In a world where you can be anything, be South African.
How fitting that as we approach Heritage Month, we continue to celebrate South African success. From outstanding Olympic feats to the rugby fields, to fighting rings – there’s never been a better time to celebrate our heritage. One thing about everything synonymous with being South African, is that the pull of patriotism toward our people often provides relief from the pain of our politics.
So, what if we all decided to pull on this further? What if we all chose to dive into national pride along with those who pioneer it? What if we decided to stand tall, in a world that can often make us feel small?
To quote the ever-resilient Dricus Du Plessis, “They don’t know, what we know.” Presumably, because they never needed to “know it”.
As South Africans, however, many of us face countless opponents before we even reach the battle. We fight, we struggle, we win. Not only because we want to, but because we have to.
So, when one of us wins, we all win. Because most of us, at some level, can relate to the journey it took to get there.
Let’s get down to business
It’s phenomenal to see our sportsmen, our musicians, our people standing in their South Africanness, not shying away from it and getting the acclaim they so deserve. So, perhaps the challenge is for more South African businesses to do the same.
We find ourselves in a digital world that’s created a global village of opportunity. So, SA born-and-bred businesses can continue to grow in reach and influence beyond our borders.
However, there seems to be a misconception that – to grow into the world we aspire to – we must grow out of the one we came from. We must tweak our accents, limit our “ja’s”, and adapt to dollar tastes with rand budgets. Nee man!
As South African businesses, we should take guidance from our champions. Embrace the culture, the courage, the chaos of what makes us, us.
Lean into the accents. Embrace the anecdotes. Align businesses unapologetically to our fynbos-covered roots.
Local is still very lekker
Fact of the matter is…South African businesses are filled with South Africans, and sho, what a strength that is.
Simply put, it’s our people.
Our people who show grit simply getting out of bed in the morning.
Our people who sip on tenacity with their Rooibos tea and Ouma rusks.
Our people who, before even getting to work, have dealt with everything from lights being off to the news being on and all the potholes in between.
The resilience of our people outside our office walls is exactly what drives the brilliance within them.
While resources speak, necessity roars
They say necessity is the mother of innovation.
Well, ja, then we truly must be the motherland.
Our people want for very little but need for a whole lot. This has been the seed of many flourishing innovations, all rooted in the deep need of those who plant them.
We are the birthplace of some of the best technologies and technicians in the world and the irony is that we got used to sitting in the dark for multiple hours a day. But the key here is that we never let the realities of the current world inhibit us from creating a better one. We simply use it as fuel to drive innovation faster.
We create, innovate, and collaborate to find solutions because often we can’t afford not to. It’s this difference in having such ingrained purpose that sets our innovations apart from the rest of the world before they have even left the pitch deck. So, perhaps our most prevalent resource is often our complete lack thereof.
And, when this purpose meets the passion of the aforementioned people, well… let’s just say: they don’t know, what we know, and that’s our greatest strength.
written by Taylea du Toit (Marketing Manager)
