1. Season 16 marks another milestone for Nedbank Pitch & Polish. What has enabled the programme to remain relevant and impactful for South African entrepreneurs over the years?
Pitching competitions are in abundance, and whilst being able to articulate your offer and unlock funding is important, this is not all there is to running a business. Often, pitching competitions provide the glitz, glamour, and gamification for viewership, but don’t drive the depth required from business owners to deep dive into their offering or to test their assumptions.
The Nedbank Pitch & Polish closes this gap, because beyond the curtain call, there is ongoing learning and one-on-one mentorship and guides, before, during, and post the competition. Also, we’ve seen that whilst funding is readily available, it is not the silver bullet in a business. Assessments need to be done holistically, and monitoring and handholding need to be for the long run post the win, to build meaningful relationships. We are successful because we do all of this to make it a truly meaningful intervention for the Nedbank Pitch & Polish contestants.
Entrepreneurship in South Africa has never been linear. It requires resilience, reinvention, and the ability to adapt when conditions change. The programme recognises that entrepreneurship is a discipline that can be learned and refined. Over time, it has evolved to reflect the real pressures entrepreneurs face beyond funding, operations, and market access. It’s the deep diving and beyond founder delusions and illusions that Nedbank Pitch & Polish has endured because it focuses on building entrepreneurs, not just celebrating ideas. Ideas may start businesses, but disciplined entrepreneurs build sustainable ones.
2. Small businesses are currently facing growing pressures around funding and market access. How does Nedbank Pitch & Polish help entrepreneurs navigate these challenges and become more resilient?
One of the biggest misconceptions in entrepreneurship is that funding is the starting point. Entrepreneurs must learn how to communicate their value clearly. They need to demonstrate market understanding and customer relevance. Nedbank Pitch & Polish teaches entrepreneurs how to structure their thinking so investors and customers can trust the opportunity.
Entrepreneurs need to understand their numbers intimately and the story those numbers tell them. If numbers or understanding what a financial statement is saying is not their strong point, they need to build that muscle and learn, don’t second it to an external bookkeeper or accountant and hope that the figures you’re presenting match your reality and realistic vision.
Numbers don’t lie, so don’t let them trip you up. They’re the lifeblood of your business. Funding rarely solves a weak business model, but a strong business model almost always attracts funding. Clarity builds credibility, and credibility attracts capital.
3. The programme is known for combining competition with mentorship and training. Why is this blend of practical learning and real-world pitching so important for early-stage and growth-ready businesses?
Entrepreneurs often do not have the luxury of boards of directors or sounding boards. That makes it important to stay open to input from different perspectives, as well as specialised guidance. Mentorship and training provide this kind of holistic support.
They also teach entrepreneurs to listen (a fundamental skill in business) and to avoid being presumptuous or relying on jargon and fluff to impress potential investors, suppliers or customers in jargon or fluff. Instead, the focus shifts to the core issues and to identifying the real strengths and opportunities available for the businesses and the business owners.
- Entrepreneurship is not something that can be learned purely in theory.
- Competition creates urgency and accountability.
- Mentorship brings experience and perspective.
- Training provides practical frameworks for decision-making.
Entrepreneurs don’t grow in comfort zones; they grow in environments that challenge their thinking. When pressure, mentorship, and learning come together, entrepreneurial growth accelerates..
4. This season introduces a new partner, uMngeni-uThukela Water. How does this partnership strengthen the programme and what opportunities could it unlock for participating entrepreneurs?
Entrepreneurial ecosystems thrive when institutions recognise the role entrepreneurs play in solving real-world problems. This partnership allows business owners access to worlds and ways of work that they may not have been exposed to, and stretches them to see things differently, but also to think big and implement things differently.
It expands networks and opportunities and brings new sectors and perspectives into the programme. Strong ecosystems are built when large institutions open doors for small businesses to participate in solving big challenges. Entrepreneurs flourish when opportunity and collaboration meet.
5. What qualities or characteristics do you typically see in entrepreneurs who succeed in the programme or go on to scale their businesses after participating?
The entrepreneurs who succeed in programmes like the Nedbank Pitch & Polish are rarely the ones who believe they have all the answers.
Key qualities:
- The devil is in the details – think it through intently and intentionally.
- Those who apply the learnings, week on week, season by season, and embrace the skillset to continue beyond the programme.
- Coachability
- Curiosity
- Discipline
- Persistence
- Deep connection to the problem they are solving
Entrepreneurship rewards those who are willing to evolve as quickly as their markets do, but the devil is in the details, not the trendy catch phrases. The most successful entrepreneurs aren’t the most confident; they are the most coachable. Stay humble as an entrepreneur. What you sow, you will reap. When you’re real and relatable, you’ll close more deals.
6. Many entrepreneurs believe success is mainly about a good idea. From your experience, what other factors are essential for building a sustainable and scalable business?
The world isn’t short of ideas; it’s short of disciplined execution. A business is not an idea; it’s a system that must consistently create value. Good ideas are everywhere. Very few are true unicorns. It’s just people seeing things differently. How many times have you thought, “Why didn’t I think of that?”
Key factors for success:
- Get back to the basics and realness of your solution.
