Standard Bank invests in helping SMEs bridge the seed funding gap with Hlayisani Capital

Standard Bank Group is proud to announce its investment in Hlayisani Capital, a fund manager  focused on unlocking unique, high-growth investment opportunities across Sub-Saharan Africa with a strong ESG focus aligning to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals which exists to serve as a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. 

Hlayisani Capital supports and grows high growth businesses on their journey to success, unlocking their potential in a way that first-round seed funding can’t account for. Scaling an enterprise comes with its own set of challenges and Hlayisani Capital aims to help SMEs navigate not only through financial assistance, but also through its networks and partnerships throughout the continent. 

With its focus placed heavily within the technology space, Hlayisani Capital is currently invested into nine different tech start-ups to date, ranging from educational platforms like Snapplify to transport solutions like GoMetro. With a history of multiple successful exits across tech, real estate, agriculture and manufacturing sectors, Hlayisani Capital has provided significant returns to its investors - all whilst making a positive impact on the South African SME and young business ecosystem.

Watch the entire story of how Standard Bank and Hlayisani Capital invest in opportunity below.