Natural born hustlers. That’s how Ronen Aires, one of the founders of Student Village, described the Gen Z panel he brought with him to our latest Rolodex Day. And after hearing their stories – it’s hard to disagree. At this special edition of Rolodex Day, the entrepreneurs in our Partner Elite division were treated to something different: a front-row seat into the minds and money habits of a generation reshaping the business landscape – not someday, but right now.
Every Rolodex Day speaker session is designed to inspire, provoke thought and challenge assumptions – to give our Partner Elite entrepreneurs fresh insights and new ways of thinking. This was no different. With Gen Z quickly becoming a force in both the consumer and entrepreneurial landscapes, we wanted to give our entrepreneurs a deeper understanding of this generation’s mindset, motivations and mechanics.
Ronen kicked off the session by sharing the founding story of Student Village, which involved a set-up with just one computer, one phone line and one fax machine in his cofounder’s bedroom. Now, 25 years later, it’s a business that’s helped open doors for thousands of young South Africans. It began as a dream born of disillusionment – Ronen walked away from the family business and a job in investment banking to pursue something with purpose. Fast-forward to today and Student Village is still championing youth – but now, that youth is Gen Z: a generation that’s 27 million strong in South Africa. And they’re not waiting to be invited to the table – they’re building their own.
Four young South Africans – all between 23 and 24 – joined the session to talk about business, money, loyalty, influence and side hustles, and their insights were eye-opening. Social media is a big part of their lives, it’s how they stay informed, discover what’s trending and make sense of everything around them. For this generation, TikTok is the new Google, and influencers – especially the authentic, relatable kind – shape how they think, shop and live. While they tend to be more financially savvy than previous generations were at their age, they’re willing to spend money on what matters to them – whether it’s shoes or the latest tech – even if it means living off rice for the rest of the month.
One of the biggest takeaways? They’ve never known an “easy” economy. This is a generation raised on uncertainty, and in response, they’ve become agile, creative and resourceful. They’re creating (often multiple) income streams while learning, but they’re not bartending or waiting tables like students in the early 2000s. They’re monetising content, selling crafts, trading crypto and launching their own hustles. They’re building futures with what they have – and on their own terms.
