One Prop Trader a Day - Meet Nicolus Nenzhelele: He Paid for University by Trading

A My name is Nicolus Nenzhelele. I am 30 years old, from South Africa, and I trade US indices and gold.

A What changed for me was freedom. At that point, I realized that the financial freedom I had always been searching for in the forex industry, the freedom I always believed was possible, was actually becoming a reality. The realization turned into action, and from that moment I knew things would never be the same. I saw greater possibilities ahead and understood that there was potential to achieve even more. I felt that financial struggle was coming to an end and that I was entering a new season of freedom and opportunity.

A I was extremely excited. Becoming funded was proof to myself that what I had been teaching and working on all along was actually working. It gave me confidence that I was on the right path. The feeling was amazing because it validated years of effort, learning, and perseverance. I was very happy and felt like I was over the moon. It was a moment of achievement and confirmation that my hard work was paying off.

A My journey was a little different, because before getting into prop firms I had already spent a long time trading personal accounts, although they were relatively small. When I first learned about funded accounts, I took my time researching the industry to make sure the firms and programs were legitimate. My first challenge was a $10,000 FTMO account, which I failed. I went back to the drawing board, reviewed my mistakes, and improved my approach. After that, I purchased a $50,000 challenge, which I also failed. However, on my next attempt I passed and became funded, and I have been funded since. In total, I failed twice before getting funded for the first time. What kept me going was the experience I had built trading personal accounts and my belief that consistent improvement would eventually produce the results I was looking for.

A One of my lowest points came when I funded a personal trading account with more capital than I would normally deposit. It was money that could have been used for other important things, but I chose to invest it into my dream of becoming a successful trader. When I lost that money, I felt defeated. I kept questioning myself and wondering what I could possibly be doing wrong. In my mind, I was trying to do everything right, not only as a trader, but also in life: trying to be disciplined, trying to be a good person, and trying to build something for myself financially. Losing that money brought a lot of difficult thoughts and emotions. Looking back, however, that experience became one of the most important lessons in my journey. Over time, I healed from the pain of those losses and gained a deeper understanding of risk, discipline, and resilience. The trader I am today was built on the foundation of those difficult experiences.

A Trading is a game of probabilities, and it challenges your emotional and psychological state. It tests your beliefs and discipline constantly. Overtrading and revenge trading usually come after losses, not wins, because you try to recover what you’ve lost. That’s when emotions become stronger and decisions become less rational. Yes, trading has affected me mentally and emotionally at different stages. There have been moments of stress, especially when managing positions or reacting to the market in real time. We are not robots, we have emotions, but the key is learning how to manage them. I accept that emotional pressure is part of trading and part of being a financial analyst. It is something you learn to control, not eliminate.

A My trading style is fundamentally driven, but I also use technical analysis for execution. I first analyze the news, especially for US indices, to understand what is currently moving the market. I focus on what is happening now, not long-term forecasts. Once I understand the fundamental direction, I use technical analysis to find entries, stop-loss levels, take-profit levels, and key market structures like daily highs and lows. So news gives me direction, and technical analysis gives me execution. By the time I enter a trade, I already have a directional bias based on fundamentals.

A My trading day starts with analyzing the news and reviewing how yesterday’s news affected the market. I check whether the reactions were accurate and how the market responded. Then I focus on today’s news and continuously monitor market developments. After that, I study market structure and adapt to how the market is behaving on that specific day. I believe in adaptability, so I don’t force a fixed strategy; I adjust based on conditions. From there, I look for trading opportunities based on both the news and the market structure for that day.

A No, most people don’t fully understand what I do, and I prefer it that way. With family and close friends, I simply say I am a financial analyst or entrepreneur. I don’t go into details because it leads to unnecessary questions and expectations. I also have a registered company, and I operate under that structure, so it is easy to keep things simple. I prefer to keep trading private and only share what is necessary.

A Trading changed my life from the beginning. While I was still in university, it allowed me to move from living month to month to becoming financially independent. I used trading income to pay for my studies, accommodation, and daily needs. Over time, it also gave me freedom. I can spend time with my family, take them out during the week, and be present in my son’s life. I can even finish trading early in the day and have the rest of the day free. It gave me financial independence, time freedom, and family balance.

A What keeps me motivated is freedom. Nobody can fire me, and I am fully in control of my finances. Unlike traditional jobs, trading gives me independence as long as I remain disciplined. I also value time freedom; I can travel or take breaks without asking for permission. This is not just a job for me, it is a long-term path that I will continue and pass on as discipline and knowledge to my children.

A I would say: don’t give up and keep learning. Learn as much as you can, and you will get there. Another lesson is that the longest way is actually the shortcut. If you try shortcuts in trading, you will never succeed. Real success comes from patience and consistency.

A I have never traded that amount before, so I would first focus on adapting. I would open a demo account with the same capital and train myself to understand how it behaves emotionally and psychologically. I would learn how small percentage movements translate into large monetary changes and adjust my risk accordingly. My goal would be to build emotional control, discipline, and comfort with the numbers before trading live. Only after full adaptation would I start trading with small positions and scale gradually.