Articles
Thinking on business, strategy, and starting.
Practical perspectives for South African professionals thinking about or building a business.
24 October 2026
Your Till Balances. That Doesn’t Mean Nobody’s Stealing.
Moving from corporate into retail or food? What I learned at Wimpy about employee theft, collusion and why your point-of-sale data can’t be trusted on its own.
16 October 2026
Your Retrenchment Package Is Runway, Not Startup Capital
Retrenched and thinking of starting a business? How to split your package, avoid the R550 000 tax trap, protect your retirement fund and test the idea first.
7 October 2026
The Franchise Revamp Test: Can Your Store Pay for Its Own Refurbishment?
Mandatory franchise revamps can cost R500,000 to R1 million every five years. Test whether a franchise store can fund the next one before you buy or renew.
27 September 2026
The Product You Can Sell Is Whatever You Can Still Do Yourself
Senior managers starting a business in their own industry often can no longer do the work. How to test and rebuild your hands-on skills before you resign.
22 September 2026
The Queue Isn't the Business: What Yogiberry Should Remind Franchisees About Wakaberry
A new franchise's queues can fool you. I've run franchises before, and Wakaberry shows why the first few months never tell the real story.
20 September 2026
Half of New Businesses Survive Five Years. Surviving Is the Wrong Test.
Nine in ten new businesses fail? The data says about half close within five years, and South Africa has no reliable figure. The bigger risk is lower earnings.
16 September 2026
Why Most R5 000 Business Ideas Fail Before They Reach a Single Customer
R5 000 covers company registration in South Africa easily. Reaching your first customer is what actually breaks the budget. Here's the real maths.
12 September 2026
Your Next Acquisition Target Is an Owner Who Hasn't Planned to Sell
The 76% succession-plan stat cited for South African family businesses isn't South African. Here's what the real data says, and why it's still an opportunity.
12 September 2026
VAT Registration in South Africa Is a Client Decision, Not a Turnover Decision
South Africa's 2026 Budget widened the VAT and turnover tax thresholds, but the relief was built for traders. Here's what changes for consultants.
5 September 2026
The Small Business Tools That Matter Before You Spend a Rand
Free calculators for break-even, consulting rates, franchise costs and business bank accounts in South Africa, built to test your numbers before you commit.
30 August 2026
South Africa Doesn't Need New Small Business Laws. It Needs to Connect the Ones It Has
CIPC registration costs under R230 and takes days. What comes after is what actually stops South Africans from formalising a business, and how to fix it.
29 August 2026
The Business Idea That Passed Every Test and Still Didn't Get Built
Business ideas aren't invented, they're noticed and filtered. A practical method for spotting real opportunities and testing them before you spend money.
28 August 2026
My Wife Never Had to Consent to the R10 Million I Put on the Line
Personal surety on a business lease can expose your spouse's estate under SA law, sometimes without their legal consent. What to check before you sign.
15 August 2026
South Africa's Small Business Funding Gap Is Mostly a Readiness Gap
South Africa ranks near the bottom for entrepreneurship support. Here's what actually blocks small business funding, and how to prepare before you apply.
5 August 2026
The Franchise Trade-Off Nobody Puts in the Brochure
South Africa's Competition Commission is investigating franchisor power. Real cases show why neither an established nor a new franchise is the safe option.
23 July 2026
South Africa's Informal Economy Was Never the Safety Net We Assume
Two decades of Stats SA data show South Africa's informal sector shrinks, not grows, when formal jobs vanish. What that means for your own exit plan.
21 July 2026
Using Your Two-Pot Withdrawal to Fund a Business? Here Is What It Really Costs You
What a two-pot retirement withdrawal really costs when it funds a business: the tax hit, the growth given up, and how to stress-test the decision first.
13 July 2026
Everyone Wants Out of Corporate. Almost Nobody Is Preparing.
Intention to start a business hit a 20-year low just as the case for a plan B peaked. Why the wrong people are starting, and how to leave on your terms.
13 July 2026
The Corporate Ladder Is Narrowing. The Numbers Nobody Shows You.
