Category: Funding Summit

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 Elique 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 11 June at the Empire, Conference and Events Venue from 8 am.

The small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector in South Africa is thriving and significantly contributing to the growth of South Africa’s economy. According to stats, there are over 2 million SMEs in South Africa, and the sector contributes roughly 34% to 40% of the GDP and employs approximately 60% of the workforce.

However, there is a large number of SMEs that fall into a gap that prevents them from accessing financing/funding mechanisms. These businesses are called the ‘missing middle’.

What Exactly Is South Africa’s “Missing Middle”?

As much as SMEs are growing and thriving in a tough economic environment, a big chunk of these businesses that cannot access funding is the ‘missing middle’. The ‘missing middle’ refers to 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.

In preparation for the upcoming 2026 SME Funding Summit, keynote speaker Darlene Menzies, CEO of Finfind, said, “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. They are too large for micro-finance but too small or risky for mainstream bank loans, leaving them underserved by traditional funding channels.”

A Credit Gap Measured in Millions of Businesses

The ‘missing middle’ makes up 85,6% of businesses in the sector and accounts for more than 80% of the jobs, yet they are the most underserved by lenders. Broken down into numbers, these enterprises represent an estimated 1,1 million formal firms and over 2 million informal firms, which fall into this gap and represent South Africa’s largest untapped market potential.

The businesses in this gap are victims of consequences because traditional banks and direct foreign investment (DFI) see them as high risk due to a lack of factors, such as a lack of formal financial records and collateral. This ‘missing middle’, although a significant contributor to employment and the economy, continues to struggle to access funding, making the issue much less nuanced than others may perceive.

Menzies emphasises this by saying, “Only 5% of formal SMEs currently have access to credit, according to the MSME Finance Gap report, despite 84% being technically ‘financially included. This is how the gap was created and continues to widen without policy intervention.”

Why Financial Inclusion Is Not the Same as Access to Credit

Financial inclusion in South Africa, while improving, primarily refers to access to basic transaction banking services. It does not equal or guarantee access to credit for SMEs. High concentration in the banking sector, strict collateral requirements, and poor financial records create a ‘missing middle’ gap, restricting funding for businesses. Menzies says, “There’s a big difference between having a bank account and being able to borrow against it.”

She explains that there is still a while to go before this gap is closed; however, the development of new government policies, such as the MSMEs and Co-operatives Funding Policy published in February 2025, which has the right intentions, financial education, credit guarantee schemes, and expanded DFI lending.

What would actually move the needle?

1. A national SME data and credit registry that captures alternative data (digital transaction histories, mobile money flows, trade credit records, etc.), as well as current and previous credit extension and historical payment behaviour.
2. Government guarantees cover 50%-70% of first-loss risk on SME portfolios, which makes the risk-adjusted return attractive to commercial lenders.
3. Tax incentives for banks that meet SME lending targets.

“If we don’t solve the missing middle problem, we’re not just failing businesses. We’re failing an entire generation of job seekers. This isn’t an economic problem; it’s a social stability problem,” emphasises Menzies.

There Is Hope — But It Requires a Different Model

Despite the scale of the missing middle challenge, Menzies is clear that South Africa is not starting from zero. What is emerging, albeit too slowly, are blended finance models that align public and private capital in ways that make SME lending viable without being reckless.

“There is some hope, though,” Menzies notes.

She points to recent examples where development finance institutions absorb early-stage risk, allowing commercial banks to extend credit to businesses they would otherwise exclude.

“Examples of models that can work include the IFC and FirstRand partnership announcement in September 2025 of a R1,8 billion facility specifically for underserved MSMEs.”

The strength of these models lies in their structure, not their scale. Menzies says, “Development finance providing first-loss cover, commercial banks providing distribution and relationship management, and MSMEs getting access.”

According to Menzies, this kind of risk-sharing architecture is precisely what is needed to unlock lending at scale, particularly for businesses that lack collateral but have viable operations and growth potential. Without it, private lenders will continue to avoid the segment, regardless of policy intent or public rhetoric.

South Africa has just four years left to meet the National Development Plan’s employment targets, with small businesses expected to carry the bulk of that responsibility. Yet millions of viable enterprises remain locked out of formal credit, not because they are unbankable, but because the system is not designed for their reality.

As Menzies makes clear, solving the missing middle is not a future consideration — it is an urgent economic and social imperative. The consequences of inaction extend far beyond balance sheets, affecting job creation, social cohesion and long-term stability.

