The art of business pitching unfolds amid great sounds of MICASA at Entrepreneurship Summit in Sandton

By Jojokhala C. Mei

When the South African Future Trust hosted a Standard Bank sponsored, and Radio 702 co-publicized 2-day Entrepreneurship Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre, everyone naturally had eyes trained on the staggering Big Pitch 1 million US Dollar loot prize.  But the trade secrets of entrepreneurs nationwide stole the swing, whilst insights of heavyweight commentators and business watchers left one thankfully punch drunk.

For instance, Media Entrepreneur and Uber tactful Master of Ceremonies, TumeloMothotoane put in the round musician, entrepreneur, and restauranteerJSomething; plus well-known chef and restauranteer Rueben Riffel; and crowning UTube chef, author and entrepreneur simply called Fehmz.

UnpretentiousJSomething confessed to be driven to ‘’blend my love for music with my love for food”. For his sins he drew roaring jibes from the no-nonsense practical grand old lady Fehmz. Riffel admitted to ironically putting “serious pressure” on himself by paying more attention to his needs than others, and embracing his vulnerability. This didn’t stop Riffel from training locals of his small-town wine lands community through the Franschoek Hospitality Academy.

But who could outdo Chief Executive Officer of heavyweight Lesaka Technologies, Lincoln Mali’s Paying Back, or award-winning Journalist, author, and podcaster, Bruce Whitfield’s Looking-Back-In-Oder-To-Look-Forward, both once welcome reassuring classmates at Rhodes University in Makhanda.

Videos of the Lincoln Mali Foundation’s electrifying sports, and youth leadership work stretches from Eastern Cape coastal Gqeberha hometown and surrounding farm districts to reach far inland haunts like Johannesburg’s plush St Stithians College are enough to inspire him now plead other moneyed to emulate him. Like for instance, Mr. Please call Me Nkosana Mokate to miraculously cover his Katlehong birth township’s muddy forsaken taxi rank like the Johannesburg Faraday taxi it links with. Importantly Mali is most thankful to his own staff for his own success.

Bruce Whitfield delivered a masterclass outshining all the years of his business radio I’ve ever listened to. Maybe be it’s the captivating slides which delivered better upper cuts. Like “See What Everybody Sees. But Do What Everybody Doesn’t”, “Your story Matters If Only You Tell It”, “in business there’s No PlanB”.

Or perhaps It’s his choice of the Honey badger as the best entrepreneur’s totem or guide animal, because of all its weaknesses it has an incredibly thick skin to fend off predators. To which I add, an unpalatable bad smell for predators who could swallow it in one gulp.

Several other speakers and debates pulled equally serious punches on serious business topics worth going online to check. For now I can only mention Growing with Purpose, delivered by the inimitable founder of Yoco, KatlegoMaphai; entrepreneur, speaker, and author Richard Mulholland’s How to be A Threat to the Future… So that the Future Doesn’t Threaten You; and even Lisa Ngcolomba’s ‘round-table’ with founder and MD of Auto Farming (Pty) Ltd KwaziSibiya; Mzansi scuba Diving Academy’s KholisileKhumalo; and Edge Growth’s Investment Principal Philani Mzila.

Jonathan Oppenheimer, scion of the South African business oligarchs and executive Chairman of Oppenheimer Generations, led the veritable trio judges which was unfortunately oddly all-male in 2025, but they thankfully picked the woman-led Parent Sense company. It is already integrated to giants like Discovery Insurance, as they bank actionable data of growing children.

Hopefully next year an arts or start-up business sees the light of SAFT Awards shortlist day; but J Something’s musical group MICASA made up with blaring daring golden summit closing.