Business funding
Compare Start-up Finance in South Africa
Compare loans, development finance, grants and equity for a new business. A grant is not a loan, and equity can dilute ownership.
Funding eligibility, pricing and security requirements depend on the provider and the business. WiT Money does not approve credit or give a personalised quotation. Information checked 28 October 2026.
Before you compare
A grant is not a loan. Equity is not a loan, and it can dilute ownership. A development programme is not an open application until the current window is checked. A start-up without revenue does not automatically qualify for bank finance.
A limited company does not remove a director's liability under a valid personal suretyship. Security over a business asset and a personal undertaking are different promises.
Compare providers
The provider name links to the WiT Money profile. The gold button opens the recorded website. It is not an application.
6 of 6 products, in provider name order. A missing price is not shown as zero, and nothing is ranked as cheapest.
Confirm whether this programme is open before you apply.
- Funding
- Programme dependent
- Window
- Quote/programme dependent
- What you give
- Negotiated
Eligibility. Viable SME; initiative rules
Security. Potential security/ownership impact
Advantages
- SME focus
- targeted initiatives
Considerations
- Not necessarily pre-revenue start-ups
Notes checked 28 October 2026. Confirm the amount, the price and any surety with the provider. No National Credit Regulator number is shown on this card. A loan described as unsecured can still ask for personal surety.
This organisation matches businesses to funders. A match is not an approval, and it is not the lender.
- Funding
- Funder-dependent
- Window
- Funder-dependent
- What you give
- Verify broker and funder charges
Eligibility. Varies by matched funder
Security. Varies
Advantages
- May compare channels
Considerations
- Not funder
- start-up approval not guaranteed
Notes checked 28 October 2026. Confirm the amount, the price and any surety with the provider. No National Credit Regulator number is shown on this card. A loan described as unsecured can still ask for personal surety.
- Funding
- R1m–R1bn advertised institution-wide
- Window
- Project-specific
- What you give
- Negotiated debt/equity
Eligibility. Eligible sector, detailed business plan
Security. May seek investor contribution/security
Advantages
- Supports new projects
Considerations
- Large minimum and rigorous review
Notes checked 28 October 2026. Confirm the amount, the price and any surety with the provider. No National Credit Regulator number is shown on this card. A loan described as unsecured can still ask for personal surety.
- Funding
- Funder-dependent
- Window
- Funder-dependent
- What you give
- Confirm intermediary charges
Eligibility. Funder dependent
Security. Varies
Advantages
- Access multiple finance partners
Considerations
- May not accept pre-revenue start-ups
Notes checked 28 October 2026. Confirm the amount, the price and any surety with the provider. No National Credit Regulator number is shown on this card. A loan described as unsecured can still ask for personal surety.
- Funding
- Programme-limited grant; verify current ceilings
- Window
- Grant conditions, not repayment instalments
- What you give
- Grant, not interest-bearing loan
Eligibility. South African youth 18–35; programme criteria
Security. Programme terms; no ordinary loan collateral
Advantages
- Non-debt grant
- mentoring
Considerations
- Strict age/turnover/exclusions
- not guaranteed
Notes checked 28 October 2026. Confirm the amount, the price and any surety with the provider. No National Credit Regulator number is shown on this card. A loan described as unsecured can still ask for personal surety.
This programme is not shown as an open application.
- Funding
- Scheme-dependent
- Window
- Scheme-dependent
- What you give
- Scheme-dependent
Eligibility. Eligibility by current programme
Security. Depends on current scheme
Advantages
- Public SMME support
Considerations
- Current schemes and site access require confirmation
Notes checked 28 October 2026. Confirm the amount, the price and any surety with the provider. No National Credit Regulator number is shown on this card. A loan described as unsecured can still ask for personal surety.
Compare selected products
Choose up to three on this page. Prices are not ranked, because they are not the same kind of charge.
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Estimate the cost
Type your own figures. Product cards do not fill these fields, because a published line is not a single rate you can drop into one formula.
What you may need before applying
Providers often ask for company or sole-proprietor details, bank statements, financial statements or management accounts, a cash-flow view, SARS documents, identity documents, and the invoice, order or supplier quote the funding is for. Not every provider asks for every document. The list is preparation, not a decision that you qualify.
Regulation
The National Credit Act does not apply to every business facility in the same way. A juristic person, the size of the facility and the type of agreement can change the position. No NCR number is printed on these cards. A marketplace is not the lender. FSCA authorisation, where a firm has it for another activity, is not shown here as permission to advance this facility.
How WiT Money compares these products
Each page keeps its own products. An invoice fee, an overdraft rate, a merchant factor and a term-loan instalment are not sorted against one another. Nothing is ranked as the cheapest or the easiest approval. A listed name is not a recommendation.
Other funding pages
Sources
Page updated 28 October 2026. A source date is the day WiT Money checked that page, not a promise the institution has not changed it since.
- National Credit Regulator
National Credit Regulator · checked 28 October 2026
- Financial Sector Conduct Authority
Financial Sector Conduct Authority · checked 28 October 2026