AI is no longer some distant buzzword. In 2025, it’s here, and it’s reshaping the way we run businesses, connect with customers, and make decisions. The reality is simple: whether we like it or not, entrepreneurs can’t ignore it anymore.
For many of us in South Africa and other emerging markets, this shift feels both exciting and overwhelming. On the one hand, AI gives small businesses the chance to level the playing field against bigger competitors. On the other, the pace is fast, and if you’re not adapting, you risk falling behind.
The truth is, entrepreneurship has never been about having all the resources but about having creativity, courage, and leadership. AI doesn’t change that; it simply raises the bar.
Technology is powerful, but people lead
The real question for entrepreneurs isn’t “how do I use AI?” but “how do I lead my team and my business into the future with it?”
AI can make operations faster, cheaper and smarter. According to McKinsey, 78% of companies are already using AI in at least one area of their business, compared to just 55% a year earlier. And for small businesses, adoption has skyrocketed, with one report showing a 41% jump in AI use among SMEs in 2025 alone.
But tools don’t lead people. Leaders do. AI can analyse customer data, but it can’t build trust. It can automate replies, but it can’t decide how your brand shows empathy when a client is upset. That’s why the role of leadership becomes even more important, because AI doesn’t replace judgement, it amplifies it.
Productivity gains are real
Entrepreneurs have always looked for ways to do more with less. AI simply changes the scale. Workers using AI tools are seeing productivity jumps of 66%, the equivalent of skipping forward decades in efficiency improvements.
In Japan, companies that invested in AI recorded a 2.4% rise in productivity, driven by reduced costs and new revenue opportunities. And research suggests that if U.S. companies fully adopted AI, the savings could reach nearly $920 billion annually.
For small businesses, this means the competitor across the road can suddenly serve customers faster, deliver products quicker, and save money while doing it. That’s the pressure. If you’re not adapting, you’re not just standing still, you’re sliding backwards.
Practical ways entrepreneurs are using AI
AI isn’t sitting in the future. It’s already being used by entrepreneurs every day to cut costs, save time and run smarter businesses.
Content and communication
Entrepreneurs are using AI writing assistants to draft emails, polish proposals and prepare reports. A survey found that 91% of companies hiring are now looking for workers with ChatGPT experience, highlighting how common these tools have become in the workplace. For business owners, this means less time stuck on admin and more time focused on clients and growth.
Customer service
Small retailers and e-commerce businesses are turning to AI chatbots to handle frequently asked questions; process returns and even make product recommendations. According to Juniper Research, chatbots are expected to save businesses $11 billion annually in customer service costs. One person can now manage what once required a full team.
Marketing and design
Entrepreneurs are leveraging AI-powered tools like Canva’s Magic Design and Adobe Firefly to craft campaign visuals and social media posts in minutes. This isn’t just faster, it’s smarter: Gartner predicts that by 2025, 30% of outbound marketing messages from large organizations will be synthetically generated, allowing smaller firms to compete in visibility with bigger brands.
Financial management
AI is also streamlining bookkeeping. Tools can now scan receipts, reconcile invoices, and spot unusual entries. According to Entrepreneur, two-thirds of small businesses are already using AI, with 74% reporting increased productivity, 41% seeing revenue growth, and 86% feeling their business health has improved thanks in part to automation tools.
Sector-specific innovation
Across Africa, AI is already making practical inroads. In agriculture, startups are using machine learning tools to forecast weather patterns and predict crop yields, helping farmers make smarter planting decisions. In fintech, AI is facilitating financial inclusion by improving how credit is assessed, enabling institutions to offer products to underserved groups more responsibly. Research shows AI can streamline opening bank accounts, improve credit scoring, and manage financial risk more effectively, a critical step toward widening access to financial services in markets like South Africa.
Literacy is changing
This week, on Monday, the 8th of September 2025, the world observed International Literacy Day under the theme “Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era.” For decades, literacy was measured by the ability to read and write. It was the foundation for education, jobs and civic participation. But in 2025, that definition feels incomplete.
Being literate today also means being able to navigate technology, to understand how algorithms influence what we see, how data drives decisions, and how tools like AI are shaping the way businesses run. For entrepreneurs, this expanded literacy is no longer optional. It has become as fundamental as reading and writing once was.
Yet the global picture shows a worrying gap. While 74% of workers say they already use AI at work, only one in three have ever received formal training. In the UK, nearly four out of ten businesses admit to serious shortages in digital and AI skills. That gap between access and understanding mirrors the old literacy divide of the past: some people could read and write, others could not and that difference dictated who had power and who did not.
For entrepreneurs, the lesson is clear. Just as literacy once determined who could participate in society, AI literacy now determines who can participate in the economy. If you and your team can’t work fluently with digital tools, you’re not just behind, you’re excluded from opportunities your competitors are seizing.
Where HerPotential fits
This is where the HerPotential Entrepreneurship Programme makes sense. It isn’t another generic short course. It was built with one clear purpose: to give women entrepreneurs the tools and confidence to compete in a digital-first economy.
Over three months, participants don’t just sit through theory. They learn how to use AI to make their businesses more efficient, how to sharpen leadership skills that keep teams motivated, and how to design financial and marketing strategies that actually work in competitive markets. Just as importantly, they do it alongside mentors and peers who understand the realities of building a business in Africa today.
The power of HerPotential lies in that mix: technology, leadership, and community. On their own, each matter. Together, they create the kind of resilience and vision that turns small businesses into growth stories.
Why Now Matters
AI is here, and it is already changing the way we build and run businesses. For entrepreneurs, the real challenge is no longer whether to use it, but how to combine it with the judgment, creativity, and resilience that only people can bring.
For women founders especially, the stakes are high. The gap between those who are digitally fluent and those who are not will keep widening. But with the right support, that gap can also be turned into an advantage.
That’s why initiatives like HerPotential matter. They don’t just teach tools, they help women see how those tools fit into the bigger picture of leadership and long-term growth. They create the kind of confidence and community that makes the difference between running a business that survives and building one that thrives.
