The Burgersfort leg of the ENGEN Pitch & Polish workshop and competition took place on Saturday, 24 August 2019. It was attended by entrepreneurs from across Limpopo province. Since its inception ten years ago, Pitch & Polish has helped over 16 000 entrepreneurs learn to pitch like a pro. This year was the first time the workshop was held in Burgersfort. The event was made possible through the generosity of the sponsors Engen, Nedbank, Raizcorp and Caxton Local Media.

The entrepreneurs in attendance displayed innovative thinking. The ENGEN Pitch & Polish workshop sees participants and five contestants taken through an interactive pitching workshop facilitated by Justin Cohen, a business strategist, international speaker and world-leading expert on pitching for business. Justin opened Saturday’s event with an inspirational talk during which he said that regardless of the economic environment, there are problems to solve and wealth to be created.

In fact, during tough economic times, there are even more opportunities because there are more problems to solve. He also touched on the need for entrepreneurs to be optimistic. On average, entrepreneurs fail 3.8 times before they succeed.

By cultivating a sense of optimism and self-motivation, entrepreneurs can more easily view failures and setbacks as opportunities to learn and then move on. “Research has shown that a key factor for success is self-motivation,” Justin shared. During the workshop, the delegates, together with four pre-selected contestants and one wild card contestant, were taken through eight key aspects of pitching for investment. (Wild cards are chosen on the day when audience members are invited to pitch their ideas or businesses to the room which then votes on who should become a contestant.) The first half of the workshop ended with the first round of practice pitches by the five contestants.

Each was asked to deliver a 30-second pitch as a basepoint to measure against their final competition pitches later in the day. The second half of the workshop was followed by the actual competition during which contestants delivered the pitches they had worked on throughout the course of the day. The process resulted in important lessons for both the workshop delegates and the five contestants.

Contestant Simphiwe Mokgawa, from Polokwane, who manufactures alcoholic beverages from fruit and vegetables, was advised that proof of concept must be established before investing in equipment to mitigate the risk. The importance of knowing the financial numbers is critical, as one cannot do business without them. Sphiwe Ntwampe, the wild-card contestant, offers a queuing service to Burgersfort residents.

He learnt that in order to grow he needs to work on his pricing model and look for mentorship. Both Kgodiso Lebea and Maimela Mohale, were named second place winners for their businesses. Through, Kgodiso, from Tzaneen, who manufactures and sells moringa based spice, the participants saw the value in bringing products to sample and how having a clear focus and vision can open doors instantly. Maimela, from Polokwane, has made great strides with his hydroponics business. His pitch demonstrated the strength in research and in having a deep understanding of one’s target market.

The winning pitch was delivered by Dr Mashela Mokgabudi, a Polokwane resident, who developed, manufactures and distributes menstrual cups. Her confident pitch integrated the learnings from the day where she demonstrated an in-depth knowledge of her business and vision for growth. Mashela now moves on to the second round of the ENGEN Pitch & Polish programme taking place in Johannesburg in September, where she will go up against eight other regional winners as they compete for the ultimate pitching crown.

The competition was judged by Benny Thobejane (Engen Petroleum’s Transformation & Stakeholder Engagement Specialist), Marcia Muthathi (Nedbank’s Investment Specialist Limpopo) and Jodi Lynn Karpes (Managing Director of GreenQueen Communications). During the competition phase, contestants were given three minutes to pitch after which the judges asked clarifying questions – another opportunity for learning – and then delivered their feedback.

“This is what ENGEN Pitch & Polish is about! Innovation!” Benny enthused. “Today was the highlight of the year as the innovative ideas were backed up with numbers, facts and research. The contestants and delegates were all participative, professional and switched on.” Congratulations to everyone for attending the Burgersfort leg of the tenth annual ENGEN Pitch & Polish programme, and for their dedication in learning to pitch like a pro.

For more information, visit www.pitchandpolish.com. In the picture: PP19 - Bft - Benny Kgodiso Mashela Marcia Maimela Jodi - 24 Aug 2019:Benny ThobejaneKgodiso LebeaDr Mashela MokgabudiMarcia MuthathiMaimela MohaleJodi Lynn Karpes 

ENGEN PITCH & POLISH IS CELEBRATING 10 YEARS! Pitch to win R80 000 in cash for your biz!

