South African Business 2017 edition

FOCUS Positive change

FOCUS Positive change through enterprise development The Masisizane Fund’s new CEO, appointed in mid-2016, has pledged to continue the work of the Fund in contributing to positive change in South Africa. Zizipho Nyanga, the new CEO of the Masisizane Fund, has 10 years’ experience in business support, entrepreneurship, deal making, financial management, auditing, risk advisory and internal control improvements in fast-paced organisations. Promoted to the position of CEO in October 2016, she initially joined the Masisizane Fund in 2014 as the Head of Post Investment Monitoring and Business Support. During this time she also served as the Alternate Chairperson of the Executive Committee Credit Review and a Member of the Enterprise and Supplier Development Committee (Mutual & Federal). “Institutions like ours have a very important role to play in creating access to funding for small businesses, therefore we need to work closely with those that have a similar mandate to us in order to make meaningful impact. Maintaining strong and effective partnerships with institutions like SEFA, Productivity SA, SEDA, SAICA and Department of Rural Development is very important in ensuring this," Zizipho says. Zizipho holds a BCom Accounting from the (former) University of Transkei and a Higher Diploma in Accounting from Wits University. After graduating she joined Ernst & Young (EY) as a Trainee and later qualified as CA (SA). EY’s global footprint provided her with an international opportunity while she was seconded to the San Jose office in California. During her time there she was exposed to the entrepreneurial culture in small businesses and her passion for rural development and economic transformation was born. “I learnt that the only way to truly bring about economic transformation is to walk a journey with the business and assist them to grow into a thriving enterprise rather than to just give them money, waiting for them to pay back and hoping for the best. Growing and assisting a business successfully can only be done through establishing good and trustworthy partnerships,” Zizipho says. It is evident from her career history that Zizipho has the skills and experience necessary to continue building on the good work of the Masisizane Fund. The Fund is an Old Mutual initiative set up as a non-profit funding company to provide financial and non-financial support to small, medium and micro enterprises. Zizipho Nyanga SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESS 2017 44

MASISIZANE FUND The Masisizane Fund (NPC) is an initiative of Old Mutual South Africa, established in 2007 following the closure of the Unclaimed Shares Trust. The mandate of the Fund is to contribute meaningfully to employment creation, poverty eradication and reduction of inequality, economic growth and the attraction of investment. This is achieved through the promotion of entrepreneurship, enterprise finance and support to small, micro and medium enterprises. The fund’s focus is on enterprises that are 51% or more owned by previously disadvantaged individual(s) giving priority to rural and peri-urban/township areas. Masisizane gives preference to businesses that are owned by youths, people with disabilities or are owned by (51% or more) women and targets productive and labour absorbing sectors. The Fund’s success is driven by a focused approach on high impact industry sectors, coupled with a comprehensive SMME finance solution that includes business support. The Fund provides loan finance in the following sectors: Agribusiness Franchising Supply Chain The Fund supplies non-financial value adding post investment services including capacity development, business management and technical support, financial education, market development and product/service quality standards and compliance. A Business Accelerator Program has been established where potential clients receive targeted skills training and support to grow into a business eligible to receive financial support. Masisizane operates nationally with its head office in Gauteng and regional offices in KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Eastern Cape and Western Cape. Submit the following documents for an initial screening by the relevant provincial office: • Comprehensive business plan with market analysis and projections; • For established businesses – past financials (preferably 3 years) and latest management accounts; • For start-up businesses – financial projections; • Tax clearance certificate; • Off take agreements and/or letters of intent; • Signed consent for a credit check. Contact details: • Gauteng, North West and Free State – 011 217 1746 • Western and Northern Cape – 021 509 5074 • KwaZulu-Natal – 031 335 0400 • Eastern Cape – 043 704 0116 • Limpopo and Mpumalanga – 015 287 4279 For more information and where to find us visit www.masisizane.co.za An initiative of the Group Old Mutual is a Licensed Financial Services Provider