Unlocking growth in the SME sector

“Entrepreneurs are crucial to the growth of our economy and developing them is essential to create jobs and uplift historically disadvantaged members of our society,” says Bridgit Evans, Director of the SAB Foundation.

“During one of the toughest economic times in recent history, we have been inspired by these entrepreneurs who made the commitment, and in many cases, pivoted their businesses, to not only survive, but indeed in many cases, grow. Seeing them being able to flourish gives us hope for the SME sector and we were both amazed and inspired to find that 100% of them survived last year. It shows that with mentorship and guidance entrepreneurs can be given the tools and the confidence to build sustainable business and

create jobs,” she adds.

These businesses were recognised for their achievements at a graduation ceremony at the Radisson Blu OR Tambo on 20 May.

The grand prize, the Tholoana Award, was awarded to Sabelo Lindani, the owner of Contour Enviro Group based in Somerset West in the Western Cape. Throughout the programme, Lindani demonstrated commitment to driving his business forward, experienced exceptional growth performance (92%) and showed potential for future growth. The Contour Training Academy (CTA) specialises in environmental support services, such as capacity development and environmental consulting. Lindani’s team manage quality management administration, environmental education and provide project assistance in the environmental and tourism sectors.

“It's been an incredible journey for me,” says Lindani. “Entrepreneurship is exciting and scary at the same time. The assistance and support we received on the programme helped us refocus. What really helped me was having a mentor who

Tholoana Award Winner, Sabelo Lindani, with Bridgit Evans and Andiswa Gumede would not let me give up, even when I wanted to. The growth in my business has been wonderful. We started on the programme with three employees and now we have 55.”

Even though the pandemic led to the closure of millions of businesses worldwide, it forced SMEs to become agile – something Lindani and others in his cohort attest to. Business owners with fewer

resources and less cash on hand had to find innovative ways to stay afloat. They focused on diversifying,

Founded in 2010, the SAB Foundation provides funding for small, medium and micro-sized enterprises in order to contribute to the economic and social empowerment of historically disadvantaged persons through entrepreneurship development. The SAB Foundation’s primary beneficiaries are women, youth, people living with disabilities and people living in rural areas, from low-income backgrounds. More than R339 million to date has been invested in social innovation, disability empowerment and SMMEs. cutting overheads, cash preservation, digital transformation and new strategies that added value for customers.

The results achieved by businesses are encouraging. All 68 businesses more than just survived the pandemic, they experienced exceptional growth and created jobs in the process. There is hope that despite a struggling economy, South Africa is moving closer to its target to make the small business sector responsible for 90% of formal jobs by 2030.

Longevity is critical to meaningful economic impact and 86% of entrepreneurs on the programme said they believed that their business would survive the next five

years, along with a 46% increase in the entrepreneurs’ confidence levels. 

The SAB Foundation Tholoana Enterprise Programme is a structured 18-month programme that invests in entrepreneurs, particularly women, youth, people in rural areas and persons with disabilities. It offers skilled mentorship, business development tools and training, powerful peer networks, access to finance, and support throughout their time on the programme, to entrepreneurs.

Fetola is the implementing partner of the Tholoana Programme. The company is made up of experienced growth experts, mentors, project managers, digital leaders and entrepreneurs. The organisation works closely with corporates to create and run programmes. Catherine Wijnberg, CEO of Fetola, says: “The results from the Tholoana Enterprise Programme are proof that South Africa is filled with courageous individuals who with the right kind of support, from exemplary programmes such as the SABF Tholoana Programme, build the economy and create the jobs we desperately need.”