The independent brand and communications agency is putting
\nagency hours behind a young South African entrepreneur in a Youth-focused campaign aimed
\nsquarely at the country's small-business marketing gap.\u00a0Led by a relatively young and thriving
\nteam, the Johannesburg-based agency\u00a0Orchard on 25\u00a0(O25) has launched its inaugural initiative
\nthat hands marketing support and a two-month retainer to one youth-owned South African
\nbusiness.
\nWhy it matters to those who matter
\nSouth Africa's youth unemployment rate remains one of the highest in the world, and small
\nbusinesses are widely viewed as the most realistic engine for absorbing young jobseekers into the
\neconomy. Yet professional marketing, the kind that helps a brand actually win customers, is one
\nof the first line items young founders cut. O25's youth empowerment campaign tries to close that
\ngap directly by donating agency capacity rather than running a once-off awareness post.<\/p>\n
In a continuation of founder Jay Badza\u2019s call for the agency to be \u2018a beacon of light for young
\ncreatives\u2019, the campaign is being driven by a young, creative and bold team that provides game
\nchanging insights and enthusiasm that clients love.<\/p>\n
What's on offer
\nRunning under the hashtags\u00a0#O25YouthDrive\u00a0and\u00a0#BuildingLivelihoods, the offer combines free
\nmarketing help with a two-month agency retainer to the value of R200 000 for one youth-owned
\nbusiness. In a market where access to professional strategy, PR, digital and creative work is
\ntypically gated by budget, that's a meaningful runway for an early-stage founder.<\/p>\n
How to enter
\nThe entry mechanic is simple:
\n\uf0b7 Post a video, maximum one minute long.
\n\uf0b7 Introduce yourself, your business, and make the case for why it should be you.
\n\uf0b7 Tag\u00a0@orchardon25\u00a0and use\u00a0#O25YouthDrive\u00a0and\u00a0#BuildingLivelihoods.
\n\uf0b7 Entries close on\u00a019 July 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The independent brand and communications agency is putting agency hours behind a young South African<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":338,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-337","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n