ABOUT US

Our Story

Who is Raizcorp?

Raizcorp is, according to The Economist, the only genuine incubator in Africa. However, we prefer to think of ourselves as a Prosperator™ rather than an incubator. We provide business support for enthusiastic, growth-hungry entrepreneurs, offering them a platform that fosters learning and guidance, which can be translated into practical business success.

We also offer partnership opportunities, providing invaluable business guidance and support for your business. We guarantee you results! And, for Corporate Sponsors, we provide you with access to quality suppliers for Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) – not only for your own enterprise development benefits, but also to grow a high-quality and efficient supplier chain, which will improve your business operations and increase profits.

The story of Raizcorp

As the child of successful entrepreneurial parents, I was given the privilege of a good, private school education and earned two degrees in Marketing. I worked in my parents’ umbrella factory, and at the age of 22, I was responsible for supervising more than 200 people. I realised that I needed to be successful on my own, and so I left the security of my parents’ company. My family did not take my decision well, and I received no further support from them.

I approached a friend for a job in his ailing retail clothing chain, and it was here that I truly found my niche. I redesigned the stores, restocked the shelves, and started running innovative promotions. The stores began to boom, and the local press did an article on one of my promotions.

As fate would have it, this article was read by a local multibillionaire businessman. He took an interest in me and the way I thought about doing business. In late 1991, I was given the chance of a lifetime by this businessman – to start any business of my choosing, whilst being mentored through the process.

I had every advantage and privilege a new small business owner could ask for: an entrepreneurial family background; a good university education; guaranteed financial backing; an impeccable business mentor; and the freedom to choose any business I wanted to start.

Even though I had all of these advantages, a few months after it had opened, it was clear to everyone that my business was a complete failure. Still reeling from the personal devastation that failure creates, I approached my mentor with the intention of finding some means to pay him back. Rather than berating me for my failure, my mentor looked at me and said, “I agree, your business has failed. Knowing this, what would you do differently now?”

I had already put a lot of thought into the things that I should have done, and I laid them out for him. He then said something that changed my life: “I didn’t back your business. I backed you.”

My mentor told me that he would continue to support me, provided I would take the advice of a number of experienced business people he would put me in contact with. He said, “You may have failed in business, but you have been able to draw lessons from that failure. See it rather as a learning opportunity. Take those lessons and implement them in your business.”

He allowed me to learn from my failure and try again – and this time, paying attention to the team of Guides I had with me, I was able to grow the business into a success.

Having benefitted from true support and guidance as an entrepreneur, I asked the question, “With everything I was given, I failed. The financial backing, my education, the support of my friends and family: none of it prepared me for how hard it is to own your own business. In this type of environment, what happens to small business owners who don’t have all the privileges I was given?”

And so the idea of Raizcorp was born. Raizcorp is a means of paying forward the support, development, and encouragement I received from my mentor and the team of Guides I assembled around me. We have duplicated the formula for success that my mentor gave me, and created a safe environment where entrepreneurs can learn from their failures, and be given the chance to succeed and create wealth that they deserve.

SERVICES

Entrepreneurs

What’s in it for me?

Access to Finance Institutions

Cash flow is the lifeblood of any growing business, and entrepreneurs are always searching for ways to access more finance at the correct time. Although we don’t provide funding ourselves, we provide access to a network of finance institutions that could provide you with the financing you need. Being on one of our programmes will increase your probability of accessing this finance.

Access to Markets

We understand the importance of access to markets for growing entrepreneurial businesses. It is for this reason that we’ve created 7 different channels to markets, ranging from access to over 500 businesses on our current programmes, to over 1500 alumni businesses, to direct access to large corporate supply chains, and more.

Business Guidance

Each of our entrepreneurs receives a team of entrepreneurial Guides who will be “mentors” on strategy, finance, marketing, sales, and personal development. Our Guides are regarded as the crème da le crème of business “mentors”. They are highly trained, highly selected, and full time, ensuring that you receive a high quality experience and interaction that will help move your business to the next level.

Back Office Support

Small businesses need certain staff resources to grow, but aren’t able to afford them or don’t fully utilise their services to make it cost effective to employ them full time. In many cases, a small business will then do without a bookkeeper or receptionist, which can have a negative impact on their business. As part of the programme, we’ll provide you with access to our professional staff, such as a receptionist, bookkeeper, and hospitality hostesses etc., who are always ready to assist you in any way possible.

Access to Specialists

As a growing entrepreneurial business you will reach a stage when you’ll require specialist services such as tax, human resources, legal etc. Many entrepreneurial businesses are unsure of who are the appropriate specialists to engage with that are cost effective and experts in their respective fields. We have put together a panel of various specialists for you to choose from, and they provide services to businesses on our programmes at special rates.

