How the wisdom of the village helped me

I am the third born of Samuel and Catherine Mkhabela, with six siblings and one son named Vunwe. I was born at a countryside of Giyani, Ndengeza Village, Limpopo Province and grew up taking care of family livestock and selling at home from the tender age of 12.

Growing up in a family selling retail and related products in the villages has taught me to understand the fundamentals of trading and customer service and delivery. I learned values from my grandmother, Nwambatlavani Mavies Mkhabela, who passed away in 0ctober 2016.

I completed a BCom Degree, in Economics, Financial Management and Marketing Strategy, at University of Johannesburg, completed a Post Graduate Programme in Strategic Management with the Graduate Institute of Management and Technology, completed a Nokia and Finland Embassy Funded Programme in Entrepreneurship and Technology and Development Practice with ETDP SETA. Then, I worked at ABSA Commercial Property Finance as Portfolio Manager and Product Specialist and lectured Economics and Investment at Milpark Business School and former Lecturer for Bcom Marketing Strategy at Damelin University College.

My first business was inspired by media and motion pictures opportunities in South Africa. In 2004, we arranged a championship team. My friend, who had a BA Communications and Media degree, a smart guy and my other friend who had a degree and was good with people. Around 2003, the Industrial Development Corporation started a Media and Motion Pictures fact sheet and we felt we could be supported. We didn’t win the bid and we focused on working harder. That is the time I realized that financial services are the most important for small businesses and I explored corporate and investment banking to understand how we could be assisted.

My company, Antswisa Consulting Group started while I was consulting for another firm and we were supposed to be contracted, as sub-contractors, on their financial management and project management advisory as a leading consultant. Building a diversified mining, manufacturing and financial services sector corporation is my vision and we are doing well mainly in mining and corporate finance.

I served as a director at the Young Chamber of Mines, Director at the South African Youth Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry- Youth Chamber director. I have been involved in all phases of Antswisa’s development since its founding in 2007. The firm is establishing leading investing businesses across infrastructure and Industrial development asset classes as infrastructure Partners or Antswisa private equity

We recently started a mining company specializing in copper and cobalt mining assets, with a Swahili name, Uvumbuzi Mkali Resources. The mining business is currently on project preparation for it’s mining assets and capital raising stage.

Uvumbuzi Mkali will begin producing copper concentrates in the last quarter of 2023 and begin commercial production a quarter after. Uvumbuzi Mkali is positioned to become one of the African largest copper and cobalt producers to support the future of the automotive industry, renewable energy components, electronics and construction materials. We believe sustainability and climate change must be the priority of every business.

I am also a philanthropist with a history of supporting Youth and Women empowerment that led to the formation of a flagship initiative, Antswisa Young Future Leaders [YFLs] and Antswisa 100 Women and both dedicated to assisting youth and women in critical and systems thinking for leadership, entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship education. In both business and philanthropy, I have dedicated myself to tackling big problems with transformative solutions. South Africa’s livelihoods crisis and unemployment are the main challenges crippling the economy and inequality of income leftover in democratic South Africa.

In May 2023, I will announce a foundational gift to establish Antswisa Systems Thinking Centre and Digital Transformation Centre to address the opportunities and challenges presented by the rise of the South African Livelihoods Crisis and artificial intelligence. Miyelani Mkhabela is a Founding Director and CEO of Antswisa Management Group He is a founding director and Chief Executive Officer of Antswisa Management Group, one of the African leading investment firms with a position in Financial Services; Natural Resources and Energy; and Technology, Media, Entertainment and Telecommunications sectors.