Grants, loans, incentives and competitions from government, development financiers, foundations and corporates. Amounts and eligibility as published by the funder; every card links to the funder's own application page. 34 programmes listed.
National Youth Development Agency (NYDA)
R1 000 – R250 000
A pure grant (no repayment) for young South Africans aged 18 to 35 starting or growing a business, paid to suppliers for equipment and stock.
SEDFA (programme originally run by the dtic and DSBD)
Up to R1 million on a cost-sharing basis (80% grant, 20% own contribution)
A cost-sharing grant for majority black-owned businesses with at least a year of trading: machinery and equipment, ICT, business development and marketing.
SAB Foundation
Grant funding plus two years of mentoring and business support
A two-year enterprise development programme with grant funding, mentorship and skills, for small businesses that create jobs. Applications for the 2026 cohort are open.
Technology Innovation Agency (TIA)
Project-based; larger than seed funding, sized to the development plan
Funding for prototype development, demonstration and pilot plants, certification and techno-economic studies for technologies at readiness levels 4 to 7.
Technology Innovation Agency (TIA)
Up to R1 million over up to 24 months
Pays for market testing and demonstration of a locally developed technology with an identified government or municipal buyer.
Tony Elumelu Foundation
US$5 000 non-refundable seed capital plus 12 weeks of training and mentoring
Africa's largest entrepreneurship programme: seed capital, training and a mentor for early-stage founders across all 54 countries, including South Africa.
Most "government funding" is a loan or a cost-sharing incentive. True grants (NYDA, BBSDP, TIA seed, foundations) are competitive and paid to suppliers, not to you.
CIPC registration, a SARS tax compliance pin, a business bank account, six months of statements and three quotations per item. Incomplete packs are the main reason for rejection.
No funder on this page charges an application fee. Anyone asking for a "processing fee" for NYDA, SEDFA or dtic money is a scam. Read our 2026 funding guide.
