Articles

Starting a business often means navigating unfamiliar territory while making high-stakes decisions in real time. Entrepreneurs must build products or services that meet complex and evolving customer needs, manage cash flow, grow teams and respond to shifting market conditions, often all at once. And they must do it in an environment where the odds are not always in their favour.

As South Africa’s cost-of-living pressures continue to intensify, entrepreneurs are finding themselves under growing strain. Rising electricity and water tariffs, volatile fuel prices, and prolonged high interest rates are squeezing both consumers and businesses, making it increasingly difficult for small enterprises to survive — let alone scale.

Nedbank Pitch & Polish has opened entries for its 16th season, with organisers highlighting execution and business capability, rather than funding alone, as the key constraint facing South African entrepreneurs.

“Everything shifted when one of my customers sent me a link to the Nedbank Pitch & Polish competition. I applied immediately, didn't even think twice. Out of over 1 400 applicants, I made it into the top 4.”

Technology is changing the way we live and work, and traditional industries are no exception. That is why Gentaflo was established on a clear observation: industries such as civil engineering, mining, and agriculture were not keeping up with modern technology.

After 16 weeks of competition, Gauteng entrepreneur Prudence Mabaso, founder of The Kitchen Wrap Company, has won the 2025 Nedbank Pitch & Polish competition, taking home a prize package worth R1m, including R650,000 in cash and a R350,000 bursary for a two-year Raizcorp business-incubation programme.

When Prudence Mabaso lost her job, she worked hard to turn the crisis into an opportunity

AI is no longer a futuristic concept reserved for tech giants. It is here, accessible, and is changing the way businesses of all sizes operate. Often spoken about in extremes, either as the ultimate productivity tool or as a looming threat to jobs, livelihoods, and even human creativity, entrepreneurs should perceive AI to be a threat but see it is an edge. Those who learn to harness it will outpace competitors, reach customers more effectively, and run leaner, more profitable operations.

In an age where scams, misinformation, and digital fraud are rampant, trust has quietly become the most valuable commodity in business. Small businesses that are thriving are not necessarily the ones with the flashiest technology or the deepest pockets, but they are the ones who can inspire confidence, build credibility, and turn trust into a competitive advantage.

Khaka Ngcofe chats to Blessing Sithole, founder of Bakers Creationz, on how he turned a KZN kitchen project into a supplier for 200 Pick n Pay stores and navigated the tough world of food safety and retail compliance.

On 28 October, the 2025 Nedbank Pitch & Polish finalists came face-to-face with the toughest panel of judges they’ve seen yet: Monroe (9), Oyama (11) and Matthew (10). The adorable guest judges all attend Radley Private School in Randburg where entrepreneurial concepts are embedded in the curriculum from grade RR all the way through to matric, so they were better equipped than most kids their age to take on this important task.

Nedbank Pitch & Polish Top 8: Interview With Vanessa Snyman. South African entrepreneur and founder of VEZ Technology Vanessa Snyman has made it to the top 8 of the Nedbank Pitch & Polish competition. The competition is about arming the contestants with business skills and valuable insights that they can use to improve their products; they will also gain one-on-one mentorship provided by Raizcorp.

Memphis Koatsane Interview: Nedbank Pitch & Polish Top 8 Finalist. A total of 8 talented and innovative minds have made it to the top 8 of the Nedbank Pitch & Polish competition for the R1 million prize. One of the contestants that made it is South African entrepreneur and founder of Moonshine Reflective Spray, Memphis Koatsane. We took some time to speak to Koatsane and find out about his experience in the competition, the inspiration behind his business and his vision for the future. Check it out below!

Orion Herman Interview: Nedbank Pitch & Polish Top 8 Finalist. South African entrepreneur Orion Herman is proving that waste can be a goldmine – literally. With LiquidGold Africa, he’s spearheading waterless sanitation systems that turn human waste into valuable products like animal feed, compost and fertiliser. With this innovative environmentally friendly business, Herman has managed to secure a spot in the top 8 of the Nedbank Pitch & Polish competition for the R1 million prize. We recently had a conversation with Herman regarding the competition, his business journey and where he seeks to take his business should he win. Check it out below!

Baking is an art form that allows for boundless creativity, and it brings joy to others. For the founders of Bakers Creationz, it all started in a small kitchen in Maphephetheni, KwaZulu-Natal. What began as a passion and love for baking has grown into a business that now produces more than 6 000 snowballs every week, sold in big retailers across South Africa – and he is a contestant in the 2025 Nedbank Pitch and Polish competition.

NGESIKHATHI eqeda isizungu ngokubhaha ama-muffin esebenzisa i-premix, uNjabulo Sithole, wayaengazi ukuthi utshala imbewu ezomphumelelisa agcine esekhiqiza imibhako edayisa ezitolo ezinkulu njengoPick n Pay noSpar.

In 2019, Avi Maja and Braden Snyman were far from household names, they were simply exploring gaps in the delivery market. Breaze Delivery began as a side hustle while both still held full-time jobs. Yet, the entrepreneurial spark was there: a chance to help e-commerce platforms deliver faster, more affordably and with a twist. They officially founded Breaze Delivery in 2021, building a technology-driven, last-mile and on-demand delivery platform that would serve ghost kitchens, grocery stores, liquor shops, online retailers, and more.

With a psychology degree in hand and no job in sight, Makatu Tshivhula faced a crossroad many graduates know too well. Rather than wait for opportunity to knock, he decided to make his own path.

Humans generate an unimaginable amount of waste. And usually, it all goes “down the drain”, but what if it didn’t? What if waste could be used to uplift and solve social and environmental inequality?

WHEN Njabulo Sithole made his first batch of muffins using a pre-mix, he had no idea that his love for baking would snowball into a booming business, with products now selling like hot cakes at Pick n Pay and Spar.