Phiwa Nkambule

Phiwa Nkambule (born January 24, 1992) is a technology entrepreneur and businessperson best known for co-founding Riovic and leading it as its chief executive officer.[2] He previously founded Cybatar[4] and sits on the board of the Royal Science and Technology Park[5].

Phiwa Nkambule
Born
Sicelo Phiwayinkosi Nkambule

(1992-01-24) January 24, 1992
Education
Occupation
  • Internet Entrepreneur
  • Software Engineer
  • Businessperson
  • Financial Risk Manager
Years active2013–present
Known for
TitleCEO of Riovic
Board member ofRoyal Science and Technology Park[1]
Awards
  • Forbes Africa 30 under 30 (2018)[2]
  • Destiny Man Power of 40 (2018) [3]

Early life

Phiwa Nkambule was born in Manzini where he also spent his childhood.[6][7]

In 2006, as a 14-year-old, he began fixing and building computers with his uncle in a small township in Swaziland.[2] Nkambule moved to South Africa in 2007 for academic purposes.[8] Phiwa was a law student at the University of Pretoria before quitting to start his first technology company Cybatar from his garage in 2014.[9] It was at the university where he taught himself web and app development.[2]

Entrepreneurship

Before leaving the University of Pretoria Phiwa attempted to work with the Swaziland National Library and the Manzini Regional Education Office in 2013 but was rejected.[10] After dropping out of university in 2014 Nkambule founded Cybatar, a technology company focused on fuel delivery from his garage in Pretoria, South Africa.[2][4][11]

In 2015 Nkambule co-founded Riovic, an insurance technology company.[2][7][6][8][10][9] The company owns and operates online platforms that connect consumers with insurance, credit and investments.[12] He was invited to deliver a keynote address on Digital Technologies in Insurance at the 13th International Microinsurance Conference in Peru, South America in November 2017.[6][7][13][12][14]

Philanthropy

On 24 October 2015 he released the first tuition crowdfunding platform in South Africa in the wake of the FeesMustFall protests that saw the country's tertiary institutions shutdown to help save students from tuition debt.[15][16][17] He also launched a free online learning platform for digital skills aimed at reducing youth unemployment rate in South Africa.[18][19][20]

Awards and recognition

In June 2018, Phiwa Nkambule was named in the Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 list of most promising entrepreneurs in the technology category.[2] In October he was named in Destiny Man’s Power of 40 list, a list of 40 trailblazers under the age of 40.[21]


gollark: Or just `${bee apio}` syntax.
gollark: Idea: Rust-style raw identifiers, so that you can accurse all reality.
gollark: That is possible.
gollark: Wow, maybe you're not a person.
gollark: Aren't we all?

See also

References
  1. "BOARD MEMBERS – Royal Science & Technology Park". Royal Science & Technology Park.
  2. "Under 30 Technology - Forbes Africa". 4 June 2018.
  3. http://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/destiny-man/20181201/282716227967510
  4. Gilbert, ITWeb, Paula (13 May 2016). "SA start-up uses crowdfunding for insurance".
  5. "BOARD MEMBERS – Royal Science & Technology Park". Royal Science & Technology Park.
  6. "Eswatini Born Entrepreneur Develops FinTech Platform". 3 May 2018.
  7. "First Liswati Makes it to Forbes List". new.observer.org.sz.
  8. "Swazi Born Entrepreneur Making Waves in SA Insurance Industry". 9 July 2016.
  9. "Why this 25 Year Old Fintech Entrepreneur Thinks Your Peers are Your Biggest Investments". 18 May 2017.
  10. "Forbes listed Liswati rejected by his own country". 6 June 2018.
  11. "Swaziland-born entrepreneur introduces crowdfunded insurance". 1 July 2016.
  12. "Riovic Corporation: Private Company Information - Bloomberg". www.bloomberg.com.
  13. "Munich Re Foundation - Contact". www.munichre-foundation.org.
  14. "What does the Fourth Industrial Revolution hold for Insurance? - Access to Insurance". a2ii.org.
  15. "Crowdfunding site launched to help 500 SA students cover tuition fees by end of 2015 - htxt.africa". 28 October 2015.
  16. Mzekandaba, Simnikiwe (2015-10-28). "Crowdfunding to aid #FeesMustFall campaign". ITWeb. Retrieved 2018-11-08.
  17. "Crowdfunding platform EduFund seeks to save SA students from tuition debt – Ventureburn". 26 October 2015.
  18. "Free online academic institution launched". www.bizcommunity.com.
  19. "Today's Top Entrepreneurship and Business Stories (7 August)". 7 August 2017.
  20. "FREE ONLINE ACADEMIC INSTITUTION LAUNCHED - Social TV". social-tv.co.za.
  21. http://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/destiny-man/20181201/282716227967510
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