There are two types of people in the world – those who see problems and those who see opportunities. Vivian Reddy is one of the latter.
As a young electrician in apartheid South Africa, he struggled to hold down a job because he just wasn’t subservient enough. So, with R 500 and a bakkie he went out on his own. He got a few jobs, hit a few bad debts and managed to get by – just – but he was struggling to get decent contracts. And then he hit on the inspired idea of changing the very Durban-Indian-sounding Reddy Electrical to the super-white-wasp-multinational-corporate-sounding Edison Power. When callers asked to speak to Mr Edison, they’d be told he was not in the office. It wasn’t long before customers realised that there was no Mr Edison, but by that time the quality of the work spoke for itself – without an accent.
The rest is a classic rags-to-riches story involving hard work, perseverance, excellent customer service, technical expertise, and an adamantine can-do attitude. We asked him what his secret was, what sort of advice he would give to entrepreneurs.
He is a great believer in the CANEI principle. It stands for Constant And Never-Ending Improvement, and it doesn’t come naturally. It’s hard work. The crux, he says, is taking control of your time. Every morning he checks his diary, and plans and strategises his day. And every evening he does an inventory of what he did right and what he did wrong – and how he can improve. And the next day, he does it again. And every day, he asks, “How CAN I do better?”
It’s all about attitude, he says. As an electrician the standards are extremely clear-cut, and there’s not much room for creativity when wiring a building. But he has since moved into other fields of endeavour – synergistic and ancillary Electrical Businesses, casinos, shopping malls and real estate development. And in those areas, just as with the electrical business, he wants to give his customers “the best of the best”. He goes into his shopping malls and chats to shoppers – asks them what they like, what they don’t like, and how the mall could be improved.
As part of that search for constant improvement, he’s always dreamed of building something really special, truly iconic and unique. And it all started happening about two years ago when he bought some land in his hometown, Umhlanga. The plan is to create something iconic, something to change the face of Umhlanga - Something that has never been seen before in South Africa. Something with all the ingredients – practical, but also fantastic. His hands-on involvement and attention to detail are phenomenal. He had four architectural firms working on the preliminary design, and he personally attended 54 concept presentations in four months. It’s three minutes to the beach, it’s the largest private investment Durban has ever seen, and it will be called Oceans Umhlanga.
It’s going to be a mixed-use development embracing a 200-key hotel, with a ballroom with crystal chandeliers and a conference centre among other luxurious features. The Development will have a Mall with over 100 retail outlets and 20 world-class restaurants. All the big international brands will be there – including the first Paul’s in South Africa, Burberry, Hugo, among others. Discussions are well under way to entice Luis Vuitton to open their first Specialist Store in this region. Even the Checkers branch is going to be special. He personally sat down with Shoprite MD Whitey Basson, and they’ve agreed that this will be the best Checkers in South Africa – Checkers with an Oceans Umhlanga twist.
And, of course, there is the opulent and exceptional residential component. Vivian recently did a radio interview about the development. On the way home in the car after the Interview, he got 40 phone calls from prospective buyers, and it hasn’t stopped. There will be 412 apartments in total, with prices ranging from R 1.6 million for a studio apartment to R 65 million for the large penthouse. (There are smaller penthouses for a mere R 45 million.) So far, he has 18,600 registered, qualified buyers.
The launch is set for 3rd April, when the units go on sale. Even if, somehow, Oceans Umhlanga doesn’t break records for design, it certainly is setting a whole new benchmark for marketing residential property. You can view the apartments on a digitally created drone-style video, and, if you want one, you have to pre-register and pay a deposit, Then you’ll turn up to the April launch with your identifying barcode and join in the automated auction. At the end of April, they will break ground. The mall is being targeted to open within 24 months, and the hotel and apartments soon after that.
And after that? Then what?
Vivian has no plans for retiring, he claims. He’s just having too much fun. There are other projects in the pipeline – at least one in Cape Town, one in Pretoria, one in Bloemfontein, one in KwaDukuza (Stanger) – but you’ll have to wait for details of those.
And a few final words of advice to would-be entrepreneurs?
Be unreasonable about the demands you make on yourself. Set high goals. And ask yourself, every day, “How CAN I improve?” Every day strive to be better – not only in business but also in relationships with people. Pick up the phone, SMS. Say thank you. Control your time – commit yourself to your diary every day, and always allow a bit of in-between time for yourself. Create good habits.
Business success is not just about business. It’s about overall life. Dress smart, be positive, look in the mirror and like what you see. He adds, Optimism, pursuit of excellence and operating off the beaten track is the beacon of the Edison world. “It has always been, and will continue to be the driving ethos of our existence and operation. I have no fear of the doomsday soothsayers who apply modernistic and text-book economic prognostications to business outlook. They have nothing else to do. I believe in the philosophy that an idea should be allowed to germinate into its full potential and nothing should stand in the way of success. Thinking out of the box has become a well-worn cliché. I do not just think out of the box – I dream, I experiment, I innovate, I fear no physical or perceived barriers”.
Can anyone argue against this?
