Over the past 19 years VUSI THEMBEKWAYO – popularly known at VT – has traveled the globe inspiring, educating & motivating leaders to achieve beyond their boundaries. As a trusted advisor to Fortune 500 companies & some of the most powerful business titans in both Wall Street and Main Street, VT * is amongst the youngest entrepreneurs globally to grace the cover of Entrepreneur Magazine.

It’s not every day Sir Bob Geldof calls someone “F$&*ing AMAZING,” but Bob is not alone in recognizing VT’s ability to distill complex and ground-breaking concepts into actionable soundbites. VT’s name has become synonymous with being a business maverick, inimitable, and with a personal brand that is solidly grounded in accomplishments. As a source of business wisdom, VT has published two best-seller books that collectively have sold more than half-a-million copies worldwide.

His charismatic social media engagement often mirrors that of a rockstar. With over 1 million followers on Facebook, more than 500, 000 followers on Twitter and sitting among the top 10 most followed Africans on LinkedIn with more than 720, 000 followers, VT is definitely one of the most influential voices in Africa and beyond.

Vusi is the founder and CEO of MyGrowthFund Venture Partners, a growth capital technology investor with an acute focus on impact investment driving financial inclusion & access to healthcare and education using technology. VT is also the convenor of Iconoclasts Knowledge Bureau, a Dubai-based strategy & market intelligence advisory helping investors, companies, governments & nonprofits to unlock partnerships and secure market entry into the world’s fastest-growing emerging economies. Leading by example, his team forces medium, large, and listed businesses into much-needed, often painful, always lucrative new directions.

VT also co-owns VUKA Capital, is a general partner of middle east-based Watermark Afrika Capital, and is the chairman of Thembekwayo Legacy Group, a conglomerate with interests in real estate, hospitality, mining, and commodity trading.

No surprise then that VT has received several awards for his entrepreneurial flair, including being crowned a Titan Of Africa by the UAE-Africa Group in Dubai.
VT has been featured on Forbes, Bloomberg, CNBC, and several other global media.

Educational qualification

• Ashridge Executive Education, Hult International Business School – Executive MBA (Dean’s List), Business/Managerial Economics · (2015 – 2018)
• Corporate Finance (emphasis on Advanced Valuation), Financial Modelling & Valuations – (Cum Laude) · (2010 – 2012)
• Gordon Institute of Business Science – Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration, Post Graduate of Business Administration · (2010 – 2011)
• University of the Witwatersrand – Management Advanced Programme (Cum Laude), Commerce · (2008 – 2009)

Key achievements in the last decade

• Awarded 2020 GQ’s Business Leader of the Year.
• Shared a platform with Malcolm Gladwell & Seth Godin
• Global speaking tours across the USA, Canada, France, UK, Ireland, Luxembourg, and Sweden.
• Established an origination office in New York for his pan-African venture fund, MyGrowthFund Venture Partners.
• Built the most extensive, free educational platform for entrepreneurs, which reached over 519,000 verified unique entrepreneurs across 23 countries on 5 continents using social media & online learning platforms.
• Vusi’s books, The Magna Carta of Exponentiality and Lessons from a Black Dragon, sold 80,000 and 105,000 copies globally, making Vusi one of the most respected authors today.
• Recognized by the United Nations as one of the 100 Most influential Africans in
  2018.
• Vusi managed an R417mln (approx. $35mln) business unit of an R17bn multi-national organization when he was only 27 years old.
• He was amongst the youngest director of a listed company in South Africa.
• Raced F1 legend Mika Hakkinen in a global racing challenge & was 0.05 seconds slower than his targeted

Important recognition in the last decade

• Influences over $1Bn in capital through investments & board appointments
• GQ Business Leader of the Year
• Dragon on Dragon’s Den Africa
• Awarded African Genuis Award
• Awarded Titans of Africa, Dubai
• Award-winning Impact Investor
• World Champion Public Speaker
• International Best-Selling Author
• Specialised on Leadership, Sales & Strategy
• Ranked amongst the Top12 Speakers in the World
• Host of incredibly popular “Ideas That Matter” podcast
• Recognized amongst Most Influential Persons of African Descent, United Nations

His range of speaking topics

• Artifical Intelligence
• Business & Entrepreneurship
• Leadership
• Economics & Marketing
• Finance & Investment
• Management & Governance
• MC & Facilitation
• Strategy & Execution