Nedbank, in partnership with 702 and CapeTalk, has opened entries for the 2026 Nedbank Business Ignite competition. The theme this year is "My Pain. My Purpose. My Solution," spotlighting SA businesses founded out of personal pain points.
Entries opened on 1 June 2026 and close on 3 July 2026. Two regional winners will each walk away with R200k in cash plus R200k in radio advertising on either 702 (Gauteng) or CapeTalk (Western Cape).
Interesting insights on Nedbank’s Business Ignite competition
Each station will shortlist 15 finalists, giving 30 SA founders live on-air pitch time across the two Primedia metros. Businesses with annual turnover between R1m and R30m can enter through the competition website. Judging weighs five criteria: authenticity of original story, problem solution fit, market validity and scalability, founder resilience and conviction, and social or community impact.
Business coach Thuli Magubane returns to mentor finalists and host a new podcast series alongside the competition. Past Business Ignite cycles have produced ventures across health, edtech and lifestyle, from accessible autism education tools to sugar-free drinks built by health-conscious founders fed up with existing options.
Two gala award evenings in July 2026 will close the cycle. Earlier entries get longer judging time and a head start on mentorship, so first-week applications carry a meaningful advantage.
The radio megaphone is the real prize
R200k in cash is genuinely useful, but R200k in 702 or CapeTalk airtime is the lever that can take a small SA business from local to national. Both stations reach high-purchasing-power audiences across Gauteng and the Western Cape, and the LIV Golf SA experiment last quarter proved how much commercial gravity these stations can generate when they commit airtime to a story.
For founders building from real lived experience, in the unique SA way that "My Pain. My Purpose. My Solution." captures, this is one of the highest-leverage opportunities in the local SME calendar. Entries close 3 July, so enter here. Earlier is better.
You might also like our roundup of the SA founders in May to watch, the most exciting May SA tech plays, and how LIV Golf SA used the same media engine to move R800m.
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