The 2025 Bellville Business Expo (BBEXPO) once again proved why it’s one of Cape Town’s most dynamic and forward-looking business events. Held on 28 and 29 October 2025 at the Tygervalley Centre Arena, this year’s expo celebrated its third successful year, bringing together more than 500 businesses, entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders from across the Northern Suburbs and beyond.
Organised by the Greater Tygerberg Partnership (GTP), the BBEXPO continues to be a flagship platform for strengthening the SMME ecosystem and driving inclusive economic growth in the region.
Sustainability and Innovation at the Heart
With sustainability and innovation leading the agenda, this year’s expo showcased businesses from diverse sectors including technology, finance, retail, creative industries, manufacturing, and social entrepreneurship.
Attendees engaged directly with funders, buyers, and development experts, gaining hands-on insights into scaling sustainably, boosting brand visibility, and unlocking access to new markets.
Key partners powering the 2025 edition included: Tyger Valley Centre, Resilient Innovations, Petco, Polyco, Standard Bank, Vodacom, Tappd, BizMag, Print On Demand, Urban Seed PR, the Human Economy, and Get Published.
“Each year, the Bellville Business Expo grows stronger – in both scale and impact,” said Nasmera Buckus, Chief Operations Officer at the GTP.
“Our goal is to create meaningful, long-term opportunities for SMMEs that go far beyond the two-day event. This year reflected the growing appetite for sustainability-led innovation among local businesses.
Through the expo and our Bellville Connect Level Up Business Programme, we supported 32 entrepreneurs with mentorship, visibility, and market access – continuing to position the Northern Suburbs as a dynamic business hub.”
Empowering Entrepreneurs: The Level Up Programme
In the weeks leading up to the expo, the Bellville Connect Level Up Business Programme equipped local entrepreneurs with practical skills and mentorship through an eight-week hybrid journey of workshops, coaching, and expert sessions.
It all culminated in a live pitch event on 21 October at the Momentum Auditorium, where five standout businesses were recognised and later promoted at the expo.
2025 Bellville Connect Business Level Up Programme Winners
- Sodieq Barendse – Pekkish
- Carmy Davis – Davis Clothing
- Cazri Johnson – Ncinci Ndiqala
- Shaun Cairns – Seed2harvest
- Aqeebah Taliep – Diamond Sparkle Detergent
The top three winners received mentorship and advisory packages focused on strategy, finance, operations, and sustainability. Other prizes included media exposure, business tools, and networking access to help entrepreneurs grow and scale beyond the event.
A Greener, Smarter Expo Experience
A major feature of this year’s BBEXPO was The Sustainable Journey — an interactive space encouraging visitors to adopt greener habits. Highlights included Tappd’s paperless contact cards, an e-waste recycling station, an organic compost challenge, and the Green Pledge Wall, where attendees captured photo pledges to sustainability.
The speaker lineup featured local industry champions such as Alderman James Vos (Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth), Warren Hewitt (CEO, GTP), Tanya Heimann (General Manager, Tyger Valley Centre), and Willem Olivier (CEO, Resilient Innovations).
A highlight was the Zero Waste, Circular Economy and Collaboration panel discussion, featuring Kara Rohleder (Petco), Darius van Niekerk (Wasteplan), Tracey Gilmore (TCB), and Alison Evans (CoCT), moderated by Damien Hewitt (Plant the Seed).
“The Bellville Business Expo is a key driver of economic development and entrepreneurship in the Northern Suburbs,” said Alderman James Vos.
“Through the GTP, the City is proud to support this initiative, which creates real opportunities for local businesses to grow, collaborate, and innovate. Events like these show how powerful public-private partnerships can be in driving sustainable growth and job creation.”
Looking Ahead: The Future of Bellville Connect
All participating entrepreneurs will now be integrated into Bellville Connect, GTP’s digital business ecosystem designed to empower SMMEs. The platform includes:
- A verified business directory
- A resource hub for entrepreneurs
- A 24/7 AI-powered assistant
- A peer-driven community network
Together, these elements form a dynamic environment that helps local businesses be discovered, connect, learn, and grow.
With ongoing initiatives like Bellville Connect and the Level Up Business Programme, the Greater Tygerberg Partnership continues to drive Bellville’s transformation into a vibrant, inclusive, and opportunity-rich business hub.
For more information on the Bellville Business Expo and other GTP initiatives, visit www.gtp.org.za or follow @gtp_the on social media.
