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Rats Network Investment Group (RNIG) Logo for (General Manager) Andrew MUHIMBISE
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SUDHIR RUPARELIA Quotes
In 2014, Sudhir Ruparelia popped up on Forbes Lists as the Richest Man in East Africa. Born in UG on 17th January 1956, the Entrepreneur departed for London (UK) with his Indian Parents when Idi Amin chased away Asians in 1972. He returned in the late 80s with some Capital from Odd Jobs to set up the Ruparelia Group of Companies which includes Crane Bank (1995)...
When starting out, ensure your Business has adequate Capital for Growth...
Whichever Way you look at it my Friends, you have to put in some Work. If you are unemployable, roll up your Sleeves and do something on your own to earn you some Money. You have to work either Way to meet your Needs...
Never become complacent in Business. Every new Day is a new Challenge...
There are so many People out there who will tell you that you can't. What you've got to do is turn around...
If I owned half of the Buildings in Kampala, I'd probably be god. Reports of my Property Holdings are quite frankly, grossly exaggerated. I don't own half of Kampala as People suggest, but I own quite a lot. And I've worked very hard for it...
It is not the Amount of Money we have invested to buy the Institution that is important, it is what we intend to do with it. I plan to invest about $ 10 Million (about 26 Billion UgX) in this Process in the next few Years, to give this (Victoria) University a new strong Identity...
You need to go into the kind of Business that suits your Lifestyle, Interests and Passion so that you enjoy what you are doing...
Young People always want to rush Things. They want to see Growth and Success immediately which can't be the Case. In many Cases, when you rush at the Beginning, your Success will be short-lived and you are very likely to fail in the long Run. You are actually better off starting out slowly and building a strong Business Foundation which will guarantee you long Term Success...
Ugandan Businessmen have come a very long Way. Everybody has the same Opportunities to make it here. The Oil is here and we have not even got started on that yet so certainly, the Best is yet to come... (Friday 4th April 2014)
Without your Support and Encouragement, Friendship, I do not believe I would have achieved this immense Accolade of not only making it on the Forbes List of Billionaires but also such a prominent Mention including the Photo on the Cover Page of the highly esteemed Forbes Magazine for Africa... All of you have Stories to tell... (Launch of the Forbes Africa Cover at Kabira)
I will actually go into Business which suits my Lifestyle, so Hotels you know. I'm an outgoing Person, suits my Lifestyle, meet the People. Then you have Education; I didn't have much so you know, I just wanna make sure that I build good Schools in Uganda so we educate People, Children here...
My Father's Grandfather came to Mombasa in 1897; they moved, five Brothers came to Mombasa from India. They had Business, they were Traders and two of the Brothers moved in-road as the Railways moved in; they moved their Trading Post with the Railways. They were dealing with the Workers on the Railway Sites, they were dealing with the Local, the People in the Area they moved into, you know! In 1903, they reached Uganda and started their first Operation which was basically Trading again. I think in 1918, the five Brothers split up and my Father's Grandfather went his own Way. His Settlement of the Partnership was around 2, the Currency that was used at that Time was Rupees and he got a Settlement of 200,000 Rupees which was about 10,000 Pounds, it's a lot of Money then and still a lot of Money now...
What we look for are People that have the Desire to and can grow... (During New Vision's quarterly Pakasa Forum 4 that featured Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta at Sudhir's Kampala Parents School Auditorium in August 2014)
PATRICK BITATURE Quotes
You have to believe that you are the One who creates your own Success...
GOD gives every Bird a Worm but HE does not throw the Worm in the Nests...
With a Website, Customers can view your Products and Services on their own Schedules, even long after your normal operating Hours...
Good Ideas rarely make good Business... A Website for Used Cars in Uganda sounds good but will it make enough Money... Ideas are in abundance, it's Effort that creates Wealth...
Develop a realistic Budget for the short and long Term so that you know what you need to spend on Necessities...
Why do Ugandans fail? We don't have a Culture of honouring our Commitments. When we take Money from a Bank, we don't want to pay it back on Time because of School Fees or because your Wife was sick or something happened. The Bank doesn't know that, you've got to go and explain to them but hiding from them destroys you. Then they come and repossess your Property which was not their ultimate Goal. They wanted to lend you Money and get their Interest and Capital back but they end up taking your Money. So many People say: (Me, I don't borrow. I never go to a Bank, no!) and I look at those People, they are educated, they are smart. When you borrow Money from a Bank say Crane Bank, he'll give you Money at say 20 percent. Let's make it easier, 24 percent which works out 2 percent per Month. If you are doing a small Business and you cannot make more than 2 percent to pay back his Bank and make some Profit, then don't do that Business! It's not worth it. Use that as a Benchmark, the Interest Rate when you invest in a Business coz his Interest is spread in a Year...
