparency, clear communication, and having a bigger vision and mission that leaves a lasting legacy. Some of these practices have been ingrained in Khudu his whole life. Others he learnt the hard way.
This story is from the January 2019 edition of Entrepreneur Magazine South Africa.
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This story is from the January 2019 edition of Entrepreneur Magazine South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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