These issues, and the practical solutions required to address them, will be unpacked in greater depth when Darlene Menzies takes the stage as keynote speaker at the 2026 SME Funding Summit, where funders, policymakers and business owners will be forced to confront a simple truth: if South Africa fails its missing middle, it fails its growth ambitions with it.

SME South Africa is proud to announce that the SME Funding Summit will be returning in 2026. The second edition will take place on the 11th of June, 2026, and promises to have a full day of funding-related activities, such as panel discussions, a funding-focused keynote address, and traditional and non-traditional funders exhibiting.

“We will once again be hosting the SME Funding Summit,” announces Velly Bosega, CEO of SME South Africa. “We have positioned this event as the premier funding event that delivers relevant funding advice and guidance to small to medium-sized enterprises across the country.”

Hosted in the heart of Gauteng, entrepreneurs from across South Africa gather to network, learn, and improve their chances of securing funding.

The 2026 edition promises to be bigger and better, featuring more exhibitors, expert speakers, and actionable insights designed to educate, inspire, and help entrepreneurs become funding-ready.

What To Expect

Attendees can expect to see a similar format to the previous year’s event. A powerful keynote about the funding landscape will take place, as well as multiple panel discussions and presentations.

Topics that will be addressed throughout the day include:

• Diverse Funding Pathways
• Targeted Funding Opportunities
• Funding Readiness and Compliance Foundations
• Government and Public-Sector Funding

“Some of the agenda items that attendees can expect to see again this year are a keynote centred around the South African Funding landscape, exhibitors from both traditional and non-traditional funding spaces and powerful networking opportunities,” said Bosega. “Based on the feedback from exhibitors and attendees, SME South Africa will be adding a few exciting surprises to the itinerary, but we will only be sharing this news closer to the time.”

Last year’s attendees agreed that the format drives transformation, empowering entrepreneurs with knowledge, mentorship and insightful discussions. This year, the data-driven event that connects SMEs with funders aims once more to address the common issues that plague entrepreneurs when it comes to funding.

Ticket Sales are Open

Tickets are officially on sale, with an early-bird discount for a limited time. Discounted prices are R 699 and give attendees full access to the SME Funding Summit and all activities on the day.

The event will be hosted at The Empire; Conference and Events Venue.

“We encourage funders who are interested in exhibiting to reach out to us,” he adds. “Brands that would like to partner with us are also welcome to reach out to us,” he concludes.

When it comes to growth for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), a robust business strategy can be the difference between success and failure. Business strategies are critical for SMEs that want to survive the ups and downs of the business world. Most SMEs will develop their own strategies. However, there is a platform purposefully built to ensure SMEs create comprehensive business strategies, Flowcode.

At the 2025 SME Funding Summit, Flowcode spoke on the importance of providing SMEs with a platform that enables them to build their companies from the ground up while leveraging digital platforms.
“We are here to help SMEs and entrepreneurs alike develop their business strategies. We give them a business coach and software that they can use to actually build their strategy, develop their strategy and help scale their business,” said Johnathan Ducie, Sales Lead at Flowcode.

What is a Business Strategy?

A business strategy is a roadmap that guides an organisation’s decisions, actions, and resource allocation to achieve its vision and mission. Key elements of a business strategy are:

• Mission: A concise statement that defines the company’s purpose and core values.
• Vision: A forward-looking statement outlining the company’s aspirations and desired future state.
• Values: Principles that define how the company operates and interacts with its stakeholders and form the foundation of the company’s culture.
• Goals: Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) objectives that the company aims to achieve within a certain time period.
• Competitive Advantage: Unique qualities or capabilities that distinguish your company from competitors.

What is Flowcode?

The Flowcode platform enables SMEs to create comprehensive business strategies. The platform uses a combination of advanced strategy tools with effective execution management to enable scaling with ease.

Some key features of the platform include:

• Develop Business Strategies: Flowcode’s modular platform empowers SMEs to create business strategies effortlessly.
• Team Collaboration: Flowcode enables a connected workforce by integrating external calendars, file sharing, and engagement tracking.
• Real-time Insights: Monitor progress with analytics and reports for better decision-making.
• Tailored Support: Flowcode offers each customer a trained business coach/consultant to help SMEs build and execute their business strategy.

How Flowcode Helps SMEs Unlock Funding

For many SMEs in South Africa, access to funding is a challenge. Some SMEs do not have the ‘data’ to highlight business growth and financial status, which can make demonstrating business viability an issue for them and their potential funders.

