V&A Waterfront’s Makers Landing marks six years of beating small business survival odds

Eight Cape Town food entrepreneurs graduate as the programme's collective impact reaches 45 small businesses, 95+ permanent and seasonal jobs and a survival rate that far outpaces the industry norm.

Cape Town, 04 August 2026. Eight local food entrepreneurs graduated from the Makers Landing Food Incubator Programme on Wednesday, 29 July at the V&A Waterfront. This is the sixth cohort to complete the programme since it launched in 2021.

Run in strategic partnership with enterprise development specialist Property Point, the 12-month programme has now supported 45 SMMEs across six cohorts, helping graduates create and sustain more than 65 permanent jobs, plus over 30 seasonal positions.

The numbers matter because the odds facing small food businesses are steep: nationally, roughly half of small food businesses close within their first five years of trading. In comparison, more than 80% of Makers Landing's 45 graduates remain in business today, a proof point that structured, hands-on incubation can shift the survival curve for South Africa's informal food economy.

This year's graduates:

The Class of 2026 collectively grew revenue by more than 107% during their time in the programme, creating and sustaining 13 permanent jobs and an additional three seasonal jobs.

• Ganache Art (Sumaiyah Sheriff): Offers artisanal bon bons, bespoke chocolate slabs and hands-on chocolate-making workshops, blending local flavour with fine pâtisserie technique.
• Herenity Eatery (Zamo Mlangeni): Afro-fusion street food steak sandwiches, smash burgers and freezos served from a Makers Landing food truck near the V&A Waterfront's amphitheatre.
• Treat Symphony (Lushano and Clint Douman): Handcrafted small-batch fudge, from a Kuilsriver home kitchen to a growing commercial ambition.
• Loutaya (Rahim Bikouta): Organic, caffeine-free Congolese teas rooted in family heritage and traditional healing.
• Fusion X Artisanal Spices (Andrew Pillay and Bernice Willemse): Additive-free gourmet spice rubs, infused salts and sauces spanning global cuisines.
• SADYA (Sherin Antony): Southern Indian specialities, including porottas, biriyanis and coconut-infused curries, turned from a side hustle into a full-time calling.
• Seeds for Life (Tanya Van Stade and Yumnah Wickstrom): A Brackenfell cooperative using regenerative farming to produce organic vegetables and dehydrated vegetable powders.
• Montseng Taste Buds (Lerato Montseng): Homemade condiments and sauces balancing heat and flavour.

An inclusive economy, one plate at a time

Since launching, Makers Landing has combined business development coaching, mentorship, technical support and access to commercial kitchen facilities with real market access, placing entrepreneurs in front of retail, catering and food-service opportunities they could not reach on their own. That curriculum has remained consistent across all six cohorts, even as the programme itself has evolved: its most recent iterations have been delivered in partnership with Property Point, and a seventh cohort of eight businesses is already under way.

“Food entrepreneurs are the foundation of our food ecosystem,” says Alex Kabalin, V&A Waterfront Retail Executive. “Every cohort reminds us why this programme matters, not just for the businesses themselves, but for what it says about the kind of neighbourhood we're building. An inclusive economy isn't an abstract commitment for us; it looks like eight new small businesses graduating today, and forty-five having come through these doors since 2021.”

"The Property Point partnership with V&A Waterfront and Makers Landing is helping build an ecosystem where entrepreneurs can access the opportunities, networks and support they need to succeed." – Shawn Theunissen, Founder.

For the entrepreneurs themselves, the programme's value extends beyond mentorship and market access. It has helped turn passion into viable businesses with the confidence to grow.

“Becoming a food entrepreneur gave me the freedom to build a life around everything I love,” says Sherin Antony of SADYA. “Food has become the way I serve others while living
authentically.”

“The Makers Landing Kitchen Incubator Program provided our business with direct market access and incredible industry credibility. Being associated with Makers Landing and being based at the V&A Waterfront opened doors for us at major events and allowed us to rebrand our business model for long-term growth. Most importantly, it empowered us to build and sustain a team of four permanent and four casual employees, with plans to hire even more this festive season. You simply cannot talk about Herenity’s success without highlighting the power of this program.” – Zamo Mlangeni founder of Herenity Eatery

Looking ahead

With the seventh cohort of nine businesses already progressing through the 2026 programme, Makers Landing continues to expand its focus on production-based enterprises and post-graduation support, including a newly piloted partnership with the Department of Agriculture aimed at improving graduates' access to product testing and finance.