Yes, the South African government provides various funding instruments for small businesses and start-ups, including grants (which are often non-repayable), incentives, equity funding, and specialised loan schemes. These are typically offered through departments like the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC), as well as agencies such as the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), the National Empowerment Fund (NEF), the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), and the Small Enterprise Finance Agency (Sefa). Many of these schemes have specific criteria regarding business type, ownership (e.g., black-owned, youth-owned), and sector.