Metropolitan hosted its Impact Brunch on February 5 at the Protea Hotel Balalaika in Sandton, bringing together business leaders to talk about what really shapes an entrepreneur’s journey.
The panel discussion focused on mindset, clarity, and emotional strength, especially for small business owners working in tough conditions.
According to the FinScope MSME study, South Africa has about three million small, micro and medium-sized businesses. These businesses employ around 13.4m people, making them a key part of the economy.
However, only about 8% of adults expect to start a business in the next three years, showing a big gap between ambition and action.
Metropolitan CEO Peter Tshiguvho said clarity is one of the most important tools an entrepreneur can have.
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“When you are clear about where you are going, you don’t take every opportunity that comes your way. Some things look like opportunities, but they are distractions.”
Tshiguvho added that mistakes are part of the journey, but discipline and hard work remain critical.
“You will make mistakes. Learn from them, forgive yourself, and move forward. Hard work remains important for anything you want to succeed in.” Human resources and business transformation expert Ziyanda Mazimisa said strategy starts from within, not on paper.
“We talk a lot about business language and strategy, but it really begins with understanding why you are doing what you are doing. Clarity is the foundation of strategy.” Mazimisa also spoke about money beliefs and how they affect business decisions.
“If you believe money is bad, but your business needs money to grow, there is a conflict. Your pricing and decisions will always reflect your beliefs.” Linda Mthalane, the director of Nkonyane Yenkosi Farming and an alumna of the Metropolitan Collective Shapers programme, said support systems are just as important as skills.
“Sometimes you are not failing, you are just human. You need people who remind you to stand up and keep going.”
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