{"id":68973,"date":"2021-03-26T10:13:17","date_gmt":"2021-03-26T08:13:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/?p=68973"},"modified":"2026-01-29T15:46:02","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T13:46:02","slug":"5-top-money-tips-from-sa-entrepreneurs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/5-top-money-tips-from-sa-entrepreneurs\/","title":{"rendered":"5 top money tips from SA entrepreneurs"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/category\/money-matters\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Money Matters<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t5 top money tips from SA entrepreneurs\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2021-03-26T10:13:17+02:00\">Mar 26, 2021<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"5 top money tips from SA entrepreneurs\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/5-top-money-tips-from-sa-entrepreneurs\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/author\/tarryn\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/05\/Giebz_Family-session-119-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Tarryn Giebelmann<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Starting a business is an emotional and financial investment. You must be aware of the potential pitfalls in small business financial management so that you can prepare adequately for unforeseen cash flow issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The underlying cause of financial problems almost always comes down to poor cash flow management and not getting paid on time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s with this in mind that we\u2019ve curated a list of the five top money tips from some of South Africa\u2019s most exciting entrepreneurs to help you get on top of your money matters and hit the ground running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-nbsp-nbsp-nbsp-keeping-it-in-house\">1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Keeping it in-house<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Bio-scientists Andile Gcaza and Phetole Raseropo founded Evergrow in 2018 after deciding that everyone should have access to healthy food, no matter their income. Their start-up sells high-yield, fast turnover vegetable seedlings to small-scale and subsistence farmers in rural and peri-urban communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-top-tip\">Top tip<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>They initially outsourced a 50-tray order, but after realising the expense of this, they brought everything in-house and upskilled themselves to get the work done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This way, they were able to save more money, which is vital for any business. We recommend always having access to at least three months\u2019 worth of expenses in case of an emergency.<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<a\n\t\tclass=\"button button--primary gate-eeb2123f-283a-4926-85b9-fd6ef55c19fa\"\n\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\tdata-button-location=\"content_area\"\n\t\thref=\"#gate-eeb2123f-283a-4926-85b9-fd6ef55c19fa\"\n\t>Download your free guide, 7 ways to take control of your business, and take steps now to master your business admin <\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-nbsp-nbsp-nbsp-hard-work-meets-integrity\">2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Hard work meets integrity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Brian Malatji started his business, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/how-one-township-entrepreneur-turned-r200-into-r2-7-million\/\">Dinoko Automation Service and Repair<\/a>, in 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He grew up in Tembisa and had always been worried about the high crime levels in his neighbourhood. He wanted to create a solution that would service those around him and provide job opportunities to the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brian completed a diploma in electrical engineering, joined an access automation company to get experience, and started his business. He\u2019s won numerous awards, and in 2019\/20, his business turned over R2.7 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-top-tip-0\">Top tip<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Brian is a believer in two things: hard work and respect. His business wasn\u2019t afforded the things that many small companies have access to, such as liability insurance, funding and investors, work experience, confidence from privately-owned companies. Despite this, he worked harder, and his commitment to learning and excellent service delivery have skyrocketed his business. Add this to a clear and solid budget, and the path to profitability is set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-nbsp-nbsp-nbsp-invest\">3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Invest<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Powerhouse entrepreneur <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/global-entrepreneurship-week-learning-to-dance-in-the-hurricane\/\">MashuduModau<\/a> is an advocate for youth entrepreneurship and is on a mission to empower start-ups to build what they believe in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He is committed to empowering entrepreneurs for the future of Africa. Instead of Africa merely adopting tech and innovation, he says the continent needs to produce more originators and creators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-top-tip-1\">Top tip<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Invest in things that feed your growth. When a business invests in the future, it attracts the best employees, and customers appreciate the level of service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When investing, we\u2019d recommend that you avoid using your credit card as much as possible. Invest with money that you already have so that you avoid the risk of debt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-nbsp-nbsp-nbsp-cash-reserves-systems-and-management\">4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Cash reserves, systems, and management<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/global-entrepreneurship-week-priceless-advice-from-a-venture-scout\/\">Octavius Phukubye<\/a> founded&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/brillianaire.co.za\/#home\">Brillianaire<\/a> in response to the concerning economic challenges facing Africa today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His business is designed to empower entrepreneurs to launch their own companies that can compete with other companies in the supply chain and are ready for venture capital investment. This way, they can live and work as independent business owners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-top-tip-2\">Top tip<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Octavius is a firm believer in building up your cash reserves. He suggests saving 10% of every invoice as a cash flow optimisation strategy. Couple this with a strict client policy of getting paid on time and your business will always have a healthy cash reserve.