Suitable Focus, a South African startup founded and led by Dylan Cairns, is dedicated to driving economic growth by offering scalable opportunities to Entrepreneurs, SMEs and Individual Brands by providing tailored training, mentorship, add-on services and possible funding support for their empires. Suitable Focus is not merely building brands but fostering and empowering a vibrant community of potential entrepreneurs who are ready to make a positive social impact across the country.
Entrepreneurs, Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa have long struggled with significant challenges, including limited access to specialized training, mentorship, and value-added services that can help strategize, run and propel their businesses. This persistent lack of support hinders their growth, contributing to high failure rates—around 70% to 80% of SMEs fail within the first five years, according to research from the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) and other studies. These high failure rates lead to increased unemployment and sluggish economic progress.
Many entrepreneurs struggle to acquire the necessary skills, resources and general tips/advice to build sustainable businesses, resulting in missed opportunities for both personal success and national economic development. There is a critical need for a comprehensive growth partner that touches on all aspects of business (including those who are involved in the day-to-day running) to bridge these gaps and enable SMEs to thrive.
“We believe that our unique approach to mentorship, training, and providing value add services to these startups, entrepreneurs and individual brands sets us apart. We aim to expand our reach and bring our resources to more entrepreneurs and small business owners across South Africa and Africa, ultimately contributing to economic growth, addressing poverty and positively impacting job creation within our continent,” says Cairns.
In 2021, Cairns founded Suitable Focus with a strong dedication to community, social, and personal development. The organisation has supported the growth of numerous small businesses and individuals such as Bloom Marketing, Younation, Doc Deazy, Catenary Group, and many more, and has been recognized as a sponsor of the Bayhill Premier Cup 2023 and 2024, Africa’s largest under-19 football tournament.
” The goal is to always make sure we’re entering into markets that are hardly looked or invested in, by offering our services to such a vast audience we can help build empires One Step at A Time”, said Cairns.
Prior to establishing Suitable Focus, Cairns co-founded Youth Redemption NPC in 2012. This non-profit organisation was committed to empowering young South Africans aged 16-24 by providing opportunities to showcase their talents and develop their skills. Youth Redemption’s “Keyz” Motivational Programme was particularly impactful, offering a platform for both internal members and external speakers to share guidance and insights. In its first four years, the programme reached over 8,000 young people across South Africa, helping them navigate through various challenges and foster personal growth.
Following his impactful work with Youth Redemption NPC, Cairns made significant strides as a Marketing professional at Redstor (UK Headquartered Company), overseeing Partner Acquisitions and Channel Marketing across the UK and Africa. Driven by a lasting passion for positive change and business growth, Cairns’ desire to amplify his impact led him to create Suitable Focus (Pty) Ltd.
This new venture reflects his unwavering commitment to empowering SMEs & Brands alike and advancing economic growth, building on his previous successes to drive meaningful progress and foster a brighter future for South Africa and the broader African Continent.