From left to right: Karl Socikwa, Chief Executive of Market Development and Sustainability at Sanlam; Sonia Jamoulle, Head of Public Relations, Sanlam Group; Lucas Zepe, Head in the CEO’s Office, SANParks; Ray-Ann Sedres, Chief Transformation Officer at Sanlam; Pat Bopape, Park Manager for Knysna; Victor Mokoena, Acting Regional General Manager for Garden Route National Park; and Keitumetse Lekaba, Managing Director at I Am An Entrepreneur.

The Kruger Park pilot showed the phenomenal results of providing supply chain finance at zero interest. In the last year, the programme saw 35 applications approved and funded, with total disbursements of close to R8 million, related to the initial R10 million pilot funding. Critically, 61% of the beneficiaries were youth, and 39% were women.

The importance of this cannot be overstated in a nation that leans heavily on its SMMEs to contribute about 34% of its total GDP. Access to finance remains a key barrier for many micro- and small businesses. The funding creates a sustainable cycle of support that shapes communities by building resilience for the long term.

Ray-Ann Sedres, Chief Transformation Officer at Sanlam, says, “Our National parks are a jewel in the nation’s crown. Kruger National Park alone is responsible for adding around R3 billion to the economy annually, according to a 2020 study. They’re the engine room for job generation and play a pivotal part in supporting the communities that surround them. The success of the fund applications at Kruger has shown that financing rural micro and small businesses is not as risky as might be perceived.

“As well as changing people’s stories, it changes communities, and it feeds back into the effective running of the parks, giving SANParks access to much-needed diverse supplier network support. We’re delighted to be expanding the fund and to provide sustainable support for more SMMEs across South Africa.

“This deeply aligns with our DNA and our north star to empower all Africans to be financially secure and prosperous. We cannot achieve this without giving our micro- and small business sector the support it needs to thrive. Our people are innately creative. Ingenuity abounds. It’s our privilege to play a part in unlocking this potential. Particularly for our youth and women-owned businesses, given the inequalities within our society.”

The expansion of the programme to all of SANParks’ surrounding communities aims to increase local entrepreneurship, while preserving the nation’s unique ecosystems by driving environmental stewardship through a partnership approach. SMMEs within a 50 km radius of the parks – with some concessions for special cases further afield – can apply for short-term working capital through interest-free loans. The programme is implemented by I Am An Entrepreneur – a leading enterprise development agency.

All too often, lenders charge entrepreneurs up to 50% interest, which inevitably eats up most of their profits, making it difficult to build a viable business. SMMEs spend much of their time simply scrambling to pay back the high interest they owe. Having no capital is a huge deterrent to grow their business. Sedres adds, “Interest-free loans can be game-changers, giving SMMEs the capital injection they need to survive, thrive, and grow. We know that SMMEs could generate about 90% of the 11 million jobs South Africa needs, according to the National Development Plan. We must find more innovative and sustainable solutions – like this impact fund.”