According to a study by The Small Enterprise Development Agency, 75% of small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in South Africa fail. With the National Development Plan predicting that, by 2030, 90% of all new jobs will be in SMBs, it is imperative that small businesses get the enabling environment they need to thrive – this includes a strong online presence and an eye-catching logo. This Mandela Day, local hosting company 1-grid.com has joined the 67 Logos Designathon campaign, to sponsor 67 websites for 67 SMBs for 67 weeks.

The 67 Logos Designathon, a Colourworks’ initiative, will see a selection of high impact SMBs and start-ups kitted out with an expertly designed logo, a mini-brand identity and two-day business boot camp training programme. Taking it further, web hosting company 1-grid.com will sponsor free web hosting for 67 weeks and 67 domain registrations for the selected 67 small businesses.

“The marketing power and functionality of the web should not be limited to companies with big budgets,” says Thomas Vollrath, 1.grid.com company head. “An effective website, together with a striking logo, is one of the first things customers see - both are essential tools that together can help small businesses succeed. Beyond Mandela Day, we believe this campaign will make a real difference to the livelihood of the 67 selected businesses.”

Taking Madiba’s legacy forward by fuelling the success of small businesses in the country, the 67 Logos Designathon is supported by Over the Rainbow, an NPO providing support and guidance to entrepreneurs and creative brand and design agency, Designers Ink.

“Small businesses need support – both from government and the private sector. This project is our way of contributing towards sustainable development,” says Lesley Waterkeyn, founder and CEO of Colourworks. “Beyond contributing towards Mandela’s legacy, the 67 Logos Designathon will go a long way in giving small business owners the support and infrastructure they need.”

With 21-million internet users in South Africa, a strong online presence allows for a business to have greater accessibility, garner a wider audience and build up trust with their customer base. “SMBs are the engines of a growing economy, having the right online solutions can be a real gamechanger for their success,” says Vollrath.