The independent brand and communications agency is putting agency hours behind a young South African entrepreneur in a Youth-focused campaign aimed squarely at the country’s small-business marketing gap.
Led by a relatively young and thriving team, the Johannesburg-based agency Orchard on 25 (O25) has launched its inaugural initiative that hands marketing support and a two-month retainer to one youth-owned South African business.
Running under the hashtags #O25YouthMonth and #BuildingLivelihoods, the offer combines free marketing help with a two-month agency retainer to the value of R200 000 for one youth-owned business. In a market where access to professional strategy, PR, digital and creative work is typically gated by budget, that’s a meaningful runway for an early-stage founder.
The entry mechanic is deliberately simple:
- Post a video, maximum one minute long.
- Introduce yourself, your business, and make the case for why it should be you.
- Tag @orchardon25 and use #O25YouthMonth and #BuildingLivelihoods.
- Entries close on 11 July 2026.
South Africa’s youth unemployment rate remains one of the highest in the world, and small businesses are widely viewed as the most realistic engine for absorbing young jobseekers into the economy. Yet professional marketing, the kind that helps a brand actually win customers, is one of the first line items young founders cut. O25’s campaign tries to close that gap directly by donating agency capacity rather than running a once-off awareness post.
Plenty will post a Youth Month tribute, but far fewer will commit two months of paid agency time, given the cost implications. In a continuation of founder Jay Badza’s call for the agency to be ‘a beacon of light for young creatives’, the campaign is being driven by a young, creative and bold team that provides game changing insights and enthusiasm that clients tend to love.
