Knife Capital manages HBD Venture Capital’s South African portfolio of investments.

HBD VC is a South African venture capital fund founded by Michael Shuttleworth in 2000. HBD (an acronym for ‘Here Be Dragons’ – a term used in ancient times to mark unchartered territories on maps) offered growth capital to a range of early stage businesses. The fund is now fully invested and its current focus is on growing its investments to achieve successful exits.

HAVAÍC is an investment and advisory firm that specialises in early-stage, high-growth African businesses with proven concepts and global prospects, offering investment opportunities to sophisticated investors and international venture capital companies with an interest in Africa. As a complementary offering, HAVAÍC provides corporate advisory and capital raising services to emerging, internationally scalable businesses.

Successful innovations have durability, broad impact, and high returns. Our investment philosophy is driven by identifying new products, processes or programs with disruptive

Godisa Supplier Development Fund, a partnership between the state (Small Business Finance Agency (Sefa)) and the private sector (Transnet).

Through the Godisa Fund, small black-owned businesses will get financial and non-financial support that will enable them to provide services and manufactured goods to Transnet, the freight logistics parastatal responsible for ports, rail, and fuel and gas pipelines and storage.

To qualify for Godisa funding, applicants had to fall under the description of a small business, should be black-owned and be able to render a service to Transnet. 

Black Women-Owned South African Fund Managers 

Firebird Fund Managers has its roots in business rescue and private equity. We specialize in identifying businesses which are distressed but where active intervention, new capital, debt restructures and compromises, can remedy the distress. We ensure Transformation and Impact through the following:Firebird is 75% black ownedJobs retained is key metric to us as well as above average IRR’s We hand over our businesses wherever possible to new entrants  Sustainable businesses with great governance is our goal

Firebird Turnaround Fund – Investment

Ethos is widely considered to be the most experienced and successful private equity investment team in South Africa. 

Founded in 1984, Ethos pioneered South African private equity, concluding the first private equity-led acquisitions in the country.

In 2016, Ethos transitioned into a broader investment firm, managing investments in private equity and credit strategies in South Africa and selectively in sub-Saharan Africa.  Furthermore, Ethos also launch Ethos Capital, an investment vehicle listed on the JSE, designed to offer investors long-term capital appreciation by investing in a

We enable  Allan Gray Fellows and  Social Entrepreneurs to build and scale high-impact organisations which will create jobs, attack poverty and contribute to transformation in South Africa.

Our Offering

We provide funding and support to value-aligned entrepreneurs that build and scale responsible businesses with a positive impact on our society.

Allan Gray Fellows

We support Allan Gray Fellows at different stages of their business cycle. This will include patient capital as well as post-investment assistance.

Social Entrepreneurs

We support social entrepreneurs and innovators with the

Dazzle Angels is a female-focused angel fund, that is led and funded by experienced businesswomen. Our angels not only invest their money but also invest their time, skills and networks, which is where the real value lies. All of our angels are successful entrepreneurs or experts in their field and are passionate about building early-stage businesses, leveraging their skills and networks to help our Zebras build the next generation of female-led businesses. We are looking for great businesses – businesses that solve a real problem, have a business model and will be sustainable – and happen to

Crucis Venture Capital's funding solution for entrepreneurs is a 12J company structure, that focuses on 5 sectors we believe have the most potential for sustainable growth in the medium term.

The 5 sectors are:
1. Fintech
2. Medical tech
3. Manufacturing
4. Waste
5. Agro-processing

Business Partners Limited is a specialist risk finance company that provides customised financial solutions, sectoral knowledge, mentorship, business premises and other value-added services for formal small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa and selected African countries, namely Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia.

SME lending solutions

The core of our focus is providing you with finance for your formal business. We structure unique, individualised financing solutions using shareholder loans, equity, royalties and term loans – or any combination of these. We pride

The Royal Science & Technology Park (RSTP), was created through the vision of, His Majesty, King Mswati III. The Vision is well enshrined in the Act of Parliament, the Royal Science & Technology Park Act of 2012. The Vision is the first comprehensive effort, to promote science; technology; and innovation, in the Kingdom of Eswatini. The aim of the RSTP, is to provide steadfast support for basic research and innovation. In doing so, we provide a coherent approach to maximising the innovation dividend.