User talk:RiazulIslam8880

Goitseone Omphemetse Konopi

Goitseone Omphemetse Konopi (born 12 June 1991), commonly known as Goitse Konopi, is a South African internet entrepreneur who co-founded govchat.org with Eldrid Jordaan and Tandi Haslam. In 2017, he Founded South Grown, a South African, Maltese Cannabis company.

Background and education

Goitse Konopi was born on 12 June 1991 in Pretoria, Gauteng and grew up in Orchards , Pretoria as well as in the resort town of Hartbeespoort dam, North West.

He attended Capital Park Primary, and went on to boarding school at Pretoria Boys High School, where he stayed at Solomon House until matriculating with his National Senior Certificate. Konopi attended the University of Pretoria, as an International relations and Political Science major for two years before he joined Trevor Manuel’s Office in the National Planning Commission  in the South African Presidency. He went to work full-time on the National Development Plan and Vision 2030.

Career

In 2015, the Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Buti Manamela  appointed Konopi as Chairperson of the expanded National Youth Service Task Team, which comprised of members of civil society organisations‚ youth formations‚ business‚ national government departments as well as labour organisations. The team was established to drive the process of developing a National Youth Service Coordination and Expansion Framework.

Three people, two of whom had worked together before—Eldrid Jordaan, Goitse Konopi,and Tandi Haslam —founded govchat.orgin 2016. Originally called govchat.org.za, it was intended as an online platform that connects every local government representative to members of their communities and constituents.

In March 2018, Jordaan, and Konopi raised R10 million in series A venture funding from Dewald Dempers, former CEO of Afrocentic and Director of Strategy at Arc Health. They were later joined by Tandi Haslam. At GovChat, Konopi was the company's first chief data officer and led the product team;he led the technical staff and oversaw the strategic architecture of the platform, as well as being responsible for the company’s mobile strategy and local community adoption. In May 2019, Tandi Haslam as Commercial Director & CFO led the GovChat team to its series B round which had JSE listed Fintech Group Capital Appreciation invest R20 million at an undisclosed valuation. As a result, Michael “Motty" Sacks, the prominent South African business leader and Founder of Netcare Holdings joined GovChat as Non-Executive Chairman of the board.

In October 2016, Konopi’s mother, Friedapassed away from liver cancer. He launched a medicinal cannabis company, South Grown in her honour in November 2017, the name coming from his wife Thina Makhathini. South Grown counts Ketso Gordhan, Yogesh Narsing , Fahdia Bhayat and Pearl Moroka as early investors.

Politics

Konopi has voted for the African National Congress candidates in earlier elections in which he has voted, he considers himself an independent thinker and non-aligned. He has recently written and advocates for universal basic income. On 21 June 2017, he wrote: “We speak of a revolution as though revolutions are quiet and non-disruptive…Unless South Africa achieves sustainable and balanced technological development and spreads the benefits of the said development to all citizens widely, we are doomed.”

Personal life

Goitse Konopi is married to Thina Makhathini, they met while both attending the University of Pretoria. The couple maintains a primary residence in Pretoria East, with Durban and Cape Town being alternates.