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Please note: Visit the organisation’s website for more information.
[Update – 16 September 2020]
Youth Entrepreneurship Programme
Are you a young or women entrepreneur with a business idea in the ICT sector? Register NOW to apply to the Youth Entrepreneurial Programme (YEP)for 2021.
The Innovator Trust’s YEP programme was launched in 2017 with the aim to provide local unemployed youth with the practical skills, facilitated training and mentorship support required for young business owners who are just starting out with the ultimate outcome to stimulate job creation and drive innovation among ICT focused small businesses.
Minimum requirements are.
– A company defined in South Africa as an SMME, QSE or EME
– Must be operational and trading for 2 or more years.
– The business should be at least 51% black owned.
– A minimum Level 1 – 4 BBBEE status according to the DTI or ICT Codes
– The Business must be a registered company with key focus in ICT
– Latest annual financial statements.
– Companies with the potential, vision and desire to grow
***FUNDING & BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES***
Facebook’s Global Grants Programme (Small Business)
Facebook aims to support 217 small businesses in South Africa with a grant of over R8,5million, as part of its $100m Global Grants Programme. Administered and managed by Deloitte South Africa, the grants will be provided as a combination of cash and ad credits to help small businesses as they rebuild, re-engineer and recover operations during this challenging year.
The criteria for applicants include:
– Have between two and 50 employees.
– Have been in business for over a year.
– Have experienced challenges due to COVID-19.
– Be in or near a location where Facebook operates.
Applications are open from 27 August 2020 to 5 September 2020 at www.facebook.com/grantsforbusiness. The website supports the following languages: English, Zulu, Afrikaans, IsiXhosa, Sepedi and Sesotho.
Vodacom Business’ Vodalend Funding (All)
Whether you need to fund moving into a bigger office, buy equipment or property or just to get the cash flow you need to act quickly, Vodalend can make it happen. Apply now and get the cash you need within 24 hours. You can also get FREE Vodacom Legal Assist for the entire time that Vodalend is funding you. **This post is sponsored by Vodalend.
Criteria:
– Your business must be registered and operational for 12 consecutive months, have a good credit standing, turnover of R500,000 a year and R40,000 a month.
NFVF COVID-19 Relief Fund (Film)
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) initiated a relief fund aimed to support and assist independent freelance practitioners, technical and production crew in the film and television industry who have been affected and infected by the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically:
– Practitioners who are experiencing a loss of income due to cancellations or postponements of confirmed work engagements in South Africa, either as a result of being infected with COVID-19 or due to the National State of Disaster and subsequent lockdown.
– The NFVF Relief Fund will prioritise up to 60% of the available funds towards freelance film practitioners, technical and production crew members who have lost income due to the cancellation or postponement of productions.
The relief fund will provide grants of up to R10,000 per applicant.
Closing date for submissions is 3 September 2020. Applicants need to register and complete the online application form using the following link: https://nfvf.praxisgms.co.za/.
Harambeans (All)
As an Harambean, you’re able to apply for the Harambeans Prosperity Initiative which allocates $1,000,000 to provide low interest loans and equity investments to ventures. Apply here
The IDC’s Agro-processing and Agriculture Strategic Business Unit (Agriculture)
The IDC encourages new or existing companies within the agro-processing and agriculture sector that plan to create new or expand industrial capacity within the economy to apply for this fund.
Sectors in agro-processing (food and non-food) can apply:
- Horticulture and high-value field crops
- Beverages
- Wheat and sugar
- Forestry
- Livestock value chain such as cattle, poultry and pigs
- Horticulture including fruit, vegetables, nuts, tea and coffee
- Fishing and aquaculture
Entrepreneurs for Entrepreneurs Africa (Financial services, healthcare, the sustainable agriculture value chain, etc.)
E4E (“Entrepreneurs for Entrepreneurs”) is a venture capital fund that is backed by a founding investment from the SA SME Fund. It specialises in supporting early stage ventures in South Africa from very early-stage (pre-series A) to scale up.
