Announced by Minster of Small Business Development Lindiwe Zulu, the Amavulandlela Fund will support entrepreneurs with disabilities and be managed by the Small Enterprise Funding Agency.
Comprising a R24 million loan funding component as well as a R6 million business support grant, the fund will also be accessible to companies and cooperatives of which 26% of people with physical disabilities have a stake. Disabled employees will also need to occupy managerial positions and have an active and recognised role in the running of companies.
"As a caring government, we envisage a society where people with disabilities, like all South Africans, are accorded their full political, human, social and economic rights," said Zulu.
"People with disabilities can and should be active players in the mainstream economy. All barriers must be removed to enable them to access all available opportunities. We are determined to strengthen our support for small businesses that are owned and managed by people with disabilities."