Running your own business? Want to run your own business? ENGEN Pitch & Polish is the platform you need to launch yourself on to the path of success.

Celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, ENGEN Pitch & Polish is a national entrepreneurial workshop and competition programme that – so far – has helped over 10 000 entrepreneurs improve the way they pitch their businesses to potential investors.

As all entrepreneurs know, a perfectly polished pitch is one of the keys to growing and succeeding in business.The ten-year edition of the programme is being hosted in partnership with Engen Petroleum, Nedbank and Raizcorp.

You can register as a delegate to attend the workshop or – if you feel you have what it takes – you can complete an online entry form to be selected as a contestant.During one exhilarating, fun, exciting and free day, participants undergo comprehensive and interactive entrepreneurial training on how to pitch like a pro!

The session is facilitated by Justin Cohen, best-selling author, international speaker and TV talk-show host.After the training session, contestants pitch their ideas or businesses to the whole audience. This is where things get really interesting, with both Justin and the audience providing feedback on how pitches can be improved.

The regional winners of each leg will have the opportunity to be crowned the ultimate pitch champion at the final glittering round of the competition held in Johannesburg later this year. There are many funders and investors invited to the final and, over the years, finalists (not necessarily the winners) have received millions of rands in investments and hundreds of thousands of rands in grants.

Book your place now for the Burgersfort workshop on 24 August. SMS “Pitch” to 43719 (SMSs charged at 50c) or visit www.pitchandpolish.com to complete an entry form, and maybe you will find that R1 million investment you desire.

ENGEN PITCH & POLISH IS CELEBRATING 10 YEARS!Pitch to win R80 000 in cash for your biz!

Running your own business? Want to run your own business? ENGEN Pitch & Polish is the platform you need to launch yourself on to the path of success.

Celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, ENGEN Pitch & Polish is a national entrepreneurial workshop and competition programme that – so far – has helped over 10 000 entrepreneurs improve the way they pitch their businesses to potential investors.

As all entrepreneurs know, a perfectly polished pitch is one of the keys to growing and succeeding in business.

The ten-year edition of the programme is being hosted in partnership with Engen Petroleum, Nedbank and Raizcorp and local partner, NYDA. You can register as a delegate to attend the workshop or – if you feel you have what it takes – you can complete an online entry form to be selected as a contestant.

During one exhilarating, fun, exciting and free day, participants undergo comprehensive and interactive entrepreneurial training on how to pitch like a pro!

The session is facilitated by Justin Cohen, best-selling author, international speaker and TV talk-show host.

After the training session, contestants pitch their ideas or businesses to the whole audience. This is where things get really interesting, with both Justin and the audience providing feedback on how pitches can be improved. The regional winners of each leg will have the opportunity to be crowned the ultimate pitch champion at the final glittering round of the competition held in Johannesburg later this year.

There are many funders and investors invited to the final and, over the years, finalists (not necessarily the winners) have received millions of rands in investments and hundreds of thousands of rands in grants.

Book your place now for the Cape Town workshop on 3 August. SMS “Pitch” to 43719 (SMSs charged at 50c) or visit www.pitchandpolish.com to complete an entry form, and maybe you will find that R1 million investment you desire.

Nelson Mandela Bay entrepreneurs once again demonstrated their appetite for business knowledge and learning at the recent ENGEN Pitch & Polish event sponsored by Engen, Nedbank and Raizcorp.

Celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, the programme has worked with almost 15 000 entrepreneurs since its inception. Workshop delegates and pre-selected contestants are taken through a dynamic pitching workshop by international speaker and world-leading business pitching expert, Justin Cohen. Held in eight cities and towns across South Africa, the winners compete in further rounds with the finals taking place in Johannesburg later this year.

Justin opened the event with an inspirational talk during which he said that no matter what the economic environment, there are problems to solve and wealth to be created. In fact, during tough economic times, there are even more opportunities as there are more problems to solve. He also touched on the need for entrepreneurs to be optimistic. On average, entrepreneurs fail 3.8 times before they succeed. By cultivating a sense of optimism, entrepreneurs can more easily view failures and setbacks as an opportunity to learn and then move on. The workshop followed during which delegates and five pre-selected competitors were taken through eight important aspects of pitching for investment in two parts.

