South Africa is lucky to have a budding entrepreneur industry. Entrepreneurs are vital to the growth of South Africa’s economy. As they continue to build and innovate, they create jobs and bring in revenue which in turn contributes to the overall economy. We can’t speak about the importance of entrepreneurs without highlighting some of the up-and-coming entrepreneurs in South Africa.
An entrepreneur is someone who creates a news business. This person bears all the risks and rewards that come with starting a new business, which can be in any industry, from retail to farming to fintech.
According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, there are at least two in five adults who know someone that has recently started a new business. This shows that South African entrepreneurs are taking risks and starting new businesses and also developing products which are going to address many problems.
With this article, we want to put a spotlight on some of the up-and-coming entrepreneurs building new, innovative and successful businesses in South Africa.
Note: This list of up-and-coming entrepreneurs is not ranked in any way.
Mpho Hlongwane
Mpho Hlongwane is the founder and managing director of MH Automotive Engineering. Mpho has a national diploma and BTech degree in Industrial Engineering as well as an Honours Degree in Business Management and an MBA. Currently, Mpho is studying towards her PhD in Engineering Management.
The 30-year-old engineer oversees a large factory that operates 24/7 and employs at least 80 people. Mpho’s company MH Automotive Engineering produces components for the Ford Ranger and the Volkswagen (VW) Amarok.
Mpho was able to start her own company following her experience at OEM levels working for Nissan and Ford. During her time at Ford, she was involved in major vehicle models such as the Ford NexGen and the VW Amarok.
Outside of running her own company, Mpho also works as a lecturer at Tshwane University of Technology Business School. In addition to her many accomplishments, Mpho provides training opportunities to those who need them.
Thabo Makhetha-Kwinana
Thabo Makhetha-Kwinana is an award-winning South African fashion designer and founder of the fashion label Thabo Makhetha. Thabo started the fashion label in 2009 and since then it has grown into one of the leading names in African luxury fashion. Following the steps of many African designers, Thabo incorporates the traditional Basotho blanket into her designs.
Her fashion career took off after she debuted her work at Vancouver Fashion Week in 2014. Since the Vancouver show, Mpho has showcased her collections in major fashion hubs such as South Africa Week, Milan and Lesotho.
Tsholofelo Ramokoka
Tsholofelo Ramokoka is the co-founder of the digital platform AddressBox. The company uses its digital platform to supply people from rural communities with no formal address. The company delivers documents such as proof of address and also provides a verification platform for companies.
Tsholofelo is an expert in technology having worked at Standard Bank as the Digital Channel Head. She is also a renowned speaker who has spoken at many events such as the Generative AI Summit. Tsholofelo is one of the top entrepreneurs in South Africa and definitely someone to watch.
Godiragetse Fareed Mogajane
Godiragetse Fareed Mogajane is the founder of the food delivery service Delivery Ka Speed. The logistics and e-commerce company seeks to provide delivery solutions and services to townships. The company also works to deliver parcels to other companies.
Godiragetse is not only the founder of Delivery Ka Speed but also founded a tutoring company in 2016 called Goodie Tutors SA. In 2019 he was nominated as one of the top 20 young entrepreneurs in Africa.
Godiragetse is definitely one of the up-and-coming entrepreneurs to look out for in the coming years in South Africa.
Kgololo Lekoma, Lethabo Sekhu and Sibusiso Manentsa
Kgololo Lekoma, Lethabo Sekhu and Sibusiso Manentsa are the founders of the innovative company Credipple. The company connects its clients to professionals across the world looking for remote work. Credipple looks for professionals in various industries such as design, animation, digital marketing, motion graphics and web development amongst many others.
The company is changing the way companies recruit remote working professionals. The founders are definitely ones to watch for now and in the future.
These entrepreneurs are all in different industries, but all have one thing in common: they are doing exceptionally well. In an age where technology rules, these entrepreneurs have leveraged it to innovate their businesses and build successful empires.
To find out more about South Africa’s most successful entrepreneurs, explore our other articles.
