Cape Town skyline at blue hour

Your startup guide

Pick the stage you're at and get the next three things to do. Plain language, South African reality, no jargon. 🇿🇦

Stage 01 · Just an idea

Get your idea into one clear sentence

You don't need a logo, a website or a registered company yet. You need to know what you sell, who pays for it, and what it costs you.

Do this first

Write your one-page offer: what you sell, who it's for, and what it costs.

Get help with this step

🇿🇦You can test an idea before registering a company. Most South African founders sell to their first few customers first, then register with CIPC once money is coming in.

Your checklist

  • 1Finish this sentence in one line: I help ___ with ___.
  • 2Phone 5 people who fit your customer and ask what they pay for today.
  • 3Work out your cost price and the price you will charge.
  • 4Set a small test goal: 3 paying customers in 30 days.
  • 5Open a separate bank account so business money stays apart from your own.

The Eish Meter

How are you feeling today?

Ai Tog

It's getting a bit much. Let's take a breather.

Founder working on a laptop
1

Money that lasts

Keep the business alive, even in a slow month

Load-shedding-proof runway

How many months your savings last once you add about 15% for power and data.

"Ola money" safety net

Aim for 6 months of costs saved, so late client payments and slow months don't sink you.

Rand and import check

If you import stock, software or equipment, a weaker rand pushes your costs up. Build a 10% buffer into your pricing before it happens.

2

Admin sorted

The registrations and paperwork that keep you trading

Registration and compliance

B-BBEE affidavitPending
CIPC annual returnsPending
Tax compliance statusPending
VAT registrationPending

What can you pay yourself?

R15 000 is sustainable amount for your stage

Keep it steady and revisit every 6 months.

Milestones along the way

First 10 customersYou've proven the concept works.
Survived year oneMost startups don't make it this far.
B-BBEE level 4Compliance achievement unlocked.
R100k revenueYour first major revenue milestone.
3

Stay standing

Load-shedding, burnout and the things nobody warns you about

Load-shedding survival pack

5 offline tasks for load-sheddingProductivity
Staying calm when the day breaksWellness
Rooms where other founders meetCommunity
Backup power for a small businessInfrastructure

Protect yourself as you grow

Income protectionSet upCover if you can't work for a while
Retirement and tax saving✓ ActivePay less tax, save for later
Will and estate planningSet upKeep your family looked after
Business insurance✓ ActiveProtects you if a client claims
Ascending steps

💡 Braai-side wisdom

You're not behind. You're here.

"Slow and steady wins the race. You're not late, you're just early in your own timeline. Dankie for showing up today."