Get All Access for $5/mo

The SA SME Fund Invests R100m to Anchor Spartan SME Finance's New R600m Debt Fund South African small business financier, Spartan SME Finance, has secured a R100-million investment from The SA SME Fund to anchor its R600-million debt financing fund. The funding will be immediately available to Spartan SME Finance to boost its lending to SMEs.

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur South Africa, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Bigstock

"Making finance available to this sector of the economy is critical to the sustainability and growth of small and medium sized South African businesses and their ability to create much needed jobs," says Spartan SME Finance CEO, Kumaran Padayachee. The SA SME Fund is the anchor investor into Spartan SME Finance's new Debt Fund.

"On a strategic level our investment objectives align naturally with Spartan SME Finance's debt fund initiatives, and we are extremely optimistic about the potential of this fund," says Ketso Gordhan, CEO, SA SME Fund.

"The choice of Spartan SME Finance as a regulated SME funder with a 37-year track record means that the R100-million cash injection goes into safe, compliant and professional hands," explains Gordhan.

Related: Google Launches a Funding Initiative to Support News Organisations and Their Way Forward into the Digital Age

It is envisaged that at least half of The SA SME Fund's R100 million investment will be loaned to African Black owned businesses.

Alternative funding sources

Spartan SME Finance is uniquely placed in the market to provide alternative sources of funding for established SMEs. "Banks are reluctant to lend to SMEs, and their traditional funding mechanisms take too long which means small enterprise owners often miss out on good business opportunities," adds Padayachee.

Various products from Spartan SME Finance provide alternative funding to help SMEs access working capital and growth financing. The business owner can then use the funding where it is needed most – to grow the business.

"We have an immediate pipeline of transactions to place into the fund – so the fund is good to go. The benefit of this fund is immediate – allowing Spartan SME Finance to create greater impact on funding the SME sector," says Padayachee.

The SA SME Fund's investment facilitates an additional R500 million of institutional funding which will be contributed by a combination of Spartan's current funders and new local and international institutions..

Related: Seed Capital Funding For South African Start-Up Businesses

Padayachee highlights that the reason funding for SMEs takes so long is that the process is not designed with an empathetic view. He says that one cannot be empathetic to an SME unless there is total commitment and complete focus on that sector.

"We believe this is what is special about our offering to the South African SME market. In essence it's about finance for entrepreneurs, backed by entrepreneurs," concludes Padayachee.

Spartan has the ability to mobilise transactions quickly and often once first-time applicants have been through a rigorous but agile vetting process. The average turnaround time is 10 days.

The SA SME Fund's investment into Spartan SME Finance's new Debt Fund focuses on debt finance for SMEs and the full debt fund is expected to finance at least 100 SMEs every year.

Related: South African Venture Capitalist, Keet van Zyl, Unpacks How You Can Become Funding Ready

Side Hustle

This 20-Year-Old Student Started a Side Hustle With $400 — and It Earned $150,000 Over the Summer

Jacob Shaidle launched his barbecue cleaning business Shaidle Cleaning in 2021 when he was just 15.

Growing a Business

4 Ways I Grew My Business From Startup to 17 Years of Sustained Success

Whatever the future holds, remembering these four lessons will help sustain and scale your startup to a lasting legacy.

Starting a Business

This Ex-CIA Officer's Near-Death Experience Inspired Her to Start a Business That's Earning Over 8 Figures a Year: 'I Have a Higher Risk Tolerance Than Most'

Emily Hikade, founder and CEO of luxury sleepwear and home company Petite Plume, had an unconventional path to entrepreneurship.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Growing a Business

The 4 Forces That Drive Family Business Success

The businesses that survived three, four or five generations were powered by these distinct forces.

Growing a Business

10 Growth Strategies Every Business Owner Should Know

Effective growth strategies are vital for businesses aiming to achieve sustainable growth and long-term success.