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He’s built a reputation for making government function more effectively that has since grown into a career focus and passion.
He first made his name working with the public sector and facilitating private public partnerships (PPPs) as a consultant at Deloitte in Natal.
In 2003 he decided it was time to go it alone and started Neo Consulting, offering consultancy services.
CEO Natasen says it was profitable from day one due to the nature of the business. He decided he was still young enough to take the chance, because there was enough time to dust himself off and start afresh if the venture didn’t succeed.
Furthermore, he felt he’d earned his stripes during his time at Deloitte.
Natasen’s years at Deloitte included three years of articles he served from 1994, with a focus on information systems. He became a specialist in PPPs, logistics and fleet management. One of those projects was getting the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government fleet into shape.
He moved to Johannesburg in 2001, where he established Neo Consulting. “I proved myself as a good consultant. I’d built solid relationships, realised I had a good strategic head to set up my own thing.”
Although the idea of going it alone was already there, it took a dramatic event to further convince him to take the plunge.
Natasen’s father was killed in a robbery at his family business in 2002. His father had set up his own business when he couldn’t advance any further in his profession because he was Indian and he needed to be “white” to progress further.
The reminder of that time was precious and his family’s entrepreneurial background saw him establish Neo.
Natasen used his savings and was able to keep money in the business because he was already financially secure. The business was set up as a specialist in the public sector: PPPs, plus fleet and facilities management. Natasen’s study became the office, staffed by three people for three months.
Staff numbers have since multiplied to 350 core people, with extra hands brought in whenever needed. The company has undergone other changes, including its name and offerings. Neo Consulting has grown into Neo Africa with five divisions: IT and consulting, lifestyle, property, energy and security.
Turnover stands at R750m, with consulting and IT making up the bulk of that. Consulting contributes anywhere between 30% and 40%, while IT sits at 15% to 20%.
Neo Africa has since been involved in major projects, such as the Taxi Recapitalisation Project, with a group of industry specialists.
It was part of a group involved in the scrapping side of the R8.8bn project. The money from scrapped minibus taxis goes back to the associations and owners have received allowances to buy new taxis.
Natasen wants to build a legacy of being innovative and a leader in the technology field through the solutions the company offers. One of the defining moments towards that goal is the system it built in 2005 for the KZN provincial government to reduce corruption in the process of providing learner and driver licences.
The technology-driven system monitors the entire process and has eliminated the “human error” aspect. It also made the procedure – from booking a learner’s licence through to the final driving test – faster than it had been.
The United Nations awarded it for being one of the top inventions worldwide in the same year. “Nothing can compare with this system,” says Natasen.
Other innovations include Neo launching its own credit card with high security features, over the past three months. It’s aimed at visitors/tourists and is promoted as a single service to be used in the place of cash, travellers’ cheques or other credit cards.
The credit card can only be used when the owner activates it using his cellphone.
The phone can be tracked all hours of the day and used in emergencies. The tracker is part of a security feature that sends an emergency signal to wherever the user is in what’s described as a “world first” by Natasen.
It took six months and 90 programmers to deliver the card. It was produced by Neo’s security arm, which focuses on keeping visitors’ money safe when they travel in SA.
No longer content with flying under the radar, Neo boosted its public profile by becoming involved in this year’s Soccer World Cup as a national supporter, offering lifestyle and VIP services.
Its involvement with sports began last year, when Neo made its first foray into sports sponsorship with boxing. It’s also involved in Tri-Series rugby in Cape Town. It’s set on growing its inventory so it can compete more in sports events and sponsorship.
The last year saw Neo move into publishing.
It acquired lifestyle magazine Prestige, which can be found in four- and five-star hotels. Eventing and marketing were also added to its mix. The company’s energy and properties divisions are still at the beginning stages, with both focused on green solutions.
Though it’s been a time of immense growth, unpaid invoices have increasingly become a headache. “The thing that really drives me crazy is clients who just don’t say anything, whereas a payment plan could be worked out,” says Natasen.
Looking at the company carving out its niche it may be difficult to believe Natasen stumbled into this carer. He was all set to become a vet but wasn’t so sure by the time matric rolled around.
A family friend realised he had an aptitude for numbers and opened him up to other possibilities. His family may have seen him donning a white vet’s coat but he rebelled and has blown them away by becoming something entirely different.
- Finweek
