Dusty fields and gravel grounds punctuated by youngsters kicking ball are common sights in South Africa’s townships. For many people this is just about the game; but for 19-year-old Musa Maluleka, the dusty fields are where his business idea was born.
Maluleka, who has developed Disktjie, a South African soccer boot brand with innovative features, was the winner in the General Business Category (Category 4) of the first national Entrepreneurship Intervarsity Competition that climaxed in Gauteng on 19 September, 2019. His unique soccer boot design won him R10 000, which he intends to plough back into the business, particularly in new business development.
Currently in his second year of study at the University of the Witswatersrand, Maluleka beams with pride as he takes me through his childhood. “All of this started when I was in Grade 1. After complaining to what appeared to be deaf ears of my mom about my small daily allowance, I asked her to keep it for me instead.” His mother then encouraged him to take a packed lunch to school instead of splurging his daily allowance. “Neither my mother nor I were aware of it at the time, but all of this subtly instilled discipline in me over the years.”