The highly anticipated launch for the 3rd Annual Top 16 Youth
Owned Brands Awards (YOBAs) was held at the Courtyard Hotel, Waterfall City, by the charismatic
Khosi Twala. These are the only awards on the African continent that recognize and celebrate the
brands that are owned and run by youth. The title 'Top 16' symbolizes the importance of the youth's
influence on June 16, 1976.
The African Union dubbed 16 June as the Day of an African Child, hence the introduction of the new
categories that includes the rest of Africa. These categories will highlight the efforts of young
Africans in challenging the status-quo through job creation and contributing to the economic growth
of the country.
In addition to the new Pan African categories, other new categories include Top Manufacturing
Brand, Top Women-Owned Brand and Top Creative & Arts Brand. There will also be a special award
for a young South African who embodied global excellence and stature. Some previous categories
have been merged, namely – Food and Beverages; Education and Literature; Footwear and
Accessories. Below is the full list of all the 2024 categories:
Top Agriculture Brand
Top Apparel Brand
Top Creative and Arts Brand
Top Food and Beverage Brand
Top Footwear and Accessories
Top Hair and Beauty Brand
Top Homeware Brand
Top Education and Literature Brand
Top NPOs and Charity Brand
Top Technology Brand
Top Health and Wellness Brand
Top Manufacturing Brand
Top Media Brand
Top Personality and Influencer Brand
Top Services Brand
Top Travel and Tourism Brand
Notably, the YOBAs have expanded their reach beyond South Africa by including the Pan African
Brands category, which encompasses the Top West African Brand, Top East African Brand, and Top
SADC Brand, which aim to recognize and celebrate youth-owned brands from Pan African countries.
“This year, the YOBAs will be bigger than they have ever been. We are excited about the new
categories. They are the reflection of our commitment to act on the feedback that we receive from
our stakeholders. The festival will feature exhibitors from other parts of the continent”, said Pat
Mahlangu founder of the Top 16 Youth-Owned Brands Awards.
Nominations officialy opened on 13 February 2024 and will close on the 17 th of April 2024. The
public can nominate their favourite youth-owned brands or any brand of their choice on the YOBAs
website: www.top16yoba.co.za .
Before nominating a brand, the public is encouraged to consider the following criteria:
The brand should be owned and operated by individuals aged between 18 and 35.
The brand must have been established for more than a year.
It is preferable for the brand to have a website with its name as the domain, although this is
not mandatory.
The brand should have an active presence on social media or any other form of digital
footprint.
The brand must operate in one or more of the listed categories.
The brand should be South African, with the exception of pan-African categories.
The awards will be preceded by the two-day Festival of Youth-Owned Brands on 20 th and 21 st of June
2024 and the awards ceremony will be held on the evening of the 21 st of June 2024 at the Sandton
Convention Centre.
Tickets will be available from the 1 st of March 2024. To preregister, visit www.top16yoba.co.za
