R175,000 raised. More entrepreneurs set to benefit.

What if the only thing standing between an entrepreneur and a sustainable livelihood was a drill machine, hair dryers, a catering stove or a gazebo?

For many participants in FinMark Trust’s Generating Better Livelihoods for Grant Recipients (GBL) project, that is the reality. Ambition, talent and customers already exist. What is often missing is access to the tools and equipment needed to turn an idea into a stable source of income.

Through the Thundafund GBL crowdfunding campaign, individual and corporate backers came together to help close that gap. We raised R175,000 – surpassing our target of R105,000. What started as an appeal to support six entrepreneurs has grown into an opportunity to extend that support even further.

Every contribution was a vote of confidence in entrepreneurs ready to build better futures for themselves, their families, and their communities.

The funding gap no one talks about

“I’ve helped my participants pay for their CIPC registration.”

These words, shared by one of our linkages facilitators during a feedback session with our CEO, made us pause and reflect.

Our facilitators work alongside participants every day. They witness the determination and resilience that drive these small businesses forward. Sometimes, they believe in our participants so deeply that they use their own money to help them take the next step.

That moment captured something important: the biggest barriers to entrepreneurship are not always a lack of ideas or commitment. Often, they are practical and immediate. A toolkit. Initial stock. A massage bed. A freezer. Equipment hire costs. Registration fees.

For many GBL participants, there is no funding that truly fits this stage of the journey. Saving for productive assets can take months or even years. By then, opportunities may have passed, and motivation may have faded.

The GBL crowdfunding campaign was designed to bridge that gap.

More than funding six entrepreneurs

When the campaign launched, the goal was to test how a crowdfunding initiative could equip six entrepreneurs with the resources they needed to start trading, expand their businesses and generate sustainable livelihoods. Because the campaign exceeded its target, FinMark Trust is developing criteria to extend support to additional participants within the GBL project.

The funding will support asset transfers, including productive equipment, tools, and inputs, for micro- and informal businesses. The project team will coordinate all purchases directly to ensure participants receive the right equipment and support they need. By equipping beneficiaries with these resources, the initiative will enable participants to start, stabilise and grow income-generating activities, and strengthen their ability to build more sustainable livelihood pathways.

Meet the entrepreneurs whose businesses are ready to grow

The following entrepreneurs were featured during the crowdfunding campaign. As implementation begins, the project team will also identify additional participants who may benefit from the support made possible by the campaign.

Gina Tamboer, jewellery business – Oppermansdorp, Free State

Gina transforms recycled materials into handcrafted jewellery and dreams of opening her own store. The funding will get her specialised tools, materials and marketing resources, which will help her to increase production and sell more consistently at local markets.

Snokwethemba Dlamini, school vendor - KwaMashu, KwaZulu-Natal

For Snokwethemba, a gazebo, freezer and cooler box mean protection from the weather and the chance to trade confidently every day.

Mbalenhle Pearl Shabalala, catering business – KwaMashu, KwaZulu-Natal

Rising equipment hire costs have limited Mbalenhle’s growth. With her own gas stoves, cookware and serving equipment, she will be able to reduce costs and reinvest in her business.

Lerato Benedictus Tsotetsi, mobile massage spa – Sebokeng, Gauteng

Lerato’s vision is to build a professional mobile spa business and eventually train others in her community. The funding will get her the equipment and branding she needs to expand her services and attract new clients.

Ketlareng Kgwetsa, hair and beauty salon – Meloding, Free State

Ketlareng already has loyal customers from home. The new equipment will allow her to expand her services, reduce waiting times and create opportunities for young people to learn hair styling and braiding.

Nobuhle Ncube, hairdressing and makeup – KwaMashu, KwaZulu-Natal

Nobuhle hopes to transform a Wendy house into a dedicated salon space. With the right equipment and initial stock, she can grow her business and offer a wider range of services to her clients.

The GBL project works

We’ve seen what happens when this funding gap is closed.

Hlengiwe Makhanya, a baker in Madadeni, expanded production and began supplying local vendors after receiving an industrial oven. Snothile Kubheka grew her early childhood development centre and created employment opportunities after receiving educational toys, furniture and equipment.

Small investments have unlocked real outcomes.

The Generating Better Livelihoods project works with SASSA Child Support Grant recipients, mostly young women aged 18 to 35. Through coaching and linkages, participants connect to opportunities in entrepreneurship, skills development, education, and employment.

The project takes a holistic approach, recognising that sustainable livelihoods depend on more than income alone. We look at the whole person – their skills, well-being, aspirations and potential because when the right support meets determination, livelihoods can change.

Thank you for believing in possibility

To every individual who donated, shared the campaign and encouraged others to give: thank you!

Your generosity will unlock opportunities for entrepreneurs to access the productive assets they need to strengthen and grow their businesses. It also reaffirms what is possible when communities invest in entrepreneurs at the moment they need it most.

Over the coming months, we'll begin implementing the support, issuing campaign rewards and sharing the stories, milestones and lessons emerging from this initiative. You will see how collective action is helping create pathways to sustainable livelihoods.

As we reflect on the success of this pilot campaign, we're also looking ahead. The response has shown the potential for crowdfunding to become an important way of connecting supporters with entrepreneurs who need practical, targeted support to take the next step. We look forward to building on these lessons and creating even more opportunities to invest in livelihoods.