| Asset Classes | Private equity & Private debt |
|---|---|
| Impact strategy | Financial Inclusion |
| Sector | Microfinance |
| Number of borrowers reached | 1,056 |
| Female borrowers | 1% |
| Rural borrowers | 5% |
| Aligned with SDGs |
Lulalend an innovative online lending platform for small businesses in South Africa. Access to finance remains one of the key challenges for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa. High transactional costs, perceived risks and a lack of understanding of the SME business environment are the main factors preventing mainstream banks from operating in this sector.
Lulalend’s fully automated lending approach seeks to resolve this funding gap. The online lending platform provides fast, affordable loans to SMEs neglected by the South African banking sector. The platform focuses on businesses with an operational track record of at least one year and an annual revenue of more than ZAR 500,000 (EUR 30,000). It has a tech-and-touch approach: client acquisition, credit process and loan monitoring are fully automated. Manual intervention is used only to assess business health and to sign off loan funding.
Lulalend was founded in 2014 by Trevor Goslin and Neil Welman, both seasoned investment bankers. The company is located in Cape Town and operates across the country.