Author: Maryna Steyn

SME South Africa has a long history of helping small business owners get funded. Through the SME Funding offering, the brand helps businesses to connect to multiple relevant funding partners that have an array of funding options. Although the online application portal makes this process seamless and stress-free, the SME Funding Summit has been established as a platform where businesses and funders, both traditional and non-traditional, can meet about all things funding.

The SME Funding Summit is the premier event for all funding aspects. It covers all types of funding by providing business owners with exclusive access to funders and banks in a full-day event, but at its core, the summit is all about education.

Education About Funding

The first lesson that the funding summit aims to teach is that not all types of funding are suitable for all businesses. And this isn’t just because of industry-specific funding.

Some of the types of funding that are discussed include:

Bridging Loans: Short-term loans that help you with any cash flow issues in your business so you can access funds quickly.

Inventory Loans: Funding used to purchase stock.

Working Capital Loans: Finance your everyday operations, such as stock, payroll, and taxes, such as VAT.

Purchase Order Funding: Loans to help fulfil any contract orders or large orders.

Government Funding: Funding options aimed at helping small businesses. Some of the funding instruments include grants, incentives and equity funding that are administered by various government agencies.

Venture Capital Funding: Investment capital by a venture capitalist into an existing business that needs capital to grow.

The annual summit brings experts to the stage who can address specific issues related to various types of funding. Through in-depth panel discussions and insightful presentations, the issues that plague small businesses, such as access to funding, funding readiness, and compliance, will be tackled. A dedicated keynote address also places the state of small business funding in South Africa centre stage.

Responding to Entrepreneur’s Needs

Any business owner is able to apply to SME South Africa for funding, but this live event takes the questions that entrepreneurs frequently asks straight to the funders. With numerous exhibitors, attendees can walk through the stands and have in-person discussions to determine what kind of funding is right for them.

More often than not, the questions business owners ask are what they miss when it comes to applying for funding. Speaking to experts will allow entrepreneurs to shed light on this topic.

The 2026 SME Funding Summit

This year’s instalment of the successful event aims to incorporate the highlights of the 2025 summit with a few of the suggestions from attendees as new additions to the programme.

Additionally, although unforeseen circumstances with the original venue have led to moving the summit to a new date and location, the new venue offers summit goers an enhanced experience. The Focus Rooms venue in Modderfontein still allows SME South Africa and its partners to welcome over 500 attendees.

Firstly, there will be ample safe and free parking space; however, the venue itself is also much more accessible

There is also ample safe parking space, regardless of whether you are arriving by car or via e-hailing. Focus Rooms is also a mere 3 km away from the Gautrain station.

In a recent press release, Velly Bosega, CEO of SME South Africa, highlighted that as soon as his team was informed of the need to find a new venue, they aimed to make the change as smoothly as possible to bring attendees the same quality experience that was promised.

Bosega continued to emphasise that they’ve been able to refine key aspects of the event – from the environment to the structure of the programme – ensuring greater value for every attendee. “We still have our hand-picked list of industry experts who will deliver curated keynote talks and insightful panel discussions.”

Time is running out to book your ticket. Grab yours today!

It is a well-known fact that SMMEs contribute to 40% of the South African GDP, and are responsible for 80% of jobs created. Yet, among these small businesses, almost 80% of fail due to a lack of funding. What makes this problem even more complicated is that it isn’t as simple as ‘entrepreneurs need funding, so give them funding’, and it is this complex issue that the SME Funding Summit attempts to address.

SMMEs and funders often refer to the funding gap. But what does it mean? In essence, it can be likened to two people standing on opposite sides of a big river. One person has a business, but needs money to expand operations. The other has the money and wants to help. The space between them is the ‘gap’ that prevents them from reaching each other.

In this analogy, funding readiness is the bridge that connects the funder and the lender with each other, but as more and more people need funds, the more pressure is on the bridge. The result is that funders need to scrutinise which businesses should be funded, often those that have the lowest risks.

The added complication to this is that the businesses that often fall behind are the established, growth-oriented small businesses with annual turnovers between R1 million and R100 million that are too large for microfinance, yet too small or risky for traditional bank loans and venture capital.

Additionally, SMMEs who have previously applied for funding and were rejected cited the reasons as:

• Poor or a lack of understanding of funding requirements
• Lenders want too much collateral
• High (and escalating) interest rates
• Business is not in operation long enough or lacks experience
• Weak business model or cash flow
• Poor credit
• Too much legislative and compliance red tape

The result: the R350 billion disconnect that entrepreneurs need.

