Rivo Mhlari is the founder of Rikatec, an information management system that uses big data and artificial intelligence to predict and detect vehicle breakdowns, track vehicles, assist in determining insurance and warranty premiums, among others.

The idea of starting Rikatec occurred to Mhlari, nicknamed “a tech and innovation guru,” when he was in his first year at the university and eventually started the business when he was 23 years.

Mhlari, who hails from South Africa’s Limpopo Province, is a graduate of the University of Cape Town with an Honours in Business Science, specializing in finance and accounting.