10 South African Entrepreneurs To Follow On Twitter

The following 10 entrepreneurs have added quite a lot of value to our present as well as the future South Africa. They also happen to be quite opinionated and offer advice on personal levels which you can catch on twitter, which is why we have chosen them as our Top 10 South African entrepreneurs to follow on twitter.

Ronnie Apteker- @ronnieapteker

Apteker was the founder of the first Internet service provider, Internet Solutions. Other than running and investing in online businesses, he produces films, most notably, Material. He was named South Africa’s top businessman in 2004/2005.

Ludwick Marishane– @theheadboy

According to the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, Ludwick Marishane is the best student entrepreneur in the world. Ludwick started businesses as a teenager in Limpopo. Many failed, like his own brand of biodiesel, healthy cigarettes and a security magazine. He then started HeadBoy Industries, a business that designs and commercializes new products and services in South Africa. One of its products, DryBath, is the world’s first bath-substituting solution. It is easy to use and needs minimal water. It moisturises the skin, kills germs, and leaves the user smelling fresh. If that is not enough, Ludwick was also named by Google among the 12 most intelligent young brains in the universe.

Rupert Bryant– @waroop

Rupert Bryant is the chief operating officer (COO) and a director at Web Africa, one of South Africa’s most successful Internet Service Providers (ISPs). His involvement in the company started at the age of 16 when Matthew Tagg needed a partner for his new venture, and Rupert was a perfect choice. Rupert was running his own web development company from the age of 14, and when Web Africa started as a hosting provider it was a logical choice for Matthew to join forces with Rupert to build his new web hosting company. They started Web Africa with virtually no capital, and over the last decade have grown it into a company which generates well in excess of R130 million annually and employs 130 people.

Justin Stanford– @JustinStanford

This South African-born entrepreneur is a software industrialist and venture capitalist. It all started for Justin at the age of 13 when he bought raw apple juice and sold it to his classmates for a profit. A few years later he dropped out of school to pursue his entrepreneurial career. But success didn’t come easy and he had two failed businesses under his belt by the time he was 21. Justin fought on and his perseverance paid off when he came across Slovakian anti-virus software package called ESET; he negotiated with its manufacturers and begun its distribution in South Africa. Today, ESET in South Africa sells ESET’s assortment of internet protection products in about 20 sub-Saharan countries, making it an enormously flourishing internet business and Justin heads up the 4D Innovations Group, which includes the venture capital firm, 4Di Capital.

Adii Pienaar– @adii

In my opinion, Adii is one of the most successful young tech entrepreneurs in South Africa. He is a co-founder of WooThemes, a business which has had great success – in an international sense – with millions of dollars in revenue annually. On his website, he describes himself as an entrepreneur, husband and very new father. Following him on Twitter, it is evident that this youngster is well respected in tech circles all over the world. Today, WooThemes is four years old, with 25 employees. The company had no funding and was 100% bootstrapped.

Vinny Lingham – @VinnyLingham

Vinny Lingham is a South African Internet entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Yola Inc., a San Francisco-based Web 2.0 start-up that provides free website building, publishing and hosting services to more than three million active consumers all over the world. The company has engrossed over $30 million in venture capital financing from institutional investors such as Columbus Venture Capital owned by SA’s Johann Rupert’s Richemont Group. He also developed CIick2Customers, a massively flourishing search engine marketing company housed in Cape Town, London and Los Angeles.

 Leanne Manas– @leannemanas

Leanne Manas started her broadcasting career as a weekend and late night newsreader on Radio 702, before becoming the news anchor for Classic FM, and hosting shows on Jacaranda, Radio Algoa and East Coast Radio. Then, as the main news anchor on DSTV channel Summit TV, Manas showed that she was even better in front of the camera, than she was behind a radio microphone.  Her performance as a lead anchor on SABC’s coverage of the 2004 national elections impressed SABC producers and they hired her to co-host Morning Live. Her television career has prompted a move into entrepreneurship; in addition to teaching television skills, Manas is a highly-sought after motivational speaker and MC, and has secured several high-profile sponsorships, including Polo, Givenchy and Sensai Cosmetics

Nick Kaoma – @Nick_Kaoma

Head Honcho Clothing

South Africa’s own Daymond John in the making, Nick Kaoma is building an urban legend. The 28 year-old Cape Town native is the founder and creative director of Head Honcho clothing, a prominent South African lifestyle brand that designs, manufactures and markets streetwear clothing that is hugely popular among South Africa’s young urban dwellers. The company’s product line includes t-shirts and caps to cardigans, varsity jackets, hoodies, tank tops and female dresses.

Zaheer Cassim- @MrCassim

One Way Up Productions

29 year-old South African media entrepreneur Zaheer Cassim graduated from Columbia’s Journalism school and returned home to South Africa to found One Way Up Productions, a television production outfit with a client list that includes Ogilvy South Africa, Hollard Insurance, the African Leadership Academy and Hackett.

Anathablackartist-  @anathablackartist

Anathablackartist is a South African born and based international photographer specializing in fashion, portraiture and nude photography. Work produced ranges from weddings in the furthest parts of the world to high profile corporate shoots of leading South African businessmen/women.