The first half of the workshop ended with the first round of practice pitches by the five contestants. Each was asked to deliver a 30-second pitch as a basepoint to measure against their final competition pitches later in the day. The five contestants were: Unathi Kolanisi who presented her mobile food business; Gcina Manzini who has a property improvement business; Zwelethu Mlonzi who sells homemade fruit juices; Casper Nice who has an innovative washable incontinence wear range; and Evans Zemba who is in the fashion business.

The second half of the workshop was followed by another practice round for the contestants but this time they had a full minute. The key was to incorporate the eight aspects of pitching covered during the first and second rounds of the workshop.

An oft-cited statistic in the world of business is that 96% of small businesses will fail within the first ten years of starting up. Celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, the ENGEN Pitch & Polish workshop and competition programme is proud to fall within the 4% that succeed! Considered by many to be the grandfather of pitching competitions, ENGEN Pitch & Polish has remained relevant since its inception and, while other pitching competitions come and go, it has stayed the course and is now more popular than ever.

Over the years, the competition has witnessed a range of business trends; one year saw a predominance of agri-processing ideas and businesses, another was strongly related to green technologies, while a third year saw a focus on youth.

The programme reflects trends with a predominance of businesses and business ideas that respond to the market opportunities of the time.The success of the Pitch & Polish format can be attributed in large measure to the huge value it offers its audiences (or workshop delegates). There is a strong focus on audience learning and participation. In fact, around 40% of workshop delegates are people who return year after year and bring along family and friends when they return to the next year’s event.

The opportunity for participants to network with one another is also a drawcard, as is the all-important wild card entrant to the competition (an entrepreneur who is picked on the day by the facilitator and audience members).A further attraction is that it is not just the major centres which receive all the focus. Since it began sponsoring the programme, Engen has taken Pitch & Polish to many smaller towns across the country which often tend to be overlooked by major events. (A heart-warming by-product of this is the number of regional winners who – when moving on to the semi-final and final rounds in Johannesburg – have been able to experience their very first aeroplane flight and even their first stay in a hotel.)

A Pitch & Polish crew of 20 people puts together a high-end production for each leg of the event, making use of the best sound, visual and other equipment available. Each of the towns selected receives the same standard of glamour, finesse and pizzazz as is seen at the final in Johannesburg. That this is deeply appreciated by the entrepreneurs of each town is proved by the fact that when a workshop starts out with 300 participants, it ends with the same number owing to their genuine enjoyment of the day and the value they receive.Since inception, the programme has received wonderful support from both local and national media – in particular, Caxton, SAfm and a range of local newspapers.

The media has played an essential role in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and the organisers are deeply grateful to these organisations for getting out the word and, more importantly, sharing the success stories of the project’s regional winners and finalists giving them further opportunities for exposure and business growth.

The Pitch & Polish programme – the brainchild of top incubator Raizcorp – would not have seen the success it has were it not for its loyal sponsors, Engen and Nedbank. Allon Raiz, founder and CEO of Raizcorp and the brains behind the concept, says, “Both Engen and Nedbank provide judging teams as part of their sponsorships. Their judges are as passionate and engaged as Raizcorp is, and they come back year after year. At this point they almost feel like members of the crew.”

“The rate of urbanisation and population growth in South Africa increases the level of unemployment, poverty and despair for the majority of poor South Africans. This situation presents a potential crisis if we do not get the fundamentals right, including education and growing an entrepreneurial culture. We must create a supportive environment for these fundamentals to help create jobs and curb poverty.

The ENGEN Pitch and polish programme does just that … entrepreneurial education for thousands of South Africans – boosting business-modelling skills, shaping business ideas into bankable business propositions and increasing the confidence of the emerging entrepreneurs who choose to participate and learn through this amazing interactive programme,” says Unathi Njokweni-Magida, Head of Transformation for Engen Petroleum.She continues, “It is no secret that South Africa’s economic sovereignty and sustainability depends on the calibre and scale of its entrepreneurs.

