Funeral industry innovator named SA’s Entrepreneur of the Year®

South Africa’s funeral industry is valued at over R10 billion yet remains one of the country’s least digitised sectors. In this landscape, Aphiwe Khambule is proving that even the most established industries can be transformed from within.

Before joining her family business, 21^st Century Funerals, Khambule worked as a fashion and beauty editor, in digital media, and in travel. Watching her father, Mduduzi, support families during vulnerable moments inspired her. “I saw the compassion, the late nights, the quiet strength it takes to bring comfort when people need it most,” she reflects.

Today, as the winner of the 2025 Business Partners Limited Entrepreneur of the Year® award, Khambule is redefining what funeral cover means for families. She has injected the business with the vibrancy and creativity she gained from her years in fashion, bringing a fresh perspective to the industry. A modern funeral service exists not only to provide support, emotionally, socially, and financially, but to help families celebrate a life well lived,” she explains.

Under her leadership, the company launched MYPrestige Rewards, a loyalty programme providing healthcare discounts, education support, airtime, and grocery vouchers.

Khambule is also tackling systemic issues, running learnerships that address unemployment and leading projects to mitigate South Africa’s cemetery shortage. For her, innovation isn’t about abandoning tradition, it’s about honouring it while meeting modern needs.

David Morobe, Executive General Manager for Impact Investing at Business Partners Limited, says: “Aphiwe Khambule personifies the future of South African business, where leaders see their companies not just as commercial engines, but as platforms for holistic community support. She has taken one of our most traditional industries and infused it with a modern philosophy of lifetime value. This ability to see beyond the transaction to create a legacy of care is exactly the kind of transformative thinking our country needs.”

Khambule’s win proves that no industry is too traditional to innovate, and no entrepreneur is too young to make an impact.

About the Business Partners Limited Entrepreneur of the Year® Awards

The Business Partners Limited Entrepreneur of the Year® awards recognise and honour the value and contributions of established South African entrepreneurs in the small and medium enterprises (SME) sector. Now in its 37^th year, the annual awards celebrate excellence in entrepreneurship with the aim of inspiring others to venture into and succeed in the world of business ownership. The awards recognise and empower South Africa’s successful entrepreneurs by enhancing their knowledge, networks and exposure. It is widely considered to be the pre-eminent awards competition of its kind in the country and has served as a business growth springboard for past finalists and winners.

David Morobe is our Executive General Manager for Impact Investing. He has been working with small and medium business entrepreneurs for more than 25 years and has amassed considerable experience from the various positions he has occupied. Even after working with entrepreneurs for so many years, David still appreciates the opportunity to be of service to their needs, recognising that they play a very important role in the socio-economic development of our country. His greatest fulfilment is seeing SMEs grow and sustain both in good and challenging times, thereby creating wealth not only for themselves but also for those in their employ. He is our go-to-spokesperson for our SME Confidence Index, SME sector policy and trend matters, mentorship, and business leadership articles.