- Know your customers’ why
- Know your what
- Financial discipline
- Have operational systems
- Strategic thinking
7. The programme culminates in a R1-million prize package. Beyond the financial support, what aspects of Pitch & Polish tend to create the most long-term value for participants?
While the prize package is meaningful, the real impact of the Nedbank Pitch & Polish often lies beyond the financial reward.
Value participants gain:
- Move beyond founder delusions
- Strategic thinking
- Understanding that numbers don’t lie
- Pitching confidence
- Investor exposure
- Commercial insight
Money can accelerate a business, but strategy sustains it. The greatest return from the programme is often the shift in how entrepreneurs think about their business.
8. How does the mentorship and commercial training provided by Raizcorp help entrepreneurs refine their business models and strengthen their market positioning?
Great mentors don’t give entrepreneurs answers; they teach them how to ask better questions of themselves and others. Strategic thinking is often the difference between surviving and scaling. Many entrepreneurs understand their product deeply, but scaling a business requires broader commercial insight, and systems are crucial.
Key contributions include:
- Challenging assumptions
- Refining business models
- Strengthening market positioning
- Identifying growth opportunities
9. Entrepreneurship plays a vital role in job creation and economic inclusion. How does Pitch & Polish contribute to strengthening South Africa’s broader entrepreneurial ecosystem?
Entrepreneurship remains one of the most powerful engines for job creation and economic inclusion. Nedbank Pitch & Polish highlights the lived realities and challenges that entrepreneurs face on the ground, for policymakers to unblock. Job creation and economic is only possible when policies are real and not theoretical buzz words.
Impact areas:
- Developing entrepreneurial capability
- Inspiring others through visible success stories
- Connecting entrepreneurs to networks and markets
When entrepreneurs succeed, livelihoods, futures, and communities benefit. Every thriving economy is built on the courage of people who choose to build businesses despite uncertainty.
10. Over the years, the programme has supported many entrepreneurs. Are there any standout success stories that demonstrate the long-term impact of Pitch & Polish?
One of the most rewarding aspects of the Nedbank Pitch & Polish is seeing entrepreneurs continue to grow week on week (small wins) and long after the programme ends. The real success of the programme isn’t measured on stage and in the glitz, it’s measured weeks and years later in the businesses that keep growing. The journey doesn’t end with the competition; in many ways, that’s where it truly begins.
One example is our 2023 winner, Tshireletso Mokate, founder of Camping RetrEats. Following his win, the business faced revenue pressures and operational hurdles, but Tshireletso drew on insights from the programme to adapt his business strategy. By introducing a Premium Deluxe offering and strengthening operational systems, including establishing in-house manufacturing, the business was able to stabilise income and build a more sustainable operating model.
As part of the prize investment, the company acquired a manufacturing operation and now produces and repairs camping tents internally. This has reduced repair costs while opening up an additional revenue stream. Camping RetrEats has also collaborated with a leading car brand in South Africa, contributing to R4-million in revenue generated during a single activation weekend.
Tshireletso also noted that the team has evolved from 20 to 12 core staff members as the business optimised operations and strengthened its premium service standards. This included introducing structured training on all equipment, promoting team members into new roles, and aligning the entire team around the company’s long-term vision.
A different kind of growth can be seen in our 2024 winner, Braden Snyman, co-founder of Breaze, a delivery and logistics platform connecting businesses with independent drivers. Since the programme, the business has continued to scale and now employs 20 permanent staff members, supporting a network of around 1,500 drivers on the platform.
Together, these stories highlight the different ways entrepreneurs apply these lessons from the Nedbank Pitch & Polish, whether by refining operations, building resilience, or scaling their platforms.
11. For entrepreneurs considering applying this year, what advice would you give them to help them stand out in the selection process?
Entrepreneurs often think they need the most exciting idea to stand out; they need to illustrate that they know their business end-to-end and that they’ve probed the “hard” questions. Never, ever stop learning from different people. Especially when you don’t agree with the positioning. Find the diamond, don’t get stuck at the coal. Be clear about the problem, know your customer, demonstrate traction, and be open to feedback.
Judges are rarely looking for perfection; they are looking for entrepreneurs who understand their business deeply. Paying attention to the detail is not overrated. Authenticity and clarity will always outperform hype.
12. Looking ahead, what is your vision for the future of Pitch & Polish and its role in shaping the next generation of South African business leaders?
South Africa’s future will be shaped by entrepreneurs who are willing to build solutions despite complex challenges. That requires thinking differently, reaching further, and avoiding the cycle of repeating the same programmes. Entrepreneurs need to start applying what they have learnt or won in their businesses, rather than constantly chasing the next shiny opportunity.
Too often, we see professional competition participants who move from programme to programme, positioning themselves as thought leaders or influencers, rather than focusing on building sustainable businesses.
I see too many entrepreneurs who have become professional competition entrants and incubatees, who are too busy being “small business thought leader media stars” and not applying their learning, winnings, and working in their business. If you’re not in the nuts and bolts of your business, it will fall apart, and funding will move on, and you won’t have a business to go back to return to.
Working on your business is as important as working in your business. Don’t flee your responsibilities as a business leader. If we want a stronger economy, we must invest in stronger entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs don’t just build businesses; they build the future of our economy.
