Latest news with #OakVentures
Zawya
07-08-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Startup.Africa - building a community of entrepreneurs, investors and operators
Oak Ventures, the company that owns SME South Africa is proud to announce a bold, new voice within its ranks, a digital-first publication focused on the African startup scene, venture capital landscape and innovations across the continent. Founded on the belief that African tech entrepreneurs and investors deserve consistent high-quality coverage, aims to become the go-to source for anyone building, funding, or scaling a business in South Africa and beyond. With a sharp editorial lens, aims to deliver valuable insights, founder interviews, funding announcements, policy insights and deep dives into the people and companies driving change on the continent. 'We are not just another tech publication; we are building a community. At the core of is the commitment to connect entrepreneurs, investors and operators with information they need to make smarter decisions, be informed of funding opportunities and more importantly, we want to highlight stories that often go unheard,' says editor, Lungile Msomi. Some of cornerstone features include: - VC and startup profiling – In-depth profiles of VC firms on the continent and emerging founders and the ventures they are building. - Deal desk – A roundup of VC deals across the continent, with context and analysis. - Founder's playbook – Strategic, real-world advice from entrepreneurs who have built and scaled African startups. - Policy and compliance – Updates on key regulations and compliance issues affecting startups and investors. The launch of comes at a pivotal time for Africa's tech landscape. As global attention shifts towards emerging markets, hopes to help local innovators tell their stories and help investors make informed investments. Media houses, founders and investors can now access the publication at and sign-up for our weekly roundup newsletter. 'We know how difficult it is to build and scale in Africa,' adds Msomi. 'But we also know the energy, brilliance and resilience that drives our entrepreneurs. That is the heartbeat and core of this publication.'
Zawya
30-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Creativity sparks innovation within SME South Africa
Creativity, innovation, and digital acumen are the order of the day at SME South Africa. As a digital platform that continuously strives to serve its audience, solve the problems of South African SMEs, and highlight the solutions that brands offer, the company understands how vital it is to have a strong team driving success. It's this combination of skilled individuals and the inventive use of digital tools that the platform proudly champions. Identifying human creativity and digital advancement To build a resilient and high-performing business, it is crucial to have a team aligned with the company's values and goals. SME South Africa's parent brand, Oak Ventures, regularly reinforces the importance of building with 'the ideal team member' and the frameworks that support consistent growth. The ideal team player is defined as someone who is smart, humble, and hungry. In other words, someone eager to drive advancement. SME South Africa also runs on the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), a model that supports strong culture, accountability, and operational efficiency. A core EOS principle is having 'the right people in the right seats,' ensuring talented individuals are empowered to do their best work in roles suited to their strengths. This principle recently came to life through an innovation by Karabo Kgopane, SME South Africa's community manager, who developed a new AI chatbot to assist entrepreneurs directly via social media. The SME Advice Growth Bot was created as an extension of the SME Advice offering, giving entrepreneurs instant, real-time support. It draws information from SME South Africa's website and, when additional help is needed, directs users to business mentors via the SME Advice platform. By offering on-demand digital mentorship, the bot complements broader brand initiatives such as the SME Growth Pod pop-up campaign and the 2025 SME South Africa Funding Summit. Together, these efforts reflect the organisation's commitment to making business support more accessible, practical, and immediate. Bringing AI into unlikely places Kgopane developed the chatbot using Meta's new chatbot tools, a feature he was eager to explore and adapt for South African entrepreneurs. 'It's the era of AI. Everyone's trying to use it in a smart, accessible way,' says Kgopane. 'None of our competitors are using AI quite like this, so I immediately saw the opportunity to fill the gap.' The SME Advice Growth Bot bridges the gap between social media discovery and meaningful brand engagement. Because it's integrated into WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, it meets entrepreneurs where they already spend time, offering 24/7 mobile access to reliable, relevant business support. Recognising exceptional innovation SME South Africa's leadership team has recognised Kgopane's creativity and foresight as major contributors to the brand's recent social media growth and expanding reach. In recognition of his efforts, he has been nominated for the Social Media Wiz category at the upcoming New Generation Awards. 'He's an exceptionally talented individual who brings a rare combination of creativity, precision, and strategic thinking to everything he does,' says Velly Bosega, CEO of SME South Africa (Oak Ventures). 'His work is consistently sharp, engaging, and perfectly aligned with our brand values – a true testament to his deep understanding of the digital landscape.' Though the SME Advice Growth Bot is still in its early training phase, the response from users has already been overwhelmingly positive; a promising indicator of its future success.
Zawya
24-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
SME South Africa hosts inaugural funding summit to empower local entrepreneurs
SME South Africa's first annual Funding Summit took place on 12 June 2025 at The Empire Conference and Events Venue in Parktown. The full-day event brought together more than 400 delegates, including small business owners, funders, and thought leaders from across South Africa - even as far as the Eastern and Western Cape - to engage on one of the most critical success factors for SMEs: access to funding. A strong speaker line-up tackles real funding barriers The summit featured 19 speakers who brought deep insights from their fields - including venture capital, bootstrapping, agricultural funding, debt finance, and alternative financing models. Notable voices included Darlene Menzies, Sheldon Tatchell, Jameel Khan, and others. 'We are excited about the wonderful feedback we've received,' said Velly Bosega, CEO of Oak Ventures (SME South Africa). 'I'm proud of my team for bringing this vision to life and for their dedication to serving our audience and clients.' Major commitment: R300m inclusive justice institute partnership A headline announcement came from Litha Kutta, Executive at Woolworths Financial Services, who spotlighted the launch of Woolworths' Inclusive Justice Institute - a major initiative designed to tackle food security, education, and MSME development in South Africa. In total, R300m has been committed to the Institute, with R200m from Woolworths and R100m from the Land and Agricultural Development Bank of South Africa (Land Bank). The Institute is home to two nonprofit arms: the Enterprise Inclusive Justice Institute (EIJI), which supports MSME mentorship and integration into Woolworths' supply chain, and the Community Inclusive Justice Institute (CIJI), which focuses on food security and basic education. The partnership aims to transform South Africa's agricultural and retail supplier landscape, with a strong emphasis on sustainability and inclusive growth. 'This initiative is a practical demonstration of how a leading retailer may empower small enterprises,' said Minister of Small Business Development, Stella Ndabeni, at the launch event in Cape Town. 'Woolworths has a partner in us.' Empowering entrepreneurs through access and education With the support of silver sponsor FNB and bronze sponsors SMEgo and Fund the People, the event underscored SME South Africa's core mission: to make applying for funding accessible and transparent for all South African entrepreneurs. The Funding Summit served as a practical, informative space for entrepreneurs to build funding readiness and gain clarity on where and how to seek capital. 'We understand how vital funding is to SME growth. Without access to finance, entrepreneurs struggle to succeed, which limits their ability to create jobs and contribute meaningfully to the economy,' added Bosega. A successful start and a look ahead Many attendees praised the summit for its organisation and value. 'We're setting our sights even higher for next year,' said Bosega. 'This is only the beginning of what we aim to build for the SME ecosystem.'
