It’s been a really tough year for most entrepreneurs and small businesses. As our country’s economy slowly crawls into Lockdown Level 1, many businesses are re-opening their doors for the first time since March this year or seeing the trickle of clients they have had under the other levels, pick-up.

The life of an entrepreneur or business owner is one of vying for available contracts, sales and opportunities – at all times making the most of your cash-flow. Business owners will have to be even more agile and adaptable to cash in on the opportunities that still exist in a thoroughly disrupted world.

“One thing is certain, if cash flow was a swear word in your vocabulary last year, it’s become even more of a nightmare in the last six months,” says Johanette Busacker, Head: Corporate and Supplier sales at Finance Africa.

Building up capital to purchase much-needed equipment to rejuvenate operations, will also be difficult when income streams are under pressure. “With a repo rate at its lowest this century (and long before that), looking at specialised financing options such as asset refinancing or unique rental and leasing finance options to free up some cash-flow is an attractive option,” says Busacker.

Finance Africa offers the solutions above, along with instalment sales agreements, selective invoice discounting (perfect for businesses that have longer payment terms with debtors) and joint finance initiatives.

There are convincing reasons why any entrepreneur should choose Finance Africa as its partner in a time like this.

Firstly, diversity of choice

“If it has a serial, engine or chassis number, we can assist with finance,” says Busacker.

It doesn’t matter if it is data network equipment, medical laboratory equipment, a delivery vehicle, a commercial farming baler, a forklift, or an articulated dump truck – if it’s required for your business to operate or grow, Finance Africa will find a finance solution that suits your needs.

Secondly, relevance

Finance Africa comes with a broad-base of suppliers, adding more vetted and appropriate suppliers on a regular basis, who provide solutions that traditional banking lines won’t always offer.

“Covid-19 has given us the opportunity to look at an even wider range of asset types in rental asset funding and we have been engaging with suppliers that have become relevant and prevalent in the last couple of months, for example in healthcare and education,” says Busacker.

Further good news for new and prospective clients, she says, is that the company will have a national footprint within the next six months, ensuring access and proximity to its small and agile team to customers in all the major centres.

Thirdly, empowerment

Finance Africa and its leadership is committed to broad-based black economic empowerment and transformation and the company comes with the credentials to back up this claim. 

When Sizwe Asset Finance partnered with the Kutana group of companies, Finance Africa became the first black women-owned asset-based finance company in South Africa. 

The partnership is significant – a strategic alliance to add more value to the South African and African rental asset-based finance market, enabled by the new independent company’s transformation and empowerment credentials.

Choosing Finance Africa will definitely benefit your preferential procurement programme under the amended Codes of Good Practice.

Looking forward, always

Finance Africa has a strong team with more than 150 years of combined asset finance experience. Its sights, however, are already firmly set on the future and how the company can diversify its product offering.

This long-term strategy includes adding debtor finance and, most likely a degree of property finance, which will make it a valuable partner for small and growing businesses trying to navigate the post-Covid environment.

Ready for the new normal, everyone?