A former South African gangster Xolane Ndhluvo popularly known as Master Ziggy has said going to prison was a blessing for him, saying it was the period he discovered his purpose in life.
According to Ndhluvo, he has lived a life initially sewed in prison for unverified allegations, to becoming the most feared person in his 20s, and then rising to entrepreneurial motivations behind the steels, further sculpting foundations devoted to eradicating poverty in South Africa, helping youths awaken to entrepreneurial visions by funding and mentoring them.
Since he returned from prison, Ziggy founded Ziggys Foundation, Chairs UMEH Group Limited, and has investment in Blockchain companies such as the largest crypto exchange company Binance, Tron Foundation, NPXS, Holochain among others.
Ndhlovu said going to prison was a blessing in disguise because throughout his gang life he was never a rand millionaire. But behind bars he became a dollar multi-millionaire legally; he is currently working on releasing a book to this effect.
Narrating the turning point of his life, he said while in prison for gang-related crimes, he borrowed a book named “Losing my Virginity” by Richard Branson which drastically changed his mindset.
He noted that after reading the book he decided to abandon the life he was leading before his arrest and cut off communication with supposedly high ranking members of his gang.
He added that by cutting them off, he was able to take his mind off the street while focusing on his new path.
Another passion dear to the heart of Ndhlovu is the South African Entrepreneurship Center for Ex-Offenders (SAECEO) which he recently established as a means of societal reintegration for ex-convicts.
The center offers a variety of entrepreneurship skills to ex-offenders. Apart from training, mentoring and funding ex-offenders, he said SAECEO also plans on securing a TV slot on MNet for a talent competition program specially designed for former inmates intending to start a business venture where the winner will receive R500,000 (South African Rand) as a startup capital from UMEH Group and the competition is set to run annually.
