Thatiso Dube, Founder and Creative Director of GALXBOY, Lesiba Matladi, Senior Manager for Enterprise & Supplier Development Programmes for Business and Commercial Banking, Standard Bank South Africa, Winner of the 2026 Standard Bank Kasi SME National Pitch Challenge, Founder of Maduwa Paint World (Pty) Ltd, Rodney Maduwa, Nokhanyo Ntshingila, Senior Manager for Enterprise & Supplier Development Programmes for Business and Commercial Banking, Naledzani Mosomane, Head of Enterprise & Supplier Development for Business and Commercial Banking, Standard Bank South Africa and Master of Ceremonies, Gugulethu Mfuphi, Renowned Financial Journalist, Conversation Strategist, and Global Moderator.
A Vhembe-born entrepreneur has won the 2026 Standard Bank Kasi SME National Pitch Challenge, securing the R1 million grand prize and adding another success story to Limpopo’s growing list of homegrown industrialists.
Rodney Maduwa, 38, grew up in Ha-Maduwa in the Vhembe district before founding Maduwa Paint World (Pty) Ltd in Soshanguve, Gauteng. What began in a five-square-metre shack has grown into a scaling South African paint and coatings manufacturer with operations across multiple provinces.
Although the business is headquartered in Pretoria, Maduwa’s Limpopo origins were celebrated throughout the competition. Supporters across the province say he “flew the flag of Limpopo very high” as he progressed from Gauteng provincial winner to national champion in front of judges from industry, finance and enterprise development.
Maduwa registered the company in 2013 while working as a paint engineer, and went full-time on the business in 2019. From selling cleaning detergents in the early days, Maduwa Paint World moved into decorative and industrial coatings and now supplies commercial and industrial customers in several provinces.
The judging panel assessed finalists on entrepreneurial excellence, commercial viability, scalability, market opportunity, financial sustainability and community impact. Maduwa Paint World distinguished itself through its strong growth trajectory, its vision for local industrialisation, and its potential to create sustainable jobs and economic opportunities.
A key part of the company’s long-term plan is to establish a local acrylic emulsion manufacturing facility. This would reduce reliance on imported raw materials and strengthen South Africa’s paint value chain. The R1 million prize will help accelerate these growth plans, expand manufacturing capacity, create additional jobs and support the acrylic emulsion initiative.
The 2026 Kasi SME National Pitch Challenge brought together 10 finalists from all nine provinces under the theme “Commercialising Kasi: Unlocking Competitive Township Businesses.” Alongside Maduwa Paint World, the runners-up were Ezempilo Primecare Clinic (North West), which advanced through the Viewers’ Choice category, and PSD Scent Perfumes (Pty) Ltd (Mpumalanga).
Naledzani Mosomane, Head of Enterprise and Supplier Development at Standard Bank’s Business and Commercial Banking division, said the quality of entrants showed that some of South Africa’s most exciting growth opportunities are emerging from township economies. She praised the ambition, resilience and innovation of entrepreneurs building scalable enterprises that create jobs and contribute to economic growth.
Winner of the 2026 Standard Bank Kasi SME National Pitch Challenge, Founder of Maduwa Paint World (Pty) Ltd, Rodney Maduwa.