Merchant Capital CEO Dov Girnun discusses the power of the South African entrepreneurial spirit

What's Next with Aki Anastasiou

In this episode of What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou, Merchant Capital Founder and CEO Dov Girnun shares his insights on the incredible entrepreneurial opportunities in South Africa and the unmatched resilience of homegrown entrepreneurs. A disruptive innovator, Girnun began his career in London’s financial sector before his ambition to start his own business brought him back to South Africa. Recognising a gap in funding for small and medium sized businesses, he and his founding partners created Merchant Capital, an innovative solution tailored to address the unique funding challenges faced by SMEs. In the What’s Next interview, Girnun recounts his journey from startup founder to supporting the growth of nearly 50,000 SMEs. Built by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, Merchant Capital offers a firsthand understanding of the obstacles business owners face. Girnun emphasises that South African entrepreneurs are not only resilient; they are world-class and have the potential to compete on a global stage. He also highlights the role entrepreneurship plays in solving the country’s challenges and offers insight into the types of SMEs Merchant Capital supports. Girnun notes the strong, positive sentiment within the local market and the growing opportunities to fuel entrepreneurship in South Africa.