Velly is an entrepreneur and a family man at heart. With a passion for the world of digital and never-ending thirst for knowledge, he started off his career with no formal education, no funding and worked his way quietly to the top. Launching and running 4 successful SME’s in South Africa, he embraces the motto people, profit and performance.
Velly had to rely on his own personal savings to get his first (and sundry) businesses off the ground and he put every cent he owned to achieve his dream of starting his own business in the digital space.
Velly observed how other managers lead their businesses, the processes they followed and their approach and adapted it to his own style. He spent many hours doing research to see how to successfully position his companies.
After gaining as much experience in media sales, with no investments, he started Adclick Africa. In just one year of starting out as a digital advertising agency, he acquired the SME South Africa publication and founded Africa’s first Premium Ad Network. By 2014, Adclick Africa was the largest publisher network in Africa! In 2015 they were the first to introduce video and rich media ad formats. A game changer in a space where brands compete to capture the online audience. A year later Velly brought in ground breaking data retargeting technology into the country. 2017, Adclick launched the largest Free Wi-Fi ad network in Africa. Amidst COVID-19 times in Sept 2020, Velly launched Africa’s first B2B service marketplace, Serv.co.za.
After identifying the importance of stimulating the SME economy during COVID, Velly launched Startwise in April 2021. It provides expert guidance to SME’s in South Africa.
Velly has a loving wife and four children who share his attention. He continues to read as many business orientated books and keeps abreast of all the overseas digital trends. It’s this approach that has enabled Velly to identify the gaps in the African market and develop opportunities.
Areas of Expertise
Real Time Bidding
Display Advertising
Video Advertising
Mobile Advertising
Online Trading
Media Buying
Mentorship
Digital Marketing
SME Growth
