SAB Foundation Tholoana Enterprise Programme 2021 for young South African Entrepreneurs.

Application Deadline: September 30th 2021

The SAB Foundation Tholoana Enterprise Programme is looking for entrepreneurs who are committed to boosting their growth and achieving new levels of success. Since 2015, this innovative and lifechanging programme has delivered exceptional results for hundreds of entrepreneurs all over the country, across multiple business sectors.

The SAB Foundation Tholoana Enterprise Programme supports entrepreneurs to become successful and resilient business owners through extensive entrepreneurial skills development, mentorship and access to markets, finance and practical business tools and templates. Connection to peers around the country builds a powerful network of opportunity for participants long after the programme has ended.

The SAB Foundation is especially keen to create opportunities for entrepreneurs with disabilities, who are strongly encouraged to apply. Similarly, applications are welcome from businesses working in new and/or growing sectors such as export, manufacturing, food processing, water, energy and waste management.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
• The business is operational and has been trading for at least 12 months.
• The business is black owned* and managed.
• The business is headquartered and registered (if applicable), within South African borders.
• The business should be a going concern, commercially sustainable and viable.
• The applicant is involved in the daily operations and management of the business on a full-time basis and is not employed by any other organisation.
• The applicant has the skills and experience necessary for the type of business they are engaged in.
• The business is in the early stages of growth.
• The applicant should show a willingness to learn, grow and change.
• The applicant should show entrepreneurial and leadership abilities.
• The applicant should be resilient and driven to succeed.

Benefits

1. Leadership development:
   Successful businesses are built on a combination of business skills, personal skills and leadership skills. We follow this holistic approach and place as much focus on leadership development and confidence-building as all the other facets of the programme.
2. Practical skills development:
   Five dynamic workshops form an important part of the programme and attendance at these sessions is compulsory. The presentations are practical and facilitated by experienced entrepreneurs, and the topics include Personal Transformation and Strategic Planning, Costing and Pricing, Sales and Marketing, Human Resource Management and Accounting and Financial Management for Small Businesses.
3. Mentoring and coaching:
   Participants have access to a personal mentor for up to four hours per month. In addition to the mentor, ongoing support and guidance from portfolio coordinators and the programme manager is on offer. Targeted consulting support including agrispecialists, process engineering and investment readiness are also on offer.
4. Online information sessions:
   A number of online information sharing sessions will take place over the course of the programme. These sessions contribute to knowledge sharing, skills building and peer learning and networking.
5. Brand building interventions:
   These tightly focused interventions are designed to improve market access and create brand awareness by providing specific sales and marketing assistance to participants. Examples include development of effective company profiles, price lists, logo development, website creation where relevant and other sales tools.
6. Access to resources:
   Participants will have access to a suite of resources in the fields of legislation and compliance, business development, market access, access to finance and media and public relations.
7. Performance tracking:
   The monitoring and evaluation of business data allows the team to identify individual challenges that require support interventions, and also strengthens the investment readiness of your business. This data also allows the Tholoana Enterprise Programme team to track the performance of the whole group, giving an overview that shows your performance in relation to your peers. Financial information, management accounts and jobs data are submitted on a monthly basis.
8. Peer-to-peer community and networking:
   In addition to the networking opportunities facilitated at the workshops, a digital peer-to-peer networking platform enables participants to share information, collaborate and discuss common challenges. Active participation in group activities is required.

FOCUS AREAS
In 2021 SAB Foundation will be recruiting 40 – 60 high-potential businesses to take up this life-changing opportunity. The focus areas for the 2021 programme include:
• Enterprises run by or benefitting people living with disabilities.
• Women and youth-owned businesses.
• Peri-urban and rural enterprises.
• Enterprises that create jobs in areas with few other opportunities.
In addition, we are keen to identify enterprises with long-term growth and job creation potential.
This includes:
• Export potential and/or import substitution.
• Growth sectors.

• Water, energy and waste sector
• Education (excluding early childhood development sector)
• Technology
• Agro-processing

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the SAB Foundation Tholoana Enterprise Programme 2021