Paul Ekon Short Biography
Background Information
Born in Johannesburg, the largest city in South Africa, Paul Ekon was destined to greatness. Upon the death of his mother, Ekon spent his formative school years at St. Stithians College, an elite boarding school located in the same city he was raised in. He graduated from St. Stithians and immediately entered the military, where he served as part of the air force in an elite unit.
Entrepreneur and Investor
When Paul Ekon was discharged from his air force service, he spent the next years exploring his love of photography and finding work in a variety of related venues – including positions in California, USA and a turn as a magazine photographer. At some point, he answered the call of his native homeland and moved back to South Africa to try his hand at business, only to discover he was highly suited for this field. Ekon had the Midas touch, and the businesses and eating establishments he opened were highly successful. Whether selling cosmetics and door handles or catering to the appetites of the elite, Paul Ekon’s ventures were a great success and only the beginning of what would grow to be an empire.
In the mid 1990s, Paul Ekon expanded from entrepreneurship into becoming an investor. Deciding to participate in the up and coming business, Management Technologies Inc. (MTI) was a breakthrough move for Ekon. With its top selling products, OpenTrade and Abraxsys, MTI led the software market for banking and brokerage houses, these products alone netting the company approximately $40 million annually. MTI worked with some 100 customers worldwide, in 35 countries, and as CEO, Ekon had found his calling as a leader in the world of big business.
Philanthropist
Far more than a businessman, Paul Ekon is also a concerned citizen who cares about the welfare of his fellow countrymen. Back in the seventies, along with his partner, Reverend Siphu Benghu, Paul Ekon established a community center that would bring comfort and sustenance to the city’s population in need. The center was – and is still – known as Faithways Church. Small at first, its primary purpose was to watch over Soweto’s 100 orphans. When Ekon’s partner, Reverend Benghu, passed away in 1992, Ekon chose not only to continue the work of the Faithways Church but to expand it throughout the country. In collaboration with Jonathan Maphike, Paul Ekon opened branches around South Africa and later established the Rhema Church as well, also a place of refuge for South African orphans. One of the guiding principles behind both churches is that the children will be well fed and cared for, and so in preparing the food, the workers adhere to stringent rules set out by the United Nations regarding nutrition.
Current Activities
Today, Paul Ekon enjoys his work as a professional venture capitalist, investing in worthwhile and promising new endeavors. One company in which he is invested is New African Mining, a South African diamond mining company that has the potential to be very profitable for its investors.
