Understanding Social Entrepreneurs in South Africa
Around the world, a key challenge faced by early stage startups is insufficient access to finance (The World Bank, 2020). These startups are often considered, “too big for microfinance, too small for venture capital and too risky for the bank.” Without access to capital, startups are unable to build momentum and become trapped in stagnation. This report unpacks the funding gap from an enterprise perspective in South Africa to better understand:
- Their demographics, education and impact goals,
- Business models and strategies,
- Barriers when raising funding,
- Their experiences raising different types of funding,
- Future fundraising and growth plans and,
- The gaps and opportunities in the early-stage ecosystem.