South Africa is one of the hardest places to start and grow a business. With high rates of unemployment, loadshedding, high tax rates, and a struggling economy, entrepreneurs and business leaders truly have their work cut out for them. While all this may make things more difficult, it is also creating leaders who are more resilient and resourceful than in other parts of the world. SA leaders have to innovate, as they don’t know what troubles they will face tomorrow.

Green Power

One of the innovations we have seen from the impacts of loadshedding is that of private sector green energy. Many factories, mines, farms, and other businesses have or are exploring green energy alternatives to Eskom. In turn, this could make South Africa greener in the years to come.

Businesses Created Out of Necessity

With unemployment rates as they are, many business leaders started their businesses out of necessity. Bootstrapping with shoestring budgets to put food on the table. Now as their businesses have grown, they continue with this scarcity & frugal mindset allowing them to continuously grow in any economy.

Resourcefulness is Key

One of the key elements of a resilient leader is their resourcefulness. When problems arise, one cannot simply wait for someone else to fix it, you need to work out a fix or work around yourself. This has led to numerous innovations as entrepreneurs and business leaders simply wanted to solve basic problems that were arising in the landscape.

Complaining will only waste time and will not fix the problem, so find the solution yourself.

Resourcefulness is one of the strongest skills a leader can have as it allows them to move past obstacles with more ease.

Happier Leaders

While the struggles of starting and growing a business in South Africa are undeniable, does the challenge not make success that much sweeter? The forced scarcity & resourceful mindset could be leading to leaders who are not only more resilient, but also happier and more fulfilled.