Most people see entrepreneurship as an endless sprint to solve everything at once. Mr. Alan Knott-Craig knows it’s more like a steady climb, one step at a time, always keeping your eyes on the summit.
I had the privilege of speaking with Mr. Alan Knott-Craig, an entrepreneurial giant and founder of Fibertime™. Mr. Knott-Craig’s career spans over two decades of building businesses that matter, from Mixit to creating South Africa’s most extensive affordable rural broadband networks.
In our conversation, we explored what it really means to turn a bold vision into real-world impact, why pay-as-you-go fiber can work where others have failed, and the importance of focus when choosing what to pursue. Mr. Knott-Craig also shared his perspective on why South Africa offers unmatched opportunity for entrepreneurs who want to solve real problems and build lasting momentum.
1. You’ve always chased big ideas like “connecting the unconnected.” What’s something most people misunderstand about turning a bold vision into real-world execution?
The thing I misunderstood the most was thinking that I had to solve all the steps between my big dream and where I was right then. The best advice I ever got from anyone was this: look at what you are aiming for, say this amount, look up and make sure you are on track. Then look down and ignore every single step between you and the mountain except for the next step. You take that next step, then you look up again to make sure you’re still aiming at the mountain. You look down and check for the next step.
If you spend too much time trying to solve all the steps in between instead of just focusing on the next one, you actually get nowhere and end up getting pretty freaked out. What I found with hindsight is that none of those forecasted steps ever actually come to pass. So just take one step at a time and keep looking up to make sure you’re still on track for your big dream.
2. Fibertime is built on the idea of affordable fiber in townships. What made you confident that a pay-as-you-go model could work in a space most ISPs ignore?
Didn’t take rocket science to figure it out. Vodacom and MTN started out with contract customers only, and then after five or six years, they switched to prepaid. When they did, they went from around 2 million customers to about 28 million. So the vast majority of people in South Africa and around the world won’t sign debit orders. They have to do pay-as-they-go. The reason most ISPs don’t do it for fiber is because it’s pretty complicated to set the whole thing up. But it was also complicated for Vodacom and MTN, so it wasn’t rocket science. We just did it.
3. You’ve scaled ideas with limited resources. What’s your playbook for creating momentum when you don’t have money, backing, or obvious leverage?
That is a very hard one. Obviously I have had money, I have had leverage and backing, but even if you have those things you still have to create traction. You have to get people going in your direction. That is how momentum gets created. It is not just by yourself. Suppliers, investors, customers, employees, all going in your direction. The more you have, the more momentum you build. Sometimes you underestimate how strong a negative drag effect can be. The wrong partners, shareholders, or employees can actually create negative momentum. So sometimes getting forward momentum really means getting rid of the mistakes you made along the way. Getting rid of the wrong partners, investors, employees, and then you just keep plugging your way forward.
Fibertime™ has a lot of momentum now but that is because along the way we shed some of the wrong people and brought on some of the right ones. We kept moving, kept moving, and now we are driving and succeeding. I think that kind of action creates a self-reinforcing culture of more action. So you just have to keep moving forward and keep finding those right employees.
4. You’ve doubled down on South African problems when you could’ve played in easier markets. Why stay rooted? What is the definition of an easier market?
America, is that an easier market? America has millions of well-funded, highly intelligent entrepreneurs competing with you for the business. Switzerland, is that an easier market? Well, it has very few problems. What is an entrepreneur going to do in a country with minimal problems? They solve problems. They make money by finding ways to solve problems. So I think South Africa is the best place in the world to be an entrepreneur, especially if you are South African. There are lots of problems to solve, and I love my country. That is why I stay here.
5. You’ve started over 20 companies. What’s your internal checklist before saying yes to a new one?
I mean over time I have made a lot of mistakes. I think I can safely say I know a lot about how to lose money. But nowadays I just land on this one single thing, and that is focus. I used to do lots of things at the same time. I had lots of reasons why I did it. The advice from most creative entrepreneurs ever is that the secret to success is to focus. So if you decide to only do one thing, you have got to be very careful about what you pick. I mean you have to pick something that you love. And what does love mean? All the type of work you will be doing has got to be the kind of stuff you enjoy. It means the people you are working with are great. I think that is the most important part. You cannot pick a business or something to do where you do not like your shareholders or business partners. You just cannot do that because you will hate every day. You will not look forward to seeing them or speaking to them. So you have got to get that right. And then of course, purpose.
Purpose is what gets me through everything, especially when things get tough. I have a really strong purpose. I think the world would be a better place if everyone had internet. They could study online, look for jobs, start businesses. And the way I do that at the moment is through fiber in townships. Pay-as-you-go fiber in townships. It does not matter how complicated or tough things get. I think the impact we have in other people’s lives, that purpose, that is a really cool thing. I think I personally have that on my checklist.
6. If a 17-year-old in a township said, “I want to build something that matters,” but doesn’t know where to start, what would you tell them?
I’m telling you, if you are in a township and don’t know what to build, there are plenty of opportunities to solve real problems. I’ve never lived in a township myself, but I have worked in them and seen firsthand the challenges people face. I say that not in a negative way but as a chance to make a real impact. For example, how can e-commerce grow in townships if many people don’t have formal addresses? Or how to address crime, which is a serious concern. My advice is to start by solving problems that affect you personally. If you live in a township, you represent millions of people with similar needs and challenges. That’s a large and important market.
One of the biggest challenges entrepreneurs face is access to capital. I acknowledge my own privilege and the advantages I have had, including the support from my family legacy. For those without that background, raising startup capital is much harder. It would be valuable if the government or private sector could create funds or programs that provide affordable equity, low-cost debt, and startup capital, especially aimed at empowering township businesses and entrepreneurs from historically disadvantaged communities. Such initiatives can help create sustainable black-owned businesses and generate real wealth and employment.
From an entrepreneur’s point of view, what people really need is startup capital and affordable financing. If the business succeeds, they own it. If it doesn’t, it’s a learning experience, not the end of the world.
A huge thank you to Mr. Alan Knott-Craig for sharing his journey and wisdom with us! His story is a powerful reminder that building something meaningful takes steady, focused steps while keeping your eyes on the big picture.
If you are an entrepreneur or change-maker in South Africa, there is much to learn from his approach to momentum, purpose, and solving real problems here at home.
Feel free to check out his LinkedIn profile: Alan Knott-Craig’s LinkedIn profile.
What is one step you can take today toward your own mountain? I would love to hear your thoughts or questions below.
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