The Cutting Edge Podcast

In this episode of The Cutting Edge, the team explores why many proven, growth-stage African tech businesses still struggle to access funding that fits where they are in their journey. The conversation unpacks the thinking behind the Edge Impact Fund, from venture debt and flexible capital structures to investment readiness and the support businesses need after funding is secured. It is a practical look at how the right capital, partnerships and post-investment support can help businesses scale with greater confidence.

Joining the conversation are:
🎙️ Noluvo Nela - Partner & Fund Head at Edge Growth Ventures
🎙️ Tiyon Evans - Principal, Portfolio Management
🎤 Host: Nabeela Vally - Head of Business Development, Edge Growth

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Listen to the podcast on your preferred platform by clicking here 👉 https://linktr.ee/EdgeGrowth_CuttingEdge
Find us on LinkedIn 👉 https://gtlk.link/LinkedIn
Visit our website 👉 https://gtlk.link/ECkaJQFm

In this episode of The Cutting Edge Podcast, we explore Edge Growth's 20-year transformation journey from a business founded by three white entrepreneurs to a majority Black-owned company committed to driving inclusive economic growth.

Joining the conversation are:
Joining the conversation are:
🎙️ Daniel Hatfield - CEO & Co-Founder, Edge Growth
🎙️ Fumani Mthembi - Co-founder, Pele Energy Group; MD, Knowledge Pele
🎙️ Ngoku-Sakhile Mazwi - CEO, Bayakha Infrastructure Partners
🎤 Host: Nabeela Vally - Head of Business Development, Edge Growth

Together, the uncover:

▸ Why Edge Growth built transformation into its DNA from day one and what it means to operate at a "heart level" rather than a compliance level.
▸ What the numbers revealed to incoming shareholders that public narratives often overlook.
▸ How economic participation creates ripple effects far beyond a single job.
▸ Why impact must be measured and not merely claimed.
▸ The case for refining B-BBEE without abandoning it.
▸ What the proposed Transformation Fund must get right to deliver meaningful outcomes.

An honest conversation about ownership, opportunity, accountability, and the practical realities of building a more inclusive economy.

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Listen to the podcast on your preferred platform by clicking here 👉 http://bit.ly/3TtbZrh
Find us on LinkedIn 👉 https://bit.ly/4eKGUaF
Visit our website 👉 https://bit.ly/4g6GImS

In this episode of The Cutting Edge, Susan Moloisane (CE of Edge Growth Solutions) sits down with Tokollo Mahapa (Management Consultant at SyTra Consulting) and Xolani Nxanga (Guard Risk - Microinsurance & InsureTech). Together, they expose the brutal realities facing South Africa's financial services SMEs and reveal why traditional business models are at risk of becoming obsolete in the digital age. Tune in as they share why adaptation and evolution are crucial for survival and growth in today’s rapidly changing landscape.

This hard-hitting discussion uncovers the survival strategies every financial intermediary, advisor, and insurance SME must implement before their competitors do.

🟢 Ideal for: South African financial advisors, insurance intermediaries, SME owners in financial services, and entrepreneurs looking to build legacy businesses in the evolving financial sector.

🎙️ Listen to the podcast on your preferred platform by clicking here 👉[http://bit.ly/3TtbZrh]
#️⃣ Find us on LinkedIn 👉[https://bit.ly/4eKGUaF]
🌐 Visit our website 👉[https://bit.ly/4g6GImS]

#financialadvisors #digitaltransformation #southafricanbusiness #smedevelopment #financialservices #clientexperience

In this episode of The Cutting Edge, recorded live at an event organised by 100WF and hosted by Edge Growth Ventures, moderator Zinathi Gquma (Business Day TV anchor and host) leads a powerful discussion on how innovation within SMEs is reshaping South Africa's economic landscape despite an underwhelming growth.

4 business growth experts shared their insights on:
↳ Why SMEs must embrace innovation as a strategic pillar, not just a buzzword, to compete with established players.
↳ How technology adoption enables smaller companies to operate at scale with fewer resources and respond more quickly to customer needs and demands.
↳ The critical funding gap for innovative ventures and why South Africa's venture capital landscape remains underdeveloped compared to global capital ecosystems.
↳ Why true innovation means selling your ideas, not just creating them.
↳ How a lack of corporate support for SMEs is holding businesses back from growing.

Featured in the panel:
- Noluvo Nela - Partner, Edge Growth Ventures
- Cleola Kunene - JSE Head of SME Development
- Sizwe Ndlovu - CTO, Pineapple Insurance
- Zinathi Gquma - Business News Anchor & Moderator

🟢 Essential listening for entrepreneurs, funders, ecosystem builders, and policymakers committed to unlocking South Africa's economic potential through SME innovation and development.

#️⃣ Find us on LinkedIn 👉 [https://bit.ly/4eKGUaF]

🌐 Visit our website 👉 [https://bit.ly/4g6GImS]

ABOUT 100 Women in Finance:

100 Women in Finance (100WF) is a global nonprofit organisation dedicated to strengthening the finance industry by empowering women to reach their professional potential at every stage of their careers. With over 35,000 members across 30+ locations worldwide, 100WF delivers on its mission through education, peer engagement, and impact initiatives, all guided by its Vision 30/40, a goal for women to hold 30% of senior investment and executive roles by 2040.

#smeinnovation #southafricaneconomy #businessgrowth #entrepreneurship #economicgrowth

In this episode of The Cutting Edge, Susan Moloisane (CEO of Edge Growth Solutions) sits down with AI expert Tanye ver Loren van Themaat and Jason Krause (CEO of Art of Scale - an AI-powered business scaling platform).

Collectively, they break down why South African SMEs can't afford to wait on AI adoption and provide actionable steps to start integrating and building AI-powered systems into your business that can deliver 10X growth - even if you know little about AI right now.

This strategy-packed discussion covers:
↳ Why businesses that delay AI adoption will permanently fall behind competitors (and how this affects employee retention)
↳ How to identify AI-ready employees who can drive transformation from within your organisation
↳ Simple frameworks for mapping your business systems before implementing AI solutions
↳ Why AI implementation requires rethinking your entire business model, not just adding technology
↳ The critical shift from "technology as afterthought" to "technology-first problem solving"
↳ How investors should evaluate businesses based on their digital transformation readiness
↳ Practical tools for teaching employees systems thinking and critical judgment in an AI environment.

🟢 Ideal for South African business owners, leaders, executives and investors in SME development who need practical strategies to implement AI without getting overwhelmed.