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National Small Business Chamber (NSBC) Africa and TransUnion Africa today officially launched Access to Finance™, a national Small Medium Enterprise (SME) funding initiative created and powered by NSBC Africa to help South African SMEs better understand their funding requirements and connect qualifying businesses with participating funders aligned to their funding needs.

Mike Anderson, Founder & CEO of NSBC Africa launched Access to Finance™ at the opening of The Business Show: Africa 2026 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, where thousands of entrepreneurs, business owners, executives, funders, leading brands and business decision makers are gathering for two days of business growth and opportunity.

Access to Finance™ forms part of NSBC Africa’s broader national business growth ecosystem and its longstanding mission to help entrepreneurs and SMEs access the opportunities, resources, funding and connections they need to build sustainable and successful businesses.

At its core, the initiative seeks to address one of the most persistent challenges facing South African entrepreneurs and growing businesses: accessing the right finance, at the right stage, from the right funding provider. For many SMEs, the funding landscape can be complex and difficult to navigate. Businesses may not know whether they are funding-ready, what type of finance best suits their needs or which funding providers are most relevant to their circumstances.

FUNDING. FAST. SIMPLE.

Through a structured digital journey, Access to Finance™ helps SMEs better understand their funding requirements and, where qualifying criteria are met, connects them with participating funders whose solutions are aligned to their business and funding needs. The goal is to create a simpler pathway to business finance, while supporting greater participation by qualified SMEs within the broader finance ecosystem.

Rather than simply providing businesses with a list of funders, Access to Finance™ is designed to improve alignment between SME funding needs and appropriate funding opportunities, helping entrepreneurs take a more informed and targeted approach to accessing finance.

TransUnion is the exclusive Credit Bureau Partner to Access to Finance™, working alongside NSBC Africa in support of the shared vision of strengthening SME participation within South Africa’s finance ecosystem.

CREATING GREATER VISIBILITY AND CONNECTIVITY

A central part of the Access to Finance™ vision is improving the connection between South African SMEs and the organisations that finance business growth. By helping businesses better understand their readiness for finance, before engaging participating funders, the initiative aims to create a more efficient journey for both SMEs and funding providers.

Speaking at the official opening of The Business Show: Africa and the launch of Access to Finance™, Lee Naik, CEO & Regional President of TransUnion Africa, addressed the importance of strengthening the environment in which South African SMEs can better understand their financial position, become more visible within the finance ecosystem and connect with appropriate opportunities for growth.

“Small businesses are one of South Africa’s most important engines of growth and job creation, yet too many still struggle to access the funding they need to start, sustain and scale their operations.  At TransUnion Africa, we see data visibility and access to information as powerful enablers of financial inclusion and business growth.  By helping businesses establish a stronger, more transparent financial profiles, we can support lenders in making more informed decisions and expand access to credit for viable enterprises,” says Naik.

A NEW ERA OF ACCESS TO FINANCE

According to Anderson, improving the connection between SMEs and appropriate finance has the potential to unlock significant business growth.  “South Africa does not lack entrepreneurial ambition. What many businesses lack is a simpler, more effective way to navigate the funding landscape and connect with the right finance opportunities.

Access to Finance™ has been created to help change that. We want to make the journey smarter, simpler and more connected, helping funding-ready SMEs get closer to the finance they need to grow. When more viable businesses can access appropriate funding, they can invest, expand, create jobs and build stronger, more sustainable businesses. That is the bigger vision behind Access to Finance™.”

CREATED AND POWERED BY NSBC AFRICA

Access to Finance™ is created and powered by NSBC Africa, a non-profit organisation that has championed entrepreneurship and SME growth for more than 18 years. Through its national ecosystem of initiatives, platforms, partnerships and events, NSBC Africa works to connect entrepreneurs and small businesses with the opportunities, knowledge, solutions, funding and connections they need to build sustainable and successful businesses.

Adds Naik, “We are proud to partner with NSBC Africa on Access to Finance™ and see this as an important platform for connecting entrepreneurs with funding opportunities and help them realise their growth potential.”

The initiative represents an important next step in that mission, bringing together NSBC Africa’s SME ecosystem, technology, partnerships and funding relationships to create a smarter and more connected pathway between entrepreneurs seeking finance and participating funding providers.

The vision is clear: help more SMEs become finance-ready, connect with relevant funding opportunities and take the meaningful steps towards sustainable business growth.