Real Estate Investor September 2020 September/October 2020 | Page 56
INSPIRATION
Building an Empire at 24
Lihle Nxoyi the youngest property investor
SIDIMA MFEKU
“It all started with me wanting
to take control over my life,” that
is how 24 years old President,
Chairman and Founder of the
Nxoyi Empire, Lihle King Nxoyi
described his entry into the
property space before realising
that he could be the next big
thing in the industry.
I
n our 13 years of existence in the real estate and
property industry we have heard more than a
thousand stories of how industry players started out
in the property business changing their lives, their
communities’ lives and those of unemployed youth in
the country. And as we celebrate our 13th Anniversary,
we celebrate the success of a young property investor,
whose maturity kicked in quite earlier than anyone
would expect.
Where it all started
He got tired of being dependant on his guardian
and decided to venture into the sector to make his
own money and be his own employer only at age 20.
Describing his start in the sector, Nxoyi says he never
liked the idea of having someone who doesn’t know his
problem tell him about his worth.
“I always wanted to be an adult because to me
being an adult meant that I had control over my fate,
it meant that I had the free will and choice to decide to
be a wealthy/average/poor man. I wanted that power to
decide how I was going to make money. I never wanted
to make money 12 times out of 365 days.”
Knowing the industry
Money is often referred to as the motivator and driver
of many personal interventions, but many hopeful real
estate and property investors still think of it as the
scariest part of their journey, it seems to hold them
back almost all the time. Something that propelled
the charismatic property investor and young property
coach and mentor to study further the economies of the
industry before venturing as an investor.
He says money was never a problem for him because,
“the lack of capital served as an indication that there
is something I didn’t know but worth finding out.
Whenever I attended property events, speakers talked
often about using OPM (Other People’s Money) and I
took it upon myself to study the concept further. They
all talked about how I was one deal away from achieving
financial freedom and I then sought after the knowledge
I lacked.
He further says he has learned that one needs
knowledge and skills to make the most of getting into
the property space without having money.
“I found myself a mentor who went about teaching
me how to raise Capital through private investors and all
the properties I invested in, money was raised through
private investors. It all boils down to networking &
building strategic relationships with like-minded
individuals,” Nxoyi says.
50
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 SA Real Estate Investor Magazine
Working on the dream
Tired of living under the wing of his mother giving success
lessons to learners at her school, the King started to informally
study the property space through success related property
books and attending business events or seminars investing
all the knowledge into his head gearing up for his big start
in the sector.
With knowledge being the most important component
to thoroughly consider before venturing into the real estate
sector. It is in the goals’ list of this young property investor
to become one of the few property developers to assist in
developing school around the country, where more people
will be educated.
“I have a big vision of owning private schools across the
country and because I understood that my dream business
model is property based I decided that property investing is
the best stepping stone,” He says.
No one is their own man in this land, it isn’t each man
for himself, but each one lifts the other. Nxoyi’s story is an
epitome of those exact words. His journey has not solely been
made by himself but with the help of real estate and property
gurus who’ve been in the sector for a while before him.
“I’ve had the honour of working with amazing people and
partnered with extremely intelligent individuals, Retha Van
Rooyen, Tarai Jack, Cohen Van Der Berg to name a few, and
from them I’ve absorbed and learned so much,” He says.
As a result of what these giants help him become, he is
“currently working on a Project in Goodwood, Cape Town and
also planning to expand to the Eastern Cape in the long run.”
I am grateful
“Property helped me have control over the affairs of my
life, property enabled me to have the freedom to spend
time with my family, to live life on my terms. Property has
enabled me to be able to add value to society by sharing the
knowledge and experiences that helped me get to where I
am with other people. Property opened opportunities for me
to be able to meet amazing people whom I looked up to as a
child. Moreover, and most importantly property has enabled
me to create a legacy not only as inheritance for my future
kids but a legacy that is in the hearts of people whom I’ve
been blessed to mentor.
“I always wanted to work on a Company that is built around
my surname. I enjoy the responsibility of being the leader in
this company. It is the best job I could’ve ever created for myself.
I feel so honoured to be creating history, a kind of history
that will hopefully enable my name to be remembered like
the likes of Ford, Rockefeller & Edison.”
“Being a property investor was always my dream! Work on
yours too, and happy anniversary to the real estate investor
magazine,” Nxoyi concludes.
SA Real Estate Investor Magazine SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020
51