The Entrepreneur NMB Edition 2026 Winner

Nelson Mandel Bay – RV Laundry has been named the overall winner of The Entrepreneur 2026 NMB Edition, with judges recognising the business’s clear growth proposition, established operating model and potential to scale its laundry and related services. Led by Renee Viljoen, the Nelson Mandela Bay business took first place and a R50 000 prize at the Entrepreneur NMB Edition Awards & Exhibition held on 23 September.

Christopher Tom Afrika, led by Mahlubandile Tom, secured second place and R20 000, while Graceful Earth Organic Skincare, founded by Lunathi Fudu, took third place and R10 000.

The awards marked the conclusion of the seven-week business accelerator, which brought together 25 Nelson Mandela Bay MSMEs to strengthen the foundations required for sustainable growth, against a backdrop of deepening unemployment pressure in the Eastern Cape and Nelson Mandela Bay.

RV Laundry Services, established in 2018, provides general laundry, outsourced dry-cleaning, PPE laundering, as well as collection and delivery services. The business has also expanded to a second drop-off and collection branch, demonstrating its progression from an established operation towards a scalable growth model.

The programme’s timing comes as the latest Statistics South Africa Quarterly Labour Force Survey shows the Eastern Cape’s official unemployment rate rising to 47.5% in the second quarter of 2026, from 44.6% in the previous quarter and 39.5% a year earlier.

In Nelson Mandela Bay, unemployment increased to 33.1%, from 29.8% in the first quarter and 26.4% a year earlier, with approximately 183 000 people unemployed. Employment in the metro declined by 49 000 year-on-year.

Against this backdrop, strengthening MSMEs is an important part of building a broader and more resilient local economy. While enterprise development cannot, on its own, resolve the region’s unemployment crisis, businesses that are better equipped to survive, grow and become more productive are better positioned to sustain existing jobs and create new economic opportunities.

The Entrepreneur is presented by the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber in partnership with Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) and the iLembe Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Tourism. It forms part of the Chamber’s broader commitment to entrepreneurship development through its Entrepreneurship Desk, which has been supporting local entrepreneurs for more than four years. To date, the Desk supports 477 small businesses.

The programme is designed to help MSMEs move beyond day-to-day survival by strengthening the capabilities, systems and business models needed to build sustainable enterprises.

The 25 participating businesses underwent practical development in financial management, labour compliance, marketing and branding, business planning, artificial intelligence and digital tools, and business growth. The programme culminated in a formal pitching process from 8 to 11 September, with participants submitting business plans and presenting their businesses to a judging panel.

The three top-performing businesses demonstrate different pathways to growth.

Christopher Tom Afrika is transitioning from a predominantly bespoke luxury fashion model towards a scalable, no-season ready-to-wear brand, with ambitions to expand nationally and into international markets.

Graceful Earth Organic Skincare manufactures small-batch plant-based hair and skincare products in Nelson Mandela Bay, with a longer-term growth model focused on local sourcing of botanical ingredients, regenerative and water-efficient agriculture, agro-processing and the development of an African wellness brand.

The Chamber’s Chief Growth Officer, Lunga Mjodo, said the programme was particularly relevant in an economic environment where the ability of small businesses to survive and grow has implications beyond individual entrepreneurs.

“Against the scale of unemployment we are seeing in the Eastern Cape and Nelson Mandela Bay, we cannot afford to look at MSME development simply as support for individual businesses. We need to build enterprises that are better equipped to survive, grow and create economic opportunities,” said Mjodo.

“MSMEs need access to the practical capabilities, market exposure and business discipline required to move from survival to sustainable growth. The Entrepreneur gives entrepreneurs an opportunity to interrogate their businesses, strengthen their business models and receive guidance from experienced business leaders, while the final pitching process tests their ability to translate that work into a credible growth proposition.”

Mjodo said The Entrepreneur built on the Chamber’s longer-term work through its Entrepreneurship Desk, which has supported entrepreneurs for more than four years.

“Entrepreneurship development cannot be a once-off intervention. It requires a sustained pipeline of support that helps entrepreneurs strengthen their businesses at different stages of their growth. The Entrepreneur adds another layer to the work we have been doing through our Entrepreneurship Desk by giving businesses a structured, intensive opportunity to sharpen their models and prepare for growth.”

He said the three winners represented different sectors and business models, but shared an ability to identify opportunities and articulate credible pathways for growth.

“RV Laundry demonstrated the strength of an established business that has already expanded its offering and footprint, while Christopher Tom Afrika and Graceful Earth Organic Skincare demonstrated how businesses in very different sectors can develop scalable propositions. Their success, together with the participation of all 25 businesses, shows what can be achieved when entrepreneurs are given the right structure, exposure and guidance to strengthen their enterprises.”

The Entrepreneur forms part of a national rollout, with programmes also implemented in KwaZulu-Natal through the iLembe Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Tourism and in George through the George Business Chamber.