I'm always competing with Kenya and Kenya is Miles ahead of us. Why are they so far ahead of us? Okay, they've had Peace, we went through our dark Period, our dark History which we cannot walk away from. We've had Stability, they have stronger financial Institutions, but even the People's Attitude, Mentality! The Kikuyu who doesn't like the Kalenjin or Luo, when it's Time for Business, they get together. They put their Money together. We've began Investment Clubs here, but these People had them 20 Years ago. This Kind of Meeting, every Hotel in Kenya, in Kisumu, in Eldoret, in Mombasa, there are Meetings of People sharing Business Ideas: (Let's do Property together...)
If you are not sure and you do not have the Discipline, then don't borrow because whatever Security you take ultimately they will not sympathise. The Money was Customers' Money, they did it to protect it. So watch out for that...
We were taught when we were young as Christians that: (Don't worry; don't be greedy; have little; the Rich People going to Heaven is like going through the Eye of a Needle; it's good to be poor; you will be rewarded in Heaven!) A lot of Baloney, whoever tells you that got it wrong...
The Biggest Thing in my View is Skills; we do not have practical Skills. We overemphasize this Academic Education and you come out a Graduate but you know nothing, you cannot survive, you cannot control your Environment. The Skills we have, there is a big Mismatch...
We have this Culture of not honouring our Commitments. Many People are given Pre-Advance Finance to buy Maize. They give you: (Go buy 20 Bags of Maize!) Give me a Pickup! When I go to the Village, I buy the Maize. I've got the Money. On the Way I say: Let me sell it to somebody else, make some Money and I'll buy for you next Time! Our value System is weak and slowly I see especially amongst the Muslims, some of them are stricter, they have that Discipline. Many of you complain: (These Indians, they came here without Money but overnight they've become Millionaires!) Discipline! The Chinese have come in Kikubo, Discipline. They didn't have that much Money. They work hard, overnight they grow. There are so many Men in Kikubo I respect: ...Kagoro, solid Names in Kikubo, not educated. I've seen this Guy walking around, very humble in Slippers, in Shorts doing little Businesses but they have grown and then they own Properties worth Millions of Dollars; they are not sophisticated but they know what they want in Life...
Why can't we get together and mobilise? When it is a Wedding or Funeral, we get together because that's how we are taught, our Culture, but when there is a Business Opportunity, we don't get together...
Globally to start a Business, many People want Capital and that is the Most Common Story amongst young People: (Where can I get Capital? I want to do Business but I don't have Capital...) I often ask: What's your Idea? Capital should be the Last Thing. Now quickly: There are six Ways to get Capital. Number 1: You can inherit it; if your Parents were rich, you can inherit it. Very few of us will inherit that Capital. Largely, we are a poor Community. Number 2: You can marry into it. Find a very rich Family, you lobby and you get in but I warn you, the Mother-in-Law, she will spot you. It's not a very good Route to go. Number 3: Some People think they can gamble. They can win it, Lottery, Casino. After what Sudhir did with Premier Lottery, you think anybody can win, hahaha! Not easy, I wouldn't count on that. Many People go to the Casinos thinking it's their Lucky Day. Just because you came out, the Matatu was there, you jumped on Time, you reached there, someone was waiting for you: (I'm, eh, am on a Roll here!) You put your little Money in a Casino. Other People think they can steal. (Let me plan how to steal!) These Guys have made Bichupuli, they've done what, they've made Money, they go and they plan really to steal. Now I would not advise anybody to do it. If you want Light and you get a Candle like that, it's not worth holding that Light. Stealing, you will never live peacefully; you will always be looking over your Shoulder. There are only two Ways left to get Money. One Way is: You have to earn it; you have to work! If you get a Job, it may pay you little but earn some Money. Earn a little bit of Money and show People that you can earn and if you can prove that you have the Ability to earn, then you can go to the Last Method which is to borrow. And many of us fall in that Category. You have to borrow if you want to accelerate your Growth! So it is you earning or borrowing. When you earn, you have to save! What you save, you can invest. Without that, you cannot do the other...
