iAccelerate SA aims to equip learners with practical entrepreneurial, leadership, and problem-solving skills that encourage job creation and innovation rather than passive job-seeking.
Image: Supplied
iAccelerate SA will host its 2026 Pitch Day on Saturday at Workshop 17, V&A Waterfront, where 24 high school learners will present their startup ideas developed over a four-month entrepreneurship and innovation programme.
The event marks the culmination of a structured learning journey in which learners from Grades 9 to 12 in public schools across Cape Town identify real-world challenges, develop business solutions, and refine their ideas through mentorship, workshops, and applied learning.
Pitch Day will bring together more than 100 guests, including entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, and industry stakeholders, who will engage with and evaluate learner-developed ventures in an investor-style pitch environment.
South Africa continues to face persistently high youth unemployment, and iAccelerate SA aims to respond to this challenge by equipping learners with practical entrepreneurial, leadership, and problem-solving skills that encourage job creation and innovation rather than passive job-seeking. The programme is designed to shift young people toward active participation in building solutions for their communities and the broader economy.
This year’s cohort has developed solutions across a range of sectors, including education, community safety, accessibility, wellness, and AI-enabled learning tools. Selected ventures include an AI-supported mathematics tutoring platform, initiatives addressing substance dependency in school environments, solutions designed to improve safety in high-risk communities, and accessibility-focused innovations for disabled individuals.
Pitch Day serves as the programme’s flagship milestone, designed to simulate real-world startup conditions where learners must present, defend, and refine their ideas under professional scrutiny. The experience is intended to strengthen critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills while exposing learners to entrepreneurship as a viable pathway.
Zoë Avontuur, alumna and founder of teen skincare brand SlaéPure: “iAccelerate SA fostered open-mindedness in me, giving me new perspectives on business and teamwork that gave me the confidence and knowledge I needed to run my own business. Pitch Day was a defining moment; the nerves were real, but when I stepped onto that stage, I reminded myself of my love for SlaéPure, and that carried me through. Beyond the pitch, the connections I built reminded me that entrepreneurship doesn’t have to be a solo journey.”
Founder of iAccelerate SA, Rayhaan Survé, said the programme focused on building both capability and confidence in young people through applied learning and mentorship.
“iAccelerate SA empowers students so that they can empower others, creating a ripple effect where individual growth builds collective impact. Our goal is to equip students with lifelong entrepreneurial skills, backed by confidence and real experience. Our graduates leave with lasting networks and opportunities and often return to mentor the next cohort. It is so much more than a four-month programme,” said Survé.
Pitch Day 2026 brings this philosophy to life, translating months of mentorship, learning, and development into a single platform where learners present their ideas in a real-world, investor-style environment.