Jacaranda FM has officially announced the Top 10 entrepreneurs selected for the latest edition of its flagship female empowerment initiative, Her Perfect Pitch.
Following a nationwide call for ambitious entrepreneurs, the Top 10 represent an impressive cross-section of South African businesses, with ideas spanning healthcare, artificial intelligence, education, transport, cybersecurity, outdoor living, construction and skills development.
Now, these ten entrepreneurs will take their businesses to the next stage as they compete for the ultimate Her Perfect Pitch prize: R500,000 worth of advertising on Jacaranda FM, designed to give one winning business the platform and exposure to help take it to the next level.
Jacaranda FM Managing Director Vuyani Dombo says the quality and diversity of this year’s finalists demonstrate the strength of South Africa’s entrepreneurial spirit. “Her Perfect Pitch continues to remind us that some of the most powerful business ideas are born from real problems that entrepreneurs see in their own communities,” says Dombo. “What has stood out this year is not only the ambition of these entrepreneurs, but the depth of thought behind their businesses. They are creating solutions, jobs and opportunities while addressing some of the challenges facing South Africans every day. The cherry on top is that all these businesses are led by female entrepreneurs, and Jacaranda FM incredibly proud to give these entrepreneurs a platform and look forward to seeing how their stories unfold.”
This year’s Top 10 finalists are:
Goodness Thandeka Ngcongo
Company: Orchid Medical
Orchid Medical is tackling gaps in preventative healthcare by bringing screening, early diagnosis and wellness services closer to the people who need them. The business combines mobile healthcare units, including mammography and cancer screening clinics, with telehealth services and corporate wellness programmes. Its focus is particularly on South Africa’s “missing middle” – people who may have access to preventative healthcare but often struggle to use it because of time, location or accessibility barriers.
Kelly Damons
Company: KellyGirl Skills Academy
KellyGirl Skills Academy is focused on turning practical skills into sustainable income opportunities. The academy provides accredited and non-accredited skills development programmes, combining hands-on training with entrepreneurship education, mentorship and ongoing support. Its target market includes unemployed youth, women, SMMEs, community organisations and corporate clients, with the business aiming to help more South Africans gain skills that can translate into employment, self-employment and business ownership.
Kelotilwe Legwabe
Company: Sethakga Cleaning Company
Founded in 2019, Sethakga Cleaning Company aims to professionalise the cleaning industry while creating sustainable employment opportunities for women and young people. The business offers residential, commercial and specialised cleaning services, alongside its mobile braiding division, Sethakga HAIR. Its next phase of growth is built around the Sethakga Hub model: community-based operational hubs positioned close to residential estates to bring trusted services closer to customers while creating employment in surrounding communities.
Kinesa Tuganadar
Company: Kindgenix
South African AI company Kindgenix is using technology to address challenges in the recruitment market through its flagship platform, My-Job. The AI-powered recruitment solution supports the hiring journey through job profiling, applicant tracking, candidate matching, AI-powered scoring, assessments, vetting and interviews. Designed for SMEs, recruiters, corporates and the public sector, My-Job aims to help employers identify talent more efficiently while making job seekers more visible and better prepared for opportunities.
Marcia Mandisi Mabaso
Company: MAH SAMBE
MAH SAMBE is a South African transport and mobility solutions company providing managed employee, learner, corporate and tourism transport. Founded after its founder identified the connection between reliable mobility and access to work, education and travel, the company is now evolving from a traditional transport operator into a technology-enabled mobility business. Its next phase includes a Workforce Mobility Management Platform designed to digitise bookings, scheduling, driver allocation, compliance and reporting.
Nicola Polmans
Company: Sprung Outdoor Living
Cape Town-based Sprung Outdoor Living is bringing a design-led approach to South Africa’s outdoor living market. Founded in 2021, the business creates locally made fire pits, outdoor kitchens, furniture and culinary accessories designed to combine functionality with considered design. Its customers include design-conscious homeowners, renovators and hospitality professionals, while its growing B2B offering aims to establish Sprung as a brand specified by architects and designers as well as purchased directly by consumers.
Sharleen Botha
Company: Stratus Cloud Security
Stratus Cloud Security was born during the COVID-19 pandemic and has grown into a business serving customers across Southern Africa. Its next major offering, Stratus Cloud Protect, aims to make enterprise-level cybersecurity more accessible to small and medium-sized businesses through an affordable subscription model. The service combines essential protection, monitoring and cybersecurity expertise without requiring businesses to maintain their own in-house security teams.
Stephanie Bence
Company: GSB Rental
GSB Rental provides entrepreneurs and contractors with access to high-quality aluminium towers for working safely at height. Founded in 2025, the business identified an opportunity to serve smaller contractors and tradespeople who require short-term access solutions but may not need the larger-scale equipment offered by traditional rental companies. Safety is central to the business, with GSB Rental also aiming to create career opportunities for women within South Africa’s construction industry.
Tshaamano Mabuba
Company: Buddy Learning
Buddy Learning is tackling barriers to academic support through a hybrid education model that combines human tutors with BuddyAI, a multilingual, curriculum-aligned AI tutor delivered through WhatsApp. The platform is designed to give learners personalised academic support without requiring expensive devices or unfamiliar technology. Alongside its B2C tutoring and subscription model, Buddy Learning works with schools, NGOs, corporates and education partners, with a broader ambition to expand access to quality education across South Africa and the continent.
Zulfa Nkosi
Company: Zulfa’s Glamour Girls Swimming Academy
Zulfa’s Glamour Girls Swimming Academy, known as ZGG, was created to address a lack of accessible swimming education in township communities. Based in Ivory Park and Tembisa, the academy transformed a family home into a professional swimming facility featuring an indoor pool where children can learn in small groups with qualified instructors. Beyond teaching swimming, ZGG aims to promote water safety, build confidence, create employment and give township children the opportunity to pursue swimming at a competitive level.
The Top 10 finalists will now present their final pitches to the panel of judges, with the winner receiving R500,000 worth of advertising on Jacaranda FM. The comprehensive grand prize package includes the conceptualisation, professional production and creation of a dedicated radio advert, along with extensive digital amplification across Jacaranda FM’s platforms. The winner will also receive R20,000 cash to invest in the business from First For Women, tailored business support and mentorship covering a custom business model, research consultation, branding consultation, digital strategy and PR consultation.
The first runner-up receives R100,000 in Jacaranda FM airtime and R15,000 cash while the second runner-up goes home with R100,000 in Jacaranda FM airtime and R10,000 cash. In addition, the seven remaining top 10 finalists will each receive R100 000 worth of advertising on Jacaranda FM and a R5,000 SPAR voucher, giving even more women-led businesses the opportunity to build awareness and reach new audiences.
For more information, visit www.jacarandafm.com.
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Author: El Broide from The Platinum Club on behalf of Jacaranda FM.
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