Research challenges the myth of the young entrepreneur

Source: Magnific

Citing research from the Harvard Business Review and South African studies, the company says the average age of successful entrepreneurs is 45 in the United States and 44 in South Africa.

The findings come as entrepreneurial interest continues to grow locally. According to the 2025 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), almost one in five South Africans intends to start a business within the next three years, while more than 80% of early-stage entrepreneurs say they are motivated either by the desire to build wealth or by limited employment opportunities.

Hiten Keshave, chief executive and co-founder of Unconventional Capital & Advisory, argues that older entrepreneurs often have an advantage because they have had more time to build what he describes as "social capital".

"Social media has made entrepreneurship more visible and more aspirational than ever before, and while enthusiasm to start a business is encouraging, we've convinced entrepreneurs that funding is the key to growth. In reality, business growth doesn't always begin when your funding application is approved, but rather with a conversation and the ability to create and maintain a relationship long before it yields any financial revenue," he says.

According to Keshave, entrepreneurs with strong professional networks are often the first to hear about new opportunities, secure introductions to customers and investors, and build partnerships that support long-term growth.

He says social capital should be viewed alongside financial capital, as it is developed over time through relationships with customers, suppliers, mentors, investors, advisers and industry peers. These relationships help establish trust and credibility, making future funding and commercial opportunities easier to secure.

Keshave stresses that the research should not discourage younger South Africans from pursuing entrepreneurship, but rather encourage them to start building professional relationships early.

"You can begin investing in social capital immediately. Building relationships, credibility and trust takes time, not money, and like compound interest, it grows over time," he says.

Rather than focusing solely on raising capital, he encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to create value for others, maintain relationships, seek opportunities outside their own industries and develop networks that can support future business growth.

The company argues that while access to funding remains important, long-term entrepreneurial success increasingly depends on the quality of professional relationships developed throughout a founder's career.