South African small businesses now have access to a digital platform that assesses their funding readiness and connects them with lenders that match their capital needs.
The National Small Business Chamber (NSBC) Africa launched Access to Finance at The Business Show Africa 2026, with TransUnion Africa as its exclusive credit bureau partner.
The platform aims to address a common challenge for small businesses, which is finding appropriate funding while providing lenders with the information needed to assess their risk.
Matching SMEs with suitable finance
Instead of approaching multiple lenders individually, SMEs can use the platform to provide information about their business, finances, credit profile and funding requirements.
This includes CIPC registration details, SARS tax compliance status, recent bank statements, management accounts and cash flow projections. Businesses must also specify the amount and purpose of funding, while directors provide identification and consent for relevant credit checks.
According to the NSBC, funding readiness is assessed across three areas, financial structure and cash flow, credit visibility, and whether the purpose of the funding aligns with the type of capital requested.
For example, a business seeking finance to fulfil a purchase order could be matched with a funder specialising in purchase order or contract finance rather than a traditional lender whose criteria may not fit the transaction.
The platform features commercial banks, non-bank financial institutions, alternative fintech lenders, development finance institutions and specialised SME capital providers. Participating funders receive pre-qualified deals through the platform’s backend based on their lending mandates.
Mike Anderson, NSBC Africa CEO, said the platform was created to help address barriers that continue to limit SME growth.
“South Africa’s entrepreneurs and small businesses are the engine room of economic growth, yet many continue to face challenges accessing customers, funding and growth opportunities,” Anderson said.
“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.”
Improving credit visibility
The platform also aims to address challenges faced by businesses with limited credit histories, commonly referred to as “thin-file” businesses.
TransUnion’s credit information is used alongside business and director profiles to improve credit visibility and help lenders assess businesses that may lack extensive commercial credit records.
TransUnion Africa CEO Lee Naik said the partnership could help lenders make more informed decisions about viable small businesses.
“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,” Naik said.
“By helping businesses establish stronger, more transparent financial profiles, we can support lenders in making more informed decisions and expand access to credit for viable enterprises.”
Businesses that do not meet conventional lending criteria can also receive feedback on gaps such as incomplete financial records, weak credit profiles or insufficient cash flow buffers, to address these issues before reapplying.
Testing whether access actually improves
Access to Finance is free for SMEs to register and assess their funding readiness. Lending costs and interest rates would apply through participating funders if finance is approved and paid out.
The platform’s success will ultimately depend on whether it improves funding outcomes rather than simply making applications easier.
The NSBC says it will measure this through the value of capital disbursed, approval turnaround times, the conversion of registered SMEs into approved funding, and jobs retained or created.
lazola@vutivibusiness.co.za
