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My passion is my
addiction to learning
and mentoring others
to unleash their true
potential.
!"# %&' ()** '+ " *,-*) ".&'(
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l see myself as a vlslonary,
pursulng a degree whlch wlll help
me undersLand Lhe world of
buslness, and Afrlca wlll be Lhe
rsL Lo beneL from my skllls.
l am a blg fan of Lhe world of
commerce, and l do noL Lhlnk
LhaL you wlll ever encounLer
many Leenagers who are as
passlonaLe abouL buslness as l
am. l have good leadershlp
capablllues, and an lnnaLe
undersLandlng of people and
buslness processes.
l grew up ln rural Llmpopo,
experlenclng a falrly hlgh level of
poverLy. When l was 8 years old, l
moved Lo !ohannesburg Lo llve
wlLh my faLher. WlLh my dad's
sLern guldance, l learned Lhe
lmporLance of an educauon, and
l graduaLed prlmary aL Lhe Lop of
my class. l wenL Lo Maryvale
College ln Lhe 8
!"
grade, where l
was noL only Lhe Lop of my class,
buL l was also awarded as Lhe
CauLeng rovlnclal Wlnner for
Lhe 2004 MaLhs, Sclence &
1echnology Clymplad.
ersonal famlly problems
resulLed ln me havlng Lo move
back Lo Llmpopo Lo nlsh o Lhe
resL of my hlgh school career.
My homeLown ln Llmpopo,
MoLeLema, ls noLhlng more Lhan a
soclal lll on lLs lnhablLanLs. lL ls
exLremely rural, and Lhe
aLmosphere Lhere ls one LhaL
sysLemaucally prevenLs lLs resldenLs
from escaplng poverLy's grlp. 8elng
around so much despalr seems only
Lo have amplled my ambluons Lo
prevenL myself and oLhers from
belng sLuck ln such a Loxlc mlndseL.
l subsequenLly developed an
enLrepreneurlal mlndseL and a
consumlng passlon for buslness.
ln 2009, l recelved nanclal supporL
for my ury8aLh` venLure(Lhe
world's 1sL baLh-subsuLuung louon,
[usL apply lL and you do noL need Lo
baLh). l also became Lhe youngesL
and only 1sL-year sLudenL Lo ever be
lnvlLed Lo be a delegaLe aL Lhe
8rlghLesL ?oung Mlnds SummlL, an
annual evenL whlch ls reserved for a
100 of SouLh Afrlca's brlghLesL
posLgraduaLes from all over Lhe
counLry.
l have been consldered for a
Parvard Scholarshlp, an opporLunlLy
l declded Lo leL pass because l
belleve LhaL Lhere's more Lo learn
from developlng economles llke
SouLh Afrlca. l am currenLly ro[ecL
manager for uC1-8Ml, and l am a
deslgnaLed peer-menLor ln my
unlverslLy resldence. My company ls
one of Lhe 2009 nallsLs for Lhe
lnnovauon lund's nauonal
lnnovauon Compeuuon. l oen run
workshops for courses l'm very
sLrong ln, Lhls lnvolves me LuLorlng
my peers.
!" $%&&'() '& *" %++',-() .(
/0%1)')2 %)+ *0).(1')2 (.301& .(
4)/0%&3 .30'1 .140 $(.0)-%/5
Ludwick Marishane
Founder & Chief
Strategist
Headboy Industries
Afripreneur of the Month: July 2010
HEADBOY INDUSTRIES
2
67"( ,+ (7) +("/('8 +(&/% .)7,#1 9)"1.&% :#1'+(/,)+5
67)# 1,1 ,( +("/(5
Whlle ln grade 11, l lnvenLed Lhe world's 1
#!
baLh-
subsuLuung louon, ury8aLh`. 1he alm was Lo develop a
soluuon Lo solve Lhe global hyglene problem LhaL almosL
3 bllllon poor people are faclng. 1hese people llve on
abouL uS$2 per day and Lhey have very llule or no
access Lo poLable waLer. 1hls low level of hyglene
amplles Lhe medlcal problems LhaL Lhese people face,
lncludlng 1rachoma. ury8aLh` ls an eecuve body
sanluzer LhaL allows Lhe user Lo [usL apply lL Lo Lhelr skln
and oers Lhem Lhe hyglenlc proLecuon Lhey would
expecL from a baLh. 1he plan ls Lo sell ury8aLh Lo
charlues aL exLremely low prlces, and Lhose charlues wlll
subsequenLly provlde lL Lo Lhe desuLuLe lndlvlduals for
free. CovernmenL and corporaLe subsldles/donauons
wlll also be procured.
