On Tuesday, June 27, the Sanlam Group and South African National Parks (SANParks)
established a R10-million programme to give SMMEs from communities surrounding
South Africa’s major national parks with access to market, funding, and business
development support.
 
The goal of the Sanlam SANParks SMME Support Programme is to create sustainable
businesses by providing supply chain finance at the lowest cost possible.
 
Sanlam and SANParks said at the launch event in the Kruger National Park on the day the
United Nations declared Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises Day that South Africa’s
major parks contribute around R3 billion to the economy each year, creating and retaining jobs in
the small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMME) sector.
 
The strategy, which will run for one year and first focus on the Kruger National Park, one of
Africa’s largest National Parks, strives to influence targeted SMMEs as specified in the
SANParks overall supply management plan.
 
The programme will provide SMMEs with short-term working capital in the form of interest-free
loans from which SANParks can purchase goods and services in and around the Kruger
National Park. As part of its pilot programme, Sanlam, Africa’s largest non-banking financial
services group, will contribute R10 million in loan support, and development support will be
implemented by I AM AN ENTREPRENEUR (IAAE), a leading enterprise development agency
experienced in assisting entrepreneurs in building and growing their businesses.
The programme aims to create sustainable SMMEs with the capability to deliver goods and
services to SANParks, thereby preserving and potentially contributing to job creation in and
around Kruger National Park.
 
Sanlam Group Executive Karl Socikwa emphasises the company’s commitment to long-term
expansion on the African continent. He stresses the importance of SMMEs in the South African
economy, stating that they provide 90% of the 11 million new jobs required. For almost a
century, the Sanlam Group has been investing in communities and the environment, with parks
playing an important role in nation,
 
For SANParks, the plan aims to help SMMEs in the surrounding areas by supporting
environmentally sustainable development and the responsible use of natural resources. It
enforces a Socio-Economic Transformation Strategy with the goal of ensuring equal advantages
for present and future generations. 
 

SMMEs that are contracted to SANParks and are interested in accessing the programme should
liaise directly with the SANParks Supply Chain Management unit at the Kruger National Park.