ADVERTORIAL and access markets beyond the walls of the building. The programme allows anyone engaging with Makers Landing to see the people behind the product and the process behind the promise.
To date, the Incubator has supported 44 small and medium food enterprises across six cohorts. Collectively, these have created and sustained over 60 jobs, achieved average revenue growth of between 300 % and 500 %, and maintained a post-graduation operational rate of over 90 %.
Recent cohorts are 100 % Black-owned, with over 90 % of those female-led businesses, reflecting Makers Landing’ s commitment to supporting previously disadvantaged entrepreneurs and reconfiguring the playing field of who gets to build sustainable food enterprises in South Africa.
Ongoing support
Collaborations with Property Point and the Wakanda Food Accelerator have expanded the programme’ s reach, deepened technical support and strengthened pathways to market. Importantly, Makers Landing continues to walk alongside its alumni long after graduation, offering ongoing mentorship, access to production facilities, technical expertise and introductions to funding and supplychain opportunities.
Businesses like The Wrapper Co, founded by Nafeesa Arendse, transformed a single food truck opportunity at the V & A Waterfront neighbourhood into a mobile brand with a dedicated team and steady monthly turnover. The Charming Chef, led by Ayesha Juwaley, scaled its confectionery production, created multiple jobs and grew into one of Makers Landing’ s most-loved familyfocused activations through hands-on cooking experiences for children. Zandi Manyaku Hush in my Kitchen, which has built a national food experiences business with over 70 sold-out events, hosted their first cooking workshop at Makers Landing. Marvin Buys from Smoked by Buys shifted from market trading into wholesale supply for leading hotels, while newer entrants like Herenity ran by Zamokuhle Mlangeni demonstrate just how quickly opportunity can translate into impact when support is in place.
Shaping the future
Access to affordable finance, the cost of compliance, and sustaining market access beyond programme-linked opportunities remain real barriers for many food entrepreneurs. These lessons are shaping the next phase of the Incubator, strengthening postprogramme support, deepening funding pathways and building longerterm market linkages. Recent pilot projects, including partnerships with the Department of Agriculture focused on product testing and finance access.
Five years later, the Makers Landing Food Incubator stands as a living ecosystem, one that reflects the
realities of building food businesses in South Africa and Cape Town specifically, while actively working to change them. Its success is not only measured in revenue or job numbers, but in confidence built, skills transferred and visibility created for entrepreneurs who might otherwise be locked out of opportunity.
As Makers Landing looks ahead, the focus remains clear: to scale impact without losing soul, to keep production visible, and to continue growing a pipeline of food entrepreneurs who are reshaping the future of South Africa’ s inclusive food economy.
For more information, contact Makers Landing at events @ waterfront. co. za TT
2026 / TRADE & TASTE 21