By leveraging Flowcode, SMEs have the opportunity to show growth through a digital platform. Because Flowcode monitors business growth and performance, funders can use this data to monitor how the business is performing and develop more tailored funding vehicles for SMEs.

“Where Flowcode can step in is to actually show you how to build a business, to actually grow your business, to make your business scalable. Then you can take that whole model and show somebody who’s a funder to go look at what you’ve built and look at what I’m doing from one source,” Ducie said.
For SMEs, a platform like Flowcode is not only there as an ‘ideas machine’, but also a comprehensive business development platform aimed at helping founders become more strategic thinkers, scale their businesses and navigate the tricky parts of owning a business.

“SMEs need to know that Flowcode is there to calm the chaos. We calm all the chaos for entrepreneurship, and we are for the entrepreneur,” Ducie explained.

Businesses Suited for Flowcode

The types of businesses that need a platform like Flowcode include:

1. Ready to Scale
Flowcode is ideal for businesses on the verge of growth that are looking for a platform that provides a clear roadmap to effectively and sustainably scale.

2. High-growth Companies
The platform is ideal for SMEs that are navigating a period of rapid growth. Flowcode ensures that strategic alignment and efficiency in execution are managed to maintain momentum.

3. Businesses in Turbulence
Flowcode not only helps businesses experiencing growth and success, but also those facing challenges. The platform provides proven strategies to help organisations break free from the ‘growth-collapse’ cycle and ensure they stabilise and thrive.

“We are looking to help the businesses that have an idea, and they’ve been running their business, but still need structure. Also, we want to help those struggling with operational challenges. We provide a business coach who can help them navigate any tough times,” Ducie concluded.

As small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) navigate digital transformation, the biggest hurdle can be the cost and finding the right digital business tools. Digital business tools are important because they enable SMEs to focus on running their business and increase profits, while technology takes care of the mundane tasks.

One of the more critical aspects of digital transformation is cybersecurity. Cybersecurity is important for all businesses to ensure that the business and its customers are protected. At the 2025 SME SA Funding Summit, Sean Twala of the Innovation Hub Group highlighted that cybersecurity is a growing risk for SMEs in South Africa.

“Businesses that have low turnovers or smaller businesses don’t usually take cybersecurity as something seriously. We are here to take care of SMEs and ensure their compliance with regulations and keep their businesses safe,” Twala said.

What is Cybersecurity for SMEs?

Cybersecurity is a foundational element of digital transformation for SMEs. It is the practice of protecting digital systems, networks, data and software from cyber threats like attacks, damage, data theft or unauthorised access.

Integrating cybersecurity measures from the start is crucial and involves more than just tools. SMEs need to train their employees, leverage multi-factor authentication and practice regular security updates.

SME founders might not always be aware of the best cybersecurity practices, and that’s where the Innovation Hub Group is helping.

What is the Innovation Hub Group?

The Innovation Hub Group is an end-to-end ICT solutions provider. The company’s services vary from ICT infrastructure deployment to enterprise internet and telephony solutions. Under its services, the company includes:

IT Solutions

End-to-end IT solutions that are tailored to match the needs of your business, whether through flexible monthly SLAs or on-demand support. IT solutions include desktop maintenance, firewall maintenance and IT hardware and installation. The Innovation Hub Group’s IT solutions begin at R189 per month for desktop maintenance up to R650 per month for server maintenance.

Server Hosting

The company’s server hosting solution enables users to access resources from anywhere, on any device. This helps reduce the need for SMEs to run expensive hardware infrastructure on their local network. Server hosting solutions are from R699 per month.

Web Hosting

Web hosting allows SMEs to post a website or web page on the Internet. The Innovation Hub Group’s web hosting services are secure and affordable, with a focus on hosted e-mail. Through hosted e-mail, SMEs can use Office 365, Microsoft Exchange, IMAP and POP. E-mail hosting is from R69 per month.

Internet Solutions

The Innovation Hub Group provides a range of Internet services, including fibre, microwave, wireless and LTE. The Internet solutions range from R299 per month for LTE and from R899 per month for business fibre.

Software Services

Software is important for digital businesses because it performs automated tasks, responds to hardware and responds to data requests from other software. The Innovation Hub Group’s software solutions are tailored based on your workflow and business needs. Software suites cost from R69 per month and vary, including customer relationship management (CRM) to remote management.

Power Back Up

With loadshedding causing so many operational disruptions for SMEs, backup power solutions are important. The Innovation Hub Group offers 3KVA 24V and 5KVA 48V backup power solutions, ensuring company PCs, servers and equipment with stable power during loadshedding. Backup power solutions are from R1599 per month for 24V and from R2219 per month for 48V.

