From Rural Roots toLiving Ecosystem
My story does not begin with websites or code. It begins in the rural Transkei, immersed in Xhosa culture, raised in the strength of extended family and informal systems. My father once walked to school barefoot; I have never been without shoes. That is progress — and it is the foundation of everything I build.
From Mahasana to Lenane to Kiriyatswana, schooling gave me structure. At 18, I became independent; by 21, I was providing for myself. I pursued law, and I take pride in walking away when I saw a judiciary that no longer stood for justice. Every step — from OHS practice to corporate leadership — was never an end in itself, but a means to serve family and community.
The books I wrote — Safety First, The Homeschooling Father, Beyond the Grave,Goliath's Reckoning — became the building blocks of an ecosystem. Each manuscript was a module, each insight a tool. Today, the Salatiso ecosystem is not just technology: it is a continuation of family duty, Ubuntu, and the responsibility to empower those who come after.
“My father walked to school barefoot. I've never been without shoes. That's progress. Now my son has tools I wish existed—safety networks, homeschooling resources, platforms that respect family sovereignty. The cycle continues, but we're building the infrastructure our communities deserve.”
This ecosystem isn't about credentials or corporate achievements. It's about lived experience becoming useful knowledge. It's about a rural boy learning in formal systems, then bringing those skills back home to empower the next generation.
Ubuntu: “I Am Because We Are”
This ancient African philosophy guides every decision, every product, and every interaction in our ecosystem. Ubuntu teaches us that our humanity is bound up in the humanity of others. My father's barefoot journey to school is part of my story. My son's access to tools I didn't have is part of the next chapter.
Family First
“I am a father to my son; all else is a means to this end”
Community Strength
Extended family as safety net, not formal systems
Impact Over Income
All books free, personal use free forever
The Journey: Five Chapters
From Transkei villages to corporate boardrooms to Children's Courts to book publishing to ecosystem building. This is not a career timeline—it's a life journey.
Born in 1982 to parents who modeled entrepreneurship and Ubuntu. Grew up in villages—Mahasana, Lenane, Kiriyatswana—where my father walked barefoot to school, where storytelling by firelight was education, where extended family was your safety net. This foundation shaped everything: the value of lived experience, the strength of informal systems, the duty to uplift those who come after.
Key Milestones:
- Ubuntu values embedded from childhood
- Xhosa heritage and cultural identity formed
- Extended family as primary safety net and education system
At 18, independent. At 21, providing for myself. Junior Environmental Health Practitioner (EC Dept of Health), Best Trainee at Anglo Platinum (2004), OHS leadership at Metrorail, Liberty Group, 5G. Studied law briefly—aspired to justice, dropped out when I saw the corruption. Real justice happens through lived experience and practical action, not courtrooms.
Key Milestones:
- Awarded "Best Trainee" at Anglo Platinum (2004)
- Law studies: conscious rejection of corrupt judiciary
- OHS career as means to serve, not define self
Guided enterprise risk for Telkom/Gyro, advised corporate boards on resilience. But the real fight was personal: Children's Court battles exposed systemic gender bias against fathers. Mapped every injustice, documented the discrimination. My son's rights became my mission—everything else was just a means to this end.
Key Milestones:
- Corporate risk management for national brands
- Children's Court: exposed systemic gender bias
- Father's mission: "I am a father to my son; all else is a means to this end"
"Goliath's Reckoning" exposed gender bias in courts. "The Homeschooling Father" shared what I learned taking control of my son's education. "Beyond Redress" challenged race-based policies. "Safety First" series opened OHS careers to everyone—no tertiary qualification required. "Getting to Know Yourself" traced Xhosa heritage. Every book free—impact over income, empowerment over profit.
Key Milestones:
- 15+ books published, all free and open access
- Legal reform advocacy through Goliath's Reckoning & Beyond Redress
- Homeschooling resources for father-led education
- OHS career guides accessible to all (no degree required)
Named for my parents. Built to solve real problems: Sonny Network (safety I wish I had), Piggyback (ride-sharing & parcel delivery for rural areas), LifeSync (homeschooling + family governance), DocuHelp, BizHelp, Flamea (legal advocacy). Business organogram mirrors family organogram. Tech learned in boardrooms, returned to serve the roots. Personal use: free forever.
Key Milestones:
- Named ecosystem after parents: Mlandeli-Notemba Investments
- Sonny Network: safety system for families and communities
- Piggyback: rural ride-sharing & parcel delivery
- LifeSync: homeschooling + family governance platform
- All platforms: personal use free forever
15+ Books - All Free & Open
The journey from lived experience to ecosystem was crystallised in books. Each title documents not only professional expertise but also the personal battles, cultural heritage, and family values that shaped the vision.
The Ecosystem Lives
Named for my parents—Mlandeli-Notemba Investments. Built to solve real problems. Tech learned in boardrooms, returned to serve the roots. Personal use: free forever. This is Ubuntu in action.