It’s all about that print

Mariselle Stofberg – The vibrant and determined 23-year-old Michael Shagandjwa has shown that with the right mindset, the world truly is your oyster.

Shagandjwa was born in Ombalantu and raised in an informal settlement in Windhoek, after which he moved to the North to complete high school at Haudano Secondary School.

“I’ve always had the desire of becoming my own boss and opening a company was just the best start in achieving my goal. Since I grew up in an informal settlement, I believed that where I come from doesn’t define who I am. I believed in my ability to build a better future my myself and my country.”

Currently he is in his fourth year at the University of Namibia (Unam), where he is pursuing a degree in education.

“A year ago, I opened a company called YDM Investments which specialises in T-shirt printing, vinyl machinery supplies, graphic design and is also a clothing brand. It all started off as a clothing brand and later expanded,” Shagandjwa says.

Persevering

As a young entrepreneur, Shagandjwa has often experienced that people criticise his work and have very different opinions on some of the decisions he has made. “It’s very hard to earn the trust of older people, making it hard for them to believe in your business and work with you. Finding customers is also one of the daily struggles you face as an entrepreneur.”

He has experienced some trouble in finding customers to support his business, because the company doesn’t have that much experience. “What makes my day, however, is receiving orders and hearing that my clients are happy and satisfied,” Shagandjwa says.

“The message I have to other young entrepreneurs is that people will always have something to say regardless of how good you think your ideas are. It’s all up to you to analyse and take up opinions that will positively impact your business.”

Shagandjwa urges young people to seek opportunities and to never sit back and wait for them to come to you.

“I live by a proverb said by the famous Nelson Mandela that what counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead,” he says.

“Let your business make an impact in the lives of the less fortunate, create opportunities for others and just be a motivation in the community. It is my desire to be among the helping hands in our country.”

Shagandjwa enjoys gaming, designing, and hanging out with his friends. What keeps him going daily is a prayer in the morning and self-motivation.

Power of the youth

“I believe as youths we should strive for success and taking up space in the world out there. When you have the ability to develop transparent innovative ideas, you have the power to impact nations by creating SMEs in communities to help create job opportunities or start charity work,” he says.

“We should develop the spirit of unity and humility to change lives. We should not only plan for now but for the future, for we are the future. The world has the habit of making room for the man whose words and actions show that he knows where is going, therefore it is important to be true to ourselves to create a diverse and developing future.”

Five fun facts about Shagandjwa

- I’m a very vibrant person.

- I’m a good cook.

- I’m good at drawing.

- I’m a family-oriented person.

- I’m good dancer.

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