Allan Gray Makers Entrepreneurship Inter-College Competition South Africa 2026

The competition for 2025 closed on 13 April 2025. The 2026 round has not yet opened.

You should prepare your business concept and documentation so that you can enter as soon as applications open.

About the Organisation

Allan Gray Makers was established in 2018 to support entrepreneurship within South African TVET colleges. 

It aims to empower technical and vocational students to build viable businesses and create meaningful work. 

The competition forms part of their broader curricular and innovation platform.

Fields of Study Funded

This is a business‐idea competition, not a bursary. 

It is open to South African students enrolled at any of the 50 public TVET colleges in South Africa in 2026. 

It is open to all disciplines as long as you are registered in a TVET institution during the year of participation.

Benefits for Participants

Winners will share in a prize pool of R320 000. All finalists receive one year of mentorship and business support. 

Winning students also gain national recognition and networking opportunities that can boost future ventures.

Eligibility Criteria 

You must meet all of the following:

• Be a South African citizen
  
• Be enrolled in full‑time study at any public TVET college in South Africa for 2026
  
• Not be an employee of a TVET college
  
• Own at least 50% of the business or business idea submitted

How to Apply

1. Register for an account via the official competition site
   
2. Complete the online application form—save progress if needed.
   
3. Submit your entry before the confirmed deadline (likely mid‑April).
   
4. When prompted “Where did you hear about bursaries?”, enter “www.bursariesafrica.co.za.”
   
5. Only fully completed entries will be accepted.

Required Documents

You will typically need to provide:

• Student ID or proof of enrolment at a TVET college
  
• Brief summary of business idea or venture
  
• Confirmation that you own at least 50%
  Incomplete entries may be disqualified.
  

Competition Stages

The rounds for 2025 followed this schedule:

• Entries open: March to mid‑April
  
• College internal rounds: May to June
  
• Regional rounds: August
  
• National Finale: September
  Expect a similar timeline for 2026.

Closing Date

The 2026 date is not yet published. The 2025 entry window closed on 13 April 2025. 

Only applications submitted before the official 2026 deadline will be considered.

Contact Details

For official questions or support, reach out via:
Email: [email protected]
Or use the “Connect with Us” form on the official Allan Gray Makers site.