We’re searching for South Africa’s brightest emerging product design talent. Twelve creative entrepreneurs will be shortlisted to join workshops and masterclasses, from which five finalists will embark on an intensive mentorship programme with Sanlam Private Wealth and leading industry experts. The journey culminates with one winner travelling alongside a mentor to Maison&Objet Paris, the global stage for design, innovation and creative legacy.
ENTRIES CLOSED.
SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED: 31 MARCH 2026.
ABOUT THE VENTURES FOUNDATION
The Ventures Foundation by Sanlam Private Wealth is dedicated to discovering and developing South Africa’s next generation of creative entrepreneurs. Through mentorship, business training and international exposure, we empower emerging entrepreneurs to refine their craft, build sustainable businesses, and share their vision with the world.
THEESAN MOODLEY
Sanlam Private Wealth CEO
Application
HOW IT WORKS
Application
Submit your entry to be considered for the Ventures Foundation programme. We’re looking for emerging South African creative entrepreneurs ready to elevate their craft, business skills and creative vision. Applicants are invited to design a luxury textile piece – prototyped as a rug – that reimagines what luxury means in Africa today. Review the entry criteria before submitting.
Selection
Selection
From all applications, 12 designers are shortlisted. These entrants take part in skills-focused workshops and industry masterclasses. From here, five are chosen for an intensive, customised mentorship and entrepreneurship programme.
Mentorship
Mentorship
The five finalists work closely with leading mentors across design, business and creative entrepreneurship, including experts from Sanlam Private Wealth. Sessions are tailored to each finalist’s goals, covering brand strategy, production, pricing, marketing and market access.
Paris winner
Paris winner
One winner will travel with a mentor to Maison&Objet in Paris, the world’s leading design event. This immersive experience offers direct access to global brands, trendsetting ideas and international networks to inspire the next chapter of your creative journey.
DOWNLOAD TERMS AND CONDITIONS
TRACY LEE LYNCH
LENTSOANE LEKALAKALA
LAURIE WIID VAN HEERDEN
MPHO VACKIER
ZIZIPHO POSWA
CHARL EDWARDS
CLAUDE MORRIS
TRACY LEE LYNCH
(CREATIVE DIRECTOR AND DESIGN CURATOR)Tracy Lee Lynch is the visionary creative director at Clout/SA where she champions South African designers and makers through bold, culturally grounded interior projects, curated collections and design showcases. Tracy brings together aesthetic, community and impact to elevate South African voices and build bridges between local designers and global audiences.
LENTSOANE LEKALAKALA
(FINANCIAL EXPERT)Lentsoane Lekalakala heads up Sanlam Private Wealth’s Johannesburg region. As a seasoned investment professional, he brings a pragmatic, long‑term lens to evaluating opportunities. He leads multidisciplinary teams and has spent years helping clients turn good ideas into sustainable growth. Expect clear judgement, straight talk and dependable follow‑through.
LAURIE WIID VAN HEERDEN
(DESIGNER AND MAKER)Laurie Wiid van Heerden is the founder and lead designer of Wiid Design, a renowned studio defined by craftsmanship, material innovation and sustainability. Combining African authenticity with global appeal, Wiid Design crafts original, enduring designs for residential, commercial and bespoke projects worldwide. Each piece explores form, tactility and longevity through materials such as cork, which is a defining element in Laurie’s work.
MPHO VACKIER
(FURNITURE DESIGNER)Mpho Vackier is the founder and creative force behind TheUrbanative™, a studio known for pushing the boundaries of contemporary furniture design in South Africa. Her work rethinks form and function with bold shapes, material exploration and an eye for sculptural presence.
ZIZIPHO POSWA
(CERAMICIST)Zizipho Poswa is a Cape Town-based ceramic sculptor whose monumental hand-coiled forms celebrate African womanhood, drawing on her roots in Xhosa ritual and the life of rural women. Her work bridges abstraction and figuration, often referencing rituals like umthwalo (the load), as well as traditional hairstyles in her Magodi and uBuhle boKhokho series. Her pieces are held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, LACMA, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art among others.
CHARL EDWARDS
(EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR)Charl Edwards is an all-round creative with a strong aesthetic sensibility for imagery, branding and editorial language. As the co-founder and creative director of Lookbook Studio and editor of House and Leisure, Charl brings together visual storytelling and narrative direction to help shape and curate distinctive local identities and stories.
CLAUDE MORRIS
(BUSINESS MENTOR)Claude Morris is a business strategist and coach dedicated to helping entrepreneurs grow, sustain and evolve their businesses with clarity and confidence. Drawing on extensive experience across creative and commercial sectors, he equips business owners with the insight, structure and accountability needed to achieve lasting profitability and impact. Through Claude Morris Coaching & Consulting, he partners with clients to unlock their full potential and build sustainable, thriving enterprises.
Our mentors are leaders in design, business and creative entrepreneurship. As a finalist, you’ll gain direct access to their expertise and networks through workshops, one-on-one sessions and real-time feedback, customised to your craft, business goals and vision. The ultimate prize: one finalist will travel with a mentor to Maison&Objet Paris, immersing in the world’s leading design event, meeting global brands and drawing inspiration to shape a lasting creative future.
