His inward gaze has brought about the full realisation of what it takes to be a professional cricketer.
Where he may in the past have summoned external factors to the dock, he now recognises personal culpability.
"In the past I relied purely on my talent and to be honest I didn't work very hard when I was at Western Province and the Cobras," said the new Lions wicketkeeper candidly.
"Maybe I took things for granted. Especially my batting. Maybe things were too easy," he said.
Tsolekile's career seemed to hit a cul-de-sac at the Cobras after he was assigned to help with their academy in Langa.
The Lions, however, identified him as a player who could help boost the team's flagging fortunes and the wicketkeeper/batsman transferred in the off season.
Tsolekile, regarded as one of those with the best hands in the business, signed a two-year contract. With it he seems to have grasped a lifeline.
"I see this as an opportunity. This is a second chance and one I have to make the most of.
"I had been at Western Province and the Cobras for nine years and it was time for a change.
"To be honest I'm not entirely sure how it all came about. I left it to my business agent Arthur Turner.
"I'm not sure if he called Gauteng or if they contacted him. I was very excited about the move," he said.
Barely two months into the new season and Tsolekile boasts a career-best 141 not out and before the latest round of matches an average of 108, the highest in the SuperSport Series of players who have played more than one game.
Having had time to ponder, hard graft now augments the gifts with which he was naturally bestowed.
"When players reach their late 20s they have figured out their game. You know what works for you and what doesn't.
"I wouldn't say that I'm having a good season. I've made a good start and have to make sure that somehow I continue this form," said the 29-year-old.
He may be modest about his current form but his decision not to rely solely on his talent has paid off.
"I haven't worked this hard on my batting, ever. I was hitting two to three hundred balls a day in pre-season training.
"These days you have to be able to bat so I worked three, four months with our fitness trainer and it has helped. I was used to batting high up but when I started playing for Western Province I moved down to eight and nine.
"They had a really strong team that was winning trophies at the time. I suppose you change the way you bat when you come in that far down because you are running out of overs and potentially out of partners," he said.
Having failed to make a compelling argument with the bat, his selection for the national team amid heightened political tensions raised eyebrows in 2004.
Tsolekile explained that he was probably not as well equipped for the job when he played two Tests against India and one against England, as he is now.
He was included in the national team then amid greatly exaggerated talk of Mark Boucher's imminent demise.
Boucher regained his spot and went on to break all kinds of records but again his place in the side is being questioned.
What is clear, however, is that he commands respect among his peers.
"People are mentioning various names as potential replacements. They talk about Smitty (Daryn Smit), Heino Kuhn, Morne van Wyk and myself.
"No one has really identified themselves as the successor if Mark quits in two or three years' time. None of us have done enough."
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