Most funding searches start in the wrong place. The question is not who has money, it is which type of money fits your stage and your numbers.
The main sources
| Source | Typically for |
|---|---|
| Development finance institutions | SEFA, IDC, NEF. Loans and equity, often below market rates |
| Government grants | Specific programmes, sectors and demographics |
| Commercial banks | Established businesses with trading history and security |
| Non-bank lenders | Faster, smaller, considerably more expensive |
| Purchase order funding | Businesses with a confirmed order and no working capital |
| Invoice discounting | Businesses waiting on debtors |
Match the money to the need
A term loan to fund a temporary cash gap is expensive. Invoice discounting to buy equipment does not work. Naming the actual problem determines the product.
What exactly does the money buy, and what does the business look like afterwards?
If you cannot answer in two sentences, you are not ready to apply. Funders ask this in the first meeting.
What almost everyone asks for
- Registered company in good standing
- Tax compliance
- Bank statements, usually six to twelve months
- Financial statements or management accounts
- A business plan with real financial projections
- Identity and proof of address for directors
The uncomfortable truth about grants
Grant funding is heavily oversubscribed, slow, and usually tied to specific sectors, locations or ownership criteria. Building a plan around a grant you have not been awarded is how businesses stall for a year.
Apply if you qualify. Do not depend on it.
Before you apply anywhere
Get your compliance current and your numbers in order. Funders decline more applications for incomplete information than for weak businesses.
Get a funding-ready business plan
Built on a real financial model: 12-month projections, break-even, cashflow and a funding readiness score. Free preview, full plan from R499.
General information, not financial advice. Funder criteria and products change. Confirm current requirements directly with the institution.