“I Didn’t Have a Plan”: SA Man Regrets Quitting His Job After Promising Opportunity Falls Through

• Clement Molobela posted a candid TikTok confessing he quit his job for a promising opportunity that never materialised
• The Pretoria man admitted he had no savings and absolutely no backup plan after the promising prospect fell through
• Thousands of South Africans flooded the comments sharing their own resignation regret stories

A Pretoria man's raw, unfiltered confession about quitting his job has struck a nerve with South Africans online.

Clement Molobela posted a selfie-style TikTok video on 15 August 2026, captioned "I regret resigning 💔," in which he admitted that he had walked away from stable employment chasing a vague promise that never delivered.

"I resigned from my job thinking there's something in the works. I didn't have a plan, of course, but there was something promising. And now it's not promising at all."

With no savings and no fallback position, Clement said his only option now was to return home.

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"What am I going to do here in Pretoria? I have no savings. I'm cooked, guys. I'm literally cooked."

5 questions before quitting your job

Thinking of handing in your resignation? According to Sanlam, before taking the leap, ask yourself:

• Why do I want to quit?
• What do I want next?
• Do I have a solid plan?
• Can I afford to leave?
• Am I ready for the uncertainty?

A little reflection now could save you from a rushed career decision later.

View the TikTok video below:

SA weighs in on resignation regret

The video on his page resonated immediately, racking up over 1,450 comments from South Africans who had either been in the same position or had narrowly avoided it.

@Bhubesi put it plainly:

"If you have no backup, never quit unless you have physically signed a new contract."

@Prayer Skosana pressed further:

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"Let's backtrack, you resigned because something was 'promising'? It wasn't confirmed, as in, contract signed?"

@phiwe_sibeko offered a practical solution:

"Chommie, can't you retract your resignation?"

@momo kept it short:

"Sir, did you burn bridges? Call them and say, ' Long time!"

@🦒 shared their own cautionary tale:

"Lol, I resigned from a very stable job for a better offer; 3 years later, they are retrenching us 😂😂😂"

@Makhosi offered a different kind of advice:

"Don't resign, guys; there is nothing out there. Ask God to carry you in that toxic environment."

@luthandoo drew from personal experience:

"I've done this twice 😭 Resigned with immediate effect from my 1st job and got a new one within 8 months. A year later, I resigned again and only found another job 18 months later 😭😂 Needless to say, I'm never doing that again!"

@Lady D🏳️‍🌈🇿🇦 added some humour:

"Yesterday my bf was saying I should resign; he will look after me 😂😂😂 I can never."

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More Briefly News stories on jobs

• A marketing expert explained why the Foschini Group is closing more than 300 stores, sparking concern among South Africans over potential job losses as the retailer shifts its strategy.
• A South African man advised job seekers to reconsider quitting low-paying jobs, arguing that having a R3,000 salary is better than being unemployed, sparking mixed reactions online.
• An Afrikaner woman living in the US as a refugee shared her excitement after landing a job at Walmart, documenting her first day and reflecting on her new life after leaving South Africa.

Source: Briefly News