Secure Your Copy Black Like You: An Autobiography Designed By Herman Mashaba Made Available In Publication Copy
inspirational, and easy read, The autobiography is well written and it kept me very interested and entertained throughout, It is in my top ten books, and I will definitely read it again, Favourite quotes include
Have a strong sense of who you are and what you want to achieve
It all comes down to events and experiences, but especially the choices we make which shapes our lives
Strive for excellence in what you do
A positive attitude opens the windows of the mind so that one is able to get a clear view of opportunities and possibilities
Entrepreneurship demands creative flair and vision.
It is not something you can just go to university and learn
I'm inspired
Expelled from university due to student political disruptions in thes, without formal qualifications and slowly sinking into depression, Herman Mashaba was however determined to propel himself out of the hardships.
Having an option to go to exile, he instead sought employment in spite of his disdain for white employers, The Apartheid restrictive policies created a hostile environment for many black people however he stubbornly maneuvered his way within the employment sector and eventually reached his business aspirations.
After seeing a gap in the ethnic hair business while working as
one of the top salesman at Superkurl, Black Like Me was born in a small factory in GaRankuwa, Pretoria in
This book is about determination resilience and how entrepreneurship can be used as catalyst for social change and economic growth.
On how government can support entrepreneurs, he suggests that there needs to be an integration of new technologies into education institutions so that learners are better prepared for life in the real world.
Having grown up in a remote rural area, he challenges government to do more for rural development by giving entrepreneurs chance to play a vital role in halting further stagnation and eliminating poverty thereby create industrialization of rural economies.
He further challenges government to better structure the policies on Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment BBBEE for young black entrepreneurs to benefit
He affirms that he is an “unashamed capitalist”.
He argues that the initial aim of business is not just to create jobs he argues that wealth creation is the single motivating factor for any executive it is only when the business is profitable that you can employ people.
On his views role of emotional intelligence as a business leader, he states that it is imperative to keep emotion out of the business arena.
He argues that emotion wipes logic off the gameboard and can jeopardise the life of an organization, To aspiring entrepreneurs he argues that business is about a “gut feeling”, luck and ability to think on ones feet, skills that could never be learned in a business college
The book layout is however a concern and creates an awkward reading experience.
The lack of a table content and scattered chapters means the reader has to frustratingly figure out the key themes on each of the twenty one chapters on their own.
Furthermore, there is no epilogue from the authors to round off the key elements of book the reader is rather left hanging.
Overall this an average book filled with life and business lessons we have heard before, Worryingly, the authors business,political and personal ideologies seem to be contradictory even though it can be argued on bases of adaptability and flexibility of a businessman due to circumstances this may however leave the reader a bit perplexed on what exactly does Herman Mashaba stands for.
Rolland Simpi Motaung Herman Mashaba rose from humble beginnings to become one of South Africas wealthiest and bestknown entrepreneurs, and the Executive Mayor of Johannesburg Africa's largest and most important city.
This is his story. His remarkable story begins in a small village in Gauteng, South Africa, where we meet the cocky youngster who refused to settle for a future that offered nothing.
Forced to drop out of university, the determined young man fought to establish the first blackowned haircare company in South Africa.
Mashaba struggled every day of his life against the system of Apartheid, with its demeaning laws, and against his competitors to grab market share for his business.
In the process, Mashaba learnt lessons that few business schools teach today, This is a story of survival, and of determination in adversity, It is also a love story between Herman and Connie, his wife ofyears, who embarked on this journey together.
Mashaba shows the importance of having a vision, daring to dream it, and then making it happen, This inspiring book will leave you with the question: “If he did it, why cant I”,