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Type
Find the type of funding that suits your business
Not all funding works the same way. Some businesses need working capital, others require long term investment or risk cover. Browse funding by type to identify the right solution for your needs, compare options and take the next step towards applying.
NEF FUNDING
Alternative Energy Fund
The NEF’s Alternative Energy Solutions offering supports black-owned businesses to install alternative and renewable energy systems — including solar — helping them reduce reliance on the national grid, lower operating costs, and improve energy resilience.
NEF FUNDING
Bakubung ESD Fund
The NEF and Bakubung Platinum Mine (BPM) Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) Fund is a R3 million funding partnership supporting black-owned businesses in the Ledig, Mahobieskraal and Phatsima villages of North West province to enter and grow within Bakubung Platinum Mine’s supply chain.
IDC FUNDING
Economic Distress Programme
The MCEP Economic Distress Programme (EDP) provides concessionary debt funding to manufacturing companies that are financially distressed and have adopted bankable turnaround strategies. Funding covers working capital and plant and equipment needs, at 0% for the first 18 months and 2.5% per annum thereafter.
IDC FUNDING
Economic Job Creation Support (EJCS)
The MCEP – Economic Job Creation and Support (EJCS) programme provides concessionary debt funding at 0% interest to manufacturing companies that create jobs. It offers two sub-facilities: a Working Capital Facility and a Plant & Equipment Facility, each with distinct qualifying criteria.
IDC FUNDING
Energy Resilience Transition Fund (ERTF)
The MCEP Energy Resilience Transition Fund (ERTF) provides interest-free debt funding to South African manufacturing companies that want to adopt alternative energy solutions to remain operational during load shedding. Funding of up to R15 million per company is available, with a maximum term of 8 years.
IDC FUNDING
Energy Resilience Transition Fund: Infrastructure Programme (ERTF-IP)
The MCEP Energy Resilience Transition Fund: Infrastructure Programme (ERTF-IP) is an interest-free loan facility designed to incentivise South African companies to procure locally manufactured or assembled solar panels, inverters, and batteries.
IDC FUNDING
Export Competitiveness Support Programme
The Export Competitiveness Support Programme is a targeted concessionary funding facility under the Industrial Development Corporation’s Manufacturing Competitiveness Enhancement Programme (MCEP). It is designed to support South African manufacturers exporting to the United States who have been negatively impacted by increased import tariffs.
NEF FUNDING
Furniture Fund
The NEF Furniture Fund is a R50-million initiative, approved by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic), providing business loans of up to R5 million to black-owned furniture manufacturers to stimulate growth, create jobs, and reduce import reliance in South Africa’s furniture sector.
IDC FUNDING
Furniture Industry Challenge Fund (FICF)
The Furniture Industry Challenge Fund (FICF) is a blended IDC and MCEP (Manufacturing Competitiveness Enhancement Programme) fund designed to support qualifying South African furniture manufacturers.
NEF FUNDING
iMbewu Fund
The iMbewu Fund supports black entrepreneurs wishing to start new businesses as well as existing black-owned enterprises seeking expansion capital, offering funding from R250 000 to R15 million through debt, quasi-equity and equity finance products.
the dtic FUNDING
Agro-Processing Support Scheme (APSS)
The Agro-Processing Support Scheme (APSS) is a cost-sharing grant programme administered by the dtic that stimulates investment in South African agro-processing and beneficiation enterprises. The scheme offers a 20% to 30% grant on qualifying investment costs, up to a maximum of R20 million over a two-year investment period.
the dtic FUNDING
Aquaculture Development and Enhancement Programme (ADEP)
The Aquaculture Development and Enhancement Programme (ADEP) is a cost-sharing incentive offered by the dtic to stimulate investment in South Africa’s aquaculture sector. It provides a reimbursable grant of up to 50% of qualifying costs, capped at R20 million, for new, upgrading or expansion projects in primary, secondary, and ancillary aquaculture operations.
the dtic FUNDING
Automotive Investment Scheme (AIS)
The Automotive Investment Scheme (AIS) is a non-taxable cash grant incentive designed to grow and develop South Africa’s automotive sector through investment in new and/or replacement vehicle models and components. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) receive a 20% grant on qualifying productive asset investment, while component manufacturers and tooling companies receive a 25% grant.
the dtic FUNDING
Black Industrialists Scheme (BIS)
The Black Industrialists Scheme (BIS) is a targeted financial and non-financial incentive programme that supports black-owned and black-managed manufacturing enterprises to invest and scale in strategic South African industrial sectors. The scheme provides a cost-sharing grant of 30% to 50% of qualifying costs, up to a maximum of R50 million, depending on the level of black ownership, management control, economic benefit of the project, and project value.
the dtic FUNDING
Capital Projects Feasibility Programme (CPFP)
The Capital Projects Feasibility Programme (CPFP) is a cost-sharing grant that contributes to the cost of feasibility studies likely to lead to projects that will increase local exports and stimulate the market for South African capital goods and services. The grant covers up to 50% of total feasibility study costs for projects outside Africa (55% for projects in Africa), capped at R8 million.