Why The SME Funding Summit is Valuable

“We understand how vital funding is to SME growth. Without access to finance, entrepreneurs struggle to succeed, which limits their ability to create jobs and contribute meaningfully to the economy,” said Velly Bosega, CEO of SME South Africa, in a previous statement.

The clear gap that exists raises questions about the amount of available funds through the existing funders, access to funding or information about funding, how SMMEs can find the right lender, ensure they are compliant and how to accurately complete their financial documents.

Key roleplayers such as SME South Africa and other industry stakeholders need to understand why SMEs borrow, why and how the process works, and understand why entrepreneurs are rejected to better fix the existing shortcomings. Furthermore, entrepreneurs need to understand how much they can borrow, how often, what type of funding is at their disposal and from which types of institutions.

The SME Funding Summit has been designed to address these questions. It brings together entrepreneurs who are growth-oriënted and looking for funding opportunities, and funders who have a variety of funding instruments.

Traditional and non-traditional funders exhibiting at the SME Funding Summit have the opportunity to showcase their different products and services and connect with business owners in person. Attendees, in turn, can ask exhibitors their burning questions, allowing them to better understand their own business’s funding readiness and application pitfalls.

In addition to this, attendees have access to expert speakers who will share their knowledge about the funding landscape in South Africa, how to improve their funding readiness and how to understand the various types of funding that is available to them.

Lastly, the event promises to create a space for dialogue between SMEs and industry stakeholders, an opportunity to engage with SMEs to understand their needs better.

It will also touch on compliance, knowing when and where to scale, and how to navigate the complexities of the funding environment.

More About the Event

The topics are relevant to businesses from all industries across South Africa, and although it is hosted at Focus Rooms Event Venue in Sandton, SMMEs from across the country are invited.

On the speaker list is keynote speaker Darlene Menzies, founder and CEO of Finfind. Joining the SME Funding Summit this year are Lornelle Jonas, CEO and Founder of E’lique Advisory, Lilah Clark, SME Development Manager at Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Kgomotso Ndungane, COO at Finfin, and Zibusiso Mkhwanazi, CEO and Founder of Avatar Agency Group. Returning to the stage are Jameel Khan and Hiten Keshave, co-founders from Unconvensional CA, as well as Mokgome Mogoba, Founder and Managing Partner at Kholo Capital.

The day is jam-packed with panel discussions, networking opportunities and exploring a range of funders – all in one place. Starting at 8:00 on the 18th of June, attendees will have access to safe, covered parking, breakfast and lunch, as well as a programme full of curated presentations and panels.

If you haven’t booked your seat yet, don’t miss your opportunity. Grab it before it’s gone!

SME South Africa has a thoughtfully curated lineup of speakers who will take the stage at the annual SME Funding Summit. Among the topics addressed will be compliance, different types of funding and how to improve your chances of getting funded.

“We are delighted to share the news that the speakers for the 2026 instalment of the SME Funding Summit have been confirmed,” says Lungile Msomi, Digital Content Specialist for SME South Africa, who has helped hand-select the lineup of speakers for the upcoming event.

“Our keynote speaker is Darlene Menzies, founder and CEO of Finfind, and an expert in all things SME and SME funding. As founder and CEO of FinFind, she brings a great deal of data insights and solutions to the problems facing SMEs when it comes to funding. She will be a great keynote!” Msomi shares.

Sneak Peek for SME Funding Summit

Attendees can expect Menzies to elaborate on ‘the missing middle’. “There is a lot of talk about the ‘missing middle’ – those businesses that are too big for micro-loans but still too small for corporate investment,” she shared in a recent interview with SME South Africa. “They are too large for micro-finance but too small or risky for mainstream bank loans, leaving them underserved by traditional funding channels.”

Put into numbers, this ‘missing middle’ is the established, growth-oriented small businesses with annual turnovers between R1 million and R100 million that are too large for microfinance, yet too small or risky for traditional bank loans and venture capital.

The 2026 SME Funding Summit Speaker Line-up

Joining the SME Funding Summit this year are Lornelle Jonas, CEO and Founder of E’lique Advisory, and Lilah Clark, SME Development Manager at Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

Included in the lineup are Kgomotso Ndungane, COO at Finfin, and Zibusiso Mkhwanazi, CEO and Founder of Avatar Agency Group.

Returning to the stage are Jameel Khan and Hiten Keshave, co-founders from Unconvensional CA, as well as Mokgome Mogoba, Founder and Managing Partner at Kholo Capital.

Value at The Centre of The Annual Summit

“The speakers were hand-picked for various reasons,” she shares. “The most important reason is that their expertise aligns with the purpose of the event, which is to provide valuable insights into the funding journey and the perspective of the funders.

