Financing Sustainable Ideas
Innovative and Affordable Microfinance Solutions for Small Business Owners
DTSpark offers bespoke, direct microfinancing solutions to investors by introducing them to borrowers that meet the investor criterion. The company is the conduit between the investor and the borrower, managing all the financial transactions between the parties.
The microfinance company was established to further support the development and upliftment of the underprivileged through the microfinancing of small businesses.
DTSPark, in cooperation with DTCare South Africa, helps ensure ESG targets specified by each investor or investment group are met. DTSpark's borrower portfolio is limited to individuals and collectives which have a direct influence on the arts, environment (including agriculture and livestock), social justice, female empowerment, and youth employment. DTSpark similarly limits its scope of investors to individuals or collectives who understand that the intended effects of the microloans must be generational. Investors should know that ROI (Return on Investment) will be calculated in years, not months. However, if the investor wants to make a direct social impact, DTSpark is the ideal platform to consider.
Company Features
Low Risk.
DTSpark assists with risk mitigation on behalf of the investor.
Reasonable Interest Rate.
DTSpark and the investor need to agree on their philanthropic wishes and an interest rate proportionate to the agreed-upon level of risk.
Flexibility.
DTSpark and the investor discuss the degree of risk they are willing to take on.
Payment & Repayment.
DTSpark controls the frequency of payment and repayment; the investor can pay monthly while DTCare makes weekly payments.
Regular Check-ins.
DTSpark is in direct, frequent contact with the borrower to ensure that defined milestones are met according to monthly, quarterly, annual, and multi-year goals.
Diversity & Inclusion.
DTSpark’s regional operations are women-managed. Roles are clearly defined and the company has zero tolerance for decisions discriminating on race, ethnicity, religion or gender.
Training & Mentoring.
DTSpark is partnering with DTCare to equip borrowers with the finance skills to help with financial management as a safeguard ensuring on-schedule payments.
Women Uplift Economies: Alfreda’s Story
DTSpark, the micro-lending company registered in Zimbabwe, enables Alfreda Mugwanda to deliver freshly baked bread and confectionary daily to the people in the rural villages and nearby areas.
She envisioned and presented a business plan for a bakery around the Masvingo area, Zimbabwe, where she is a retired school teacher and a respected member of the community.
The closest fresh bread to this area is 300km away in Harare, and with the poor road conditions in Zimbabwe, it can take days to get delivered to them, which results in the fact that it is no longer fresh.
After our visit to her in the rural areas of Masvingo, we experienced first-hand the bad conditions of the roads and the challenges of fresh product availability, which inspired DTSpark to assist this wonderful “Florence Nightingale” community member in making her dream come true.
The micro-loan from DTSpark enabled her to start a small bakery at her homestead. Electricity is a huge problem in Zimbabwe which forced her to think out of the box by including a solar system in her business plan and ultimately to ensure the sustainability of the business. She traveled to SA, a neighboring country, to buy the solar system, which was more cost-effective than buying it in Zimbabwe.
Since she started baking, the response was so overwhelming that she already employed and started training two guys to assist with mixing large quantities of mixtures within the first two weeks of running her business—an incredible feat since Zimbabwe is considered amongst the world’s largest countries of unemployment.
For the first time, people in her community are eating freshly baked bread.
She bought 1 x 36 loaf & 1 X 24 loaf ovens.
A solar system to power the freezer, mixer for cakes, scale, plastic sealer, charging phones, and provide light.
The solar panel is 410W. It consists of 2 X 12V regulated gel batteries.
A delivery vehicle for delivery of big quantities of bread in the region.
Hired an additional employee.
Alfreda is incredibly grateful to DTSpark for helping her with the funds she needed to launch her business. She feels honored and thankful for the opportunity. The demand for Alfreda's bread is growing so much that she is considering swapping her car for her cousin's van to keep up with the orders.
Business is booming, and she is getting new clients regularly. However, Alfreda needs help managing the workload. She hired two employees to assist her with baking and mixing, but unfortunately, one cannot continue working at the bakery, and she has yet to find a replacement for him.
The good news is that the demand for her products is high! Alfreda is incredibly grateful for the support and help she has received from DTSpark and is excited to continue growing her business.
Past Ventures
Brother-owned Transport Co.
Panamanian brothers were looking to expand their transport business to Central America, but with the high cost of renting a trailer, their dream was put on hold. With a microloan from DTSpark, the brothers can purchase a trailer to expand their business without incurring the cost of rent.
Championing Women and Their Aspirations
Praise has always been interested in beauty, and in the current economic downturn, she saw an opportunity — to enroll in a nail art course and start her own business. With her microloan, Praise obtained her certification and is looking forward to honing her skills to generate an income for herself.
Encouraging Entrepreneurship in Youth
DTSpark is financing Zimbabwean teen Coleen Matia’s chicken egg production businessbased out of Zimbabwe. This real-world experience acts as the perfect learning environment to attain basic business principles while equipping Coleen to expand her business in the future.
