Many small businesses struggle to meet the documentation and governance standards required by traditional funders. This is where JSE Private Placements (JPP) plays a critical role in closing the funding gap by connecting high-potential private companies with institutional and private investors. ‘JPP helps companies align with investor expectations by guiding them through regulatory rigour, financial disclosures and deal structuring. This alignment builds investor confidence and ensures that capital is deployed into well-managed, scalable businesses,’ says Samuel Mokorosi, the JSE’s Head of Origination and Deals. ‘For investors, JPP offers curated deal flow and a transparent investment process, making private market investing more accessible and efficient.’

JPP enhances liquidity by exposing private companies to a wide range of pre-qualified investors, including angel investors, family offices, venture capital firms and development finance institutions. This diversity supports broad capital-raising opportunities across equity, debt, and hybrid instruments. The platform also facilitates repeat funding rounds and follow-on investments, allowing companies to scale progressively. By digitising the capital-raising process – from deal publication to investor engagement – JPP reduces time-to-market and improves access to capital for businesses at various stages of growth.

‘Through JPP and the SME Rise Accelerator, we’ve onboarded investors with over R40 billion in deployable capital, creating a robust pool of capital for private companies. JPP and SME Rise SMEs have raised over R1.1 billion in funding, supporting sectors such as IT, transport, film production, manufacturing and electricity generation. These investments have driven tangible outcomes, including strong revenue growth, job creation and expanded market access for participating businesses. The eco-system continues to grow, with increasing investor engagement and deal flow, positioning JPP as a strong private capital marketplace in South Africa.’

Mokorosi says the JPP platform has evolved since its inception to better facilitate liquidity for private companies. ‘One of the most impactful developments has been the growth in procurement-based funding, including invoice discounting and purchase order financing. These instruments allow companies to unlock working capital quickly (sometimes within 48 hours) by leveraging confirmed orders or invoices. This rapid turnaround has made JPP a preferred platform for SMEs needing short-term liquidity to fulfil contracts or scale operations. Additionally, the platform has streamlined onboarding and deal execution through digital tools, reducing friction and accelerating time-to-funding.’

A key trend JPP has seen emerging is the preference for quick turnaround times and lower security requirements, which make the platform attractive for both investors and issuers. Investors are increasingly seeking high-quality private businesses with strong fundamentals and clear growth trajectories, he says. Its ability to deliver curated, well-documented opportunities has led to higher engagement rates and faster capital deployment. There’s also growing interest in sectors aligned with national priorities, such as renewable energy, infrastructure and digital services.

JPP leverages a suite of fintech innovations to streamline the investment process. This includes secure data rooms for document sharing and investor access, regulatory tech tools to automate compliance and onboarding, and digital dashboards for tracking deal progress and investor communication.

‘These tools reduce administrative burden, improve transparency and accelerate deal execution. The platform ensures that transactions are secure, compliant and scalable, supporting a seamless experience for both companies and investors,’ says Mokorosi. He adds that JPP is currently in the experimental phase of integrating AI and predictive analytics into its platform.

Mokorosi says the biggest opportunities lie in expanding the platform’s capabilities to support secondary market liquidity, enabling investors to exit private securities. ‘This would significantly enhance the attractiveness of private investments by improving exit options.

‘Another major opportunity is accelerating infrastructure funding, particularly in energy, transport and digital sectors, where capital needs are substantial and impact is high,’ he says.

‘Challenges include scaling regulatory frameworks to support larger and more complex deals, maintaining investor protection while ensuring speed and flexibility, and building trust in a traditionally opaque market. Continued innovation, stakeholder engagement and policy alignment will be key to overcoming these hurdles and unlocking the full potential of JPP,’ he says.

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