How South African entrepreneurs are celebrating wins

It’s no secret that South African small businesses face a unique set of challenges, yet they continue to demonstrate remarkable resilience and optimism. We recently conducted an independent global study that reveals a truly special characteristic of the South African small business community: a strong culture of celebrating milestones. Our ‘Made-it Moments’ report found that 92% of South African businesses currently celebrate, or plan to celebrate, milestones.

Milestones that matter

The study, which surveyed 300 South African small business owners, along with their counterparts in the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, highlights the moments that are critical to small business success. These are the ‘made-it’ moments that make you feel energised and supercharged to keep going. They can be big or small, and are all part of the journey of being an entrepreneur. 

An impressive 86% of South African small businesses reached a milestone in the last three years. The top three milestones both globally and in South Africa are the ability to pay themselves (55%), having repeat customers (55%) and receiving positive reviews (49%). 

Happy Hounds: scaling with purpose

Emma Kaye is the founder and director of the dog food brand Happy Hounds, which specialises in producing fresh, cooked dog food, made from high-quality produce from artisanal fishers and micro farmers. What started as a personal project quickly evolved into a viable business, driven by a passion for animal wellbeing and ethical ingredients. Every tub of food is “made with sunshine” says Emma, whose commercial kitchen is now 100% solar powered.

Happy Hounds has hit many notable milestones since starting out, including opening a commercial kitchen and reaching R1 million in revenue. In addition to the big achievements, her team celebrates daily wins to foster a culture of collective achievement and workplace happiness. 

Financial ambition and personal pride drive motivation

Our research also looked at core motivations of entrepreneurs. The study found that making money (67%) and making themself proud (61%) were the top motivators for South African business owners. This combination of financial ambition and personal pride underscores a powerful drive for success. Other key drivers include making those around them feel proud (41%), followed by solving a real problem (41%), along with contributing to the community (38%).  

The impact of celebration on growth

Celebrating business milestones is more than just a feel-good activity, it has a tangible, positive impact on business performance. When asked about the benefits of celebrating milestones, South African small businesses were the biggest believers in the positive impact of celebrating on employee morale (92%), performance (89%), as well as on their own energy (85%), motivation (88%) and happiness (75%).

Emma says a stand-out moment for her was when a customer came into the shop and burst into tears of gratitude after seeing the positive impact on her dog after four weeks on a Happy Hounds diet. For Emma, knowing her team makes a real impact on people and their pets is what truly drives them.

South African entrepreneurs lead the way in celebrating success

It’s remarkable that South African small business owners have a higher tendency than all the other countries surveyed to celebrate milestones. Emma believes this is because it’s essential as an entrepreneur in South Africa to have the hustle and creativity to overcome challenges and succeed.

So, how are you celebrating? Whether it’s treating yourself to something special, running a customer giveaway or employee awards, every win is worth it. I encourage you all to keep celebrating those moments, because doing so doesn’t just feel good; it unlocks more growth and reminds you why you started in the first place.