<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<a\n\t\tclass=\"button button--primary gate-77d184eb-7c11-4fed-9272-954e15668cac\"\n\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\tdata-button-location=\"content_area\"\n\t\thref=\"#gate-77d184eb-7c11-4fed-9272-954e15668cac\"\n\t>Download your free copy of The Art of Being Paid<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He\u2019s also an advocate for embedding systems early on. When proper processes aren\u2019t in place, there is a real risk of reducing growth potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, he recommends using advanced <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/size\/small-business\/\">cloud accounting software<\/a>. It makes it so much easier to monitor performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s vital that you remember all your tax obligations. Now that you\u2019re a small business owner, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/vat-toolkit-for-small-businesses\/\">you are responsible for paying VAT and other taxes<\/a>, so you must factor this into your planning. Our accounting software helps you stay on top of all the latest legislation, giving you the peace of mind you need when dealing with SARS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-5-nbsp-nbsp-nbsp-impact\">5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Impact<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/gew2020-why-every-business-should-be-an-impact-business\/\">Vuyolwethu Dubese<\/a> believes in making an impact. That\u2019s why she launched InnovTel, a design impact and consulting studio that aims to produce a new era of impact-driven businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s a learning platform that offers free or affordable courses, e-books, and knowledge-sharing experiences for entrepreneurs to learn how to build their own sustainable, innovative, and impactful business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-top-tip-3\">Top tip<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Make sure you nurture your network. Your clients will often come from referrals, so look after all the relationships you have. At the same time, though, remember to honour the current season in your life. She says, \u201cRelationships and networks are important, but they evolve as people evolve. It\u2019s not personal; it\u2019s called growth. Honour it and move on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-own-it\">Own it<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/sage-business-cloud\/accounting\/\">Sage Business Cloud Accounting<\/a>, you can take control of invoicing, cash flow, payments and tax. Our effortless accounting software lets you do the start-up stuff, like exploring and growing, while keeping on top of all your money matters so your business can thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brian Malatji reflects on the value of working with a consultant like Sage. \u201cConsultants assist you in planning, managing, and running the business. They also provide an objective eye to help guide the business and expertise in specialised areas, like strategy and management, operations, human resources, finances, funding opportunities, and sales and marketing.\u201d\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">7 tip to supercharge your business decisions <\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Discover the seven powerful insights that can help keep your business healthy, wealthy and wise.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-b05973c1-bed3-436e-998d-2a33acc6c95f\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download your free guide<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1064\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/11\/Black-Friday-1675x1275-1064x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"Shop owner holding tablet\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/11\/Black-Friday-1675x1275-1064x810.jpg 1064w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice enewsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get a roundup of our best business advice in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-84fe79b5-668d-41f8-a0cc-6229018c4ac9\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1181404518-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1181404518-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Starting a business is an emotional and financial investment. You must be aware of the potential pitfalls in small business financial management so that you can prepare adequately for unforeseen cash flow issues. The underlying cause of financial problems almost always comes down to poor cash flow management and not getting paid on time. It\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":793,"featured_media":495,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[166,316,189,209],"business_type":[2],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[15,16],"imagine_tag":[68,73,85,86],"coauthors":[432],"class_list":["post-68973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-money-matters","tag-business-management","tag-business-strategy","tag-financial-insights","tag-staying-competitive","business_type-small-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-za","author_name":"Tarryn Giebelmann","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/04\/GettyImages-619403886.jpg","imagine_tags":{"68":"Grow your business","73":"Money Matters","85":"Small business","86":"Start up business"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice South Africa","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68973","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/793"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68973"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68973\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/495"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68973"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=68973"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=68973"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=68973"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=68973"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=68973"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=68973"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=68973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}