Busie Matsiko brings her ‘vision board to success’ in new book

South African global strategist and entrepreneur Busie Matsiko is set to release her book, Create the Life of Your Dreams, at the end of this month.

As part of International Women’s Month, the transformative guide explores how intentional action, vision, and the law of attraction can turn aspirations into reality.

Drawing from a career spanning Wall Street, commerce and leadership, Matsiko, who is the director of the New York–African Chamber of Commerce and the founder of the Africa Sisters of New York City,  says success demands vision, strategy, and execution.

“The inspiration behind the book is basically planning and dreaming, writing your vision and acting on it,” she said.

“I remember when I was young, my dad used to say, ‘write down things so that you don't forget them’. I started dealing with procrastination at the time, having resolutions and goals but facing challenges in achieving them.

“So then I decided to choose like, five things, you write them down, and then I began to do it as a ‘vision board’ kind of thing. I started inviting people to join my ‘vision board’ events.”

Matsiko’s vision board events and mindset manifesting videos posted during the Covid-19 pandemic generated significant demand in the US for downloads of her content.

“I looked at it as a ‘doing board’, leading to developing a curriculum and introducing it to universities and organisations such as the YWCA,” said the Soweto-born entrepreneur, who was raised in Zambia and Uganda, and has lived in New York for the past 24 years. “I partnered with institutions like Berkeley College, with banks such as JP Morgan Chase, and the work-study programme for the City of Newark.

“There were tangible results and then I realised the books that existed on this ‘vision board’ practice were craft books, not self-help or business-type books. And that was my epiphany.”

Former Miss South Africa Shudufhadzo Musida, who represented SA at Miss World in 2022, attended Friday’s dinner for the Africa Sisters of New York City at Pershing Square. “I met Busie through Dr Phumzile [Mlambo-Ngcuka] — at the boutique opening of MaXhosa Africa in New York City,” said Musida, 28.

“Dr Phumzile is my mentor, and she was the one who told me to go to Columbia University. She set up an appointment with one of the professors at Columbia, just so I could see it and feel it out. And I fell in love with it instantly. And that’s how I ended up at Columbia.

“I’m currently studying for my Masters in International Affairs, focusing on economic and political development with a specialisation in leadership, innovation and design. The US is amazing, but every single day I miss South Africa. I miss the people. Ubuntu is something that we take for granted, but it’s something that we carry with us everywhere.”

Matsiko said: “I’ve been so inspired by these incredible women from South Africa to the African diaspora, who are here with us.

“The book launches on my birthday and I can’t wait to help people manifest their dreams, harness their power and transform their vision into reality.”

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