l sLarLed Peadboy lndusLrles ln 2008, whlle ln grade 12. l
envlsloned lL as Lhe rsL company ln Lhe SouLh Afrlca
whlch could have Lhe sole operauon of developlng ldeas
and commerclallzlng Lhem on Lhe markeL.
l meL my buslness parLner, Mr keolkanLse Marungwana,
ln my 1
#!
year aL unlverslLy, and we reglsLered Lhe
company ln !uly 2009. 1he company has muluple
lnLeresLs and our goal ls Lo develop lnLo a Lruly Afrlcan
consumer goods conglomeraLe.
;&' 7"<) +("/()1 %&'/ =/+( .'+,#)++ >',() %&'#4? 67"(
@)/) (7) 0"2(&/+ (7"( 8'+7)1 %&' (& +("/( " .'+,#)++
,#+()"1 &0 " A (& B C&.5
My faLher has always lmplemenLed a sense of
enLrepreneurshlp ln me from a very young age. l learned
very early LhaL earnlng a proL ls beuer Lhan earnlng a
salary. l always Lell me peers LhaL l am exLremely lazy, so
l have Lo work exLremely hard aL Lhls young age ln order
Lo aord Lo be lazy when l am older. l Lry Lo nd balance
ln all Lhe Lhlngs l am lnvolved ln. All Lhe creauve ldeas l
had roamlng ln my head were lrrlLaung me, so l nally
declded LhaL l mlghL as well glve Lhem my besL shoL Lo
see lf Lhey would be successful. l love learnlng, so as
long as l am learnlng, lL does noL mauer wheLher l am ln
a 9 Lo 3 or self-employed. My unlverslLy academlcs are
above average and l have an lmpresslve resume LhaL can
earn me a Lop [ob lf my buslness endeavors are a
compleLe fallure.
DryBath -
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In my view, a person
only truly fails when
they give up completely
on themselves
8efore ury8aLh, l lnvenLed a healLhler" clgareue
(composed of Lhe camellla slnensls planL), l Lhen
proposed lL Lo Lhe 3 largesL clgareue manufacLurers.
1hey all Lurned lL down and sald LhaL lL was agalnsL
company pollcy for Lhem Lo accepL exLernally-developed
lnvenuons. l have slnce placed Lhls ldea on hold unul l
can aord Lhe hlgh caplLal needed for
commerclallsauon. 1he alm of Lhe lnvenuon ls Lo
provlde a non-addlcuve way ln whlch people can klll
Lhemselves (l'm very frank), alLhough an lnvenuon
whlch halLed smoklng would be more eecuve(l'm
worklng on lL).
8efore Lhe healLhy clgareue, my ume was spenL
auempung Lo publlsh a securlLy-Lhemed magazlne and a
moblle dlcuonary whlch l auLhored. l have learned
exLremely lmporLanL lessons from each of my
endeavours. 1hey were all nanced by me and have
palnfully consumed all of my lncome.
l am also currenLly worklng on a producL l call Larnews.
1hls ls a news servlce LhaL seeks Lo ellmlnaLe Lhe huge
ume, paper, elecLrlclLy, lnk, and fuel wasLage caused by
Lhe newspaper lndusLry. l am addlcLed Lo news and
currenL aalrs, buL l feel LhaL lL can be fed Lo us more
emclenLly. Larnews ls a servlce LhaL works llke Lhls-
Consumers wlLh phones LhaL can play M3 muslc Lracks
wlll be able Lo purchase pre-recorded bundles of news
aL varlous shops (senL Lo Lhelr phones vla 8lueLooLh),
Lhey can Lhen llsLen Lo Lhe news aL any ume on Lhelr
cellphones. 1hls wlll make lL more emclenL for more
people Lo absorb more news. l am aL a sLage where l am
deslgnlng Lhe lnformauon SysLem LhaL wlll be lnvolved
ln acLuallslng Lhls servlce. venLure caplLallsLs whom l
approached Lo fund my ury8aLh` pro[ecL expressed
more lnLeresL ln Lhls pro[ecL.
