When Ziyanda Bocho, founder of NBS Accountants & Tax Consultants, walked onto the stage to receive R125,000 after placing third in the Financial Growth category of the Women Creating Wealth Financial Services Growth & Impact Challenge, it represented far more than a funding award. It marked the culmination of one of the most remarkable business turnarounds of her entrepreneurial journey.

Just twelve months earlier, Ziyanda had lost the corporate client responsible for approximately 80% of her business turnover. She had already given notice to close her office, retrenched her intern and had begun actively applying for jobs, believing that returning to employment was her only option. “I felt maybe this was an opportunity to pause a bit and improve myself. Things turned around in a way that I did not expect. I didn’t go back to the job market as planned.”

Today, her business has not only recovered – it has surpassed the turnover it generated before losing its biggest client, secured an international client in Poland, built a diversified client base and retained the very employee she once thought she would have to let go.

The R125,000 grant now represents the next chapter of that journey, helping her diversify into poultry farming as part of a broader vision to build a portfolio of sustainable businesses.

Founded in 2020 in Johannesburg, South Africa, NBS Accountants & Tax Consultants provides accounting, tax, bookkeeping and business advisory services to entrepreneurs and small businesses. For four years, the business enjoyed a stable corporate partnership through SAICA Enterprise Development, delivering financial coaching to entrepreneurs. While the contract created valuable opportunities, it also meant that one client accounted for almost 80% of the company’s income. When that contract ended, Ziyanda suddenly found herself confronting one of the biggest risks facing many small businesses: dependence on a single client. Rather than giving up on entrepreneurship, she accepted applied to be part of the Women Creating Wealth Financial Services programme.

During her first coaching session, Ziyanda was clear about what she believed her business needed. “At the time of joining the programme, I didn’t think I needed funding. I just needed access to new markets.”  A  simple statement, but it has become the foundation of her turnaround. Together with her coach, she worked on identifying her ideal target market, refining her niche, reviewing her pricing model and developing a practical business development strategy that would help her diversify her client base. The programme also challenged her to think differently about risk, sustainability and long-term business growth. The biggest lesson of all was recognising that no business should rely heavily on a single client.

Within a year, Ziyanda had not only replaced the income she had lost, but she also exceeded it. Today, NBS Accountants & Tax Consultants serves approximately 15 retainer clients, together with 80 to 100 additional clients who use its services throughout the year. The business has also secured an international bookkeeping client based in Poland, demonstrating that new markets are no longer an aspiration but a reality. The turnaround also created employment. The intern Ziyanda once had to let go has since returned to the business as its full-time bookkeeper, working alongside two accountants who support the company as consultants.

For Ziyanda, however, the transformation extended beyond revenue growth. It fundamentally changed the way she leads. “I’ve learnt to trust my staff members. Before, I’d want to do everything myself.”
By delegating more responsibility, she has been able to spend less time working in the business and more time building it. The confidence Ziyanda gained through rebuilding her business inspired her to enter the Women Creating Wealth Financial Services Growth & Impact Challenge. Her story, business performance and future growth plans earned her third place in the Financial Growth category and R125,000 in grant funding. For many entrepreneurs, funding marks the beginning of a business journey. For Ziyanda, it represents the beginning of something bigger. “The R125,000 will help me start my poultry farming business. I already have the land, and now I can begin putting the infrastructure in place to get the business off the ground.”

She has also recently acquired a laundromat, taking deliberate steps towards building a diversified portfolio of businesses rather than relying on a single source of income. “The advantage with us in the financial space is that we know what business will work because we’ve seen the numbers. I don’t want to rely on one business anymore. I want to build different income streams so that if one business struggles, the others can keep going.”

Looking back, Ziyanda believes the biggest transformation has not been financial. It has been personal. The entrepreneur who was preparing to close her office now speaks confidently about expansion, multiple businesses and long-term impact. She no longer measures success only by turnover, she measures it by sustainability. “When we start businesses, we often think about making money. But I want to build something that creates a lasting impact – something that can continue long after I’m gone. Business is like being a parent, you need to be consistent, but you also need to be flexible at the same time. A year ago, I was preparing to close office. Today, we are building a portfolio of businesses, creating employment opportunities and proving that sometimes the greatest opportunities emerge from life’s most difficult setbacks.”