Of the 800 nominations they received for the Forbes Top 30 Under 30, Kgomotso Mautloa made the elusive list.

Mautloa is the owner and creative director at creative design and digital agency, Green Robot Design, which opened its doors in late 2007. He is an accomplished designer, creative director and brand consultant, and has worked in various divisions of the design and branding industry. His experience has taught him invaluable skills that he now puts to good use in running his own agency which is based in the creative hub of Newtown, Johannesburg.

In 2014, Mautloa was named one of the Mail & Guardian’s Top 200 Young South Africans.

While making this list has him feeling ecstatic, he is still true to his roots and retained his humility. “I feel really humbled and blessed to have made it onto the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Being listed alongside other innovative and inspiring individuals in their respective fields is amazing. After years of hard work, determination and reassurance, an accolade like this almost affirms that one is on the right path.”

This is not only a noteworthy achievement for Mautloa, but also for his team at Green Robot Design. “Being acknowledged for things like this almost shows the consistency that we have been putting in, both as a team (at Green Robot Design) and as individuals. We work really hard at what we do, particularly from an entrepreneurial perspective. Last year, making the M&G Top 200 list provided the opportunity for us to be represented on a local scale, which was incredible, but this achievement is big. This is the continent that we live and work on, and to be put up there with the best of the best on the continent is such a big thing for us,” adds Mautloa.

The Green Robot Design team have just launched the JOOP website for the South African market, and are currently working on the Afroes website design and development among many other design projects for a broad base of clients. Green Robot Design also has a lot of game changing plans in the pipeline that will be revealed soon.

For Mautloa, being an entrepreneur means being a thinker and a solutions provider. Lately, it’s meant being a role player in the community, but more importantly, for the economy. He believes that we all have to play our part in building sustainable communities and companies that will better our South Africa. The best piece of advice he has ever received, and something that he strives for daily, is to be so good that they can’t ignore you, stay humble, keep working, and don’t work for the rewards - work because you want to.

He notes that while there are many challenges that still face young entrepreneurs on the continent, he affirms that entrepreneurs are the next big thing and drivers of change. “We (entrepreneurs) are problem solvers and idea thinkers, and in that we need to carry on fighting the good fight. We are responsible for the change we want to see, be it in business or our everyday lives.”

As for his advice to up and coming entrepreneurs on the continent? “Research your industry and get to know it from the inside out before committing yourself to it. Set your goals and your visions, clearly, and be realistic about them. Running a business is a challenge of epic proportions, but one that is so fulfilling if you persevere through the tough times.”

For more information on Green Robot Design, visit www.greenrobot.co.za. Alternatively, connect with Mautloa on Twitter.