Growth Score
The stage each business has reached, what is missing, how strong the proof is and which way it is moving. One standard across a portfolio, explainable down to one business.
For programme directors, fund managers and policy teams, and for the owners of the businesses they support.
1 The standard in practice
Similar scores should not lead to the same decision.
Puleng Transport scores 63 at Forming, Mokoena Construction 61 at Operating, and Kgalema Logistics has slipped from 57 to 43 at Established, so one goes to review, one to opportunity and one to help.
2 One shared standard
One language for growth, as accounting is for finance.
Five stages from Forming to Institutional and 57 things to put in place, the same for a builder and a farmer, while the builder's contracts and the farmer's offtake agreements each count as proof.
3 Stage and score
The stage moves at the gates. The score never moves it.
A business leaves Forming only when every gate for the step is in place and signed off, so Puleng's 63 stays Forming until its first customer is proved, whatever the score says.
4 Graded proof
A claim is never hidden. Its grade is shown.
Every claim carries one of five grades, the owner's word, checked by Mothusi, backed by documents, live data, confirmed by an outside party, and each requirement names the grade it needs before it counts.
5 Observed, then signed off
Mothusi sees the change. A named person confirms it.
Check-ins, documents and field visits move what Mothusi observes the same day, but the confirmed position moves only when an authorised reviewer signs, so attending a course or uploading half a document never counts as growth.
6 Traceable
No black box. Every result can be traced back.
Sebata Construction's repeat customer proof, a signed order and a paid invoice confirmed by Lerato M., takes it to 7 of 7 at Operating, a score of 58 and 9 of 11 fund conditions, each step kept on its file.
7 Stuck, and why
One business's problem becomes portfolio intelligence.
When 39 businesses share one open item, Mothusi splits them by need, 18 ready for review, 6 waiting on a reviewer, 15 needing a clinic or a bookkeeper, and six weeks later shows whether it cleared.
8 Readiness
Define readiness once. Every business sees its distance.
A fund writes its conditions once, Operating with customer proof and current records for a working-capital facility, and every business sees whether it qualifies now, nearly does or needs a pathway first, without starting again.
