Newsletter No 36 /26 September 2025
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Calling young innovators: Support and funding available for Joburg and Cape Town entrerpreneurs
Young entrepreneurs in Johannesburg and Cape Town have a chance to secure vital support and funding to grow their businesses, as applications opened on Friday 5 September for an incubation programme that boosts innovative enterprises and job creation.
The Orange Corners Designs Incubation programme is an initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and is proudly managed by the Craft and Design Institute (CDI). This 12-month intensive programme will provide 20 selected entrepreneurs in each city with impactful workshops, masterclasses, and one-on-one mentoring to help refine their products/services, strengthen business systems, and address critical market needs.
In addition, participants may apply for a financial grant to support their growth plans from the Orange Corners Innovation Fund (OCIF), which the CDI also manages.
Successful applicants can unlock total funding of R53 000 over six to nine months, which includes a R32 000 prototyping grant if certain milestones are met.
The programme, which is also supported by matched funding from the City of Cape Town, the V&A Waterfront, Constitution Hill and the Department of Small Business Development, is tailored to assist businesses with high potential for impact and scalability, especially those led by youth and women. It focuses on innovative businesses that contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in areas such as the circular/green economy, digital, creative, and agricultural sectors, among others.
Orange Corners is a global initiative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands that supports young entrepreneurs across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Since its launch in 2024, the South African programme run by the CDI has supported 67 businesses to date in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Khanya Mpuang, Manager of the Orange Corners Designs programme at CDI, says: “We are looking for bold young entrepreneurs (18 – 35) who are ready to grow thriving businesses.
“This programme is not just about funding – it’s about equipping innovators with the skills, confidence and networks to grow sustainable enterprises that create jobs and contribute to the SDGs. We encourage anyone with the drive to make a difference to apply.”
Success stories
Fourteen Johannesburg entrepreneurs graduated from the first, year-long incubation programme in June this year, while 16 Cape Town entrepreneurs graduated in July.
Johannesburg jewellery designer Phindile Kotane, founder of PeachyPlum accessories, says: “Joining the programme has been a truly rewarding experience. Each part of the journey pushed me beyond what I was used to, and the mentorship and workshops played a big role in strengthening my business.”
Kotane has been selected for the Orange Corners Alumni Accelerator Programme, facilitated by the Netherlands-based Forward Incubator (Forward·Inc), in collaboration with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, to steer businesses into their next growth phase.
Sifiso Mthethwa of Maphike Inc Attorneys reports a steady increase in revenue. “We have expanded our market contacts and are now in talks with people from Geneva, Davos, Zurich and Amsterdam. We have also hired two new people this year.”
Cape Town graduates gave extremely positive feedback too.
The programme starts in January 2026.
Apply by 10 October 2025 – to apply please click here: https://www.thecdi.org.za/page/OCD
For more information: Email mohau.memeza@thecdi.org.za for Johannesburg and phefumlela.bam@thecdi.org.za for Cape Town
A playful spin on luxury
By Jennifer Krug
LMC’s Legacy Initiative turns spectacle into substance, spotlighting emerging talent and offering platforms for fresh voices. Image: Supplied
Luxurious Marble Circus’ collaboration unveils whimsical denim collection while spotlighting an emerging designer
Luxury has a reputation for being serious. Precious stones, exclusivity, lofty price tags. But step into the world of The Luxurious Marble Circus (LMC) and TSHEPO Jeans and luxury feels like it might just have a cheeky grin on its face.
The food and music festival, set for October 4-5 at GROUND in Muldersdrift, recently announced its collaboration with the iconic local denim brand as part of its Legacy Initiative, which explores how the festival can make a difference beyond spectacle.
For 2025, LMC and TSHEPO Jeans unveiled The Kingmaster Collection, a playful array of pieces that stands as a sartorial balancing act between circus whimsy and denim discipline.
But the collaboration had a purpose beyond fashion. The two brands chose an emerging designer to develop the collection, offering her the chance to work closely with the TSHEPO team and to debut her vision on a national stage.
Enter Naledi Dlamini, a young designer whose own journey mirrors the themes of reinvention and daring at the heart of the collection.
For Dlamini, the opportunity came just months after graduating from Fedisa Fashion College. She had already made an impression with her final-year collection, a confident mix of Zulu heritage, hip-hop references and sharp tailoring. That work caught the attention of TSHEPO founder Tshepo Mohlala, who proposed the young designer as a potential candidate.
“I had no clue what I was getting myself into, but I was like, ‘I’m there,’” she said, laughing as we sat around a table in Victoria Yards. What followed was a crash course in turning concept into collection, balancing her own vision with the DNA of two established brands.
