For a small business operating within the South Africa's mining sector, securing a contract can be a game changer. But winning the business is sometimes only half the battle, with access to funding to deliver on the contract often being a challenge.
According to the International Finance Corporation, only around 5% of formal South African SMEs have access to credit. The mining industry contributed approximately R477.1bn to South Africa’s GDP in 2025. The 2018 Mining Charter targets 80% of eligible mining services procurement expenditure from South African companies, including 15% from women-owned businesses. While this presents significant growth opportunities for local SMEs, access to the funding needed to capitalise on these opportunities is not always readily available.
This is why unlocking opportunities, specifically for black women-owned businesses in South Africa's mining value chain is an important step in helping them to access to the right funding.
100% black woman-owned uNotho Holdings had already secured a commercial opportunity with Seriti Power. Having qualified for R 3,500,000 in growth debt financing from the Ignite Fund, the company is now able to deliver against that opportunity.
The Ignite Fund, one of the newest additions to the Edge Growth Fund Management portfolio, is a multi-investor small business financing initiative supported by companies including South African mining and energy giant Seriti Holdings.
“At Seriti, we recognise the importance of developing sustainable local businesses and enabling capable entrepreneurs access to the funding and support their need to deliver on those opportunities. uNotho Holdings represents the exact type of enterprise we want to see growing within the mining sector,” says Nyaniso Rapiya inclusive procurement and ESD manager.
The Ignite Fund, which has seen rapid growth and success already since its establishment in 2023, is specifically designed to provide early-stage capital and developmental support to SMEs that fall outside traditional funding brackets.
“The funding provided meaningful support in enabling us to execute the supply and delivery of two waste trucks for Seriti Power, and we appreciate the role Edge Growth played in making the transaction possible,” says founder and managing director of uNotho Holdings, Makhosi Khoza.
Founded in 2018, uNotho delivers integrated waste management solutions, bulk hauling, commodity transportation services and machinery rental tailored to the needs of the construction, mining, and industrial sectors. The company is headquartered in Mpumalanga, with branches in the North West and Gauteng provinces.
This investment will strengthen the company’s operational capacity, support business growth within the mining sector, and create additional employment opportunities while enabling the company to deliver essential waste management and logistics services.
Edge Growth Ventures is one of South Africa’s leading SME investors, offering a diverse range of funding instruments across the capital and development spectrum. Over the past 17 years, the business has achieved significant growth in both size and scale, with more than R2.44 billion in funds under management by the end of its previous financial year.
We are pleased that the funding was completed just in time and are grateful for the support, collaboration, and guidance provided by the team involved throughout the transaction. From the outset, the process was transparent, professional and well managed.
Although the transaction was quite demanding from a coordination and execution perspective, the Edge Growth team remained professional, responsive and solution-oriented throughout the process,” says Khoza, who is chemist by profession, with over a decade’s experience within the mining sector.
Khanye Nene, Deal Maker at Edge Growth, says the investment in uNotho Holdings was driven by the company’s strong entrepreneurial leadership, deep industry expertise, proven ability to secure and deliver on commercial opportunities, and clear vision for building a sustainable, innovative business within the mining and waste management sectors.
“This transaction was unique as it required co-funding with other lenders, given the mandate limit of R3.5m. The process presented several challenges and valuable learning opportunities, making the successful disbursement all the more rewarding,” Nene says.
Khoza adds that the open communication and clarity provided from Edge Growth at each stage of the funding process was key.
“The team demonstrated a good understanding of the practical realities involved in executing an ESD-funded transaction, and they worked with us to ensure that the funding was ultimately aligned with the requirements of the purchase order,” says Khoza.
Under Khoza’s leadership, uNotho Holdings (Pty) Ltd is committed to continue delivering quality plant and truck hire services to the mining sector, with a strong emphasis on operational excellence, innovation and environmental responsibility. The company aims to build lasting partnerships with clients and contribute positively to the communities in which it operates, prioritising reliable service delivery and opportunities for long-term growth.