the dtic FUNDING
Critical Infrastructure Programme (CIP)
The Critical Infrastructure Programme (CIP) is a cost-sharing incentive administered by the dtic that supports infrastructure deemed critical to investment projects, lowering the cost of doing business and stimulating investment growth in line with South Africa’s National Industrial Policy Framework (NIPF) and Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP).
the dtic FUNDING
Export Marketing and Investment Assistance (EMIA)
The Export Marketing and Investment Assistance (EMIA) scheme develops export markets for South African products and services and recruits new foreign direct investment into South Africa. It provides cost-sharing assistance to South African exporters, manufacturers, trading houses and industry associations participating in international trade activities.
the dtic FUNDING
Foreign Film and Television Production and Post-Production Incentive Programme
The Foreign Film and Television Production and Post-Production Incentive attracts foreign film and television productions to shoot and conduct post-production in South Africa. The incentive offers a cash grant of 25% of Qualifying South African Production Expenditure (QSAPE), with an additional 5% for productions using a black-owned service company, up to a cap of R25 million.
the dtic FUNDING
Global Business Services (GBS)
The Global Business Services (GBS) Incentive is a cash grant programme designed to create employment in South Africa by incentivising companies to service offshore (international) business activities from South Africa. The programme prioritises employment opportunities for youth aged 18–34 and contributes to the country’s export revenue from offshoring services. The incentive has been effective from 1 January 2019.
the dtic FUNDING
Manufacturing Support Programme (MSP)
The Manufacturing Support Programme (MSP) is a dtic incentive designed to grow and develop South Africa’s manufacturing sector by supporting new or expansion manufacturing projects. It offers a reimbursable grant of up to 20% (or 30% for qualifying transformation-owned businesses) of capital expenditure and raw material costs, with a maximum grant of R10 million over two years.
ECIC FUNDING
Black Industrialists Support Programme
The ECIC Black Industrialists (BI) Support Programme provides a specialised export credit insurance underwriting framework for Black South African-owned businesses seeking to participate in international export markets. The programme removes several standard barriers — including no assessment fees, unsecured insurance support for bonds and working capital, and a simplified approval process — to make ECIC cover accessible to black-owned start-ups and going-concern exporters. Export projects of up to USD 20 million are covered at 100% for both political and commercial risks.
ECIC FUNDING
Bond Insurance
The ECIC Bond Insurance Scheme enables banks and other financial institutions to increase their capacity to issue bond facilities for South African export contracts. ECIC provides cover against the calling of performance bonds by foreign buyers, protecting banks against losses arising from a South African exporter’s failure to fulfil contractual obligations. Cover is available on both a portfolio (Risk Participation Agreement) basis and a facultative (single transaction) basis.
ECIC FUNDING
Export Credit Insurance
ECIC’s Export Credit Insurance provides cover to banks and suppliers against losses arising from political and commercial risk events on South African export transactions involving capital goods and/or services. By insuring term finance provided to foreign buyers or borrowers, the ECIC facilitates South African exporters’ access to medium- and long-term credit for their international contracts. The product also includes Foreign Exchange Risk Cover, administered by ECIC on behalf of the South African Reserve Bank, for USD-denominated transactions.
ECIC FUNDING
Investment Insurance
ECIC Investment Insurance provides cover to South African business entities that wish to invest in foreign countries, protecting equity contributions, acquisitions, and shareholder loans against political risk events. Cover is available for up to 90% of the loss suffered by the investor and is structured to reflect the risk profile of the host country, the investment period, and the scope of covered political risk events. This product does not cover commercial risks — it is strictly a political risk insurance instrument for outbound South African investment.
ECIC FUNDING
Lease and Return of Plant / Equipment Insurance Cover
The ECIC Lease and Return of Plant/Equipment Insurance Cover protects South African export contractors and lessors against the loss of, or failure to recover, capital equipment used on foreign construction and project sites. The product addresses the specific challenge faced by South African contractors who lease equipment internationally and encounter difficulties repatriating it at the end of a project. Cover is available under two structures: a Financial Lease (Full Pay-Out) and an Operating Lease (including Return of Equipment cover).
ECIC FUNDING
Small and Medium Transactions
The ECIC Small and Medium Transactions (SMT) programme provides export credit insurance cover for South African export contracts valued up to USD 20 million. It is designed to make ECIC cover more accessible by using pre-approved underwriting criteria: if the foreign buyer or borrower meets these criteria, the South African exporter can be confident that ECIC support will be available without going through the full standard approval process. The insured facility covers up to 85% of the South African contract price, with 100% political and commercial risk cover available.
NEF FUNDING
Tourism Transformation Fund (TTF)
The Tourism Transformation Fund (TTF) is a dedicated capital investment fund established by the Department of Tourism and administered by the NEF, providing a combination of grant funding, debt financing, and equity contributions to black entrepreneurs in the tourism sector.
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