He was raised in Venda and later moved to Soshanguve to further his studies.
Winner of the 2026 Standard Bank Kasi SME National Pitch Challenge Maduwa Paint World (Pty) Ltd Rodney Maduwa. Picture: Supplied
After years as a paint engineer and specialist, Rodney Maduwa has been awarded a R1 million cash prize to grow his own paint business, Maduwa Paint World.
The business was formally registered in 2014, but he started paying full attention to it in 2019 after leaving his employment.
Raised in Venda, Limpopo, the 38-year-old Maduwa was crowned the winner of the 2026 Standard Bank Kasi SME National Pitch Challenge. The competition was established to give support to township small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Maduwa Paint World produces decorative and industrial coatings and is working to start a local acrylic emulsion manufacturing facility to reduce reliance on imported raw materials.
From Soshanguve to the world
The competition celebrated its fourth anniversary, and it is the second time it has gone national. Each province sent an entrepreneur to Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, on Thursday, 27 August 2026, to compete nationally.
Maduwa won at the Gauteng provincial level, automatically making him the province’s representative. He founded his business in a five-square-metre shack in Soshanguve, but now plans to move it to an emulsion manufacturing plant.
Maduwa said he knew from his days as a student at the University of South Africa (Unisa) that he wanted to be an entrepreneur.
“I moved to Pretoria for my studies. At the time, I knew that I would like to be an entrepreneur,” he said. “But I would like to go work for a period of five years so that I can learn the industry and also maybe learn from the big corporate.”
Career in paint industry
Maduwa started his career in 2012 at Nissan South Africa as a paint engineer, then moved to BMW South Africa as a paint specialist.
“I remember after launching the BMW X3, and that’s the time when I was deciding that now I want to leave my employment now so that I can go and be full-time into my company,” he said.
Recalling the decision in 2019, he said it was difficult because he already had a family to support, including financial obligations such as bond repayments and vehicle finance.
However, these did not stop him from pursuing his dream. “It was very difficult for me to leave my employment, but because of the calling that I have and that I want to be full-time in my business, I had to leave my employment in 2019.”
How he plans to expand his paint business
Maduwa said R1 million is only a lot of money if you don’t have a plan for it. “For us, our mission is straightforward. We’ve already invested more than R1.5 million into our emulsion plant. And then this R1 million is going to help us to ensure that we get the storage tank and also automate our emulsion plant,” he added.
“And then we’re going to create around 12 jobs. And then also on a monthly revenue, we’re looking to make a revenue of more than R650 000 only on our immersion plant.”
He also touched on the business’ balance sheet, adding that it used to be healthy but investing in the immersion plant has hurt it a bit; however, the cash prize from the competition will also help.
Maduwa Paint World used to have a contingency fund to ensure the business could run smoothly for at least three months in case something interrupted the work. He said the R1 million cash prize will also go towards this contingency fund, as the business has struggled a bit while building its new plant in Pretoria.
How judges made a choice
Lesiba Lamola, regional sourcing manager-ESD at Sappi, who was one of the judges, said they assessed finalists on entrepreneurial excellence, commercial viability, scalability, market opportunity, financial sustainability and community impact.
“We looked at whether the entrepreneurs showed an understanding of the market and the financials in terms of their profitability, the contribution in terms of socio-economic development, job creation, how innovative they are, what stage they are as a business,” he said.
He also acknowledged that it was very tight when choosing the winner and the first and second runner-ups.
“I need to say, given the fact that all these SMEs are actually the number ones from their provinces as well. If you look at their pitch and their businesses, they were really deserving from the provincial side. And here now, obviously, they compete with one winner who needs to take the prize.”
First runner-up was Ezempilo Primecare Clinic, founded by Sisanda Potye, and second runner-up was PSD Scent Perfumes (Pty) Ltd, founded by Phumulile Mkhonza.
Township businesses growing
“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,” said Naledzani Mosomane, Head of Enterprise and Supplier Development at Business and Commercial Banking, Standard Bank South Africa.
“This year’s competition showcased the ambition, resilience and innovation that exists within township economies across South Africa. 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.”
Mosomane also acknowledged that the competition has grown into a launchpad for entrepreneurial success.
“Township businesses are important to local communities as well as to the broader South African economy. By combining funding with knowledge, mentorship and national visibility, the competition aims to help these entrepreneurs transform their ideas into enterprises that can thrive well beyond their immediate markets.”
