A stokvel has been launched to uplift black communities and help its members invest in properties

Nicolas says that a year after enrolling at Sedibeng College Vanderbijlpark in 2013, he relocated to the “city of gold and honey” as he describes Johannesburg, to pursue his dream of becoming a PR Guru and businessman. 

However, here he and his business partner too faced difficulty.

“When we relocated to the city of gold, we suffered to get a place to stay, I remember with my business partner we had to make use of the Ekhaya shelter for the homeless, from that moment I knew something needs to be done”, says Nicolas. 

He says that Tale PR & Communications was founded during the same year when he was working for one of the biggest banks. 

Today, Nicolas is the CEO of Public Relations company, Tale PR & Communications, he is an award-winning Publicist, Artist Manager and an entrepreneur. 

His company represents local brands such as fast-food franchise, Nkukhu-box, media personality, Lubabalo Mashiqana and fashion designer and celebrity stylist, Humbu Vhuluhani to but name a few. 

Born and raised in Mkhuhlu, Bushbuckridge, the 24-year old entrepreneur says that he initiated a property stokvel that aims to focus on buying land and properties that will generate an income for them. 

“There’s no freedom without financial freedom, ownership of land and properties majority of black communities are still suffering the effects of apartheid”, says Nicolas. 

He says that most stokvels are created to buy groceries, especially for the festive season.

“Stokvel Economy in South Africa is estimated to be worth R49 billion and Property is one of the largest asset classes in the world, investing in it may be the best way to take advantage of what is widely considered to be one of the most reliable and profitable investment vehicles. Property is known to appreciate in value over time,” he says.

Manyike says stokvels have been around for decades and most of them are sustainable. He believes the same method could be used to purchase properties.

The stokvel is registered as Property Stokvel Investment Club and our monthly contribution is R2000 monthly.

“Our aim is to accumulate R1 -2 million to buy a property that will generate an income for us. We are planning to implement three more packages, one will focus on renovations and extend existing houses of our members, another will focus on buying shares of listed properties on JSE and the last package will focus on buying houses for our members,” he says. 

“The property Stockvel it’s a true radical economic transformation, we want to create wealth that will allow us to retire comfortably at an early age, but most importantly to create a legacy for the next generation. We have engaged with property experts and partnered with Prospect property Management Company that will manage the properties and see the stokvel daily duties," he said.

"We want to buy land and properties in places where there is competitive rental income and which are close to working areas and educational institutions” he added. 

He says his initiative is open to everyone who aspires to have financial freedom and create wealth through property.

“We want to create wealth that will allow us to retire comfortably. We want to buy land and properties in places where there is competitive rental income and which are close to working areas and educational institutions,” he adds.

He says the long-term plan is to invest and diversify the initiative to also focus on agriculture, logistics and other profitable industries.

Nicolas voiced his concern about the stark unemployment rate which is growing dramatically and affects the youth. 

“I encourage other young people to start businesses, they must not just start a business but they need to think creatively and be problem solvers by creating more jobs. Our future plan is to invest or diversify our portfolio to Agriculture and logistics” said Manyike

Nicholas adds that a person’s upbringing and where they come from need not determine one’s capabilities or where they end up in life. 

“”We have a strange situation in South Africa where so many people are without work, especially the youth but they’re resistant to start their own business and very fearful of taking the financial risk”

“They need to understand that there’s no freedom without financial freedom. Starting a business is not easy but worth it”

Nicolas provides tips on starting a business:

1. Have a business idea-To start a successful business, they need to look for a great problem first and then try to find a great solution.
2. Be passionate-They need to be passionate and love what they do to be successful.
3. Take the risk-We never know the outcome of our efforts unless we actually do it. In order to achieve greatness, they need to take calculated risks. 
4. Believe in yourself-Believe that you can succeed, and you’ll find ways through different obstacles. Confidence is a key.
5. Have a vision-An entrepreneur is someone who has a vision for something and a desire to create it. Keep your vision clear at all times.
6. Take action-The world is full of great ideas, but success only comes through action. They need to remember that procrastination is the enemy of success.
7. Get a mentor-A good mentor is an invaluable asset to a business, ask an expert to be your mentor.
8. Learn from mistakes-Many entrepreneurs point to mistakes as being their best teacher. When you learn from your mistakes, you move closer to success.
9. Spend wisely-When you spend money on your business, be careful to spend it wisely. It’s easy to spend too much on foolish things and run out of capital too soon.
10. Understand your industry-Don’t play games you don’t understand, even if you see lots of other people making money from them.” Truly understanding your industry is key to having success.
11. Deliver more than expected-Deliver more than customers expect. It’s a great way to get noticed in your industry and build a loyal following of advocates.