South Africa’s top entrepreneurs and small businesses crowned at the 2025 South African Small Business Awards

The event recognised 20 outstanding winners, including Main Category Champions and Special Award recipients, applauding their innovation, resilience, and contribution to South Africa’s growing SME sector. Attended by over 450 prominent business leaders and industry icons, the celebration marked a defining moment for the nation’s entrepreneurial community.

Mike Anderson, NSBC Founder and CEO, emphasised the pivotal role small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play in driving economic growth, innovation, and job creation.

“Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy and the heartbeat of our communities. The diversity and strength of this year’s winners showcase the remarkable talent and determination that define South Africa’s entrepreneurial spirit,” Anderson said.

The 2025 South African Small Business Awards was proudly sponsored by Absa, Sage, Santam, Toyota, and Vodacom - key partners committed to empowering small businesses and fuelling national prosperity. Anderson expressed heartfelt gratitude to these leading brands for their ongoing support, highlighting that such partnerships are essential in building a thriving SME ecosystem.

2025 Category Award winners

National Small Business Champion

Debtsource (Frank Knight)

National Entrepreneur Champion

Cobus Visser (Cobus Visser International)

National Entrepreneur Champion

Kimberly Ebersohn (The Tax Shop Hartbeespoort)

National Woman in Business Champion

Tshepiso Nyakane (Thee Gifted Hands)

National Startup Champion

Hustlery (Tyron Williams)

2025 Special Award winners

Never Surrender Award

Buhle Mahlangu (LEC Catering)

National Rising Star Award

Racket Rescue (Mohammed Ziyaad Khan)

National Innovation Award

Sage Wise Audio Visual Solutions (Darshen Moodley)

National Funder Award

Sourcefin (Joshua Kadish)

Top 20 Winners (In alphabetical order)

BluLever Education (Jessica Roussos)
Brytech Holdings (Brian Pawandiwa)
ChilliPix (Eugene Nagel)
Cobus Visser International (Cobus Visser)
Debtsource (Frank Knight)
Edge Growth (Daniel Hatfield)
Gomolemo Construction and Projects (Precious Segopotso)
GovGrowth (Karen Goldstone-Hoffman)
Hustlery (Tyron Williams)
LEC Catering (Buhle Mahlangu)
Level Eight Marketing (Wendy Gengan)
My Fuel Orders (Ashleigh Bradley)
Racket Rescue (Mohammed Ziyaad Khan)
Sage Wise Audio Visual Solutions (Darshen Moodley)
Solis and Luna Consulting (Janice Naidoo)
Speakingdom (Mahlodi Kgatle)
Sourcefin (Joshua Kadish)
Thee Gifted Hands (Tshepiso Nyakane)
The Tax Shop Hartbeespoort (Kimberly Ebersohn)
Tiffany Markman (Tiffany Markman)

Click here to meet all the ‘Top 20’ winners.

In closing, Anderson celebrated the winners’ impact across South Africa, stating: “At the heart of this great nation are its people - the dreamers, doers, and builders. Every one of these winners has made a lasting difference by creating jobs, serving communities, and inspiring others to believe in what’s possible.”

He added, “The NSBC and National Sponsors (Absa, Sage, Santam, Toyota and Vodacom) congratulates all our champions and extends deep gratitude for their relentless commitment to shaping a better, more prosperous future for South Africa.”