“The second reason is that we take our mission as SME South Africa extremely seriously; to bring impactful content that helps small businesses grow. That’s why we curated this list to ensure that the content provided to our audience pre-, during, and post-event provides long-term value for our audience.”

She points out that this content includes articles, podcast interviews, and post-event coverage about the insight shared on the day of the summit.

Providing a glance at the selection process, Msomi tells that she sat down with Velly Bosega, CEO of SME South Africa, to identify accomplished speakers. “We looked at what our speakers brought to the event last year and how that can be elevated for the next summit. Taking the audience feedback into account, we selected a few speakers to return and then sought out new speakers to cover new topics and fresh insights.”

Entrepreneurs who are ready to grow their businesses can buy their tickets on the SME Funding Summit website. It will take place on 18 June at Focus Rooms Event Venue from 8 am.

The 2025 edition of the Funding Summit saw many businesses across the SME landscape attend, aiming to liaise with small business owners and entrepreneurs who can benefit from their services. Included among these businesses were alternative funders, traditional funding, and tax and compliance industries. One such brand is PSTM.

“We are accountants helping SMS with compliance, financial statements, their taxes, wealth management and their business structuring,” says Phuthanang Motsielwa, representative of PSTM.

“It was important to us to be at the 2025 Funding Summit because we follow SME South Africa and we read their reports,” Motsielwa expands. “We understand the struggles that SME’s face, and a lot of things they struggle with are their compliance.”

This fact was noted by many of the funders on the day, as well as the speakers.

“They’re not finance-ready,” she continues. “There are a lot of issues that SME South Africa writes about, and those are very relatable to us as a business.

“So, being present is vital partly because SME South Africa is speaking to our audience, our target market, and that’s why it was important.”

Reaching Those Who Matter Most

Motsielwa elaborates that not only has the day allowed them to educate SMEs, but it has also helped them expand their mailing list. From a marketing perspective, it has allowed them to have face-to-face interactions with their target market. “The people that we want to serve – the people that are actually looking for accountants – that can help them to grow and not just look at whether or not someone filed their tax returns.”

PSTM is actively seeking businesses that it can support to grow and ultimately enhance the value of the South African economy.

One benefit of attending or participating in live events is that it allows brands and potential clients to connect with each other. It creates a platform that does more than just offer networking opportunities – it drives dialogue with all stakeholders within a particular industry. Furthermore, this one-on-one connection means that a personal connection can be made between the entrepreneur and the brand with the solution. In essence, the entrepreneur is more than just a name. They become a face with a backstory and a need for assistance.

Helping SMEs Take Back Control

“I think you are in control of your own destiny,” Motsielwa says. “A lot of the time, you like to talk about what’s wrong, what’s not going right, etc, but I think if you’ve taken the step and you’ve said that you are going to be an entrepreneur, then it is quite different. You need to take control of your own life and your business. If you don’t like the feedback that you’re getting from your business, then you need to reach out to someone who can help you. You need to make sure that you get the right level of support.

“I think there are very good people exhibiting here,” she adds. Her wish for business owners is that they gather their teams to attend the next summit. “Make sure that when you walk away from the next summit, you’ve got those people that you need to go back and speak to once the event is over.”

If you’d like to know more about governance, stay tuned to see the webinar about Governance for SMMEs by PSTM. It will take place on 2 October 2025, at 11:00. You can register via the link on the SME South Africa Webinar page.

The next SME Summit will be announced soon, so keep your ears and eyes open so you don’t miss a thing.

Finding funders for small businesses is like match-making. Although very different to a popular dating site that lets you swipe left or right, matching a funder is equally thrilling. The funder has its set criteria that they are looking for; specific revenue targets, loan amounts, business size, industry, collateral… The list goes on. However, when a business that is looking for funding aligns with his criteria, the two parties can connect and begin their working relationship.

Get Funds is one of the companies that acts like a matchmaker. It brings various funders to one platform where SMEs can connect with them and raise capital.

“We are a specialist consulting firm that has partnered with multiple funders to provide funding to SMEs,” says Juan Van Diggelen, owner of Get Funds, at the 2025 Funding Summit. “This partnership helps us match SMEs with access to working capital.”

Funding Matchmaker that Puts its Money Where its Mouth Is

Get Funds attended the Funding Summit to highlight that they are in the trenches with SMEs and truly understand their challenges. “One of the motivations for us to be present at the 2025 Funding Summit is to find like-minded business owners who want to scale; Entrepreneurs who want to grow and who need some support and empowerment.”

The brand’s attendance emphasised that they aim to do exactly what their name implies: to help SMEs get funding. Thinking about the day’s events, Van Diggelen shares what the team’s hope for the day was: “ We want attendees who visit our stall to go away with the idea that working capital is easy to raise if you know the right people. That’s our purpose in South Africa: to match SMEs with the correct funder.”

