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South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis has prompted Nedbank to launch two major entrepreneurship programmes aimed at helping young people move from job seekers to job creators. The bank announced the Each One Create One initiative and the Youth Empowerment Programme, which together will support 500 young entrepreneurs in their first phase.
The programmes were launched during Global Entrepreneurship Week and are designed to create long-term, sustainable pathways into business ownership — with guaranteed access to markets, mentorship, and financial support. The long-term goal is bold: help more than 5,000 young people establish profitable businesses by 2030.
Two programmes, one vision: turning artisans and contractors into business owners
The Youth Empowerment Programme builds on a successful pilot in North West and now expands to Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape. Nedbank will support 100 artisans per province with:
- Training and mentorship
- Business plan development
- Equipment funding
- Procurement opportunities through public and private partners
Skilled trades such as electrical work, plumbing, paving, carpentry, and welding are central to the programme’s value-chain approach.
Alongside this, the Fix Forward Contractor Programme helps contractors from low-income communities transition into fully formalised businesses. Over the past seven years, Nedbank has invested over R20 million in Fix Forward, supporting 596 SMEs that went on to create more than 1,000 jobs.
“By equipping young artisans with the tools to formalise and grow their businesses, we are not only creating jobs but also building sustainable enterprises that uplift families,” said Joshua Cox, CEO of Fix Forward.
Each One Create One: A model designed for impact and scale
Developed with McGeralds Entrepreneurship Centre, Each One Create One is Nedbank’s ambitious answer to the urgent need for youth-led enterprise development. The idea is simple: every participant must create at least one job within their first year.
Participants receive:
- Ideation and business masterclasses
- One-on-one guidance from global mentors
- Training in legal compliance, costing, and systems
- Access to OEM trade inputs at competitive rates
- Short-term lending solutions for fulfilling orders
Crucially, Nedbank also secures market access, which research shows is the main barrier to small business success — not skills or funding. Offtake agreements and guaranteed procurement orders give young entrepreneurs a reliable customer base to build sustainable operations.
“Nedbank is investing in more than just business acumen… we are building sustainable economic futures,” said Dr. Nirmala Reddy from Nedbank’s Group Transformation Unit.
A scalable model for nationwide job creation
The programmes are designed to stimulate entrepreneurship across provinces, support township and rural youth, and strengthen local economies through procurement-driven development. With more than 500 beneficiaries in the immediate phase and thousands expected by 2030, the bank says the model proves that young people can be engines of growth when given the right support.
“This initiative provides an opportunity for large corporates and SMEs to partner in stimulating entrepreneurship and creating sustainable jobs,” said Zwelani Nkomo of McGeralds.
