Join Retail Congress Africa 2014 to celebrate the achievements of Herman Mashaba, Founder of Black Like Me
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Retail Congress Africa is delighted to announce that it will present one of its top honours, the Lifetime Achievement Award to Herman Mashaba, Founder, Black Like Me in Johannesburg on 18 November 2014. Selected by the Congress Advisory Board and senior retailers, the Award celebrates as not only an influential and inspiring businessman, but also stands as an example of how tenacity and determination can overcome great odds, demonstrating his iconic traits.
At the age of 24, the young man who had only visited a hair salon once came to start a company that is today worth multi millions and has become known as an aspirational and motivating brand in the black community. Black Like Me is as much one of the market leader today as when it was established almost 30 years ago – yet its beginnings were markedly humble. Starting his career as a sales rep, selling products for different companies from his car boot on a commission basis, he came across this fantastic opportunity to get into hair care products. Black women were starting to take care of their hair and he realised this was going to be the market of the future. Mashaba’s story is an example of one man becoming master of his own destiny – something he believes we all can, and should, do. He maintains that we can’t rely on government to turn our lives into a success, they should provide an enabling environment, but it’s up to us to make the most of what we’ve been given.