Are you a Small Business or Cooperative operating in the township or rural area?
The Township & Rural Entrepreneurship Programme offers blended finance and business development support to various sectors with a view of promoting their participation in the mainstream economy.
In this testing economy,small businesses and cooperatives that are based in the township or rural areas, need financial backing. Thanks to sefa’s Township and Rural Entrepreneurship Programme (TREP), these businesses can find assistance.
John Perlman chats to sefa’s Head of Business Development, Mr Don Mashele to shed more light on this programme.
The programme provides blended finance to small businesses, which is a combination of loans and grants in one package. Small businesses can apply for a maximum amount of R1. million. In addition to funding, the programme offers business development support, such as mentorships, to help businesses grow.
sefa conducts due diligence on applications to assess viability. If approved, they provide funding, ongoing mentorship, and monitoring of businesses over time to help them succeed and repay the loan. They are also available to help businesses structure loans, if needed.
The fund is earmarked for businesses that meet the qualifying criteria including but not limited to the following sectors:
• Clothing & Textile
• Bakeries & Confectionaries
• Tshisanyama and Cooked Food
• Retail (including restaurants, car washes, general dealers etc.)
• Automotive
• Personal Care
• Artisans
TREP takes the form of grants and another portion of the loan to reduce the burden of loans and facilitation of access to finance to small businesses.
For more information Go to www.sefa.org.za or call 012 748 9600 (Head Office)