Calling all creative entrepreneurs! The Craft and Design Institute (CDI) has opened a new call for applications for its SCALE (Support Creatives and Accelerating Local Enterprises) Project.
Whether self-employed or employed by informal businesses, there is no doubt that millions of South Africans rely on the informal economy to earn a living, which is why growth in this sector is essential to building an all-inclusive economy.
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This is the belief of CDI’s SCALE programme and the National Treasury’s Job Fund.
In the spirit of acknowledging the value of ideas and services that informal entrepreneurs bring to the economy in its entirety, the initiative is looking to recruit a further 100 local craft and design entrepreneurs to benefit from bespoke training and mentorship carefully curated to empower creatives.
The CDI is a non-profit company with over 20 years of success in developing creative people, small businesses and the craft and design sector as a whole in South Africa.
Supported by the National Treasury’s Job Fund, the City of Cape Town and other existing partners, the programme in its first round of applications saw a high percentage of women and youth (entrepreneurs under 35) apply among 2023’s first 100 applicants.
Drawing on this extensive experience, the SCALE programme aims to provide informal enterprises looking to grow their revenue, increase their personal income or employ new staff with grant support, access to markets, training and mentorship.

Here’s what successful applicants can expect
The SCALE programme brings together a suite of tried and tested services from the CDI that offer growth and cover the most cited areas of needs identified by individual creative entrepreneurs: access to markets, finance and capacity development.
Individual Business Assessments will be offered to successful applicants to assist in creating a roadmap.
This will be followed by three months of specially designed training (via online learning), the facilitation of participation in the CDI’s national product market platform, and the development of an intervention or action plan for the R23 000 grant disbursements.
The grant can be used to purchase equipment and/or other professional services.
Additionally, successful applicants will also get administrative support to the value of R5 000 and a total allocation of airtime or data to the value of R3 000.
Applications are now open until 15 June on the CDI website.
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