Township entrepreneurs have a chance to win a R1 million grand prize in the 2026 Kasi SME National Pitch Challenge launched by Standard Bank recently.
The bank says the initiative is part of efforts to improve access to funding, business development support and market inclusion for township enterprises.
Now in its fourth year, the competition forms part of the Kasi SME Summit. It supports township businesses through funding, mentorship, supplier development and access to corporate and retail markets.
Head of Enterprise and Supplier Development at Standard Bank, Naledzani Mosomane, said the programme is designed to elevate township entrepreneurs and expand their participation in the economy.
Last year’s edition attracted more than 850 applications from entrepreneurs across all nine provinces.
One of last year’s winners, Cloudy Deliveries, was founded in 2020 by entrepreneur Colin Mkosi from Langa in Cape Town. The business won R200,000 in funding.
The company runs a bicycle-based logistics service that connects restaurants, supermarkets and local businesses with customers.
“Winning the competition didn’t just give us funding,” Mkosi said. “We were able to formalise our systems, expand our routes and start thinking bigger than just survival.”
Second place went to Uku’Hamba Prosthetics and Orthotics (Pty) Ltd, a Gauteng-based black youth- and women-owned medical technology company. It produces affordable prosthetics and orthotics for amputees and people with disabilities.
“The pitch challenge helped us realise that our solution is not just medical. It is also economic and social impact combined,” said founder Sibongile Mongadi. “The exposure pushed us into spaces we never had access to before.”
Other winners included Keiskamma Hygiene Services and Projects in the Eastern Cape, Ariel Robotics in KwaZulu-Natal, and Sky Drop in KwaZulu-Natal.
At provincial level, 10 entrepreneurs will be shortlisted to pitch their businesses. Winners receive R50,000, while first and second runners-up receive R10,000 each.
Nine provincial winners and one additional runner-up will advance to the national finals, where they will compete for a R1 million grand prize. Before the finals, selected entrepreneurs will take part in the bank’s pitching masterclass.
“Through initiatives like this, we are helping township businesses to future-proof themselves and build the resilience needed to thrive,” Mosomane said. “It is about more than funding. It is about access, capability and integration into sustainable economic ecosystems.”
The summit aims to connect SMEs to corporate supply chains, retailers, financiers and digital marketplaces.
To qualify, businesses must be at least 51% Black-owned and operate in South African townships. They must be registered with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) and have been operating for at least two years.
Applicants must earn less than R50 million a year and be 18 years or older. They must also submit a valid tax certificate and BBBEE documentation.
Applications for the provincial rounds opened on 6 May 2026 and close on 22 May 2026.
