Back in 1993, when Stafford Masie got his first job at Telkom as a Software Developer, he came across a lot of discrimination. He found that people wanted to stereotype him according to what they thought brown people should be like. He decided that he would go to his dad for some advice and what his dad told him was, he can choose to become a victim or he can choose to be the best and break the stereotype. He chose to break the stereotype.
In the two short years that he worked at Telkom, the Eldorado Park born and raised Stafford became the best at everything, making sure that he was at the centre of what was back then, groundbreaking technologies.
He launched Telkom’s Novell Training Institute, became a Certified Training Instructor, migrated Telkom to a new Email System, deployed a new listserver, helped build a new electronic directory service, wrote the Dynamic link library technical white paper, deployed some of South Africa’s first websites and was the first person to do a voip based call to the USA. He then decided to move on and since then, he always chose to break the stereotype.
He became the National Software Strategist for Dimension Data, the Co-CEO and strategist for Redstar Networks, the Product Marketing Director for Novell SA, the Global Business Strategist for Novell Inc (based in the USA), the Global Corporate Strategist for Novell Inc (based in the USA), a Managing Director for Novell SA and the Head of Google South Africa. Now, if you don’t know, he was the guy that was responsible for launching Youtube and Google Maps in South Africa.
After leaving Google, he aimed even higher, breaking the stereotype of what a Tech Entrepreneur should look like.
In 2010, Stafford started his own company called, Thumbzup, raising R80 million and spending two and a half years developing the ‘Payment Pebble’ smartphone device. It was a world first, turning a smartphone and tablet into a mobile card payment machine. It attracted the attention of ABSA, eventually leading to partnership that produced Africa’s largest mobile point of sale company and an expansion into Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, North America and Asia. Of course, being somebody that is always looking for new challenges and opportunities, he eventually sold the company.
He has since invested in and helped co-found companies involved in AI, cloud data, online teaching and bitcoin. He was a board member for the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Discovery Bank and ADvTECH Group, and he is a guest MBA lecturer at the University of Pretoria. Stafford is currently the Executive Chairperson of Africa Bitcoin corporation.
When Stafford is not working, he likes to spend time with his two kids. He also flies his own personal plane, likes to dive and ski, and he has met everyone from Micheal Jackson to Steve Jobs.
Stafford is not slowing down and continues to look for new challenges. At this point though, it is safe to say that he did a pretty good job of breaking the stereotype.
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