A guide to securing funding for your small company

"Every CEO wants a corporate social responsibility policy." The good impact is difficult to measure, but the negative effects of a calamity are huge." — Noreena Hertz, an English economist and scholar
One of the quickest methods to revitalize the economy is to stimulate the SME sector. SMEs make up over 98 percent of South African enterprises, according to a 2020 poll by McKinsey & Company, and employ between 50 and 60 percent of the workforce.
Nevertheless, running a business requires money, and there is a need to aid and guide SME owners in obtaining additional capital, especially considering the catastrophic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic during the last two years.
Different requirements in the business value chain – including the breadth of production, staff, and type of the business, among other variables – dictate why these small businesses demand additional cash.

Some – but not all – of the market's money are allocated to specific crafts, departments in the production process, and directorship demographics, which are typically based upon age, race, location, and gender.
Here are some samples of available awards and funds, as well as a quick summary of the various funding mechanisms.
Financial help for equipment. The Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) Technology Program of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) provides "financial and non-financial technology support" to smaller companies in the form of funding or equipment.
Staff education. The DTI's Black Business Supplier Development Program provides funding to black-owned businesses in a cost-sharing arrangement for business skills training.
Female directors can benefit from sexual identity funding schemes like the Business Partners Women in Business Fund, which aims to increase female entrepreneurs' access to capital to establish, expand, or buy existing business.

The I'M IN Accelerator Fund, which is for black South African women who have founded digital start-ups, is a more focused version of this funding approach.
The DTI financing model is typically segmented based on characteristics such as industry, marketing channels, and/or directorship age. Small enterprises that meet certain requirements can presently apply for the following loans and grants:

The Export Marketing and Investment Assistance Scheme (EMIA) aims to boost South Africa's export industry and attract additional foreign direct investment. This is tied to the Sector Specific Assistance Scheme (SSAS), a reimbursable cost-sharing award that assists stakeholders in the South African export market. Generic Funding, Project Funding, and Project Funding for Emerging Exporters are the 3 major that make up this programme.

The Umsobomvu Youth Fund is a government project aiming at providing possibilities for South African youth to engage in entrepreneurial and employment development by assisting them in establishing and growing their businesses.

The Support Program for Industrial Invention (SPII) aims to fund technological product innovation & development in South Africa.
The Treasury administers the R&D Tax Incentive, which allows enterprises in South Africa to deduct 150 percent of spending on qualifying scientific or technology research and development (R&D). The Minister of Finance said in his 2022 Budget Speech that the R&D Incentive is being reviewed, but that it will be extended in its current form through December 31, 2023.