Facebook Grants For SA

If you own a small business in South Africa, and have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, you may be eligible for a grant from Facebook of up to R24,482 in cash, and R14,689 in advertising vouchers. As long as you're 18 or older, have between 2 and 50 employees, don't sell alcohol or tobacco or provide gambling or lobbying services, and are not a government official, a government employee, or related to one, you can visit the Facebook Grants page and submit an application. Applications are only open until the 5th of September.

Most Small Businesses Eligible

You'll need to have been in business for at least a year, have no convictions for a range of crimes, and not be related to anybody at Facebook or the administrators Deloitte Ireland either. You'll need to submit proof of business registration, unabridged financial statements showing the impact of Covid-19 on your business, and photo ID for everybody who holds a 20% share or more of the business. Bars, restaurants and franchise-holders are welcome to apply, but the grant cannot be claimed by non-profit organisations, and advertising vouchers will be valid for only 90 days.

Global Relief Effort

Facebook is allocating US$100 to their Covid-19 relief project spread across 30 companies worldwide. Facebook has not said how they will select the beneficiaries,  but have announced that they are "focused on helping the businesses who need it most in this time of crisis."