SEDFA Wholesale Lending (via intermediaries)
SEDFA lends to financial intermediaries - microfinance institutions, retail financial intermediaries, specialised funds and banks - who then on-lend to small bu...
Funding programmes offering R1 million or more for scaling South African businesses. Grants, loans, and equity from leading DFIs and government agencies.
Large-scale industrial and infrastructure funding for major projects.
Growth-stage and expansion funding for established businesses.
Spartan funds established mid-sized businesses (3+ years trading, roughly R10 million to R500 million annual turnover, with exceptions down to R5 million for hi...
Funding from R250,000 up to R75 million for majority black women-owned businesses - start-ups, expansions and equity acquisitions. Requires operational involvem...
The NEF uMnotho Fund provides R2 million to R75 million for medium-sized black-owned and managed businesses, through six products: acquisition finance, new vent...
A national green-economy fund (R1.1 billion, funded by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment and managed by the DBSA) backing renewable ener...
A cost-sharing grant covering 30 to 50 percent of project costs, to a maximum of R50 million, for black-owned manufacturers - the percentage depends on level of...
If you run an established, formally registered business, Business Partners can finance you from R500,000 up to R50 million - including property, equipment and w...
The NEF Rural, Township and Community Development Fund backs rural entrepreneurs, co-operatives and community-owned ventures in sectors like agro-processing, fo...
Grant funding from the Technology Innovation Agency to take a technology from working prototype through demonstration and certification (technology readiness le...
Concessionary IDC funding of R1 million to R50 million per transaction for businesses owned by young people aged up to and including 35 at final approval, with ...
A cost-sharing grant covering 10 to 30 percent of qualifying infrastructure costs (roads, water, electricity and similar infrastructure that unlocks a private i...
This grant is applied for by large corporates and industry associations, not by SMEs directly - but if you are a small supplier (especially 51 percent black-own...
A dtic cash rebate of 35 percent of qualifying South African production spend (plus a possible 5 percent uplift) for South African film and TV productions, capp...
IDF Capital funds black-owned, growth-stage businesses - typically those with at least 12 months of trading history and some completed contracts - from R50,000 ...
The dtic Aquaculture Development and Enhancement Programme gives fish-farming and aquaculture businesses a reimbursable cost-sharing grant towards machinery, in...
Equity investment for post-revenue South African tech startups solving African problems with global scale potential - AI, fintech, enterprise software, cybersec...
The Masisizane Fund is the Old Mutual enterprise-development financier, offering developmental and commercial loan financing from R250,000 to R20 million plus b...
The IDC Small Business Finance and Regions unit serves businesses seeking R1 million to R20 million in funding within IDC-mandated sectors, handled through regi...
APSS is an active dtic cost-sharing grant for agro-processing investments in six sub-sectors (food and beverage, furniture, fibre, feed, fertilizer, essential o...
Seed investment for early-stage, B2B-focused African tech startups from Launch Africa Ventures, now deploying its second fund. Initial cheques are typically aro...
Start-up funding for black entrepreneurs up to R15 million. For new businesses or franchises.
Loans from R50,000 to R15 million for businesses that are at least 51 percent black-owned, with repayment terms from 12 months to 5 years. Start-ups can apply -...
SEDFA (formerly sefa) lends manufacturers up to R15 million for machinery, working capital and product accreditation, with up to 20 percent of the facility (cap...
Get a business loan from R50,000 to R5 million for working capital or buying equipment. Repay over up to 5 years.
Blended loan and grant funding for young entrepreneurs aged 18-35: up to R2 million for start-ups and up to R15 million for growth enterprises. Includes mandato...
Bridgement offers simple business loans from R20,000 up to R10 million, repayable over 1-24 months with a single fixed fee and early-settlement discounts. Apply...
Joint fund from the Gauteng Department of Economic Development, GEP and the IDC for township-based small businesses in Gauteng: loans, grants or a blend of up t...
