MEET THE TEAM

Yusuf was awarded a scholarship at Harvard University where he studied Economics and graduated with Honors. Yusuf then moved to New York to work in a volatility trading group for Credit Suisse Investment Bank and thereafter was awarded a South Africa-at-Large Rhodes Scholarship to study at the University of Oxford, where he completed two Masters degrees, the first a MSc in Financial Economics and the second a MSc in African Studies. At Oxford the idea for the Awethu Project was born and Yusuf is currently the co-founder and CEO of the Awethu Project. The company developed one of the lowest-cost and most scalable job creation solutions in South Africa and one of the country’s most successful social impact investment funds with over 2,200 entrepreneurs incubated, over 3,000 jobs created and over R450 Million raised and invested. The flagship fund realizing an IRR of 20%.

Savva is qualified Chartered Accountant (SA), having completed his Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting (with Honors) at the University of Johannesburg, taking a specific interest in Financial Accounting, Financial Analysis and Valuations. Savva then completed his 3-year article training at KPMG in Johannesburg and a further short stint at PwC in Athens as a Senior Auditor. Savva then transitioned into a career as a professional equities trader building a proprietary trading strategy around the swing trading of US growth companies. After 9 years of trading, Savva founded Black Leaf Capital, a proprietary trading firm, which as the Head Trader actively trades and manages the funds of the firm, as well as overseeing the activities of the firm’s traders. Savva is also the CFO and a Board Member of GotBot AI, an innovative AI-ChatBot company which was selected as one of the Top 10 Start-Up companies on the African continent by StartupBootcamp in 2017, Top 10 with Plug and Play, Top 10 Start-Ups with Level Up and was voted Most Innovative Customer Service Delivery Platform.

Petro, as the CEO of Venteri Capital, a venture capital firm that supports innovative and scalable startups, leverages his 23+ years of experience as a media entrepreneur and investor to help founders unlock their growth potential. He holds a diploma in marketing from the IMM Graduate School and has a passion for new media and business development. Petro is also the CEO and founder of Magos Media, a media production company that has been creating engaging content for various platforms since 2000. He has worked both in front of and behind the camera, gaining insight and expertise in different aspects of the media industry. Petro enjoys speaking on entrepreneurship and marketing and connecting with people who share his vision and values.

Nick is currently the co-founder and Group CEO of INJOZI Technology Studio, Audio Militia and GotBot AI Solutions. Establishing and heading the INJOZI Technology Studio team for over a decade, the studio has received numerous accolades, including multiple Promax, Bookmark, Midas, Clio, FWA and Loerie Awards. Audio Militia has similarly seen achievements at the Loeries under his curatorship and was credited on a Cannes Grand Prix winning project. Both businesses have been voted into the Top 3 Digital Agency and Audio Post Production companies on the African continent over multiple years. GotBot AI was selected as one of the Top 10 Start-Up companies on the African continent by StartupBootcamp in 2017, Top 10 with Plug and Play, Top 10 Start-Ups with Level Up and was voted Most Innovative Customer Service Delivery Platform. Nick’s undeniable experience in the machine-learning sector has also seen him presenting, demonstrating and introducing the product to local and international audiences, from WPP Stream to Viva Tech Paris.