SME South Africa Funding Summit 2025

Relive the first annual Funding Summit for SMMEs

Event Overview (2025)

The summit took place on 12 June 2025 and brought together entrepreneurs, funders and ecosystem players to tackle funding readiness and growth. The event opened up room for real conversations, unpacked industry data, and empowered SMEs with tools to take their next steps.

Key Topics & Actionable Insights

State of Small Business Funding
Navigating Pre-Seed Funding
Bootstrapping 101
Building a Strong Pitch Deck
Alternative Funding Options
What Venture Capitalists Are Looking For
Sector Tracks: Agribusiness, Fintech & Technology Funding

2025 Speakers

Zama Nqadolo

Investment Manager - MIC

Velly Bosega

CEO - SME South Africa

Thandeka Dludla

Business Manager, SME Department at Old Mutual Corporate

Sthembiso Zwane

Partner - Grovest

Sheldon Tatchell

Founder and CEO - Legends Barber

Louise Naidoo

Product Head: FNB Commercial (Transact)

Litha Kutta

Head Partnership Development and Ecosystem Coordination at Land Bank

Jedd Harris

Chief Strategy Officer at Sourcefin

Jane Sithole

Deputy Minister of Small Business Development

Jameel Khan

Entrepreneur, Influencer, and Angel Investor

Jade Kriel

Co-Founder and CEO - Joy Joy

Hlengiwe Makhathini

Chief Invesment Officer - IDF Capital

Gary Markson

Head: Coverage Business & Commercial Banking, African Bank

Donald Valoyi

Founder and CEO - Zulzi

Darlene Menzies

CEO

Event Schedule (2025)

PART 1: EARLY-STAGE FUNDING

9:00 am - 9:15 am

Opening Remarks

9:15 am - 9:30 am

Welcome and Introduction

Velly Bosega CEO

9:30 am - 9:45 am

SME Landscape report and SME SA Partnership

Jade Kriel Co-Founder and CEO - Joy Joy

8:00 am - 8:30 am

Deputy Minister Of Small Business Development

Keynote Address

Jane Sithole Deputy Minister of Small Business Development

9:00 am - 9:30 am

Navigating pre-seed funding

Speaker on stage

Zama Nqadolo Investment Manager - MIC

9:30 am - 9:55 am

Bootstrapping 101: How to self-fund your startup

Speaker On Stage

Sheldon Tatchell Founder and CEO - Legends Barber

10:00 am - 10:30 am

Seed funding essentials: What investors are looking for

Panel Discussion

Jade Kriel Co-Founder and CEO - Joy Joy

Sthembiso Zwane Partner - Grovest

10:30 am - 11:00 am

Exhibitor Introductions

PART 2: GROWTH-STAGE FUNDING

11:15 am - 11:45 am

Building a strong pitch deck for early-stage funding

Speaker on stage

Donald Valoyi Founder and CEO - Zulzi

11:45 am - 12:15 pm

Alternative funding options for early-stage entrepreneurs

Panel Discussion

Gary Markson Head: Coverage Business & Commercial Banking, African Bank

Jedd Harris Chief Strategy Officer at Sourcefin

12:15 pm - 12:45 pm

What Venture Capitalists & Angel Investors are looking for

Panel Discussion

Hlengiwe Makhathini Chief Invesment Officer - IDF Capital

Jameel Khan Entrepreneur, Influencer, and Angel Investor

PART 3: INDUSTRY SPECIFIC FUNDING

1:00 pm - 1:15 pm

How to be and remain compliant: SARS/Bank/Government

1:15 pm - 1:30 pm

Agri-business funding

Speaker on stage

Litha Kutta Head Partnership Development and Ecosystem Coordination at Land Bank

1:30 pm - 1:45 pm

Fintech funding: Disrupting traditional financial models

Gallery & Highlights (2025)

Summit Insights & Impact

The 2025 Funding Summit was instrumental in delivering tangible value to the SMME ecosystem. By focusing on practical, actionable advice, the event moved beyond theory to provide entrepreneurs with the real-world tools needed for growth.

A key outcome was the announcement of new partnerships aimed at SME development, including a notable R300m commitment from the Inclusive Justice Institute to support small businesses in the tech and agri sectors, demonstrating the summit’s role as a catalyst for significant investment.

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