Kabelo Ncholo is the founder and CEO of Y-Brand, a marketing agency. He formed his business the year 2004 with a R350.00 tip as a waiter. Today, Y-Brand operates throughout the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, with a headquarters in Johannesburg and regional offices in Cape Town, Durban, Namibia (Wnidhoek), and Zambia (Lusaka).
He studied event management with Damelin College, project management with the University of South Africa, graduated in Business Management with the University of Reading in London and later enrolled for an MBA with Henley University the year 2015. He is currently pursuing an Executive MBA degree with the University of Cape Town. His hobby is reading, and he is interested in books on leadership, business management, marketing, and communication. He wrote his own business autobiography, How I Made My Dream Life with Only R350, which sold over 10,000 copies after its release date of March 31, 2021.
His areas of specialization include strategic management, marketing communication, and project management. He is focusing on expanding his business’s presence in Africa, which is why he opened offices in Namibia and Zambia, with Nigeria to follow. He sees a huge opportunity to capitalize on the expansion of his African operations.
He was the Global Entrepreneur Ambassador from 2016 to 2019, the current face of Telkom Business, an Adidas ambassador, and a public speaker specializing in motivational, entrepreneurship, and marketing strategy topics. To name a few, he has been a keynote speaker at Marketing Indaba, Marketing Advertising Design conference (MADEX), Mall Indaba SMME Opportunity Roadshow, Global Entrepreneurship Week, and Tomorrow’s Leaders Convention.
When I started my company at the age of 19, I only wanted to survive – pay my rent, send some money to my home and buy clothes. Little did I know that the same company I started with a tip I got while working as a waiter would change my life and the life of other 300 families, become the key player in the marketing industry. There is a Somalian proverb that goes by; Wisdom does not come over night and I definitely agree with it. With history in the business Y-Brand has grown from being an underdog to become one of the competitors within the in the marketing.
HIS ACCOLADES
2016 Top 100 Young Independent Leaders in Africa by Independent Media
Top 100
2017 Businessman of the Year Award - Finalist :Cape Media; Black Business Quarterly (BBQ) Awards
Finalist
2017 Top Empowered Entrepreneur Award – Finalist: Topco Media: Oliver Top Empowerment Awards
Finalist
2019 Top Empowered Entrepreneur Award - Finalist : Topco Media: Oliver Top Empowerment Awards
Finalist
2019 Entrepreneur of the Year Award – Winner : Gauteng Social Development: The South African Men of the Year Awards (He was awarded this for his business pioneering youth employment)
Winner
2016 Marketing Agency of the Year – Winner - First National Bank and Roodepoort Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ROCCI) Awards
Winner
2016 New and Innovative Business Award - Winner - Cape Media; Black Business Quarterly (BBQ) Awards
Winner
2016 Business of the Year Award – Finalist - First National Bank and Roodepoort Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ROCCI) Awards
Finalist
2017 Top Empowered Fast Growth Black-Owned SMME – Finalist -Topco Media: Oliver Top Empowerment Awards
Finalist
2018 Commitment to Transformation Recognition - Top Empowerment Companies (His company was recognized for transformation awards because more than 70% of his management are female.)
Award
2019 Top Empowered Fast Growth Black-Owned SMME - Finalist -Topco Media: Oliver Top Empowerment Awards
Finalist