Call For Applications: ImpactHER/ African Union African Women

The International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, and the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative have announced a major expansion of the She Wins Africa programme, increasing its reach from 100 to 1,000 women entrepreneurs across Sub-Saharan Africa with a $4 million capital commitment.

The expansion was announced at the programme’s recent closing event, where organisers revealed that the pilot phase delivered strong results and attracted growing institutional support. According to a statement from the initiative, women-led businesses that participated in the first cohort collectively mobilised more than $4 million in financing, surpassing initial expectations and reinforcing the case for scaling the programme.

 

 

Over the past year, She Wins Africa supported women-led small and growing businesses across several African markets, helping them strengthen operations, improve investment readiness, and gain access to finance. The programme’s outcomes highlight the growing role of targeted support in closing the financing gap faced by women-owned MSMEs on the continent.

Speaking at the event, an IFC representative said the success of the initial cohort showed that supporting only 100 women was not sufficient for a region with Africa’s scale and entrepreneurial potential. She explained that the programme’s impact on access to capital and markets demonstrated the need for expansion, noting that the next phase would adopt a more strategic approach by supporting startups, growth-stage businesses, and scale-up companies with tailored technical assistance and direct links to capital through funds and partner banks.

 

 

She added that participating startups raised over $4 million in total, with 17 women-led enterprises securing external financing. The programme also delivered large-scale technical support, including extensive advisory services, investor engagement across regional and international markets, and mentorship designed to strengthen business fundamentals and investor confidence.

From ASR Africa’s perspective, the programme has emerged as one of the most impactful women-focused entrepreneurship initiatives on the continent. A representative of the organisation said the expansion from 100 women across 23 countries to 1,000 women across Africa would deepen the programme’s economic impact by supporting business growth, job creation, and stronger entrepreneurial ecosystems. He noted that lessons from the first phase were being applied to improve outcomes in the second phase and ensure broader geographical reach.

 

 

The collaboration has also influenced ASR Africa’s internal mentorship strategy for young female entrepreneurs, reinforcing the importance of combining business knowledge with access to capital. According to the organisation, this hybrid model was a key driver of the programme’s first-phase success.

Beyond financing, She Wins Africa provides business coaching, masterclasses, and investment-readiness support to help founders refine business models, improve operations, and attract private capital. A central feature of the programme is the use of catalytic funding to reduce investor risk and crowd in private investment for women-led enterprises.

Through an initial catalytic grant of about $100,000, the programme helped mobilise nearly $400,000 in follow-on investment in partnership with regional and local investment firms. These funds supported women-led businesses to expand production, strengthen infrastructure, and hire additional staff, contributing directly to MSME growth and employment.

The first cohort included women-led businesses at different stages, from early-stage startups to more established enterprises. This inclusive structure allowed for stage-appropriate support and helped build a stronger pipeline of investment-ready MSMEs across Africa.

Organisers say the expanded phase is the first of four projects planned under the She Wins Africa umbrella. The scale-up is expected to deepen regional reach, strengthen investment pipelines, and improve access to finance and technical expertise for women entrepreneurs. The next phase will place greater emphasis on scale-ready ventures while continuing to support early-stage businesses, positioning women-led MSMEs to play a larger role in driving inclusive economic growth across Africa.