Thembani Biyam was appointed Head of Strategy &amp; Monetisation for OLX South Africa when he was only 28. Now, as the Head of Growth at Orderin, one of the top three online food delivery companies in South Africa, he is responsible for strategic projects, product, design and growth marketing. He speaks about his best and worst investment experience. 



What do you splurge on?



Definitely
food; it’s the way to my heart. Then travel. Then tech toys, mostly photography
and videography stuff like drones and stabilizer sticks for shooting vlogs. I
love vlogging and editing for fun.



What has your worst investment blunder
been?



My
best and worst experience was investing in cryptocurrency. I got in late but
bought some Bitcoin and Ethereum, and my investment grew about 350% in six
months. Problem is, it crashed real quickly too. I got a lot of it out in time
but lost a lot of it as well.



If you had to work but didn’t need the
money, what would you choose to do?



Develop
high school, university and professional basketball in South Africa to, at
least, the European level. It’s the one thing I want to do before I die. I was
an aspiring basketball player in high school but there were no proper
structures in place to fully develop and the options for me to play professionally
didn’t exist. I want that for my kids.



Where do you not mind waiting?



At
home. If I am out in the world, I hate waiting for anything. 



Fast food or home cooking?



Home
cooking anytime. But fast food delivery every now and then doesn’t hurt (especially
if it’s from Orderin).



Do you own anything you consider
priceless?



Nothing
material. More memories and perspectives.



Should people work for money or
fulfilment?



Both.
We all have to eat and do nice things, right? Those things cost hard-earned [money].
I would say, if you can continually optimize your career towards work that
provides a combination of both, but increasingly nearing fulfilment versus
money, that would be a win.



READ MORE | &#8216;<a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/entrepreneurs/2019/05/01/worth-millions-and-billions/">Worth Billions and Millions</a>&#8216;



What kind of debt is okay?



The
type that is income generating is the ‘most’ okay. Robert Kiyosaki talks about
debt that generates income like property loans, business loans, and even credit
card used for positive income-generating activities. Then, there are scenarios
where you may really need debt to bail you out, but hopefully, you have savings
and liquid investments for that. Then, there is a grey area around things like
cars, phones etc. For this category, I would say, just make sure you can afford
it from your income.



Do you follow a strict budget?



I
do my absolute best to. There are some ‘treat yourself’ months sprinkled in
there.



Would you rather never be able to
express yourself accurately or always have to say the exact truth?



I
always have to say the exact truth. A world of never being able to be a little
colorful and fun in expressing myself would be a dark world.

‘The One Thing I Want To Do Before I Die’

Cézanne Britain is the founder and CEO of Britain Renecke, a 100% black, female-owned commercial law firm in South Africa. Her tips for a debt-free life and why she counts memories, not money.

What is your investment philosophy?
I tend to have a conservative investment philosophy that is long-term orientated rather than short-term focussed. While I believe in doing research, I am also guided by my gut feel when making investment decisions.
What advice you would give anyone who wants to invest?
I take a very conservative and long-term view on investments. From a very young age, my focus has been to save as much as you possibly can of your salary and to try and be debt-free as soon as you can. And if you can steer away from short-term credit like credit cards and short-term loans from the get go in your career, that’s probably a good thing. You are going to need to build up your credit but make sure that, for example, if you spend money on your credit card, settle the full amount at the end of the month. Don’t let it draw interest.
What is the most interesting investment decision you ever made?
When my husband and I got married, we didn’t buy wedding rings. We didn’t buy bedroom suites. We spent our money on travel. After the first financial year of business, I wanted to give my husband something to show him and thank him for all his support and I bought him a wedding band and that was two and a half years ago. And it was quality but it didn’t cost a fortune.
<a href="http://www.forbesafrica.com/investment-guide/2018/08/03/fashion-fame-and-finances-with-sa-designer-david-tlale/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">READ MORE: Fashion, Fame and Finances With SA Designer, David Tlale</a>
What was your first big investment?
Buying my first apartment. I have generally invested in immovable property and shares and my education. Of the three, I paid for my own education and worked five jobs a year. Because I didn’t want to have debt when I started this [company] when I was 18 years old. It meant five jobs a year but it meant I graduated without a loan. There were lots of bruises along the way. But I was debt-free. The second thing I had on my list was to buy property. I then bought a bachelors apartment when I finished my articles…I was going on 23.
What lessons have you carried with you since your childhood?
I was fortunate to have parents who taught me the value of discipline, responsibility and hard work from a young age. I think most important of all, have a dream and vision and a fierceness, fearlessness and resilience to succeed.
What is the most expensive item you have?
I don’t tend to collect material things. I tend to spend money on traveling and making memories. Four years ago, I took my mom to Mauritius for the first time. I wanted her to experience what I experience. We spend our money on giving people experiences and giving ourselves experiences because memories last a lifetime. When I talk about long-term investment, I also talk about memories lasting a lifetime. You can’t get those back.
The most expensive trip you have ever taken?
A trip around the world seven years ago.
How do you describe your leadership style?
I learned a long time ago we have to use our power responsibly. I don’t have one type of leadership style, but rather a combination of autocratic, transformational, coaching and visionary leadership.

