From transforming weed-choked land on Johannesburg’s East Rand into a thriving farm, to taking top honours in front of investors and business leaders, entrepreneur Musabeni Sophy Litsani has been named the winner of the 2025 Access Bank Womanpreneur Powered by Regenesys pitch competition held at the launch of the Regenesys School of Entrepreneurship in Sandton.
Litsani’s journey is one of grit and determination. What began in 2017 as an idea without land or finance took root in 2020 when she secured a 14-hectare plot in Mapleton, near Vosloorus, and transformed it into productive farmland. Starting with two hectares of spinach, Vhegies has grown into a diversified operation producing pumpkins, beans, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower.
Guided by its vision to “ensure that we eat what we grow,” the company now plans to expand into Limpopo and establish a processing facility to extend the shelf life and market reach of its vegetables, while continuing to uplift local communities through job creation and skills transfer.
The contest put the spotlight on the power of female entrepreneurship to tackle unemployment, spark inclusive growth, and reshape South Africa’s economic future.
Along with 10 other competitors, Litsani had just 60 seconds to make her case to the judges after they had studied her business plan, vision, and strategy.
Accepting the award, Litsani said the recognition was more than a personal achievement, describing it as proof that resilience, integrity and community values can turn small ideas into businesses that feed families, create jobs and inspire hope. She thanked Regenesys, Access Bank and the adjudicators for believing in Vhegies’ mission and future.
Dr Reabetswe Kgoroeadira, CEO of the Regenesys School of Entrepreneurship, says Litsani’s success embodied the very purpose of the new institution, which is to provide African entrepreneurs with the practical tools, networks, and access to capital they need to transform ambition into scalable, sustainable enterprises. She added that the school aims to nurture entrepreneurs who are not only business-ready but also life-ready, equipped with creativity, resilience, and ethical leadership.
Sandile Shabalala, CEO of Access Bank South Africa, says the competition was designed to give women entrepreneurs more than a platform to showcase their ideas, but a springboard to real investment and sustainable growth.
He said the winner’s story reflected the energy and resilience of women across Africa and that Access Bank’s role was to ensure those ideas find the capital and credibility they need to flourish.
Aligned with International Entrepreneurship Day and Women’s Month, the event highlighted how collaboration between education, finance and industry can unlock Africa’s entrepreneurial potential and underscored the pivotal role of female founders in shaping South Africa’s economic future.