South African Future Trust

What South African Future Trust does

The South African Future Trust (SAFT) is an independent philanthropic trust with Public Benefit Organisation status (PBO 930068905), founded in March 2020 with a R1 billion donation from the Oppenheimer Generations Foundation. Its core product is interest-free loans extended to qualifying small, medium, and micro-enterprises (SMMEs) during the COVID-19 crisis, designed to flow through to employees as weekly payments of R750 over a 15-week relief period. Loan distribution is executed through partnerships with all six major South African banks (Nedbank, Absa, Standard Bank, FNB, Investec, Mercantile Bank), which process applications, sign loan agreements, and disburse funds on SAFT's behalf. By end of 2020 SAFT had reached 9,656 SMMEs and over 90,000 employees, with survey data showing 97% of respondents remained operational.

Name

South African Future Trust

Legal name

South African Future Trust

Website

https://www.southafricanfuturetrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The South African Future Trust is an independent philanthropic trust providing interest-free loans, grants, awards, and ecosystem programming to South African SMMEs through partnerships with all six major domestic banks and several non-bank intermediaries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

SMME Philanthropic Trust Services

NAICS

Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592)

SIC

Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153), Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)

akta.pro primary industry

Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Trust Funds & Multi-Donor Pooled Funds (BPADAOAE), Development Finance, Guarantees & Blended Finance Programs (BPADABAM)

Keywords

• Interest-free SMME loans
• Small business support programmes
• Philanthropic trust services
• Entrepreneur awards and events
• Bank-partnered relief lending

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Funding and Grants: SAFT was established in March 2020 with a R1 billion donation from Oppenheimer Generations Foundation. The organization provides interest-free loans to qualifying SMMEs. Repaid loan funds are reinvested into initiatives like the Economic Growth Accelerator that drive job creation and economic growth in the SMME sector.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The South African Future Trust is an independent philanthropic trust that supports South African small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) primarily by providing interest-free loans processed through six partner banks. Its offerings have expanded beyond crisis relief to include the Big Pitch startup competition, the SA Future Trust Awards, an annual business growth summit, the Optimised Operating Model learning programme, and grant-funded support delivered through non-bank financial intermediaries.

Product overview

The South African Future Trust (SA Future Trust) is a champion for small business established in March 2020 with a R1 billion donation from Oppenheimer Generations Foundation. The organization offers a portfolio of financial support products including interest-free loans to SMMEs, grant programs through non-bank financial intermediaries, and a major pitch competition with $1 million investment opportunity. Complementing the financial products are the annual SA Future Trust Awards (R3 million prize pool across six categories), the Premier Business Growth & Innovation Summit (annual event at Sandton Convention Centre featuring 2,000+ attendees and 25+ speakers), and the Optimised Operating Model (OOM) learning program that teaches businesses to remove operational inefficiencies. The organization also partners with WomHub to deliver the Economic Growth Accelerator for female-founded STEM businesses. These products work together to support small business growth and job creation in South Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SA Future Trust Awards: Annual awards program celebrating South African entrepreneurs with six distinct categories and prize money totaling R3 million across six categories
• The Big Pitch
• SA Future Trust Summit
• Optimised Operating Model (OOM)

Products and services

• SA Future Trust Interest-Free Loans Interest-free loans provided to qualifying South African SMMEs to enable selected employees to receive weekly relief payments of R750 for a 15-week relief period. Applications, loan agreements and disbursements are processed through six partner banks (Nedbank, Absa, Standard Bank, FNB, Investec, Mercantile Bank) on behalf of SAFT.
• The Big Pitch Annual startup pitch competition in partnership with Startup Club ZA offering a $1 million investment opportunity to a winning South African tech business. Includes mentorship preparation, regional qualifiers in Johannesburg and Cape Town, a Top 10 stage, and a Grand Finale at the annual SAFT Summit at Sandton Convention Centre. The 2025 edition attracted over 500 applicants.
• SA Future Trust Awards Annual awards programme celebrating South African entrepreneurs across six categories: Youth Entrepreneur, Social Entrepreneur, Tech Entrepreneur, Woman in Business (sponsored by Standard Bank), Innovative Idea, and OOM Impact. Total prize money of R3 million across the six categories; each category winner receives R500,000 (R250,000 cash plus a R250,000 support package including mentorship and hardware). 2025 entries closed in July 2025 with winners announced in November 2025.
• SA Future Trust Summit Annual Premier Business Growth & Innovation Summit bringing together entrepreneurs, innovators and changemakers. Features multi-stage experiences with industry leaders, exclusive exhibitions, high-impact networking, and the Grand Finale of The Big Pitch. Held at Sandton Convention Centre. The 2025 Summit hosted 2,000+ attendees and 25+ speakers.
• Optimised Operating Model (OOM) Approach and learning programme designed to help businesses achieve operational excellence by identifying and removing 'frictional costs' (non-revenue-generating activities such as inefficient production or sales processes). Delivered via workshops, masterclasses, and the OOM Learning Programme, and tied to the OOM Impact category of the SAFT Awards.
• SMME Support Programmes via NBFI Partners Grant-funded support programmes delivered through four non-bank financial intermediary partners: A2Pay Foundation (POS devices, capital and training for spaza shops in Cape Town, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal), Riversands I-Hub (Project Thrive Fund interest-free loans for SME asset, purchase order and working-capital financing), Technoserve (financial and non-financial support for 240 ICT-sector businesses, 70% youth- and 60% women-owned), and WomHub (Economic Growth Accelerator for female-founded STEM businesses).

