Tokologo Phetla, “The Commodore”

Tokologo Phetla, most commonly known as “The Commodore” is a young South African entrepreneur, media owner and emerging industrialist. 

Having started his first successful publishing business at age 19, where he raised R1.2m in equity investment from JM BUSHA Investment Group, he has proven his tenacity, intellect and ambition at a young age. 

Tokologo sold his publishing interests in 2016 and migrated to big data digital media, where he sees the future of the media industry. He also founded the Hawkers Retail Company where they practice a model of ‘decentralized retail’, distributing fresh produce and FMCG’s to one of the widest footprints of bottom-end markets in South Africa. 

Because of his inspiring story and achievements at such a young age, Tokologo was recognized as one of the Top 5 SMME owners in South Africa in 2014 by SME South Africa; one of the 100 Brightest Young Minds in Africa in 2015; one of the Top 200 Young South Africans by Mail & Guardian in 2016; the Best Young Entrepreneur in 2016 by the Entrepreneurs Organization and one of the 100 Most Influential Young South Africans in Business in 2017 by Avance PR Firm. 

Tokologo has shared his story – which includes dropping out of the University of Cape Town and the Allan Gray scholarship, among other things – with large audiences here and abroad. He has been a keynote speaker at Barclays’ Global Entrepreneurship Week event; the Nedbank Talks4Success; the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection and the Youth Imbizo with the SA Deputy Minister of Correctional Services, among others. Furthermore, his story has been profiled by Entrepreneur Magazine, Destiny Man, SA Good News, CNBC, Ventureburn and others. 

His audience mostly describes him as being real, authentic, thought-provoking, philosophical and utterly inspiring. “Tokologo does not motivate; he simply tells the Truth. And that Truth indirectly becomes its own motivator”, one of them said. 

Having developed a thesis on human potential called The Commodore Theory, Tokologo clearly still has a lot to share with his audiences, both locally and internationally.