South Africa’s entrepreneurial landscape took centre stage on Thursday as the National Small Business Chamber (NSBC) announced the winners of the 17th Annual South African Small Business Awards, a ceremony regarded as one of the country’s most influential markers of entrepreneurial excellence.
Hosted at a packed gala breakfast in Johannesburg and attended by more than 450 business leaders, investors and industry figures, the event celebrated 20 exceptional SMEs and founders whose work is shaping the country’s evolving business environment.
This year’s winners reflect a broader continental trend where African entrepreneurship is increasingly defined by resilience, invention and a grounded understanding of market needs. The awards come at a moment when small firms, often operating in constrained conditions, are driving meaningful innovation across industries from construction and fintech to education, creative services and community-rooted enterprises.
A Sector Carrying the Economy Forward
Announcing the winners, Mike Anderson, NSBC Founder and CEO, underscored the vital role that SMEs play in strengthening the national economy.
“Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy and the heartbeat of our communities. The diversity and strength of this year’s winners showcase the remarkable talent and determination that define South Africa’s entrepreneurial spirit,” he said.
His message echoes the broader African experience where small firms remain central to job creation, youth employment and local value chains. At a time when shifting global markets pressure emerging economies, it is these founders who continue to push forward, often with limited resources but abundant drive.
Partnerships Fueling Local Prosperity
The 2025 awards were supported by Absa, Sage, Santam, Toyota and Vodacom, companies that Anderson described as “key partners committed to empowering small businesses and fuelling national prosperity.”
Such partnerships reflect growing corporate recognition that Africa’s long-term growth hinges on strengthening its SME base, the segment most capable of building adaptable, community-centred solutions.
Main Category Champions: Leaders Defining What’s Next
This year’s top honours went to five standout innovators whose work captures the energy of Africa’s new business class:
- National Small Business Champion: Debtsource (Frank Knight)
- National Entrepreneur Champion: Cobus Visser (Cobus Visser International)
- National Entrepreneur Champion: Kimberly Ebersohn (The Tax Shop Hartbeespoort)
- National Woman in Business Champion: Tshepiso Nyakane (Thee Gifted Hands)
- National Startup Champion: Hustlery (Tyron Williams)
Each winner represents a distinct slice of South Africa’s SME ecosystem, from advisory firms steering corporate compliance to startups reinventing local services. What connects them is their ability to adapt in real time, often creating business models rooted in community impact and long-term sustainability.
Special Awards Spotlight Emerging Talent and High-Impact Problem-Solvers
The NSBC also recognised entrepreneurs who have distinguished themselves in innovation, resilience and early-stage potential:
- Never Surrender Award: Buhle Mahlangu (LEC Catering)
- National Rising Star Award: Racket Rescue (Mohammed Ziyaad Khan)
- National Innovation Award: Sage Wise Audio Visual Solutions (Darshen Moodley)
- National Funder Award: Sourcefin (Joshua Kadish)
These awards capture a critical truth that many of Africa’s most promising entrepreneurs come from sectors often overlooked in mainstream investment conversations. Their work demonstrates how real innovation is emerging at ground level in catering businesses scaling through grit, in audio-visual startups designing agile digital solutions and in young founders developing home-grown financial tools.
Top 20 Winners: A Snapshot of South Africa’s Entrepreneurial Vanguard
Alphabetically listed, the Top 20 Winners reflect the diversity of South Africa’s fast-growing SME sector:
BluLever Education (Jessica Roussos)
Brytech Holdings (Brian Pawandiwa)
ChilliPix (Eugene Nagel)
Cobus Visser International (Cobus Visser)
Debtsource (Frank Knight)
Edge Growth (Daniel Hatfield)
Gomolemo Construction and Projects (Precious Segopotso)
GovGrowth (Karen Goldstone-Hoffman)
Hustlery (Tyron Williams)
LEC Catering (Buhle Mahlangu)
Level Eight Marketing (Wendy Gengan)
My Fuel Orders (Ashleigh Bradley)
Racket Rescue (Mohammed Ziyaad Khan)
Sage Wise Audio Visual Solutions (Darshen Moodley)
Solis and Luna Consulting (Janice Naidoo)
Speakingdom (Mahlodi Kgatle)
Sourcefin (Joshua Kadish)
Thee Gifted Hands (Tshepiso Nyakane)
The Tax Shop Hartbeespoort (Kimberly Ebersohn)
Tiffany Markman (Tiffany Markman)
Collectively, these businesses offer a picture of a sector that is learning quickly, scaling sustainably, and creating new pathways for employment and opportunity.
A Moment of Recognition and a Call to Build Further
Closing the ceremony, Anderson reminded the audience that South Africa’s economic future depends on the tenacity of its entrepreneurs.
“At the heart of this great nation are its people, the dreamers, doers and builders. Every one of these winners has made a lasting difference by creating jobs, serving communities and inspiring others to believe in what’s possible.”
He added that the NSBC and its national sponsors “congratulates all our champions and extends deep gratitude for their relentless commitment to shaping a better, more prosperous future for South Africa.”
The event offered more than awards. It served as a reminder of Africa’s ongoing entrepreneurial transformation, one defined not only by ambition but by the quiet determination to create economic pathways where none existed before.
For many of the founders honoured this year, the recognition marks not an endpoint but a catalyst, a sign that local innovation, when nurtured, can shift markets, expand industries and rewrite the continent’s economic narrative.
