These are some of the richest people in the country. Let’s take a slightly closer look at these 5 people, how they made their fortunes, and what we can learn from them.
1. Nicky Oppenheimer
Nicky is the heir to the Oppenheimer throne. His grandfather and father built their fortunes on gold and diamonds, so they took advantage of the great mineral wealth in the country, and they parlayed that into a sustainable income. Big lesson to learn: the youngest Oppenheimer held on to the wealth his father and grandfather created, which is not always what the heirs of fortunes do.
2. Patrice Motsepe
Like Oppenheimer, Motsepe built his wealth on the mineral riches of the country, and is South Africa’s richest Black billionaire. But not forgetting his roots, Motsepe has also been generous in sharing his wealth through philanthropic causes. Big lesson to learn: once you make it, remember to share some of it.
3. Cyril Ramaphosa
At one time he was involved in the ownership of McDonald’s SA. Ramaphosa has subsequently cut back on his business ventures to remain ethical as regards his political career, but the big lesson to learn is that it is possible to have a dual career, and to venture into more than one area and still be successful.
4. Stephen Saad
SA’s newest US Dollar billionaire, Stephen Saad admits that when he went with his family to Disney in Florida he quietly slipped into pharmacies to observe best practices while the family cavorted on the rides. Big lesson to learn: it is possible to balance work and family, and have a career while still being a parent.
5. Whitey Basson
The illustrious leader of Shoprite Holdings, Basson has made a career selling groceries to the people, and he continues to do it. Big lesson to learn: it’s also okay to focus all your efforts in one area, and serving lots of people, even in something as un-sexy as groceries (let’s face it, Shoprite isn’t Facebook or Google), will still net you a handsome profit.