Allan Gray Entrepreneurship Challenge Returns For 10th Year To Inspire Southern African Youth

The gamified competition returns for its 10th year, giving high school learners the chance to explore entrepreneurship in a fun and practical way. (Source: Facebook.)

A decade of inspiring young entrepreneurs

“As the Challenge celebrates its 10th year in 2026, it’s amazing to see how this competition continues to spark interest and ignite a passion for entrepreneurship in so many young people from all over Southern Africa,” says Charleen Duncan, head of Public Affairs and Communications at the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation.

“We’re proud of the cultural movement the Allan Gray Entrepreneurship Challenge has spearheaded over the past decade and the way it is reshaping the entrepreneurial aspirations within Southern African youth."

"This competition’s mission is to get more young people interested in starting on their entrepreneurial journeys as early as possible in life, because entrepreneurship is transformative for young people, their communities, and their economies.”

Why this challenge stands out

AGEC plays a key role in Southern Africa by introducing high school learners to entrepreneurship early, using fun, gamified learning to spark curiosity. Top students can pitch their ideas live at the AGEC Summit, turning business concepts into real ventures.

“Through fun, relevant and accessible means, AGEC exposes the foundational concepts of entrepreneurship, shifting perceptions and creating a culture that excites and inspires future entrepreneurs,” says Duncan.

How the competition works

AGEC started as an online game to get students excited about business, and since inception has grown into a full on entrepreneurial movement. The game is open to students from South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Eswatini.

The competition features a high school game based on a deep, scenario based simulation that puts learners in the driver’s seat of real world business decisions. Participants can pick from five different shop types to start their retail empire. It takes just 30 minutes to complete and it is completely replayable.

The game is free to play but requires 14MB of data to play, online or downloaded for offline play. The game can be played year round, although prizes can only be earned in the competition timeframe.

No prior business, accounting or finance knowledge is required. Participants will learn everything they need to know by playing the game and participating in activities.

More than just a game

The fast, smart and mobile friendly AGEC digital platform is designed to feel relevant, exciting and easy to use. The competition also includes hands on tools for teachers, physical card games like Startup Shuffle and in real life pitching events.

Participants stand a chance to win exciting prizes, including cash and Allan Gray Unit Trusts.

The final Business Pitch Challenge will reward the top three students with incredible prizes, while the Allan Gray High School Game features a generous overall prize pool.

Schools can also win a special prize for entering the most participants.

A growing movement across the region

The annual competition often attracts more than 21,000 learners participating from four countries, and more than 800 teachers, who participate through partnerships with teacher unions such as SADTU, NAPTOSA and SAO.

For more information about the competition, visit theentrepreneurshipchallenge.com.