06/10/2026
Count down.
Kasi Entrepreneur's, please don't miss this insightful session.
As township businesses grow, one of the biggest shifts entrepreneurs face is moving from doing everything themselves to leading other people. Hiring a team can create capacity for growth, but without clear roles, good communication and strong management, that same team can become a source of lost productivity, conflict and rising costs.
The challenge is not simply finding people to work in the business. For many small businesses, it starts with hiring the right people, clearly defining what they are responsible for and then managing performance consistently. When roles are unclear, communication is weak or accountability is missing, the impact is felt quickly through missed deadlines, poor service, internal conflict and an owner who is forced to step back into work that should have been delegated.
For township and small businesses, building the right team can be even harder because the person the business needs is not always the person it can afford. Entrepreneurs may hire based on immediate availability rather than the skills the role requires, keep the wrong person for too long because replacing them is costly or try to carry too many functions themselves. As the business grows, these decisions can limit productivity and make it difficult for the owner to focus on sales, customers and growth.
For growing businesses, managing a team requires practical systems, not guesswork:
1. Set clear roles and expectations. Employees need to understand what they are responsible for, how their work will be measured and how their role contributes to the business.
2. Communicate consistently. Regular check-ins, clear instructions and constructive feedback help reduce confusion and allow problems to be addressed before they affect performance.
3. Recognise good work and create room for growth. Recognition does not always need to be financial. Training, mentorship, added responsibility and acknowledgement can strengthen commitment and performance.
4. Build a healthy workplace culture. Respect, accountability, teamwork and open communication should form part of how the business operates every day.
5. Understand why people stay and why they leave. Entrepreneurs need to listen to their teams, identify concerns early and build working environments where good people can contribute and grow.
In response to this challenge, the TEA Kasi Business Workshop, hosted in partnership with Nedbank, will bring the Season 4 “How to Series” to Motherwell in the Eastern Cape. The session, themed “How to Manage a Team”, will focus on practical steps entrepreneurs can use to lead staff, create accountability, improve communication and build teams that can support business growth.
The “How to Series” is designed around the real challenges faced by township-based micro and small businesses. Instead of theory-heavy sessions, the programme breaks each business challenge into simple actions, tools and practical lessons that entrepreneurs can apply in their businesses.
KASI BUSINESS WORKSHOP DETAILS:
Date: 10 October 2026
Time: 09:00am
Venue: 1 Bhungane Street, Motherwell NU2
Registration link: Click Here (registration is compulsory)
The TEA Kasi Business Workshop is built on five key pillars:
• Kasi Pitching Challenge: A competitive platform that enables local businesses to pitch for a share of the R55 000 prize pool, a blend of cash and business support.
• Kasi Business Exhibition: A local market platform that allows township businesses to showcase and sell their products and services.
• Masterclass: A practical session focused on the theme of the day, delivering business knowledge that entrepreneurs can apply immediately.
• Mbawula Chat: An intimate conversation with a seasoned Township Economy Champion, profiling a business journey and sharing lessons, resilience and practical wisdom.
• Hacking Networking: A structured and facilitated engagement where entrepreneurs connect, collaborate and work through real business challenges using a social and practical problem-solving format.
A business cannot scale sustainably if every decision, customer issue and task still depends on the owner. The shift from working in the business to leading the business requires entrepreneurs to hire more carefully, set clear expectations, manage performance and build a team that can take responsibility. Building the right team and learning how to manage it well is a critical part of growing beyond an owner-operated business.
-ENDS-
About TEA:
TEA has played a pivotal role in shaping South Africa’s township entrepreneurial landscape, consistently delivering tangible impact as an ecosystem leader. TEA is a national platform that has been operating for over a decade. Over 100,000+ kasi entrepreneurs have been directly impacted, while more than 500+ township-based businesses have received grant funding in the form of equipment, machinery and technical support. Our services include research and insights, township marketing, activations, ESD programmes and special project implementation. We are a national implementation partner.
For Media Enquiries:
Thabile Mokone, PR Co-Ordinator
079 686 6125
[email protected]
Jacqueline Mphela, Project Manager
068 158 9484
[email protected]
