Helderberg entrepreneur and social-impact innovator Carl van Blerk, founder of Food Sock Meals and Heartfelt Foods, won the coveted 2026 Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the prestigious Institute of Marketing & Management’s (IMM) gala awards ceremony held in Johannesburg on Friday 8 May.
The elegant event brought leading figures from the South African business community together to celebrate excellence in entrepreneurship, innovation, leadership and social impact. Govan Whittles, anchor of Carte Blanche on M-Net served as MC on the evening.
Van Blerk, a resident of Somerset West, received the award in recognition of his remarkable entrepreneurial journey and the rapid growth of Food Sock Meals, a proudly South African business focused on producing affordable, convenient, shelf-stable meal solutions designed to make food more accessible to everyday families, communities, relief organisations and feeding programmes.
Founded with a vision to combine convenience, affordability and dignity in food security, Food Sock Meals has grown into a nationally recognised brand with expanding international interest.
Through innovative product development and scalable distribution models, the company has successfully positioned itself in both the commercial retail market and humanitarian food-support sector.
In addition to Food Sock Meals, Van Blerk also leads Heartfelt Foods, a social-impact initiative focused on supporting feeding schemes, disaster-relief efforts and community-nutrition programmes across SA through partnerships with NGOs, corporates and charitable organisations.
“This award was not just a personal achievement. It represents the incredible journey of our entire team, our partners, our shareholders and every person who believed in the vision of creating practical food solutions that can truly make a difference in people’s lives. We are passionate about building a commercially sustainable business while creating meaningful social impact.”
Van Blerk’s entrepreneurial achievements previously earned him recognition as a South African Top 5 Startup Honoree in 2023, as well as winner of the FlySafair Business Booster Award.
Industry leaders at the IMM Awards praised Van Blerk for his ability to merge innovation, business scalability and humanitarian impact into a uniquely South African success story.
As Food Sock Meals and Heartfelt Foods continue to expand nationally and internationally, the recognition further cements Van Blerk’s position as a leading South African emerging entrepreneur and changemaker.
