Maps Maponyane recently featured on GQ South Africa cover to share his journey, more especially the entrepreneurial side of things.
Besides his popular work on TV and Fashion campaign, Maps pursues a number of successful startups and that’s where his focus lays now. On the interview, he reveals that he will not be doing any modelling jobs locally, and that’s all because of his entrepreneurial flair that has taken over.
We read through the feature and below are key entrepreneurial lessons :
Stop being busy, Start being productive
Often you get to the end of the day and think…’I was busy all day, but what did I accomplish?’ Maps reveals he’s all about taking control of his time and seeing results at the end of the day.
“Busy and maniac, but now the focus is on constant productivity as opposed to being busy, because it;s become quite fashionable for everyone to say they’re busy. For me it’s always been trying to work out a plan of being as productive as possible…”
Have time to plan your day and Be Strict with your time
It’s always best to give yourself some minutes each morning to plan-out your day, better even to write it down and keep to the schedule. This way you get to accomplish much in your day.
“I try to add minutes to my day by taking a bit of time for myself in the morning, deep breathes, thinking, processing it all, as opposed to rolling over and going on my phone immediately. “
Often people are caught in endless meetings which can take up most of your time, and at the end of the day, you lose the hours. So it’s better to also take meetings which you think are important and be strict with your time.
“When it comes to meetings, I’ve become so stingy with my time that I now set a timer for 45 minutes to an hour, because I don’t believe that meeting with a purpose ever need to be longer than that.”
Don’t’ wait on anyone…Go get it!
More often in the journey, entrepreneurs come across challenges and it’s mostly about securing those opportunities and chances. But that shouldn’t be the excuse or reason to stop your plan. You have to search and find a way through regardless of the hiccups and rough patches. And stop waiting for the next person to hand it to you on a silver platter. Go get it yourself! Maps had to do 3 jobs and still juggle his studies and that’s what gave him the ‘constant, intense work ethic.’
“I’m also the kind of person who has never sat back and hoped an opportunity would come to him. It’s through that constant toil from the days of putting myself through varsity, working three jobs, and having to go from an audition to a lecture to a job in retail, then coming back to do work for a TV presenting job, and then going back home really late and doing my homework.”
Be strategic and be willing to make change
Just like in any business, you got to have a plan but sometimes you’re forced to make major changes to reach the goal. If you’re used to only baking bread and biscuits, but your customers are asking for more experience than just buy and take away, then build a coffee shop structure to give them a sit-in breakfast experience.
As many times as we’ve seen Maps on Magazines and Billboards as a model, he decided to give a rest and only invest his time in the business.
“I’ve committed to the fact that I’m not going to be doing any modelling locally, unless it’s a big international gig. That’s been replaced with an enterprenirual flair that’s always been part of me. I’m now in the venture capital space, and I’ve enjoyed that quite a bit.”
Build More
As an entrepreneur, you start a business to make profit, and that’s what matters. And to make more profit you have to expand your profit streams, and it’s about building more. From his modelling career, Maps takes it further by building a number of startups.
NicheStreem – a tech company which develops niche music streams. The company developed an app called Liedjie – an Afrikaans music app. And will create more for SA gospel app, a Nigerian gospel app and more.
Silicon Maboneng – through the company they developed the popular tutor app – Tuta-Me, an app that connects Students to Tutors.
Furthermore, he has been named as an ambassador for Investec.
“I’ve encoutered some incredible businesses that have been able to get off the ground or provide mentorship or support. We have some great success stories so far.”
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