Aions Ventures has partnered with Proudly South African to bring its USKO trade finance solution to Proudly SA members, giving small businesses streamlined access to short-term purchase order (PO) funding, invoice discounting, revolving credit, and early payout advances so they can accept and fulfil larger orders with confidence.
The move targets one of the most persistent bottlenecks in South Africa’s supply chains. Many MSMEs reach the point where they can win orders from corporates and government, but they cannot fulfil them because their cash flow has not caught up with demand. The result is a cycle in which businesses with real capability lose work to better-capitalised competitors.
USKO’s solution is designed to close that gap. It provides PO-specific funding that allows MSMEs to buy inputs, deliver on time, and keep momentum. It also offers invoice discounting to bridge 30-, 60-, or 90-day payment terms, giving businesses the liquidity to meet day-to-day needs while awaiting payment. For ongoing orders, USKO provides a revolving credit facility that gives approved MSMEs a reusable line of funding, allowing them to draw up to 50% of order costs based on past sales. USKO also supports marketplace sellers by advancing up to 100% of their next payout through its early payout option, enabling them to restock immediately rather than wait for disbursements.
Unlike traditional lenders that charge interest no matter what, USKO only earns a share of the profit once a deal is successfully completed. For example, if a purchase order is worth R1.5 million and the supplier costs are R1 million, the R500,000 profit is shared with USKO taking an agreed portion after the order is fulfilled and paid. Approval times vary by deal size and checks required, but are often finalised within a few days.
Kerryn Campion, Chief Operating Officer at Aions Ventures, says the model offers a practical alternative to traditional finance that has long overlooked emerging suppliers.
“Too many capable businesses reach supply chains only to stall at fulfilment. Cash flow becomes the barrier, not the capability. With Proudly SA, PO funding becomes part of the operating fabric within an ecosystem that already connects buyers and suppliers. USKO sits in the background, protects every layer in the transaction, and moves quickly so entrepreneurs can deliver, get paid, and grow on their terms.”
“Our job is to be useful for a limited period, help businesses build a track record, and then see them graduate into traditional finance when the time is right.”
For Proudly SA, the partnership strengthens its ability to support local suppliers end-to-end. While MSMEs have historically relied on banks or DFIs for funding, few have been successful, and many have fallen out of corporate pipelines as a result. Integrating USKO directly addresses that drop-off. Proudly SA members will be able to apply for PO funding or invoice discounting within the environment where they already source opportunities, rather than being pushed to external lenders.
This platform-first approach centralises data, support, and financing. It also allows procurement and marketplace platforms to offer embedded financing without building it themselves, with white-label options available.
Eustace Mashimbye, Chief Executive Officer at Proudly South African, says the partnership with USKO strengthens Proudly SA’s ability to support its members, particularly MSMEs, with the financial support they require to help them turn opportunities into deliverables.
“The partnership with USKO gives expression to our mandate of supporting home-grown companies that produce their goods locally to scale up and create jobs by providing a viable and cost-effective financing mechanism that facilitates access to finance and plugs the cash flow gaps that plague many emerging enterprises. The partnership with USKO comes at an opportune time for Proudly South African and its members following the introduction of our B2B procurement platform, the Market Access Platform (MAP), and its integration into National Treasury’s Central Supplier Database (CSD). We believe that this partnership will help to address the funding gaps that some of our members face, and it will go a long way to greatly enhance our value proposition to existing and prospective members,” says Mashimbye.
The offering will roll out to Proudly SA’s membership base, with dedicated support for women-led, and historically underserved MSMEs.
