Tebogo Kale – Optima Process
South Africa faces a looming 17% water deficit by 2030, putting critical industries like mining, which is responsible for 3% of national water use, under immense pressure. In this high-stakes environment, entrepreneur Tebogo Kale is proving that sustainability and profitability can go hand in hand. Kale developed the Optima Process, a patented, waterless technology for […]
Prof. Monique Zaahl – GENEdiagnostics
In a country where an estimated 90% of genetic testing needs go unmet, millions of South Africans lack vital information that could save their lives. Professor Monique Zaahl refused to accept this reality. Determined to bridge the gap, she founded GENEdiagnostics in 2010. After eight years of persistent effort, the company became fully operational. Since […]
Hamilton Stephenson – Technogrid
South Africa’s manufacturing sector, a key economic pillar contributing 13% to GDP, is currently navigating significant headwinds, including a 1.5% year-on-year decline. It is in this challenging environment that engineer Hamilton Stephenson has built a globally competitive firm from the ground up. When he took over the business in 2016, essentially buying back the patents […]
From Funeral Services to Fashion: South Africa’s Most Innovative Entrepreneurs of 2025
Five SMEs are transforming South Africa’s economy through innovation, job creation, and unconventional leadership In a year marked by economic uncertainty, with growth projected between 0.9% and 1.6%, inflation rising to 3.5%, and unemployment stubbornly high at 33.2%, South Africa’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are proving to be a beacon of resilience, innovation, and […]
Thatiso Dube – GALXBOY
South Africa faces a 62.2% youth unemployment rate, making job creation a critical challenge. Amid this landscape, entrepreneurs like Thatiso Dube are creating pathways to meaningful employment. Dube’s journey is the ultimate comeback story. In 2008, he was designing and selling T-shirts to his friends at school. They proved so popular that he started selling […]
Aphiwe Khambule – Funeral Industry Innovator
South Africa’s funeral industry is valued at over R10 billion yet remains one of the country’s least digitised sectors. In this landscape, Aphiwe Khambule is proving that even the most established industries can be transformed from within. Before joining her family business, 21st Century Funerals, Khambule worked as a fashion and beauty editor, in digital […]
SA’s Economic Drivers: 15 Businessowners Vie for the 2025 Entrepreneur of the Year® Title
As South Africa grapples with modest growth and high unemployment, entrepreneurs are stepping up as job creators and economic drivers. The easing of inflation to three-year lows, combined with steady recovery in key sectors like manufacturing and trade, is providing entrepreneurs with a more stable foundation for growth, as demonstrated by the 15 finalists in […]
SA’s Entrepreneurs Rise Above the Storm with Real Support as Their Lifeline
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of South Africa’s economy, contributing more than R5 trillion in turnover, accounting for roughly 34% of the country’s GDP, and employing 11.4 million people. These vital economic engines drive innovation, create jobs, and fuel economic growth across the nation. In this context, 84% of SMEs expect their […]
SA Entrepreneurs are Rising Beyond Their Roots, But Growth Demands Support
SME confidence is climbing in 2025, with more business owners viewing the economy and government efforts as supportive of growth. But the pressure isn’t off. The latest Business Partners SME Confidence Index shows cash flow, economic conditions, and limited funding remain the top barriers. To overcome these, 86% of SMEs say access to finance is […]
2024 EOY Winner – Sheldon Tatchell
Sheldon Tatchell – Legends Barber Entrepreneur of the Year® The story of The Legends Barbershop is, in itself, the stuff of legends. Sheldon Tatchell, the man behind the barbering empire, started cutting hair outside his cousin’s internet café in Eldorado Park, Gauteng, armed with a chair, a pair of clippers and a boombox, and looking […]