Journey of a CEO: How a Young Visionary Entrepreneur is changing the Media and Entertainment Industry in South Africa

Mr. Mihlali S. Ngqongwa, affectionately known as “Tar Roy” on stage and “ITSTARROYRSA” in entertainment circles, is a 22 year old young entrepreneur, tech enthusiast, graphic designer, amapiano music producer and a professional gamer from the township of Khayelitsha in Cape Town, South Africa. He was born on 21 December at Michael Mapongwana CDC, and is the third of five children. His parents separated in 2019, and he was raised by a single parent, his mother.

Growing up, he faced a lot of social and economic challenges. He had a bitter relationship with his father as he was a strict, and had an occupation as a construction worker (Foreman) and his mother was a nurse (Assistant). He didn’t grow up with a silver spoon, but both of his parents, made sure that he always had his basic needs met. He would frequently get abused physically by his father, which led him to have anger and resentment towards him. It also inspired him to be independent, he says, “Discipline can make a man, but a man without discipline, is no man”. 

(Mr. M.S.N did not want to speak about his childhood due to the severe trauma he suffered. He was able to continue sharing other significant important details about his personal life experiences.)

He attended Noxolo Xauka Public Primary School (N.X.P.P.S) from 2010 - 2017, then registered at Sinako High School (S.H.S) from 2018 - 2022. He later matriculated with a Bachelor’s Degree Pass and later applied to study at the University of Western Cape (UWC), University of Cape Town (UCT) and Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), which were considered one of the best universities in the country, continent and even the world. Unfortunately for him, he got rejected at all 3 universities due to baseless claims that “he did not meet the requirements for the course.” During that time, he was still in a new man (IKRWALA) phase as per his Xhosa culture. He was still job and school hunting at that time, which taught him to be independent, the hard way. This became a turning point in his life, as he said, “This life after matric i’m in, is not the one they told me about while i was still in school.”

In 2024, he later applied for a job as a cashier at Pick’n’Pay Family Supermarket in Observatory, Cape Town. He had some face-to-face sales experience from a previous job he did, so he used that in his resume, which also had only one contactable reference, he got the job. At the time, he was regarded as the only male cashier ever to work in the history of the store, earning a basic monthly salary of R5000 monthly before taxes, which was equal to about $308 per month. He was able to help his family pay for rent, buy food, spend on transportation and other living expenses. He would normally be left with R1000 - R2000 ($62 - $123) after all deductions, bills and mandatory expenses. In his job, he would meet and assist nurses, students, law enforcement officers, public officials and the general public. He was very good with people, as he had great interpersonal skills, intrapersonal skills and was good at communication. He was known for being fast, efficient and always offering assistance without expecting anything in return, which made many customers praise his hard working abilities, kindness and great customer service. 

In late 2024, he enrolled in TSIBA (Tertiary School In Business Administration), which was a private business institution where he was there to do his BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration). He could not afford the R40K ($2466) per year in student fees. He later reached out to an old family friend, who had promised to help him study further on the condition that he passes Grade 12, he could get a scholarship. In the end, after some several meetings, agreements and other commitments, they kept their word, and were able to assist him to study towards his BBA qualification. He met a lot of people, was able to collaborate on team projects and later joined TSIBA’s Digital Media Team (The Digi Club). 

From there, he later met like-minded individuals who liked his character, charismatic personality and his leadership values. He would often lead in team projects and present in front of a large group of people. He was very good at public speaking, and was vocal when it came to advocating for an arts and entertainment program in the school. With the assistance of the HoD, Student Council and SRC members, i was able to help create the first TSIBA Arts & Culture Program (ACP). At the time, a lot of students were already interested in creating their own drama and music club, so we formed one with a student vote, and we managed to secure more than 80 students for both clubs in a single day. It later was clear to him, that he was good at managing, collaborating and leading people. 

He later started his idea of starting a company, not one that’s built primarily around profit, one that can actually make a difference, not just financially, but socially. He was more interested in collaborating with musicians, artists, creative individuals and anyone who had a passion for the arts. To him, it became more than just a hobby or role, it became a passion he later discovered he had while at TSIBA. He was attending events, managing school resources and was involved in various projects with any upcoming events held by TSIBA. He met influential figures such as Mr Andrew Silondo, an entertainment and media guru which later become his mentor. 

In early 2025, he was accused of breaking school policy and failing to adhere to the rules of the institution. He was later called by the Dean, HoD, Student Council and CEO to a disciplinary hearing, which ended in him being suspended immediately from TSIBA. After a week, he was later expelled. His sponsors were also informed about the incident, and they were gravely disappointed by his behaviour and actions. They told him that they did not want him to pay back the money, but all they wanted, is that he also do something nice for someone else, without expecting anything in return. 

Faced with the grim reality of being expelled from school during his second year, he later decided to go back to work, and started looking for employment again. He later became a BPO Sales Representative for Sell Direct Marketing (SDM) in Observatory, Cape Town. He worked there for a year, and later joined Concentrix SA (CNX) in Cape Town CBD. He worked there for several months as a BPO Sales Account Manager. He gained a lot of knowledge and experience working there as he managed to build himself a house. He also managed to buy his family clothes, food and paid off their debts. Due to him being one of the top agents, he was constantly monitored and evaluated by the Q&A Team which constantly had policy and regulation issues with him. They flagged most of his calls due to unknown reasons, and in the end, he was forced to resign and leave the company.

In 2026, he has managed to keep his personal life very private, his business and entertainment ventures are also private. All that is known, is that he is the CEO and Founder of The Vele Wenze Group, which is an entertainment and media holding company with subsidiaries in entertainment, creative and media industries. It offers multiple services as well as its own original IP such as shows, films, podcasts, music and more. As the Group CEO, he is responsible for strategically planning, leading and executing the company’s growth and development strategy. 

The Vele Wenze Holdings Group owns and operates multiple subsidiaries. These include: Vele Wenze Productions SA, Vele Wenze Marketing Agency, Vele Wenze Creative Studio, Vele Wenze Elite Club, Vele Wenze Breaking News, Vele Wenze Social Responsibility, Vele Wenze Animation Studio, Vele Wenze Streetwear Clothing Co. & Vele Wenze TV

All of these subsidiaries are all connected through the Vele Wenze Ecosystem. They effectively and efficiently provide internal services to one another, and also offer B2B as well as B2C services.

Date : Thur, 13 August 2026

For more information : CEO’s Digital Portfolio

Sources : Vele Wenze Breaking News & The Vele Wenze Group

Written by : Mr Mihlali S. Ngqongwa (CEO & Founder of V.W.H.G)