township businesseslatest news & developments
From Left to Right: 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.
STANDARD BANK

Soshanguve paint manufacturer wins R1 million Standard Bank Kasi SME National Pitch Challenge

Maduwa Paint World, founded by Soshanguve entrepreneur Rodney Maduwa, has won the 2026 Standard Bank Kasi SME National Pitch Challenge and its R1 million grand prize.

  • Yogashen Pillay
3 min read
South Africa’s informal economy operates around the clock, but payment delays can leave traders, workers and households without usable money when they need it. As PayShap expands and the Reserve Bank modernises the payments ecosystem, banks face pressure to separate real-time payments from legacy core systems.
BANK

South Africa’s informal economy needs payments that work 24/7

South Africa’s informal economy operates around the clock, but payment delays can leave traders, workers and households without usable money when they need it. As PayShap expands…

  • Eshmael Mpabanga
6 min read
Vusi Vokwana, founder of Kasi Catalyst, which helps drive and facilitate outside big investment in the townships.
TOWNSHIP ECONOMY

The 'missing middle' lie keeping township businesses out

Vusi Vokwana argues that South Africa’s language of “gaps,” “red tape” and “underserved markets” can obscure deliberate structural exclusion.

  • Vusi Vokwana
4 min read