Africa-Press – Eswatini. Rising Eswatini entrepreneur Siphiwo Lushaba has been nominated for the Leadership Excellence Award at the Raymond Ackerman Academy of Entrepreneurial Development (RAA-ED) Alumni Awards, set for September 3 at the Johannesburg Business School Auditorium.
The event, which marks the Academy’s 20th anniversary, will celebrate alumni whose leadership, innovation, and social impact continue to advance RAA-ED’s mission of empowering entrepreneurs across Southern Africa.
Lushaba, who completed the Academy’s six-month course in 2024 and later a year-long mentorship, was shortlisted for his outstanding work in entrepreneurship, public relations, and mental health advocacy.
He said the nomination was “an opportunity not only to reflect on personal growth but also to represent Eswatini on an international stage.”
The 28-year-old is the founder of Talksy Wellness, a digital mental health startup that won the Standard Bank Ematfuba Ami Startup Competition. He also runs YHWH Merchandise, a Christian clothing line promoting local craftsmanship, and To-Fo Digital, a communications agency supporting SMEs with branding and PR.
Lushaba also wears leadership hats beyond business. He serves as Chapter Director of Startup Grind Manzini and Chairperson of the YALI RLC Eswatini Alumni Chapter, roles that he said “show the importance of young people stepping up to drive innovation and solutions.”
Academy officials said the Alumni Awards, supported by its sponsors and partners, were designed to highlight how graduates had turned classroom lessons into enterprises that transform communities.
Lushaba’s nomination, they said, stood out not just for his business ventures but also for his role as a journalist and editor at Pro Media News and as host of The Marketplace Platform podcast, which documents Eswatini’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The RAA-ED, established in 2005 and housed at the University of Johannesburg, has produced hundreds of graduates who have gone on to become business leaders and innovators. For Lushaba, this recognition is both a milestone and a motivator.
“This journey is bigger than me,” he said. “It is about carrying Eswatini with me and showing that our country is producing leaders who can compete and inspire globally.”
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