South African entrepreneurs are operating in one of the world’s most challenging business environments. Despite strong entrepreneurial ambition, the country’s business support environment continues to lag global peers. The recent Global Entrepreneurship Monitor National Expert Report on South Africa found that the country’s entrepreneurial ecosystem scored just 3.9 out of 10, the seventh-lowest score among 56 economies surveyed and well below the global average of 4.7. The findings point to persistent challenges in accessing finance, navigating government support programmes, and ease of entering markets, all of which continue to constrain business growth and job creation.

South African business owners have navigated six years of unprecedented disruption, from the Covid-19 pandemic and prolonged load shedding (which has now improved), to water interruptions, logistics bottlenecks at ports and rail and rising input costs. Yet, many have not only survived these challenges but adapted and grown through it all. Some have gone further and built businesses out of the disruption itself, turning systemic problems the country has been struggling with into commercial opportunities.

Among them are fifteen finalists who have now been shortlisted for the 38th edition of the Business Partners Limited Entrepreneur of the Year® awards. These are business owners who have distinguished themselves through innovation, resilience and sustained business success. Following a comprehensive evaluation by an independent judging panel of seasoned entrepreneurs, academics and practitioners in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, the finalists emerged as standout performers across three categories determined by turnover and trading history. They were assessed on measures such as entrepreneurial ability, growth, management skill, market strategy, financial performance and social and environmental contribution, supported by independently reviewed financial statements and full compliance verification.

This year’s finalists represent some of South Africa’s most dynamic and resilient businesses and will contest for top honours in the following categories:

I. Emerging Business Entrepreneur of the Year® – awarded to businesses operating for one to five years with turnover up to R10 million:

1. Lwazi, Lwando and Simnikiwe Ndlangalavu – PB Gaz, which supplies LPG cooking gas and related products and services to underserved township households, schools and small businesses.
2. Jerry Tjale – Bokamoso Farmers Academy, an accredited agricultural training institution that trains between 3,000 and 5,000 learners a year and partners with government departments and agricultural businesses.
3. Linda Ntshanga – Ekash Group, a fintech platform addressing financial exclusion through affordable mobile money services for individuals, SMMEs, informal traders and community groups.
4. Dr Michelle Von Stein – CoralBloom® Studio, which creates functional art collections for the destination retail, hospitality and tourism sectors, including homeware, tableware, stationery, accessories and bespoke corporate gifts.
5. Kgomotso Pooe – SoWeToo Tours, which showcases Soweto’s history, culture and vibrancy through authentic tourism experiences.
6. Mxolisi Mhlongo – Euphrosyne, a circular economy business that harvests invasive alien plants and converts them into eco-friendly charcoal, while creating green employment opportunities in communities facing high unemployment.

II. Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year® – for businesses with turnover between R10 million and R50 million:
1. Carl van Blerk – Food Sock Meals, which manufactures and distributes affordable, shelf-stable dehydrated meals for households, students, outdoor enthusiasts, NGOs, schools, feeding schemes and disaster relief organisations.
2. Thenjiwe and Ntuthuko Shezi – First Class Parking, the sole Airports Company South Africa-accredited valet parking service operating at O.R. Tambo International Airport.
3. Louise and Gary Concar – Offshore Africa Training Centre, which provides internationally certified safety and technical training for the oil and gas sector.
4. Marcel and Simone Hattingh and Nicholas Eve – Donkey Long Tong, a manufacturer of braai and fire tools supplying both local and export markets.
5. Noko Ramasenya – Noleo Projects, a construction and engineering company focused on SMME development and contributing to the communities in which it operates.
6. Douw Bezuidenhout – Henque Waste, which provides integrated waste management and recycling solutions across the commercial, industrial, institutional, residential and public sectors.

III. Medium Business Entrepreneur of the Year® – recognising businesses with turnover above R50 million:
1. Jaen-Jacques Nell – The CMF Group, a wholesale, distribution and e-commerce business supplying branded consumer electronics, mobile accessories and homeware through major online and retail platforms, while providing route-to-market services to brand partners.
2. Neran Naidoo – HSP Mobility Solutions, which combines driver training, fleet rental, luxury chauffeur services and AI-powered mobility solutions.
3. Thomas Malamule – TTI Bursary Management, which manages the full bursary lifecycle for corporate funders, from recruitment and disbursement through to mentoring, reporting and graduation.

Read together, the list points to where South African opportunity is currently concentrated. Three of the fifteen run training and education businesses, in a market where 84% of large corporations report difficulty sourcing critically skilled staff and 89% say unfilled roles are damaging their operations. Two are working on problems South Africa has not solved, with the country sending roughly 90% of its general waste to landfill and losing between 3% and 5% of its surface water to invasive alien plants. Three more are serving township and informal markets, supplying cooking gas, mobile money and tourism income to communities the formal economy has been slow to reach. Among the township-based businesses, Business Partners Limited is particularly pleased to have uncovered a tourism business that is shining a spotlight on the heritage and history of one of South Africa’s oldest townships, bringing local stories and experiences to the fore during Heritage and Tourism Month.

“What surprised us this year is the degree to which these founders, working independently of one another, seem to be tackling the same underlying challenges,” says Gugu Mjadu of Business Partners Limited. “They are not simply spotting gaps in the market. They are finding ways to turn some of the country’s most persistent challenges into viable businesses.”

Each category winner will be selected from these finalists, with one set to be named South Africa’s overall Entrepreneur of the Year® 2026. The Job Creator, Innovator and Impact Entrepreneur of the Year® titles are conferred at the judges’ discretion on finalists making outstanding contributions to employment, market innovation or social impact, respectively.

The 2026 winners will be announced at an official awards ceremony in October, where they will share in prizes worth R2 million designed to accelerate business growth, including funding, mentorship, technical assistance and business exposure opportunities.