By Cédric T.
The South African government has launched the Project Development Partnership Fund (PDP), a joint venture to finance technology companies to address the country’s socio-economic challenges, in collaboration with the management body of the public service pension fund (Public Investment Corporation) and the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).
It is a fund that aims to finance small start-up companies developing technological solutions. With a starting point of approximately $ 141 million, it will focus on SMEs and start-ups in the agri-food, ICT, water, infrastructure, food and beverage industries. housing, manufacturing.
According to Mildred Oliphant, Minister of Labor, “There is evidence that the small business sector is the backbone of any economy and contributes significantly to the GDP of any country. SMEs represent a significant percentage of 40% of all firms in South Africa and it has been estimated that by 2030, 90% of jobs will be in this sector.
The country is home to more than 2.2 million SMEs, of which around 1.5 million are in the informal sector, and 43% in trade and accommodation, according to the South African Small Business Development Agency ( SEDA) to implement the government’s strategy in this area. They are most often the victims of a guarantee or down payment that is too high in the event of a request for bank credit for their financing.