In early April, the Oricred Mokopane Business Hub was launched to support the local community in the Waterberg District. It started with asking an important question: How many entrepreneurs and contractors are located within active industrial corridors but lack the support to help them thrive?
“The Oricred Mokopane Business Hub is a co-working and enterprise support space,” says Stephen Madimetja, Oricred Hub Administrator. “As you probably know, Mokopane has always been a central business point for the surrounding communities in the Waterberg District. We saw a lot of entrepreneurial activity here, but not enough structured support or infrastructure to really help businesses grow. That’s where the Hub comes in.”
What is the Oricred Mokopane Business Hub?
Offering more than just co-working facilities, the hub is a physical space where local entrepreneurs and SMEs can use to let their business thrive. “In terms of the space itself, we’ve set it up to cater for different business needs. We have three desktop workstations, nine private offices for businesses that want a more permanent setup, and three meeting rooms. A boardroom (up to 10 people), a mid-sized room (8 people), and a smaller one for more focused sessions. There’s also a hot-desk area, a private booth for calls, and a kitchen/lunch area. And of course, reliable high-speed WiFi throughout,” Madimetja explains.
“The Hub is managed by me, together with Kholofelo Mokaba, our Business Development Centre Manager. Between us, we handle the day-to-day operations and also work closely with businesses, especially around growth and getting them ready for funding.
When diving into the actual needs of SMEs, the team behind this hub realised that entrepreneurs need both financial and non-financial support. This is a vital element that especially funders are realising: Sometimes, business owners need support that enables them to become fundable businesses.
To make the hub possible, Oricred partnered with Valtera, a key role player in the mining industry.
From Oricred’s perspective, trust is being built in funders through three key mechanisms:
- Proximity and visibility: By establishing a physical presence in Mokopane, we’re bringing funding decisions closer to the businesses we serve. Thus, enabling faster turnaround times, better-informed assessments, and more direct, ongoing engagement with Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
- Structured funding: Our funding model ensures capital is deployed against verified purchase orders and contracts.
- Ecosystem alignment: Where local industry stakeholders are involved, it strengthens confidence that funded SMEs are embedded in viable supply chains, rather than operating in isolation.
Ultimately, trust is built not just through partnerships but through consistent execution.
Funders Working for a Cause
“We usually sit down with interested businesses, understand where they are and what they need, and then match them with the right setup, whether that’s an office, a desk, or just access to meeting rooms.
“For those who already know what they need, they can also go straight to www.oricred.co.za and book a space online. It’s pretty straightforward and gives businesses the flexibility to plan ahead without having to come in first.”
What Oricred focuses on is not just giving people space, but actually working with them. “A lot of SMEs have potential but struggle with structure, especially when it comes to accessing funding. That’s one of the main gaps we’re trying to address here.
“In terms of training and preparation, we put in quite a bit of work before opening the doors. Both Kholofelo and I went through a thorough readiness process to make sure we understood Oricred’s Mission and Vision, and what businesses in this area actually need and how best to support them,” Madimetja elaborates. “A lot of that preparation was around equipping ourselves to engage meaningfully with SMEs, from understanding their operational challenges to helping them navigate the funding landscape. We wanted to walk in ready, not learn on the job at the expense of the businesses we’re here to serve.”
Madimetja shares that they are now fully operational and open to local entrepreneurs. “A lot of work went into making sure everything was in place before opening, and we wanted to make sure we’re offering something that genuinely adds value to businesses in the area.”
Why Oricred is Creating this Project
It was important to the brand to become involved in this project because Oricred’s model is designed to solve the full lifecycle challenge SMEs face when fulfilling contracts, not just the funding gap.
Madimetja explains that they support SMEs through:
- Pre-funding readiness: Assessing and structuring deals to ensure viability
- Working capital funding: Fast, transaction-specific capital to execute contracts
- Supplier and payment coordination: Ensuring efficient use of funds
- Post-delivery alignment: Structuring repayment in line with client payment cycles
“This hub introduces a practical, on-the-ground support layer. SMEs operating from the shared workspace can access guidance, engage with other businesses, and resolve challenges in real time. This end-to-end approach ensures SMEs are not only funded but enabled to successfully deliver, which is ultimately what builds their track record and unlocks future opportunities,” he says.
Beyond the on-the-ground support, the hub is designed to address multiple barriers to SME growth simultaneously:
- Access to workspace: A professional, collaborative environment that reduces overhead costs and improves business credibility
- Access to networks: Direct interaction with funders, industry players, and other SMEs
This combination creates a multiplier effect:
- SMEs can scale operations more efficiently
- They can take on larger and more consistent contracts
- And in doing so, they expand their workforce.
Ultimately, the hub is about building a sustainable pipeline of capable, visible, and connected SMEs, which is what drives long-term job creation.
Partnering with Valtera
To make this project possible, Oricred partnered with Valtera, a mining company with deep roots in Mokopane. “While mining is a key economic driver in Mokopane, Oricred’s approach to funding is not industry-specific. Our focus is less on the industry itself and more on the strength of the underlying transaction, whether there is a credible buyer, a clear delivery scope, and a viable margin structure,” Madimetja states. “This allows us to support SMEs participating in both private sector and public sector supply chains, diversifying economic activity beyond a single industry base.
“Additionally, we intend that the hub’s shared workspace setup also enables cross-industry collaboration, allowing SMEs from different sectors to operate in proximity, share insights, and access opportunities beyond a single industry value chain,” he concludes
In early April, the Oricred Mokopane Business Hub was launched to support the local community in the Waterberg District. It started with asking an important… Read More
