Yolanda Ngwenya’s golden run continues as designer makes Old Mutual VCC Top 20

IT is proving to be a season of remarkable breakthroughs for Bulawayo fashion entrepreneur Yolanda Ngwenya, whose meteoric rise in Zimbabwe’s creative sector has gained further momentum after she secured a place in the Top 20 of this year’s Old Mutual Value Creation Challenge (VCC) under the Creative Industries category.

The founder and creative force behind the acclaimed fashion label Bakhar is among five finalists — Caca Couture, Daily Brand, Fun Learning Academy and TisuMazwi — in her category who will now compete for top honours in one of Zimbabwe’s most prestigious entrepreneurship incubation programmes, further cementing her status as one of the country’s rising creative business minds.

The latest achievement comes at a time when Ngwenya appears to be operating at the height of her creative and entrepreneurial momentum, seamlessly balancing fashion design, business development and arts leadership.

The VCC has established itself as one of Zimbabwe’s leading business incubation platforms, designed to identify, nurture and support innovative entrepreneurs through funding opportunities, mentorship and structured business development support. Each year, thousands of applicants compete for a place among the finalists, all hoping to access capital that can transform their ventures.

For Ngwenya, breaking into the Top 20 represents more than just personal success. It is recognition that creative enterprises can compete on equal footing with other sectors in areas such as innovation, sustainability and growth potential.

Reacting to the announcement, the designer admitted the milestone brought a mix of excitement and pressure.

“It’s exciting, nerve-wracking, a bit overwhelming but I’m ready,” she said.

Her calm confidence comes as no surprise, given the remarkable year she has enjoyed so far. Earlier this year, she secured her maiden nomination at the National Arts Merit Awards, a significant milestone for a designer whose work challenges conventional fashion narratives while celebrating African identity and creativity.

Her international footprint has also expanded significantly.

Ngwenya recently travelled to Germany to attend the globally renowned Berlin Fashion Week alongside fellow Zimbabwean designer Charmaine Nziradzemhuka. The experience exposed her to international fashion trends, industry leaders and innovations shaping the future of global fashion.

Beyond the runway spotlight, she also gained valuable industry insight through a six-week internship programme with two leading German luxury fashion houses. The attachment provided hands-on experience in high-end fashion operations and exposed her to global best practices in design, production and brand management.

Ngwenya has previously described the experience as both demanding and transformative, sharpening her understanding of building a globally competitive fashion brand.

These experiences now appear to be bearing fruit, as Bakhar continues to evolve from a promising label into a serious creative enterprise.

The VCC judges clearly identified strong potential in both Ngwenya and her business model, advancing her into the Top 20, where competition is expected to intensify.

The next phase of the challenge will involve intensive training, mentorship, business development sessions and pitching exercises designed to test the viability and scalability of each enterprise.

Ultimately, contestants will be further shortlisted before winners are selected to receive seed capital and additional support to accelerate business growth.

For Ngwenya, the opportunity could prove transformative, offering access to resources that may help scale Bakhar into a stronger and more influential player in Zimbabwe’s fashion industry and beyond.

Her progress in the competition is also being closely followed in Matabeleland, a region that has increasingly produced entrepreneurs capable of competing at the national level.

Last year, Matabeleland celebrated one of its own when Kadelwa Ndlovu emerged as runner-up in the 2025 VCC Creative Industries category with her venture, Kadelwa Arts, walking away with US$5 000. —@MbuleloMpofu