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eNtrepreNeUrsHip
Silulo Ulutho Technologies has grown exponentially
and now has a staff complement of over 200.
“A person who spots an
opportunity should take a
risk and mobilise resources.
You must have passion,
resilience and discipline.
Moreover, you need to
network with others
in business.”
P
assion, tenacity and a drive to succeed
are some of the attributes that have seen
Luvuyo Rani taking his business from the
humble beginnings of the boot of his car to the
successful company that now employs more
than 200 people.
The first born in a family that hails from a
town called Komani in the Eastern Cape, Rani
is passionate about entrepreneurship and
development. He started his business, Silulo
Ulutho Technologies with capital of only R10 000
– which was a personal loan sourced by his brother.
“I started the business in 2004 in Khayelitsha,
offering computer training and business services,
as well as an Internet Café,” he relates.
Rani’s motivation was the gap he identified in the
area, where teachers could not use computers. “I
then started selling computers from the boot
of a car and that was the beginning for us. We
have identified a niche market that many people
struggle to operate in. We bring digital services
and training closer to our people. We empower
our people in the townships and rural areas to
acquire skills that enable them to get employment,”
he adds.
Luvuyo Rani
The business founder notes that it is important
to integrate ICT into the education system,
particularly with the advent of the fourth industrial
revolution. “This is very important as we are living
in the fourth industrial revolution where we
constantly refer to the internet of things (IOT),
artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. Every school
should offer computer skills and coding courses as
part of their curriculum. It is important to also look
at a blended approach of learning, that is, lectures
and online based learning,” advises Rani.
Silulo Ulutho Technologies has become so
successful that it now employs 225 people.
However, it has not always been easy. When the
company started out, it faced challenges such as
access to funding as it was views as risky business
to finance at the time. In addition, the company
had challenges in terms of access to the market as
“we had no track record, so it was hard for people
to take us seriously,” explains the founder.
Perseverance eventually paid off though. Rani’s
advice to aspiring entrepreneurs who want to
succeed is: “A person who spots an opportunity
should take a risk and mobilise resources. You
must have passion, resilience and discipline.
Moreover, you need to network with others in
business,” he says.
The company shows its gratitude towards the
community that supported it when it started out,
through a number of corporate social investment
(CSI) initiatives. One of these is Silulo Foundation,
which focuses on entrepreneurship, skills
development and giving back to the community.
For inspiration, Rani listens to the soothing sounds
of Kirk Franklin and he draws valuable life lessons
from such authors as Mkhuseli Jack; he is currently
reading ‘To Survive and Succeed from Farmboy
to Businessman’ by this renowned South African
author.
Volume 23 • 2018/19
29
