The 2025 edition of the annual Allan Gray Entrepreneurship Challenge (AGEC) is now open for entries for schools and learners across Southern Africa – and this year the legendary business competition offers even more action-packed games, prizes and opportunities for high school learners to pursue their business dreams.
“As the Challenge enters its ninth year in 2025, the mission to ignite entrepreneurial thinking among youth across Southern Africa – in more schools, more provinces, and even reaching learners in neighbouring countries like Namibia, Eswatini and Botswana – is getting more critical and more exciting,” says Marcel Manikum, Programme Lead of the Allan Gray Entrepreneurship Challenge.
AGEC plays a unique role in Southern Africa by focusing on early-stage entrepreneurial exposure – targeting high school learners and sparking curiosity through fun, gamified learning. Top students get the opportunity to pitch their business ideas live at the AGEC Summit to turn business plans into real ventures.
The Challenge is currently expanding in the Eastern Cape, Limpopo, North West, and KwaZulu-Natal, alongside continued work in Gauteng and Western Cape. “These areas show untapped potential with rising interest from educators and district leaders. They also represent communities where entrepreneurial education can serve as a powerful lever for social mobility,” says Manikum.
To Enter: https://we.tl/t-jighcRDk5t
From small beginnings to a booming movement
“AGEC started as an online game to get students excited about business, and since inception, has grown into a full-on movement – with national competitions, hands-on tools for teachers, physical card games like Startup Shuffle, and even face-to-face pitching events,” says Manikum.
The 2024 competition saw more than 21 000 learners participating across four countries, with the Allan Gray High School Game being played over 200 000 times, equating to 70 000 hours of entrepreneurial learning. The competition in 2024 also provided training, that is accredited by the South African Council of Educators, to more than 800 teachers through partnerships with teacher unions (SADTU, NAPTOSA and SAO).
About AGEC
The Allan Gray Entrepreneurship Challenge (AGEC) was established in 2017 to inspire and nurture the entrepreneurial spirit among high school students in South Africa. Initiated by the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation (a member of Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropies), our annual competition has since become a flagship initiative, providing a platform for young innovators to showcase their business ideas and hone their entrepreneurial skills. Over the years, we have expanded our impact and reach to primary schools, TVET Colleges and additional SADC countries while remaining focused on empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs.
