Entrepreneurial masterclass: On location with Brian Altriche

JOHANNESBURG — Prepare yourself to be exposed to an hour of entrepreneurial energy, advice and wisdom. From a guy who left South Africa as a teenager to duck apartheid’s National Service; fed himself in California by playing his guitar and applying his design talents; and came home to forge a huge success in the toughest business on the planet. Restaurants are an endless juggle between innovation, logistics, staff motivation and profit margins; the hours are impossibly long; customers can be insufferably difficult; and everyone with a recipe book is a potential competitor. And then there’s the ever present existential threat of accidentally poisoning your customer. Not for the faint hearted. But this heady cocktail is also addictive, as you’ll hear from entrepreneur extraordinaire Brian Altriche, who has a net worth north of half a billion rand. He's also the man behind a business which, although not yet six years old, can already be certified a massive success. I love swapping ideas with fellow entrepreneurs, so jumped at the opportunity when invited to lunch at the original RocoMamas in Malibongwe Drive where Brian and co-founder, chef Paul Dempsey hang out. So kick back and eavesdrop on an hour of discourse on the way South African icon Nando’s influenced him; how a road accident - and books - changed Brian’s life; some straight talking advice for young entrepreneurs and a whole lot more. In short, an entrepreneurial masterclass. - Alec Hogg