12-Year-Old Gauteng Boy Wins World Startup Forum Championship in Switzerland

• Lubanzi Dube became the first black South African to win the World Startup Forum Championship in 26 years
• The 12-year-old beat over 400 young entrepreneurs from around the world with his therapeutic shoe brand, SolEase
• Lubanzi's mother said the family is overwhelmed and still processing how fast everything has happened

A 12-year-old boy from Gauteng has put South Africa on the map in a way no other black South African has done in nearly three decades. Lubanzi Dube travelled to Switzerland and walked away from the World Startup Forum Championship as the top prize winner, defeating more than 400 young entrepreneurs from across the globe.

His winning entry was SolEase, a startup built around therapeutic shoe soles and specialised footwear designed for people with flat feet. What makes the concept even more remarkable is where it came from. Lubanzi did not develop the idea in a classroom or a lab. He created it because he needed it. Growing up with flat feet, he understood firsthand the daily discomfort that comes with finding shoes that actually work.

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SolEase: From personal struggle to global recognition

SolEase is not just a concept on paper. The product has already attracted local investment in South Africa and is currently moving through the production phase ahead of distribution through pharmaceutical channels. Lubanzi's vision goes further still. He plans to expand the range into multiple footwear categories, all designed with therapeutic comfort at their core.

The win marks a historic moment.

Family still processing the historic achievement

His mother, Nomtha Dube, described the family's reaction as one of complete and total joy. She said they were still trying to make sense of how quickly everything unfolded.

For a country that closely follows stories of young talent breaking barriers, Lubanzi's achievement stands out. He is not a teenager chasing dreams. He is 12 years old, already holds an international title, and has a product in production.

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More on South Africans making history

• Briefly News recently reported on siblings Priyankka and Suryan, who wowed South Africa with a combined 19 distinctions in their matric years.
• In another story, Stellenbosch University engineers are building the electronics for Africa's first lunar mission, set to launch in 2029.
• South Africans flooded the streets in celebration after Bafana Bafana beat South Korea to reach the World Cup knockout stages for the first time in history.

Source: Briefly News