What do you owe after achieving success?
Many people work hard to succeed in business. But once you get there, what do you owe the people around you?
That’s the question South African businessman and Entsika Group founder Zakhele Mkhize reflects on in the latest episode of When Shift Happens, the JacPod Original podcast hosted by award-winning mountaineer Saray Khumalo.
If we are not agreeing on helping others, we really have no business doing business together.
Widely respected in South African business circles for prioritising collective progress over personal acclaim, Mkhize rarely seeks the spotlight. In fact, during the conversation, he admits this is the first podcast he has recorded.
Don’t miss this inspiring conversation - listen to the full episode now.
Success that remembers where it started
Mkhize grew up in a rural village in KwaZulu-Natal, an experience that still shapes how he views leadership today.
“I’m a simple man who was born in a rural village in KwaZulu-Natal. I’ve witnessed poverty growing up, and that built a profound sense of responsibility.”
ALSO READ | LISTEN: The climb that changed everything: Saray Khumalo’s story
Today, he leads businesses across several sectors and advises organisations in the public and private sectors. But he believes success carries responsibility beyond personal achievement.
When prosperity must lift others
For Mkhize, leadership is not only about building companies. It is about what those companies make possible for others.
If I’m prospering, my prosperity alone without lifting others, how does it really help? Can everything be just about me, or does it have to be about us?
That belief drives the work of the Entsika Foundation, which focuses on education, job creation and community development initiatives.
“It’s really not about profits. What drives us is when graduates succeed, when we create employment and when people live a dignified life.”
The values behind leadership decisions
Mkhize says the people you choose to work with must share the same values.
“If we are not agreeing on helping others, we really have no business doing business together.”
His outlook is grounded in a belief that generosity strengthens communities and businesses alike.
“There is no one who has ever become poorer by giving.”
A rare conversation about leadership
Despite decades of business experience, Mkhize approaches the conversation with striking humility.
His discussion with Saray Khumalo forms part of When Shift Happens, the podcast where leaders reflect on the moments that reshape how they lead.
Hear the full conversation at the top of the page, or directly below.
About Zakhele Mkhize
Zakhele Mkhize is a South African businessman and founder of Entsika Group, a black-owned advisory and investment business established in 2009. A Chartered Accountant with more than two decades of experience, he advises organisations across both public and private sectors. He holds a BCom, BCom Honours, an MBA from GIBS and a Master of Divinity, and is currently completing a Doctorate in Business Administration. Through the Entsika Foundation, he supports initiatives addressing poverty, inequality and unemployment through education and community development.
Meanwhile | The moment everything changed
In the previous episode of When Shift Happens, Saray Khumalo spoke with another remarkable leader about the moment life forced her to pause and rebuild.
In that episode, Nedbank Group Chief Marketing Officer Khensani Nobanda shares the deeply personal shift that changed how she lives and leads.
Listen to the conversation below:
About Saray Khumalo
Saray Khumalo is an award-winning mountaineer, business executive, speaker and author. She made history as the first Black African woman to summit Mount Everest and has also completed the Seven Summits challenge, climbing the highest mountain on each continent. Beyond mountaineering, Saray has built a successful corporate career and is the founder of Summits With a Purpose, an initiative that raises funds and builds physical and digital libraries in disadvantaged African communities. Through her partnership with Jacaranda FM, she now brings her leadership insights to audiences through When Shift Happens, a JacPod Original podcast dedicated to helping others navigate change and realise their potential.