Business accelerator · Enterprise development · Johannesburg
We turn founders into funding-ready businesses.
MZR Business Catalysts is a hands-on business accelerator for South African entrepreneurs and small businesses. We take you from idea to a compliant, profitable business that banks and funders take seriously, and we run enterprise development programmes for organisations that want to grow small suppliers.
Four ways to work with MZR
Every programme follows the same five milestones. You join at the point that matches your business today.
One-on-one Workshops
Pick from 20 topics, from tax and pricing to sales and funding. One hour, focused on your business, plus an optional 30-minute assessment.
I'm trading and want structure now6-Week Online Course
Six live weekly sessions on sales, money, compliance, systems, legal structure and funding, applied to your own business.
Flagship · Trading 6+ monthsEntrepreneur Business Accelerator
Twelve months of hands-on support: compliance, accounting systems, bookkeeping, a business plan, a website and mentoring, implemented with you. Funded places, selection applies.
I fund or support small businessesEnterprise Development
Corporates, CSI teams and foundations sponsor cohorts of 15 to 30 entrepreneurs. We select, deliver and report, so your ESD spend builds real businesses.
Five milestones from founder to funding-ready
Most small businesses don't fail for lack of effort. They fail because a step was skipped: no proper registration, no idea of real costs, no sales system, no records a funder can read. Our incubation programme covers every step in order.
Build the Entrepreneur
Mindset, leadership and ethics.
- Mission and 1-year goals
- 90-day action plan
- Personal code of ethics
Build the Business
Registration and compliance.
- CIPC company registration
- SARS tax numbers
- Compliance calendar
Build the Engine
Finance and technology.
- Bookkeeping set-up
- Costing and pricing
- Cash-flow forecast
Build Revenue
Sales and marketing.
- A clear offer
- Sales process
- Marketing plan
Build Growth
Funding readiness.
- Business plan
- Financial statements
- Funding pitch
Every programme closes with a structured review of each business. Founders leave with feedback, a plan and documents they can take to a bank or development funder.
An accelerator with a tax practitioner at the table
Many business programmes teach theory and leave compliance for later. We start with it, because a business that isn't registered, tax compliant and keeping records can't get contracts, loans or grants.
About MZRYour business is the project
No case studies about someone else. Every session ends with work done on your own business.
SARS and CIPC done right
Registrations, tax numbers and filing deadlines are set up properly from day one.
Documents lenders ask for
Business plan, cash-flow forecast and financials prepared in the format banks and development funders expect.
Help between sessions
Individual business reviews and ongoing support, so you're not left alone with a workbook.
Enterprise and supplier development that you can measure
If your organisation spends on ESD, you need beneficiaries who actually grow and evidence your verification agency can follow. We run the programme end to end and report on every beneficiary.
- Application, selection and a baseline review of every business
- 12 months of training, mentoring and hands-on implementation
- Accounting systems, bookkeeping support and compliance for each business
- Agreed KPIs, progress reports and an end-of-programme outcome report
- A designated Fund Manager as your single point of contact
Need laptops or IT for your business? Meet MZR TS.
MZR Business Catalysts builds the business. MZR TS equips it. Our sister company, MZR Technologies, supplies computers, laptops, networking and IT equipment to businesses across South Africa, so the founders and SMEs we work with can get the right tools from people who understand their business.
Technology · People · Possibilities
Questions people ask us
What does a business accelerator actually do?
A business accelerator takes a founder through a structured programme so the business grows faster and with fewer expensive mistakes. At MZR you work on your own real business every week: registration and SARS compliance, pricing and cash flow, sales, systems and funding readiness.
Do I need a registered company to join?
Not for our one-on-one workshops or the online course. We can even help you register. The Entrepreneur Business Accelerator is for existing businesses, generally trading for at least six months.
Are the programmes online or in person?
Our one-on-one workshops and the 6-Week Online Business Course all run online on Microsoft Teams, so you can join from anywhere in South Africa. The Entrepreneur Business Accelerator combines online workshops, specialist sessions, in-person events and individual business reviews over 12 months.
Can a company or funder sponsor entrepreneurs on your programme?
Yes. That is how our flagship Entrepreneur Business Accelerator works. Corporate ESD and CSI teams, foundations and development funders sponsor cohorts of 15 to 30 entrepreneurs, and we handle selection, delivery and reporting.
Do you also do tax returns and SARS work?
Yes. MZR is run by a registered tax practitioner. We handle company and personal tax, VAT, PAYE, provisional tax, CIPC annual returns and tax compliance status, usually on a monthly retainer.
Not sure where to start? Talk to us for 20 minutes.
Tell us where your business is today. We'll tell you honestly which option fits, or if you don't need us yet.