42 This year’s winners of the Eric Ellerine Entrepreneur Award are Joshua Kadish, Jordan Hertz, and Marom Mishan. They’re the team behind Sourcefin, a leading fintech company specialising in empowering South African small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) through streamlined purchase order (PO) funding and invoice discounting. In only their fourth financial year of operation, this group of entrepreneurs has made Sourcefin the leader in the PO funding space, with a projected R1 billion to be deployed in the 2025 financial year. “We’ve been able to achieve a lifetime bad-debt rate of 1.8% in what’s considered a very high-risk space, and a retention rate of 48%,” they say. As such, they’ve secured exclusive partnerships with public and private entities, including First National Bank (FNB), the City of Joburg, the Gauteng Department of Economic Development, Gauteng Enterprise Propeller, and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. The newly signed FNB partnership is predicted to yield 75 leads per day, and will culminate in enabling Sourcefin to offer bespoke loans directly through the FNB banking app. Considering that they’re all between the ages of 26 and 33, these accomplishments are that much more impressive. Surprisingly none of these three businessmen have a financial background. Yet they’ve harnessed what some would call a weakness by using their diverse backgrounds to differentiate themselves from traditional financiers in three ways. “First, we identified an opportunity in the market and solved it by using experience from the supply side as opposed to analysing deals from a credit background,” they say. “We not only finance the projects, we offer a turnkey solution providing services that a SMME contractor would need to fulfil their projects.” Unlike banks and other funders who apply retrospective affordability checks, they also judge deals on a forward-looking and order-backed basis. “We pride ourselves on the ability to use technology to fund SMMEs within 48 hours, with the vast majority of our clients being black economic empowerment level 1 and solely operating in the government space,” they say. Finally, Sourcefin stands out from its competitors by combining advanced automation with a human touch in its fintech solutions. “While our processes are streamlined and data-driven, ensuring quick and accurate vetting within minutes, we also incorporate personalised assessments to ensure a thorough understanding of each client’s needs,” they say. “This allows Sourcefin to offer tailored financing solutions with term sheets delivered within 48 hours.” Throughout their business journey, the team has harnessed the power of technology to enhance their offerings. “Over the years, we’ve shifted from traditional approaches to embracing artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced technology to meet the evolving needs of the economy,” they say. “Despite negative perceptions about South African governance, we saw an opportunity to support underserved SMMEs in this challenging environment. By developing products like PO funding and invoice discounting, we turned systemic obstacles into growth opportunities. Integrating AI has allowed us to assess risk better, personalise solutions, and scale effectively. This approach not only drives our growth, it empowers local businesses in an untapped market.” By combining data-driven insights with a human touch, Sourcefin is able to build products that are both commercially viable and socially impactful. “At Sourcefin, we focus on empowering black-owned businesses, youth, and women who often struggle to get support from traditional banks and funders,” say Kadish, Hertz, and Mishan. “This is why our motto is, ‘We enable the forgotten SMME.’” Providing more than just financial assistance, Sourcefin helps with supply chain, procurement, and legal aspects of businesses and orders. “By forming partnerships with our clients, we drive growth and job creation in the SMME sector, which boosts the South African economy.” Reflecting on how they’ve built their management team, the three leaders say they’ve strategically hired young, driven professionals with a diverse blend of skills and backgrounds. “This mix of fresh perspectives and expertise allows us to adapt quickly in a constantly changing business environment. Beyond hiring, we invest heavily in mentorship and business coaching for our management team, ensuring its members continue to enhance their skills and grow as leaders.” The fact that this award is named for their own shared mentor, Eric Ellerine, makes it that much more meaningful. While each partner has different role models who have shaped their personal and professional growth, they all look up to Ellerine. “His entrepreneurial spirit, vision, and dedication to building the South African economy have deeply influenced us,” they say. “As a founding investor, Eric provided invaluable handson mentorship, instilling in us a strong work ethic and a commitment to consistency. His guidance and insights have been crucial in shaping Sourcefin into the company it is today. He always taught us to start small and dream big.” For Kadish, Hertz, and Mishan, Judaism plays an integral role in allowing them to maintain some form of work-life balance. “Building a business is undoubtedly a full-time commitment, and even when we’re away from work, our minds often remain engaged,” they say. “That’s why we’re incredibly fortunate to have Shabbat in our lives, offering dedicated time to focus on family, friends, and community. The intentional rest that comes with Shabbat dinners is invaluable for maintaining quality time and bringing much-needed balance to our lives.” Their strong connection to their faith and community is also why just being nominated for this award is such an honour they say. “We’ve always seen ourselves as a Jewish organisation, with many of our employees, management, and directors being deeply rooted in the community. The Absa Jewish Achiever Awards holds special significance for us as it represents the pinnacle of hard work, success, and dedication. Seeing the impressive achievements of past winners of the Entrepreneur Award serves as an inspiration and a benchmark for us.” Before they were notified of their win, the Sourcefin team said that the award would have extra impetus in light of the recent challenges faced by the Jewish community. “It would stand as a testament to the resilience and success of a Jewish organisation making significant strides in the South African government space. This recognition wouldn’t just validate our efforts, but highlight the positive impact and contributions we’re making in a challenging environment.” The fine art of assisting small business Joshua Kadish, Marom Mishan and Jordan Hertz Only dead fish go with the flow. “ 25YEARS The Eric Ellerine Entrepreneur Award winners
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