(Right: Menzi Mbuli)
Menzi Mbuli’s Menzi M Creations wins top honour at the Hollywood
Foundation KZN Youth Business Awards
Menzi M Creations, the youth-driven arts and entertainment company founded by theatre-maker and entrepreneur Menzi Mbuli, has been recognised at the Hollywood Foundation KZN Youth Business Awards, which honour exceptional young business leaders transforming their communities through innovation, impact, and economic participation.
Hosted by the Hollywood Foundation, the CSI arm of Hollywoodbets, the awards celebrate high-performing youth-owned businesses across KwaZulu-Natal that demonstrate excellence, sustainability, and social upliftment. The Hollywood Foundation’s youth enterprise programmes invest in developing the next generation of job creators and changemakers, with winners selected across multiple competitive categories.
A vision born from necessity and built through impact.
Accepting the award on stage, Mbuli shared the journey behind Menzi M Creations: “We started Menzi M Creations about eight years ago because I realised that, as actors and artists, we are always waiting for people to give us work. It’s funny how you start by employing yourself, but halfway through the journey you start employing and empowering other people.”
What began as a self-starter initiative in the entertainment sector has grown into an influential arts-education company with a footprint spanning more than 390 schools across KwaZulu-Natal. Menzi M Creations is also active in all IAB schools in KZN and Gauteng, and works with prestigious institutions including the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy in Johannesburg.
The company focuses on developing young performers, providing arts training, performance opportunities, creative development programmes, and industry insight to learners across multiple provinces.
A win for youth entrepreneurship and the creative economy
The Hollywood Foundation KZN Youth Business Awards recognise businesses that create meaningful jobs, uplift local communities, and demonstrate long-term sustainability. Menzi M Creations’ award reflects both its entrepreneurial strength and its educational and cultural impact, empowering new generations of young artists to understand the entertainment industry, work professionally, and build their own profiles.
This award positions Menzi M Creations as a standout contributor to South Africa’s creative economy - a sector where youth-owned enterprises are essential for unlocking talent, nurturing confidence, and building economic resilience.
About Menzi Mbuli
Menzi Mbuli is a South African actor, theatre-maker,
director and arts educator known for his dynamic creative voice and his
commitment to developing young talent. Trained in performance and grounded in a
deep understanding of the entertainment industry, he has built a career that
spans stage work, arts education, youth development, and creative
entrepreneurship.
Menzi has performed, directed and facilitated programmes across KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, earning recognition for his ability to merge artistic expression with meaningful social impact. Passionate about professionalism in the arts, he works to equip young performers with the skills, confidence and industry awareness needed to thrive in South Africa’s evolving creative landscape.