THE Life OF Brian
For South African-born Brian Dewil the entrepreneurial gene is firmly established in the family. From a young age Brian helped in the family business, Call of Africa Safaris, which has been operating for 35 years and organises safaris throughout Africa. His father also owns a game farm and lodges across southern Africa, while both his brothers are entrepreneurs (one a movie director whose work includes writing and directing actor Paul Walker’s last movie). But Brian had long harboured a desire to implement his own business strategy and direct his own business. In his experience most companies are apprehensive about allowing an entrepreneurial spirit to flourish through its employees – and yes, even a family business.
He’d watched the progress and dynamics of a US start-up that began as an on-demand concierge service and morphed into food delivery, and proceeded to build a ‘pitch deck’ for his own business UrbanSherpa, a similar concept targeted at New Zealand’s urban market.
He successfully pitched the business to local investors, securing a salary as part of the deal. However that deal was conditional on him leaving his role as country head of
