Pat Mahlangu
Youth in Business & Entrepreneurship
Nominee's Province:
Gauteng
Age:
33
Project Name/Description:
Founder – Top 16 Youth-Owned Brands Awards
“I am driven by the desire of bringing ideas to life and the marketing and advertising industry provides me with that,” shares Pat Mahlangu, a marketing and media entrepreneur who is passionate about crafting brands that people love and developing young creatives. Mahlangu is the founder and CEO of Lerato Agency, which was established in 2020 as a public relations and digital creative agency that specialises in branding, content creation, digital marketing and events management. Some of Mahlangu’s greatest achievements include starting the Top 16 Youth-Owned Brands Awards, which, according to him, is the only platform in the continent that recognises and celebrates brands that are owned and run by the youth. “In 2023, I became the brand ambassador for Brand South Africa’s Play Your Part and was named one of South Africa’s Top 200 Young South Africans by the Mail & Guardian. Lastly, I received an award for Emerging Marketer of the Year from the IMM Institute,” Mahlangu adds. Mahlangu believes that for the past 30 years, young people have been displaying a far greater desire and initiative in entrepreneurship than the generations before. However, their economic contribution is often downplayed. “Entrepreneurship for many young people is the only option for them to become economically active. It is therefore crucial that entrepreneurship is cultivated and ideas are funded and given the necessary support to flourish.”