Quantifiable outcome

• 9,656 SMMEs received interest-free loans; over 90,000 employees received direct financial support
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major.

• Startup Club ZAmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Partnership for The Big Pitch 2025 - South Africa's largest startup pitch competition. Provides access to startup networks, mentorship preparation, and ecosystem connection. Over 500 applicants in 2025 competition.
• Startup Club ZAmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Summit partner and exhibitor; co-organizer of The Big Pitch competition. Startup Club ZA is South Africa's largest network of tech startups, investors, and operators.
• WomHubmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2021NBFI partner - Pan-African incubator supporting female-founded STEM businesses. Economic Growth Accelerator program with SMME Track and Venture Track. SAFT funding enables 25-30 businesses per track over two-year cycle targeting 50 total businesses.
• A2Pay FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021NBFI partner receiving SAFT grant to extend POS devices, capital, and training to 1,000 spaza shops in Cape Town, Gauteng, and KwaZulu-Natal. Creates full business management system for record keeping and cash management. Minimum 1,000 jobs to be created.
• Riversands I-HubmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021NBFI partner - large-scale multi-purpose business incubator in northern Johannesburg. SAFT investment tests Project Thrive Fund providing interest-free loans for asset financing, purchase order financing, and working capital to Hub's SME ecosystem.
• TechnoservemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021NBFI partner - international non-profit providing financial and non-financial support to 240 small businesses in ICT sector. Businesses are 70% youth- and 60% women-owned from Gauteng. Two-phase program with training and skills development.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Industrial Development Corporation (IDC): South Africa's state-owned development finance institution providing finance to industrial and enterprise projects. Comparable as a domestic DFI ecosystem peer, though operating at significantly larger scale and with a broader industrial remit than SAFT's SMME focus.
• FMO (Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank): Dutch development finance institution investing in private enterprises in developing countries. Comparable as a development-finance institution deploying concessional patient capital into emerging-market SMEs, though operating at far larger scale and with a global rather than South African focus.
• Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA): South African government agency mandated to develop, support and grow small enterprises through non-financial and financial support. Comparable in SMME-focus and target population, but government-funded rather than philanthropic and broader in mandate.

Direct peers

• Acumen Fund: Global non-profit impact investor that uses philanthropic capital to invest in companies serving low-income customers. Closely comparable to SAFT as a philanthropic fund deploying concessional patient capital with a poverty-alleviation mandate, though investing in enterprises rather than providing direct loans.
• GroFin: Pan-African SME finance provider offering debt and hands-on support to small businesses across multiple African countries. Directly comparable as a development-finance SME specialist targeting the same underserved entrepreneur segment SAFT serves, though with a wider geographic footprint.
• Business Partners Limited: South Africa's leading specialist financier of SMEs, providing loans, equity and property finance to small businesses. Comparable to SAFT because it targets the same SMME segment in South Africa with similar risk capital, though commercially rather than philanthropically funded.
• National Empowerment Fund (NEF): South African development finance institution focused on providing financial and non-financial support to black-owned SMEs. Directly comparable to SAFT in targeting South African SMMEs with concessional capital, though driven by BBBEE policy mandates rather than philanthropy.
• Kiva: Global non-profit crowdfunding platform enabling $0-interest loans to underserved small businesses and entrepreneurs. Comparable as a no-interest small-business lender serving SMMEs in emerging markets, though funded by individual lenders rather than a single philanthropic endowment.
• Small Foundation: Philanthropic foundation focused on catalysing economic opportunities for small-business owners in sub-Saharan Africa. Highly comparable to SAFT in mandate (small enterprise growth on the continent) and structure (philanthropic vehicle), though focused more on ecosystem support than direct lending.

Regional players

• British Business Bank: UK government-owned development bank supporting SME access to finance. Comparable in mission (catalysing SME finance through blended public-private capital) and structure, though focused on the UK rather than South Africa and serving a more developed financial market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/SAFutureTrust
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCAxE4TSL-antyhd6zL8xFiw
• Facebookfacebook.com/SAFutureTrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-african-future-trust
• Instagraminstagram.com/safuturetrust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about South African Future Trust