6 December, 2025
In this Q&A with South African Business Matters, we meet Kerryn Campion, COO of Aions Ventures. She shares her journey of building solutions that move beyond funding to truly empower women-owned businesses – championing resilience, innovation, and inclusion in South Africa’s entrepreneurial landscape.
1. As a woman entrepreneur yourself, what does this moment mean to you personally?
August always makes me reflect. It reminds me of the courage of South African women who marched to the Union Buildings demanding real change, not just words. As a founder, it challenges me to ask myself: am I channeling capital, contracts, and confidence toward other women? For me, Women’s Month is both a celebration and a deadline, it pushes me to act.
2. What sparked the idea for Aions Ventures and what gap were you trying to fill in the entrepreneurial landscape?
The idea for Aions began in 2020 when my co-founder Mitch Adams and I were discussing South Africa’s socioeconomic challenges, particularly unemployment. We realized that small businesses are the backbone of the economy, contributing more than 60% to GDP. If we could help these businesses survive and grow, they could create sustainable jobs.
But survival is tough: 50% of small businesses fail within two years, and many more by their sixth or seventh year. We asked ourselves what if we could just get them past that critical early stage? That’s where Aions was born. The name itself comes from the Greek word eons (life force) and also the Finnish verb meaning “I intend to start something.” Both meanings felt perfect for our mission.
3. You’ve been clear that compliance and funding alone aren’t enough.What kind of support do you believe is lacking?
Entrepreneurs don’t just need paperwork, they need relationships and practical support. A tax clearance certificate means little if a founder can’t secure a reliable transporter or a buyer who pays on time. What women need are supply chain connections, stronger negotiating power, and mentors who will walk the journey with them not another PDF guide on writing a business plan.
4. Aions Ventures’ product USKO is a bold departure from traditional funding models. Why did you build it the way you did and how does it empower women differently?
USKO is our trade finance solution. The word “usko” in Finnish means “safe and secure,” which perfectly reflects its purpose.
Traditional finance usually asks for collateral, audited statements, and years of history—things many women entrepreneurs don’t have. USKO takes a different approach. If you have a signed contract, we’ll help you deliver. We pay suppliers directly, own the goods until the client pays, and then share the profit with the entrepreneur.
This means no crippling interest rates, no loss of equity, and no sleepless nights over debt. Instead, women get to prove their capacity from day one, with a partner who acts like an ally, not a bank.
5. What are some of the most promising industries or value chain opportunities where you believe South African women are currently underrepresented but positioned to succeed?
There are several sectors where women could thrive but remain underrepresented:
In all of these, women’s strong community networks give them a natural advantage, yet they’re still barely visible in investor conversations.
6. Many of the women you work with are already generating serious income yet remain invisible to the formal economy. What’s standing in their way and how can that change?
The biggest barrier is informality. Many women trade entirely in cash: buying, selling, and reinvesting – without formal records. To the financial system, it looks like they don’t exist. No credit history, no collateral, nothing to assess. Add to that long corporate payment terms of 60 days or more, and they run out of cash quickly.
We solve this by creating data trails. We integrate point-of-sale systems, capture delivery milestones, and ensure immediate payments once goods land. We also open accounts for these women so they can start building credit histories.
The goal isn’t to grow our business, it’s to help theirs survive and scale. When they succeed, the entire ecosystem benefits, from suppliers to buyers to communities.
7. How has your identity as a woman shaped the way you approach business building partnerships or even risk-taking. Are there strengths or perspectives women bring that are often overlooked?
Being a woman has shaped my approach in many ways. I tend to negotiate as though I’m planning a community event, every stakeholder deserves to feel heard. Women often manage risk differently too: we build relationships deeply before making big bets. Some might call us risk-averse, but it’s a strategy that prevents bigger problems down the road.
Empathy, curiosity, and a healthy dose of skepticism are our strengths. These are undervalued traits in business, yet they help us build trust, avoid pitfalls, and create more resilient ventures.
8. Looking ahead what is your call to action this Women’s Month for funders corporates and policymakers who say they care about women’s economic inclusion. What is the next brave step?
My call to action is simple:
Funders: move from collateral-based lending to purchase order financing.
Corporates: pay SMEs on time, immediately upon delivery. Large companies can absorb cashflow delays; small businesses cannot.
Policymakers: set measurable quarterly targets for payments to women-led businesses.
And to my fellow female entrepreneurs: don’t give up. It’s like the story of the miner digging for diamonds, sometimes you’re just one strike away. Keep going, keep building, and make sure you’re recording every transaction, even if it’s on paper. There is support out there – seek it, use it, and stay the course.