A business that started in a five-square-metre structure in Soshanguve has grown into a paint manufacturing company with plans to expand local production.
That business is Maduwa Paint World, founded by Rodney Maduwa, who was named the winner of the 2026 Standard Bank Kasi SME National Pitch Challenge and walked away with a R1 million prize.
His win comes after years of building industry experience, growing his business and identifying an opportunity within South Africa’s paint manufacturing value chain.
Where It Started for This Kasi SME
Maduwa registered his business in 2013, initially selling cleaning detergents before moving into paint manufacturing.
The business started from a five-square-metre structure in Soshanguve and has since grown into a company producing decorative and industrial coatings across several provinces.
Before becoming a full-time entrepreneur, Maduwa built a career in the automotive industry.
The 38-year-old studied a BSc in chemistry at Unisa before working as a paint engineer at Nissan South Africa and later as a paint specialist at BMW South Africa.
His technical background gave him valuable experience in paint production, which he later brought into his own business.
Taking the Leap
While working in the corporate world, Maduwa was already planning his move into entrepreneurship.
“I had a 20-year plan where I structured my life, when I would leave my job and when I would grow my business,” he shared.
In 2019, after helping to launch the BMW X3, he decided to leave his corporate career and focus on Maduwa Paint World full-time.
“It was difficult because I already had a family, a house bond, and cars I was paying for,” he said. “But I had to leave my employment to pursue my calling.”
Leaving a stable career was a major risk, but it allowed Maduwa to focus on building his own manufacturing business. Today, Maduwa Paint World produces decorative and industrial coatings across several provinces.
Preparing for the Pitch Competition
“I prepared for the pitch so well. My family has supported me. My son would open the presentation slides on our TV, and my wife would have a stopwatch to time me to see if I’d be able to make the 3-minute pitch; we did this daily,” he recalls.
The Winning Idea
Maduwa’s winning pitch focused on more than selling paint. He plans to produce acrylic emulsion locally, a key raw material used in paint manufacturing.
A significant portion of this input is sourced from outside South Africa. Producing it locally could help reduce costs, strengthen supply chains and support local manufacturing.
Maduwa Paint World has already invested more than R1,5 million into an emulsion plant. “We’ve already invested more than R1,5 million into our emulsion plant,” he told the judges.
“This money is going to help us get storage tanks and automate the plant.” The R1 million prize will help fund this next stage of expansion.
Creating Opportunities
Maduwa’s business growth has also created opportunities for others. He has trained more than 200 young people in professional paint application skills. Some have gone on to work for Maduwa Paint World, while others have become trade contractors, and others have started their own painting businesses.
Some of these businesses now purchase products directly from Maduwa Paint World.
This has created a wider network around the company, linking skills development, employment and entrepreneurship.
The Pitch Competition
Maduwa was announced as the winner at the 2026 Standard Bank Kasi SME Summit, held in Gqeberha on Thursday, 27 August.
Held under the theme “Commercialising Kasi: Unlocking Competitive Township Businesses”, the summit brought together entrepreneurs, industry leaders, policymakers and business development partners.
This year, 10 entrepreneurs from all nine provinces competed for the R1 million prize.
Unlike previous editions, where prize money was shared among several finalists, the 2026 competition followed a winner-takes-all format. Each finalist had three minutes to pitch before answering questions from the judging panel.
What the Pitch Competition Judges Looked For
The judges looked beyond a strong business story. They assessed customer value, sustainability, profitability, scalability, governance, compliance, competitive advantage and the ability to adapt to changing market conditions.
Maduwa admitted that the quality of the competition made him nervous. “When I heard the other entrepreneurs’ pitches, my face was shaking,” he laughed.
His established business, clear market opportunity and practical expansion plan ultimately helped him secure the top prize.
Supporting Township Businesses
The Standard Bank Kasi SME National Pitch Challenge forms part of the bank’s broader Enterprise and Supplier Development programme.
Through the programme, a qualifying majority of Black-owned businesses receive support through funding, mentorship, business development and market access.
For Maduwa, the R1 million pitch competition prize provides capital to take his Soshanguve-based business into its next phase of growth.
His journey from a five-square-metre structure to a growing manufacturing company shows how township businesses can identify larger market opportunities, create jobs and build businesses with the potential to grow beyond their local communities.
