From micro-businessman to tycoon

| Friday August 13, 2010 00:00

Flamboyant tycoon, Bartholomew Ophaketse Gaobakwe,  commonly known as 'Uncle Parks', was driven by poverty to become a businessman. The man who is counted among Botswana's richest traces his involvement in business to his humble family background. He started out as a seller of firewood as a boy and now he owns the Legae shopping complex and a double storey office block at the BBS mall.

Uncle Parks' life is a classic from rags to riches story. When he was a child, he sold firewood for his poor mother in Lobatse. The wood he collected from the hills and the bush was used by his mother to brew traditional sorghum beer and a wine-like alcohol known as khadi. 'My mother sold khadi, le bojalwa jwa Setswana. This was a micro business for sustenance of the family,' he says.

'My other role was to fetch water for the preparations of the two brews. The need to survive motivated me to go into business,' he said.

In spite of his huge business empire, he describes himself in modest terms as a 'micro' businessman. 'I am doing quite a number of micro businesses now. I rent kiosks both for commercial and residential purposes. I rent out mekhukhu (shacks),' he remarks. But the 'kiosks' that he is referring to are big buildings one of which is rented by Spar supermarket at BBS mall.

Though he is regarded as one of Botswana's millionaires, he has no such illusions. 'I am not a millionaire but I am comfortable.' Uncle Parks declined to disclose the annual turnover of his businesses. 'That information is personal and private. A o raya gore wena o ka bolela motho gore o nale dikgomo di le kae ko morakeng. (Can you reveal how many cattle you own in the cattle post)?

Besides the property division, Gaobakwe is also running a bureau de change and other lucrative businesses, trading as Garona Investments.

Though modest about his accomplishments, the exquisite interior of his office at the Hemamo building in BBS, betrays him. The office is furnished with crafted wooden chairs covered with leather. There is an African flair about his office as depicted by the sculptures. Expensive art works adorn the walls. The bookshelves are stuffed with various titles ranging from Nelson Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom to Michael Dingake's My Fight against Apartheid. Judging by the number of books on his shelf, it is clear that Uncle Parks is an avid reader when he finds time. He is also an art collector, a fashion conscious one as his smart attire, complimented by his trademark hat reflects. It is clear that he is selective when it comes to his clothes.

His fingers are laden with gold rings. Uncle Parks is also known to have a penchant for posh cars and on this particular day, he cruises in a Mercedes Benz. Some of the 'toys' in his fleet include a Range Rover and Jaguar.

To reach where he is, he says it was never smooth sailing as he battled to set up his business. He recalls that his application for a loan to start business was rejected by the commercial banks because he did not have collateral. However, the National Development Bank (NDB) came to his aid.

'The banks were unwilling to listen to me, possibly because they felt that I was a risky client with no business experience nor security. The commercial banks asked me to make a personal contribution which I did not have,' he said, adding that he always felt that his business ideas were viable.

He said ultimately, NDB gave him a loan but at a very high interest rate. 'At that time, the prime rate was 8.5 percent but I was charged 19 percent because they felt I was a risky client,' he said. This is how the Legae shopping centre at BBS was financed.

'I took the money because I was convinced that I had a profitable business. It proved to be successful because I managed to repay the loan within the stipulated period,' he said.

The other business project that Gaobakwe initiated was a poultry farm in Metsimotlhabe, just after Mogoditshane along the Molepolole road. However, he abandoned the project. 'I ran the business for four to five years but I quickly realised that I was not a blue collar but rather a white collar worker,' he says. The poultry project was labour intensive and vulnerable particularly to chicken diseases, which often resulted in a high mortality rate.

Gaobakwe says his investments directly employ between 30 to 40 people. 'My clients are directly employing more.I am just a landlord,' he says, adding that it takes courage to succeed in the dog-eat-dog business world. 'Business turns you into a scavenger. Definitely I am a scavenger who is always on the move. You always open dust bins to pick up bones,' he says.

The challenges that business people face, he said, keeps them focused.

At 64, Gaobakwe feels he still has a long way to go in business. 'I am 64 years old but I feel like I am 46 years in so far as business is concerned.' He feels business is not a destination but a journey.

Gaobakwe was born in Dinkgwaneng village in the Kweneng district but moved with his parents to Thamaga, Moshupa and ultimately Lobatse. 'I was a scavenger even when I was a youth because I was always moving from one place to another with my parents.'

His philosophy has always been, 'where there is a way, there is a will'. He says running a business calls for dedication and hard work especially at the initial stage. Other requirements are commitment and patience.

However, he expressed disappointment that the attitude of Batswana leaves much to desired when it comes to the qualities needed for business.

He cautioned that business can be disappointing if there is no focus. 'You need to be tuned. It is not impossible to be successful if people could change their mindset. Batswana could succeed in business if only they change their attitude.

'The problem is that we are anxious to achieve quickly without applying ourselves to perform creditably,' he explains why some of the citizen owned businesses are failing.

Gaobakwe is an advocate of citizen economic empowerment. But he feels that the playing field should be leveled so that citizens have access to finance.

As the world is turning into a global village, Gaobakwe expressed his eagerness to invest off shore if he gets the opportunity. 'But I would like to have a strong base in my own country in order to contribute towards addressing unemployment and the payment of the necessary dues to the government,' he says.

He is keen to venture into the financial sector and one of his targets is debt rehabilitation. 'I want to go into banking as well,' he says.

Gaobakwe always contributes to the community and charitable courses. 'I always drop a coin in the hat if I feel it is for a good cause. I do my best to assist community projects,' he says.

He financed the construction of two culverts in Metsimotlhabe so that people can cross from the Eastern side of the village to the West during the rainy season. He is also a member of the Metsimotlhabe Primary School Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) although he has no child going to the school. He sponsored the school logo and billboard. At the height of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) central committee elections, he was the campaign manager for President Festus Mogae. 'I have a very good relationship with Mogae,' he says.

Gaobakwe studied for a Bachelor of Commerce degree at a Egyptian university in the early 1960s. He left the country in 1962 to study at the Cairo University which was owned by the Americans.

He joined the civil service in 1969. At the time of his retirement, he was the controller at the Botswana Savings Bank. He has also worked for the Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC) in the 1980s.

Gaobakwe is also a family man. 'I have three beautiful children,' he said about his family. His children are following in his footsteps, as they are also operating their own business entities.

Gaobakwe appealed to people from all walks of life.  One of the people who is going to solely miss him, is the Gaborone station barber, Wilson Nkanga.  Although Gaobakwe could afford the most expensive hair salons but it was Nkanga's street barber shop where he cut his hair.

The head of the Botswana Insurance Fund Management (BIFM) Property Division, Victor Senye said he did not regard 'Uncle Parks' as a father but also as his mentor.  'In a sense I admired his wisdom.  I learnt a lot from his wisdom.  I consider his death to be a loss to his family and the business community,' he said.

Senye who was speaking in a telephone interview from Lusaka, Zambia said he enjoyed his days of golf with Gaobakwe.  He described Gaobakwe as someone who was full of life.  'He enjoyed life to the fullest.'

Senye said he maintained a special relationship with Gaobakwe because they were both from Peleng town in Lobatse.  

Meanwhile, Gaobakwe's body was cremated in Mahalapye yesterday.  Gaobakwe is survived by his wife Janet and three children. He was 70 years old.