BACKSTORY: Nicole Swart of Merchant Capital

What’s your one top tip for doing a deal?

As a great woman once said: if you don’t ask, you don’t get (attributed to Jill, my mother).

What was your first job?

I worked as a waitress.

How much was your first pay cheque, and how did you spend it?’

R70 for the shift. I saved it, and many more waitressing tips, for a flight to London and then Canada straight out of school

What is the one thing you wish somebody had told you when you were starting out?

Understanding finance is the bedrock to everything in commerce, no matter what function, from HR to sales, marketing, tech and management, so get this under your belt early.   

If you could fix only one thing in South Africa, what would it be?

Infrastructure — the right, clean spend and people to enable the magnificent people of South Africa to unlock their persistence and prosper, while creating jobs.

What’s the most interesting thing about you that people don’t know?

I gave up wine and learnt how to self-coach, which means that my secret superpower is being clear-headed and clear-minded … most of the time.

What’s the worst investment mistake you’ve made?

My time spent on projects that were not valued or aligned with the shareholders of the business, even if I believed in them 100%.

What’s the best investment you’ve ever made? And how much of it was due to luck?

Investment in my own development — personal and through different work opportunities — has doubled my market value many times. It’s been a rough road at moments, but the older I get, the firmer I stand. Luck? If I define personal hardships and mental health challenges as luck, then very much so. These pushed me to discover my strengths and inner grit.

What’s the best book you’ve read recently and why did you like it?

Fraud: How Prison Set Me Free, by Nikki Munitz and Elka Cohen. It’s a riveting read but more than that, it’s a sliding-doors story, where seemingly small decisions or omissions, and the habits of daily living, have a huge long-term impact. And it’s a woman’s narrative of redemption and hope, which always speaks to me.

What is the hardest life lesson you’ve learnt so far?

Sometimes I needed to make difficult decisions and take difficult action to bring back the option of joy for myself and those I love. In those moments, it’s just you.

What phrase or bit of jargon irks you most?

‘’Manifest your dreams.’’

What is something you would go back and tell your younger self that would impress them?

Nothing. I have never been easily impressed. However, I think I would be impressed now if my future self came back and said my sons have left home and are successfully looking after themselves!

If you were President Cyril Ramaphosa, what would you change, or do, tomorrow?

I would create a programme around youth technical skill development and employment in public works.