Sanlam, SanParks expand SMME support to Garden Route and Addo parks

Source: Supplied

The pilot funding support of R10m at Kruger National Park in 2023 has been increased to R20m and the goal remains to create market access and provide finance and business development support to SMMEs from the communities surrounding South Africa’s major national parks.

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 R8m, related to the initial R10m pilot funding. Critically, 61% of the beneficiaries were youth, and 39% were women.

The role of SMMEs is crucial in South Africa, contributing approximately 34% to the national GDP. Access to finance is a significant challenge for many micro and small businesses. This funding fosters a sustainable support system that strengthens communities and builds long-term resilience.

Empowering entrepreneurs in conservation areas

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 R3bn 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 – an enterprise development agency.

Accessible funding for local upliftment

Skumsa Ntshanga, head of socioeconomic transformation at SanParks, says: “For true transformation to happen, SMMEs must be supported in ways that resonate with their specific challenges and opportunities. Part of our focus has been on ensuring that the fund is easy to apply for across multiple channels and in myriad languages to make it as accessible as possible. We want more people to be able to contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic upliftment of their communities and the running of our parks.

"The programme promises immense benefits by providing a pipeline of local, nimble suppliers that are committed to excellence, from which we can secure goods and services. This approach also strengthens our tourism economy and is aligned with our mission as SanParks, which is to promote inclusive growth within our parks."

Potential for further expansion

The expansion of the programme to other chosen national parks will be considered over the years based on the experience that is gathered during the current rollout stages. Hopefully, its continued success will demonstrate the impact that zero-interest loans can have on entrepreneurs, their families, communities, and the country.

Sedres adds: “We’ve seen what can happen when someone is provided with the financing to take their spark to a flame and develop their passion unencumbered. Our programme has been a successful case study showing how interest-free funds can unlock SMME growth. If we really want to change the economic state of our country then SMMEs are how we do it."

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."