The second annual SAPICS SME Pitch Parade culminated in a gripping finale at the 2026 SAPICS Conference in Cape Town and supply chain management consultancy and technology provider ShyftUp Consulting was named this year’s winner.

This competition was launched by supply chain industry body SAPICS in 2025 to offer support to small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) operating in South Africa’s supply chain sector. It is open to SMMEs with a turnover of less than R10 million.

This year, the competition attracted 21 entrants. These were assessed by a panel of respected judges led by head judge Cobus Rossouw and supported by Nyeko Mathebula (from 2025 winner Procure Africa), Deji Ogunye (from competition sponsor Salient Advisory), Revah Gianchand (CEVA Logistics), Candice Liebenberg (DSV), Alan van Vuuren (B2Wise) and Elaine Stout.

After careful deliberation, three outstanding finalists were selected:

• Neshwin Buddan (ShyftUp Consulting)
• Vanya Jansen (Optigrow)
• Elmarie Van Noorden (Futuretend)

The top three were invited to attend the SAPICS Conference in Cape Town, with flights and accommodation included. Those who didn’t make the finals were awarded individual SAPICS memberships as a token of recognition.

With a first prize valued at R80 000 up for grabs, the competition finalists took the stage in the closing session of this year’s 48th annual SAPICS conference to present their solutions to an expert panel of judges. Each finalist had five minutes to present, followed by a Q&A session with the judging panel. Conference delegates were then invited to vote for their favourite via the SAPICS Conference app.

After a round of spirited presentations and audience voting, Neshwin Buddan of supply chain management consultancy and technology provider ShyftUp Consulting was announced as the winner. The runners-up each received prizes valued at R10 000, including SAPICS SME membership.

The 2026 SAPICS SME Pitch Parade was sponsored by healthcare consulting firm Salient Advisory. Commenting on the sponsorship and the importance of this competition, which is now a firm fixture on the SAPICS Conference programme, Salient Advisory director Deji Ogunye says: “At Salient, we know how critical strong supply chains are to effective healthcare delivery. We’re proud to have sponsored the SAPICS SME Pitch Parade and to hear the innovative solutions put forward by this year’s finalists. The calibre of the ideas and the challenges they are tackling show why providing the resources and support for SMEs in the supply chain sector matters."

Delighted with the results of the competition, this year’s winner Neshwin Buddan says that he can’t believe that ShyftUp took top honours. “We are still taking it all in. We are truly humbled by this SAPICS award, and we are exceptionally grateful that industry leaders recognise our platform’s potential. This exposure will help us scale, drive meaningful impact and help fulfil our mission to empower SMMEs across Africa.”

According to SAPICS, the success of small businesses - which are the backbone of South Africa’s economy - is being jeopardised by a lack of resources, skills and support in the critical area of supply chain management. The Pitch Parade is just one of the initiatives that the not-for-profit industry body is using to address this. Through its SME membership and the SAPICS Small Business Hub, the organisations helps small businesses grow and prosper by offering tailored education, training and skills development. SAPICS also acts as a valuable conduit for corporate businesses to support SMMEs and participate in the development of their suppliers.