DANIEL VAN NIEKERK Quotes
Below are recommendations from a South African Financial Advisor who studied Financial Planning at Chartered Insurance Institute, UK
"A lot of people think if you need to invest, you have to have a lot of money but that is not necessarily the case. The concept of investing also implies saving the money somewhere...
"You got to spend what is left after saving, not save what is left of the spending, otherwise you will never have money. You will always find reason for money to go...
"Learn to pay yourself first...
"Money has its way to fall through our fingers...
"We have this Aid Mentality here in Africa; everyone has to help us poor Africans coz we can't help ourselves. We just gotta take the decision and say: Listen! Stop, I have to plan! Put myself first, save or put away, invest however you want to term it...
"If you are going to get a loan or some kinda grant from somewhere, it really needs to make some financial sense on paper at the end of the day especially with business because most businesses fall in the first year or two anyway... Uganda has a high new business start-up rate, so people jumping or going home they've got all these millions and there is no forward planning. How is this gonna be sustainable including the interest and profit and you still gotta pay yourself and buy stock whatever your business is? Certain businesses are obviously more profitable: Food Business and those kinds of things but in general you've got to make sure your business is sustainable; you've got to do your homework..."
EMPLOYMENT IS AN OXYMORON! Ugandans complain that there are no Jobs, but sometimes even if you get employed, you are not paid. When you are paid, the Money is not much. Even if it is much, it is not enough. Even if it is enough, you still want more; that's why some People become corrupt. The cycle just continues...
The 8th Day of Creation
GOD created the universe in six days and rested on the 7th, but on the 8th day, HE freed creativity for eternity. It is so spontaneous that it cannot be stopped. So, let creativity flow! Free your imagination from incarceration! Custom-tailored Design is endless and #GODisthegreatest...
Win,
lose or draw Pictures! Nature is not inhibited, it just re-designs
itself in the Wilderness. Embrace untamed imagineering and
oneironautics! Let out your inner Artist! Ideas can never run dry,
visions never cease. The Funniest Thing about CREATIVITY
is that you can create something from absolutely nothing. Even when you
feel you are in Production Hell, you can still make an effort to escape
into Reverie like King JESUS
is on your side before His Second Coming. Everyone is born free and it
is not yet a crime to create freely, only GOD can judge us! Emancipate
yourselves from mental slavery: whatever things are noble, right or
lovely, think about them! Lucid-high dreaming is real, free your Soul
and give your Subconscious Mind to THE GREAT SPIRIT (YAHWEH)...
Alhamdulillah (Translated from Arabic: Thank YOU, GOD)! Holy, holy, holy is the LORD GOD Almighty, WHO was, WHO is and WHO is to come! HE is WHO HE is! May HIS Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven from Kampala to Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale, Fort Portal, Kasese, Hoima, Masindi, Lira, Gulu, Soroti, ARUA, Moroto, Mbale, Tororo, Busia, Malaba, Jinja, Mukono and back plus other cities (around the world)!
Amen...
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| The BOs (2017 Logo by Aiko) |
BONGLISH (Block Owners English) Dictionary
The 2nd Longest Time I spent in one School before leaving was Ordinary Level in Kisubi, Mpigi - what a lovely Memory; Longest was five full Years and a third by P6, Shortest was one full Year and two Thirds by P7 and again by S6. The language at school was exclusively colourful just like Uglish (Ugandan English); SMACK Slang actually borrowed a number of Words from American Slang. From S1 to S4, I memorised some interesting Slang used by my Peers as listed below:
Agzi (n) nickname for Agaba, the first SMACK Headmaster the Block Owners met (Firstname John), each of the three BO streams had at least one Agzi
Air France (n) act of passing through the small metallic window partitions mainly when Quadrangle gate is locked
amaleisure (n) popcorns eaten for leisure usually after supper and before or during night prep
Bauer (n) nickname given to a classmate who was diligent at reading and revising his books (borrowed from German language, means builder, pronounced bawa)
bako (n) basketball, B-ball
bat (v) pass a test or exam
Block Owners (n) a brotherhood of solidarity that first met on Monday 3rd June 1997 in S1 at SMACK
BO Liga (n) Block Owners League, a monetised football knockout cup competition organised at the end of the term for and by the Block Owners after exams, La BO Liga borrowed from the Spanish La Liga
Buki (n) short for Bukenya, the Headmaster
Bunsen burner (n) Senior 1 student(s) because one of their first Chemistry lessons involved learning about a Bunsen burner
Calif (n) stretch of green grass from around the Main Library, behind the Physics and Agriculture labs to the Swimming Pool area
cane (n) do sth (similar to bang) eg cane Winter = read books during the cold hours of the night
Cantab (n) final exams
Cedo (n) Mercedes Benz (pronounced sido)
chayi (n) tea water, chai (pronounced cha-yee, Yi is actually water in Lugbara language)
Chemwa (n) Chemistry subject (pronounced kemwa), Che
chop (n) miss a lesson or activity eg chop shower = refuse to bathe
comp (n) computer
Dairy (n) nickname given to a busty female teacher
Ebbs (n) Entebbe
fire (v) go off eg Kara has fired! = Electricity has gone off!
