By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The SA Future Trust (SAFT) has announced the winner of the ‘Big Pitch’ startup competition at its 2025 Summit in Johannesburg.
The 2025 SAFT Summit took place on 5 and 6 November at the Sandton Convention Centre.
In its third year, the summit brought together entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers and thought leaders.
As the headline sponsor, Standard Bank stood alongside the SAFT in its mission to unlock opportunity and growth for small businesses.
Standard Bank’s partnership with the SAFT dates back to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when the bank extended R250 million in interest-free loans to help preserve more than 22,000 jobs.
Since then, the partnership has evolved beyond financial relief to focus on connecting SMEs with investors, mentors, and new market opportunities.
Jenine Zachar, Head of Value Proposition and Client Experience for Business and Commercial Banking at Standard Bank, explained the bank’s SME strategy is designed to support entrepreneurs.
The bank serves a wide range of enterprises, from township-based microbusinesses to companies with turnovers exceeding R500 million.
“We engage with SMEs across both township and urban economies, offering the right tools to help them start, manage, and grow,” she said.
Jenine added that the pitch party, one of the summit’s highlights, showcased businesses that are ready to take the next leap.
SMEs from across the country pitched for a share of millions of rands in funding and development support, with the overall winner walking away with US $1 million (approximately R17.4 million) in prize money.
After months of regional qualifiers, over 500 applicants were whittled down to 10 finalists who took to the summit stage to pitch their disruptive ventures. The top three then advanced to the final.
Parent Sense, a parenting app, won the big prize to be invested into the business. The app offers personalised parenting support ‘when and where you need it’.
A qualified occupational therapist (BScOT, OTR) and best-selling author, Meg Faure has spent over two decades pioneering tech-driven parenting solutions. She dedicated the milestone to mentors, investors and early believers who backed her vision when it was “still just a dream.”