I am very frank
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67% 1&#D( %&' 4,<) " *,-*) .,( &0 ."234/&'#1 ".&'( %&'/ )#(/)8/)#)'/,"* 7,+(&/%5
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lor me, success lles ln one's ablllLy Lo learn and
pursue Lhelr passlons, lL ls also amplled when
one can help oLher unlock Lhelr poLenual. l
belleve l am successful because l have been
equlpped wlLh Lhe Lools l need Lo pursue my
goals, and l conLrlbuLe a greaL deal of ume Lo
helplng my peers.
67"( 7"<) .))# +&G) &0 %&'/ 0",*'/)+F "#1 @7"(
7"<) %&' *)"/#)1 0/&G (7)G5
l am lucky Lo have sLarLed my enLrepreneurlal
[ourney aL such a young age, and l happen Lo
conslder my fallures" Lo have been noLhlng more
Lhan expenslve enLrepreneurlal lessons. l have
had many buslness ldeas LhaL have devoured all
my allowance lncome, and l have learned all Lhe
lnvaluable enLrepreneurlal so-skllls LhaL are
lmporLanL for success. ln my vlew, a person only
Lruly falls when Lhey glve up compleLely on
Lhemselves.
67"( G&E<"()+ %&'5
1he facL LhaL Lhere ls always someLhlng Lo learn ln
everyLhlng l geL lnvolved ln. l love learnlng and
helplng Lhe people around me Lo pursue Lhelr
passlons and happlness. Whenever l geL lazy or
doubuul, l remlnd myself LhaL Lhere a mllllons of
people who would llLerally klll Lo have whaL l
have, and l owe lL Lo Lhem Lo glve lL my besL shoL.
67"( ,+ %&'/ 4/)"()+( 0)"/F "#1 7&@ 1& %&'
G"#"4) 0)"/5
My blggesL fear ls LhaL one day l wlll come Lo a
concluslon LhaL lL all was noL worLh lL, and LhaL
one day l wlll glve up on everyLhlng. 1he reallLy of
lL happenlng ls real buL very sllm, buL l llke Lo
belleve LhaL Lhe beauLy of llfe lles wlLhln Lhe facL
LhaL lL ls unpredlcLable.so l [usL conunue dolng
whaL l know besL and Laklng everyday as lL
comes.
67"( "1<,2) @&'*1 %&' 4,<) (& &(7)/ ())#"4)
)#(/)8/)#)'/+5
lf you sull a buddlng enLrepreneur, en[oy Lhe rlde
and focus on learnlng as much as posslble. WlLh
more experlence, you wlll reallze LhaL Lhe
enLrepreneurlal [ourney ls noL an easy one. lL
requlres an enormous amounL of eorL,
dedlcauon, and commlLmenL, buL Lhe poLenual
rewards are unllmlLed. l wanL Lo emphaslze LhaL
belng en enLrepreneur goes beyond [usL sLarung a
buslness.lL ls slmply abouL havlng Lhe ablllLy Lo
ldenufy and caplLallze on all Lypes of
opporLunlues (Lhls ls whaL ls called Lhe
'enLrepreneurlal mlndseL'). Lessons LhaL sLand
ouL are LhaL enLrepreneurs should avold debL as
far as posslble, and LhaL good researchlng skllls
can help one avold a loL of expenses on
employlng dlerenL skllls.
9&@ 7"+ H0/,<)/+,(% .)#)=-)1 %&'/ )#1)"<&/+5
AfrlverslLy has provlded me wlLh experlenced
menLorshlp, and lL ls currenLly worklng on
securlng forelgn fundlng for Peadboy lndusLrles,
whlle slmulLaneously negouaung wlLh SouLh
Afrlcan reLallers ln order Lo geL Lhem Lo sLarL
reLalllng ury8aLh`.
1he organlzauon ls very commlued Lo Lhelr
lncubaLees and Lhere are umes when l feel llke
Lhey are worklng harder Lhan l am Lo make
ury8aLh` a success.
I love learning and helping the people
around me to pursue their passions and
happiness
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To contact Ludwick please email him at:
lmarishane@gmail.com
For more information on our other
Afripreneurs, contact us at:
info@afriversity.org
or visit www.afriversity.org