South African small and medium enterprise financier Business Partners Limited has launched the Basadi-Women Growth Fund, a ZAR 90 million (approximately US $4 million) initiative aimed at expanding access to tailored business finance for women-owned businesses and addressing persistent gender disparities in entrepreneurial funding, according to multiple reports.
The fund, unveiled in early December 2025, offers bespoke financing solutions ranging from R250,000 to R5 million (roughly $15,000 to $300,000 U.S. equivalent), designed to support women entrepreneurs with formal small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Financing can be used for working capital, equipment purchases, property acquisition, business takeovers, franchise investments and related growth needs, the organisation said.
Business Partners officials said the Basadi-Women Growth Fund aims to help female founders who have historically struggled to qualify for traditional lending due to limited collateral, smaller professional networks and structural barriers in access to capital markets. Qualified businesses must be at least 50 per cent women-owned and operated, with annual turnover thresholds below set limits, the firm noted in its launch materials.
The fund also includes flexible repayment options, such as an interest capitalisation period or a repayment moratorium of up to six months, to ease cash-flow pressures commonly faced by early-stage and growing enterprises. In addition to financing, participants will have access to technical support, mentorship and expanded entrepreneurial networks to bolster long-term sustainability and growth potential.
Business Partners regional investment manager René Botha highlighted that data from the GEM SA Special Report on Women’s Entrepreneurship shows that women face higher exit rates from business ownership than men, with financing challenges cited as a key driver of this disparity. The Basadi-Women Growth Fund is intended to confront these systemic gaps and foster a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The launch underscores growing emphasis within South Africa on gender-inclusive financing mechanisms as a tool to support economic participation, job creation and broader socio-economic development.
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