He seeks solutions for workplace efficiency concerns. His achievements have already won him several awards.

South African entrepreneur Velani Mboweni, co-founder and CEO of startup Lüla, is connecting workers with private shuttle drivers. His platform offers a sustainable, secure, and affordable transport solution in emerging markets.

Established in 2016, Lüla provides a local service that transports users from their homes to their workplaces and vice versa. The primary clientele of this solution are companies seeking to ensure efficient commutes for their employees.

Mboweni, a University of Cape Town graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, furthered his education with a postgraduate diploma in business administration from Wits Business School in 2016. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of the Witwatersrand, obtained in 2017.

Before Lüla, Mboweni co-founded Phambili Mzansi in 2015, a non-profit organization that facilitates connections between people, knowledge, and resources. He currently serves as a director and board member of Wesgro, an organization that links foreign investors with local exporters in the Western Cape, South Africa.

In addition, Mboweni is a member of the advisory board of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, a research organization that focuses on the study, development, localization, and dissemination of technologies to boost socio-economic prosperity in South Africa.

Mboweni, a member of the Harambe Entrepreneurs Alliance African Innovators since 2018, served as the Head of Business Development at eTranzact International PLC, a Nigerian mobile banking and payment services provider, from 2010 to 2014. In 2017, he joined the African Youth Commission, an independent pan-African youth network, as the commissioner for human resources, science, technology, and innovation, a position he held until 2019.

Mboweni’s professional and entrepreneurial career has earned him several awards and distinctions. In 2019, Lüla was named “Start-up of the Year” at the Global Startup Awards. In 2022, he was recognized in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

Melchior Koba