EDUCATION
New Education
SME Fund
The new Business Partners Limited Education SME Fund plans to finance
businesses such as privately owned schools, colleges, educational buildings
and student accommodation, providing support for entrepreneurs looking to
augment the shortcomings in the South African education system.
A
Gerrie van Biljon
ASPIRING LEARNERS
HAVE LOST OUT ON
MANY OPPORTUNITIES
DUE TO A LACK
OF PHYSICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE
AND ACCESS TO GOOD
SCHOOLS AND THIS IN
TURN IS NEGATIVELY
AFFECTING THE
COUNTRY’S ECONOMY.
ccording to the Statistics South Africa Poverty Trends in South Africa report
released in 2014, there is a strong correlation between increased levels of
education and decreased levels of poverty. The report states that in 2011,
two-thirds of respondents with no education were living in poverty, in comparison
to 44% who had secondary schooling, and 23.6% who had completed matric.
Seeking to provide existing and aspiring entrepreneurs in the educational
sector with finance and support to meet the growing need to improve and expand the education
sector, Business Partners Limited – a specialist risk finance company for formal SMEs – has
launched a R150-million Education SME Risk Capital Fund.
Gerrie van Biljon, executive director at Business Partners, says education remains a major
challenge in South Africa and directly impacts on the current skills shortage in various facets
of the local economy. “Aspiring learners have lost out on many opportunities due to a lack of
physical infrastructure and access to good schools and this in turn is negatively affecting the
country’s economy,” he says.
He explains that the Business Partners Education SME Fund aims to make funding available
to entrepreneurs wanting to present further quality ͍