Human Capital

Employment and entrepreneurship can seem worlds apart. However, the same skill set can help young people succeed in either. For young people eager to enter the world of work after years of schooling and studying, the choices can seem exciting yet overwhelming. Should you join a company in an entry-level role and work your way up? Or should you take a leap and start your own business? Whether you have a boss or are the boss, either path can mark the start of something big.

In the high-stakes world of corporate South Africa, we have long worn overwork like a badge of honour. We survive systemic economic hurdles and relentless market shifts by pushing harder, faster, and longer. However, the data tells a different story. Our current corporate structures are setting managers up to fail.

You had the surgery. Your medical aid paid its share right on schedule. Three weeks later, a second bill arrives from the anaesthetist or surgeon for R40,000. You didn't budget for it, and you didn't see it coming. Increasingly, this is becoming the norm. The numbers behind these shortfalls tell the real story of this year's benefits renewal season. They also highlight the financial risks associated with medical aid misconceptions.

A recent survey, The Great Retirement, found that 51% of the global workforce is expected to retire or leave within five years. For South African Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) already struggling with skills shortages, this could place additional pressure on business continuity, productivity and growth. Moreover, more than 60% of South African businesses already cite skills gaps as a barrier to progress.

The traditional office social fabric is undergoing a profound psychological shift. Instead of walking down the corridor to bounce ideas off a colleague or venting to a teammate over coffee, workers increasingly turn to Artificial Intelligence (AI). They use it as their primary workplace confidant, sounding board, and creative partner.

We are often taught to think of a successful career as a straight line. Study something, find a job in that field, gain experience, move up, and keep going. But many careers do not always play out this way. This may be more useful than we realise.

Every employer needs a reliable supply of people who can serve customers, support growth and develop into tomorrow's experienced workforce. At the same time, millions of young South Africans are ready to work, learn and contribute, yet many remain disconnected from opportunities that could help them build careers and gain experience. For employers, this represents one of the country's greatest untapped talent opportunities.

The recent discovery of the bodies of women in Ekurhuleni has understandably heightened concern about personal safety. Investigations are ongoing, and authorities have cautioned against speculation about links between cases that they have not established. But amid the headlines is a question worth asking ourselves: If I don't arrive where I'm expected, or don't come home, who will know?

Every hotel valuation conversation in this industry starts in the same place. Capital expenditure (Capex) plans, revenue management systems, brand affiliation, the flag on the building. Owners obsess over these levers because they are visible, measurable, and easy to put in a deck.

Wellness days, Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs), flexible hours; employers have spent years building programmes that address health, mental health, work-life balance, and more. Everything except the one thing actually keeping people up at night: money stress.