National Empowerment Fund

National Empowerment Fund The National Empowerment Fund is a Development Funding Institution
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From inspiration to action. From participation to ownership.The Women’s Month Empowerment High Tea in Frankfort brought ...
03/09/2026

From inspiration to action. From participation to ownership.

The Women’s Month Empowerment High Tea in Frankfort brought together women to celebrate their resilience, ambition and contribution to South Africa’s economy, while creating meaningful conversations around turning opportunity into sustainable economic participation.

Hosted by Honourable Nomasonto Motaung, MP, the gathering provided an important platform for women to engage on access to finance, markets, mentorship and strategic partnerships that can support the growth and sustainability of women-owned businesses.

Representing the National Empowerment Fund (NEF) was Free State Regional Manager, Ms Keneilwe Pelesa, who joined Ms Phumla Ngqeza, Chief Director from the Department of Economic Development of Economic and Tourism (DEDT), among other stakeholders, in advancing the conversation on women’s economic empowerment.

For the NEF, empowerment is about more than opening doors; it is about creating pathways that enable women to access the resources, networks and opportunities needed to build sustainable businesses and create lasting economic value.

When women are empowered to grow, families, communities and economies grow with them.

Empowering Women Who Build the NationThe Women Who Build the Nation Business Dialogue Summit 2026, hosted by the Housing...
03/09/2026

Empowering Women Who Build the Nation

The Women Who Build the Nation Business Dialogue Summit 2026, hosted by the Housing Development Agency (HDA), brought together women leaders, entrepreneurs and key stakeholders to engage on the opportunities and challenges shaping women’s participation in South Africa’s economy.

We are proud to have Ms Nomfundo Fakudze, NEF Fund Manager: uMnotho Fund, as a panellist in the Finance Conversation, sharing valuable insights on access to finance and the importance of creating pathways for women-led businesses to grow, thrive and contribute meaningfully to economic development.

The programme was further elevated by a keynote address from the Minister of Human Settlements, Hon. Thembi Simelane (MP), highlighting the critical role of women in building inclusive, sustainable communities and a stronger South African economy.

📍 Maslow Conference Centre, Sandton
👩🏾‍💼 Women. Finance. Enterprise. Impact.

The NEF remains committed to supporting women entrepreneurs and unlocking opportunities that enable businesses to create jobs, build communities and contribute to inclusive economic transformation.

03/09/2026

TWO WEEKS TO GO | SADC DFI CEOs’ FORUM

The National Empowerment Fund (NEF) is proud to participate in the 2nd edition of the SADC DFI CEOs’ Forum, bringing together DFI leaders, policymakers, development partners and private sector stakeholders to advance coordinated financing and bankable regional value chains.

📅 17–18 September 2026
📍 IDC, Sandton, Johannesburg

Under the theme, “Corridor-to-SEZ Delivery: Building Bankable SADC Value Chains Through Coordinated Finance,” the Forum provides an important platform to strengthen collaboration, unlock investment and drive sustainable economic development across the SADC region.

The NEF looks forward to contributing to this important conversation and advancing partnerships that translate development finance into meaningful economic opportunities.

Industrial Development Corporation Land and Agricultural Development Bank of South Africa Development Bank of Southern Africa SADC Development Finance Resource Centre - SADC DFRC

02/09/2026

BEYOND FUNDING | GIVING OUR INVESTEES A PLATFORM
Building a successful business is a journey — one that is often unseen behind the finished product, the brand and the success story.

As part of its commitment to supporting investees beyond financial investment, the National Empowerment Fund (NEF) is creating platforms that give entrepreneurs an opportunity to share their journeys, lessons and experiences with a wider audience.

Sechaba Oa Selialia of Greenovations, an NEF-funded entrepreneur, recently took his story to the podcast space through The Conversation Capital, offering an honest perspective on his journey into entrepreneurship and the realities of leaving corporate to build a business.

For the NEF, supporting entrepreneurs means more than providing capital. It also means amplifying their stories, increasing their visibility and creating opportunities for them to connect with broader markets, networks and potential partners.

🎙️ Watch the full conversation: The Truth About Leaving Corporate To Start A Business: Don't Make This Mistake

Watch the full recording on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1e1J-VOsSzc?si=VVGM2oMR4NSwoEf0
NEF — funding businesses. Building entrepreneurs. Creating opportunities.

The Conversation Capital

01/09/2026

FROM SKILLS TO REAL OPPORTUNITY

What happens when training is designed to lead somewhere?

In Gqeberha, the NEF partnered with Eastcape Training Center to support 50 unemployed beneficiaries through a six-month Painting Artisan Trade programme — equipping them with practical skills for the construction and built-environment sectors.

The NEF invested R900,000 in the programme, including learner stipends to help remove practical barriers to participation.

And the impact is already beginning to show: some beneficiaries have moved into permanent employment, while others are pursuing self-employment.

This is what skills development should do — turn capability into opportunity, income and economic participation.

The Gqeberha programme forms part of the NEF’s broader national skills-development effort, supporting people across different sectors to move from training into the world of work and enterprise.

