SME South Africa Launches The Founder’s Circle To Build Community Support For Small Businesses

“One of the questions we asked in our 2018/2019 SME Landscape Report was what is the element that SMEs feel they are missing, and the resounding answer was support. Many indicated that they need a community; they have nowhere to go to bounce ideas or to share frustrations,” says Velly Bosega, CEO of SME South Africa. “This reality being echoed in our report notes the importance of white papers as a strategic driver.

“It’s important to build a community where SMEs can connect. After the Covid-19 pandemic, we saw an increased need for community. Now we are creating it, called The Founder’s Circle. It’s a long time coming, but it’s the right time now.”

Not a social network but a connected community

“There’s a saying in isiZulu: Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu. It is often translated as ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’ This is what The Founder Circle aims to achieve: becoming a catalyst for business growth and development.

Joining the community shows you a feed that is reminiscent of a social media network, but it shouldn’t be confused for one. “Yes, there are groups on social media that business owners can join based on their interests and industries, but conventional social media structures constrain these platforms. What we want is a community that isn’t pushing junk but an engaged group of people with shared interests and the common goal of obtaining business support,” he explains.

So is SME South Africa as we know it being replaced? No. All the elements that entrepreneurs have come to love and rely on remain the same: free access to articles, guides, funding insights, downloadable templates and e-books, as well as inspirational founder stories.

The community is an extension of the SME ecosystem that SME South Africa has created. “Community members can look forward to specialised groups, working closely with mentors and accountability partners. In the future, there will be local events hosted by local representatives of the community,” Bosega said.

A community built for the future

The Founder Circle is a space that builds on the trustworthy reputation that SME South Africa has created within the industry.

The exclusive community is showing how SME South Africa is evolving beyond the traditional definition of a publisher that only provides content to a platform that prioritises members’ connection and experience. This step recognises that SME South Africa is taking a step beyond viewing its audience as website visitors or returning readers and listeners; instead, it is seeing them as individuals who actively seek out the information and support that helps their businesses start, manage and grow.

“The community is continuously growing and will continue to develop alongside the needs of our members,” Bosega states.

The impact is evident: as the members’ businesses grow, South Africa’s economy grows.

Bosega recognises two points. Firstly, bringing a community to life in the digital world means connecting people across borders. If a peer-to-peer mentor is based in Cape Town, but a person from Durban is seeking advice and guidance, the distance between them isn’t preventing them from building together.

Secondly, where communities form, there is the desire to connect in-person. This allows entrepreneurs to network and build a support structure of fellow business owners. “The recent SME Funding Summit highlighted this need once again, and we hope to grow the community to a size where we can then host local events with our exclusive members,” he concludes.