The more entrepreneurs we support, the more we reduce poverty and unemployment. Engen’s consistent platinum support for the Raizcorp Pitch & Polish programme is simply driven by its desire to nurture extraordinary entrepreneurs and support people with business ideas that, in the past, often end up in the graveyard. This project allows Engen to demonstrates its care and support for emerging entrepreneurs, which in turn will enable South Africa’s socio-economic transformation and sustainability.

We aim to reinforce a positive economic cycle for many business ideas and hope, like a virus, it will spread and create flickers of light, fuelling entrepreneurial energy in all the provinces and towns the ENGEN Pitch and Polish programme visits every year across the length and breadth of South Africa.”Alan Shannon, Nedbank Head of Client Engagement: Professional Banking and Small Business, says, “Nedbank is proud of our decade-long relationship with Raizcorp and being a cosponsor of this inspiring event since 2016. Unlocking the potential of the SME sector is key to economic growth and job creation in South Africa. Pitch & Polish is a great platform that allows participants to refine their skills.

We also believe that this sponsorship aligns with our brand purpose to use our financial expertise to enable individuals, families, businesses and society to do good. Through our journey with Raizcorp and various other interventions, we support small business in South Africa by providing them with a platform to fuel their entrepreneurial aspirations.”This year will see the event hosted in eight towns and cities across the country, starting in Johannesburg on 6 July and ending in Burgersfort on 24 August (this is the first time Pitch & Polish is visiting the town), with the semi-finals and final taking place in Johannesburg.

Details on registering for the workshop and entering the competition are available on the website at www.pitchandpolish.com. Everyone is invited!

About Pitch & Polish
Pitch & Polish, now in its tenth year, is an Idols-type competition in which contestants are given the opportunity to present (pitch) their businesses or business ideas to an audience who are primed to act as investors and bankers. Throughout the course of a day, the facilitator takes the participants and audience through a workshop designed to develop lateral-thinking skills, and works with the contestants to improve (polish) their pitches. A unique synthesis of training, audience participation and competition, everyone leaves the process enriched! For more information, please visit www.pitchandpolish.comFor more information, visit www.pitchandpolish.comIn the photograph:Unathi Njokweni-Magida – Head of Transformation & Engagement – Engen Petroleum

Pitch to win R80 000 in cash for your biz! Running your own business? Want to run your own business? ENGEN Pitch & Polish is the platform you need to launch yourself on to the path of success.

Celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, ENGEN Pitch & Polish is a national entrepreneurial workshop and competition programme that – so far – has helped over 10 000 entrepreneurs improve the way they pitch their businesses to potential investors. As all entrepreneurs know, a perfectly polished pitch is one of the keys to growing and succeeding in business.

The ten-year edition of the programme is being hosted in partnership with Engen Petroleum, Nedbank and Raizcorp, as well as local partners NYDA and iHub.  You can register as a delegate to attend the workshop or – if you feel you have what it takes – you can complete an online entry form to be selected as a contestant.During one exhilarating, fun, exciting and free day, participants undergo comprehensive and interactive entrepreneurial training on how to pitch like a pro!

The session is facilitated by Justin Cohen, best-selling author, international speaker and TV talk-show host.After the training session, contestants pitch their ideas or businesses to the whole audience. This is where things get really interesting, with both Justin and the audience providing feedback on how pitches can be improved.

The regional winners of each leg will have the opportunity to be crowned the ultimate pitch champion at the final glittering round of the competition held in Johannesburg later this year. There are many funders and investors invited to the final and, over the years, finalists (not necessarily the winners) have received millions of rands in investments and hundreds of thousands of rands in grants.

Book your place now for the Port Elizabeth workshop on 13 July. SMS “Pitch” to 43719 (SMSs charged at 50c) or visit www.pitchandpolish.com to complete an entry form, and maybe you will find that R1 million investment you desire. [ends]

Running your own business? Want to run your own business? ENGEN Pitch & Polish is the platform you need to launch yourself on to the path of success.

Celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, ENGEN Pitch & Polish is a national entrepreneurial workshop and competition programme that – so far – has helped over 10 000 entrepreneurs improve the way they pitch their businesses to potential investors. As all entrepreneurs know, a perfectly polished pitch is one of the keys to growing and succeeding in business.

The ten-year edition of the programme is being hosted in partnership with Engen Petroleum, Nedbank and Raizcorp, as well as local partners NYDA and iHub. You can register as a delegate to attend the workshop or – if you feel you have what it takes – you can complete an online entry form to be selected as a contestant.

During one exhilarating, fun, exciting and free day, participants undergo comprehensive and interactive entrepreneurial training on how to pitch like a pro! The session is facilitated by Justin Cohen, best-selling author, international speaker and TV talk-show host. After the training session, contestants pitch their ideas or businesses to the whole audience.

This is where things get really interesting, with both Justin and the audience providing feedback on how pitches can be improved. The regional winners of each leg will have the opportunity to be crowned the ultimate pitch champion at the final glittering round of the competition held in Johannesburg later this year.

There are many funders and investors invited to the final and, over the years, finalists (not necessarily the winners) have received millions of rands in investments and hundreds of thousands of rands in grants. Book your place now for the Port Elizabeth workshop on 13 July.

SMS “Pitch” to 43719 (SMSs charged at 50c) or visit www.pitchandpolish.com to complete an entry form, and maybe you will find that R1 million investment you desire

Running your own business? Want to run your own business? ENGEN Pitch & Polish is the platform you need to launch yourself on to the path of success.

Celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, ENGEN Pitch & Polish is a national entrepreneurial workshop and competition programme that – so far – has helped over 10 000 entrepreneurs improve the way they pitch their businesses to potential investors. As all entrepreneurs know, a perfectly polished pitch is one of the keys to growing and succeeding in business.

The ten-year edition of the programme is being hosted in partnership with Engen Petroleum, Nedbank and Raizcorp. This year the programme kicks off in Johannesburg on 6 July. You can register as a delegate to attend the workshop or – if you feel you have what it takes – you can complete an online entry form to be selected as a contestant.

During one exhilarating, fun, exciting and free day, participants undergo comprehensive and interactive entrepreneurial training on how to pitch like a pro! The session is facilitated by Justin Cohen, best-selling author, international speaker and TV talk-show host. After the training session, contestants pitch their ideas or businesses to the whole audience.

This is where things get really interesting, with both Justin and the audience providing feedback on how pitches can be improved. The regional winners of each leg will have the opportunity to be crowned the ultimate pitch champion at the final glittering round of the competition held in Johannesburg later this year.

There are many funders and investors invited to the final and, over the years, finalists (not necessarily the winners) have received millions of rands in investments and hundreds of thousands of rands in grants. Book your place now for the Johannesburg workshop on 6 July. SMS “Pitch” to 43719 (SMSs charged at 50c) or visit www.pitchandpolish.com to complete an entry form, and maybe you will find that R1 million investment you desire.

About: The annual programme is called: ENGEN Pitch & Polish Engen Petroleum Ltd is the headline sponsor Nedbank is a sponsor The programme is a Raizcorp initiative

For editorial purposes, the spokesperson is Bronwyn Echardt, Marketing Manager, Raizcorp
The PR Contact is Jodi Lynn Karpes from GreenQueen Communications www.pitchandpolish.com

The Johannesburg leg and last workshop of the ninth annual ENGEN Pitch & Polish programme was held on Saturday, 13 October, and was attended by very engaged and enthusiastic group of entrepreneurs. Since inception, this national entrepreneurial workshop and competition – hosted in partnership with Engen Petroleum Ltd, Nedbank, Raizcorp and Caxton Local Media – has helped over 11 000 entrepreneurs improve the way they pitch their businesses to potential investors. Following the opening talk by Justin Cohen (best-selling author and international speaker) during which he discussed the truth about motivation and the value of delivering a polished pitch, Allon Raiz (founder of Raizcorp) proclaimed that it was inspirational to see so many entrepreneurs.

