Seen Here: Winner of the 2026 Standard Bank Kasi SME National Pitch Challenge,Maduwa Paint World (Pty) Ltd, Rodney Maduwa. Photo Credit: Supplied
SOSHANGUVE, GAUTENG — 28 August 2026 — A Soshanguve entrepreneur’s journey from operating out of a five-square-metre shack to building a growing paint manufacturing business has culminated in a R1 million prize after Maduwa Paint World (Pty) Ltd was crowned the overall winner of the 2026 Standard Bank Kasi SME National Pitch Challenge.
Founded by entrepreneur Rodney Maduwa, the Gauteng-based company emerged victorious from hundreds of applications submitted by entrepreneurs across all nine provinces, impressing judges with its growth trajectory, commercial potential and ambitious vision for local industrial manufacturing.
The win places a spotlight on the potential of township-based businesses to move beyond survivalist models and develop into scalable enterprises capable of participating in national value chains.
From township start-up to manufacturer
Maduwa Paint World began on a remarkably modest scale, operating from a five-square-metre shack in Soshanguve.
Today, the company is a growing South African manufacturer of decorative and industrial coatings, with operations extending across multiple provinces.
Its next phase of growth is centred on expanding manufacturing capacity and establishing a local acrylic emulsion manufacturing facility.
The proposed facility could help reduce the company’s reliance on imported raw materials while strengthening its position within South Africa’s manufacturing value chain.
It was this combination of entrepreneurial resilience, industrial ambition and potential for economic impact that helped distinguish Maduwa Paint World from the other national finalists.
Seen Here: GALXBOY Representative, Standard Bank Representatives, Winner of the 2026 Standard Bank Kasi SME National Pitch Challenge and Master of Ceremonies. Photo Credit: Supplied
A win for township industrialisation
Maduwa Paint World first secured the title of Gauteng provincial winner before advancing to the national finals.
At the national stage, the business emerged as the overall champion, securing the R1 million grand prize.
The funding is expected to provide a significant boost to the company’s expansion plans, including increasing production capacity, creating additional employment opportunities and advancing its acrylic emulsion manufacturing ambitions.
The business’s trajectory also reflects a broader shift in the perception of township entrepreneurship.
Rather than focusing solely on micro-enterprises and informal trading, initiatives such as the Kasi SME National Pitch Challenge are increasingly highlighting businesses with the potential to scale, manufacture locally and participate in larger commercial markets.
For Maduwa Paint World, that opportunity is rooted in manufacturing.
Its focus on locally produced coatings and reduced dependence on imported inputs aligns with broader efforts to strengthen domestic industrial capacity and build resilient local supply chains.
Competition showcases township enterprise
The national competition attracted entrepreneurs from across South Africa, with finalists assessed on a range of criteria including entrepreneurial excellence, commercial viability, scalability, market opportunity, financial sustainability and community impact.
Maduwa Paint World ultimately stood out for its strong growth journey, clear commercial proposition and potential to contribute to South Africa’s manufacturing sector while creating sustainable economic opportunities.
The national runners-up were also drawn from businesses demonstrating diverse opportunities within township economies.
Ezempilo Primecare Clinic, founded by Sisanda Potye, was named first runner-up after advancing to the national finals through the competition’s Viewers’ Choice category.
PSD Scent Perfumes (Pty) Ltd, founded by Phumulile Mkhonza, who represented Mpumalanga, took second runner-up honours.
Seen Here: Naledzani Mosomane_Head of Enterprise & Supplier Development for Business and Commercial Banking at Standard Bank South Africa. Photo Credit: Supplied
‘Some of South Africa’s most exciting growth opportunities’
For Standard Bank, the competition provides a platform to identify and support entrepreneurs capable of turning township businesses into sustainable commercial enterprises.
Naledzani Mosomane, Head of Enterprise and Supplier Development at Business and Commercial Banking, Standard Bank South Africa, said the quality of this year’s entries demonstrated the depth of entrepreneurial talent emerging from township economies.
“The calibre of businesses that entered this year’s competition demonstrates that some of South Africa’s most exciting growth opportunities are emerging from township economies.”
Mosomane said the competition showcased the ambition, resilience and innovation of entrepreneurs across the country.
“The quality of businesses that participated demonstrates that entrepreneurs are building scalable enterprises that create jobs, solve real challenges and contribute meaningfully to economic growth,” she said.
“We congratulate Maduwa Paint World on winning the Pitch Challenge and look forward to supporting Rodney as he amplifies the growth of his business with the R1 million prize money.”
Commercialising the Kasi economy
The announcement was made as part of the Standard Bank Kasi SME Summit and National Pitch Challenge, now in its fourth year.
This year’s summit was held under the theme “Commercialising Kasi: Unlocking Competitive Township Businesses”, bringing together entrepreneurs, business leaders, policymakers and business-development partners.
The summit aims to connect township entrepreneurs with the networks, expertise and commercial opportunities needed to move their businesses into the next phase of growth.
For many township businesses, access to capital is only one part of the challenge. Market access, mentorship, business development, strategic partnerships and integration into formal supply chains can be equally important in building sustainable enterprises.
The summit seeks to address these barriers by creating opportunities for entrepreneurs to engage directly with established businesses, development organisations, policymakers and potential investors.
More than a prize
The R1 million awarded to Maduwa Paint World represents more than recognition for an entrepreneurial journey — it could provide the capital required to turn the company’s next stage of growth into reality.
For Maduwa, the immediate opportunity lies in increasing production, expanding the business and creating more jobs.
Longer term, the ambition to manufacture acrylic emulsion locally could position the company to play a greater role in South Africa’s coatings and manufacturing ecosystem.
The company’s journey from a tiny shack in Soshanguve to national pitch competition winner illustrates what can happen when township entrepreneurship is matched with commercial ambition, access to capital and opportunities to compete on a national stage.
Building the next generation of township businesses
The Kasi SME National Pitch Challenge forms part of Standard Bank’s Enterprise and Supplier Development programme, which supports qualifying majority black-owned businesses through funding, mentorship, business development support and market access opportunities.
As township economies continue to play an important role in South Africa’s economic landscape, the challenge is increasingly shifting from simply creating businesses to building competitive, scalable enterprises that can generate sustainable jobs and participate in national and regional value chains.
Maduwa Paint World’s story offers a powerful example of that potential.
From a five-square-metre shack in Soshanguve to a R1 million national victory, the business has demonstrated that township enterprise can aspire to much more than survival.
It can manufacture, scale, create jobs — and compete for a place at the heart of South Africa’s industrial economy.
