At just 22 years old, Cebolenkosi “Cebo” Gcabashe has gone from a young man with an idea to the 2025 Anzisha Prize Revenue Growth Winner. Based in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, he leads G Khula Trading, a property enhancement business offering deep-cleaning and maintenance services to homes and commercial buildings. What started with a single high-pressure cleaner and a determination to “make things better” is now a company generating tens of thousands of dollars in revenue each year.

A Born Entrepreneur
Cebo likes to say that entrepreneurship has always been in him.

“I’ve always known that I wanted to be an entrepreneur, yet I didn’t understand the concept of entrepreneurship,” he explains. “It’s something I think I was born with.”

That drive took shape one afternoon while walking through his city with his brother. They noticed the neglected, dirty rooftops. “We started asking, how do we solve this? My brother came up with the idea, and I became the one to implement it.”

What began as a small roof-cleaning service planted the seed for what would become G Khula Trading.

The Birth of G Khula Cleaning Services
Launched in 2020, G Khula Trading has a clear mission: create cleaner, healthier spaces while preserving property value. At the start, Cebo had only 2,000 ZAR (about US $110) and a basic high-pressure cleaner.

“When I started, I didn’t even know how to run a business,” he admits. “I just knew I had to do something with the idea we had.”

The arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic added urgency. Suddenly, deep cleaning was not just cosmetic—it was essential. “People needed hygiene more than ever,” Cebo recalls. “Our services became important for families and workplaces who wanted to protect themselves.”

This shift catapulted his small operation into something much bigger.

Transformation Through Grit
Running a business at such a young age wasn’t without friction.

“Coming from a family that valued education, there was a lot of pressure to go to university,” he says. “At first, they didn’t really support the idea of me focusing on business. But when they saw my consistency and my progress, they started to stand by me.”

Team building was another early obstacle. “I had the vision, but finding people who believed in it was difficult,” he says. Mistakes happened—sometimes costly ones. But instead of giving up, he adapted.

“I realised that things will always go wrong. With the right systems, you can pick out what went wrong, fix it, and move forward. That’s how we started improving.”

This mindset—treating every challenge as a lesson—became his greatest asset.

Learning, Adapting, and Scaling
Joining the Anzisha Fellowship was a turning point. Through coaching, online learning sessions, and peer support, Cebo began to sharpen his leadership.

“The program really helped me question my assumptions,” he says. “I learned how to refine my marketing strategies, how to hire better, and how to build systems that made sense.”

The impact was clear: over two years, G Khula Trading grew revenue from US $2,361 to US $27,658, achieving a 32.04% net profit margin. His assets today are valued at nearly 100,000 ZAR.

“Receiving my stipend on time and using it to grow the business—that has been one of the biggest highlights of the fellowship,” he notes.

Recognition and Revenue Growth
In 2025, Cebo’s transformation was recognised when he won the Anzisha Prize for Revenue Growth. For him, the award wasn’t just about the numbers.

“It was validation,” he says with a smile. “Validation that the long nights, the mistakes, the pivots—all of it was worth it.”

He also scooped awards at the Hollywood Foundation Bambelela Business Awards KZN and the Technology Center for Social Entrepreneurship pitch competition. Each milestone added fuel to his mission: to grow G Khula Trading into a leading property services brand.

Facing Fear, Finding Confidence
Beyond money and recognition, entrepreneurship also reshaped Cebo personally.

“I used to be terrified of speaking in front of people,” he admits. “When I had to pitch or address a crowd, I would panic.”

His solution was unorthodox but effective. “I started imagining that the room was empty—that I was just speaking to myself. It helped me control the fear and keep going.”

That resilience—the ability to step into discomfort—is something he believes every entrepreneur needs.

Lessons for Young Entrepreneurs
Looking back, Cebo distills his journey into clear advice:

• Start small: “I began with just 2,000 ZAR and a cleaner. Today, I manage assets close to 100,000 ZAR. Start where you are.”
• Pivot and problem-solve: Diversifying beyond roofs into full property maintenance allowed him to keep growing.
• Build systems: Recruitment, performance reviews, and structured operations turned chaos into stability.
• Stay consistent: Progress doesn’t come overnight. “You must be patient with the process,” he says.

From a walk with his brother to winning one of Africa’s most prestigious entrepreneurship prizes, Cebo Gcabashe’s story is about far more than cleaning rooftops. It’s about vision, persistence, and the courage to keep building when others expect you to stop.

“I want other young Africans to know it’s possible,” he says. “If I could do it, starting with almost nothing, so can you.”