That is why Nedbank, in collaboration with Primedia Broadcasting’s radio stations 702 and CapeTalk, has repositioned the highly successful Nedbank Business Ignite sponsorship to align it the current challenges SMEs are facing.
The repositioned campaign is called #HandsUpForSmallBusiness, powered by Nedbank, and according to Alan Shannon, Executive for Client Engagement, Professional Banking and Small-business Services at Nedbank, it aligns with the bank’s far-reaching commitment to respond meaningfully to the massive impact that Covid-19, the national lockdown responses, and the recent unrest have had on small businesses.
"Our country needs entrepreneurs and Nedbank wants to help. We are passionate about encouraging and enabling businesses to keep going, to get back on their feet and to keep on creating jobs. The events and challenges of the past months have led us to refocus and strengthen our well-established commitment to small, medium and microenterprises in South Africa, and we are committed to doing everything we can to help them re-establish so that, together, we can do the same for our nation," Shannon explains.
While the repositioned campaign still includes a call for entry as in previous years, Shannon explains that this is no longer the primary focus of the #HandsUpForSmallBusiness initiative. "Rather than identifying a small number of SME finalists and a grand prize winner to receive vital business support, we are casting the net wider this year, and will provide 20 businesses across the regions with financial, marketing, mentorship and technical support. These 20 businesses will be selected based on their ability to show that they are committed to rising from the challenges of the past two years and rebuilding their operations into successful, sustainable and resilient businesses," he says.
Business growth expert and founder of Furaha Afrika Holdings, Matsi Modise, will once again help businesses with mentorship and give them tools and guidance to help them on their rebuilding trajectories.
"I love this campaign because it's a real-life, real-time case study on how businesses react to changing circumstances. I look forward to jumping in and helping these small businesses get back on their feet. And I look forward to stories of hope and resilience in the face of adversity as entrepreneurs take the lead in rebuilding the country's economy," says Modise, who is also the #HandsUpForSmallBusiness incubator.
Selected business will be profiled on 702 and Cape Talk, and each will receive the following business package worth R165,000:
- A R30,000 cash injection for the business.
- Airtime on 702 or CapeTalk to the value of R100,000.
- A digital toolkit, including marketing material to the value of R10,000.
- Social media exposure worth R10,000.
- A business gap analysis from Furaha Afrika Holdings to the value of R15,000.
‘We encourage everyone who owns a small business to listen to 702's 'Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa', weekdays between 6-9am on 92,7 FM and CapeTalk's 'Breakfast with Refilwe Moloto' between 6-9am on 567 AM,’ says Shannon. Submission deadline for stories is the 3rd of September 2021. Go to HandsUp.co.za to enter.
