GTP Level Up Retail Business Programme 2026
Meet the Level Up class of 2026
28 Northern Suburbs retail businesses graduate from Cohort 4. The Top 10 have pitched and the Top 5 are in. Next, the Expo floor.
- Pitch event
- Mon 19 October
- Sanlam Auditorium, 10:00 to 14:30
- Upcoming
- Expo showcase
- 28 and 29 October
- Tygervalley Shopping Centre
- Upcoming
- Programme
- July to October
- 32 started, 28 went on to Advanced
- Industry experts
- 14 and counting
- Speakers, adjudicators and mentors
The Top 10
The ten businesses that pitched live on 19 October. The Top 5 are marked, and the winners are named at the Expo.
The journey
Four months of weekly sessions, mentoring and expert feedback for businesses that are already trading. At two stages the cohort was strong enough that more businesses went through than planned.
- 32 businesses started Cohort 4
- 28 selected for Advanced Level Up 20 places were planned
- 10 pitched at the pitch event
- 5 named in the Top 5
- 25 chosen to exhibit at the Expo a top 20 was planned
Industry experts
The speakers and specialists who gave their time to the cohort, from funding and finance to brand, AI and people.
Programme team
The people who run Level Up through the year.
What's next
Results, photos from the pitch and the Expo, and the event film will be shared here once the programme wraps up.
- Top 5 Algernon, Jorgina, Franc, Haythem and Tanya
- Winners Announced at the Expo, 28 and 29 October
- Gallery Photos from the day
- Impact What the cohort achieved
Monday 19 October 2026, Sanlam Auditorium
GTP Level Up Pitch Event
Ten Level Up businesses pitched live to four adjudicators. Here are the Top 5, the full Top 10 and the people who made the day.
Pitch event results, 19 October
The Top 5
Chosen by the adjudicators from ten live pitches. Watch each business's promo reel, then meet them at the Expo, where the winners are named on 28 October.
How the pitch event ran
Monday 19 October 2026 at the Sanlam Auditorium, Bellville. Ten entrepreneurs, four adjudicators and one room full of supporters.
- Entrepreneurs pitched
- 10
- Adjudicators
- 4
- Minutes of feedback each
- 8
- Selected for the Top 5
- 5
- Welcome MC Wayne McKay opened the day and introduced the adjudicators, followed by a welcome from GTP CEO Warren Hewitt.
- Ten pitches Each business pitched for four minutes, played a 30-second promo reel, then took eight minutes of live questions and feedback.
- Deliberation GTP COO Nasmera Buckus thanked everyone involved while the adjudicators deliberated.
Adjudicator Vuyisa Qabaka named the Top 5, and the day closed with a light meal and networking.
The Top 10
Ten businesses pitched live at the Sanlam Auditorium on Monday 19 October, in the order below. Tap a business to see their story, socials and a QR code to follow them.
The adjudicators
Four adjudicators gave each business eight minutes of live feedback, then chose the Top 5.
On the day
The people who hosted and spoke at the pitch event.
Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 October 2026
Bellville Business Expo
A top 20 was planned, but 25 Level Up graduates were chosen to exhibit at Tygervalley Shopping Centre. Come and buy, book and meet the people behind the businesses, and watch the class of 2026 graduate on the Main Arena stage.
Come and visit
The Northern Suburbs' largest business expo is back at Tyger Valley Centre for its fourth year, and in 2026 retail takes centre stage. Shop local, meet entrepreneurs, learn from experts, watch live pitches and enter to win.
- Where
- Tygervalley Shopping Centre
- Day 1
- Wed 28 October, 09:00 to 18:00
- Day 2
- Thu 29 October, from 10:00
- Graduation
- Wed 28 October, 11:00, Main Arena
What's on
Draft programme. Times and speakers may still change.
The Level Up Passport
Collect a stamp for each challenge as you explore the Expo. Tick them off here as you go.
From pitch to prize
The pitch decides who goes through. The winners are named at the Expo, where the whole class graduates.
Ten pitch live
Four minutes on stage, a promo reel, then feedback from the adjudicators.
Top 5 selected
Multi-Fast, Adore Her by G, Francly Foods, Spice It Up and Go, and Seeds for Life.
Winners and graduation
Mentor certificates, Top 10 recognition and the Top 3 awards, as all 28 businesses graduate.