For years, entrepreneurs in Africa have struggled with raising funds for their businesses. Thundafund provides an alternative way of raising funds through crowdfunding. Here’s how…
Since 2018, the UNCDF launched its program JSF in The Gambia to finance jobs, skills and finance for women and youths. This program will run until 2022 and its main objective is to reduce poverty through improved inclusive and sustainable growth and employment. But how can it do this? The answer is rather simple…
By helping entrepreneurs access funds for their businesses.
In 2013, Thundafund launched in South Africa and later in Kenya in 2019, and finally The Gambia in 2020. Since its inception, over $4.8M has been raised by entrepreneurs across Africa. During our pilot, over $10,000 has been raised by Gambian entrepreneurs. Over 300 Gambian campaigns have since been launched, raising funds for business growth and sustainability.
But What is Crowdfunding?
Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or a venture by raising small amounts of money from a large group of people. In simple terms, it is an online fundraising!
HOW DID IT BEGIN? The history of crowdfunding is traced back to the funding of the Statue of Liberty in 1885; however, it gained prominence with the emergence of the internet. It later became mainstream following the 2008 financial crisis, where the failure of banks to support businesses gave this concept a crutch. Thus, many successful businesses depended on crowdfunding to raise funds. This trend has spread across the world since.
WHAT OF AFRICA? Africa, is not new to crowdfunding. Fundraising has been part of our culture and heritage for years. With Stokvel in South Africa, Harambee in Kenya and Susu in The Gambia, raising large amounts of money for different projects e.g. tuition fees, buying lands, funding businesses, our continent is already set to go the online way!
IS CROWDFUNDING FOR ME? YES!! Crowdfunding is for anyone and everyone! There are different types of crowdfunding, and each is designed to suit your specific needs as an entrepreneur. Thundafund offers you 3 types of crowdfunding: Donations for early stage businesses and non-profit, rewards for businesses with products or services, and investment for already established businesses.
What Types of Crowdfunding Are There?
Donation-based Crowdfunding is the simplest form of crowdfunding as nothing is expected in return for backers contributions. This type is best for nonprofit ventures such as raising funds for community projects, children foundations, and any other of the like. For businesses and organizations looking to give their supporters something in return, read on . . .
Reward-based Crowdfunding where the entrepreneur gets to offer incentives as rewards to the people who fund the project (the backers). These incentives can be: merchandise produced by the business e.g. bags, shoes, bottles, books, etc., vouchers, or even discounts for a future service or product. Reward-based crowdfunding is great for new businesses that wish to test out their products in the market and get funding at the same time. And also for existing businesses that want to grow or launch a new product in the market.
It’s almost like killing three birds with one stone, because the crowdfunding project acts as a marketing opportunity, a product-testing opportunity, and a financing option for the business. The benefits of this kind of crowdfunding are endless.
Investment Crowdfunding is relatively new in Africa, and Thundafund is proud to be a pioneer of this new concept! The entrepreneur gets to raise funds (a slightly larger sum than most donations and reward projects) through smaller investments from many investors. The investor (backer) will then have their investment repaid with a fixed return over a period of time, depending on the revenue the business generates.
(If the business performs very well, investors are paid out sooner, if growth is slower, investors are repaid over a longer period of time). This mode is particularly great for established businesses seeking to get a boost in their capital to support their growth or expansion.
Pick a mode best suited for you!
You may be a part of a susu and you may be seeking to start that dream business. Setting up a campaign with Thundafund is quite easy. Moreover, our platform gives you the opportunity to present your business in an attractive way so as to market your business. And your susu can help you in this!
Even more, you get the chance to reach out to supporters beyond your susu!
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