Building sustainable entrepreneurs: inside South Africa's Collective Shapers Programme

In a country where nearly seven out of every ten small businesses collapse before reaching their fifth anniversary, South Africa’s dream of building a thriving entrepreneurial economy remains under pressure.

The high failure rate, revealed in research by the University of the Western Cape, highlights the fragility of the small business sector, a key pillar of job creation and economic growth.

At the same time, the country’s youth are bearing the brunt of the unemployment crisis. Statistics South Africa reports that the jobless rate among young people aged 15 to 34 stands at a staggering 46%, while the rate of youth-led entrepreneurial activity remains worryingly low. The 2023 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor found that in 2022, only 8% of South Africans aged 18 to 24 and 10.4% of those aged 25 to 34 were engaged in business ventures, a combined total of just 9.2%.

Against this backdrop, initiatives designed to nurture young entrepreneurs have become critical to South Africa’s economic resilience. One such initiative is the Collective Shapers programme, launched in 2021. The programme focuses on empowering young business owners who operate in small or informal sectors, offering them mentorship, business coaching, and access to markets. More than just funding, the initiative provides the kind of holistic support needed to turn survivalist hustles into sustainable enterprises, and, ultimately, into job-creating ventures.

The programme offers more than just business funding, it focuses on building resilient, well-rounded entrepreneurs. Participants benefit from mentorship, business coaching, leadership training, market access, and national exposure, while also receiving mental health and wellness support to strengthen their mindset and emotional resilience.

At the launch of the fourth edition of Collective Shapers, entrepreneurship expert Chimene Chetty highlighted that today’s entrepreneurs must constantly learn and adapt. She said success depends not only on skills but also on self-awareness and self-belief, calling these the foundation of lasting business growth.

One of the programme’s standout success stories is Thabiso Mhlongo, founder of the Atteridgeville-based eatery Epicure Bitez. Chosen in 2023 as one of 20 young entrepreneurs to join the programme, Mhlongo credits the initiative with transforming his business and mindset. The mentorship, collaboration, and hands-on support he received helped him navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship, turning what was once a lonely and stressful journey into a structured path of growth and confidence.

“It gave me some peace to know that the programme has my back. They made sure that anything you need, they will help you with,” he said. 

Nkosinathi Mahlangu, Momentum Group’s Youth Employment Portfolio Head and a long-time driver of the programme, emphasised that expanding market access is key to ensuring entrepreneurs achieve lasting growth and stability.

“This programme is designed to enable young entrepreneurs to thrive in their businesses, run their businesses professionally, but, most importantly, market access opportunities for them to grow their revenue and subsequently be the job creators in our country because, as we know, youth unemployment is high,” he said.

By nurturing young entrepreneurs holistically, strengthening their emotional resilience, mental readiness, and business strategy, the Metropolitan Collective Shapers programme is building more than just businesses; it’s cultivating a generation of sustainable leaders. Through continued mentorship and integration of past participants into its network, Metropolitan is ensuring that today’s small ventures become tomorrow’s engines of growth and job creation.

The Star

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