SA's ICT industry is still reeling in shock and sadness after news of the death of IT personality Benjamin Mophatlane broke yesterday.
The Business Connexion (BCX) CEO and cofounder passed away at the age of 41 on Wednesday (17h30) after suffering a heart attack just before a meeting with Telkom was due to take place in Rosebank.
Tributes to the man dubbed one of SA's greatest entrepreneurs started pouring in via social media yesterday morning, bearing testament to a man greatly revered in the ICT industry - on both a professional and personal level.
"Gone too soon" has been an overwhelming sentiment around Mophatlane's passing, which came just as the company was about to be snapped up by Telkom in a R2.67 billion deal.
He started what was to become a multibillion-rand international business and one of the leading ICT companies in SA with his twin brother Isaac in 1996, at the age of 23. He took over the reins when Peter Watt stepped down in 2007.
Humble leader
Mophatlane and twin brother Isaac were born in the township of Ga-Rankuwa, north of Pretoria, and worked together for most of their lives.
The two attended a private Catholic school in Kimberley, which is where the brothers first encountered computers, and in their spare time, they worked at technology retailer Software Connection, for R20 an hour.
Mophatlane prized humility as "the most important quality" an individual could possess - a value he displayed throughout his career.
Following a near-fatal car accident in 2010, Mophatlane - who had the mammoth task of turning the then struggling business around - started to see life through a different lens.
The story of BCX, Ben and Isaac, his brother, represents one of the most remarkable South African stories of success, resilience and the will to win.
Telkom CEO Sipho Maseko
In an interview with ITWeb publication Brainstorm, he said a near-death experience brought about deep reflection. "People always battle with the balance between their personal and professional lives, and you start evaluating a lot of things and thinking about the balance you want to have. You get perspective. It gives you time to reflect and prioritise, and life starts taking on a different meaning. When you go through trauma, it changes your views on life."
Although the car crash put Mophatlane out of action for weeks and saw him undergo five operations to rebuild his legs, the entrepreneur did not become despondent during the weeks he spent in a wheelchair. He focused on the fact that he was alive, with his brain intact and that he would walk again.
Paying homage
Mourning the loss of the humble leader, the industry has lauded his "larger than life" personality, "infectious" laugh, compassion and drive.
ICT veteran Adrian Schofield says he is, like the rest of the industry, deeply saddened by Mophatlane's untimely death. "On the many occasions I met him, his ready smile, easy charm and relaxed style belied the burden of leadership on his young shoulders."
World Wide Worx MD Arthur Goldstuck says the revered personality made a massive impact on IT in SA. "It always felt like a privilege to be in his company. He was usually warm, witty, and sharp, and the best company one could wish."
Derek Wilcocks, CEO of Dimesion Data Middle East and Africa, has known Mophatlane through business for the better part of 20 years and says his enduring memory of him is of a "very charismatic man with an deep infectious laugh and a ready smile".
Newly appointed minister of telecoms and postal services Siyabonga Cwele yesterday paid tribute to the late IT luminary, saying Mophatlane embodied the undying spirit of the youth of 1976. "Just two years into our democracy, he was part of young people who started a leading IT company that is today an employer to 6 000 people and thousands of subcontractors.
"Mophatlane was also a patriot. He partnered with the government in efforts to transform the IT sector and society at large. He gave generously of his time and considerable insights into the sector to causes that sought to transform our society."
Telkom CEO Sipho Maseko says Mophatlane's death is a great loss - not only for BCX, but for business in SA, Africa and the world. "Benjamin was one of those larger than life people; a man who embraced life with passion and enthusiasm. His deep humanity shone through in the way he interacted with people, be it colleagues, staff, business associates, family or friends. It was always a pleasure to meet him."
Maseko says Mophatlane's will to succeed and his astute insight enabled him to grow BCX into a formidable organisation. "The story of BCX, Ben and Isaac, his brother, represents one of the most remarkable South African stories of success, resilience and the will to win."
The IT Association of SA (ITA) says it is immensely shocked and saddened by the sudden passing away of Mophatlane, who was personally involved with the organisation.
ITA president Chose Choeu said in a tribute yesterday: "Death has robbed us of Benjamin Mophatlane, a visionary business leader, who was hugely respected and loved in our industry. We have lost a great leader."
Gijima CEO Eileen Wilton has acknowledged Mophatlane as having uplifted SA's IT sector in the last two decades. "We reflect on the life of an exceptional individual in business and a person whose infectious laugh made him one of the most likeable people you could meet. His humbleness, knowledge and determination to succeed in a new South African economy post-1994 is both inspirational and a lesson for all young entrepreneurs."
In an interview with ITWeb 11 years ago, Mophatlane said he wanted to leave a legacy, to change the mindset of people and show that young black professionals could succeed in IT.
Echoing industry's recognition of Mophatlane having achieved this goal, Schofield says his legacy will be the role played by BCX in the growth of the country into the future.
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