Afribiz Invest listed Meyersdal’s Zareef Minty (27) as the youngest and most influential CEO of a multi-billion company in the world, Afribiz Media.
Afribiz Invest, a Pan-African investment firm, focuses on infrastructural areas and invests in the critical industries of the continent.
The company, established in 2005, has a diverse portfolio that strikes the ideal mix between investment return and potential future growth for stakeholders.
Minty is a University of Witwatersrand graduate and the founder, director and CEO of ZRF Holdings, which houses a public relations company, a clothing company and a law firm established in 2015.
According to the entrepreneur, the most important thing for an individual in this country is to receive an education.
“Everyone needs education to stop being job seekers and start creating jobs. The secret to advancing SA is through education because it is the most powerful weapon to conquer anything.
“Three things pushed me to be the person I am today. These are having incredible mentors, having a goal of inspiring millions of individuals, and, lastly, having a positive impact toward my goal. It is important to be grateful for what you have in life and have a positive impact where you can because it changes the world for the better,” said Minty.
When he was 19, he wrote the best-selling book, Empire, geared at a young audience needing direction in their personal and professional lives.
Minty’s achievements
He won the SABC 1 One Day Leader title and is a One Young World ambassador for SA, annually representing the country in various countries globally as a young, successful entrepreneur.
“My small achievements mean a lot to me. I have a strict routine to keep the ship afloat – not to procrastinate anything but do everything in time. There is a thin line between confidence and arrogance, so remember to be humble and give everyone the respect they deserve because I believe in establishing new relationships to make my circle even bigger,” he affirmed.
Along with Patrice Motsepe and Phuti Mahanyele, Minty was recognised in Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the top 30 people in business to watch and listed as a Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 candidate.
Giving back to the community
Minty is a motivational speaker who visits schools in SA every two weeks to talk to the learners to help them achieve their dreams.
“I believe in education so much, so it is important for me to go around the country and share the knowledge with other youngsters because our youth is everything to me and should be taught about leadership at a young age,” said Minty.
The entrepreneur has changed many lives for the better where he could and measures his life by the moments that take his breath away, usually helping the disadvantaged.
This and that
By the end of next year, Minty aims to build three schools in Limpopo through his charity, the Zareef Minty Build a School Foundation.
“As per a conversation I had with the minister of Basic Education, Angelina Motshekga, a while ago, it is much easier to work on schools already on the database. In Limpopo, the is an overpopulation in schools and a lack of resources, so restoring hope to the youngsters in that province would mean the world to them,” Minty concluded.
