Inventory Finance in Gqeberha

Brent spends his days staying in touch with the ongoings in the business and passionately building the brand. It’s his job to make sure the company stays on course, in order to realise Geddes’ vision of being the most approachable supplier of funding to small and medium-sized businesses in South Africa.

From Fruit to Future-Focussed Funding

One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to both financing and experience. My career, which has moved from fruit to future-focused funding, is a testament to that philosophy.

I started at Accenture before spending 11 years at Rand Merchant Bank working in several roles across Private Equity, Treasury, RMB’s strategy for Africa, and Commodities Trading. In 2008, I founded the largest pomegranate producer in South Africa.

I combined my experience from investment banking and agricultural production, with the extensive networks built up during my career, to start Geddes Capital.

I’m inspired by SMEs

Having been the founder of a South African SME in the agriculture industry, I understand the challenges these businesses face. These include the high cost of running a business and excessive red tape, as well as access to markets, financing and technical knowledge.

I started Geddes Capital with a clear goal to support South African SMEs in facing and conquering these challenges with creative and future-focussed funding. These businesses play an important role in our local economy, including providing employment opportunities.

Treating each business individually is extremely important to me. At Geddes Capital, we consider each application in its own right, taking into account the company’s growth trajectory. As a result, SMEs are able to make the most of present opportunities and move closer to achieving the future they deserve.

Get to know Brent

• When I was little I wanted to be an…
  Entrepreneur. I used to sell a lot of things at the station or wherever I could…even my parent’s old books
• My mantra is…
  Think big, start small and start now. And also, business should be able to be done on a handshake… unfortunate that it is difficult these days.
• What’s something you failed at and learnt a lesson?
  We have rushed into a few investments without doing the proper due diligence… sometimes one is so keen to do a deal that you end up doing something where you haven’t done the right amount of homework and things can go badly either with the investment itself or the relationship between the parties involved.
• What’s something you succeeded at that you’re proud of?
  Raising my children to be good, honest and empathetic people

Warren spends his day staring at spreadsheets (his decision, not ours). He is passionate about working closely with you to help find the best structure for you to raise funding for your business.

Get to know Warren

• When I was little I wanted to be a…
  Jedi.
• My mantra is…
  Previous failure is a prerequisite for success. Learn from the things you do wrong so that the next time you can be more prepared.
• What’s something you failed at and learnt a lesson?
  Becoming a Jedi. Apparently, The Force isn’t real. Go figure.

Craig is the co-founder and COO of Geddes. He has an extensive background in operations, sales, and marketing and uses his experience as an entrepreneur to inform his decision-making. His role at Geddes involves captaining deals and sitting on the credit committee.

Distribution, sports, and startups

Armed with a business studies qualification, Craig’s career has spanned international trade, starting and growing a successful distribution business, and working in management for a global sports brand. In 2019, Craig returned to the world of startups, becoming one of the early founders of Geddes.

His experience puts him in a position to implement the correct internal systems and processes while his practical experience has helped him understand what it takes to be an entrepreneur and what is needed to thrive as a business. This is very helpful when assessing and structuring business loans.

Identifying opportunities for South Africa’s SMEs

Craig has a talent for identifying opportunities, developing innovative strategies, and executing them to achieve outstanding results. His expertise in sales and marketing has been instrumental in the success of many of the brands he has worked with as well as the development of Geddes’ deal flow. This has helped them to establish a strong presence in their target markets and grow their customer base.

Get to know Craig

• When I was little I wanted to be a…
  Pilot
• What’s something you failed at and learned a lesson?
  I fail at things I try all the time. It’s more about trying new things and learning from them to be better in the future. Having the resilience and drive to do this is key.
• What would you say is your mission at Geddes?
  To find a way to support SMEs to raise capital for their growing business. Knowing first-hand how tough and frustrating it is, it’s a personal mission.
• What do you love most about your job?
  Getting to meet all the entrepreneurs who are doing really cool things to make a living and live out their passion. Entrepreneurship is a lonely world with daily highs and lows and its great to see the resilience and tenacity of the business owner
• What would you say is the most important thing to keep in mind when supporting South African SMEs with financial services?
  To have an open mind about their growth opportunity and by doing that you can’t judge past performance on future results. It’s a blend of seeing the past but also the opportunity that is at hand.
• What past work experience do you have that directly impacts or prepares you for your work at Geddes and how?
  Having been an entrepreneur it’s very easy to relate to the challenges our customers face.

