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Financial IQ

Young Money: Young

and Multifaceted

When a young man chooses to pursue a potentially propitious path, one parallel to his mundane realities, there
are many things he must be willing to lose. Ben knows this. He is well-nigh a master of sacrifice, growth and self-
actualization. Now chairman of BKS Investment Group in his late 20s, Ben Kalulu Sosala spearheads a total of five
subsidiaries he shrewdly founded. Inherently known for its airport shuttle service, self-service apartments and car hire
service, BKS Investment is gradually growing into an indigenous giant. And as the company paints the city yellow, black
and white, Ben reflects on his steadfast pursuit.

Sacrifice, Growth and Self-actualization.
“I woke up one morning and I asked myself;
why do I do this? I wanted my life to change.”
From waking, working to binging, Ben’s
sublunary days at a time he worked for the
family business made up the rationale behind
his saying “I was a young guy without a sole
purpose.” Never one to turn down a call
out on the town, Ben’s extra earnings were
directed towards his intemperance. Much like
an occasional story of change, one contrasting
morning placed him on a different path.
With K1,500($80) in hand, Ben made a call
to a colleague who would help him officially
register his company, BKS Limited, under real
estate and general dealing. Quite uncertain
as to what his business would look like, Ben
decided to build flats on a piece of land his
mother had offered him. These would become
today’s eminent BKS Self-service Apartments.

Ben had a focus; to build rental flats. All of
his savings and every single ngwee that he cab, one that is infamously costly. Fortune smiled on Ben as he landed
earned was directed towards this cause. He a hotel shuttle that was intended for an AWOL guest. Waking up to
was so engrossed in building his newly found the daunting realization that the current airport cab services were
dream that he began to outgrow sublunary exorbitant, even for the average traveller; Ben conceptualized the BKS
ways. Ben even recalls a time when going out Shuttle Service.
was on the condition that his friends should
not only cover his bill but purchase a bag of
cement. Upon the completion of his building ”I thought to myself how that wasn’t fair. So many people don’t have
project, Ben fell back into his crapulous that kind of money (a K500) after travelling. I figured that this was a
habits. Fortunately, it was only a matter of loophole in the market and so I drew up a business plan.”
time before the gravity of his vision would
completely pull him away. Conception to Inception: Building a Lasting Dream.
Subsequent to concluding his business plan, Ben sought out to
Challenge to Opportunity: Identifying a explore his financing options, with the very first being his savings
Market Gap. from the rental apartments. The thought of using his safety cash in
A tedious trip to Arusha, Tanzania instigated its entirety as startup capital was daunting, he knew it had to be done
the evolution of BKS Limited. In his pursuit regardless. Searching high and low for additional funds, Ben came to
of a female interest working in Arusha, Ben know rejection aptly. He decided to purchase the first vehicle; a bus
took quite the complex flight path: Lusaka to that cost his entire savings. The financial risk did not come without
Addis Ababa, Addis Ababa to Nairobi, Nairobi its woes, as Ben needed more funds for duty and clearance. He then
to Arusha. He astonishingly took the same turned to his best friend Fabian who loaned him $6,000, to clear and
route home. Upon arrival past midnight from pick up the vehicle. A task Ben had to carry out himself as he had
his intrepid journey, Ben was met with the no extra cash to hire a driver. He did this repeatedly for each vehicle
sheer disappointment of the absence of his he purchased, spending days at a go in the vehicles to and from
airport pickup - a friend he had entrusted Johannesburg. This particular journey with the bus, climaxed with Ben
with his car. Jet lagged, exhausted and nearly spending three gruesome days at the border in his vehicle due to a
broke, his only option was taking an airport faulty system.

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