Championing Africa’s Small Businesses
Cleola Kunene is one of Africa’s most influential champions of small businesses. From launching groundbreaking Small and Medium Enterprises solutions at the JSE to shaping global policy platforms under the G20, her work sits at the intersection of capital, policy, and dignity.
In this deeply personal reflection, Cleola traces the landscapes, lessons, and relentless clarity that shaped her journey, and explains why championing Small and Medium Enterprises is not just her profession, but her purpose.
I was born in Johannesburg, a city of contrasts, opportunity, and vibrant urban life. Growing up, I spent my formative years in Polokwane, Limpopo. Like most children in those days, I experienced the township life, but with a caring and protective community who cared about each other.
My family also had farmland in Tzaneen where I enjoyed nature and a sense of quiet balance with nature. When I think about Limpopo and the region’s landscapes veld, farmlands, and the sense of community; I think it taught me to notice the world at a human level. The people, stories, and the rhythms of everyday life.
My upbringing was shaped by family with amazing parents, grandparents and siblings, by active neighbours, and solid teachers who cared about us at school. This emphasized respect for elders, hospitality, and the ways in which food, music, and shared values bring people together.
I’m mixed, coloured and black, with some European and Latin influences, which has allowed me to be open to learning about a wide variety of cultures and traditions.
My life was always multicultural and the languages I’ve learnt from Afrikaans, Tsonga, Pedi, French, English and more, reflect that. The biggest lesson for me is to value family and to take care of each other in good and challenging times.
My first holiday job was as a debt collector while I was still in high school. It was tough work, but it taught me resilience early on. At university, I tutored Chinese immigrants who wanted to learn English, which opened me up to Asian culture and language.
At just 19, I started my first business, a tourism company catering to Asian tourists.That pattern continued, learning by doing, moving boldly, trusting my instincts.
I secured my first publishing role by convincing the CEO that if I could sell 500 children’s books, he should hire me. I went to schools, organised reading events, invited authors, parents, and children and sold over 1,000 books. Needless to say, I landed the job.
From publishing, I moved into banking and learned finance. I then worked in media while completing a postgraduate qualification in journalism. I deliberately chose to work at Daily Sun because I wanted to understand distribution, retail, and sales the real mechanics of business. I never looked back. Those skills became foundational to everything that followed.
I have always been an academic achiever. From primary school through university, learning came naturally to me and it never stopped.
I hold qualifications in Finance and Linguistics, a qualification from a French university, an MBA from Henley, a qualification from Harvard in Entrepreneurship, and a postgraduate qualification in Journalism from Wits.
Over the years, I’ve completed additional studies through GIBS and online platforms. Most recently, I completed a postgraduate executive master’s programme at Duke University in the United States.
For fun, I even completed an online certification in Astronomy. Learning is woven into my life. I don’t believe I will ever stop.
My career milestones include leading large, multi-country projects at T-Systems and contributing to strategies that became Showmax and the Delicious Festival at DStv.
At the JSE, I launched the first Customer Experience programme and founded SheInvests, a platform designed to help women learn about investing. Both initiatives became embedded within the organisation and were taken forward by teams that grew them into successful, enduring solutions.
My proudest work at the JSE, however, has been building SME Solutions. I developed the strategies, implemented the units, and helped hundreds of Small and Medium Enterprises access support, funding, and opportunity. Beyond corporate roles, I’ve launched and managed multiple businesses from e-commerce (which my partner and I eventually sold) to consulting and water bottling.
Today, my partners and I run an SME funding business that includes a venture capital fund, a debt fund, and financial services designed specifically for small businesses.
In 2023, I was honoured with the Mail & Guardian Woman of Power Award. In 2024, I received the Future Leadership Award for Best Entrepreneurial Leader. In 2025, I was invited to speak in Davos and received global recognition for my work as an entrepreneurial development expert supporting Small and Medium Enterprises across South Africa, the UAE, and Madagascar.
Since 2020, I have helped Small and Medium Enterprises directly grow their revenue by an average of 38%, with 32% job creation. Indirectly, I have facilitated over R1 billion in capital.
My work extends beyond funding. I have actively worked to reduce red tape, build public–private partnerships, advocate for South Africa internationally, and facilitate capital flows into the country to stimulate economic growth. For the next decade, my focus remains clear: investing in and funding Small and Medium Enterprises.
I have also honed my voice as a speaker, moderator, and programme director. I have spoken at global platforms including the Global SME Summit, Global Finance Forum for the IFC and World Bank, and the Global Ministerial Conference, moderating discussions with ministers, UN executives, and global leaders.
I have represented South Africa at over 50 international events. Most recently, I served as Deputy Chair of StartUp20 under the G20, leading the Trade and Market Access policy stream. I have also contributed to B20 and W20 platforms.
I believe I will be remembered as a champion for Africa’s small businesses, someone who helped stimulate economic growth, shape policy, facilitate capital, and restore dignity through real opportunity. But I also believe this is only the beginning. Africa must be an active participant in global growth, not a sidelined observer. I will continue to champion Small and Medium Enterprises relentlessly.
The biggest challenges was turning loss and failure into opportunities to propel myself and not letting it defeat me. We all face pain, loss or disappointment, but it’s how we respond that matters. Because that’s how we grow and come out on the other side. It starts with mindset.
I also learnt to continually show up for myself and not fear trying something new.
I didn’t pivot as much as I clarified my vision. Once I defined it, I became uncompromising about my why and flexible about the how. I am relentless about direction, and patient with timing. I am a change catalyst, a destiny usher for myself and for others. I know this because I’ve lived it repeatedly.
If I had to define my philosophy, I return to Theodore Roosevelt’s Man in the Arena. I am not afraid to step forward, to try, to fail, to learn, and to build again. Critics will come and go. I will stay the course. I am a change catalyst and a destiny usher for myself, my friends, family and many businesses. I know this to be true because I have achieved it many times over.
I have achieved so much and will achieve so much more because I am not afraid to put myself out there and do what others are afraid to do. And I truly invest in doing it well. Critics will come and go, but I will stay the course and achieve my dreams.
It takes a village. My parents were my foundation, my father taught me to read and love books; my mother taught me how to show up, including how to dress for the life I want. Women mentors taught me to be unapologetically excellent. Men taught me to take risks and network. My friends taught me community. My biggest teacher for me has to be my son, who has taught me to be patient and that balance matters.
My vision for the future is to be a woman who has inspired others to be fearless in their pursuit to make a difference. I am making a difference and will be one of the change makers leading us into a more prosperous Africa.
