George Watson leads a life that would have any South African banker scrambling to phone a bankruptcy lawyer and a psychiatrist at the same time. Watson’s company, New Business Finance, has R30-million lent out to 400 small business owners, of which R26-million is unsecured. From a typical South African financier’s point of view, it’s pure madness.

Mzukisi Nginingini says he prayed all the way to the meeting which he saw as his last hope to remain in business: "Oh please God, help me, I need to pay my employees." It is a prayer familiar to many business owners, including those normally not spiritually inclined.