Fuel for Purpose (F4P)

Small women-owned businesses in South Africa face numerous challenges that hinder their growth and success. Limited access to financing, coupled with a lack of financial literacy and personal management skills, makes it difficult for these businesses to thrive. According to a report by the International Finance Corporation, the potential market size for microfinance in South Africa is estimated to be over $2 billion, yet only a small fraction of this market is being served. According to a report by Allied Market Research, the global microfinance market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15.6% from 2021 to 2030, indicating significant potential for growth and expansion in the coming years.

Fuel for Purpose (F4P) is a micro-lending and financial inclusion incubator that provides microfinancing, financial literacy, and personal development skills training and coaching to small businesses in South Africa. The goal of financial literacy and personal development skills coaching is to empower lenders to repay the loans, systematically build their credit scores, and access larger investments. Personal development is key in our model because it helps individuals to develop the skills, knowledge, attitudes, and resilience needed to manage finances effectively and build confidence to engage with the formal financial system. 

Microfinancing has the potential for great returns on investments. The interest rates for developmental loans aligned with the South African National Credit Regulatory Act is the Ripo Rate + 28% + Initiation fees + 10% of the amount in excess of R1,000. The incubator will also charge a revenue-share fee for their services. By 2025, the company will also provide equity-based investment to small start-ups in Africa, with high growth potential that cannot access microloans. 

I am currently looking for partners for the first round of investment to invest $500,000 in loan capital to provide microloans, financial literacy, and personal development training and coaching to women-owned small businesses in low-income communities in South Africa. We have already raised $20,000 in loan capital, are close to obtaining our National Credit Regulatory license, and have 30 women-owned businesses that are alumni of our nonprofit incubator. 

GLLI SESS is the for-profit arm of Global Leading Light Initiatives (GLLI), a social enterprise based at Stenden University in Port Alfred, Eastern Cape in South Africa. Over the past 8 years, GLLI has trained and coached more than 200 women in low-income communities in South Africa's Eastern Cape, working with government agencies, international foundations, foreign embassies, and CSI programs such as Google, SEDA, IDC, Bank SETA, and the US Embassy in South Africa. The founder of GLLI SESS, who created the F4P program, has participated in international social enterprise incubators and fellowship programs to address the needs of small businesses that are excluded by financial institutions and cannot grow.

By investing in F4P, you'll be investing in a sustainable solution that will help these businesses thrive, and contribute to job creation, income generation, and economic development in this impoverished province. Join us in our mission to make a difference in the lives of these communities and create a lasting impact.

I am currently visiting the US and would love the opportunity to discuss GLLI SESS in more detail with you and explore how you could be a part of our journey. I am open to an in-person meeting anywhere, even in a different city.