Learners from across Southern Africa are invited to enter the 10th birthday edition of the annual Allan Gray Entrepreneurship Challenge (AGEC) – the region’s most celebrated business competition for young people. This milestone year brings a bigger, bolder experience: more fun, more relevance and more of the action-packed activities that has shaped a decade of inspiring and sparking entrepreneurial spirit across the region.
“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 & 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.”
AGEC plays a unique role in Southern Africa by focusing on early-stage entrepreneurial exposure – targeting high school learners and sparking curiosity through fun, gamified learning. Top students get the opportunity to pitch their business ideas live at the AGEC Summit to turn business plans 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 30mins to complete and it’s 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.
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 (IRL) 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.
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.
