Johannesburg, London: May 2025: The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) recently hosted an event to mark the continued growth of the SME Rise Initiative, the exchange’s programme dedicated to empowering Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) across South Africa.

Launched with the vision of bridging gaps that stunt the growth of the SME sector, SME Rise continues to play a pivotal role in providing a comprehensive support platform that addresses the needs of funding readiness, market access and capital matching. Since inception, the initiative has grown significantly, becoming a cornerstone of the JSE’s commitment to sustainable and inclusive economic development.

“The SME Rise initiative has proven to be a powerful catalyst in unlocking opportunities for SMEs. The milestones the initiative continues to reach bears testament to what’s possible when we invest in the SME sector. At the JSE, we remain committed to deepening our impact by collaborating with strategic allies to create an environment that enables more SMEs to access the support they need to grow, create jobs and contribute meaningfully to our economy,” said Vuyo Lee, Director: Marketing and Corporate Affairs at the JSE.

In 2024, the JSE together with strategic collaborators such as the Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency (SEDFA), Eastern Cape Development Corporation, Free State Development Corporation and the Western Cape Government Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT), hosted Capital Matching events in the Eastern Cape, Bloemfontein and Western Cape — connecting over 400 SMEs with potential funders. Building on the success of the 2023 inaugural event in Cape Town, the roadshow expanded to Bloemfontein and East London in 2024 and will soon take place in Gauteng and Limpopo, highlighting its growing impact and national relevance.

“As the SEDFA, we are proud to play a key role in the JSE SME Rise initiative and our involvement in both the Enterprise Acceleration Programme and the Capital Matching Roadshow. Our support for SME Rise enables us to bolster the growth of the SME sector which remains the heartbeat of our economy,” said Nkosikhona Mbatha, Acting CEO at the SEDFA. “In order to make a meaningful impact, it’s critical for the private and public sector to work together to unlock sustainable and lasting solutions for SMEs.”

In an effort to enable access to capital – which is one of the most significant barriers for SMEs – SME Rise addresses this challenge through its funding readiness training. The training equips SMEs with the knowledge and tools to become investment-ready, positioning them for success leading up to the Capital Matching events.

JSE and UK-SA Tech Hub align to accelerate growth of SMEs in 2025

The JSE has announced a collaboration with the United Kingdom (UK) government's, UK-South Africa Tech Hub, to deliver services for its JSE Enterprise Acceleration Programme. This collaborative venture aims to support high-potential, tech-focused and tech-enabled medium-sized companies in scaling up their businesses, attracting investment and expanding into new markets.

Now in its fourth year, the Acceleration Programme has, to date, trained and mentored founders in over 50 companies representing multiple sectors including manufacturing, healthcare, services, tech, mining and retail equipping them with critical skills, industry insights and access to strategic networks. Participating companies for the 2025 cohort will benefit from a structured 12-month programme that covers key areas such as business acceleration, funding readiness, and market expansion opportunities, whilst focusing on individual business goals and scalability.

The UK-SA Tech Hub provides services to support and grow the South African tech ecosystem, including entrepreneurial support, funding facilitation, digital skills development, market access initiatives and policy advocacy. The JSE has strategically collaborated with the UK-SA Tech Hub given its proven track record of supporting inclusive digital growth across South Africa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Their extensive experience in driving innovation coupled with their global networks and ecosystem development, positions the organisation as the prime partner for the JSE Enterprise Acceleration Programme, aimed at catalysing the unlocking of global opportunities for local SMEs.

“The collaboration with the SA-UK Tech Hub fortifies our commitment to building a thriving SME sector in South Africa. Through this initiative, we are not only providing businesses with the tools they need to scale but also opening doors for global opportunities by positioning South African SMEs for international visibility, funding and partnerships,” said Vuyo Lee, Director of Marketing and Corporate Affairs at the JSE.

“This partnership with the Johannesburg Stock Exchange on the JSE SME Rise Programme represents a pivotal step towards accelerating the growth of South Africa’s tech ecosystem. By providing startups with access to capital, alternative financial instruments, and comprehensive investor readiness support, this initiative significantly enhances the potential for these emerging businesses to prosper on the global stage. In addition to this, the programme aligns seamlessly with the UK's objectives for Inclusive Economic Growth and the UK – South Africa Tech Hub's mission to foster digital development within the tech landscape. Our vision is to cultivate a dynamic and thriving ecosystem where startups can not only secure essential capital but also acquire the necessary tools and insights for sustainable, scalable growth and success. By equipping these businesses with expertise and resources, we amplify their capacity to thrive and contribute meaningfully to the broader economic landscape”, said the Director of UK SA Tech Hub Milisa Mabinza.

Ensuring that SMEs are funding ready is crucial for their growth and sustainability. As such, the JSE SME Rise solution aims to address this need by equipping businesses with the necessary tools and training to navigate the complex funding landscape. A key component of this initiative is the collaboration with JSE Private Placements (JPP), a pivotal enabler by connecting entrepreneurs with investors through its streamlined digital platform. This partnership aims to bridge the funding gap as well as empower SMEs to achieve their growth ambitions.

In 2024, JPP collaborated with the UK-SA Tech Hub to further enhance the support provided to SMEs. Once again, JPP will continue to support SMEs by acting as a conduit by assisting the 2024 and 2025 cohorts of the JSE Enterprise Acceleration Programme with fund raising via its digital platform.

This year’s Acceleration Programme will be further supported by the Mamela Luthuli Foundation NPC, an initiative led by alumni of the JSE Enterprise Acceleration Programme and founder of Take Note IT, Mamela Luthuli.   The foundation will expose participating medium enterprises to key tech expert-led workshops and targeted investor engagements. These forums aim to ensure the sustainable growth of these South African businesses.

The JSE SME RISE initiative also includes Red Tape reduction, International Market expansion, Capital Matching and early-stage development programmes such as Funding Readiness, provides a holistic and robust ecosystem to assist entrepreneurs at every phase of their growth journey.

To learn more about the JSE SME Rise initiative, visit: https://www.jse.co.za/sme-rise

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ABOUT THE JSE

The JSE is a self-regulatory, multi-asset-class stock exchange that offers listings, trading, clearing and settlement (post-trade) services, Information Services, Issuer Services and JSE Investor Services. The JSE connects buyers and sellers in five financial markets: equities, equity derivatives, commodity derivatives, currency derivatives and interest rate instruments. The JSE provides investors with a trusted, cost-effective, and well-regulated infrastructure for trading, clearing and settling financial market transactions. The JSE is among the 20 largest exchanges in the world in terms of market capitalisation. The JSE also offers Private Placements, which supports private markets by providing a forum to raise equity and debt through an automated and digitised platform a Voluntary Carbon Market as well as the Enterprise Acceleration Programme that aims to support medium enterprises that are primed for accelerated growth to scale up quickly through growing market share, accessing funding, and improving their competitiveness. www.jse.co.za 

About the UK-South Africa Tech Hub

The UK-South Africa Tech Hub is a UK government initiative designed to promote digital inclusion and inclusive growth of the digital ecosystems in partner countries. The expert team works to stimulate local digital economies, build high-end digital skills, and forge innovation partnerships between local tech sectors and international businesses. Alongside South Africa, there are Hubs operating in Nigeria, Kenya, Indonesia and Brazil. Through the Hubs' activities, entrepreneurs and founders, acquire the skills, resource and support needed to turbocharge their entrepreneurial journey.  

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