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From armed robbery to becoming multibillion business empire boss
Xolane Ndhlovu the founder and executive chairman of UMEH Group Limited. COURTESY PHOTO
It is often said that we have the power to change tracks in our lives and determine our own success and failures.
The life of Xolane Ndhlovu, 33, is a proof that the saying has a lot of substance in it.
From being the feared man who was placed behind bars to becoming a successful entrepreneur and most loved in the community for series of philanthropic gesture, his transformative journey is an inspiring story for all generations to come.
Ndhlovu was born in South Africa to a Nigerian father and a South African mother. He moved through a number of countries like Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Tanzania through his childhood and settled in South Africa in 2001.
His first job was washing dishes for a roadside vendor for a meagre amount and at the age of 22, he found his love for DJing.
He was nicknamed as Master Ziggy for his skill with the discs and he crafted his own albums and performed for various radio and TV stations like 5FM (South Africa ), Energy100FM (Namibia) channel O (Africa) amongst others.
Events took a wrong turn for Ndhlovu when he became a part of a gang and violence became a regular segment of his life. He was eventually arrested and convicted for attempted murder and possession of a semi-automatic weapon.
“It was behind the bars that I decided to change my attitude towards life and make a determined effort to pursue new goals. I read Richard Branson’s autobiography and the story of Branson’s Virgin group inspired me to form UMEH Group in the next stage of my life. I started investing systematically in start-up tech companies and historically become the first person to legally make a million dollar behind bars thanks to technological advancement that legally enables well behaved prisoners access to accessories such as laptop,” Ndhlovu told our reporter.
Ndhlovu set up UMEH conglomerate which have subsequently developed multiple subsidiaries in the fields of finance, media, real estate, blockchain, consulting and investment.
Today the group umbrella shelters 18 different companies like the UMEH Capital Limited, Royal IVY, UMEH Properties, UMEH Logistics and many others with total cumulative capital commitments of the Group amounting to R490 million at the present date.
“The group has also established a significant presence in the media space with 11 magazine and newspaper titles including Affluent, Star Magazine Africa and DailyAfrika.com which have become one of most visited portal for African news, with over 20 journalists across Africa that deliver unparalleled coverage of African news, breaking news, sports, tech news, in-depth analysis of the latest trends,” he said.
UMEH Lifestyle a subsidiary of UMEH which owns 55 percent of Royal IVY South Africa luxury brands recently entered into R100 million (about Shs26 billion) merger to develop 20 signature stores scross Africa - with the first segment of the development having kicked off in Polokwane, South Africa.
Ndhlovu holds a bachelor’s degree in Commerce and an MBA. While managing the company’s investment strategies, Ndhlovu is not affected by the success of his own business ventures.
His colleagues describe him as a humble and generous person.
In his philanthropic endeavours, he has established the Ziggy’s Foundation which aims to promote education and eradicate poverty throughout Africa. With the establishment of $10 million UMEH Group Educational Fund needy students in countries such as South Africa, Nigeria and Namibia have benefited greatly.
Ndhlovu also helps the ex-offenders to re-establish their lives through the South African Entrepreneurship Center for Ex-Offenders, a nonprofit organization which he founded to help turn former inmates into business people through business mentorship and funding.
In an annual competition, a talented ex-offender is awarded a sum of R500,000 (about Shs 132 million) from the UMEH Group as a capital fund to start a business venture.
In a recent interview, Ndhlovu stated that his favourite quote is a line by Mohammad Ali- “Impossible is just an opinion, not a fact.”
The determination and resilience he showed in turning around the path of his life demonstrates that no challenge in life is impossible to overcome.
The ex-offender’s story is bound to act as a light of hope for all youngsters looking for the right direction.
