Gauteng learners shine in Allan Gray Entrepreneurship Challenge 2025

Three Gauteng learners have emerged as the top winners in this year’s Allan Gray Entrepreneurship Challenge (AGEC), a competition that drew more than 40 000 participants from schools across Southern Africa.

Now in its ninth year, the AGEC aims to ignite entrepreneurial thinking among young people through gamified learning, business simulations and pitch competitions that make entrepreneurship accessible and exciting for learners.

At the AGEC Summit, held at the Radisson Blu Sandton on October 4, finalists presented their business ideas to a live audience of educators, partners and government representatives before the overall winners were announced.

Tumelo Thanjekwayo of Nigel High School took first place in the E Cadres category, Jürgen Klein of Deutsche Schule Johannesburg won the High School Game, and Buhlebethu Chauke from Curro Secondary in Krugersdorp was named the Business Pitch Challenge winner.

The top-performing schools were Nigel High School in Gauteng and Etham College in Hilton, KwaZulu-Natal.

“Special congratulations are in order for our top winners,” said Mahlatse Tolamo, AGEC’s Operations Lead. “This year’s results reflect not only the creativity of our learners but also the growing role of entrepreneurship education in tackling South Africa’s socio-economic challenges.”

Prizes included cash and Allan Gray Unit Trusts, with top students in the Business Pitch Challenge receiving R35 000, R25 000 and R15 000 respectively. The High School Game offered a total prize pool of R50 000, while schools could win R20 000 for the highest participation rates.

The 2025 competition introduced new features such as an expanded high school business simulation, an entrepreneurship card game called Start-Up Shuffle, and an AI-powered digital platform offering learners instant feedback on their decisions.

Participation nearly doubled from 21 000 learners in 2024 to more than 40 000 across nine provinces and neighbouring countries including Eswatini, Botswana and Namibia. Organisers said this year saw over 488 000 games played and nearly 2 000 teachers registered to guide learners.

Looking ahead, Tolamo said AGEC plans to strengthen partnerships with the Department of Basic Education and teachers’ unions to expand its reach in 2026.

“By embedding the challenge into school calendars and collaborating with youth organisations and EdTech startups, we aim to grow impact, innovation and inclusion,” she said.

Launched in 2017 by the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation, the challenge has grown into one of Southern Africa’s leading youth entrepreneurship platforms, designed to inspire a generation of innovators ready to solve real-world problems.

Full List of Winners

E Cadres Winners

1. Tumelo Thanjekwayo – Nigel High School (Gauteng) – R10 000

2. Yamihle Dyongo – Tsakane Secondary School (Gauteng) – R7 000

3. Sibusiso Manzi – Pace Commercial School of Specialisation (Gauteng) – R5 000

4. Nazeem Thomas – Bergrivier Secondary School (Western Cape) – R2 000

High School Game Winners

1. Jürgen Klein – Deutsche Schule Johannesburg (Grade 9, Gauteng) 

2. Nuraz Tikly – Ligbron Academy of Technology (Grade 10, Mpumalanga) 

3. Rumaanah Del Cueto Martinez – Ligbron Academy of Technology (Grade 12, Mpumalanga) 

4. Liam Heunis – Stellenberg High School (Grade 11, Western Cape)

5. Pieter Wessels – Stellenberg High School (Grade 11, Western Cape)

6. Yusheel Naidoo – Sutherland High School (Grade 10, Western Cape) 

7. Nosipho Khanyile – Deutsche Schule Johannesburg (Grade 9, Gauteng)

8. Bojan Marovic – Deutsche Schule Johannesburg (Grade 9, Gauteng)

9. Keshav Chetty – Deutsche Schule Johannesburg (Grade 9, Gauteng)

10. Gilia Hutchinson – Deutsche Schule Johannesburg (Grade 9, Gauteng) 

11. William Mvula – Deutsche Schule Johannesburg (Grade 9, Gauteng)

Business Pitch Challenge Winners

1. Buhlebethu Chauke – Curro Secondary, Krugersdorp (Grade 11, Gauteng)

2. Senzo Zulu and Ntando Mkhwanazi – Acudeo College, Crystal Park (Grade 10, Gauteng)

3. Ramabele Ashley Sello – St Cyprian’s, Cape Town (Grade 12, Western Cape)