When wrestling difficulties of expanding the business, protecting it against major setbacks that could result in its premature closure, may be the last thing and least priority on the owner’s mind.

Documentaries have been created detailing stories of economic difficulties of life during world wars, and those who lived long enough in this country, can also attest to difficulties of life for many during apartheid. But life in South Africa today, especially for the youth, is difficult to bear. Coupled with their parents lacking material resources to help them, and burdened by heavy debt of trying to improve their education and skills, many are still faced with bleak prospects of being active participants in this poor economy.

The high increasing costs of living, much less, rising property prices, have made life extremely difficult for many people and much worse, the youth in this country. If there ever was a time for wanting to make a difference and having meaning in your life, this is it and it is now urgent that we truly come together to turn our hopeless situation around. By Nimroth Gwetsa, 31 December 2019.

As we reflect on our performance, achievements, failures and disappointments throughout 2019, we need more than resolutions to tackle problems and opportunities for 2020. Resolutions are nothing but a wish list, or guilt pacifying statements we utter, unless those are followed by concrete plans detailing specifics to achieving them.

For many, despite poor economic performance and recent power supply setbacks, 2019 was a good year. Congratulations to all winners in 2019. Those successes made a difference to our economic situation and lives of many. Every bit counts and there is no time or need to undermine the contribution of others. Let us, therefore, remain modest and not think highly of ourselves, lest we lose the support from others owing to arrogance and pride.

For many, 2019 has been a bad year and probably a continuation of a string of setbacks they have had over the previous years. Let us be more empathetic and not pile on more pressure on them, telling them how badly they did, or how wrong they were or how unlucky they have been resulting in their failure. Let us rather keep such words to ourselves if we cannot motivate, encourage or give them more support to keep trying and being patient to achieve their goals. The cliché, “kicking the man when he’s down” should be far from describing our actions and attitude towards those experiencing difficulties in life.

An entrepreneur’s journey is lonely. An entrepreneur deals with many unpleasant and time-consuming issues all simultaneously and alone. An entrepreneur needs a bigger heart and clearer vision lest they are tripped along the way.

Though there will largely be the excitement of independence and freedom of choice as an entrepreneur, there will equally be many debilitating issues to resolve. One such issue often ignored is business continuity and sustainability.

As small but growing business owners, I understand limitations in resources causing many to have insufficient if no contingencies in place, to ensure there is business continuity during adverse conditions. By business continuity, I am more interested in the continuity of business when unfortunate and unexpected sudden loss of business leadership occurs.

With unemployment gradually reaching unusual levels in South Africa and opportunities for youth to gain experience dwindling at every moment, youth entrepreneurs face even harder challenges to success. Not only do they grapple issues of generating revenue, improving efficiency of their businesses and becoming professional, if not maintaining a professional outlook, they also have to be concerned about managing risks to their lives. One understands difficulties of life with no generational wealth to incubate them, now imagine deeply what life would be like for them should they lose their physical (body) abilities to carry on running their businesses.

Fortunately, their youthfulness gives many of them some advantage on health matters, that many can risk not having medical aid but increase their reliance on the already overburdened Public-Health System for services.

With road deaths and violence claiming many innocent lives, if not leaving many maimed and disabled, what prospects now lie ahead for the already overwhelmed young entrepreneur with no contingency in place?

The time for ignorance and mere talk are over. We really need to handhold our youth and not be concerned only with our lives, but reach out to them as well, in whatever way we can. It’s also time we resent lawlessness and graft and never accept it as the norm. It’s time we believe and act on the knowledge that we can change the situation for others with or without political will or support.

We should unflinchingly and unapologetically do whatever we can to shift our support and focus to those who suffered from generational discrimination and denial of opportunities. We cannot afford to waste our energy pointing fingers and shifting blame. Let us treat our situation as grave and in need of emergency countermeasures.

We can still look for reasons and lessons we can learn on how we got into this hopeless situation. But if such actions will deplete resources needed to resolve the crisis, let us rather wait until the situation has been brought under control before we can look for faults and understand who did what so we could avoid future recurrence.

Let us truly be preoccupied with relentless efforts to finding ways to win.