Getting into the right Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) programme can be genuinely life-changing for a small business, unlocking funding, mentorship and a route into a major corporate supply chain all at once. Here are some of the country’s biggest and most active programmes, spanning retail, mining, banking and telecoms.
1. SAB Accelerator and SAB Thrive Fund (manufacturing)
SAB’s enterprise and supplier development effort runs across two tracks: SAB Accelerator, split into Start-up, Catalyst and Amplify sub-programmes for black-owned suppliers needing business development and technical support, and the SAB Thrive Fund, which provides growth capital to existing black-owned suppliers. Since inception, SAB has invested more than R200 million through the Thrive Fund, managed in partnership with Edge Growth. Applications open in cycles via sabentrepreneurship.co.za, so register interest and watch for the next intake if the current round is closed.
2. Woolworths Enterprise and Supplier Development (retail)
Woolworths’ programme supports emerging SMEs, particularly black and black women-owned businesses, across food, fashion, beauty, homeware and services. The retailer has significantly increased its financial commitment to SMMEs in recent years, reaching several billion rand annually, with a meaningful share of that spend going to black women-owned suppliers.
3. FNB Vumela Fund, managed by Edge Growth (non-industry specific)
Vumela was established by FNB Commercial and Edge Growth to address the “missing middle” in SME funding, businesses too large for early-stage finance but not yet ready for institutional investment. To date the fund has provided well over R500 million in growth capital to South African SMEs. Apply via vumelafund.com.
4. Absa Enterprise and Supplier Development (financial services)
Absa (formerly branded Barclays Africa) runs enterprise development centres across the country offering training, computer and boardroom access, alongside its Procurement Portal, a virtual marketplace connecting SME suppliers with thousands of registered corporate buyers and billions of rand in listed tenders. The focus remains on building the capability, compliance and credibility emerging black-owned SMEs need to enter formal supply chains.
5. Anglo American Zimele (mining)
Zimele, meaning “to stand on your own” in the Nguni languages, is one of the country’s largest and longest-running enterprise development programmes, running since 1989. It offers loan and equity finance, business hubs and technical support to entrepreneurs in mining-impacted communities, with hundreds of millions of rand disbursed in recent years alone.
6. Massmart Supplier Development Programme (retail and manufacturing)
Massmart’s programme, which supports small local manufacturers supplying Builders, Game and Makro, has procured well over R1 billion in goods from participating suppliers since it launched, on top of the billions Massmart procures annually from small businesses outside the formal programme. It also runs an annual Growth Summit connecting suppliers directly with Massmart and Walmart buyers.
7. Telkom FutureMakers (ICT)
FutureMakers has grown into one of the more active ICT-focused ESD programmes, having helped grow over 2,600 SMMEs and create tens of thousands of jobs since inception. Recent additions include a fully funded AI Catalyst Growth Programme for black-owned ICT SMMEs adopting AI tools, and TrailblazeHER, aimed specifically at black women-owned suppliers in Telkom’s value chain.
8. Nedbank-AWIEF Women Enterprise Growth and Export Programme (financial services)
A newer addition worth knowing about: a fully funded, 12-month programme for established, black women-owned, product-based businesses, run in partnership with the Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum. It supports 25 businesses a year over a three-year partnership, offering business diagnostics, coaching, and export and market-access support, with no cost to participants.
What these programmes have in common
Most require an existing trading business, usually with some level of black ownership, that can supply into or alongside the corporate’s own value chain. Very few fund pure startups from scratch, they’re generally aimed at businesses ready to scale into a formal supply chain relationship.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to already be a supplier to a company to join its ESD programme?
Not always, some programmes accept businesses with the potential to solve a specific supply chain problem, but most give preference to businesses already trading in or adjacent to the corporate’s value chain.
Are ESD programmes only open to black-owned businesses?
The large majority prioritise black-owned, and often black women-owned, businesses specifically, since ESD spend counts toward the sponsoring company’s own B-BBEE scorecard.
Is there a cost to join any of these programmes?
No, the programmes listed here are funded by the corporate sponsor. Confirm this directly for any specific programme, since terms and funded scope vary.
How do I find out which programmes are currently accepting applications?
Check each programme’s own website directly, since intake cycles open and close throughout the year and this changes often.
Finding the right fit
The right ESD programme match can fund growth capital, open a formal supply chain relationship, and provide the mentorship many small businesses can’t access on their own. Confirm each programme’s current intake status directly before applying, since cycles and eligibility criteria shift from year to year.
Originally published in January 2020. Updated September 2026 to confirm which of these enterprise and supplier development programmes are still active and refresh their current scope and funding figures. Confirm current intake status directly with each programme before applying.