Security Solutions

The security of your SME is very important to its operations. The Innovation Hub Group’s extensive cybersecurity solutions are suited for SMEs looking to secure their systems and data. The company’s security solutions leverage machine learning and automatic threat response technology to ensure data is secure. In terms of cost, its antivirus solutions are from R250 per annum.

Financial Services

Access to different types of funding is not always easy for SMEs, and with so many elements of the business needing capital, a simple loan won’t do the trick. The Innovation Hub Group offers flexible financing solutions to SMEs looking to procure hardware, software, maintenance and other services. The company’s financing solutions are tailored to each business, and the repayment period is flexible.
“We know that SMEs are looking for funding, but we want to make sure digital transformation and cybersecurity are affordable for them. Once they get their funding, we want them to see us as an affordable and trustworthy partner to streamline their businesses,” Twala concluded.

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.

The massive funding gap faced by South African entrepreneurs has led to a demand for alternative funding solutions. Events like the SME South Africa finding summit aim to not only help entrepreneurs understand what they need to qualify for funding, but also to expose them to other forms of funding.

Without exposure to alternative funders, SMEs are constantly running after traditional funders, such as banks. One of the alternative funders that was present at the SME South Africa Funding Summit is Flow48. We got to visit the Flow48 exhibition stall to gain insight into who they are and how they serve the SME market.

Additionally, we’ll dive into the importance of alternative funding and how SMEs can strategically use alternative funders for business growth.

What is Flow 48?

Flow48 is a startup fintech company, originally from the UAE, but then, because of gathering the amount of SMMEs that are in South Africa, the company saw the need to penetrate the South African market.

The company was originally founded in 2022 and then branched out into South Africa in 2023. They offer non-dilutive working capital, and because of the technology they utilise, SMEs can seamlessly apply.

“There’s no red tape, we don’t require a list, a handful of documents, we just require two sets of documents, a 12-month bank statement and your aged receivables, and that’s it,” says Thabiso Mkhasibe, Flow48’s Business Development Manager.

What SMEs Can Do to Help Themselves?

For many entrepreneurs, the biggest hurdle is not only securing funding but also knowing how much capital they actually need and how best to use it. Without financial knowledge and planning, businesses can either underfund themselves or take on more than they can manage.

To avoid creating unnecessary strain on the business, businesses should do the following:

• Keep accurate financial records.
• Understand how much cash flow you need.
• Be prepared to clearly demonstrate their revenue streams, expenses, and growth potential.

The above allows you to stand a much better chance of accessing funding. Beyond record keeping, entrepreneurs should also think strategically about capital. Funding should not only be used to cover immediate gaps, but also to position the business for long-term growth.

Mkhasibe explained that funding isn’t only for businesses going through tough seasons. “Whether it’s seed capital or expansion capital, you often find that some SMEs that are thriving will say, ‘We’re making money, we don’t need funding.’ But that’s a big mistake, because they end up using their cash reserves to fund major projects or buy expensive equipment. I’ve seen it happen where a client I approached 12 months ago told me, ‘I’m liquid, I don’t need funding,’ only to come back a year later in financial trouble,” Mkhasibe says.

This highlights an important lesson. Being profitable does not mean your business doesn’t need funding. Funding can serve as a buffer that ensures your business growth is sustainable.

Securing external capital at the right time can prevent entrepreneurs from depleting their cash reserves. Additionally, it gives them the flexibility to scale faster, expand into new markets, and cushion themselves against future challenges.

Building Trust Through Visibility

For Flow48, participating in platforms like the SME South Africa Funding Summit is also about strengthening trust with the SME market. As a new fintech entrant in South Africa, one of the company’s biggest challenges has been visibility.

“We often found that entrepreneurs liked what we were offering, but they’d say, ‘I’ve never heard of you before.’ Even when we directed them to our website or LinkedIn page, there was still hesitation because funding is a trust-based decision,” Mkhasibe explained.

This is why events like the Funding Summit are so valuable. They give funders multiple touchpoints to engage directly with entrepreneurs, creating familiarity and credibility. “In marketing, someone needs to interact with your brand at least five times before making a decision,” he added. “This event gives us another opportunity to build that trust, so that SMEs start seeing Flow48 as a reliable partner.”

If you missed the 2025 SME South Africa Funding Summit, fear not! You still have a chance to join us in 2026. Expect incredible insights, funding partners, networking opportunities designed to help your business grow, and much more. Join the waitlist now.

