Drawing a new life – Meet The Entrepreneur 2018 winner

He is humble and kind, thinks before he speaks and does what he does with purpose – to design better opportunities and build a brighter future.

The Entrepreneur 2018 winner Phumlani Xulu from GospArch said the title allows him to think big.

“I always had a dream of having something that will change my life and give me the chance to give back to where I came from – Ndwedwe. The vision has now become a reality,” said the driven 26-year-old man who hopes to open a small academy from his home next year.

“My background says we have talent but not the opportunity to implement it. Together with the people who motivated and pushed me, I want to find youth with talent and push them. We will start small in my garage – we do not need big resources to make a difference, we can do that with what we have.”

Also read: Ilembe Chamber crowns new Entrepreneur of the year

The youngest of four children was raised by a single mom, Thandi Makhunga in a mud hut. Life was tough, but one thing kept them going – drawing.

“I come from a family of artists and we always drew, but I never saw the path it could build for me. At school my favourite subject was technical drawing and I drew even during breaks. At home, we drew too – my mom used to buy fabric, paint beautiful flowers on it and turn it into curtains or a table cloth,” said Xulu, whose passion for architecture was first sparked when he worked for a construction company from age 12.

“It woke an interest in me, as I could see drawings come to life as buildings,” said Xulu, who finished matric without applying to any universities to study as he never imagined it would be possible.

Luckily, his aunt intervened when she saw his good results and encouraged him to apply. His breakthrough came when he was accepted to study architectural technology at Durban University of Technology in 2012.

“It was not easy as I struggled to express myself in English and the students laughed at me. One day the architecture department’s Prof Debbie Whelan called me in and told me to ‘talk less and draw more’. Those words grew my strength and courage.”

He listened to her advice and soon his drawing skills and commitment made him stand out and he found a mentor and friend in his lecturer Jacques Viljoen, with whom he still works today.

“I owe every bit of my experience to Jacques. I was fortunate to work for him and Joy Brasler where I learnt a lot and worked on homes I never thought could exist.”

He said one of the biggest lessons he learnt was how important it is for an architect to gain the trust of their client and to immerse themselves in the client’s mind.

“You hire the mind and experience of the architect and you need to trust us. The architect has the gift of creating something you like without knowing it.”

Contact Phumlani at 071 750 6787.