CB-Pic-standing

Investing In Memories, Not Material

How do you keep the crowd interested in your comedy?
Be honest, because they need to realize you are one of them.
What is your business strategy?
You need to be open to what is going on in the industry. There was a time where we were able to plan a year in advance, but we can’t do that anymore. Social media platforms are evolving so fast. You can’t drop the same images and messages on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. You have got to do it differently… So stay current and on top of things. It is also more than just about the technology; there are networking opportunities springing up.
What is your investment philosophy?
I am a conservative investor. I go for short-term investments rather than long-term investments. I would like to keep it to the medium range of risk.
Financial discipline means…?
Knowing when to say no, no matter how good it feels.
How do you remain financially disciplined?
I struggle a lot.
How have you diversified your investments?
I own a couple of classic cars. I also have a couple of properties.
Your most recent acquisition?
I bought a piece of property on Long Street, Cape Town.
You most regrettable financial blunder since you entered the industry?
Starting the comedy club! It was difficult making a concept like a comedy club work in a conservative space five years ago when I started.
However, it became the best decision I ever made. At the time, it was a huge investment of energy and time to get it started. On one or two occasions, I remember thinking this was too hard. It has been a very bitter-sweet thing but in the end, the advantages are huge and the disadvantages just as staggering…The theory of business is basically failure till you reach the point of success. But failure is a very important part of success. You can’t have the one without the other.
<div id="attachment_36696" style="width: 210px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-36696" class="size-medium wp-image-36696" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/MG_9957-5-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" />Kurt Schoonraad. Photo by Casey Bertie</div>
How do you decide your fee?
My personal fee is affordable. I think it is important to stay within range. It is very easy to price yourself out of the [market]. We need to understand that the universe has not made all comedians equal. My fee is about R35,000 ($2,600) for a 45 minute-to-an hour set.
How much is it to start a comedy club and what does it entail?
More money than you know how to come up with but you figure it out. It is [just] one of those things. There was no comedy club in Cape Town yet there was one in Johannesburg. It is a no-brainer that comedy needed a home in Cape Town…I had to sell one or two classic cars and my partner also invested heavily in my business. It is at the V&amp;A Waterfront [in Cape Town] so the rent is extremely high. It was worth it because at least 30 percent of our audience is not from Africa. We would have not been able to call on that market had we not been situated where we are.
How do you strike a balance between being an entrepreneur and a comedian?
This must be the thing I am struggling with the most. By just opening up the comedy club, people assumed you have taken up the other side. In the early stages, I found out that there are very huge demands on the business side of things. I work during the day and I perform at night.
Money or fame?
Most definitely, fame.

MG_9812-5

A Serious Investment For A Funny Man

What is the one investment you wish you had made?
One of the best investments anyone can make is to invest in him or herself. There are the formal qualifications, yes, but in my experience the real important one is the informal personal development throughout one’s life. It takes effort and discipline. There are so many excellent books that I have read, and courses that I have attended later in my life, on strategy, innovation, leadership, selling and persuasion, presenting, time management, and a host of other soft skills that I wish I could have made earlier in my life.
What are your investment tips for 2018? 
The biggest tip of all is to first create the capacity to invest. Open a gap between what comes in and what goes out, and the tip here is not to focus on the income side, which is often, over the short term, not so much within your control, but rather on limiting expenses and waste, which is much more controllable. Try to find your happiness outside of consumption, instead of trying to buy bliss.  There is no independence quite as important as living within your means. Then, focus on building a fund that will preserve your lifestyle for life. This is a firewall that should ensure that you are not one day old and poor.
What do you invest in and why?
My investments have mostly been in boring, diversified unit trusts in retirement fund vehicles. But over time it starts accumulating when compound growth starts doing its magic. Luckily I am not much of a wheels person, I have only replaced cars twice in my life, although I do have a motorbike and have made some sizeable ‘investments’ into road and mountain bikes. I have never sold a property in which we have lived, so we have three now, renting out two, but from an investment perspective it has performed very poorly. I believe the house in which you live should rather be seen as a lifestyle possession, not an investment. I do ‘invest’ quite a bit in the liquid asset category called wine – but find that it does not last that long in the cellar before it is consumed. Another investment that has eroded quite a bit of our family’s lifestyle preservation fund is travel and experiences.  I would like to believe these are investments with internal value – these adventures bond families and shape character.
What investments have worked best for you?
One of the best things one can do is to make full use of retirement funds and other tax free vehicles. The state does not tax you when you make the investment, there is no tax on interest, dividends or capital gains, no estate duty, and some of the withdrawals might even be tax free. It is also difficult to touch it, which is a good thing; it protects you from your short term gratification weaknesses.
What investment strategy do you recommend? 
It is often said that the best investment is to pay off debt. I agree, but only after you have first made contributions to hedge against catastrophes and after you have made investments in a diversified portfolio of quality financial assets. I have seen too many people who have paid off debt first, throughout their lives, and ended up with still nothing in an investment portfolio in their fifties. Then make sure that the risk-return trade-off of your portfolio allows you to sleep well.
<a href="http://www.forbesafrica.com/homepage/2018/03/01/money-dion-shango/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">READ MORE: Me &amp; My Money &#8211; Dion Shango</a>

Tag: personal finance

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‘The One Thing I Want To Do Before I Die’

Investing In Memories, Not Material

A Serious Investment For A Funny Man

Me & My Money: Izak Smit