Articles

Nedbank Pitch & Polish is returning for its 15th season, once again offering ambitious business owners across South Africa the opportunity to compete for a life-changing prize worth R1 million. For the past 15 years, Pitch & Polish has been a launchpad – equipping over 11 000 entrepreneurs with the skills, mentorship and exposure they need to refine their pitches, improve their chances of securing funding and take their businesses to new heights.

When Luthando Mchiza, a Durban native, left his job in 2015,little did he know that his future held the promise of a thriving business in geotechnical services. The founder of Perfect Drilling, Luthando, 33, now reflects on a journey that started with minimal resources and culminated in a flourishing enterprise with an asset base of over R7 million.

If you are a South African entrepreneur with a registered business or a sole proprietor, you can win R1 million through Nedbank’s Pitch and Polish competition.

The competition was launched 15 years ago to give businesses in the country a fighting chance.

Green Arch Innovations founder Luvo Gugwana is a social entrepreneur whose goal is to spread affordable aquaponic solutions across rural areas in South Africa through his franchise model, writes Jyothi Laldas.

After 16 thrilling weeks and 4 rounds of intense competition, the 2024 Nedbank Pitch & Polish competition reached a thrilling conclusion.

Radley Private School learners, Aaryan Parmanand, Kaydee Govender, and Oyama Moroeng, enjoyed their roles as part of the Nedbank Pitch & Polish Competition’s judges panel, deciding the best business idea from the challengers.

In the heart of Mpumalanga, the luxurious world of scents and fragrances is being redefined by Phumulile Mkhonza, the founder of PSD Scent Perfumes. A dynamic businesswoman and mother of two

This week marked the end of the first round of the 2024 Nedbank Pitch & Polish competition, revealing which of the original 16 contestants will move through to the 2nd round – taking them 1 step closer to the 1st prize worth an impressive R1 million.

Bandile Fihla, a 41-year-old entrepreneur from Engcobo in the Eastern Cape, has successfully revived his mother’s business, transforming it into a thriving enterprise. His company, Masigcobe Holdings, is among the top 16 finalists in the prestigious Nedbank Pitch & Polish competition.

Luvo Gugwana is shaking things up in KwaZulu-Natal with a new take on farming that combines fish and plants in a sustainable system. His innovative aquaponics setups are giving communities a chance to grow their own food while staying green

The 14th season of South Africa’s biggest pitching competition, Pitch & Polish, promises to be another nail-biting instalment. While the programme will follow the same winning formula as last year, where contestants engaged in a gripping battle of business pitches as they competed for the ultimate prize, there will be a notable change: a new title sponsor has come on board.

Mokate says he never dreamed that someone would invest R1 million in him and his business.

A 25-YEAR-OLD entrepreneur from Soweto is lighting his way through load shedding.

Makatu Tshivhula, the founder of The Light Candles, makes a positive impact by manufacturing candles of all sizes and shapes.

Candle-maker Makatu Tshivhula is not using his psychology degree after seeing that his business, The Light Candles, has given him another way of healing people.

For many entrepreneurs, Covid-19 brought their businesses to a shuddering halt. For others, like Gomolemo ‘Lemo’ Motshwane, it was a golden opportunity to reshape their businesses to meet the needs of the post-pandemic economy.