Why Culture Work Matters even more in High-Unemployment Markets
The Problem:
In high-unemployment markets like South Africa, power dynamics in the workplace can easily become toxic. Job scarcity means people often tolerate poor treatment, abuse, or misalignment because they can't afford to leave. The fear of unemployment makes employees less likely to speak up about harmful environments or mistreatment. This leads to a culture of silence, survival-mode behaviour, and mistrust that seeps into every level of the organization.
The result? People feel trapped. Engagement drops. Burnout increases. Innovation dies. And even the most well-intentioned strategies fail because people are operating from fear instead of purpose.
The Perspective:
Culture isn't a "nice to have" in these environments. It's a shield and a strategy. In places where external circumstances already create instability, the internal culture must be a source of stability, safety, and shared humanity. When people feel seen, safe, and valued at work, they show up differently, more engaged, more honest, and more hopeful.
For leaders, this means shifting from control to care. It means understanding that building a resilient internal culture is a way to protect both people and performance. In high-pressure markets, culture isn’t the soft stuff, it’s the essential stuff.
The Solutions:
Make values visible. Not just posters but rituals, stories, and leadership behaviors that reflect them.
Train people leaders on psychological safety and communication.
Let your people shape the culture too. Involve them in defining what good looks like.
Measure how people feel, not just how they perform.
65% of South African workers say they’ve stayed in a job out of fear of not finding another one.
Only 23% of South African employees feel their workplace prioritizes psychological safety.
Toxic culture is the #1 predictor of attrition, 10x more than pay.
