You landed the client. You sent the invoice. The money came in.
So why does the bank balance suddenly look far less impressive when payday arrives, tax is due, suppliers need to be paid and a major customer still hasn’t settled their invoice?
That is the uncomfortable reality of cash flow.
For business owners, making money and having money available are not always the same thing. On Wednesday, 30 September 2026, chartered accountant, entrepreneur and financial educator Nokuhle Kumalo-Chamoto, CA(SA), will unpack that difference at Workshop17 West Street in Sandton.
The next instalment of Workshop Wednesday, titled “Outsmart Your Cash Flow”, will tackle the financial lessons entrepreneurs often learn through experience — sometimes at a costly price.
Rather than treating cash flow as a complicated accounting exercise, the session will focus on understanding what the numbers are saying and how that knowledge can support smarter business decisions.
When revenue looks good but cash feels tight
A busy month can create the impression that everything is going well.
New work arrives. Invoices go out. Turnover looks encouraging.
But turnover alone cannot settle a bill if the cash is not available when that bill needs to be paid.
Late-paying customers, tax commitments, rising costs and blurred lines between personal and business spending can all put pressure on a company. Sometimes, the warning signs only become obvious when the money coming in no longer matches the money going out.
That is where understanding cash flow becomes critical.
“Cash flow can sound technical, but the questions behind it are incredibly practical,” says Penelope Meniere, National Marketing Manager at Workshop17.
Those questions include whether a business can afford to hire, take on a bigger contract or how much should be kept aside for tax.
They also include a question every business owner eventually has to confront: what happens if a major client pays late?
Kumalo-Chamoto will use the Workshop Wednesday conversation to examine the habits and financial blind spots that can put otherwise promising businesses under strain.
The goal is simple: help entrepreneurs understand their numbers well enough to make more informed decisions.
Profit is not the same as cash in the bank
One of the most important distinctions for any business owner is also one of the easiest to overlook.
A business can be profitable while still experiencing pressure on its cash flow.
That makes questions about available cash particularly important.
How much money can you actually afford to spend?
What happens if two customers pay a month late?
Are you paying yourself sensibly, or simply taking money out whenever cash appears?
And do you know the difference between running a profitable business and having cash in the bank?
These questions may not feel urgent when business is moving quickly. However, they can become impossible to ignore when the timing of money coming in and money going out starts to tighten.
For entrepreneurs, freelancers and business owners, knowing where the money is — and when it will actually be available — can make the difference between reacting to pressure and planning ahead.
The money lessons business owners often learn the hard way
Kumalo-Chamoto brings both professional and entrepreneurial experience to the conversation.
She is a chartered accountant, entrepreneur, author, speaker and financial educator, as well as the founder of Lomaku. She is known for making financial concepts easier to understand and apply.
At Workshop Wednesday, that practical approach will be directed towards entrepreneurship.
The conversation will focus on cash flow, commercial trust and building a business that can hold its own when conditions become tougher.
Financial discipline can also influence how confidently a business approaches opportunities.
When business owners understand their cash position, they are better placed to plan, negotiate and make commitments with greater confidence.
That makes cash flow more than an accounting issue. It becomes part of how a business operates.
The questions founders sometimes avoid
For many entrepreneurs, the difficult questions are not necessarily about how much money the business makes.
They are about what happens next.
How much is actually available to spend?
What happens when customers pay late?
How should the owner pay themselves?
How much should be set aside for tax?
Is the business profitable, or does it simply have money in the bank right now?
These questions can expose financial blind spots that are easy to overlook when the business is busy.
“Nokuhle has a way of taking financial subjects that can feel intimidating and making them useful,” says Meniere. “That fits Workshop Wednesday perfectly.”
The aim, she adds, is to create conversations that people can take straight back into their work, businesses and everyday lives.
From big waves to big business lessons
The cash-flow conversation is part of Workshop Wednesday, Workshop17’s monthly speaker series.
The series brings entrepreneurs, experts, adventurers and other accomplished South Africans into Workshop17’s workspaces for candid and informal conversations.
Previous speakers have included big-wave surfer and adventurer Chris Bertish, filmmaker Greg Lomas, Everest summiteer Angela Yeung and winemaker Rudger van Wyk.
The format is deliberately relaxed.
Guests can listen, ask questions and engage directly with speakers whose experiences offer lessons that can extend beyond their own industries.
Since launching in Ballito, Workshop Wednesday has expanded to Workshop17 venues in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
A practical conversation for business owners
For someone trying to build a business, cash flow can quickly move from a spreadsheet issue to a survival issue.
The September Workshop Wednesday session offers entrepreneurs an opportunity to confront the numbers before a cash-flow problem becomes a crisis.
With Kumalo-Chamoto leading the conversation, “Outsmart Your Cash Flow” promises to focus on the practical financial questions business owners face every week.
Because knowing that money is coming in is one thing.
Knowing where it needs to go — and whether there will be enough when you need it — is another.
Event Details
Event: Workshop Wednesday: Outsmart your cash flow with Nokuhle Kumalo-Chamoto
Date: Wednesday, 30 September 2026
Time: 17:00–19:00
Venue: Seminar Room, Workshop17 West Street, 138 West St, Sandown, Sandton
Entry: Free — seating is limited. Wine and snacks will be served.
Bookings: Quicket
Website: Workshop17
