Awethu Enterprise and Supplier Development
The Transformation Fund
What does Awethu do?
- We manage corporate E&SD funds, focusing on equity investments in strategic suppliers
- We support investees to ensure that they achieve true transformation, grow, and deliver on their commitments
- We raise third-party capital to leverage corporate E&SD funds and maximise PP points
How does the Transformation Fund work?
- Awethu is a Black Private Equity Fund Manager, a special designation in the DTI’s B-BBEE Codes
- E&SD funds managed by Awethu are considered 100% Black-owned
- Awethu’s investments enable investees to immediately benefit from being 51% Black-owned, but Awethu also ensures that suppliers ultimately transform across all elements of the B-BBEE Scorecard, in the spirit of true transformation
- For example, investees must recruit or promote a “Black Entrepreneur” to lead a business function and apprentice the CEO. This individual will be supported by Awethu and will earn equity in the business through performance
What is the impact?
- Corporate E&SD capital managed by the Fund secures E&SD points, and can be deployed once-off as equity, rather than on an annual basis as a grant
- Transformational investments result in an increased number of high-quality, Black-owned suppliers in the supply chain, improving the corporate’s PP score
- Investee companies transform in the spirit of true transformation, ensuring benefits to owners, employees, suppliers, etc.
- At exit, Awethu aims to generate significant positive financial returns for investors and investees alike, turning a cost centre into a profit centre
Virtual Incubator
How does the Virtual Incubator Work?
- Startup and existing EMEs download and use the app in their thousands.
- We incentivise these entrepreneurs with opportunities in your supply chain and other prizes, screening them for readiness using the app and in-person processes
- The best entrepreneurs graduate into the Awethu In-Person Incubator, which bridges them into your supply chain and secures you your ED bonus point, but even those entrepreneurs that don’t graduate benefit from your ED spend
The Mobile App
- Trains micro entrepreneurs in basic business concepts
- Supports them with business tools
- Connects them to like-minded entrepreneurs
What is the impact?
- Maximise your ED score by providing training, tools, and networks to all EMEs who download the app
- Secure your bonus point by offering supply chain opportunity/ies to the app’s best users
- All of the app’s users benefit from its tools, creating jobs and driving growth for entrepreneurs who are normally forgotten in SA’s entrepreneurship ecosystem
- Enhance your by brand by associating it with one of the most scalable and socially impactful interventions in SA
In-Person Incubator
What does Awethu do?
- Our 6-Month Program will:Our Incubator has supported over 2000 entrepreneurs
- Connects high-performing EMEs to corporate supply chains
- Links these EMEs to funders who will invest in their growth
- Support you so that you deliver with excellence
- Our light-touch model ensures maximum value for your E&SD spend
- Our partnership with accredited training providers also enables you to invest your Skills Dev funding in the transformation of your supply chain
How does the the In-Person Incubator work?
- Our Incubator dovetails with our Virtual Incubator, where we have a pool of EMEs actively growing their businesses and proving their supply-chain readiness
- We incentivise these entrepreneurs with opportunities in your supply chain, screening them for readiness using the app and in-person processes
- The best entrepreneurs graduate into your supply chain and secure you your ED bonus point
- Our team of seasoned coaches then supports these EMEs to ensure they deliver on their contracts with you
For more infomation Tel: 011 024 1606Register or Signup for the Awethu newsletter: www.awethuproject.co.zaSource: www.awethuproject.co.za 
Awethu Projects (Owner)
