The world of work has changed.
In South Africa in 2026, the traditional career path no longer offers the security it once did. Company restructures, retrenchments, mergers and acquisitions, and the growing impact of AI on entry-level roles have become increasingly familiar features of working life.
Against that backdrop, more South Africans are exploring entrepreneurship as a way to take greater control of their financial futures. For many, building a business is an opportunity to create lasting value while pursuing work they’re genuinely passionate about.
To understand what drives people to make that change, we spoke to entrepreneurs who left corporate careers behind to build businesses on their own terms. The two case studies featured here come from the UK, but the challenges that shaped their decisions – job insecurity, limited control and an unhealthy work-life balance – are just as relevant to professionals across South Africa.
“I needed to be the master of my own destiny.”
Kevin Stokes is managing director of City Business Brokers, a business brokerage based in Birmingham, England. Today, Kevin helps facilitate business acquisitions across the UK. Back in 2004, however, he was working as a national account manager for a large plastic injection moulding company.
When the business was acquired by a major competitor, Kevin began questioning how much control he really had over his career. “Although my job was safe, everything changed, and the top-tier management left. I realised then I needed to be the master of my own destiny,” he says.
Kevin spotted an advertisement for a business brokerage franchise in the back of a magazine and immediately recognised how closely the opportunity matched his skills and experience. Franchising gave him a practical bridge between corporate employment and independent business ownership, allowing him to build something of his own while benefiting from an established business model and ongoing support.
“It was a chance for me to have my own business, but with the support of a large franchisor. If I hadn’t joined as a franchisee, I would not be doing what I’m doing now. It was a safer way for me to start working for myself,” says Kevin.
After several years as a franchisee, Kevin established City Business Brokers as an independent brokerage. The knowledge, confidence and support he gained through the franchise model gave him the foundation to succeed on his own.
Although Kevin built his business in Britain, his journey mirrors one taken by many South African entrepreneurs who see franchising as a lower-risk route into business ownership while benefiting from established systems and brand recognition.
Taking Back Control of Your Career
Kevin’s story began more than two decades ago, but the desire to take greater control of our careers has only become stronger. For some South Africans, the catalyst is a retrenchment, company restructure or acquisition. For others, the tipping point arrives more gradually through limited career progression, increasing workplace pressure, lengthy commutes or the feeling that years of hard work are primarily creating value for someone else’s business.
Entrepreneurship doesn’t remove uncertainty, and not every industry is flourishing in 2026. What it can offer is greater influence over the direction of your career, the work you choose to pursue and the future you’re building for yourself.
Gary Salters, managing director of coaching franchise GoSucceed, believes this desire for greater control is encouraging more people to consider franchising. “We’re in a very different world at the minute, where lots of people are looking for other ways to earn a living,” he says. “The great thing about franchising is that it gives you the freedom to go and do that.
“If you do something you love, you’ll find the freedom to take control of your working life. Becoming a franchisee takes away some of the risk because other people have already started down that path for you.”
If you’re considering this route, the South African franchise guides on BusinessesForSale.com provide a useful starting point. They explain how to evaluate opportunities, carry out due diligence, understand franchise agreements and choose a business that aligns with your goals and financial circumstances.
Reclaiming Your Work-Life Balance
A more recent example of a mid-career move into entrepreneurship comes from Richard Hand, who launched UK trampoline park business Urban Jump in 2016. For Richard, it wasn’t concerns about job security that prompted a career change, but the personal cost of an increasingly unhealthy work-life balance.
“I used to be an investment banking consultant for all the Big Four consultancy firms,” he says. “I’m a chartered accountant by profession and I’d spent 20-plus years up in the City. My work-life balance just went to pot. I was travelling all around the world, all around Europe, and I never saw my kids grow up. I was also coming up from Eastbourne to London probably four days a week, and I just couldn’t do it anymore.”
Richard spent much of 2016 effectively balancing two full-time jobs. Alongside his consulting work, he raised capital, refined his business plan, secured premises, negotiated leases, developed the brand and recruited staff. It was a significant financial commitment, and he took out business loans secured against his own assets – a decision he later described as “humongously dangerous.”
Starting a business from scratch isn’t the only route into entrepreneurship, however. Buying an existing business can help reduce some of the uncertainty associated with launching a new venture by giving owners an established customer base, experienced staff, proven systems and a trading history from day one.
South African buyers should always seek professional legal and financial advice before purchasing a business, particularly when reviewing existing contracts, employment obligations, tax considerations and industry-specific licensing requirements.
Richard successfully guided Urban Jump through the difficult years of the COVID-19 pandemic, when leisure and hospitality businesses were particularly hard hit. He later sold the company through BusinessesForSale.com, giving himself the freedom to focus on his next entrepreneurial venture.
Five Lessons for Making Your Own Career Shift
Kevin and Richard followed different paths into entrepreneurship, but their experiences offer valuable lessons for anyone considering a similar move – whether they’re based in Birmingham, London, Johannesburg or Cape Town.
Identify what you want to change
Are you looking for greater security, more flexibility or the opportunity to build an asset of your own? Business ownership won’t automatically solve every career challenge, so it’s important to understand exactly what you’re hoping to achieve before making the move. Knowing your motivation will also help you decide whether starting a business, buying an existing one or investing in a franchise is the right path.
Recognise your transferable skills
You may never have owned a business before, but that doesn’t mean you’re starting from scratch. Kevin drew on his experience in sales, marketing and account management, while Richard relied on more than two decades in finance and consulting. Skills developed during employment – from leadership and customer service to operations, budgeting and relationship management – often become valuable assets when running your own business.
Choose the right route
Starting a business from scratch offers considerable freedom, but it also carries considerable uncertainty. Buying an existing business provides an established operation, while franchising combines independence with a proven model, recognised brand and ongoing support. The right choice depends on your financial position, experience, long-term goals and appetite for risk.
Prepare before you make the leap
Richard built Urban Jump while continuing his consulting career. You may not choose exactly the same approach, but researching industries, speaking with franchisees and business owners, strengthening your finances and testing your assumptions before leaving employment can put you in a much stronger position. Good preparation won’t eliminate every risk, but it can help ensure your decision is driven by careful planning rather than frustration.
Define what freedom means to you
Freedom might mean escaping the daily commute, creating more flexibility for your family or building a business you can eventually sell. At the same time, business ownership often demands longer hours and greater responsibility, particularly during the early years. Choose a business whose day-to-day demands genuinely support the lifestyle you want to build.
Building a Career on Your Own Terms
Traditional employment remains the right choice for millions of South Africans, and business ownership should never be viewed as an easy escape from a difficult job. A regular salary, however, no longer guarantees long-term security. Businesses are acquired, departments are restructured and careers can change because of decisions employees have little influence over.
Kevin changed direction when he realised that keeping his job wasn’t the same as controlling his future. Richard stepped away when the personal cost of corporate success became too high. Both used the skills they had developed during their careers to create successful businesses of their own.
Their businesses were built in the UK, but the decisions at the heart of their stories resonate just as strongly in South Africa. Across the country, more professionals are questioning what career security really means and whether business ownership could offer greater independence and long-term opportunity.
The great career shift unfolding in 2026 is about more South Africans recognising that traditional employment is not their only option – and deciding to build the next stage of their careers on their own terms.