E4E focuses on smart business models that have the potential to improve the quality of life for millions. They are looking for business models that employ:
– Digital transformation
– Financial/economic inclusion
– Smart & sustainable value chains
Industry examples:
– Food & water
– Smart cities & energy
– Education & skills
– Health technology
– Financial services
– Energy & climate
***TRAINING & SUPPORT PROGRAMME OPPORTUNITIES***
SAB Foundation’s Tholoana Enterprise Programme (SMEs)
This is a two-year business support programme that offers seed-funding and assistance with access to markets.
It is designed to help small businesses grow, with a priority focus on providing opportunities for small, medium and micro-sized enterprises owned by women and youth, people in rural areas, as well as persons with disability.
Makers Landing (Food industry, Small businesses)
V&A Waterfront in partnership with the National Treasury’s Job Fund created the incubation hub Makers Landing, which will facilitate a networking community between budding foodpreneurs and industry experts.
Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Fellowship Programme (Students)
First year students are invited to apply to become fellowship recipients to get support and development which will enable them to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset, as well as get funding for university studies.
Applicants must intend to study towards a degree in Commerce, Science, Engineering, Law, Humanities, Arts & Health Science (excluding Medicine, Veterinary Science and Dentistry) at the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS); University of Johannesburg (UJ); University of Cape Town (UCT); Nelson Mandela University (NMU), Rhodes University (RU); the University of the Western Cape (UWC); University of Stellenbosch (SU), the University of Pretoria (UP), University of the Free State (UF), University of Kwa Zulu Natal (UKZN) or TSiBA.
SAICA Development Programme (Energy sector)
SAICA Enterprise Development is offering a programme for business owners who are seeking support and growth opportunities for themselves.
The criteria include:
– Have your own business focusing on the energy sector or committed to starting an energy business.
– Have a Masters to doctorate qualification with an energy focus.
– You’re a Black South African according to the B-BBEE Codes.
– You can show evidence of commitment to your business.
– Has a registered company.
– No conflict of interest with existing employer.
Email Darrenr@saicaed.co.za with your cv and brief bio to apply.
Hatch by Founders Factory Africa (All)
Founders Factory Africa is a venture development company with corporates, investors and world-class entrepreneurs to help entrepreneurs build and scale big businesses. Hatch by Founders Factory Africa is a community of African entrepreneurs, giving startups an opportunity to have access to a global network, which includes investors and innovators.
Usizo Programme (Steel)
Black Umbrellas is calling all 51% + black-owned SMEs in the steel sector to join the Usizo Programme (an initiative by Macsteel). Contact the Black Umbrellas on 08618749628 or email usizo@blackumbrellas.org to join.
*This information is found on Black Umbrellas’ social media platforms.
NFVF Virtual Classes (Filmmaking)
National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture invites filmmakers to apply to participate in virtual classes. Eight modules will be available and applicants can only apply for one.
The modules include a documentary storytelling course, distribution and marketing, the business of film making industry and the foundation of animation. The classes will run from 30 August to 30 October 2020.
An applicant has to:
– Be a South African citizen or permanent resident in SA.
– Have limited experience in the chosen module.
– Have access to laptop/PC.
Apply via email at training@nfvf.co.za
Miles Morland Foundation Writing Scholarship (Writers)
African creatives writing fiction or non-fiction can get paid to write and receive a grant of £18,000, paid monthly over the course of twelve months. Poetry, plays, film scripts, children’s books, and short story collections do not qualify.
At the end of each month, the scholars must send the Foundation 10,000 new words that they will have written over the course of the month. Scholars are also asked to donate to the MMF 20% of whatever they subsequently receive from the book they write during the period of their Scholarship.
Deadline: 18 September 2020.
Facebook Accelerator: Commerce (B2B or B2B2C Startups)
It is a 12-week non-equity program supporting innovative commerce startups who renew shopping experiences for buyers and sellers.
The benefits of the programme include mentorship, training and workshops, access to networks (connections with Facebook experts), and being introduced to Facebook products and technologies.
Boost With Facebook Digital Skills Training (All)
Digify Africa in partnership with Gauteng Department of Economic Development is delivering online digital marketing skills training in August and September 2020. Each session is 90-miniutes long, includes the lesson and a Q&A opportunity. You will also get a chance to work on live briefs from some of the leading brands and agencies.
