Small businesses are not beneficiaries of benevolent funders – they are vital contributors to South Africa’s economy. We are proud to work with enterprises that help solve sustainable development challenges in urban and rural economies. 

Many small businesses may need strengthening in areas such as business acumen, market connections, or funding to move into more sustainable operations. Our commitment is to the development of a more robust entrepreneurship culture, in which we can see challenges as an opportunity to support solution-oriented entrepreneurs.

Our uMastandi programme with The Urban Housing Foundation (TUHF) creates an exciting opportunity for aspiring property entrepreneurs. It offers a unique lending product that enables township homeowners, even in government subsidised housing, to apply for mortgage funding to develop backyard value rentals aligned with municipal bylaws.

These entrepreneurs learn property management through training simulations that teach how to design a bankable plan, navigate the challenges of construction, and operate an actual rentals business. Local entrepreneurs can solve the low-cost housing supply problem and give dignity to those without formal housing options.

The first three years of a child’s life are key to unlocking life-long potential. Yet only 40% of South African children are in Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres. Many social investment projects fund and support these centres to deliver appropriate hygiene, healthcare, nutrition, childcare, nurturing and security, however the standard of care in some remains questionable.

We aim to make ECD centres feasible and sustainable by equipping them with environmental, compliance and teaching competencies, as well as business and financial acumen to ensure each ecosystem is economically viable and adequately resourced.

The future of our food security increasingly lies in the success of small scale farmers across the country. Many interventions seemingly support farmers in technical skills and financing for infrastructure, however  there is not a lot supporting them in learning the financial basics needed to ensure long term sustainability.

Our farming simulation board game helps small scale farmers think more broadly about the business side of farming, and challenges them to improve their business decision-making. Ultimately, when agricultural entrepreneurs are sustainable they positively impact the food security and social resilience of the communities they serve.

South Africa’s climate resilience is in dire straits. Invasive trees have been populating rural landscapes for decades and as a result, have reduced arable land and water supply. Small businesses contracted by the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) employ thousands in Working for Water programmes but intermittent contracts make them unsustainable. 

Our Green Business, Clear to Grow incubator equips them to become sustainable by diversifying revenue streams, accessing new biomass value chains, collaborating within local networks, and accessing links to financial support. The resulting social, environmental and economic impacts in rural areas are ground-breaking!

Some of our greatest joys and most of our deepest disappointments stem from how we work with money. Avocado Vision partners with Training SMMEs who are passionate about community development across South Africa, to present twelve in-depth modules about Life Lessons on Managing Money.  

Each module introduces a distinct aspect of financial management, such as managing credit or retirement planning. Our content is rooted in the day-to-day realities of managing money and can be delivered either as stand-alone modules or sequentially to progressively build up participants’ financial skills, competence and knowledge.