To provide financial and support services to the poor in order to enable them to rise above the poverty line and to provide financial services to low income micro-entrepreneurs to enable them to stabilize and grow their enterprises. Background and Main Challenges: The Small Enterprise Foundation (SEF) is a non-profit NGO which began operations in 1992. The aim of SEF is to work towards the elimination of poverty and unemployment. This is accomplished through two programs, the Microcredit Programme (MCP) and the Tshomisano Credit Programme (TCP).
 
MCP focuses on existing, but generally marginal micro-enterprises and provides them with micro-loans. On the other hand, TCP strictly targets women who live below half the poverty line. SEF is based in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The Province is the poorest in the country, with only 1/3 of people are formally employed. For the remaining 2/3 of the population, self-employment is the only hope of generating an income. With lack of availability to affordable credit, small businesses struggle to survive or falter. SEF was established in response to this unmet need.