Koa Academy’s free Online Entrepreneurship Challenge is helping South African children as young as nine years old to launch real businesses with guidance from experienced entrepreneurs and investors.
Koa Academy is an online school providing an IEB education for children in grades 4–12 through a structured yet individualised online learning environment.
The Koa Academy Online Entrepreneurship Challenge offers young South Africans aged between nine and 16 hands-on experience in building a real business from scratch. The free, five-week virtual programme guides students through spotting opportunities, refining ideas via weekly live coaching and self-paced coursework, and pitching to industry experts.
Participants are required to set their pricing and revenue model correctly, size their market, identify their competition and their unique selling propositions (USPs) before finishing primary school. With guidance from experienced founders, investors, and business leaders, participants move beyond classroom theory into the reality of entrepreneurship.
“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.