Entrepreneurial Learning

Successful entrepreneurs are lifelong learners, and are obsessed with obtaining information and skills that will unlock their entrepreneurial potential. We provide an approved and highly recognised practical learning curriculum for both you and your staff. The curriculum includes subjects such as entrepreneurship, marketing, sales, finance, and personal development – ensuring you have every opportunity to supplement your gaps and areas for growth.

Access to Infrastructure

Business infrastructure is expensive and often not ideally located. As part of the programme, you’ll have access to rooms, boardrooms, IT and front-desk infrastructure, or even use our hot-desking facilities. You’ll also be able to rent offices on a month-to-month basis. The true benefit of using our infrastructure is that your clients and potential clients will interact with you in a professional context, and thus view you in a professional light.

The Raizcorp Community

We know that the entrepreneurial journey can be very lonely, but as part of our community, you’ll be in the perfect position to interact with other entrepreneurs; draw strength and inspiration from them, and them from you. In this environment, you can harness synergy and ensure that serendipity flourishes!

Partners

What’s in it for me?

Access to Markets

We understand the importance of access to markets for growing entrepreneurial businesses. It is for this reason that we’ve created 7 different channels to markets, ranging from access to over 500 businesses on our current programmes, to over 1500 alumni businesses, to direct access to large corporate supply chains, and more..

Business Guidance

Each of our partners receives a team of entrepreneurial Guides who will be “mentors” on strategy, finance, marketing, sales, and personal development. Our Guides are regarded as the crème da le crème of business “mentors”. They are highly trained, highly selected, and full time, ensuring that you receive a high quality experience and interaction that will help move your business to the next level.

Our Guarantee

When you partner with us, we’ll provide you with a tailored guarantee that explicitly outlines the growth hurdle rate over a 24-month period that your business needs to achieve in order for us to retain our equity. In the unlikely event that we do not achieve this hurdle rate, you will automatically claw back the Raizcorp equity at no cost.

Access to Specialists

As a growing entrepreneurial business you will reach a stage when you’ll require specialist services such as tax, human resources, legal etc. Many entrepreneurial businesses are unsure of who are the appropriate specialists to engage with that are cost effective and experts in their respective fields. We have put together a panel of various specialists for you to choose from, and they provide services to businesses on our programmes at special rates.

Entrepreneurial Learning

Successful entrepreneurs are lifelong learners, and are obsessed with obtaining information and skills that will unlock their entrepreneurial potential. We provide an approved and highly recognised practical learning curriculum for both you and your staff. The curriculum includes subjects such as entrepreneurship, marketing, sales, finance, and personal development – ensuring you have every opportunity to supplement your gaps and areas for growth.

Access to Infrastructure

Business infrastructure is expensive and often not ideally located. As part of the programme, you’ll have access to rooms, boardrooms, IT and front-desk infrastructure, or even use our hot-desking facilities. You’ll also be able to rent offices on a month-to-month basis. The true benefit of using our infrastructure is that your clients and potential clients will interact with you in a professional context, and thus view you in a professional light.

Back Office Support

Small businesses need certain staff resources to grow, but aren’t able to afford them or don’t fully utilise their services to make it cost effective to employ them full time. In many cases, a small business will then do without a bookkeeper or receptionist, which can have a negative impact on their business. As part of the programme, we’ll provide you with access to our professional staff, such as a receptionist, bookkeeper, and hospitality hostesses etc., who are always ready to assist you in any way possible.

The Raizcorp community

We know that the entrepreneurial journey can be very lonely, but as part of the Raizcorp community, you’ll be in the perfect position to interact with other entrepreneurs; draw strength and inspiration from them, and them from you. In this environment, you can harness synergy and ensure that serendipity flourishes!

Corporate Sponsors

Maximise your Enterprise and Supplier Development Activities

We have developed a unique Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) model to assist South African companies to achieve their ESD points on the B-BBEE scorecard. You will achieve this by sponsoring black-owned businesses on our globally recognised enterprise development programmes and supplier development programmes. Working with us is more than just achieving your B-BBEE points. It’s about achieving real growth in your black-owned suppliers.

Enterprise and Supplier Development Programmes

We have designed a range of highly-effective and targeted Enterprise and Supplier Development Programmes that are tailored to your strategic objectives. These programmes guarantee that you’ll meet the B-BBEE requirements and achieve your BEE points in a sustainable manner whilst ensuring your suppliers and potential suppliers experience real impact on the programme resulting in their growth and profitability.

Global

Uplift your economy

We drive entrepreneurship and local economic development on a country, city or community level. We work with development agencies, DFIs, multinationals, NGOs, mining companies, large local corporates, amongst others, to design and implement business incubation and entrepreneurship programmes to suit local conditions.