Join Fetola and Make a Difference as Investment Readiness Manager

Apply now for a full-time role based in Cape Town

Hybrid set-up

Salary: R56 654 - R70 000 per month

Closing date: 26 May 2026

Vacancies: 1

“Our purpose is simple: we help people to start, grow & scale successful businesses”.

Who are we?

Fetola is a social enterprise dedicated to sustainable SME development as a means to tackle unemployment, inequality, and poverty. With a strong track record in business start-up and acceleration, we help entrepreneurs build thriving, environmentally sound businesses that drive economic growth and job creation. Our innovative approach, diverse programs, investment funds, and strategic partnerships position us at the forefront of impactful change in South Africa.  

Agile, inclusive, and results-driven, we foster a collaborative culture where every voice matters. With 87% of our accelerator alumni still in business after ten years, this is nine times the national average as we are committed to creating deep, lasting impact. True to our name, which means "change" in Sesotho, we believe that together, we can ‘Fetola’ the world!  

At the heart of all we do is our commitment to People, Planet and Profitability —ensuring a future where businesses thrive while making a meaningful difference.  

Who are we looking for?

A highly organised and methodical investment readiness manager who thrives on managing a team to deliver impactful investment readiness services. This individual is both structured and strategic, able to bring clarity and order to complex environments while consistently driving outcomes.

Key traits:

1. Highly organised and systematic, with strong attention to detail
   
2. Analytical and commercially minded, able to assess business viability, growth opportunities, and align investment opportunities with investor expectations
   
3. Proactive and outcome-driven, with a bias for action
   
4. Social banker at heart – driven by achieving social impact outcomes
   
5. Confident, credible, and low ego with strong professional presence
   
6. Brings structure and discipline to complex portfolio processes
   
7. Natural networker and relationship builder with strong stakeholder influence
   
8. Influential – with both external and internal stakeholders
   
9. Proven dealmaker who can connect opportunities to funding/investment outcomes
   

What will you do:

The Investment Readiness Manager will lead the rollout of the Investment Readiness strategy for SMEs in Fetola Investment Readiness projects and Business Development Support accelerators. You will work closely with founders and investors providing them with the tools, knowledge, and networks necessary to attract and secure investment deals. Your expertise will ensure that our entrepreneurs are well-prepared to succeed in accessing financing opportunities.

• Oversee the design and implementation of investment readiness programs: Upskilling of SME’s so that they can obtain grant funding
  
• Facilitate access to stage appropriate financing sources (Deal making): Meet Investment Readiness Targets
  
• Build and Maintain Investor Networks: Grow the IR portfolio and ecosystem
  
• Monitoring, Evaluation Reporting and Learning of Portfolio interventions
  

Requirements

Qualifications and Requirements:

1.  Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, economics, or a related field - MBA or other advanced degree preferred.
   
2. Team management/leadership role experience
   
3. At least 5 years spent in a role with a focus on enterprise; SMME growth and impact investing.
   
4. Passion for entrepreneurship/entrepreneurial development and supporting entrepreneurial ecosystems.
   
5. Ability to engage and support the entrepreneur with financial challenges.
   
6. Structured, systematic and process driven
   
7. Strong proven experience in deal making - track record in preparing startups for successful fundraising and securing SME financing deals – critical
   
8. Multilingual (advantageous if can speak at least three South African languages)
   
9. Prior experience in facilitating training and workshops
   
10. Proficiency in Microsoft Excel – experience using and creating graphs and pivot tables.
    

Benefits