Brian Mlambo failed at eight businesses before any of them worked. That gives him a fairly specific view on why startups actually fail in South Africa — and it's rarely the reason founders think.
It's not usually a lack of funding
Every one of Brian Mlambo's eight failed businesses could point to funding as the problem. None of them actually failed because of it. They failed because he wasn't prepared to run a business — he didn't understand sales, systems, or how to communicate with customers.
Cash flow, not profitability, kills businesses
A business can be profitable on paper and still die from cash flow timing — especially with South African government payment terms. This is the exact problem BidPartner and the wider Akha Ventures portfolio help founders and businesses navigate.
Founders quit right before the pattern would have paid off
Growing his marketing agency from one person to 16 employees, losing it, and rebuilding it from zero taught Brian that most founders quit at the exact point persistence would have worked. The pattern isn't obvious until you've pushed through it once.
Frequently Asked
Founders are often unprepared to actually run a business — sales, systems and cash flow management — rather than failing purely from lack of funding.
Validate demand before building, manage cash flow carefully around South African payment terms, and get direct coaching from someone who has built and failed at businesses before.
Yes. Brian Mlambo failed at eight businesses between 2015 and 2018 before his marketing agency and later Akha Ventures Group succeeded.
Brian coaches a small number of founders directly using the OPERATOR Framework — the same system he uses to run Akha Ventures Group.