Tourism on opening of Tourism Equity Fund applications

(Media Release: Issued and provided by the Department of Tourism)

The Department of Tourism together with the Small Enterprise Finance Agency (sefa), an agency within the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) is pleased to announce the opening of the application process for the Tourism Equity Fund (TEF) starting from Monday 6 November 2023.  

Following the Cabinet’s approval in September 2023 for the revised TEF to be implemented, we are delighted to announce that the Request for Proposals for funding from the TEF is now open to businesses. 

The R1.2 billion TEF aims to increase growth, and transformation and stimulate more inclusive participation in the tourism sector in line with the targets of the Tourism B-BBEE Sector Codes. The TEF is intended to address the funding challenges faced by Qualifying Small Enterprises and Emerging Micro Enterprises in the tourism sector.

The TEF will be implemented by:

• Assessing and scoring applications against jobs to be sustained and/or jobs to be created, location and geographic spread, and targeted groups (youth, women, and people with disabilities).

• Department of Tourism and sefa in partnership with banking and/or financial institutions in the Republic of South Africa, which includes, amongst others, banks and developmental finance institutions that will offer affordable and tailor-made financial solutions, in an attempt to close funding gaps in the market, through the provision of a blended finance solution.

• Disbursing a total of 80% of the TEF funds to existing Small Medium and Micro Enterprises in the market to enable these businesses to grow. The remaining allocation of 20% of the funds will be disbursed to new businesses.

Sefa will implement, execute, and manage the Fund through a Fund Management Agreement signed with the Department of Tourism. The Department will support and monitor the implementation of the TEF on a monthly basis.
 

Read the full statement here.