fithey (n) father
frus (n) frustration, anger (pronounced fras)
futa (n) football, soccer
Geogwa (n) Geography subject (pronounced jogwa), Geog
gene (adv) generally (pronounced jene)
Gisu (n) Mugisu, sb or sth from Bugisu
grass (v) miss sth
gwa (n) place, area, vicinity (also djwa)
gweks (n) snacks students brought to school like groundnuts, hard maize, soya, etc (also gweke)
heights (n) eerie feeling, high spirits, happiness, enjoyment
hols (n) holidays, vacation (also vac)
Inspector (n) nickname for one of the Deputy Headmasters during O-Level
jabber (n) a dance apparently invented or perfected by Smackists and involves several moves, SMACK jabber
jok meh (n) homosexual (also homo, faggot, ass bandit, kanyebwa, lau, side B)
Juliana (n) a man's female friend or love interest inspired by the CRE teacher named Juliana (pronounced Juliyana in the accent of Brother Bukenya - the Headmaster)
kara (n) electricity, electric power
Kara (n) ironic nickname given to a blackskinned classmate in the A stream
KLA (n) Kampala
mag (v) bodybuild, pump iron
maproper (adv) properly
mithey (n) mother
Muthoni (n) nickname for the Literature teacher taken from "The River Between" by Ngugi wa Thiong'o
Mykey's (n) takeaway that is different from school food and sold in a canteen near the Dining Hall
Nairobi fly (n) a small but frightening one centimetre-long black and red insect that cannot even fly but is feared to possess a yellow or green fluid that can destroy human skin if it is crushed, has a pointed end and colours resemble Kenyan flag
nesh (v) suffer
nya meh (n) beautiful female, girlfriend
o- (prefix) means sb who does sth eg obati = bwat, sb who bats; ochopi = sb who chops (regularly), ofighti = sb who loves to fight, omaggy = sb who bodybuilds
oba (n) king (borrowed from History Studies), nickname given to Okello Simon (aka Simmons)
parre (n) party (also harre)
peku (conj) until, up to
pesh (n) suffering, badluck
Physo (n) Physics subject (pronounced fizo), Phy
pop (v) appear, arrive eg A sad nigga pops. = A sad guy arrives.
pora (n) porridge
prezido (n) president
props (n) respect, approval, certification
prosti (n) prostitute
Quadi (n) Quadrangle (pronounced kodi)
raga (n) rugby
refle (n) cognitive reflection, a situation where sb does not retain what he is reading or listening to, concepts just bounce off his eyes or ears eg bang refle during Winter = fail to grasp after Night Prep
sandale[y] (n) sandals
Sekse (n) nickname given to the sharply-debonair French teacher
siga (n) cigarrette (also zale)
siso (n) sister
slap (adj) nice, wonderful, dope, amazing
slapats (n) flipflops like Bata and Umoja (also called slippers at SMACK)
slice (v) pass out gas
SMACKOBA (n) SMACK Old Boys Association
Snow White (n) ironic nickname given to a dark Black English teacher
Sogi (n) Musoga, sb or sth from Busoga
sucrose (n) sugar (borrowed from Chemistry and Biology, pronounced sukross)
Survival (n) Survival Football, game where there are no rules but everybody is allowed to play for any of the two sides of their choice even interchangeably, probably the Best Sports Activity for most Block Owners
thingy (n) something particular
tomorrow tomorrow (n) cracks at the rear sole of the feet, direct translation of nkya(n)kya from Luganda
tranzi (n) transport fare
undi (n) underpant or underwear (pronounced andi)
wasser (n) water (borrowed from German language, pronounced vasa)
Winter (n) cold period after Night Prep and before Morning Prep
Yellowman (n) the brownskinned Agriculture teacher who looked like a Chinese
ziki (n) music
