Opportunities
Grants, VC funds, accelerators, and competitions for African entrepreneurs.
Grants, VC funds, accelerators, and competitions for African entrepreneurs.
What are you looking for today?
Powered by CopilotKit
Up to R250,000 grant (Indalopreneur Programme); awards cash prizes R50,000-R200,000
Nedbank's green economy initiative combines grant funding (up to R250,000 via the Indalopreneur Programme delivered through Fetola) with annual recognition awards at the Green Economy Indaba. The fund targets seed and early-stage South African businesses in waste, water, energy, and agriculture that cannot access commercial financing. The annual Indaba awards recognize excellence in green SME categories.
Grant Funding (Indalopreneur)
Up to R250,000 — 50% upfront upon commitment to create 5+ jobs; remaining 50% if targets exceeded by 100% within 12 months
Follow-on Investment
Opportunities for additional investment beyond the initial grant
Green Economy Indaba Awards
Cash prizes R50,000-R200,000 across categories: Green SMME Trailblazer, Youth Green Innovation, Green Economy Youth Employer, Most Replicable & Scalable Model
Visibility
Recognition at the annual Nedbank Green Economy Indaba, media coverage, and Nedbank brand association
Business Support
Access to Fetola's entrepreneur support ecosystem and Nedbank's business network
Water
Water conservation, purification, recycling, and access solutions
Energy
Renewable energy, energy efficiency, and clean energy access
Waste
Waste management, recycling, circular economy, and pollution reduction
Agriculture
Sustainable agriculture, land use, and food systems
Seed and early-stage green businesses in South Africa that cannot access commercial financing but have potential for environmental impact and job creation. Particular interest in circular economy models, sustainable agriculture, clean energy, and water solutions.
Fetola entrepreneur support ecosystem, Nedbank business network access, potential follow-on investment. Grant structured as performance-based: remaining 50% released upon exceeding impact targets by 100% within 12 months.
The R250K grant has strict job creation conditions — 50% is withheld until you exceed targets by 100% within 12 months. Ensure you can commit to creating 5+ full-time jobs at minimum wage before applying.
The Green Economy Fund via Fetola is the primary funding vehicle — the Indaba awards are recognition. Focus your application on job creation potential and measurable environmental impact in one of the four priority sectors. The performance-based grant structure means planning your milestones carefully is critical to unlocking the full R250K.
2008
Active Since
Yes
Deploying
R-Labs (Green Economy Youth Employer of the Year 2025); Malesedi (Pty) Ltd (Youth Green Innovation Award 2025); MHS Farming Projects (Pty) Ltd (Green SMME Trailblazer Award 2025); Hy Harvest (Pty) Ltd (Most Replicable & Scalable Green Economy Model 2025)