Natural hair entrepreneur Sonto Puay also created her company by questioning an industry norm. NativeChild grew out of a childhood experience that left her searching for healthy alternatives to textured hair, long before the natural hair movement became mainstream. Today, the brand sits on shelves alongside multinational competitors, demonstrating that locally developed beauty products can compete on quality while speaking directly to African consumers.
Sustainability entrepreneur Xolele Mabuza has transformed discarded rubber tubes into premium fashion accessories through Tendalo Trading. His work reflects the growing shift among South African entrepreneurs towards circular economies, where environmental responsibility is built into business models rather than an afterthought.
If the Bold Women finalists represent businesses that have matured, the Bold Future finalists show where the next generation of entrepreneurship can go.
Technology features prominently.
Pretty Kubyane's Ifama platform uses artificial intelligence and data to connect farmers with buyers, while Tshamano Mabuba's BadAI is bringing multilingual tuition to WhatsApp, making AI-powered learning accessible to learners who would never use expensive learning platforms.
Mambele Khosa's female-led e-hailing service, SheCab, responds to one of South Africa's most urgent social realities: women's safety. By employing women across the business, the platform is as much about creating economic opportunity as it is about changing how women experience public transport.
“One of my SheCab drivers got a life-changing career opportunity through a passenger he met while traveling,” says Khosa. “Then I realized that SheCab isn't just a transportation service. It's a place where women see each other and choose to lift each other up.”
Perhaps this is what sets this year's finalists apart. Their businesses are individual but they are designed to solve collective problems. They emerge from moments of insecurity, frustration or exclusion, yet transform experiences into enterprises capable of creating jobs, transforming industries and expanding reach.
The winners of the 2026 Veuve Clicquot Bold Women Award and Bold Future Award will be announced on July 15. But ultimately beyond the trophies, this year's finalists point to a broader shift in South African entrepreneurship – where courage is measured less by taking risks alone and more by the willingness to build businesses that respond to the realities people live with every day.