September is Tourism Month in South Africa and the country’s tourism sector is also heading into the 2026 festive season with significant momentum, driven by growing traveller demand, increasing visitor numbers and renewed opportunities for tourism businesses. International arrivals rose by 12.3% during the first six months of the year, airlines are adding additional capacity for the summer travel period, and retail sales continue to show signs of recovery.
For many small and medium enterprises (SMEs), this is welcome news. Whether you operate in retail, hospitality, food services, tourism, events, manufacturing or distribution, the final quarter of the year often represents one of the busiest and most profitable trading periods on the calendar.
However, stronger demand can create its own set of challenges, especially for businesses who do not give adequate attention to the operational planning required to support growth. In practice, peak season success often comes down to two fundamentals: having the right stock available at the right time and ensuring there are enough people in place to deliver a consistently good customer experience.
As businesses prepare for the final stretch of 2026, here are four common inventory and staffing mistakes to avoid:
- Ordering stock too late
One of the biggest risks heading into the festive season is assuming your suppliers will always be able to deliver at short notice.
Just as demand increases for your business, suppliers often experience higher order volumes, longer lead times and stock shortages of their own. Transport networks can also become congested as businesses across the country compete for inventory ahead of year-end trading.
To ensure you stay one step ahead, the best approach is to engage suppliers early, confirm lead times, and place orders for critical products well before demand peaks.
After all, the stakes are especially high, as running out of a best-selling item during your busiest trading period can result in lost revenue, disappointed customers and competitors gaining market share.
- Tying up too much cash in inventory
While understocking can be problematic, overstocking creates a different set of risks.
Many entrepreneurs overcompensate for anticipated demand by purchasing excessive inventory, which can place significant pressure on working capital and reduce financial flexibility at a time when businesses may also need cash for staffing, marketing, equipment maintenance or unexpected expenses.
The objective should not be to carry as much stock as possible, but rather to strike the right balance between availability and liquidity. To do this, focus on products with proven sales histories and avoid making large speculative purchases based on optimistic assumptions.
- Hiring seasonal staff at the last minute
Just as ordering stock at the last minute can land you in hot water, making last minute hires is a risk that isn’t worth taking. Many SMEs wait until demand is already accelerating before starting recruitment, but by then, they are often competing with larger employers for the same pool of seasonal talent, resulting in rushed hiring decisions and limited onboarding time.
To avoid getting caught up in this rush, assess anticipated staffing requirements well in advance and identify where additional capacity may be needed. This could include frontline customer service staff, sales personnel, drivers, food service workers or temporary administrative support.
- Underestimating the importance of training
Hiring additional staff is only half the equation. Equally important is ensuring that new and existing employees understand their roles and can perform effectively under pressure.
Busy periods often expose weaknesses in processes, communication and customer service standards. Employees who have not been adequately trained may struggle to deal with increased workloads, resulting in errors, delays and inconsistent customer experiences.
For SMEs, even relatively short training interventions can make the world of difference. And the businesses that start planning now will be best positioned to capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead.
About the Author: Jeremy Lang