As South Africa’s small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) ecosystem continues to grow, the need for more funding and financing solutions is also growing. Currently, SMEs are still mostly turning to traditional banks for funding; however, there are various alternative funding platforms that are gaining popularity with SMEs, one of which is Sourcefin.

What is Sourcefin?

Sourcefin is a South African fintech company that specialises in providing purchase order funding and invoice discounting to SMEs. The company has a full-service solution that includes helping businesses secure funding, source goods, manage logistics, and provide expert guidance to fulfil purchase orders.

At the 2025 SME South Africa Funding Summit, Sourcefin’s Chief Strategy Officer, Jedd Harris, said, “Alternative funding is still new but gaining popularity. The normal entrepreneur on the street looks for funding or a loan from traditional banks; you hardly hear them say, “I need merchant advance or invoice discounting, but those solutions are slowly gaining popularity.”

Access to Funding Still a Challenge

With an estimated 3,5 million SMEs in South Africa, the challenge of access to funding is still a barrier for many small businesses. Traditional banks often have long waiting periods, excessive paperwork and strict lending criteria, making it difficult for small businesses to access the capital they need.

The growth of tailored financing options means SMEs can now access financing solutions that can better meet the needs of their businesses. This financing is specifically designed to meet the unique challenges of SMEs and is more flexible and accessible than traditional financing options.

“Most SMEs don’t realise that there are fit-for-purpose funding solutions that suit their business and its needs. It’s not about taking loans anymore, it’s about what the specific need of the business is and which instrument fits better for your business,” Harris explained.

How Sourcefin is Bridging the Funding Gap

Harris elaborated that Sourcefin uses a collaborative approach with SMEs when it comes to their funding needs, including:

• Education: Sourcefin prioritises educating SMEs about alternative funding solutions, making it easier for them to access the right type of funding.
• Building trust and partnership: Sourcefin positions itself as a strategic partner to SMEs and works closely with them to understand their funding needs and help them find the most suitable funding solutions.
• Diverse funding solutions: Sourcefin offers SMEs a range of alternative funding options that are developed to suit their unique needs.

“At Sourcefin, we offer open-minded funding; we call it fit-for-purpose funding. While most traditional lenders are still looking at collateral but in most early-stage businesses, they don’t have it. At Sourcefin, we look at your future, the opportunity and back you according to your potential,” said Harris.

What Sourcefin Offers SMEs

Sourcefin has two funding solutions on offer for SMEs: purchase order funding and invoice discounting.

Purchase Order Funding

The purchase order funding option from Sourcefin has the following features for SMEs:

• Can help SMEs fulfil large purchase orders such as tenders.
• Specialist sourcing support to help SMEs meet client expectations on every purchase order.
• Provides strategic support to help the SME grow as it receives large purchase orders.
• Provides logistics support to help SMEs fulfil orders
• Project management support to help SMEs fulfil orders on time and to the correct requirements.

Apply for Sourcefin Purchase Order Funding

Applying to Sourcefin is easy and can be done online. You will need the following:

• First name
• Phone number
• E-mail address
• The total amount of funding you need
• What do you need the funding for

Once you have sent in your application, Sourcefin will get back to you within 48 hours.

Invoice Discounting

Invoice discounting is a type of funding that allows SMEs to gain instant access to capital that is tied up in invoices they have submitted. Invoice funding from Sourcefin can be approved in as fast as 24 hours from application.

Apply for Sourcefin Invoice Discounting

To apply for invoice discounting from Sourcefin, you need to do the following:

Step 1: Application

Answer a few simple questions that will help you determine if Sourcefin is the right platform for you. Following that, you will need to provide basic business and personal information. The final step is to provide details on the invoices you have outstanding.

Step 2: Approval

Once your application has been approved, a Sourcefin consultant will contact you to help you understand all the details of the financing deal and what costs come with it.

Step 3: Post-approval Support

Once your invoice finance is approved and you understand all details of the deal, Sourcefin will pay you a portion of the invoice value. The company will also keep track of the expected payments and follow up with your clients if necessary. Lastly, Sourcefin will let you know once the invoice has been paid, deduct its original advance plus any interest and pay the remaining balance into your account.

“We see the SME landscape as a positive sum-game, and we know that if we can’t provide the funding you need, we have partners who can. It’s going to take a village to close the funding gap, but we can see that there are platforms and banks willing to bring funding to SMEs and enable their growth,” Harris concluded.