McGeralds Entrepreneurship Centre CEO: Zwelani Nkomo
Business building vs. Corporate climbing
Business building vs. Corporate climbing
More young professionals are rethinking the traditional career path and questioning whether climbing the corporate ladder still offers the best route to success, or if building a business from the ground up is the smarter play. The main question is: which path really offers more opportunity — and for whom? Joining CNBC Africa for more is Zwelani Nkomo, CEO, McGeralds Entrepreneurship Centre.
Fri, 27 Mar 2026 14:12:31 GMT
Key Points:
- A social media poll found 78% of LinkedIn respondents and 69.2% of X respondents favor building a business over climbing the corporate ladder.
- The biggest trade-off between entrepreneurship and corporate work is certainty, with salaried jobs offering predictable income and business ownership bringing income volatility.
- Entrepreneurs must often reinvest profits into their businesses rather than treating earnings as disposable personal income.
- Access to digital information is lowering barriers to entry and making entrepreneurship feel more achievable for young professionals.
- In Africa, job creation is lagging workforce growth, making entrepreneurship an increasingly necessary option for many young people.
- Corporate careers also carry risks, including career ceilings and job displacement linked to artificial intelligence and business transformation.
- Side hustles and hybrid work models are emerging as lower-risk pathways into entrepreneurship.
- Entrepreneurship education should be introduced earlier in schools to better prepare future generations for changing labor market realities.