High school entrepreneurs discovered across South Africa
The top 60 of the Maak My ’n Miljoenêr competition has arrived! ATKV Resorts is supporting the Maak My ’n Miljoenêr Entrepreneur of the Year competition this year. The focus is to support high school entrepreneurs by encouraging them to start businesses early in their lives.
The Maak My ’n Miljoenêr Entrepreneur of the Year competition, which is also broadcast on ViaTV, is a nationwide high school entrepreneurship competition with a dual purpose:
- To promote entrepreneurship among the youth of South Africa.
- To identify young high school entrepreneurs, empower them with entrepreneurial skills, and mentor them to develop into successful businesspeople.
The competition is an initiative by Albert van Wyk in collaboration with ATKV Resorts. The aim is to promote entrepreneurship and empower high school entrepreneurs across South Africa.
Earlier this year, Albert van Wyk and his team visited 96 high schools across South Africa and addressed more than 120 000 learners. The top 60 have been selected from 260 entrepreneurial entries. These school visits are to inspire learners to start their own businesses at an early stage. Albert earned his first million at the age of 22 and shares his story to motivate learners to follow the same path.
Previous winners – Riaan du Toit (2025), Jason Coulson (2024), Shaniqua Steenkamp (2023) and Matthew Blauw (2022) – serve alongside Albert as mentors for the next generation of entrepreneurs. The top 60 now have the opportunity to attend entrepreneurship workshops where they can build valuable networks. These workshops are presented by Albert and the previous winners and consist of intensive sessions of up to eight hours, during which business skills and practical insights are shared.
After processing the entries, entrepreneurs with existing businesses are invited to full-day workshops in Paarl, Bloemfontein and Gauteng. The aim of these workshops is to teach participants how to expand their businesses by applying the techniques that Albert and the winners have used in their own ventures. Thereafter, participants are further evaluated based on their business records. The next phase is the Brandbank – a physical red bench where each entrepreneur is interviewed by a panel of judges to test their business knowledge and understanding.
Following the Brandbank sessions, the top 30 are selected and go on to participate in real business challenges. These challenges serve as an elimination round. Some of these challenges take place at ATKV Resorts, where participants gain practical experience. The competition reaches its climax at a glamorous gala evening at the Fairtree Atterbury Theatre, where the winner is announced.
The winner of the Maak My ’n Miljoenêr Entrepreneur of the Year competition and ViaTV series receives the trophy, R50 000 in cash, various sponsor prizes and access to a year-long mentorship programme with Albert van Wyk.
The winner is determined based on points earned during the Brandbank sessions, business challenges and the evaluation of their financial statements, including profit, turnover and growth.
We look forward to seeing how these high school entrepreneurs grow and perform during this season of the Maak My ’n Miljoenêr competition and ViaTV series. ATKV Resorts remains committed to promoting entrepreneurship in South Africa and strives to make a positive impact on the country’s future entrepreneurs.
For more information about the competition, visit https://www.maakmynmiljoener.co.za/ or watch last year’s series at www.youtube.com/@maakmynmiljoener
The new season will be broadcast from 24 August on Mondays at 19:00 on ViaTV (DStv channel 147).