The 2025 Top 16 Youth-Owned Brands Awards (YOBAs) have unveiled its lineup of finalists, celebrating youth-led brands that are making significant contributions to innovation, employment, and economic transformation across South Africa and the broader African continent.
Spanning 17 diverse categories, from technology and agriculture to media, wellness, and fashion, these young entrepreneurs share their achievements and challenges with Saturday Star while on a path towards recognition and acclaim.
Among the finalists is The Warehouse Boys, a brand that is revelling in the pride of being recognised as a youth-owned entity. Reflecting on their entrepreneurial journey, they describe it as both humbling and transformative.
“The journey as an entrepreneur has been very humbling; there have been many challenges and lessons along the way. The highlight of it was when we decided to move our attention away from selling our products and focus on building a brand. We invested a lot of time and money into building a brand where our attention was more on building a name for ourselves, being in people's faces and having people ask, 'Who are these boys?' and we believe that’s what led to us being part of YOBAs.”
Speaking about being finalists, they state, “It’s a great feeling, not only because we were nominated for an award, but what makes it more meaningful is that it’s a youth-owned BRAND award, and like we stated earlier, we’ve spent a lot of time focusing on building a brand, and to be nominated as a youth-owned brand award made us feel like our efforts are seen and has encouraged us tremendously.”
Among the standout finalists is Speakingdom, founded in 2018 by Mahlodi Kgatle, a passionate activist for social impact and eloquent speaker from Tembisa.
Her story is one of resilience, as she recalls her humble beginnings providing free public speaking coaching to help young people conquer their fears.
“Building this business has been a faith journey. Looking back to when I started doing pro bono public speaking coaching for local public speaking festivals. I did it out of the fullness of my passion for helping young people overcome stage fright. Before e-hailing days, I would take a taxi to my clients venues, sometimes having to walk a few kilometres from the taxi drop-off point to the venue, take off my flat dusty pumps and put on my high heels as soon as I entered the premises, greet the security with a bold smile, and tackle my assignment.”
Another inspiring contender, The Darkies in Tech, represents a vibrant and unapologetic Afrocentric community of tech founders, investors, and ecosystem builders.
Speaking to the significance of the Youth-Owned Brand Awards, they assert, “This platform shines a spotlight on impactful brands. Our work demands such attention to attract value-aligned and mission-driven partners. While we do not seek recognition as our primary goal, it serves as a reminder that we are doing important work,” they note, reflecting the ethos of a community dedicated to progress.
Lesego Gumede who is also vying for the coveted title represents the entrepreneurial spirit thriving in townships with Sneaker Cleanic, a business dedicated to sneaker care, operating from its two branches in Pretoria.
“My journey hasn’t been easy, but it’s been incredibly rewarding,” states Gumede, attributing much of his success to tackling genuine community challenges.
Gumede says lack of suitable sneaker cleaning products led him to manufacture his own, illustrating the ingenuity often born out of necessity.
“The Top 16 Youth-Owned Brands Awards is exactly what entrepreneurs like me need. We don’t always get the attention we deserve, but we have impactful stories to share.”
Pat Mahlangu, the founder of the YOBAs and Lerato Agency, articulated the essence of the awards, detailing the aim not just to celebrate outstanding achievements but to inspire others within the youth community to pursue their entrepreneurial ambitions.
“This platform continues to grow into a powerful movement that validates the efforts of young Africans who are reshaping the business landscape,” said Mahlangu.
anita.nkonki@inl.co.za
Saturday Star