Van Diggelen also notes that brand awareness was an important factor in attending too.

Addressing SME’s Concerns

“Interacting with SMEs fuels me and the organisation because we know that the SMEs are the bourgeoisie class, so the economy only exists because of the blood, sweat, and tears of these guys. We care about them, and they need as much support as humanly possible.”

It’s because of this that Get Funds works hard to provide instant access to a range of funding solutions with just one paperless application and no capital raising fees.

“Each funder has its own terms and conditions, requirements and application processes, and it can all be tiring. We aim to make this process as simple as possible,” he concludes.

Benefits of Using Get Funds

By turning to Get Funds, applicants have the following benefits:

• More flexibility and options to match their needs
• Increases chances of approval by finding the right match
• Potentially lower rates by comparing offers
• Ability to choose the fastest options
• More Personalised funding solutions
• Increased negotiation power through our volumes and network
• Access to broader market knowledge and advice

The company has already funded over R5,3 billion across more than 9 600 clients. They are also Shariah-compliant.

Among their various products and services, they offer merchant cash advances, invoice-backed funding, revolving credit and short-term loans. Funds received from this process can be used for the following reasons:

• To assist in cash flow management in lean months.
• Buying inventory and raw materials, or expanding a product offering.
• To enable business growth and expansion in the form of new products, new facilities, or to upgrade existing facilities and diversify business portfolios.
• Run digital marketing campaigns or fund public relations.
• To purchase, repair or service any equipment and assets that the business requires in both expansions or its current operations.
• Assist in high-cost investments such as supporting research and development, and funding IT and technology updates.

At the 2025 edition of the SME Funding Summit, exhibitors and attendees had the opportunity to meet and discuss the issue of obtaining financing for businesses from different sectors and business stages. One of the sponsors and exhibitors on the day was Fund the People, and they strive to change the narrative about funding accessibility.

“Fund the People is a tendering platform,” says Praneshan Naidoo, Founder of Fund the People and Go Fund Yourself. “What we do is we take someone who doesn’t even have a company and help them get a tender. We help with full skills development by taking somebody who can, for example, manufacture a table and look at how we can help them develop that into a tender.”

Naidoo explains that Fund the People doesn’t just hand out money. “We help people with the tender process from A to Z. A lot of people have a particular skill and knowledge about how to make a product, but they don’t always know how to sell it.”

Key Takeaways from the SME Funding Summit

“The key takeaway we want for anyone who interacts with our brand, such as attendees at the SME Funding Summit, is how they can grow with us,” he shares. “Partnering with us can help show these entrepreneurs a sustainable future and how they can grow within the economy.

“When I say grow, I don’t just mean your business. Grow by hiring more people. Grow by transferring skills. Take your skills and pass them on to the next person or generation. Let the economy grow. That’s what we want, right?”

Naidoo’s passion shines through as he continues to use his prior example of a furniture maker. “We want the person who is making furniture, building tables or developing products to pass it on to the youth so that the youth can carry on with it. That is how you are going to build a South Africa, and that’s what we as Fund the People do.”

Fund the People’s Goal

Fund the People offers purchase order funding and invoice discounting. With the former, entrepreneurs can fulfil big orders and pay suppliers upfront. With the latter, business owners can unlock the cash tied up in unpaid invoices.

“Like I said,” Naidoo emphasises. “We don’t just hand out money – we execute A to Z across the board, and that’s what makes us different.”

Fund the People believes that attendees could walk away with knowledge and confidence based on the interaction they had with entrepreneurs at the SME Funding Summit.

“I am seeing hope, and I am seeing people who are grateful to see the various funders here.” Naidoo recalls attendees’ words and the value the event had for them. “It’s especially valuable for people who are saying: ‘I knew about the five major banks, I knew about loan sharks and borrowing money from family, and they are all saying no to me all the time.’ It’s this sentiment that we want to change.

“We want to have the new narrative that entrepreneurs come to us first before they go anywhere else.”

Exhibiting and Sponsoring the SME Funding Summit

As one of the Summit Bronze sponsors, Naidoo enthusiastically shared their passion for being involved in the day.

“The SME Funding Summit reminded us why these events are so vital for our economy. These events aren’t just about name tags and business cards: it’s about connecting the dots between real people and real solutions.

“I am loving what SME South Africa has done here, bringing niche funders into the market.” He highlights that in many instances, traditional funders such as banks are unable to fund businesses – a reality that many unbankable entrepreneurs can attest to.

“The platform that SME South Africa has put together here is massive,” he concludes.