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Edge Growth is a Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa-based fund manager and enterprise development firm that partners with corporate entities to build and invest in small and medium-sized enterprises across their supply chains. The firm manages over R2 billion in assets under management and operates with a workforce of between 101 and 200 employees to execute its corporate partnership strategies. Through its accelerator programs and impact-aligned investments targeting the missing middle finance sector, the organization has successfully facilitated the creation of more than 2,500 jobs within the regional economy. In August 2023, strategic investors Knowledge Pele and Bayakha acquired a significant stake in the business, which is currently led by Edge Growth Ventures CEO Janice Johnston and Edge Growth Solutions CEO Susan Moloisane. The financial services and enterprise development organization was founded in 2007 by undisclosed founders.
Key people at Edge Growth.
Edge Growth was founded in 2007 by Daniel Hatfield (Founder/Managing Director).
Key people at Edge Growth.
Edge Growth was founded in 2007 by Daniel Hatfield (Founder/Managing Director).
Edge Growth is a leading South African investment firm and SME development specialist, founded in 2007, focused on unlocking growth for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through enterprise and supplier development (ESD) solutions, fund management, and business support.[1][2][4][5] Its mission centers on co-creating innovative solutions to combat SME growth constraints like access to finance, markets, skills, and supply chains, fostering job creation and socio-economic impact in Africa.[1][2][4][5] The firm's investment philosophy emphasizes impact investing in innovative scale-ups, partnering with corporates for bespoke ESD strategies, and managing funds such as the Vumela Enterprise Development Fund, ASISA Enterprise Development Fund, Edge Action Fund, and Volkswagen BEE Initiatives Trust, totaling over ZAR 900m invested in 47 SMEs.[1][2] Key sectors include SME growth across South Africa, with a strong emphasis on black-owned businesses, transformation, and accelerators; it has created over 2,500 jobs and employs 64 staff across Johannesburg and Cape Town offices.[1][2][4] Edge Growth significantly impacts the startup ecosystem by bridging corporates and SMEs, enabling supply chain inclusion, capital access, and scaling, while achieving Level 1 B-BBEE status and nearly 70% black ownership as of 2025.[2][4]
Edge Growth was established in 2007 as an independent investment firm specializing in SMEs, evolving from hands-on ESD strategies to managing multiple impact funds and accelerator programs.[1][2][3][4] Key figures include CEO Daniel, who leads the vision for a prosperous Africa via world-shaping SMEs, drawing from over 60 years of combined team experience in investment, finance, consulting, and entrepreneurship.[4] The firm started by addressing SME barriers—finance, markets, skills—and grew into a ZAR 68m business, black-owned with Level 2 B-BBEE recognition (upgraded to Level 1), including a 2025 share sale to Pele Energy Group boosting black ownership to nearly 70%.[1][2][4] Pivotal moments include launching the first ESD funds, investing in 47 SMEs, and creating thousands of jobs, solidifying its track record in transformation and impact.[1][2][4]
Edge Growth rides the wave of Africa's SME-driven economic transformation, capitalizing on trends like impact investing, B-BBEE compliance, and supply chain localization amid rising unemployment and inequality.[1][2][4][5] Timing is ideal post-2007, aligning with South Africa's post-apartheid empowerment mandates and global ESG demands, where SMEs (key job creators) face capital gaps—Edge fills this via ESD, funds, and accelerators for innovative scale-ups.[2][4] Market forces favoring it include corporate ESD mandates, venture fund growth for high-potential SMEs, and black economic participation policies; it influences the ecosystem by fostering inclusive supply chains, job creation (tens of thousands via assisted SMEs), and a collaborative model that scales black-owned innovators, proving holistic development yields sustainable impact.[1][2][4][5]
Edge Growth is poised to expand its ZAR 900m+ fund management and IGNITE solutions, targeting more scale-up investments amid Africa's SME boom and ESG priorities.[1][2][5] Trends like digital innovation, green transitions, and deeper corporate-SME partnerships will shape its path, potentially growing funds and jobs as black ownership strengthens transformation credibility.[4] Its influence may evolve into pan-African leadership, amplifying SME ecosystems for inclusive growth—reinforcing its role as a pioneer in igniting measurable impact since 2007.[2][4][5]
