Standard Bank’s headline sponsorship of the 2025 South African Future Trust (SAFT) Summit reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to unlocking opportunities for South African small and medium enterprises, which remain central to the country’s economic transformation. The Summit, held earlier in November 2025 at the Sandton Convention Centre, brought together more than 2,000 entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers and thought leaders, creating a powerful platform for knowledge exchange, collaboration and accelerated business growth.
Standard Bank’s support extended beyond sponsorship to meaningful on-the-ground enablement through its Enterprise and Supplier Development programme. 12 SMEs were fully sponsored to exhibit at the Summit, gaining exposure to new markets and buyers. An additional four SMEs were brought in to provide essential legal, financial management and marketing advisory services to entrepreneurs throughout the event. The bank also facilitated the attendance of 150 township-based entrepreneurs from Standard Bank Business & Commercial Banking’s Kasi SME National Pitch Challenge, ensuring that township businesses were represented, connected and exposed to ecosystem opportunities.
“For Standard Bank, our partnership with SAFT reflects our broader purpose of driving Africa’s growth. One of the ways we do this, is through such partnerships that turn possibilities into opportunities for vibrant businesses that power the economy. The SAFT Summit was a celebration of that purpose in action, a moment to recognise the entrepreneurs whose ideas, courage and determination continue to move South Africa forward”, says Bill Blackie, CEO of Business and Commercial Banking at Standard Bank Group.
“Our relationship with Standard Bank has been defined by a shared urgency and purpose to build a better future for South Africa. From standing with us during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, to headline sponsoring the SAFT Summit, Standard Bank has remained a steadfast partner in our mission to unlock opportunities for entrepreneurs, recognising that small businesses are the driving force behind the South African economy”, says Jonathan Oppenheimer, Chairman of the South African Future Trust.
The partnership between SAFT and Standard Bank was forged during the Covid-19 pandemic, when both organisations moved swiftly to support struggling businesses. Together, they jointly provided R250 million in interest free loans to small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) during Covid, supporting 3,500 small businesses and ensuring that 22,000 employees continued to receive an income during lockdown.
Earlier this year, SAFT and Standard Bank collaborated on the Kasi SME National Pitch Challenge, a nationwide initiative that identified and mentored township-based entrepreneurs with high-growth potential. The programme has already showcased how targeted support can help emerging businesses formalise, access markets and employ more people.
The SAFT Summit concluded with the announcement of the 2025 SAFT Award winners:
- In the Youth Entrepreneur category, Buddy Learning was named the winner.
- The Social Entrepreneur category was awarded to Technovera Pelebox.
- In the Tech Entrepreneur category, Stokfella emerged as the winner.
- The Innovative Idea Award went to Technological Plumbing Solutions.
- The Optimised Operating Model Impact Award meanwhile, was won by Assessment Toolbox.
These businesses demonstrated vision, innovation and a strong ability to shift South Africa’s entrepreneurial landscape.
Standard Bank sponsored the Woman in Business Award, which was awarded to Welile Gumede, the founder of Azowell Projects. Gumede is a crop farmer from iLembe in KwaZulu-Natal who, after being unable to secure employment as a Chemical Engineer, identified a gap in the market and began tomato tunnel farming with no prior agricultural experience. Her journey reflects the determination and innovation driving women entrepreneurs across South Africa. She received a prize package comprising R250,000 in cash and a further R250,000 allocated towards working capital, assets and mentorship, which will support the expansion of her agribusiness operations. Gumede’s work exemplifies the impact of women-led enterprises and the transformative impact that women entrepreneurs are having across our economy. By turning neglected agricultural land into productive assets, she is building a sustainable business, contributing to food security as well as rural development.
The Big Pitch 2025, the Summit’s flagship competition, awarded its grand prize to Parent Sense, a parenting and early-childhood development technology platform that demonstrated exceptional scalability, market potential and societal impact.
Standard Bank’s Business and Commercial Banking continues to support enterprises across the continent through transactional banking, lending, payment solutions and Enterprise and Supplier Development programmes, all designed to help businesses start, manage and grow sustainably.