BUSINESS NEWS - An elated Anlé Pretorius, a guest house owner from Geelhoutboom on the outskirts of George, was announced the winner of The Entrepreneur 2025, the annual business development programme hosted by the George Business Chamber.
Pretorius had to beat 20 other participants for the first prize of R40 000, which will be spent on developing her business further in line with a business plan she had to submit for adjudication.
The prize-giving was held at the Nelson Mandela University on Wednesday 29 October, when the participants also exhibited their services and products to the public.
Pretorius started Lentelus Guest House 15 years ago and has built it up into a successful enterprise. She said the programme has made her look at the business with a fresh perspective. "The business plan I had to submit has really driven me.
"I'm now going to attempt an additional new business doing hosting management, something I've wanted to do for the past three years. The programme has been the catalyst for me."
The second place was won by Chantal Witthuhn of iWeathar SA, and in third place was Mugeléne Hendricks of Eden Beds. Both also received development funding to further their businesses.
iWeathar SA was established in 2006 and develops and sells affordable weather stations, and Eden Beds, which started out as a home-based business, now offers a vast range of quality beds.
An additional prize was awarded for the most promising enterprise, which went to Bradley Mudaric and Daniëlle Gerber of Coffee Any Time.
The 21 finalists were chosen out of 71 entries. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with a turnover of less than R6m could enter.
Chantal Witthuhn (green shirt) is the runner-up. She receives her cheque from AHi President Dr Willie Cilliers. With them are, from left: Prof Adele Potgieter (NMU), Kgomotso Aphane (Acsa), Russell Witthuhn (iWeathar), George Business Chamber Chairman Johannes Jumat, Prof Felix Amoah (NMU), Marclen Stallenberg (Acsa) and Alwyn Janse van Rensburg (Formosa Consulting).
Prof Adele Potgieter, associate professor in the Department of Marketing Management at NMU's George Campus and one of the mentors in the programme, said The Entrepreneur matters profoundly not only to George and the Garden Route, but to South Africa.
"Entrepreneurs are not merely participants in our economy - they are its lifeblood. Small and medium enterprises constitute approximately 98% of South African businesses and contribute nearly 50% of our GDP. More crucially, they create employment at a rate that no other sector can match.
"Here in George, every new business established, every service rendered, every product sold by an entrepreneur creates a ripple effect throughout our community. That ripple becomes jobs for families, dignity through employment, skills development, and ultimately, hope for future generations," said Potgieter.
She said their vision for the future is to greatly increase the number of entrepreneurs they train through this programme every year. They would also like to provide ongoing mentorship beyond the initial programme and facilitate access to markets and procurement opportunities.
Other ideas they are considering include creating incubation spaces where entrepreneurs can operate at reduced cost and establishing a loan guarantee fund for programme graduates. Furthermore, they would like to explore building partnerships with financial institutions to improve access to capital.
A very pleased third place winner, Mugeléne Hendricks of Eden Beds.
Participants attended weekly training sessions over 10 weeks while also receiving continuous mentorship. They eventually had to submit a business plan and do a presentation to a panel of adjudicators.
This was the third year that the chamber presented the programme in partnership with Acsa, George Herald, Algoa FM, Safety Solutions Africa, NMU, AHI Western Cape, Envestpro and AP Business Coaching and Consulting.
Bradley Mudaric and Daniëlle Gerber with the award for Most Promising Entrepreneur 2025.
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