Picture: Cytonn Photography/Pexels
Mongezi Masombuka, 30, who was born and raised in Thembisa, Johannesburg, is the founder and managing director of a thriving information technology (IT) and business solutions firm that is creating waves in the IT world.
The entrepreneur has already overcome a slew of obstacles.
Masombuka had always hoped to achieve academic distinction, which would lead to a successful profession.
However, he encountered academic hurdles despite his love of reading and innate enthusiasm for knowing and exploring concepts. Later, it was determined that he was suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
“Although I often found it difficult to finish tasks, I was always full of ideas that were impressive to the people I shared them with. The problem was that I could not always follow through on them. I eventually learnt that I did not have to follow a linear path to success; I accepted that my mind was just not wired like that,” he said.
While this diagnosis revealed his trouble paying attention, it also fuelled his resolve to succeed. Over time, it became clear that not everyone’s route to success is the same.
His enthusiasm for education and desire for achievement have driven him into a dynamic entrepreneur and the visionary creator of Clowdy, a software firm founded in 2019.
Masombuka, who lost his mother when he was three months old, has always considered himself different and born to stand out and do things uniquely.
This mindset helped him endure years of disappointment, including difficulties with education and obtaining and retaining a job.
He never gave up in the face of hardship.
Masombuka realised he could be his own instructor. He taught himself the necessary IT skills and information by conducting his own web study, and he sought alternate methods of acquiring the talents required to work and trade in the industry.
In a short period of time, his company has achieved tremendous success and formed collaborations with big technology companies like Rain, Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Huawei.
“My idea came to me as a solution to a problem I and many South Africans faced. You buy an internet connection product, usually via a monthly contract. They then send you a device, and you’re expected to connect it yourself. You experience connection issues, not knowing that there are easy ways to install your wi-fi connection in a way that optimises the connection.
“This is just one of the solutions we now provide. I started on my own, helping people with their home Wi-Fi connections who were mainly Rain customers. After a year of sending proposals and requests for a meeting, Rain finally took notice, and we came to an agreement to provide this service to their customers.”
Masombuka has now grown his tech start-up into a full-fledged IT business solutions firm in less than four years. He has now started two more businesses: an online fashion retail firm called UDARKIE, which he co-founded with a partner, and an e-commerce company called BuyMo.
Masombuka participated in a year-long IT skills training with Afrika Tikkun Services in 2018. The empowering programme allowed him to finally obtain a formal diploma in a job that encouraged him to stick with it and boosted his creativity.
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