Future Founder SA, a groundbreaking digital-first entrepreneurship pathway, officially launches today with the goal of equipping youth in South Africa with the skills, networks, and capital they need to transform ideas into thriving ventures.
Across South Africa, young people are forced to sit with untapped potential because the doors to opportunities remain locked. Funding is scarce, networks are out of reach and systems are simply not built for them. This leaves one too many ideas to die unseen.
With nearly one in two young South Africans unemployed, entrepreneurship is a critical lever for job creation and economic inclusion. A powerful coalition of leading organisations launched the Future Founder SA Program, a groundbreaking national initiative designed to equip young entrepreneurs with the skills, networks and capital needed to establish and grow successful ventures.
“Future Founder SA is not just a program — it’s a movement. By backing the hustle of young South Africans, we’re building the businesses, jobs, and hope that will define the country’s future,” said Nonkululeko Mokoena, Global Revenue Operations Lead, EMEA & SAP Educate To Employ Africa Lead, SAP
The 12-week digital program, powered by Yoma, Goodwall, ALX Ventures, and RLabs, and in partnership with SAP and Generation Unlimited, provides a structured pathway for youth aged 18-35 to “power their hustle” -a journey that takes them from idea to launch — combining challenge-based learning, digital skills development, masterclasses, mentorship, and seed capital. This e program is built to be inclusive, tailoring its support to each participant’s individual stage, from those with ‘Just an Idea’ to those who are ‘On My Way’ or ‘Almost There.’
This features engaging challenges on Goodwall, foundational training from ALX Ventures, specialised masterclasses from RLabs, all ensuring an engaged journey for each participant that culminates in a competitive pitch event.
“Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. Future Founder SA is designed to close that gap by fueling young people’s ideas with the right tools, networks, and catalytic capital,” said Tsepo Ngwenyama, Partnership Development Director, at Yoma.
Participants will gain invaluable entrepreneurial education and mentorship throughout the program. Beyond skill-building, they can earn monetary rewards for hitting key milestones. The journey concludes at a grand finale showcase, where 30 finalists will compete for a share of the R250,000+ seed capital pool.
A key innovation of the program is its integration with the Yoma.world platform, which provides participants with a digital identity (YOID) and verifiable credentials for each milestone completed. These credentials serve as a portable, trusted record of their skills and achievements, unlocking access to further opportunities.
How to Join:
Young South Africans can kickstart their journey by downloading the Goodwall app, sharing their business idea in a short video, and claiming their spot in the pathway.
For more information, visit https://goodwall.onelink.me/45N9/tqouazss.
About Future Founder SA
Future Founder SA is a 12-week entrepreneurship pathway designed to empower young South Africans to launch and scale their ventures. Powered by Yoma’s Micro-VC pathway in partnership with SAP and Goodwall, and co-delivered with RLabs and ALX Ventures, the program connects youth to skills, networks, mentorship, and seed capital.