The topics of the course include social media, content creation, research and strategy, paid advertising, social media analytics and e-commerce.
The deadline is 24 September for South Africa.
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***COMPETITIONS***
Shoprite’s 2020 Hustle Competition (Small businesses)
Shoprite is once again throwing its weight behind small businesses with the launch of the 2020 Hustle competition.
This year the popular competition will award 20 established small business owners with prizes valued at R1.4 million. Each winner will receive R50,000 in cash, and a short course from Get Smarter valued at R20,000. The winners will also get R5 000 in media exposure in Shoprite’s print publications and digital platforms.
Success in the competition, which was first launched in 2018, has served as a launch pad for previous winners including one that has gone on to become a national supplier to Shoprite and Checkers. Entries must be submitted online between 3 August – 4 September 2020, and winners will be announced from 14 September to 31 October 2020.
MTN App of the Year Awards (Tech)
The MTN App of the Year Awards celebrates local talent and out-of-the-box thinkers that drive disruption and change. The competition page does not yet reveal what the prizes are, but promises that all entrants, finalists and winners will gain massive media exposure and publicity.
The submission deadline is 29 September 2020.
The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation (Engineering)
A chance to be a winner of £25,000 along with three runners-up, each awarded £10,000. Shortlisted applicants will receive a 7-month package of tailored support to help them achieve take their innovation to the next step in their commercialisation journey.
The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation aims to stimulate, celebrate and reward engineering entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa.
The criteria includes:
– Applicants must be individuals or small teams.
– Individual applicants must be citizens of a country within sub-Saharan Africa. For teams of two or more, the lead applicant (the person who usually participates in most of the training and other activities) must be a citizen of a country within sub-Saharan Africa.
– Applicants must have an engineering innovation, though you do not need to be an engineer to apply.
– The lead applicant should be over the age of 18 at the time the applications close. There is no upper age limit.
– Industrial researchers and establishments are not eligible.
Deadline for applications for the Africa Prize 2021 closes on 14 September.
Safe@Home Hackathon (Tech)
The virtual hackathon aims to run from September 22 to October 19 and invites the South African developer community to create and develop technology-based solutions to help victims of gender-based violence and vulnerable women and children. Cash prizes will be given to the top three teams.
The top three teams will get:
– First place: $5000 plus a contract to further develop the winning concept
– Second place: $2000
– Third place: $1000
The winning idea will be developed into a full application that will be deployed to support women across South Africa who need help, and make a difference in curbing gender-based violence in South Africa.
TechWomen100 Awards (Tech)
Women-owned companies and networks in the technology industry can be nominated for categories in the TechWomen100 Awards including the “Global Award for Achievement” category.
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***ACCELERATORS***
VC4A Startup Academy (All)
This is an online resource for startup founders where you can get access to the latest industry insights, start-up tools and methodologies needed to take your business to the next level.
About the modules
The first course is called “Start your business”, which walks you through the founding stage of your startup; the second course is called “Grow your business”, which covers what’s needed after your startup finds its feet and is ready to scale up. Course three is “Finance your business”, where you will learn how to attract venture funding; and course four is called “Your legal business“, it is aimed at founders who want to learn more about the legal implications of setting up their business and getting their operations funded.
You can also obtain a certificate for each course.
The Marketing Incubator (All)
Startups and small business owners can apply for the business incubation programme, which is aimed at balancing marketing strategies for products and services created by SMEs.
Applicants who wish to apply must meet the following criteria:
– Must be 25 years and older.
– Must operate a registered business.
– Must have strong work ethic.
– Be available once a week for online advisory (1 hour Zoom meeting).
– Be dedicated and willing to learn.
The closing date for applications is 15 September 2020. Interested applicants can apply at: www.marketingincubator.co.za.
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*** PREVIOUS ISSUES ***
– Business Opportunities Monthly – August 2020
– Business Opportunities Monthly – July 2020
– Business Opportunities Monthly – June 2020
