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.
My foundation was not built in a classroom; it was grounded by my duty to my family, forged by lived experience and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. My character, values, and drive were gifted to me by my parents, my grandparents, and all my ancestors, nurtured in lived experiences with my siblings, cousins, aunts, and uncles. They were reinforced by my community, from Fort Marlan to Drayini and beyond. My family has always anchored me, provided the substance.
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 in Transkei, with the family homestead near Mqanduli, Eastern Cape. From 1982–1996, I witnessed the transition from parliamentary to constitutional sovereignty in South Africa. This era shaped my understanding that while laws made by humans—including constitutions—can be rewritten, the biological and kinship bonds of family remain constant. My relationships with parents, uncles, aunts, and siblings have endured beyond any legal framework.
Key Milestones:
- Childhood across Fort Malan, Nqabane, Mahasana, and Lencane, until settling in Drayini Location
- Later moved to Mbalenhle, Mpumalanga for high school
- Ubuntu values embedded through rural Transkei life — reciprocity, kinship, reverence for elders
- Xhosa heritage and cultural identity shaped by oral traditions and rituals
- Understanding that kinship bonds transcend legal frameworks
Public and private risk management roles: Environmental Health Practitioner, Occupational Hygiene Technologist, Health and Safety Manager, Assistant Risk Manager, Risk and Governance Specialist, Consultant and Director. Recognized as Best Trainee at Anglo Platinum (2004), with safety leadership roles across SARCC Metrorail, Liberty Group, and 5G Property Consultants. Voluntary contributor to Safety1st.
Key Milestones:
- Environmental Health Practitioner & Occupational Hygiene Technologist
- Awarded "Best Trainee" at Anglo Platinum (2004)
- Safety leadership across SARCC Metrorail, Liberty Group, 5G Property Consultants
- Books, articles, and podcasts translating lived experience into open knowledge
- Founder of Flamea, SafetyHelp, and LegalHelp community platforms
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.