As the 2026 Nedbank Pitch & Polish competition moves closer to its final stage, four semi-finalists faced an unusual challenge: pitching their businesses to a panel of 10-year-old entrepreneurs from Radley Private School.
With a place in the final and a share of the R1 million prize package at stake, contestants have spent months refining their pitches and facing tough questions from experienced business judges. In a special episode of the programme, they were asked to explaintheir businesses to Arush, Monroe and Naomi, Grade 4 and 5 learners selected for their entrepreneurial ability.
The three learners earned their place on the judging panel after presenting their own business ideas to Raizcorp CEO and Nedbank Pitch & Polish judge Allon Raiz. They were chosen for their confidence, presentation skills and ability to engage critically withbusiness ideas.
The challenge was designed to test one of the most important parts of pitching: clarity.
“If an entrepreneur cannot explain what they do in a way that a child can understand, it often means they are still too close to the complexity of their own business,” says Raiz. “Clear communication is essential whether you are speaking to customers, investorsor partners.”
The episode pushed contestants to move away from technical language and explain their ideas in simpler terms. The young judges asked direct questions and shared honest feedback, often pointing out where ideas needed greater clarity.
The challenge also highlighted the growing role of entrepreneurial education at school level.
At Radley Private School, Entrepreneurship is taught as a subject from Grade R to matric, equipping learners with the confidence, problem-solving skills and commercial awareness needed to navigate the modern world.
“Entrepreneurship is about more than starting a business,” says Charné De Gouveia, principal of Radley Private School. “It is about helping learners think independently, solve real-world problems and build the confidence to take ownership of their future.”
For contestants, the challenge reinforced the importance of making complex ideas easier to understand. For viewers, it served as a reminder that some of the most effective questions are often the simplest.
The Radley Private School judging episode forms part of the 2026 Nedbank Pitch & Polish competition, sponsored by Nedbank and powered by Raizcorp.