“Cash remains the most popular means of payment in the economy, and we are committed to ensuring cash remains readily available and convenient.” (Rashad Cassim, Deputy Governor, South African Reserve Bank) For years, the story seemed straightforward: smartphones, banking apps, contactless cards and instant payments would steadily push cash towards the exit. South Africa has embraced those technologies, and digital payments are increasingly normal, and yet cash has proved hard

"All the creditors must appear in the ledger at the right-hand side, and all the debtors at the left. All entries made in the ledger have to be double entries — that is, if you make one creditor, you must make someone debtor." (Luca Pacioli, The Rules of Double-entry Bookkeeping, 1494) International Accounting Day is celebrated on 10 November every year, the day Luca Pacioli published the first detailed description of double-entry bookkeeping in his 1494 work Summa de Arithme

Small businesses can't match the paychecks that big corporations dangle in front of job candidates, but they don't always have to. There are many different ways to entice the best candidates that money can’t buy and which smaller employers are uniquely positioned to activate. This article gives eight practical, low-cost strategies owners can use to attract and keep great people.

For South African business owners, selling to your employees can offer something a traditional buyer often cannot: a lasting legacy. Through employee share ownership schemes, broad-based trusts and B-BBEE ownership structures, founders can reward loyal staff, preserve their company's culture and create a structured exit. Success, however, depends on getting the financial, tax and legal foundations right. Here’s how to do it.

“True leadership is measured by what happens after you die.” (Myles Munroe) Most business owners believe that their personal will has the business covered too, but that's usually not the case. First things first, your valid, updated Last Will and Testament (i.e. your personal will) must clearly state your instructions regarding the distribution of your business assets in your estate, be they company shares, member interest, or 100% of a sole proprietorship. Without this, your

“The future of business isn't about doing more with less. It's about doing what matters with more intention, alignment, and flow.” (Chais Meyer, business founder and consultant) We all read the brochures. Automation was going to offer us a future where laborious and repetitive tasks were all handled instantly without human intervention. Jobs that used to take weeks would now take hours. Businesses rushed to automate every task they could in search of this promised utopia of l

“SaaS spend increases without founders noticing because subscriptions renew automatically, ownership is unclear, and usage is rarely reviewed as teams change.” (Michael Pantilione) From communication channels, to shared workspaces, AI chatbots and design services, companies are aware that they are paying more for monthly subscriptions than ever before. Research, however, suggests that most firms have no idea how deep the problem goes. The Zylo 2026 SaaS (Software as a Service

"A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went." (Dave Ramsey) The unprecedented volatility of 2026 has brought about geopolitical disruption, volatile markets, rand weakness and rising input costs. This places real pressure on South African businesses of every size. In addition, for businesses with international invoices, rand volatility can turn a profitable deal into a loss overnight if the rand weakens between order and payment, or the cost

"Small business success in this economy isn't about the 'next big thing' in tech; it's about the 'next small thing'" (Isabel Guzman) It’s no secret that doing business has undergone significant overhauls over the last few years. The invention of AI, and the backlash to it, have led to an increase in automation, and, in turn, a recognition that customers are now more likely than ever to value the personal touch. It’s a grand shift that might leave many small business owners un

“A small business is an amazing way to serve and leave an impact on the world you live in.” (Nicole Snow) Small business owners looking to sell their business or interest in a business as part of their retirement planning will be glad to know that meaningful tax relief has been provided for them in the 2026 National Budget. Among other measures to support businesses, National Treasury raised the capital gains tax exemption for the sale of a small business for older persons (5

"Don’t put all your eggs in one basket." (Idiom) Most founders track revenue growth. Fewer track where that revenue comes from. Client concentration risk arises when a single customer, or a small cluster of customers, accounts for a disproportionate share of revenue. In some industries it can be natural to have larger customers, especially in business-to-business markets with long-term contracts. But as dependency grows, revenue becomes fragile in ways that aren’t obvious fro

"There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all." (Peter Drucker, Author of “The Effective Executive”, 1966) “Invisible work” is the non-value-added tasks that act as a hidden tax on your profit and growth. It is the friction within your business that consumes overheads, mental energy, and time, yet remains entirely imperceptible to your clients. This work is dangerous because at times it can feel like accomplishment, despite being the e

"As your profitability grows, your taxes will too. In fact, paying more taxes is an indicator that your business health is improving.” (Mike Michalowicz) Business owners work hard to grow revenue and increase profit. What often receives less attention is how that growth alters your tax obligations. Higher turnover can trigger VAT registration. Rising profit increases provisional tax exposure. Hiring staff adds payroll compliance risk. Expansion across borders introduces new t

“The 2026 Budget marks an important turning point for South Africa.” (Dr Duncan Pieterse, Director-General, National Treasury) Some of the best news in Budget 2026 is the real GDP growth of an estimated 1.4% for 2025, rising to 2% in 2028, and a debt ratio that will stabilise during this financial year and decline thereafter. Inflation also declined to 3.2% in 2025 (from 4.4% in 2024), improving affordability for households and keeping interest rates down. At the same time, g

“Never take your eyes off the cash flow because it’s the lifeblood of business.” (Richard Branson) Ask any business analyst about recurring cash flow challenges and you’ll often hear them say, “It’s not that the business is short of money, it’s that money arrives too late or not at all.” Behind every late payment sits a human choice: a decision to delay invoicing, skip a follow-up call or assume a client will “get around to it.” These decisions aren’t random; they reflect hab

“If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” (Peter F. Drucker, Business Management Guru) Entrepreneurs are hardwired to look forward, and chase the next win. This constant looking ahead can create a costly strategic blind spot. When you rush past December’s data to write January’s plan, you run the risk of missing the critical lessons already paid for in time, money, and stress. A comprehensive review gives you the opportunity to pinpoint previous issues and create solid

“A fresh start is not a place, it is a mindset.” (Jordan Peterson) The beginning of the new year can be more than another Monday morning: it can be a powerful psychological reset button. The ‘fresh start effect’ comes after milestones, like New Year's or anniversaries, that help people believe they can become better versions of themselves – and this applies just as powerfully to teams as it does to individuals. It’s as if a mere calendar flip wipes the slate clean, making ne

“The outlook is clear: resilience and innovation will define Africa’s growth story.” (Ignatius Sehoole, CEO of KPMG South Africa) “A continent brimming with optimism.” This is how KPMG’s 11th Africa CEO Outlook describes Africa. Among the African CEOs surveyed, 63% expressed optimism about their country’s growth prospects and 78% expressed strong business confidence. Over the short term, 98% expect business expansion and 86% are likely to pursue acquisitions. “African CEOs ar

“People don’t mind price increases as much as they mind surprises.” (Robert Cialdini, Psychologist and Business Author) Costs go up and so do prices. And yet most businesses raise prices later than they should. A global study by Simon-Kucher found that less than a quarter of companies adjust prices multiple times a year as needed, with almost 30% discussing price changes only once annually, and 26% waiting for new customer tenders or contract expirations. By the time owners t

"Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax." (Mark Black) By prioritising rest and relaxation (R&R) over the holidays, businesses can cultivate a healthier, more productive, and more resilient workforce – which ultimately leads to sustained high performance. Here’s why R&R matters for your business performance… And how to help your team make the most of their December break. 6 ways R&R boosts business performance Prevents costly burnout. Chronic stress leads to