Edge Growth

16/10/2026

🟢 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐄𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭 | 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁: Gculisa “Lisa” Kolobe
Data Analyst in the Solutions team at Edge Growth

🙇🏽‍♀️ 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝗮
I’m bubbly, curious and naturally drawn to solving problems.

With a degree in Computer and Information Sciences, I’m especially interested in data, technology and automation, and I’m looking forward to growing my skills while contributing meaningfully to the team.

👇 𝐅𝐮𝐧 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬
I’m a big food lover and always keen to try a new restaurant or cuisine.

I also love travelling, music, staying active and spending time with family, friends and my two dogs, Sage and Bruno. Thailand has already been ticked off the travel list, with Italy and Fiji still firmly on the bucket list.

And my party trick? Dancing, although whether it’s actually impressive is still up for debate. 😄

💚 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗘𝗱𝗴𝗲?
I wanted to work somewhere where I could see the impact of what I do on real people, and Edge felt like that kind of place.

During the hiring process, I was pleasantly surprised by how calm, friendly and welcoming every interaction felt. That told me a lot about the culture and the kind of environment I’d be joining.

Of Edge Growth’s EPIC values, Edgellence resonates with me most. For me, showing up is only the starting point. What matters is giving your best, following through on your commitments and making sure you’re adding real value rather than simply filling a role.

In Lisa’s words: “I hope to continuously learn, grow my skills and contribute meaningfully to the team and the organisation.”

Welcome to the Edge Growth family, Lisa! 🎉

15/10/2026

We are proud to sponsor the Funder/Founder Deal Room at the Ignite SME Summit 2026, bringing entrepreneurs and funders together for meaningful conversations.

A great initiative by Oaktree People Solutions, reminding us that preparation is key to unlocking growth.

For SMEs, funding readiness starts long before meeting a potential investor. It's about understanding your numbers, having the right structures in place, and being ready to grow.

14/10/2026

𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮? 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸.

You’ve built a product people pay for. You have clients, a track record and big plans. But scaling a tech business here comes with its own hurdles:

• Long sales cycles with corporates and government
• Getting investment-ready and raising the right funding
• Finding and keeping skilled tech talent
• Moving from founder-led sales to a business that scales

At Edge Growth, we work with established, Black-owned tech SMEs to break through these barriers with investment-readiness support, specialist expertise, mentorship and access to funders and markets.

𝗜𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂?
✔ 𝗠𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸-𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀
✔ 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟮+ 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀
✔ 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝟭𝟮-𝟮𝟰 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀

Take 5 minutes to register your interest and tell us about your business.

Edge Growth Technology Business Growth Programme - Register Interest – Fill out form
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=qSohhq_RYUeIoLDpHLQ9ez7NV4U4y79AiS0m1nekQhhURFMzU1BDNFoxQUJZU0EyNVFYQVI1UzIwUi4u

Registering your interest does not guarantee participation in any programme or access to funding.

09/10/2026

𝗔 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗱𝗴𝗲 🎙️

We’ve just wrapped another conversation, this time looking at two very different ways to back an entrepreneur.

Host Nabeela Vally sat down with Rest from Indalo Inclusive South Africa and Tasneem Natha from Jozi Angels to explore what support really looks like from idea stage through to long-term growth, and where capital, inclusion and impact don’t always see the world in the same way.

There were some great moments around who we are really building for, where the gaps still sit, and how different parts of the ecosystem measure impact.

A thoughtful conversation is coming your way soon.

Subscribe to The Cutting Edge on YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and keep an eye out for the next episode. https://linktr.ee/EdgeGrowth_CuttingEdge?utm_click=MUKW3BQ9FPPFXV

07/10/2026

𝟭𝟰,𝟲𝟬𝟵 𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿.

But every one of those jobs means something different to the person behind it.

• A salary.
• A household supported.
• A first opportunity.
• A little more certainty about what comes next.

According to the Edge Growth 2025 Impact Report, covering the FY25 reporting period, SMEs supported by Edge Growth had created 14,609 permanent and temporary jobs since inception, with 7,038 net jobs created after job losses and reductions were taken into account.

That is why SME growth matters far beyond the business itself.

05/10/2026

“𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙙𝙖𝙮.”

That thought from Noluvo Nela captures something bigger than funding.

Every major company starts somewhere - with an entrepreneur, an idea, a first customer and people willing to back the journey.

As Women’s Month draws to a close, this is also a reminder of the women working throughout the year to help shape the businesses, industries and employers of tomorrow.

Women’s Month ends. Their impact doesn’t.

Watch the full episode: https://linktr.ee/EdgeGrowth_CuttingEdge?utm_click=MUKW3BQ9FPPFXV

02/10/2026

𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗠𝗘 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀.

Enterprise and supplier development should never be a tick-box exercise.

It starts with understanding the business, what is holding it back and where it could go next.

At Edge Growth, we work with corporates and SMEs to build practical programmes that make sense for the business and create long-term value.

When the right businesses, resources and opportunities come together, transformation becomes real: stronger suppliers, growing businesses and sustainable jobs.

30/09/2026

𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵.

But what happens afterwards can determine whether that growth actually becomes sustainable.

For the Edge Impact Fund, post-investment support is built around the individual business - from financial management and specialist expertise to mentorship, business development and regular engagement with founders.

Because capital is the catalyst.

Growth is the journey that follows.

Watch the full episode: https://linktr.ee/EdgeGrowth_CuttingEdge?utm_click=MUKW3BQ9FPPFXV

28/09/2026

𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴

Funding matters, but lasting growth takes more than money.

Businesses also need capable teams, strong systems, good governance, access to market and partners who understand the journey.

We work alongside SMEs to build these foundations, prepare for opportunities, work through challenges and create growth that lasts.

Because the goal is not just to fund a business. It is to help build a stronger one.

25/09/2026

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀, 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲.

The Vumela Enterprise Development Fund, a long-standing partnership between FNB Business Banking and Edge Growth, has invested in Iris Fresh, a South African fresh produce exporter focused on connecting local and regional growers with buyers across international markets. Iris Fresh currently supplies produce into more than 17 markets, with a focus on categories such as berries, baby vegetables, exotic and tropical fruit.

For FNB and Vumela, investments like this are about backing high-growth South African SMEs with the potential to scale, creating employment and building stronger links into global value chains. The Vumela Fund was established to support businesses that often fall into the “missing middle” - beyond early-stage funding, but not always suited to conventional finance.

Iris Fresh’s journey is already showing what that ambition can look like. The business has continued to broaden its product range and international footprint, while creating stronger links between Southern African growers and customers abroad.

Because the value of growth capital is not only in the investment itself.

It is in what that investment helps a business build next.

Read more about the Vumela Fund investment in Iris Fresh and the journey ahead:

https://edgegrowth.com/vumela-fund-investment-iris-fresh/

Vumela Fund invests in Cape Town exporter Iris Fresh, backing growth, job creation and export expansion for South African fresh produce.