The Long Game: Building a Sustainable Business in an Emerging Market
When David Masureik started his renewable energy company in South Africa in 2010, he saw three clear signals of opportunity: a growing energy shortfall, an aging coal-based infrastructure, and rising costs.
“It was kind of an exciting problem to solve,” he reflects, recognizing that the country would need more generation capacity, ideally renewable. Yet what seemed like perfect timing turned into a lesson in patience and persistence.
The challenges of business entrepreneurship
“The first five or six years were a real grind,” David shares candidly. Despite the obvious market need, regulatory hurdles and policy frameworks needed to catch up with the vision. It’s a familiar story in entrepreneurship – as he puts it with a laugh, “It took 10 years to become an overnight success.” But he never doubted the fundamentals. “It was just a matter of time. And it’s proved that because that’s where we are now. It just took longer than we thought it would take.”
Behind the scenes, the entrepreneurial journey can be a lonely one. “Most of the time people are looking to you, and very often you don’t have anyone to really talk to,” David reveals. He emphasizes the importance of finding support systems – whether it’s a business partner or someone outside the business who can offer perspective. For his well-being, he turned to surfing, describing it as a “…kind of meditation in a way when I got in the water.” His advice? “You’ve got to try and have a good sense of humor and try and have fun along the way. Otherwise, it really becomes a drag.”
Finding work that’s good for you and good for the world
Today, his company, new Southern Energy, is at the forefront of South Africa’s energy transformation, with a mission that extends beyond renewable energy to enable economic development across Africa.
“You need power for economic development,” he explains, pointing to how his company’s work isn’t just about green energy – it’s about unlocking growth potential across the continent. With 60 employees and operations expanding into East Africa, the journey has validated his patient approach to building an impact-driven career.
Looking back, David wishes he’d sought more guidance early on. “Seek out a lot of advice. You need to talk to a lot of people and try to figure out from a range of different people what all the options are out there for you,” he advises. While he acknowledges you can’t predict everything, he believes in understanding the realities of your industry and potential pitfalls before diving in. For young entrepreneurs looking to solve big problems, he emphasizes the importance of thorough research: “Look really closely at your timing and the regulatory and policy side. I think that’s important to understand really, really well.” But he’s quick to add that fundamentals should trump timing fears: “It shouldn’t be a barrier though… if the fundamentals are so obvious, it’s just a matter of time.”
Keep your eye on your purpose and passion
David’s story offers a powerful reminder that building a business that serves both profit and purpose often requires playing the long game. As South Africa now races to add 30 gigawatts of power capacity by 2029, David’s decade of groundwork has positioned his company to be part of the solution. For aspiring impact entrepreneurs, it’s a lesson in persistence, patience, and maintaining balance while keeping your eyes on the fundamentals.
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Georgi
As the visionary founder of Work That's Worth It, Georgi specializes in unearthing the unique inspiration and career desires of those seeking significance, both for themselves and for the world.