Sophie runs the trade finance business. She spends her time working closely with clients across the continent, identifying and optimizing the best risk-adjusted trade finance opportunities. When not in the office, she’s most likely on a plane conducting the exotic (and not so exotic) site visits for new and current clients.

Tackling the trade finance gap head-on

I began my career working for a bulge bracket accountancy firm. I then turned my attention to optimising the logistics processes for Agricultural companies trading between Africa and Asia. Most recently, I managed African operations for a London Listed Agricultural and forestry company.

My role at Geddes involves working under pressure and thinking on my feet. The trade finance gap has become a very real problem for South African SMEs who are finding it more difficult than ever to obtain the financial services required for sustainable growth. My cumulative work experience in multiple roles around the world has certainly prepared me to tackle this problem head-on.

There is always a solution

I believe that the most important thing to keep in mind when dealing with South African SMEs is that every SME is different. This is why creativity and flexibility are essential in the work we do at Geddes Capital Commodities.

My personal mantra is that there is always a solution, the challenge is choosing the best one. At GCC, we find the best solution for each SME by assessing and understanding their requirements to provide the best structures regarding financing, collateral and security whilst optimizing scalability and growth.

I hope to build GCC into an innovative company that enables growth and movement for SMEs, despite the trade gap they’re facing. With the right mix of creativity and flexibility, I want to make missed opportunities due to lack of funding a thing of the past.

Get to know Sophie

• When Sophie was little she wanted to be…
  An air hostess and a lawyer.
• What’s something you failed at and learnt a lesson?
  The list is long. The main lesson I learned is that failure is fundamental for growth, whether it be professionally or personally. In the words of Albert Einstein ‘A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new’.
• What’s something you succeeded at and are proud of?
  Being able to accept when I am wrong. Being accountable for your own actions is a very important (yet difficult) skill to finesse.

Armed with a willingness to grow and unfailing integrity, Diaz is here to help develop the Geddes’ internal systems. He looks at his work as a game; a puzzle waiting to be cracked with answers and solutions around every corner.

“Everyday can’t be the best day, do what you can right now.”

My mission as a developer is to innovate our systems to support all parts of business efficiently and effectively. I do this through a process of iteration and automation. One of the things I love about my job is that I have the freedom to create and expand my knowledge base. Geddes has given me a space to learn and succeed continuously and I know I have the support of the entire team in doing so.

My previous work as a consultant in the financial sector gave me a third-party perspective into the serious nature of working with money as a fundamental part of the business and not just a means to an end.

When I was little I wanted to be… An Architect

My superhero is… My mom…. or Wolverine (first comic book I ever got)

My favourite movie is… Ironman (the first one: “…He was able to build this in a cave! …With a box of scraps!”)

My favourite song is… Through the Fire and the Flames by **Dragon Force

What’s something you failed at and learnt a lesson?

I failed to launch a product of my own making. I learned there are no shortcuts to success.

What’s something you succeeded at that you’re proud of?

I don’t think there is one thing… Every day I am challenged by the world to solve problems, personal and professional. My proudest moments (of success) are when a failure is turned into a learning opportunity, a relationship is made stronger, and another day is conquered.

Faye brings a wealth of marketing knowledge to the Geddes team. She’s the voice you hear when you give us a call and the brains behind the communications we put out into the world. Her background in marketing means she is able to build good working relationships with clients and people, either telephonically, in-person or online.

Lots of hats and a friendly face

Every day at Geddes is different for me. This is because my role involves wearing lots of hats — I manage the office and make sure my colleagues are enjoying Geddes and I also act as the first touch point for clients, ensuring that they too are enjoying Geddes. I’m also a marketing assistant making our brand and story shine on all public platforms.

My mission is making sure that the clients receive the best customer service and interaction with the business. Whether we can help them or not, I hope they walk away feeling like they had a good experience with Geddes.

