Call For Applications: Nedbank Pitch & Polish Competition 2025 for

Now in its 15th year, Nedbank Pitch & Polish sees 16 ambitious entrepreneurs go head-to-head in a high-stakes battle of business pitches, fighting for their shot at a R1 million prize package.

Requirements

To apply, you must:

be a natural person; 5.1.2 be 18 years or older;
reside in South Africa; 5.1.4 have a South African ID;
operate a business (of which you have at least 40% ownership) in South Africa that has been registered with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) or trade as a sole proprietor ( provided that if you trade as a sole proprietor you will be required to incorporate as a company in order to benefit from the prizes, should you be selected as a winner); and
provide proof of all the information listed above.

Prize:

R100 000: Cash
R1 MILLION: R650 000 Cash / R350 000 Raizcorp Incubation Program
R50 000 : Cash

How it works:

Enter

It all starts with your online entry. If your business is already trading – and even better, has the potential to scale – this is your chance to get in the game.
The most promising shortlisted entries will be invited to submit a 90-second video pitch along with supporting documents.
From there, just 16 standout entrepreneurs will earn their spot in the competition and take their first step toward winning R1 MILLION in business prizes.

Polish Your Pitch

Before stepping into the spotlight, the top 16 contestants head to Johannesburg for an intensive, hands-on business bootcamp designed exclusively for Nedbank Pitch & Polish by Raizcorp.
Over two power-packed days, they receive practical entrepreneurial training and meet their Raizcorp mentors, who will guide them through the challenge ahead. It’s not just about perfecting their pitch, it’s about sharpening their business strategy, boosting their confidence and getting them one step closer to the prize worth R1 million.

Competition Rounds

Round 1

Contestants battle it out in four color-coded groups – red, blue, green, and yellow – with only the top two from each advancing to round 2.

Round 2

The remaining two contestants from each group go head-to-head, but only one per group advances – leaving just four entrepreneurs standing in the semi-final.

Semi-Final

The contestants compete for just two spots in the final. But there’s a twist – at the end of the semi-final, a wildcard competitor enters the game.

Final

It all comes down to this – the final showdown! The two finalists face off against the wildcard, battling it out for the top spot.
One walks away the champion, one grabs first runner-up (and R100 000), and one claims second runner-up (and R50 000) – but they all leave as entrepreneurial powerhouses!

Pitch & Polish period