Creating and managing a successful a business in South Africa has never been easy, but we pride ourselves on resilience. As the saying goes, “‘n boer maak ’n plan” (a farmer makes a plan).

We overcome challenges that few other countries face, which is why so many South Africans are in demand and succeed globally.

Yet, it remains tough. According to Professor Christian Friedrich of UWC, South Africa has a higher failure rate for SMMEs than most other countries, with 70-80% of small businesses failing within five years.

TGA SA, a financial advisory group, supports this, noting that while globally, 60-70% of jobs are found in SMMEs, in South Africa, this figure is only just over 28%, despite SMMEs making up more than 95% of businesses.

Professor Friedrich’s research found that around 40% of a small business’s success is tied to one critical factor: the person who owns the business.

Yes, you! You are the driving force behind your business.

Your initiative, self-starting attitude, proactivity, and persistence are directly tied to your business’s success—that’s where the saying “making a plan” comes from.

But simply making a plan, and surviving isn’t enough. You want to thrive, grow, and succeed, right? So how do you do that?

There’s no shortage of books and advice on this subject. Professor Friedrich’s article offers some great insights into avoiding failure, but I want to focus on one fundamental factor: money.

Many businesses that are failing see money as both the problem and the only solution.

While it’s true that you need money to start and run a business, pay SARS, staff, and yourself, the realchallenge is creating an abundance of money after all costs are paid—that’s the real measure of success.

So, how do you create that abundance?

The answer is simple: Deliver what you promise.

You’d be surprised how many businesses fail because they don’t live up to their promises. You may have the right product or service, priced it well, marketed it, and made the sale—but if you don’t deliver on that promise, it’s all for nothing.

It doesn’t matter what goes wrong—whether it’s late delivery, incorrect specifications, system failures, or the dog ate the contract.

Occasional mistakes are fine, but consistently failing to deliver on what you promised is almost guaranteed to lead to failure. Customers won’t pay, word will spread, sales will decline, and revenue will collapse.

Sure, you can take out a loan or borrow money to prop up your business temporarily, but it won’t fix the core issue: you must deliver what you sold.

Yes, you need to focus on selling, managing your finances, and paying creditors. But if sales and revenue are struggling, your top priority should be ensuring that your customers get what you promised them.

Getting this right builds resilience and momentum, helping your business withstand tough times and emerge stronger.

It may sound simple, and perhaps it is. As Leonardo Da Vinci said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

So no matter how challenging the business environment is, this basic principle remains: deliver quality.

Then, market and sell effectively, manage your finances well, stay positive, and keep learning from others. But never lose sight of delivering on your promises. Do that, and the rest—money, growth, and long-term success—will follow.

To see how 5RC can assist you click here…https://fiverc.com/what-problem-are-we-solving/