Herman Mashaba

South Africa. In 1985, with partners, Mashaba launched Black Like Me, hair-care products made for Black South Africans at a time when the big brands ignored them, selling through salons and hawkers in the townships. Its factory was burned down in 1993, and the business recovered. He later went into politics as mayor of Johannesburg, which is a separate record; the business story is about serving a market others overlooked.