Children as young as 9 launch real businesses in Koa Academy’s free online challenge

South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis is well documented - and increasingly urgent. According to Statistics South Africa, unemployment among 18–24-year-olds reached around 60% in early 2025, with many young people becoming discouraged job seekers before they’ve even had a meaningful opportunity to enter the workforce.

Issued by Koa Academy

7 Apr 2026

Children as young as 9 launch real businesses in Koa Academy’s free online challenge

But beyond access to jobs, there is a more fundamental challenge at play: a gap between formal education and real-world readiness.

Employers consistently point to a lack of practical skills - like communication, real-world problem-solving, and the ability to apply knowledge in practical contexts - as a barrier to employment. And while qualifications remain important, they are increasingly not enough on their own.

It prompts a simple but important question:

What would it look like if young people started developing these capabilities much earlier - before they ever enter the job market?

From theory to application: a shift in how entrepreneurship is taught

Koa Academy’s free Online Entrepreneurship Challenge, open to anyone aged 9-16, is designed to answer that question in a practical way.

The five-week, fully online programme guides students through building a real business - from identifying an opportunity to developing a viable concept and pitching it to industry professionals.

Rather than focusing on abstract theory, the challenge is structured around doing:

Identifying real problems or unmet needs
Testing ideas and refining them through feedback
Understanding pricing, costs, and basic financial models
Defining their target audience and market opportunity
Communicating ideas clearly and persuasively

It’s a model that mirrors how entrepreneurship actually works - iterative, practical, and grounded in real-world thinking.

Why starting earlier matters

Introducing this kind of learning earlier changes more than just skill exposure - it shifts mindset.

Students begin to see opportunities where others see limitations. They learn to approach problems with curiosity and ownership, rather than waiting for instructions or predefined answers.

They also develop a more practical understanding of:

Money and value creation
Customer needs and market demand
Resilience through iteration and feedback

Importantly, these are not skills reserved for future entrepreneurs alone. They are increasingly relevant across industries and career paths.

As one of the programme’s judges and Venture Partner at MEST, Abena Opeibea Anie-Budu notes: "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."

What the programme looks like in practice

Over five weeks, students participate in a fully online experience that combines structured coursework with live interaction.

Each week includes:

A live group coaching session with an experienced entrepreneur
Small-group mentorship to refine ideas and thinking
Self-paced coursework introducing practical tools and frameworks

The journey is intentionally structured: students build, receive feedback and refine, culminating in a final pitch to a panel of industry judges.

By the end of the programme, each participant has:

Developed a business concept grounded in a real opportunity
Built a structured pitch presentation
Received professional feedback from entrepreneurs and investors
Developed an initial version of their business idea
Received an entrepreneurship certificate

Top projects are also recognised with prizes that help take their ideas further - including cash prizes, one-on-one mentorship, and practical support such as website development and brand identity design.

From ideas to real businesses

One of the clearest indicators of the programme’s impact is what students produce.

Previous participants have launched skincare brands, food businesses, and sustainable fashion concepts - with some continuing beyond the challenge itself.

Just as importantly, students demonstrate:

Greater confidence in presenting and defending ideas
Stronger communication and critical thinking
A clearer understanding of how to turn ideas into action

For many, it’s the first time their work is held to real-world expectations - not just assessed as part of a classroom exercise.

The role of industry in education

A defining feature of the programme is the involvement of entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders - through guest sessions, mentorship, and judging.

For business leaders, this represents more than a once-off initiative. It’s an opportunity to contribute to the development of future talent by shaping capability earlier in the pipeline.

A broader shift worth paying attention to

Programmes like this reflect a broader shift in education - one that is increasingly:

Skills-focused rather than content-heavy
Applied rather than theoretical
Connected to real-world contexts

As the nature of work continues to evolve, the ability to think independently, solve problems, and adapt quickly is becoming as important as subject knowledge itself.