The Future 50, powered by FNB Business, has entered its third season, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of a program that is a well-recognized platform for accelerating high-growth South African businesses.
Over the past two seasons, over 100 entrepreneurial success stories have been featured, with businesses profiled weekly on East Coast Radio's breakfast show with business development expert and advocate, Pavlo Fitzis. What started as a regional initiative has become a catalyst for confidence, visibility and scale among growth-oriented businesses. Through the Scale-Up Exchange event held in October 2025 – a strategic accelerator within the Future 50 ecosystem – FNB convened businesses from the first two Future 50 cohorts in KwaZulu-Natal for a dynamic, collaborative programme.
The event included an interactive workshop led by Pavlo Fitidis, structured networking and idea exchange sessions and a live broadcast to start the day. This created a rare and valuable opportunity for business owners and industry leaders to connect, share experiences and gain practical insights into building scalable, resilient and future-focused businesses.
Speaking at the exchange, FNB Provincial Head in KwaZulu-Natal, Ashen Magee, highlighted the wider importance of such initiatives in supporting SME growth.
“FNB is focused on helping South African SMEs move from surviving to truly thriving. Through the Future 50 programme, we have seen how expert guidance, meaningful exposure and access to a network of like-minded business owners can unlock confidence and growth. SMEs play a vital role in driving economic growth in KZN and nationally, and the potential of businesses showcased through this initiative has been incredibly encouraging,” said Magee.
The strong participation and results of the Scale-Up Exchange underline KwaZulu-Natal's growing reputation as a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship, laying the foundation for national expansion of the programme.
Season three went national:
Building on its success in KwaZulu-Natal, season three of Future 50 will expand nationally, expanding into additional regions including the Western Cape, North-West, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Gauteng, and expanding its reach to support high-potential businesses across South Africa.
This expansion reflects FNB Business's ambition to create a connected, cross-provincial ecosystem of businesses that can learn from each other, access opportunities beyond regional boundaries and grow with confidence.
Featured businesses will receive strong visibility through radio, reaching over five million peak-time listeners, as well as through digital platforms and social media connecting them with potential customers, employees, suppliers and investors.
Through the national rollout, FNB aims to:
- Provide greater visibility and recognition to high-growth businesses in key economic sectors
- Enable inter-provincial learning and collaboration between business owners and industries
- Strengthen South Africa's business ecosystem and long-term value chains
- Make a meaningful contribution to job creation, stability and economic confidence
- As the Future 50 enters its third season and expands nationally, FNB Business is focused on building a sustainable pipeline of scalable businesses, strengthening regional economies and supporting entrepreneurs with the tools, insights and financial solutions needed for long-term growth.
Business Partners can nominate themselves or nominate a supplier, family member or friend by clicking on the Nomination tab on the Radio Station platform and completing the online form. We need to add partner stations list here
