Gaming and leisure

Thornbird's founder joined Sun International in 2000 and thereafter Grand Parade Investments as its Chief Executive in 2008. He used this platform to drive value to the previously disadvantaged citizens of South Africa. This was a passion project for him to play his part in addressing the wrongs created by the powers that be during the apartheid era. He in this time developed an excellent knowledge of the hotel, leisure and gambling sector and in 2011 after deciding to pursue an entrepenurial career he established the Pioneer Slots company and provided the intellectual capital for the successful bid for a route operator license in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. He successfully assisted the majority shareholder, African Pioneer Limited a black borne enterprise into being the first and highly successful organic black gaming business in South Africa. In 2021 he made the decision to exit from this investment, but it remains one of the founders stand out successes during his career.