Homegrown, a local entrepreneurial fashion brand, has officially announced its top five finalists for their 2026 T-shirt design competition, narrowing the field down from an initial shortlist of 20 designers.
The competition, which launched early last month under the theme ‘Design It! Wear It! Sell It!’, is aimed at helping young Namibians between the ages of 18 and 35 transition from amateur artists to commercial ‘design-preneurs’.
Following a rigorous selection process that evaluated the top 20 submissions for artistic originality and market scalability, the final five designers are now one step closer to the grand prize.
The stakes remain high for the remaining contestants, with the ultimate winner taking home a N$50 000 cash prize.
However, in line with Homegrown’s focus on sustainable entrepreneurship and building passive income for young people, all five finalists have already secured a significant commercial stake. Each designer will earn a 15% commission on every retail sale of their specific t-shirt design.
According to the organisers, this model ensures the young creatives retain partial ownership of their intellectual property rather than simply selling their artwork via a one-off transaction.
The competition now moves into its commercial phase. The top five t-shirt designs will be produced and put on the market, giving the public a direct role in supporting the designers.
The final winner of the N$50 000 prize will be determined based on a combination of public response, commercial viability and judges’ scoring as the shirts hit the shelves.
Aina Ruben, one of the finalists and a marketing student at the Namibia University of Science and Technology, says: “I am excited for this journey and did not expect to be part of the top five. This means a lot as it is just the beginning of a journey I am truly passionate about.”
One of the organisers, Davison Mammoth, says this initiative is part of pairing the creative space with the designing element to empower the fashion industry in Namibia.
“We want to make this competition an annual one with more sponsors and stores on board. As for now, we have each winner walking away with 100 shirts of their own design to sell to various retailers. Whoever’s shirts sell out most wins the N$50 000.”
The top five finalists are:
Aina Ruben
Franco Kayele
Jerusalem Sheyunge
Tammy Brunauer
Antonio Daniel
