02/09/2026
This week, we officially launched our first Youth Development Programme.
This structured development programme is designed to equip youth entrepreneurs aged 18–35 with practical business skills, market access opportunities, funding readiness, and business formalisation support. The response has been incredibly encouraging, with over 100 applications received and close to a third youth-owned enterprises successfully qualifying for the programme.
But we’re going a step further.
Of the successful participants, 10 businesses have been identified as informal and will receive subsidised support to formalise their businesses, which will open doors to greater opportunities. This is more than another development programme. It’s about building sustainable businesses, creating opportunities to grow, and investing in the young entrepreneurs that will shape the future of Nelson Mandela Bay’s economy!
This initiative is in addition to the ongoing Entrepreneurship Programme which has seen several successful businesses flourish in the Bay. The Entrepreneurship Desk currently supports 477 MSMEs, of which 70% are Black-owned and 40% are female-owned