Jacaranda FM has announced the 10 women entrepreneurs selected as finalists for the latest edition of Her Perfect Pitch, giving them an opportunity to take their businesses to the next stage through increased exposure, advertising and business support. The finalists represent businesses operating across a wide range of sectors and are using entrepreneurship to address practical challenges in South Africa.
The finalists were selected from a nationwide search for ambitious entrepreneurs, with the Top 10 representing businesses in healthcare, artificial intelligence, education, transport, cybersecurity, outdoor living, construction and skills development.
The entrepreneurs will now compete for the main Her Perfect Pitch prize, which includes R500,000 worth of advertising on Jacaranda FM. The exposure is intended to help the winning business reach a wider audience, strengthen its brand and create opportunities for further growth.
Jacaranda FM Managing Director Vuyani Dombo said the quality and diversity of the 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,” Dombo said.
He said the finalists are not only building businesses but are also creating jobs and opportunities while responding to challenges faced by South Africans.
Businesses addressing real challenges
Goodness Thandeka Ngcongo is the founder of Orchid Medical, which is focused on closing gaps in preventative healthcare. The business brings screening, early diagnosis and wellness services closer to communities through mobile healthcare units, including mammography and cancer screening clinics. It also provides telehealth services and corporate wellness programmes. The company focuses on South Africa’s “missing middle”, including people who may have access to preventative healthcare but face barriers linked to time, location and accessibility.
Kelly Damons founded KellyGirl Skills Academy to turn practical skills into sustainable income opportunities. The academy provides accredited and non-accredited skills development programmes that combine hands-on training with entrepreneurship education, mentorship and ongoing support. Its target market includes unemployed youth, women, SMMEs, community organisations and corporate clients. The business aims to help more South Africans gain skills that can lead to employment, self-employment and business ownership.
Kelotilwe Legwabe founded Sethakga Cleaning Company in 2019 with the goal of professionalising the cleaning industry while creating sustainable employment opportunities for women and young people. The company provides residential, commercial and specialised cleaning services and also operates a mobile braiding division called Sethakga HAIR. Its next growth phase is built around the Sethakga Hub model, with community-based hubs planned close to residential estates to bring services closer to customers while creating jobs in surrounding communities.
Kinesa Tuganadar leads Kindgenix, a South African artificial intelligence company using technology to address challenges in recruitment. Its flagship My-Job platform supports the hiring process through job profiling, applicant tracking, candidate matching, AI-powered scoring, assessments, vetting and interviews. The platform is designed for SMEs, recruiters, corporates and the public sector. It aims to help employers identify talent more efficiently while improving the visibility and preparedness of job seekers.
Marcia Mandisi Mabaso is the founder of MAH SAMBE, a transport and mobility solutions company providing managed employee, learner, corporate and tourism transport. The business was founded after Mabaso identified the connection between reliable mobility and access to work, education and travel. It is now moving from a traditional transport operator towards a technology-enabled mobility business. Its next phase includes a Workforce Mobility Management Platform that will digitise bookings, scheduling, driver allocation, compliance and reporting.
Nicola Polmans founded Cape Town-based Sprung Outdoor Living in 2021. The company takes a design-led approach to the outdoor living market, producing locally made fire pits, outdoor kitchens, furniture and culinary accessories. Its customers include design-conscious homeowners, renovators and hospitality professionals. The business is also expanding its B2B offering, with the aim of becoming a brand specified by architects and designers as well as purchased directly by consumers.
Sharleen Botha founded Stratus Cloud Security during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company has since grown to serve customers across Southern Africa. Its next major offering, Stratus Cloud Protect, is designed 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 founded GSB Rental in 2025 to provide entrepreneurs and contractors with access to high-quality aluminium towers for working safely at height. The business identified an opportunity among smaller contractors and tradespeople who need short-term access solutions but may not require the larger-scale equipment offered by traditional rental companies. Safety is central to the business, which also aims to create career opportunities for women in South Africa’s construction industry.
Tshaamano Mabuba is the founder of Buddy Learning, a hybrid education business that combines human tutors with BuddyAI, a multilingual and curriculum-aligned AI tutor delivered through WhatsApp. The platform is designed to provide personalised academic support without requiring expensive devices or unfamiliar technology. Alongside its business-to-consumer tutoring and subscription model, Buddy Learning works with schools, NGOs, corporates and education partners. Its broader ambition is to expand access to quality education across South Africa and the continent.
Zulfa Nkosi founded Zulfa’s Glamour Girls Swimming Academy, known as ZGG, to address the 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 with an indoor pool where children can learn in small groups with qualified instructors. Beyond swimming lessons, ZGG promotes water safety, builds confidence, creates employment and gives township children opportunities to pursue the sport at a competitive level.
Support extends beyond the main prize
The Top 10 finalists will now present their final pitches to a panel of judges. The winner will receive R500,000 worth of advertising on Jacaranda FM, including the conceptualisation, professional production and creation of a dedicated radio advert. The package will also include extensive digital amplification across Jacaranda FM’s platforms.
The winner will further receive R20,000 in cash from First For Women to invest in the business, as well as tailored business support and mentorship. This will cover areas including a custom business model, research consultation, branding consultation, digital strategy and public relations consultation.
The first runner-up will receive R100,000 in Jacaranda FM airtime and R15,000 cash. The second runner-up will receive R100,000 in Jacaranda FM airtime and R10,000 cash.
The remaining seven finalists will each receive R100,000 worth of advertising on Jacaranda FM and a R5,000 SPAR voucher. This means the benefits of the competition will extend beyond the overall winner, giving more women-led businesses an opportunity to increase their visibility and reach new audiences.
For Dombo, the strength of this year’s programme lies in the quality of the businesses and the problems they are working to solve.
“What has stood out this year is not only the ambition of these entrepreneurs, but the depth of thought behind their businesses,” he said. “They are creating solutions, jobs and opportunities while addressing some of the challenges facing South Africans every day.”
For more information, visit www.jacarandafm.com
