Entrepreneur Q&A: Lungisa Matshoba

Lungisa Matshoba is Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of Yeigo Communications. He shares his entrepreneurial journey.

What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
It’s really hard to pinpoint – what I know is that I have always wanted to be one. The desire was reinforced by reading stories about extraordinary men such as Bill Gates. What I found inspiring about such men is that nothing was given to them on a silver platter – instead they created their wealth themselves.

What challenges did you face when you started dabbling in business whilst still at university?
Of course, time management was a serious issue but the real challenge was convincing other people that this was not something crazy but something that could work. I believe that with dedication and hard work things are possible.

How did Yeigo Communications come about?
Like any start-up it began as an idea and we watched that idea evolve over time. We set off to build a communication service that would connect via Bluetooth. Along the way we discovered wi-fi, edge and 3G, and that really changed what we ultimately created as a business. So, what we have now and what the company offers came out of a desire to create something. We could have built anything but we chose mobile voip. However, it wasn't mobile voip that started the company but a desire to create something.

How long has Yeigo Communications been running and what services does the business offer?
The business has been running for seven years now. And while we started in a very particular area of communication (mobile voip), we have since built a number of products that branch out from our core communications skills set. At present we are launching a hosted PBX (Private Branch Exchange) product into the business market. The idea is to change how small, medium and large businesses interact with their communications infrastructure. It’s about making communications simpler, cheaper and more flexible. The product is called Office Connection, and is being launched in South Africa first.

What challenges did you face along the way?
Investment was one of our first challenges, then after that our major challenges were related to SA not having an advanced start-up ecosystem. I think we still have a long way to go before we get there although things are getting a lot better. Projects such as Google Umbono, and the Bandwidth Barn are really helping to make it easier for the next wave of entrepreneurs to shine.

How do you keep abreast of all the developments in the industry?
I have friends in different parts of the industry located around the world, and that really helps. Apart from that, I rely on the Internet.

What are your success tips for entrepreneurs?
Be focused, say NO more than YES, and remember a business plan is a great guide, but sometimes you will have to go off plan (in fact most times). That doesn't make the plan useless though, it just makes it more a thought exercise and less a set of guidelines cast in stone.