Program to assist younger children in starting their own businesses launched by SA’s Koa Academy

With the help of seasoned entrepreneurs and investors, South African kids as young as nine years old can start actual businesses thanks to Koa Academy’s free online entrepreneurship challenge.

Koa Academy is an online school that offers students in grades 4 through 12 an IEB education in a structured but customized virtual learning environment.

Young South Africans between the ages of nine and sixteen can get practical experience creating a real business from scratch through the Koa Academy Online Entrepreneurship Challenge. Through weekly live coaching and self-paced coursework, the free five-week virtual program helps students identify opportunities, refine ideas, and pitch to professionals in the field.

Before completing elementary school, participants must accurately set their pricing and revenue model, size their market, identify their competitors, and develop their unique selling propositions (USPs). Participants go beyond classroom theory into the realities of entrepreneurship under the direction of seasoned founders, investors, and corporate executives.

“Learning how to build a business and clearly pitch its value transforms a concept into something others can believe in. Giving young people the opportunity to learn and practise these skills early is incredibly powerful, building both confidence and strong public speaking abilities,” said Abena Opeibea Anie-Budu, venture partner at MEST Africa and one of the 2026 Entrepreneurship Challenge judges. “Practical skills and real-world exposure give young people a meaningful advantage – not just in business, but in how they approach opportunities and challenges more broadly.”

Applications are open here.