I grew up in Hillbrow. I got into Hillbrow in 1991 and the hustle spirit of that environment sparked some passion. I've always wanted to be a part of that, but I only got to really explore it once I got out of high school. I was always in the informal sector. I started in the hair salon industry - I was doing hair.

Mentors are a very important part of an entrepreneur's journey. Mentors need to provide more than advice, they need to actively open doors for their mentees.

There are quite a few and they are multilayered. Having said that, I think there's a knowledge gap. There's an awareness that people must do something. Some start as a side hustle and some jump straight into it and fall flat because you need an ecosystem that cushions you a bit. And this hardcore thing that we see in motivational speakers saying, "Just go for it!" - it doesn't quite work that way. I mean, think about a child. You have to nurture them through a process for them to stand up and be strong. You've got to feed them. You've got to coach them. You've got to hold their hand. There's a lot of guidance that comes through this process.

The Hookup Dinner initially started as a gathering for friends to vent and speak about their business challenges. The first few meetings took place in a Japanese bar over cheap wine and noodles.

I'm going to start with you guys, Heavy Chef. I was inspired by what you guys were doing, and I thought, "This thing doesn't exist in town or in the township - we need this."  And this is why I keep coming. What I got to learn out of that is that it sparked something in me. It sparked this hunger, that there are more people that need this and I can go and enable them to find themselves in this. But it grew organically. I didn't go and set a mission to say, "I'm now going to set up The Hookup Dinner". Look at THUD itself - it has spawned into something that we can't even recognize. It's got its own life. 

Getting customers is invariably the biggest challenge. It's important to understand the process of building repeatable systems to grow your customer base. Your funders will also want to know that you understand this critical step.

Collaboration is at the heart of most community-based ventures. To truly want to add value to your community, collaboration is inevitable. People want to help - give them something to believe in that they can help with.

Being authentic in a community setting requires treating your consumer as you would yourself. Solve from your perspective, and people with similar problems will gravitate towards your solution. Consistency is also key to building trust and loyalty.

If your budget is low, Lebo recommends simply changing the way you use your WhatsApp and Facebook for business. For businesses with healthy budgets, Bevy is a useful community and event management platform.

Trust is critical to building a sustainable customer base. For people to trust you, you need to be authentic and consistent. Don't take your customers for granted - without them, you don't have a business.