Today marks the celebration of Heritage Day in South Africa. Heritage Day is about celebrating the diverse cultures within South Africa. Celebrations typically include a flamboyant display of cultures through dressing followed by a day of “braaiing” or barbequing with family and friends.
My reflections on this day include assessing whether South Africa has the right environment for entrepreneurs to thrive. Does our culture or heritage truly empower entrepreneurs in their thinking? In this episode, I unpack the various dimensions of culture according to Hofstede and analyze whether we indeed have a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. I encourage listeners of this podcast who are not from South Africa to apply the same framework in their own countries.
I conclude by saying that even though we are a nation of risk-takers that values individual creativity, expression, and individual freedoms. These values are fundamental to entrepreneurship and a culture of innovation. However, we are an unequal society that emphasizes the need to acquire material wealth with less focus on purpose and the quality of life. Our short term thinking ultimately limits our entrepreneurs’ ability to stay the course and own established businesses. This is a loss to our entrepreneurship outcomes as a nation as our policy frameworks emphasize entrepreneurship as a key economic driver. I challenge us to rethink our need to see short-term results and quick wins and to rather adopt a future focused mindset.
Please click on the link below to listen.
I would love to hear your thoughts and whether you agree with me.
Happy Heritage Day!
Wellness for Entrepreneurs 