Johannesburg, South Africa, January 2026 — Bathabile Moreki, a multi-award-winning serial entrepreneur, founder of the Township Entrepreneurship Network, and former Ambassador for South Africa’s National Development Plan (NDP), says the failure of New Year resolutions in South Africa must be understood through economic and structural realities, rather than framed as a lack of individual commitment.
According to Statistics South Africa’s most recent Quarterly Labour Force Survey, unemployment remains above 30%, with women and young people continuing to experience the highest levels of economic exclusion. This environment places significant pressure on households and entrepreneurs, limiting their ability to sustain personal, career, and business goals beyond the first weeks of the year.
In the small-business and township economy, similar patterns are evident. Data published by the Small Enterprise Development Finance Agency (SEDFA) shows that many township-based and small enterprises struggle to survive beyond their early stages due to inadequate planning, limited access to finance, and the absence of structured support ecosystems. These same constraints, Moreki argues, mirror why many New Year resolutions collapse shortly after January.
Moreki says resolutions fail not because people lack motivation, but because goals are often set without systems that can withstand pressure.
“When people design resolutions without accounting for financial strain, skills gaps, time constraints, and the realities of operating in a high-pressure economy, failure becomes predictable,” said Moreki. “Resolution is not about intention. It is about whether the structure around that intention is strong enough to support it.”
Her perspective is informed by lived execution. Moreki’s entrepreneurial journey reflects a series of long-term resolutions taken in response to real constraints within South Africa’s economy. She established the Township Entrepreneurship Network to support entrepreneurs navigating limited access to capital, mentorship, and markets. When she recognised that operating independently was not sustainable at scale, she resolved to move into structured enterprise and franchising models.
That decision later extended into brand ownership and manufacturing through The Perfume Co. Africa, a fragrance and personal-care business producing perfumes, body lotions, and related products. According to the company’s official profile, the brand operates a structured manufacturing and distribution model and has expanded its footprint beyond South Africa into other African markets, creating employment and enabling micro-entrepreneurs to participate in a broader value chain.
Moreki says each stage of growth required the same discipline that successful resolutions demand: clarity of purpose, measurable systems, accountability, and the willingness to adapt when conditions change.
“Resolution is not January motivation,” she said. “It is the ability to recognise a limitation, make a deliberate decision to change course, and then build systems that can sustain that decision over time.”
She adds that resolutions which succeed tend to be specific and measurable, aligned to real capacity rather than aspiration alone, supported by accountability structures, and flexible enough to evolve as circumstances change. By contrast, resolutions that fail are often vague, overly ambitious, or disconnected from economic reality.
As South Africans enter 2026 facing continued economic pressure, Moreki says the practical lesson is to approach resolutions as long-term commitments rather than symbolic declarations.
“Resolution has to be built for the environment you actually operate in,” she said. “When intention is backed by structure, progress becomes sustainable.”
