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Uplift your economy

Our SEED programmes take into account the general complexities of doing business in the developing world, and are adaptable to specific challenges at a local level. Our programmes empower and educate local entrepreneurs and potential entrepreneurs to generate the employment their communities need, and to link local industries to national and international markets.

SEED programmes produce results because delivery is based on detailed, on-site contextual analyses combined with Raizcorp’s highly successful and adaptable enterprise and supplier development approaches and methodologies.

Development finance institutions (DFIs)

Development finance
institutions (DFIs) to assist in executing and implementing general entrepreneurial programmes, or programmes aimed at youth, females or rural contexts.

Multinational corporates

Multinational corporates to ensure that CSI strategies are aligned with company strategies.

Mines csi

Mines to execute entrepreneurial and supplier development programmes for surrounding communities in accordance with CSI, licence requirements, etc.

Governments Incubations

Governments
to design and implement national incubation and acceleration programmes.

Our approach

Raizcorp has developed a uniquely effective model of business incubation which we call Prosperation. Prosperation relies on four approaches to entrepreneurial development and business support which underpin all our offerings.

Click to read more about our approach

QUALITY TRUMPS QUANTITY
IGNORANTLY EXPERIENCED
THE ROAD TO NON-DEPENDENCE
MEDIUM-TERM SUSTAINABILITY TRUMPS SHORT-TERM WINS
QUALITY TRUMPS QUANTITY
Diamond

Quality trumps quantity

In a world where quantity is valued more than quality, Raizcorp remains resolute that the selection of a smaller number of top-quality entrepreneurs will have a better overall result in terms of local impact. To this end, Raizcorp has developed stringent selection processes for all of its different programmes to ensure the selection of the most appropriate candidates.
IGNORANTLY EXPERIENCED
Resources

Ignorantly experienced

Raizcorp’s experience has shown that every local situation, every geographic region, and every group of potential entrepreneurs present a set of dynamics that has never been encountered before. Although Raizcorp has years of experience in rural, peri-urban and urban contexts, no assumption is ever made that an effective solution in one context would work as well in another. It is for this reason that, prior to finalising an enterprise-development project plan, a team of highly experienced individuals is sent to any proposed project location to assess which model, programmes and timelines would be best suited for the project. This team will engage the local stakeholders and learn from their experience and insights before committing to a solution.
THE ROAD TO NON-DEPENDENCE
Wins

The road to non-dependence

All Raizcorp programmes are designed to move the beneficiaries to the next level in their entrepreneurial journey (see the Raizcorp Enterprise Development Continuum below). Every Raizcorp programme is designed to reduce the level of dependence on the programme over time, thus creating a truly empowered entrepreneur. As an example, Raizcorp uses guiding instead of mentoring as an engagement methodology: while mentoring makes use of telling and doing, guiding assists the entrepreneur to identify options and their consequences, and the entrepreneur then chooses the direction and implements it.
MEDIUM-TERM SUSTAINABILITY TRUMPS SHORT-TERM WINS
Circle arrows

Medium-term sustainability trumps short-term wins

Too often, entrepreneurial programmes are designed to produce quick wins that ultimately result in no medium-term sustainability. As an example, a programme might be designed to produce turnover growth or increase the number of jobs. Entrepreneurs are then encouraged to increase turnover, often at the cost of profitability, and to employ people too early in the business-growth cycle. The short-term result is that reporting will show growth, but the medium-term result is that the business closes down and all those employed become unemployed. In addition, the entrepreneur loses confidence to try again, and the net result for the local economic ecosystem is negative. All Raizcorp programmes are designed with sustainability in mind.

Enterprise Development Continuum

Some DFIs we have worked with

United Nations Development Programme

United Nations Development Programme

African Development Bank Group

African Development Bank Group

United States Agency for International Development

United States Agency for International Development

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit

Danish International Development Agency

Danish International Development Agency