Young entrepreneur makes it to Forbes Africa list
JOBURG – Not many 28-year-old entrepreneurs have achieved what Sandton resident Obinwanne Okeke has.
Business owner and Sandton resident, Obinwanne Okeke not only runs a successful company, but he has also featured on the cover of Forbes Africa magazine and was named as one of Forbes Africa’s 30 under 30s list of most promising entrepreneurs of the year.
Okeke built his business in 2009 starting off with one computer and now his company boasts a staff complement of about 128 members.
“This is the most important list of the year for Forbes Africa. If one young African reads it and is inspired enough to start a business it has done its job. Entrepreneurs like Obinwanne are proof that there is hope for Africa,” said Chris Bishop, managing editor of Forbes Africa.
Okeke was chosen out of hundreds of entrepreneurs across the continent and his unique story, hard work and potential earned him the coveted spot on the list.
Although he holds a Master’s degree in Politics and Counter Terrorism from Monash University, Okeke opted for a career in business. He owns and operates Invictus Group Limited, a conglomerate in construction, oil, gas and agricultural development.
A dream and a promise to his mother spurred him to entrepreneurship.
“I became an entrepreneur because of a dream. I say that because I had known this from a very young age that all I needed was to dream and work towards it. Coincidentally, the dream is free,” said Okeke.
Besides his personal dream of creating an empire, a promise to his mother meant hard work and chasing paper before that dream could be realised.
“I had to take my life into my own hands at a young age. My dream was a better life and most importantly, a house for my mother,” he said.
“It was hard. Capital was a problem. I had to prioritise my dreams and aspirations, for example, I started off with an events and entertainment company for students… then I went off to Australia where I did all kinds of jobs just to survive. Saved up, came home and invested all my savings in my company.”
He named his company, Invictus, after one of Nelson Mandela’s favourite poems by William Ernest Henley about the undefeated and unconquerable soul of a hard worker from an impoverished background who would not give up.
Okeke’s hard work paid off. He has 28 permanent and 100 part-time employees across nine companies. Most importantly, to him, he bought his mother a house.
“This is my most proud achievement to date, because of the happiness I see in her face whenever she talks about the comfort in her own house. She has been a huge source of inspiration for me as I went through life and being able to do that for her will always top all of my other achievements.”
Okeke spends a lot of time shaking hands and making life changing decisions in boardrooms across the world, but his humble beginnings keep him grounded and inspire him to give back.
