The businesses were chosen from more than 340 applications, with the final 15 selected after a seven-week mentorship programme and a final round of pitches.
The programme brings together entrepreneurs from South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi, with businesses working across everything from fashion and furniture to gaming, publishing and music.
Women also make up 67% of the final 15, highlighting the significant role female entrepreneurs are playing in the region’s creative economy.
The selected businesses cover a broad range of creative sectors, with many combining cultural heritage and contemporary ideas.
Being named one of the Top 15 is not the end of the programme. The entrepreneurs are now taking part in a seven-month tailored incubation programme, which runs until October 2026.
The focus is on turning creative ideas into stronger, more sustainable businesses. Participants will receive support with their business models and value propositions, while also gaining access to investor networks, industry expertise, strategic guidance and funding-readiness support.
The programme is delivered in partnership with UVU Africa, through its Capaciti digital skills and enterprise development platform, with the support of Team France.
The aim is to help the businesses move beyond developing their ideas and towards actually scaling them, both within their home markets and internationally.
For the programme’s organisers, the potential of these businesses goes beyond the creative work itself.
The selected ventures are working in areas including youth employment, digital innovation, sustainability and cultural preservation, demonstrating how creative businesses can contribute to wider economic and social development.
Benjamin Cabouat, deputy head of mission and Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the Embassy of France in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi, said the number and quality of applications highlighted the strength of the region’s creative entrepreneurs.
“We extend special recognition to the Top 15 as they enter the incubation phase of the programme,” he said, adding that the next stage would give the entrepreneurs opportunities to scale their businesses and benefit from dedicated mentorship.
As the finalists enter the next phase, the focus will shift from developing their concepts to strengthening the businesses behind them.
According to Chanél Oldfield, chief executive of Capaciti, the founders have demonstrated the resilience and adaptability needed to navigate business ownership.
“Their work not only impacts their local communities, but is driving the creative economy forward,” she said.
With the incubation programme running through October, the next few months will be about refining strategies, building stronger ventures and exploring opportunities for investment and expansion.
For these 15 businesses, it is a chance to take creative ideas that are already making an impact and see just how far they can go.
