SAB Foundation Tholoana Enterprise Programme 2025

Deadline: September 8, 2025

Applications are open for the SAB Foundation Tholoana Enterprise Programme 2025. The 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.

Upon acceptance, participants will undergo a comprehensive journey of self-assessment, goal setting, and strategic growth planning tailored to their business needs. The programme provides inclusive wrap-around support, including mental health assistance, to help entrepreneurs achieve their full potential.

The programme is one of the very few supporters of rural businesses and businesses that are outside of major supply chains. Although one of the goals is to assist these businesses in accessing corporate supply chains, often they also provide goods and services to geographic areas in which they were previously unavailable.

With this programme, they invest in entrepreneurs – with a particular emphasis on women, youth, people living in rural areas and persons with disabilities – who show the potential and commitment to grow a business and create jobs. This is done through a structured, two-year business support programme, seed-funding and assisting with access to markets.

Benefits

• Leadership development: Successful businesses are built on a combination of business skills, personal skills and leadership skills. They follow this holistic approach and place as much focus on leadership development and confidence-building as all the other facets of the programme.
• 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.
• 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 technical specialists, process engineering, compliance support and investment readiness are also on offer.
• 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.
• Market readiness interventions: A wide variety of bespoke market readiness interventions are available for business leaders to select from in alignment with their market readiness needs including brand building, sales and marketing tools, media opportunities, etc.
• Access to resources: Participants will have access to resources in the fields of legislation and compliance, business development, market access, access to finance and media relations.
• Performance tracking: The monitoring and evaluation of business data allows the team to identify individual challenges that require support interventions. This data also allows the Tholoana Enterprise Programme team to track the performance, 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.
• Peer-to-peer community and networking: In addition to the networking opportunities facilitated at the workshops, a digital peer-to-peer platform enables participants to share information, collaborate and discuss common challenges. Active participation in peer group activities is required.
• Financial Management Support: Effective financial management is key to the success of any business, yet it is an element of business management that most entrepreneurs find overwhelming. The Tholoana Programme has curated a series of Financial Interventions that will ensure our entrepreneurs are financially savvy, confident and investment ready

Eligibility

Entrepreneurs Eligibility

• The applicant should be resilient, self-motivated and driven to succeed.
• The applicant should show a willingness to learn, grow and change.
• The applicant should show entrepreneurial and leadership abilities.
• 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 is a South African citizen.
• The applicant has the skills and experience necessary for the type of business they are engaged in.
• The applicant is looking for business support, mentorship and skills training to take their business to the next level.
• The applicant is committed to full participation in the programme over the18-month period.
• The applicant is open to change and willing to drive new strategies to support the growth of their business.
• The applicant has high moral and ethical standards and a desire to contribute to the economy of South Africa.

Business Eligibility

• The business is at least 51% black-owned and managed.
• The business creates jobs.
• The business is in the early stages of growth.
• The business is operational and has been trading for at least 12 months.
• The business should be a going concern, commercially sustainable and viable.
• The business is headquartered and registered (if applicable), within South African borders.

In addition, they are keen to identify enterprises with long-term growth and good job creation potential. This includes enterprises with export potential and/or import substitution, as well as ones in growth sectors including agriculture, manufacturing, technology, agro-processing, real estate, finance, mining and transport etc.

Application

Click here to apply

For more information, visit Tholoana Enterprise Programme.