In this episode of The Cutting Edge, recorded live at an event organised by 100WF and hosted by Edge Growth Ventures, moderator Zinathi Gquma (Business Day TV anchor and host) leads a powerful discussion on how innovation within SMEs is reshaping South Africa's economic landscape despite an underwhelming growth. 4 business growth experts shared their insights on: ↳ Why SMEs must embrace innovation as a strategic pillar, not just a buzzword, to compete with established players. ↳ How technology adoption enables smaller companies to operate at scale with fewer resources and respond more quickly to customer needs and demands. ↳ The critical funding gap for innovative ventures and why South Africa's venture capital landscape remains underdeveloped compared to global capital ecosystems. ↳ Why true innovation means selling your ideas, not just creating them. ↳ How a lack of corporate support for SMEs is holding businesses back from growing. Featured in the panel: - Noluvo Nela - Partner, Edge Growth Ventures - Cleola Kunene - JSE Head of SME Development - Sizwe Ndlovu - CTO, Pineapple Insurance - Zinathi Gquma - Business News Anchor & Moderator 🟢 Essential listening for entrepreneurs, funders, ecosystem builders, and policymakers committed to unlocking South Africa's economic potential through SME innovation and development. #️⃣ Find us on LinkedIn 👉 [https://bit.ly/4eKGUaF] 🌐 Visit our website 👉 [https://bit.ly/4g6GImS] ABOUT 100 Women in Finance: 100 Women in Finance (100WF) is a global nonprofit organisation dedicated to strengthening the finance industry by empowering women to reach their professional potential at every stage of their careers. With over 35,000 members across 30+ locations worldwide, 100WF delivers on its mission through education, peer engagement, and impact initiatives, all guided by its Vision 30/40, a goal for women to hold 30% of senior investment and executive roles by 2040. #smeinnovation #southafricaneconomy #businessgrowth #entrepreneurship #economicgrowth