A recognisable name opens the first conversation and almost nothing after it. That is the practical lesson in the career of Ayanda Thabethe, who was running businesses before she became a television name rather than the other way round. Recognition shortens the distance to a meeting. It does not price the work, deliver it, or persuade a client to come back.
Thabethe studied marketing at the University of Pretoria, held senior sales roles in pharmaceutical companies, and worked as a brand manager at L’Oreal South Africa before starting anything of her own. The businesses that followed, in brand management and in beauty, came out of that commercial grounding rather than out of visibility.
Commercial experience is what makes a personal profile usable
The order matters. Someone who has managed a brand budget, negotiated with retailers and carried a sales target already understands margin, seasonality and what a client is actually buying. A profile layered on top of that is an accelerant. A profile without it has nothing to accelerate, which is why so many visibility-led ventures stall after the launch coverage fades.
Fame changes the sales conversation, not the sale
Being known makes the first meeting easier to secure and the first email easier to get answered. It does not shorten the procurement process, remove the need for references, or stop a client comparing quotes. Thabethe has described both sides of this directly: recognition helps start the conversation, and it also brings expectations and scrutiny that a less visible operator never has to manage.
The risk is that the person becomes the product
When a business is built around one recognisable individual, growth is capped by that person’s available hours and reputation. The businesses that outlast the profile are the ones where the founder deliberately builds systems, hires people clients are happy to deal with, and makes the offer stand on its own. That work is unglamorous and it is the difference between a venture and a personal brand extension.
What this means for owners without a public profile
Most business owners will never have the recognition advantage, and the practical takeaway is that the advantage is smaller than it appears. The turnover and survival patterns Statistics South Africa records across small businesses turn on trading conditions and cash, not on how well known the owner is. The parts of the business that decide whether it survives, pricing, delivery, repeat custom and cash management, are available to anyone. A founder who gets those right without a profile is in a stronger position than one who has the profile and not the fundamentals.
Frequently asked questions
Does being well known make a business more likely to succeed?
It makes the first conversation easier to start and the first customers easier to reach. It does not improve pricing, delivery or retention, which are what decide whether a business lasts.
What did Ayanda Thabethe do before becoming a television name?
She studied marketing at the University of Pretoria, worked in senior sales roles in the pharmaceutical sector and was a brand manager at L’Oreal South Africa before starting her own ventures.
What are the disadvantages of running a business as a public figure?
Higher expectations, more scrutiny when something goes wrong, and the risk that the business cannot grow past the founder’s own capacity and reputation.
How do you stop a business depending entirely on the founder’s profile?
Build a service clients would buy without knowing who is behind it, hire people customers deal with directly, and document how the work gets delivered so it does not sit in one head.
Is a personal brand worth investing in for an ordinary small business owner?
It is worth some effort, particularly in service industries where trust drives the decision, but it should follow a working offer rather than substitute for one.
Further reading
Originally published in September 2017. Updated September 2026 to focus on what a public profile does and does not contribute to a business, rather than on a single year’s television appearances.
