In short: There’s no single formula for building a business, but the South African founders below converge on a few things: know your reason for starting, separate yourself from the company early, be patient, and use the network you already have before chasing strangers.
Why does knowing your “why” actually matter day to day?
“The SMME sector plays a significant role in job creation and stimulating the South African economy. It is not an easy journey, but it’s worth it in the end,” says Tumi Phake, founder of Zenzele Fitness. A clear reason for starting is not motivational filler, it’s what gets a founder through the specific week when cash is tight and a client has just cancelled. Ike Cha, founder, chairman and CEO of investment company Lionshare Venture Holdings, puts the encouraging side of it plainly: “The one thing that surprised me and also encouraged me was that it was not as impossible as it seemed. Difficult yes, but if you are determined and hard-working, people will see your commitment, and are prepared to offer support.”
How important is the unglamorous, repetitive work?
Joe Human, co-founder of digital agency Creative Mind Space, is direct about this: “You’ve got to become obsessed with the process, the process is all the un-sexy things you have to do to make sure you win. It’s about commitment, consistency and most importantly, patience. It’s less about wanting to be popular and famous and more about solving real problems.” Cha makes the same point from a different angle: “The devil is always in the detail. You learn the art of conceptualising and writing everything down, and this streamlines your thought process. Finally, executing and measuring your activities.”
Should you separate yourself from your business?
Luvuyo Rani, co-founder of Silulo Ulutho Technologies, argues for a clean line between founder and company: “The company is its own entity with its eco-system. There must be a clear separation between it and you so that it can grow without you. The company must be bigger than the individual and speak to the vision.” Precious Mvulane, founder and MD of GAD Consulting Services, extends this into a career sequence: “The aim is to fire yourself as an employee so that you can become a company director, and later move on to be a full-time shareholder.” In most economies, she notes, the shareholder is paid the most, the director next, and the employee least, so the goal is to keep moving up that chain rather than staying indispensable to daily operations forever.
How do you build the right network, not just a big one?
Nwabisa Mayema, co-founder of training and consulting business nnfinity, draws a distinction between a network and a “squad”: a network exists to drive value within a community, elevator pitches and business cards included, while a squad is the smaller group that lets you be honest when things are going badly. Both matter, and confusing the two, expecting your professional network to also be your emotional support system, sets founders up to feel isolated even when they’re well connected.
Where do your first real customers actually come from?
Lisa Illingworth, CEO and co-founder of Futureproof SA, which teaches entrepreneurial skills to schoolchildren across Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, is unambiguous: “Your network is your most lucrative source of first customers because they already trust you.” Her own first sale came through a friend and fellow teacher at a school where she’d built a personal relationship, and that school stayed a loyal customer for years afterward. Mikie Monoketsi, founder of Mama’s Spices & Herbs, tells a similar story from an unlikely place: she met the person who helped her get the regulatory documentation to legally manufacture her spices at her local gym, not through a formal industry event.
How patient do you actually need to be?
Vusi Thembekwayo, founder of My Growth Fund Venture Capital, uses a deliberately extreme example to make the point: the Great Wall of China took more than a thousand years and 72 dynasties to build. “Think long term, this will allow you to look at your failures as learning opportunities that will serve you in the long run.” Shark Tank South Africa winner Vusani Ravele, founder of Native Decor, offers the practical version of the same idea for an early-stage business specifically: “Dream big, but act small.” He wanted his products in large retail stores from day one, but recognised that as a startup he simply didn’t have the negotiating position yet, and chased smaller, winnable traction first instead.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the most common mistake these founders warn against?
Staying too personally attached to the business, whether that means refusing to separate yourself from it (Rani’s point) or chasing big retail deals before you have the leverage to win them (Ravele’s point).
Where should a new business look for its first customers?
Your existing network first. Several founders here made their first sale through a friend, colleague or someone met socially, not through a formal sales process.
Is patience really a business strategy, or just a platitude?
Framed practically, yes: it means treating failures as data rather than verdicts, and building traction in small, achievable steps before attempting the big move (a major retail listing, a large investor) you’re not yet positioned to win.
Should founders separate their personal identity from their company?
Several founders here argue yes, specifically so the business can keep growing even in situations where the founder can’t be personally involved in every decision.
Originally published in December 2019. Updated September 2026.
