Behind the scenes of entrepreneurship lurks real struggles with mental health issues

ENTREPRENEURSHIP in South Africa, particularly within its vibrant townships and sprawling rural areas, often gets spray painted with a smooth airbrush of unwavering resilience and boundless innovation.

- 

Rightly so, because the grit it takes to build a business from the ground up in these communities is nothing short of heroic, an audacious act of the KZN Police Commissioner, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

Yet, beneath the inspirational headlines and promise of radical economic development, there's a solemn whisper, a silent groan, "Ooh, I'm done with this!" that often goes off in broad day light. It is a lament of the mind and soul where a friend once said, “I’m in pain, but I can't identify the part of the body that is experiencing this excruciating agony”. This unforgiving pain has no medical remedy, yet it lodges freely in our fragile souls.

Entrepreneurs are not just battling balance sheet numbers; but they are wrestling with extremely apprehensive anxiety, miserable depression, and sheer exhaustion of carrying the weight of their dreams and that their entire families are on their shoulders. In a society where endurance is often seen as the only option, admitting defeat, is unthinkable, feels like a total betrayal.

According to the Founder's Report, Navigating Entrepreneurial Mental Health: Insights from the Trenches published this year, a global survey of 227 entrepreneurs representing 46 countries, reveals that a staggering 87.7% admitted to struggling with at least one mental health issue. That's not a glitch. That is nearly nine out of 10 entrepreneurs swearing in the shower before heading to a business pitch event.