SMEs play a vital role in our economy as drivers for reducing unemployment and supporting them not only contributes to stimulating the economy but also gives hope to the youth who are the future of this country.

Get to know Faye

• When I was little, I wanted to be an…
  Actress.
• My theme song is…
  Tems – Free Mind.
• My favourite movie is…
  Papillon, it can look like a serious movie but if you really think about it, it’s a beautiful movie about friendship.
• My Superhero is…
  My grandmother.
• What’s something you failed at and learnt a lesson?
  I think there are often times when I take on more than I can manage and I’ve learned that that can actually make things worse or slow things down. So I’ve learned that it is okay to say no or ask for help when I don’t have the capacity.
• What’s something you succeeded at that you’re proud of?
  I feel proud when someone tells me that they had a good time interacting with me. Because my passion is people, I try to present the best version of myself to everyone I meet so they feel comfortable around me.

Granville creates tailor-made and time-effective solutions for our clients. He is driven by obtaining the best possible outcome for our clients and believes that it is important to know each client on an individual level to understand their specific business needs and goals. This is how he ensures that the budding potential for an SME never goes overlooked.

Tailor-made and time-effective SME solutions

My mission at Geddes is playing a role in the growth of the company by creating tailor-made and time-effective solutions for our clients. I believe it is important to know your client on an individual level to understand their specific business needs and goals. This in my opinion plays an important role to ensure that SMEs with budding potential are not overlooked.

Having previously worked at a traditional law firm, I am driven by obtaining the best possible outcome for our clients. Law has also provided me with the opportunity to engage with interesting people from all different spheres of business. The thing I love most about my job is the variety of work and working with a team of go-getters.

Get to know Granville

• When I was little I wanted to be a…
  A winemaker.
• My theme song is…
  AC/DC Thunderstruck.
• What’s something you failed at and learnt a lesson?
  I think the fear of failure will often prevent you from achieving your full potential. Overcoming that fear is probably the most important thing for me.
• What’s something you succeeded at that you’re proud of?
  I’m proud of myself for persevering and getting my name on the roll of admitted attorneys in South Africa.

At Geddes, my mission is to empower South African clients by providing clients with tailored financial services and solutions that drive growth.

What would you say is your mission at Geddes?

At Geddes, my mission is to empower South African clients by providing clients with tailored financial services and solutions that drive growth.

What do you love most about your job?

I enjoy interacting with people, building relationships and being a source of help.

What would you say is the most important thing to keep in mind when supporting South African SMEs with financial services?

The most important thing to keep in mind when supporting South African SMEs with financial services is understanding their unique challenges, needs, and aspirations this ensures that we provide effective support for their growth and success.

What past work experience do you have that directly impacts or prepares you for your work at Geddes and how?

My previous experience in customer service within Retail Banking and Foreign Exchange has equipped me with a deep understanding of client relations, and the importance of personalised service. Working directly with clients in these sectors honed my ability to identify their needs, communicate effectively, and deliver solutions that align with their objectives. This background directly prepares me to provide strategic and effective financial services at Geddes, ensuring that our clients receive the support and guidance required.

Why do you do what you do?

I am passionate about providing clients with the financial tools and support they need, as I enjoy the opportunity to make a meaningful impact.

When you were little, you wanted to be a…

When I was little, I wanted to be a teacher, inspired by the idea of shaping young minds, fostering learning, and making a positive impact on future generations.

Your theme song/movie/mantra/superhero is…

My mantra is “Adapt and Succeed.” I believe the ultimate reward of success comes from embracing change and pushing boundaries.

What’s something you failed at and learnt a lesson?

One significant challenge I faced was breaking into the Banking Sector employment market. Despite encountering initial obstacles, I persevered with determination and resilience, continuously refining my skills and networking within the industry. This experience taught me the importance of persistence, it reinforced my belief in the power of resilience and unwavering dedication to achieving my goals.

What’s something you succeeded at that you’re proud of?

One of my most inspiring achievements was fostering exponential growth in customer service and financial solutions during my tenure in the Financial Industry. Through unwavering dedication and a relentless commitment to exceeding client expectations, I spearheaded initiatives that not only elevated service standards but also resulted in substantial improvements in customer satisfaction and retention.