Junior Achievement South Africa is excited to host the ninth annual, Company of the year 2023, themed Breaking Barriers.
A total of eight teams in grade 10 – 11 from around the country who ran their business from the learnings of JA’s Enterprise Programme for the last five months were shortlisted from a list of 30 teams. The eighteen young business leaders will be accompanied by a chaperone, all with one goal in mind – to be the winning team of the Junior Achievement South Africa in partnership Citibank – Company of the Year Competition 2023.
The theme for the COY Competition 2023 is Breaking Barriers. The theme signifies a focus on overcoming challenges, pushing boundaries, and defying limitations in pursuit of excellence. It encapsulates the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation, where Africa’s budding entrepreneurs strive to break through obstacles and hurdles to achieve success in their business ventures.
This year’s competition will see provincial teams compete at a provincial level, with the winning teams converging in Sandton, Gauteng from 3 – 5 October for the national winners.
Winners will be announced on Thursday 5th October 2023 via our live streaming on the
Junior Achievement South Africa Facebook page.
The winning team will join over thirteen other regional teams to compete for the regional winning title in Kigali, Rwanda from 6-8 December 2023.
This year’s finalists are:
# | Company Name | Province |
1 | Lola | Gauteng |
2 | Energy Resource Enterprise | Gauteng |
3 | Eco Spark | KwaZulu-Natal |
4 | As we rise | Limpopo |
5 | Natural Caress | Mpumalanga |
6 | Toggery Sage | Northern Cape |
7 | Search in Defence | North West |
8 | Unwind | Western Cape |
Provincial winners and teams will be hosted at and will attend a series of workshops on innovation and power pitching as they prepare to present their business ideas to a panel of judges in a dragon’s den set up with the winner’s announced on Wednesday 5th October 2023.
The COY competition creates a platform for our youth to interact in a competitive but safe environment, whilst fostering public speaking, team building and problem-solving skills and collaboratively come up with business ideas that could move our economy forward.
Prizes include a trophy for teams placed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, a cash equivalent of R 5000 towards the winning teams’ and to compete against 12 other JA African countries in the JA Africa Regional Company of the Year Competition scheduled for December 2023 in Kigali, Rwanda.
Last year’s winners, team Aqua Pure, proudly raised the South African flag, where they won the Best Project Management award.
The COY sponsored by Citi Foundation and the Project Management Institute Education Foundation (PMIEF) bank has seen many of our participants throughout the years go on to refine their business ideas and lead their own businesses.
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Media Enquiries:
Bernadette Bule
Marketing & Communications Manager