Bridgement advances cash against your unpaid invoices, claiming up to 100 percent of invoice value (versus the industry-typical 70-80 percent), with facilities ...
Accessible high-value funding for growing SMEs.
Lula (formerly Lulalend) offers unsecured online business funding from R10,000 up to R5 million, paid out in as little as 24 hours, either as a revolving cash-f...
If your business has won a purchase order or contract but lacks the capital to deliver, ProfitShare Partners funds the full transaction (R250,000 to R5 million)...
Loans up to R5 million for majority black women-owned businesses (51 percent or more), at preferential rates of prime minus 3 percent (prime minus 5 percent for...
Funding and support for black farmers to grow, process, and sell your produce. Help with finance and finding markets.
GEP Manufacturing Support is a term loan facility of up to R5 million launched in March 2026 to support Gauteng-based SMMEs in manufacturing and its subsectors,...
Unsecured business cash advance of up to R5 million from GoTyme Bank (formerly Retail Capital, acquired by TymeBank). You need monthly turnover of R50,000 or mo...
Funding for majority black-owned tourism businesses, run by the National Empowerment Fund in partnership with the Department of Tourism: a grant of up to R5 mil...
SPII is a non-repayable grant for developing innovative products or processes, covering the phase from end of research to pre-production prototype. The Product ...
Loans for black-owned small businesses in communities within about 50km of Anglo American mining operations in South Africa. Zimele has lent R556 million since ...
GENFIN lends R100,000 to R3 million over 6 or 12 months to registered businesses trading at least a year with around R100,000 monthly turnover. Apply online wit...
Government support programme for registered co-operatives, now run under SEDFA with the Department of Small Business Development. It offers blended funding - a ...
Annual grant funding from the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture for cultural and creative projects - music, dance, theatre, visual arts, design, books and d...
Loans of R30,000 to R2 million for businesses that are 50 percent plus one share women-owned and/or managed, operating for at least six months. More affordable ...
There is no GIZ programme called Green Innovation - the real, currently open GIZ route for South African companies is develoPPP Ventures, a German BMZ programme...
Government job-creation funding for the film and TV industry, run by the NFVF in annual rounds. The latest round (PESP 6, R230 million for 2025/26) funded produ...
KZN-based small businesses and co-ops can apply for grant funding of up to R2 million through the Operation Vula tiered application forms (download from kznedte...
Part-loan, part-grant funding from the Land Bank (with DALRRD) for alternative energy on farms - solar panels, biogas and biomass plants - to cut load-shedding ...
If you have built a product or service that tackles a social or disability-related problem (past the idea stage), this annual competition awards between R300,00...
Grants for developing and producing South African films, documentaries, animation and TV or web content, with published maximums of R200,000 for development (R1...
The Technology Innovation Agency Seed Fund gives grant funding to turn research and early-stage technology ideas into working prototypes. Under the current cycl...
Young South African business owners (35 or under) with real revenue can get up to R1 million - half free grant, half interest-free loan - plus investor-readines...
The City of Cape Town annual #YouthStartCT Entrepreneurial Challenge gives selected young Capetonian entrepreneurs (aged 18-35) a R56,000 business enabler grant...
High-value programmes require strong corporate governance, audited financials, and comprehensive business plans. Check if your business meets the requirements.
Check Programme RequirementsDevelopment Finance Institutions like IDC, NEF, and DBSA require detailed feasibility studies, environmental impact assessments, and proof of market demand. Prepare these well in advance of application.
Large funders expect proper corporate governance: an independent board, audited financial statements, internal controls, and risk management policies. Start building these structures early.
High-value applications undergo extensive due diligence including site visits, management interviews, reference checks, and financial modelling. The process typically takes 8-16 weeks.
Include competitive quotations from verified suppliers to demonstrate cost accuracy. Showing multiple quotes for capital expenditure strengthens your funding proposal and shows diligence.