Fifteen young South African entrepreneurs have landed shelf space in Woolworths stores across Johannesburg and Cape Town as part of the Youth Makers 2026 programme. Here’s who they are, where to find them, and how a side hustle turned into a retail opportunity.
If you’re in Johannesburg over the next two weeks or in Cape Town at the end of August, you can shop directly from the country’s newest generation of entrepreneurs at the Woolworths Youth Makers showcase.
Where to see the showcase
Johannesburg
Mall of Africa
22 July to 2 August
Meet the founders in store on 1 and 2 August.
Cape Town
Cavendish Square
26 August to 6 September
Meet the founders in store on 5 and 6 September.
The showcase is the final stage of the annual Woolworths Youth Makers programme, which helps young entrepreneurs turn growing businesses into retail-ready brands.
What is Youth Makers?
Youth Makers is open to South Africans aged 18 to 35 who own businesses in food, beauty, fashion, homeware and related industries. This year’s competition attracted hundreds of applications before being narrowed down to 24 finalists, who each pitched their businesses to a panel of Woolworths judges.
Founders were assessed on creativity, authenticity, product quality, business viability and growth potential. Fifteen entrepreneurs were ultimately selected, representing industries including fashion, beauty, wellness, agriculture, publishing, design and homeware.
Each winner received mentorship from Woolworths retail experts, commercial guidance from business advisors, marketing support, a grant of more than R130,000, and the opportunity to sell directly to Woolworths customers in flagship stores across the country.
Meet the 2026 Youth Makers
The winning businesses cover everything from fashion and ceramics to agriculture and children’s publishing.
Patrick Ferguson Designs – Couture-inspired fashion rooted in African craftsmanship and sustainable design.
UBaliwe – Baliwe Sibisi’s handcrafted ceramics celebrating African heritage through mugs, bowls and homeware.
Patns by Buhle – African-inspired art and pattern designs transforming everyday products into bold statement pieces.
KwaDube Essentials – Luxury home fragrances and handcrafted home décor accessories.
Hide and Suede – Handmade leather bags, wallets, personalised gifts and home accessories.
Marapyane Farms – Fresh vegetables grown and packaged for local markets.
Walk Fresh – South Africa’s sneaker care brand offering professional cleaning services and locally made care products.
Mayaka Accessories – Handmade Afrocentric beaded bags celebrating African craftsmanship.
E_mania – A sustainable fashion production studio supporting emerging African designers.
VICTORI – Luxury African streetwear blending fashion, identity and storytelling.
WELL N WELL – Plant-based cultured almond yoghurts made with indigenous superfoods.
Girl Boss Africa – Natural skincare and haircare products designed for young African girls.
Glolooks Kiddies – Natural haircare products developed specifically for children with textured hair.
Maru Maphiri Group – Educational books teaching children financial literacy, entrepreneurship and life skills.
Noac – Locally made womenswear focused on slow fashion and limited-edition collections.
More than funding
While the grant helped founders invest in their businesses, many participants say the mentorship was the biggest benefit.
Working alongside Woolworths retail experts and business advisors, founders refined everything from pricing and production to quality control and retail readiness. The programme focused on helping entrepreneurs build businesses that could scale sustainably, rather than simply creating products people love.
The first showcase
The first Youth Makers showcase took place at Woolworths Gateway in Durban during late June and early July, where shoppers bought more than 300 products, generating over R200,000 in revenue for participating businesses, according to Woolworths. Many founders also reported an increase in online sales following the event.
“The overwhelming success of the Durban showcase is confirmation that the Youth Makers model works,” said Woolworths Director for Corporate Social Justice, Zinzi Mgolodela. “Access to mentorship, funding and the Woolworths customer base can deliver a meaningful contribution to small businesses.”
Why it matters
South Africa’s youth unemployment challenge won’t be solved by one retail programme. But Youth Makers is one of the few initiatives that goes beyond mentorship and funding by giving young entrepreneurs something many small businesses struggle to access: customers.
For shoppers, it’s an opportunity to discover local brands before they become household names. For the founders, it’s a chance to test their businesses in one of the country’s biggest retail environments and take the next step from side hustle to sustainable business.
* To learn more about the 2026 Youth Makers winners and their businesses, visit: www.woolworths.co.za/youthmakers
