A Man for All Seasons

As so many others, scattered as they are everywhere on the Island, Rehaaz Mahamed, Team Leader of the brand name “Bingo”, is an unknown, uncelebrated entrepreneur.
But the truth is: self-confidence, perseverance, hard work and the passion to translate entrepreneurial initiatives into extraordinary things was all he was committed to since he was 12 years old.
The tough years of the 70s-80s - when the country and Mauritian working class families had to toil hard and suffer the consequences of a socioeconomic disaster - had taught him many things. He started acquiring life’s experience at a very early age. Making ends meet to put food on the table or sending kids to school was a family concern. Hard working, loving and caring parents stood on their feet to get things moving, while always hoping and praying for the advent of better days.
One day, Rehaaz decided, on his own, to stop college life. Witnessing, on a daily basis, the trials and tribulations of his parents to put food on the table and balance the family’s budget was too much for him. He could not take it anymore!
He made a choice that would have consequential effects on the rest of his life’s journey. Of course, at the time he took the most dramatic decision of his life, he had absolutely no idea, absolutely no guarantee of any success or even immediate improvement in his or altogether the family conditions. He only knew, from parental oral guidance, that hard work and faith and belief may one day reward the hard worker and believer, whoever he/she is.
That was all! But not enough to fulfill life’s dreams!
Anyway, Rehaaz volunteered his young and tender hands into the entrepreneurial initiative of his parents: that was about farming, growing vegetables on rented lands. He already had a taste of this job when, as a college student, he answered his dad’s call to spend time and to be helpful on the plantations. His long experience of “trier ti piments, arrose pomme d’amour dans week end” was a real nightmare.
When experiencing crop shortage, he would travel to Port Louis and Vacoas Market Fair to buy fresh vegetables. He would ride a bicycle on the streets of Triolet village for vegetable trading.
He later joined his dad who started a new business - transport logistics. The family acquired a lorry on credit purchase. Rehaaz started to enjoy his new job: assisting his dad in a truck on the move all day! This job helped him in the discovery of the four corners of the Island. His enthusiasm, ideas and experience acquired on the ground pushed him to convince his dad to invest in a small fleet of trucks.
He personally negotiated transport contracts with private firms at the young age of 18, as well as assuming responsibility for trucks maintenance and regular servicing. His services were retained for many public/private sector infrastructure projects. He grew up as a most trustworthy person.
He liked this part of his life’s journey, despite all the difficulties encountered.
Later, he changed gear. He bought himself a brand new food vehicle from Scott and started a new trade: island wide delivery of not less than forty food items. At Scott, one person was helpful: Eddy Boizzeson, now Vice-President of the Republic!
For a very short time, he acted as a taxi marron!
During the past decades, he diverted his passion and entrepreneurial energy towards property development. His life’s story travels with him every day. He has a correct understanding of hard work and hardships. He thus made it a matter of principle to cater for working class families, advising, helping them to become land/home owners.
Since 2020, the Pandemic situation had him reflect seriously on the future of business and trading. Mid 2021, with the support and advice of trusted friends, he was back to his original passion: trading foodstuffs. And “Bingo” was born! As Team Leader, he will now put himself to test and accompany “Bingo” on its journey. As always, the words of his dad constantly remind him that hard work and faith and belief is the only recipe for success.
The greatest challenge ahead, in his own words: bringing his humble contribution to create jobs and be a stake holder in socioeconomic growth in the SME category.
His overall achievements till date were built on the foundation of trust and hard work.
His character is the trait that would distinguish him from others, and no amount of work will discourage him, never shying away from responsibilities or more hard work.
For him, no work is shameful.
His decades of on-the-job-experience, his intimate knowledge of trading, his personal skills in business management, his wide list of contacts, notwithstanding his personal drive and motivation for success, stand as testimony that the trade name “Bingo” is going to benefit from his leadership and entrepreneurship passion that would inspire Team Bingo towards success.
His daily life's experience keeps reminding him of one extraordinary thing about people and diversity: that human kindness or generosity may seem to be a rare asset, but never stops to creed or color as same is rooted in the common values people of diverse origin, background and history, warmly share and enjoy in their daily lives under the cover of natural anonymity.
This is the Motherland he knows much about and which is his daily companion on his journey here.