The brief was simple in theory but complex in practice: combine TSHEPO’s signature denim and sense of structure with LMC’s playful, circus-inspired identity. Dlamini avoided literal costume references, instead translating the idea into form and detail. A dress echoed the silhouette of a circus tent, pinstripes shifted into diamond shapes and her research into the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival (Kaapse Klopse), added a distinctly South African rhythm.
For her, the designs were never just about surface spectacle. “I wanted people to look at the pieces and think, ‘I need that,’ not because of the label or the price, but because of how it made them feel,” she explained. To Dlamini, true luxury is not intimidating but affirming, clothes that give the wearer confidence, ease and a sense of belonging.
TSHEPO’s signature denim meets the playful, circus-inspired vision of The Luxurious Marble Circus. Image: Supplied
Designing the collection also meant confronting the realities of the industry. As a student, she had been used to working on each garment herself but here, she had to learn to hand over parts of the process, navigating deadlines and production schedules that moved at a different pace. “Deadlines are deadlines,” she said with a wry smile. “I constantly found myself overthinking, but I had to keep reassuring myself that I could get through it.”
The challenges sharpened her focus on why she was designing in the first place. Raised in a Zulu household where ubuntu, the principle of community, was central, she sees fashion not only as an outlet for creativity but as a way of building space for others. “Through this collection, I want to create a community. I want it to become a holistic space to find yourself.”
That vision felt especially important in an industry where opportunities for young designers are scarce, particularly for those unwilling to sacrifice creativity for roles in retail or mass production. “It was overwhelming, especially fresh out of school,” she admitted.
The payoff came when the collection finally came together at the campaign photo shoot, the room buzzing with energy. “Sometimes you forget to pat yourself on the shoulder, because you’re already onto the next thing. But seeing everyone so happy, it felt amazing,” she said.
In many ways, the collection is about more than circus whimsy or denim heritage. It reflects the early steps of a designer finding her voice, testing her ideas, and discovering the balance between discipline and imagination. For Dlamini, it was also proof that luxury could be playful without losing its edge, and that her own perspective, rooted in heritage and community, had a place in the conversation.
Looking back, she described the process as growth. “I’m hard on myself, but I try to acknowledge that I’ve learnt, that I’ve pushed. And to me, that’s the legacy, inspiring the younger version of myself, and showing her that she can do this.”
For Dlamini, the collaboration was not just an opportunity but a moment of clarity: proof that even in an industry known for its pressures, there was room for whimsy, room for heritage, and room for a young designer determined to make her mark. 
South African trade minister meets USTR to discuss high trade tariffs
Pic: Shutterstock
South African minister of trade Parks Tau recently initiated talks with US trade representative Jamieson Greer in Washington, DC, to negotiate a rollback of the high tariffs imposed by the Donald Trump administration.
The 30-per cent US tariff poses a significant threat to South Africa’s economy grappling with growth challenges and high unemployment. It could also lead to substantial job losses.
Both sides want to set up a road map for future engagement and resolve ongoing trade and diplomatic issues.
While South Africa’s trade ministry reported a constructive meeting, US trade officials have been silent on the deliberations.
Trump earlier accused the South African government of discrimination against the white minority, affecting bilateral relations.
The United States remains a key trade and investment partner for South Africa, with bilateral trade at $15.1 billion in 2024, the American Chamber of Commerce’s chapter in the country reported.
South Africa’s exports to the United States were valued at $8.2 billion in 2024; while US imports into the former were worth $6.9 billion. There are over 600 US companies in South Africa and more than 22 South African companies in the United States. F2F
Truworths – change in company secretary
Truworths advised shareholders in terms of paragraph 3.59 of the JSE Limited Listings Requirements that the Company Secretary, Chris Durham, will be retiring from the role with effect from 30 September 2025. The board extends its appreciation to him for his dedicated service and valuable contribution since his appointment in 1999.
The board further advises that Duncan Pask will be appointed as Company Secretary with effect from 1 October 2025.
Rex True – trading statement
The Company’s:
– Earnings per share for the year ended 30 June 2025 is expected to be a profit of 127.0 cents per share, representing an increase of more than 100% when compared to the loss per share of 3.9 cents for the year ended 30 June 2024.
– Headline earnings per share for the year ended 30 June 2025 is expected to be a profit of 129.0 cents per share, representing an increase of more than 100% when compared to the headline earnings per share of 37.5 cents per share for the period ended 30 June 2024.
Rex Trueform’s financial results for the year ended 30 June 2025 is expected to be released on or about 25 September 2025.
Obscure text additions sometimes added to clothing labels. Apparently, there can be secret messages too!
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