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Businesses with strong networks and partnerships are 70% more likely to survive past 5 years.

Two years ago, I wanted a ForbesBLK poster with my face on it. I had seen several black entrepreneurs I admired circulating their own on LinkedIn.

I even had the caption drafted. “Honoured to be part of ForbesBLK… grateful… excited…”

It looked glamorous. And it looked like a shortcut to legitimacy.

I applied early, but did not fully understand what the platform offered beyond the seeming prestige that came with association with Forbes. It symbolised a seat at the table, so I thought!

But what I learned quietly, and eventually, was that not every table is built for you. And not every room that sounds elite will elevate you.

When I received my ForbesBLK acceptance, I felt triumphant. I envisioned access, deep conversations, and seasons of open doors, along with new momentum.

What I got instead was noise.

I was added to a Slack community where everyone rushed to introduce themselves, pitch what they offered, and share their brilliance. It felt like a room full of megaphones, everyone speaking and no one listening.

For months, I wandered around that digital space feeling like an uninvited guest.

There were titles.
There were impressive bios.

But there was very little value, at least for me.

And in the midst of that confusion, I asked myself the question many entrepreneurs are afraid to confront: Why did I want to be here so badly?

Around the same time, I was nominated for a prestigious entrepreneurship award.

I was over the moon

“Award-winning entrepreneur”

I could already picture it in my bio.

But to claim it, I needed votes, lots of them. And I had to pay a hefty fee to attend the award ceremony.

At first, I was all in. I asked people to vote, shared the link and honestly campaigned.

Until an Indian brother reached out to me, telling me how I could buy votes from him. He could mobilise thousands of votes from voting farms in India, each vote real and legitimate from an authentic and verifiable IP address.

I could do this, win, and nobody would ever know.

But if the award required popularity, was it measuring my impact or my network’s willingness to click a button?

And if I had to pay to attend, who was the award really serving?

Somewhere between sending the 7^th reminder to friends and family, I realised just how much this was not serving me at all.

I was participating in a beauty pageant disguised as an entrepreneurship award ceremony.

Not all awards are awards.
Not all validation is valuable.

I am not alone in this. You may have walked down a similar path or know someone walking this path.

Many African entrepreneurs, especially early-stage founders, chase external validation because we come from environments where:

So when a global platform, elite badge, or shiny award appears, we chase it. We hope it will affirm us, unlock doors and make us credible.

However, visibility does not translate to value or impact.

And many of the rooms we fight to enter do not change our businesses or our lives.

Before you go knocking on doors, you have to understand why you want to be in that particular room.

We are constantly being bombarded by motivational drivel. “Fight for a seat at the table,” they tell us.

When the G20 proceedings started in South Africa, I saw many entrepreneurs scrambling to attend and join task forces. But beyond taking pictures at the G20 banners and having free canapes, very few got any value.

Some tables are picture-perfect, but they may not be for you.

There are tables where everyone appears to be winning, but behind the scenes, nobody is growing. Tables where the conversation sounds intelligent but produces nothing. Others where you network aggressively but build nothing meaningful.

Not every table deserves your fight.

At one time, we have to be honest with ourselves. We need:

We need places where the conversation is honest, the opportunities are real, and the mission is bigger than social currency.

It’s not just about the rooms, though.
It’s also about you.

At some point, I realised that I wanted rooms to validate me because I had not validated myself.

I sought badges because I doubted my own impact.
I wanted posters because I didn’t yet believe in my work.

Why do you seek public affirmation?

Grow yourself until you are irresistible; that way, you can earn a seat anywhere.

Build something so real, so impactful, so undeniable that the right rooms invite you on their own.

Entrepreneurship is already hard, and building in Africa is even harder.
Fighting for visibility on top of that is exhausting.

So choose your battles with intention.

Fight for rooms that sharpen you.
Fight for tables that feed you.
Fight for platforms that make you better.

But never fight for applause.
Never fight for decoration.
Never trade your worth for validation.

Where are you fighting for inclusion and why?

This month, we launched a newsletter called Ask a Mentor, where we ask business leaders and professionals that you nominate questions that you would have submitted.

In the very first edition of Ask A Mentor, we sat down with one of South Africa’s most respected rising leaders, Cheslyn Jacobs, the incoming CEO of TymeBank.

From growing up in Cape Town with limited opportunities to helping build a billion-dollar digital bank serving over 11 million people, Cheslyn’s journey is a masterclass in purpose, discipline and lifting others as you rise.

Here’s a taste of what he shared with us:

Stay true to who you are. The same qualities that got you here will carry you forward.

Know your WHY. Knowing your purpose simplifies every decision.

You can do good by doing good. Real impact comes from enterprise that uplifts communities.

Leadership is creating space for others.

Read the full mentorship story here: 3 Questions With Cheslyn Jacobs

Applications are now open for the Google Hustle Academy AfCFTA Digital Inclusion and Entrepreneurship Programme. Powered by Google Hustle Academy, ADIEP is a free initiative designed to help 7,500 SMEs across Africa thrive in the digital economy by equipping them with future-ready business and digital skills.

The initiative is designed for SMEs that have been in operation for at least six months and are based in selected AfCFTA member states

Read more and apply now here!

MoneyVersity is a personal finance tool offered by Old Mutual. It’s designed to help you make the most of your money.

How this tool empowers entrepreneurs:

You can use all these tools in your business, and they can help you work towards your dreams.

Red Flags of Low-Value Communities:
🚩 Everyone is posting wins, no one is sharing lessons
🚩 Lots of noise, little depth
🚩 Networking feels like speed-dating
🚩 Only the founders of the community benefit

A person who sells eggs should not start a fight in the market.

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