Theo Masango

Theo began her illustrious career at First National Bank (FNB) South Africa, one of the country's top five leading banks, after obtaining a banking qualification from MILPARK School of Finance. At FNB, she successfully led the Corporate Social Initiative Fund, focusing on supporting SME initiatives in towns and rural communities. Her experience working with young entrepreneurs, inspired by their resilience, motivated Theo to launch a brand and image management company. Initially, she concentrated on young gospel artists, transforming them from local performers to international stage stars.

Understanding the need for continuous growth and evolution, Theo pursued further education at Vega School of Creative Art, specializing in brand management. This academic pursuit equipped her to remodel and evolve her business in alignment with market transformations. During this period, Theo also held positions in fund advisory and management, managing portfolios for large companies and advising on financial management and intuitive investments. Within five years, she had built several brands that became household names. In 2019, Theo decided to leave the corporate world to focus solely on her business endeavours.

In 2020, Theo shifted her business focus towards the development of young entrepreneurs and building a scalable business that could provide employment opportunities. She participated in numerous incubation sessions and accelerators, fully immersing herself in the entrepreneurial space by 2021. Theo's ambition to make a continental impact led her to become the National Head for South Africa at Africa's Young Entrepreneurs Organization (A.Y.E), an organization with over 12 million members across more than 20 African countries. In 2022, Theo founded a new division under the A.Y.E umbrella and was appointed to lead it, overseeing mentorship, development, and empowerment across 16 countries in the SADC region of Southern Africa. Her leadership was further recognised when she was named Regional Head.

The same year, Theo co-founded The Entrepreneurs Manager, an entrepreneurship support platform designed to ensure the growth of SMEs across the continent. The platform facilitates seamless trade, partnerships, and collaborations among SMEs. In addition to her entrepreneurial ventures, Theo mentors young women, teaches entrepreneurship development to university students, and creates frameworks that integrate SMEs within the continent into a single market.

Today, Theo is a serial entrepreneur, owning companies like Investpad. She travels across Africa and the world, imparting fundamental skills to entrepreneurs, including effective communication. Her journey reflects a commitment to empowering others and fostering economic development through entrepreneurship.