Articles 

It’s Women’s Day! And while many incredible women have shaped me, challenged me, opened doors for me, and taught me lessons I carry every day, today I want to talk about something slightly different. The lessons I have learnt from men. And look, I have been around some tough men along my journey. Look, I'm not talking strict; I mean tough! I have spent many years in business. I have sat in boardrooms, negotiated contracts, pitched ideas, helped build businesses, lost opportun

One of the greatest tragedies isn't that people reject us. It's that we reject ourselves long before anyone else gets the chance. We spend so much of our lives trying to be acceptable, agreeable and easy to digest that we slowly erase the very things that make us unique. We soften our opinions. We shrink our dreams. We avoid difficult conversations. We become experts at reading the room but strangers to reading ourselves. The problem with people-pleasing is that it doesn't ju

This week, my family and I buried my uncle (for context, my mom's younger brother, because anyone can be an uncle). As with every funeral, there were tears, memories, laughter, old stories, and the familiar question that quietly lingers long after everyone has gone home: What will people say about us when we're gone? I hope they never have to say, "She was still planning to travel." "He always wanted to start that business." "She kept saying one day." "He never really got aro

Life has a strange way of refusing to fit into neat little boxes. When one part of your life begins to flourish, another seems to demand your tears. Your career is taking off... while someone you love is fighting for their health. Your business is finally making money... while your marriage is struggling. Your child is thriving at school... while you're silently battling anxiety. You receive the promotion you've prayed for... and, in the same week, you attend a funeral. Welco

Over the past few months, my team and I have spent countless hours reviewing management accounts and financial information from entrepreneurs across different industries. And I need to say something: the quality of accounting work we're seeing is deeply concerning and bothering. I'm not talking about the odd mistake. We all make mistakes. I'm talking about a pattern. Expenses allocated to the wrong accounts. Invoices captured in the wrong financial periods. Supplier balances

If your brain were a laptop right now... How many tabs would be open? That proposal you still need to finish. The client who hasn't responded. Your monthly targets. School fees. Payroll. The supplier who let you down. Your tax return. That business idea. The gym you've been meaning to join. The side hustle everyone is talking about. The podcast you "must" start. The investment someone else made. The holiday you saw on Instagram. The business another entrepreneur just launched

There is a phrase I hear entrepreneurs repeat with so much pride: "I will never give away shares in my business." Every time I hear it, I ask one simple question: 100% of what? Because owning 100% of a business that is struggling to grow, cannot access funding, cannot enter new markets, cannot afford the right people, and cannot scale is not necessarily a victory. It is simply complete ownership of a limited opportunity. Somewhere along the way, many entrepreneurs were sold t

Today is so special for South Africans!!!!! We're celebrating our national soccer team, Bafana Bafana, not only for winning but also for the hope and joy they've instilled in our rainbow nation. The goal, the celebrations, the pride, and the unity reminded us why sport is so powerful. I sat and smiled by myself, thinking about every little boy who plays soccer on dusty grounds in our townships and rural areas. I frequent Soweto a lot, and on any given afternoon, you'll find y

A few months ago, I attended a wedding that taught me an important lesson about entrepreneurship and professionalism. This was the décor service provider who was wearing a tracksuit and a DOPs cap. Nothing wrong with the outfit, but as the evening progressed, she became increasingly involved in the celebration itself. By the end of the night, she was seated at the bridesmaids' table, dancing and celebrating as though she were one of the invited guests. Now, before anyone accu

Dear Young South African, I want to have an honest conversation with you. Not a motivational speech. Not a social media quote. Not a feel-good message. Just an honest conversation.... Let me be honest with you.......you are growing up in a world that constantly tells you that your worth is determined by what you wear, what you drive, where you eat, what phone you carry, and how many people admire your life online. Every day, social media presents you with highlight reels of s

I Think We Have Synergies..... There are few phrases in business that I hear more often than: "I think we have synergies." At face value, it sounds exciting, it sounds collaborative, it sounds strategic, and it sounds like the beginning of a potentially great partnership. But after years of sitting across boardroom tables, in coffee shop meetings, Zoom calls, at networking events, and through countless introductions, I have learned that the phrase often means very different t

SME Funding

This is a very uncomfortable conversation… and my fingers are literally shaking as I type. I debated with myself before writing this and eventually concluded that we need to have an honest conversation here because right now, we are watching a growing number of graduates enter the labour market carrying qualifications… but struggling to find the relevance of their degrees in the economy they are entering. And before this becomes another “young people don’t want to work” debat

AI has been on my mind lately because I’ve started realising something about myself: I am doing too much in one day for one human being. I’m crushing tasks, finishing presentations, closing meetings, responding faster, producing more, thinking quicker, and moving from strategy to execution almost instantly. By midday, I’ve often done what used to take days. And that’s exactly where this thought came from. Because if AI can help me cut eight hours of work into one hour, what e

For the longest time, motherhood has been framed through a single, dominant story… one of struggle, sacrifice, exhaustion, and constant presence. It is a narrative many of us inherited without question. And if we are honest, it is also the narrative we have learned to bond over as we share the struggles of our own mothers and of ourselves as mothers. The tiredness. The guilt. The feeling of never quite doing enough for our children. I remember when I first stepped into mother

There’s a popular line that gets thrown around like strategy: “Match their energy.” But let's be real, in business and in life, that advice will quietly destroy you if you’re not careful, because "matching energies will have you mirroring demons." And in the context of clients and customers… that becomes very expensive, very quickly. The Trap: When Clients Set the Tone for Your Business Getting difficult clients is part of the game, and you'll sometimes deal with difficult cl

As we approach Freedom Day, we reflect on what it means to be free. Freedom has given us the ability to speak, to build, to choose, and to express ourselves more openly, especially when it comes to mental health. That is progress. That is necessary. And that must be protected. Mental health is real. It is serious. And for many, it is a daily battle that requires support, care, and often professional help. Those who are genuine should be taken seriously and supported properly.

So, you can't deny that we're living in an era where visibility has been mistaken for credibility. The louder the voice, the bigger the following, the more polished the content… the quicker we assume, “they must know what they’re talking about.” And just like that, popularity becomes confused with expertise. But here’s the problem: popularity is not proof of competence. It’s proof of attention. And attention, on its own, has never built a successful business, fixed broken fin

Let’s not sugarcoat it. A lot of entrepreneurs are out here exposed, overwhelmed, and under pressure… but still trying to cover up what’s really going on in their businesses. You’re stressed about cash flow, but when it’s time to talk numbers, suddenly it’s “we’re managing.” Your margins are under pressure, but in the room, “things are good.” Your strategy is unclear, but you present as if you’re just refining a few things. Let’s call it what it is; you’re hiding. And the pro

There’s a quiet bias I’ve had to confront about myself… and unlearn. Growing up, we were somewhat conditioned to associate certain accents with intelligence, safety, and even success. And I never questioned it… until life forced me to. On a recent flight from Bloemfontein, I was reminded of this bias in the most unexpected way. The air hostess spoke with a polished, confident accent… and it pulled my attention, not because of what she said but because of how she said it. And