Selebogo’s story on… a new age of community building
- DNA-Business
- May 29
- 4 min read
Raised by a pastor and nurse, Selebogo developed a strong sense of community, empathy, and a practical approach to addressing societal needs. Though not mischievous, his strong-willed nature often clashed with his strict upbringing, always insisting on doing things in his own way. Taking his father's words, "Uma uyindoda, phuma endlini" ('If you feel like you're a man, you must leave the house'), to heart, Selebogo challenged himself to venture out and not just survive, but to profoundly thrive.
“Experiencing exclusion from a ‘class’ perspective, the ‘not having’, always frustrated me. I promised myself that I would get out of the hood in Hillbrow and chase my dream of life in the suburbs, in a home of my own, living a life I had built up for myself.”
His first taste of entrepreneurial life came in the form of a thriving side hustle, a fashion startup. His friend provided the garment-making talent, while Selebogo had a natural knack for business. Though untrained, they were driven by passion and the compelling desire to break free from living a life on the breadline. Whilst pursuing this side hustle, amongst others such as events and private house parties, Selebogo was also dabbling in all sorts of work in the informal sector, from stints as a hairdresser to hard manual labor as a ‘Dakaboy’ (bricklayer).
On a learnership with Services Seta, he was afforded the opportunity to enter the corporate world for a facilities management company working within procurement for the group and their clients. Selebogo refers to this experience as his training ground, his "MBA," building the essential foundation for what lay ahead. Here he met Prof. Bonang Mohale who shaped his outlook on what type of leader he aspired to become. The type of CEO who greeted everyone from the security guards to the tea lady, making everyone feel seen, and his mantra which left a lasting impression: keep your head on the numbers and your heart on the people.
“I was in a corporate job, learning whilst keeping my side hustle businesses alive, and I was thriving. I learnt so much about both corporate and entrepreneurial business from a place of pure survival. It helped me to transition to my next phase, what I refer to as my ‘real ‘entrepreneurial journey and where my heart truly lies.”
Leading the corporate social committee and organizing events ultimately prompted Selebogo to leave corporate and start his own events company, with his former employer becoming his first client. He went on to further his training in entrepreneurship and business, accepted into the first cohort at the Branson Center of Entrepreneurship. Here, Selebogo encountered the person who would be instrumental in revealing his hidden talents, Heidi Flint, a marketing and brand guru, at the time responsible for marketing the entrepreneurship program. Selebogo volunteered to help her connect with the hard-to-reach township market he intuitively understood. They achieved a record-breaking year, smashing targets in this untapped market and securing numerous subsequent campaigns for the Virgin franchise.
“Amazing things unfolded. I realised my core truth: I was a social activist who was a marketer at heart. I liked selling ideas to people, fighting for the underdog, seeing opportunities for the disenfranchised, and getting buy-in from a collective. This was my value proposition as a human being.”
Selebogo went on to found a movement called ‘The Hookup Dinner’, a Sub-Saharan African network of emerging entrepreneurs brought together by three core values; to connect, engage and contribute to each other’s success. The community quickly grew and Selebogo soon realised he had created something really special and powerful. Formalising the initiative through brand partnerships with the likes of SAB and taking this beyond the borders of South Africa with chapters across the globe, Selebogo had unleashed his true talent. He was artfully bringing together two seemingly opposite audiences who until now spoke a completely different language: entrepreneurs and corporates, now walking a journey together, in collaboration.
This essentially formed the earliest blueprint of Selebogo’s business today, The Biz Plug, an Enterprise Support Organization (ESO) that operates across the Southern African (SADC) region, servicing organizations to support Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) with a particular focus on township and rural areas. His community-driven mission is still alive and kicking through spin off, Share The Codes, a community for bold entrepreneurs, helping to spotlight talent, support innovation, and bringing ideas to market through networking, pitching, and crowdfunding.
“A lot of the businesses we helped in the early days are still around and doing well. There is this invisible thread of connection, people reaching out regularly sharing their success and open to collaboration. It continues to remind me of my purpose, calling me to show up in this space. Now the lessons are fast tracked, allowing me to be more intentionally driven. I am forever obsessed with driving sustainable communities and entrepreneurial initiatives.”
As Selebogo explains, we often think our problems are unique, but soon realize that many challenges are shared, making a community-driven approach key to resolution and enablement. His ultimate legacy is empowering future generations. Big on adventure and not afraid to do what scares him, he toys with the idea of a unicorn community. The sky is truly the limit for Selebogo as his story continues to unfold.
“Solving niche challenges Founders face”.