The 32.7% unemployment rate hides the real story for professionals. What South Africa's formal jobs, bonus and salary data show about corporate risk in 2026.
2 July 2026
The True Cost of Card Fees: Why 3% of Turnover Can Be 30% of Your Profit
Card fees look small against turnover but can swallow a third of your profit. How South African merchant fees actually work, and how cash really compares.
1 July 2026
The confidence you had in corporate was half the company's
What people call imposter syndrome after leaving corporate is often more specific, more rational, and predictable from the business you choose.
26 June 2026
The Financial Ratios a Small Business Owner Can Ignore, and the Six Numbers That Matter
Current ratio, quick ratio and debt to equity were built for lenders. Small business owners in South Africa need six operating numbers instead. Here they are.
20 June 2026
The Best Business Bank Account in South Africa Depends on How You Transact
A practical 2026 guide to the cheapest business bank accounts in South Africa, comparing FNB, Standard Bank, Absa, Nedbank, Capitec and Bank Zero.
20 June 2026
What Small Business Can I Start in South Africa?
Starting a small business in South Africa on low capital: what to sell, moonlighting while employed, tax implications, and how to scale beyond a side income.
16 June 2026
Is Your Corporate Job Still the Safe Choice? What South Africa's Employment Data Reveals
South Africa's corporate job market is stagnating, not collapsing. A realist's read of the Stats SA data, and what it means if you're weighing your next move.
13 June 2026
What Building a Brand Really Means for a Small Business
Brand is not your logo. It's what people think of you. A practical guide to building a brand on a small budget through product, price, and consistency.
13 June 2026
Why Managing People Is Different When It's Your Business
The corporate management skills that don't transfer when you're the owner, like performance, discipline, and motivation in a South African small business.
7 June 2026
What You Actually Need From a Mentor (And How to Ask for It)
Most people approach mentorship wrong. They want advice but need a thinking partner with no stake in the outcome. How to find the right mentor.
3 June 2026
Can the Entrepreneurial Mindset Be Developed? What the Research Actually Shows
What forty years of academic research actually shows about whether the entrepreneurial mindset is innate or developable, and what to do about it.
30 May 2026
Solo Founder or Co-Founder? A Realistic Assessment for South African Founders
The conventional wisdom on co-founders is wrong for most businesses. An honest look at solo versus co-founder, the data and the less-discussed alternatives.
29 May 2026
B-BBEE for Small Businesses in South Africa: A Practical Guide for Founders
A practical, factual guide to B-BBEE for South African founders. Where it enables, where it constrains, sector codes, ownership decisions, and fronting risks.
23 May 2026
The Entrepreneur Mindset: A Realistic Guide for Corporate Professionals Considering the Leap
Most "entrepreneur mindset" advice is motivational noise. What corporate professionals need to assess before leaving a stable job for their own business.
19 May 2026
Starting a Business in South Africa While Still Employed: What You're Actually Allowed to Do
Starting a business while employed in South Africa is legal, but your contract, seniority, and what you build determine where the real risks sit.
15 May 2026
Small Business Funding in South Africa: What Nobody Tells You Before You Apply
The real picture on small business funding in South Africa: who gets it, why most early-stage businesses don't qualify yet, and what to do instead.
9 May 2026
What Sam Altman's Advice on Success Means for South African Entrepreneurs
Sam Altman's thirteen principles for outlier success come from Silicon Valley. What they mean for a mid-career South African considering a first business.
5 May 2026
Short-Term Rental as a Business in South Africa: What You Need to Know
Short-term rental through Airbnb and similar platforms is a genuine opportunity in South Africa, but the regulatory, insurance and financial risks are real.
4 May 2026
How to Find a Business Idea in South Africa
The best business ideas come from deep industry knowledge and a frustration thousands share, not brainstorming. A guide for mid-career professionals.
2 May 2026
How to Test a Business Idea in South Africa
Testing a business idea in South Africa takes more than a survey. The four questions to answer, and how to tell real validation from polite enthusiasm.
30 April 2026
How AI Is Creating New Business Opportunities in South Africa
AI is opening business categories in South Africa that could not exist at small scale before. The sectors with most potential, and how to get skilled.