“My entrepreneurship journey started as a ‘one-man band’ and I, too, had to pitch constantly. The mission of ENGEN Pitch & Polish is to give you the best chance when the opportunity arises. It is your job to convince an investor to spend money on you, your product or service and that they will get a return. We need each and every one of you to grow this country, so learn and perfect your pitch and then go on and employ people and make the change.”

Through the pitch of Thami Biyela, who has a software-development business, the delegates saw the value of being clear and concise when describing the core business. Bringing in an emotive aspect is effective in capturing the attention of a potential investor; however, the numbers must also be sound. Sipho Mampe, who came in third place with his lab equipment manufacturing company, learned that being authentic was powerful and that it instantly made his pitch clearer.

He delivered a detailed breakdown of the funding required and, based on the feedback, now understands that he must understand the profitability of each product line. Coming in second place, Thuso Motau, who manufactures household detergents, learned that it will add credibility to her pitch to include where her products are currently being sold. She was articulate in presenting the problem and how her business solves it.

Going into greater depth about the revenue and profit would have been advantageous. Through the day, Mlungisi Nkomo, who is developing a virtual reality app, was able to pique interest with his tech idea, and learned not to over-complicate his business model at the start-up stage. Research should be intensive and relevant to the local market. A key learning was that he must know the input costs first before putting a price on his product.

The winning pitch came from Mmatsatsi Rampa, who has a paint-manufacturing business. Her pitch was confident and demonstrated how having a great presence illustrates your authority about the business and the industry. You must show potential investors that you have a profitable business when you require funding for expansion plans. Mike Stead from Engen Petroleum Ltd and a seasoned judge for the programme commented, “Today we saw a good variety of contestants in diverse industries.

A key learning is the value in having a solid business case and being able to express it.” Mervyn Pillay from Nedbank added, “This interactive workshop gives great hope for South Africa as job creation will continue to be through small businesses, and the learnings today help support them on their journey.” Insider tip: Be authentic.

People buy from people. Share your story and explain the WIIFM (what’s in it for me). As the 2018 winner of the Johannesburg leg of ENGEN Pitch & Polish, Mmatsatsi Rampa won R6 000 and a week of training at Raizcorp in Johannesburg worth R150 000. She also has the opportunity to progress to the semi-final and become the ultimate 2018 ENGEN Pitch & Polish winner and receive further cash injections and other prizes. Congratulations to everyone for attending, for taking action and for being the light that shines on the local entrepreneurial environment. For more information, visit www.pitchandpolish.com.

In this picture (from left to right): Mlungisi Nkomo, VR app developer from VosloorusThuso Motau, household-detergent manufacturer from Pretoria – second placeMmatsatsi Rampa, paint manufacturer from Johannesburg North – first placeSipho Mampe, lab-equipment manufacturer from Soweto – third placeThami Biyela, software developer from Soweto 

WIN R80 000 IN CASH FOR YOUR BIZ! Running your own business? Want to run your own business? Either way, ENGEN Pitch & Polish is the platform you need to launch you on the path to success!

Now in its ninth year, ENGEN Pitch & Polish is a national entrepreneurial workshop and competition that – so far – has helped around 10 000 entrepreneurs improve the way they pitch their businesses to potential investors. A perfectly polished pitch is key to growing and succeeding in business!

Magic always happens when investors hear a well-rounded pitch, as seen at the 2017 final where the winner was offered R2.5 million in potential funding. This year’s programme is hosted in partnership with Engen Petroleum Ltd, Nedbank and Raizcorp, with the Johannesburg workshop taking place on Saturday 13 October.

You can register to attend as a delegate or – if you feel you have what it takes – you can complete an online entry form to be considered as a contestant. During one exhilarating, exciting and fun free day, participants undergo comprehensive and interactive entrepreneurial training on how to pitch like a pro!

The session is facilitated by Justin Cohen, best-selling author, international speaker and TV talk-show host. After the training session, the pre-selected contestants can pitch their ideas or businesses to the whole audience. This is where things get really interesting, with both the facilitator and the audience providing feedback on how pitches can be improved.

Book now to ensure your place in Johannesburg on Saturday 13 October. SMS “Pitch” to 43719 (SMSs charged at 50c) or visit www.pitchandpolish.com to complete an entry form.