8 August 2025
A renewed partnership between government and the private sector was reaffirmed this week as investment manager 27four and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) committed to driving inclusive growth through the Transformation Fund.
The announcement follows a high-level engagement hosted by 27four, which brought together the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, the CEO of the National Empowerment Fund (NEF), and the dtic’s Deputy Director-General for Transformation and Competition, alongside finance sector leaders, particularly managers of retirement funds.
The Transformation Fund is a joint initiative by the dtic, NEF, and private sector partners, aimed at supporting black-owned and black-managed enterprises in sectors that promote job creation, industrialisation, and competitiveness. It serves as a vehicle to dismantle historical barriers to entry and increase participation in national value chains.
Faitma Vawda, Managing Director of 27four, stated that transformation must be foundational to economic strength, noting,
“Transformation is not a tick-box exercise—it is the foundation for a stronger, more resilient economy.”
She described the Fund as a tool to ensure capital flows to the entrepreneurs and industrialists “who can create jobs, build industries, and expand opportunity.”
Minister Parks Tau praised the role of partnerships in achieving national economic goals, stating,
“Government cannot achieve transformation alone. It is through collaboration with forward-thinking investment managers like 27four that we can deepen industrial capacity, unlock innovation, and ensure economic growth is shared by all South Africans.”
NEF CEO Mzi Dayimane added that the success of South Africa’s economic renewal depends on mobilising funding and market access for black industrialists and entrepreneurs. With support from 27four and the dtic, he noted, “we are better positioned than ever to accelerate inclusive economic growth.”
The meeting concluded with consensus across stakeholders: partnership is central to turning policy into action. Both 27four and the dtic reiterated their commitment to collaboration and emphasised measurable impact, scalable projects, and sustained transformation
View the original joint media release here: Public-Private Alliance Reinforces Commitment to Economic Transformation
