Humble Beginnings

Growing up in South Africa was an incredible experience. As a child, I felt like the world was mine for exploration. I grew up in a rural region of the country which had a distinctly conservative perception. 

From a young age, I knew I wanted to travel the world and form my own views.

Life in South Africa had its unique challenges but I am forever grateful for the opportunity to have grown up surrounded by so much beauty and energy.

Path to greatness

After I finished my education in South Africa, I decided to take the opportunity to expand my career prospects by moving to the United Kingdom. I studied information technology and continued to focus on developing my skills in the finance sector. 

Since arriving in the UK, I gained invaluable experience working as an infrastructure engineer for some of the most prominent financial institutions. 

I adapted quickly to new technologies and approaches and became well-versed in all aspects of financial technology from data analysis and modelling to coding and programming. 

My ambition was to build products that would make a difference and make a lot of money.

Life changing discovery

I discovered Bitcoin as a financial tool while working on a project to provide software for the National Health Service in 2011. As part of the software product, I needed to create an online payment system that could securely process payments from customers. 

After doing some research, I realized that Bitcoin was not a viable option due to its unconventional mechanics and relative obscurity. 

I did however recognise the potential of Bitcoin to become a global insurance against central banking policies and practices. Furthermore, I could see how an entirely new industry was born that would disrupt the way we transact value online.

I went on to start a cryptocurrency exchange in South Africa and quickly expanded to launch the first cryptocurrency exchange in Nigeria. 

The BIG Mistake

I made a horrendous mistake by partnering with a software company in Eastern Europe. This was due to my lack of research into the company and their operations and naively placing my focus on developing the product rather than the business. 

I assumed that the company had a good reputation and experience in software development, but I failed to verify this information. As a result, I was focused on the software and failed to see their intent of using me for their benefit and not for mutual success.

In addition, I did not take into account any potential risks associated with working with a company located abroad, such as language barriers, time zone differences and in particular cultural differences.

As a result of my misplaced trust in the company and holding its directors to account, the project ultimately ended up failing.

Lost everything 

The company went into liquidation and shut down operations, which left me as the fall guy. I had invested time and money into the business, but my investments became worthless and I was left with nothing.

Picking up the pieces

I found solace in the power of resilience and embarked on a new path as a blogger. Embracing the lessons learned from my entrepreneurial journey, I realised that failure is not the end, but rather a stepping stone towards growth and self-discovery. 

Looking ahead

I dusted myself off, turned my setbacks into valuable insights, and redirected my passion towards sharing knowledge and inspiring others through my writing.

With a renewed sense of purpose and determination, I am now leveraging my experiences, both triumphs, and failures, to forge a new and fulfilling career, where I can continue to learn, evolve, and make a positive impact in the lives of others.