Last month, GE announced the launch of a 200 million rand (USD 18.7 million) fund for South African small and medium enterprises. This fund is part of a broader pan-African engagement which will inject more than 5 billion rand (over USD $467,000,000) into the continent. The fund will combine technical and general business development services and financing to build a more competitive cadre of local suppliers long-term. Early stage to mature SMEs that fit within the GE supply chain will be eligible for training, support and funding.