🎥 Here are some highlights from our visit to Eastcape Training Centre.

Because training matters most when it changes what happens next.

Empowering women. Enabling opportunity. Building sustainable businesses.The National Empowerment Fund (NEF) was proud to...
01/09/2026

Empowering women. Enabling opportunity. Building sustainable businesses.

The National Empowerment Fund (NEF) was proud to be part of the , with our Group Company Secretary, Ms Zandile Mhlongo, joining the Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Funding Stage.

A central message from Ms Mhlongo was the importance of women creating markets for ourselves — not only seeking access to existing opportunities, but deliberately building networks, buying from one another, opening doors for other women-owned businesses and creating ecosystems in which women entrepreneurs can grow and thrive.

The conversation explored the role of innovation, access to funding and market access in creating the right conditions for women entrepreneurs to build sustainable and scalable businesses.

Ms Mhlongo was joined on the panel by Futhi Mtoba, Co-Chair and National Convenor of the Wecona Women Economic Assembly (WECONA), with the discussion facilitated by Nthabiseng Nhanhla Mamabolo CA(SA), Co-Founder and Director of A Seat at the Table.

The NEF remains committed to supporting women entrepreneurs with pathways to funding, enterprise growth, market opportunities and meaningful participation in the economy.

Thank you to EmpowaWomen and A Seat at the Table for convening this important conversation and creating a platform where ambition, capital and opportunity meet.

Zah Nyide Mhlongo

NEF AT LEGAL INDABA 2026 | TRANSFORMATION BEYOND REPRESENTATIONWhat will it take to build a legal profession in which di...
29/08/2026

NEF AT LEGAL INDABA 2026 | TRANSFORMATION BEYOND REPRESENTATION

What will it take to build a legal profession in which diverse talent does not only enter — but progresses, leads and shapes the future of the profession?

This was among the important questions explored at Legal Indaba 2026 yesterday, where NEF Trustee Moleboge Botlhale Lekwane participated in the discussion on Inclusivity, Diversity and Transformation in Law.

The panel examined meaningful transformation within the legal fraternity, with a focus on equality, redress and representation.

Drawing on her own leadership journey, Moleboge reflected on a persistent challenge: although the profession continues to attract talented young Black professionals, including women, that diversity is not always sustained as careers progress towards management, partnership and other senior decision-making roles.

Her contribution highlighted the need to look beyond recruitment and focus equally on retention, career progression, mentorship and sponsorship, exposure to the business and leadership of legal practice, and workplace cultures that enable diverse talent to thrive.

The conversation reinforced an important principle: representation opens the door; meaningful transformation creates the opportunity to advance once inside.

Moleboge joined Adela Petersen, Managing Director of Fairbridges, Sanelisiwe ‘Saney’ Mbatha, and Dr Chantelle Feldhaus of North-West University / Noordwes-Universiteit, in a discussion chaired by Hlengiwe Penelope Mtetwa.

Thank you to Legal Indaba for creating a platform for an important conversation about building a legal profession that is increasingly inclusive, representative and equipped for the future.

TRANSFORMATION IN TRANSPORT AND ENERGY | NEF AT THE FRANK DIALOGUEThe National Empowerment Fund is participating in toda...
28/08/2026

TRANSFORMATION IN TRANSPORT AND ENERGY | NEF AT THE FRANK DIALOGUE

The National Empowerment Fund is participating in today’s Frank Dialogue on Transformation at The Maslow, Johannesburg, with Eldene Govender, iMbewu Fund Manager, joining a panel conversation on Transformation in the Transport and Energy Sectors.

Transport and energy are fundamental to South Africa’s economic growth — but meaningful transformation requires that black entrepreneurs are able to participate not only at the margins of these sectors, but across their productive value chains.

Eldene will share the NEF’s perspective on the role that development finance can play in helping to unlock this participation: through access to appropriate capital, support for sustainable enterprises and investment that enables businesses to build capacity, create jobs and grow.

The NEF is proud to contribute to conversations that move the transformation agenda beyond compliance and towards meaningful ownership, participation and measurable economic impact.

📍 The Maslow, Johannesburg
📅 28 August 2026

27/08/2026

WOMEN’S MONTH | EMPOWERING WOMEN TO BUILD INDUSTRIAL LEGACIES

As we celebrate Women’s Month, we shine a spotlight on Maduka Resources cc, an inspiring example of women’s participation and leadership in South Africa’s mining and industrial sectors.

With funding support from the National Empowerment Fund (NEF), Maduka Resources has been able to strengthen its operations in mining equipment and industrial services, creating opportunities and contributing to economic growth.

Featured through GCIS Vuk'uzenzele, this profile highlights what is possible when women entrepreneurs are given the opportunity, support and resources to grow businesses in industries where women continue to break barriers.

This Women’s Month, we celebrate women who are building businesses, creating jobs and shaping South Africa’s economic future.

Watch the full Maduka Resources story:

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70 Grayston Drive, Sandown
Sandton
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Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 17:00
Thursday 09:00 - 17:00
Friday 09:00 - 17:00

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