Impact is often reduced to numbers — jobs created, revenue growth, percentages on a page. But behind every statistic is a person, a business, and a community moving forward.
The Silulo Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme’s latest impact data tells a compelling story of job creation, skills transfer and measurable business growth, driven by township entrepreneurs who are building sustainable livelihoods against the odds — and increasingly giving back into the ecosystem that supported them.
Jobs Created Where They Matter Most
Across seven cohorts, entrepreneurs supported through the programme report approximately 650 jobs created or sustained, including permanent, part-time and internship roles. These jobs are rooted in communities where formal employment opportunities remain limited, making their local impact especially significant. Importantly, women hold just over 40% of these positions, reinforcing the programme’s contribution to inclusive economic participation and women-led enterprise development.
Revenue Growth That Signals Sustainability
Financially, the programme is associated with a clear uplift in income. Combined reported annual revenue increased by approximately 37%, rising from around R42 million to about R58 million per year across participating businesses.
For individual entrepreneurs, this translates into meaningful progress. On average, businesses are earning approximately R120,000 more per year, supporting reinvestment, job retention and longer-term resilience.
Skills Transfer and Giving Back Beyond the Business Owner
Beyond revenue and employment, a defining strength of the programme lies in skills transfer and reinvestment into the Silulo ecosystem — not only between entrepreneurs, but across programmes and communities.
Many entrepreneurs actively give back to the Foundation through mentorship, peer coaching, guest facilitation, training support and collaboration with newer cohorts. This creates strong cross-pollination between the Foundation’s entrepreneurship and youth digital literacy programmes, reinforcing a cycle of shared learning and community upliftment.
In Dunoon, Carmelita Shaw, founder of Wundalash, is a strong example of this. Through her organisation, she trained 10 graduates from the Silulo Foundation Dunoon Computer Digital Literacy Programme, equipping young people with practical beauty and service-related skills such as nail, eyelash and beauty services. Her work illustrates how entrepreneurs contribute back into the Foundation’s programmes — extending impact beyond business growth into youth skills development and employability.
When Impact Becomes Visible: Entrepreneur Highlights
- Gcogo Clothing This township-based fashion brand reached a major milestone when one of its garments was worn by Alan Winde, Premier of the Western Cape, at the Cape Town Fashion Show. The moment symbolised the growing presence of township creative talent on mainstream platforms and within South Africa’s formal creative economy.
- Siki’s Koffee Kafe Founded in Khayelitsha, Siki’s Koffee Kafe has expanded beyond the township with a store at Portswood Mooring Lane in the V&A Waterfront. The business also grounds and supplies African-sourced coffee beans, positioning itself as both a consumer brand and a supplier within the coffee value chain.
- Woowfoods (Lisa) What started as a campus-based food offering has grown into a mobile catering business, serving students, lecturers and events with fresh, affordable meals. Woowfoods demonstrates how township entrepreneurs can adapt, scale and respond to market demand through flexible business models.
- Kefus’s Guest House & Spa Located in the heart of Khayelitsha, Kefus’s Guest House & Spa offers a luxury hospitality experience combining accommodation, spa services and jazz and deep-house lounge entertainment, helping to reposition township spaces as destinations for premium leisure and tourism.
- Bella Nova Spa & Medical Aesthetics Bella Nova is a prime spa and medical skincare facility that has recently upgraded its premises, delivering high-quality aesthetic treatments within the township and contributing to local employment and professional skills development.
Together, these entrepreneurs illustrate how township-rooted businesses can grow, professionalise, access new markets — and actively reinvest skills and experience back into the Silulo Foundation community.
More Than a Programme — A Platform for Growth
What distinguishes the Silulo Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme is its structured, long-term approach. Entrepreneurs benefit from:
- A 10-month guided journey
- An intensive 10-week bootcamp
- An 80-step roadmap toward business stability
- Access to student consultancy
- Peer accountability and networking
- Ongoing monitoring and support
This is reflected in the feedback: entrepreneurs rate the programme 9.6 out of 10, with more than 80% awarding it a full 10/10 — a strong indicator of relevance, quality and real-world value.
Why This Matters
Township entrepreneurs are not passive beneficiaries — they are active contributors to South Africa’s economy and skills pipeline. When their businesses grow, jobs are created, skills are transferred, and communities become more resilient.
The data confirms the impact. The stories bring it to life.
With applications now open for two parallel cohorts in Khayelitsha and Dunoon, the next group of entrepreneurs has the opportunity to begin that journey.
Applications Now Open
Apply online: https://silulofoundation.org/apply/ Applications close: 31 January Programme starts: February Locations: Khayelitsha & Dunoon
For assistance, email [email protected] or visit your nearest Silulo centre. More information: www.silulofoundation.org
Final Invitation
If you’re not an entrepreneur but want to support township businesses, consider this your invitation to:
- Become a mentor
- Explore partnership opportunities
- Support funding, tools, workspace or market access
Township entrepreneurs are already building South Africa’s future economy — and increasingly, they are helping to build each other too. With the right backing, they can — and will — do even more.
👉 Download or read our full impact report: https://silulofoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Final-Silulo-Impact-Report-15-Jan-2026.pdf%20%20