Inkunzi isematholeni

Directly translating to, ‘the bull is among the calves’. This Zulu idiom means that the leaders of tomorrow come from the youth.

Nkululeko Intro Khumalo has come a long way to show that he is that very leader among the youth.

Born and raised in Vryheid, Intro left Vryheid after matric to study sports management but things did not work out financially and he had to drop out of university.

“Although I grew up wanting to become a soccer player, having grown up in a town like Vryheid which has produced many well known soccer stars, this soon changed when I finished school,”said Intro.

Being a business person from a very young age, Intro began by selling his own brand of T-shirts at events he set up as a way of making an income in order to be able to continue with his studies.

“I later had to drop out, as finances back home were not good, and that is when I just started focusing on selling the T-shirts and hosting events.

My mother immediately told me to return home, but I could not just give up on my dreams because of a minor setback.

Fortunately, for me, people were very supportive and I was able to at least pay my rent and get food so I did not go back home.

This is how my company, IntroB SA Concepts, came about, ” he said.Although he recalls his first two years as an entrepreneur having been the hardest, Intro is very grateful for his humble beginnings, which he says turned him to the man he is today.

Bigger and better things seem to be on their way for him as he took first place in this year’s Ithala Bank ‘Inkunzi isematholeni’ Youth in Business Competition.

“The competition had thousands of entrants from all around the province, who were given the task of submitting a winning business idea

. “I made it to the top 20, and before I knew it, I was announced as the winner of the R250 000 worth of business support and a trip to Canada early next year,” he said, still in disbelief.

Intro is hoping to venture into other businesses, such as mobile advertising and transportation and delivery services in Durban, before expanding to other provinces.

Encouraging young people who might be considering heading into the business sector, Intro said that he would urge them to try their hand at being an entrepreneur, even while they are still pursuing their tertiary qualification.

“In so doing, you will be able to make something of yourself even if things do not work out in whatever it is you are studying,” he went on.

Upwards and onwards seem to be the only thoughts on this young man’s mind when it comes to where he sees his business going.

“I have always told myself that I will never stop trying. No matter how difficult the situation is, I will always keep going.

“We must never sleep on our dreams as there are so many initiatives out there just waiting for young people to knock on their doors with brilliant ideas,” he said.

In conclusion, Intro said that he would like to thank all members of the Vryheid community for the endless support they have shown him, and he promised that he would be bringing a little something home in April next year to show locals just how well he has grown in the end

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