Helping local Retailers Move from Survival to Success.
I-RED equips informal retailers with a six-month business accelerator programme designed to help them establish, grow, and scale sustainable retail businesses. The programme includes 12 weeks of blended learning, practical exposure to the operations of established retailers, mentorship and ongoing business support, and connections to potential lenders and investors to help participants access funding and grow their businesses. Our mission is to move retailers from survival to success by equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and networks they need to thrive.
Funding is available only to participants who complete the six-month incubation programme.
Call for applications — 12-week training programme
Closing date: 31 August 2026
What you'll learn
- • Retail business fundamentals
- • Stock control & inventory
- • Customer service & sales excellence
- • Marketing & digital business tools
- • Financial management
- • Merchandising & store layout
- • Pricing and profitability
- • Leadership & growth strategies
Beyond the classroom
- Industry partnerships
Exposure visits, mentorship and networking with established retailers. - Business growth support
POS & digital payment access, supplier networks and ongoing mentorship. - Investment readiness
Graduates are introduced to lenders, investors and enterprise development funds.
Call/WhatsApp: 081 242 4074 · Email: hello@iredprogram.com · Pretoria, South Africa
Your I-RED journey
The 12-week training runs inside the six-month incubation period, followed by continuous mentorship and — for graduates — introductions to lenders and investors.
- Step 01 · Weeks 1–12 (inside incubation)
Training
Blended learning on stock, pricing, cash-flow, service, digital retail and compliance — delivered during the first 12 weeks of the 6-month incubation.
- Step 02 · Months 1–6 (training embedded in weeks 1–12)
Incubation
Exposure to established retailers plus weekly mentorship across the full six months — the 12-week training runs inside this period.
- Step 03 · Post-graduation
Ongoing support & lender connection
Continued mentoring and, for eligible graduates, introductions to lenders.
One journey, in order.
Every participant follows the same sequence: complete the 12-week training, spend time on the ground with established retailers, and receive ongoing mentorship. Only after six months in the incubation programme do graduates become eligible for introductions to lenders and investors. This order exists so that capital is placed in the hands of retailers with the skills and systems to use it well.
12-Week Accelerator
Practical, in-language training on stock, pricing, bookkeeping, digital payments and customer growth.
Register for I-REDExposure & mentorship
Six months alongside established retailers with continuous mentoring — the incubation period that prepares you for growth capital.
How incubation worksLenders (graduates only)
Graduates who demonstrate sound business practices are introduced to potential lenders to help them grow and scale.
See the funding pathwayEligibility
- • Spaza shop owners
- • Township supermarket owners
- • Street vendors and hawkers
- • Aspiring informal retail entrepreneurs
Real shops. Real entrepreneurs.
From spaza shops to street stalls, I-RED works with the traders who keep townships and rural communities stocked every day.
Ready to grow your shop?
Start by registering for the next 12-week intake. Funding introductions come after six months in the incubation programme — no shortcuts, so every graduate is set up for success.