The MoU is a coordinated national SMME Support Programme anchored in the franchise sector, delivered across all nine provinces and designed from the ground up to work for entrepreneurs who have historically been locked out.
South Africa’s SMME sector employs most of the country’s working population and remains the most credible engine of inclusive economic growth, yet structural barriers, fragmented support, limited access to finance and distance from established commercial networks have stunted the potential of millions of small business owners.
The franchise model is well-suited to address this challenge on a large scale. It is a tested and replicable system, based on the idea that a strong business model, when managed by capable individuals, can thrive anywhere.
Fasa and TEA will bring this proven system directly to the communities that need it most.
TEA is a development-focused platform dedicated to unlocking the growth of township-based businesses by connecting them to structured markets, investment pathways, skills development, and scalable commercial ecosystems.
TEA works at the intersection of entrepreneurship, media, and economic development to ensure township businesses are not only visible, but viable within the formal economy.
For township businesses, this partnership represents a practical shift from informal survival to structured participation in national value chains. It means access to training, funding pipelines, franchise entry points, and market linkages that significantly increase their chances of long-term sustainability and growth.
It also opens the door for township enterprises to transition into scalable, franchise business systems.
The SMME Support Programme is not a once-off intervention or a ceremonial announcement. It is a structured, end-to-end system designed to identify, develop, fund, and scale entrepreneurs across South Africa.
The programme’s key pillars include:
“We are delighted to announce this long-awaited partnership as Fasa. This partnership is a direct response to the gap between the potential of South Africa’s township entrepreneurs and the opportunities available to them. Fasa’s member brands are ready to be part of the solution not as charity, but as genuine commercial partners in a model that works for everyone,” say Freddy Makgato, CEO of Fasa.
The MoU creates a structured and credible platform for franchisors, investors, development finance institutions, and corporate partners to participate in something that is both commercially sound and nationally important.
“This partnership gives township entrepreneurs more than access. It gives them structure, credibility, and a real entry point into formal economic systems. For TEA, it means being able to take businesses that already exist in our communities and connect them to scalable national platforms that turn potential into performance,” says Bulelani Balabala, Founder and CEO of TEA
Franchise brands gain direct access to a pipeline of business-ready SMME operators and high-density township market communities with significant purchasing power, which the formal economy has consistently underserved. For investors, the programme offers blended-finance instruments aligned to ESG reporting standards and backed by government co-investment incentives.
This is not about ticking transformation boxes. It is about building durable, profitable businesses in parts of the economy that have been waiting too long for a seat at the table.
