The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, and the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa) have expanded the She Wins Africa programme to support 1,000 women entrepreneurs across Sub-Saharan Africa, up from an initial cohort of 100, organisers announced at the initiative’s closing event in Lagos.
The expansion follows strong early results from the pilot phase, including more than USD 4 million in financing mobilised by women-led startups that participated in the first cohort. Organisers said this outcome underscores the programme’s potential to address persistent capital and capacity gaps facing female entrepreneurs on the continent.
The initiative combines technical assistance, mentorship, and structured access to finance to strengthen women-led small and growing businesses at different stages of development. IFC’s Senior Operations Officer and Regional Gender Hub Lead for Africa, Marieme Niang Camara, said the expanded programme will adopt a segmented support model to tailor assistance to startups, growth-stage businesses, and scale-ups.
“When we started with 100 women entrepreneurs, it was a successful pilot, but for a region like Africa, 100 is just the beginning,” Camara said, emphasising the importance of targeted support in improving investment readiness and market access for women-led enterprises.
According to organisers, the pilot phase delivered 123 hours of targeted technical support, provided tailored advisory services to 22 startups, facilitated 275 investor connections, and mobilised 100 mentors from across Africa. Seventeen participating enterprises secured external financing, surpassing initial programme targets.
Dr Ubon Udoh, Managing Director and CEO of ASR Africa, described She Wins Africa as one of the continent’s most impactful entrepreneurship programmes for women, noting that scaling from 100 founders in 23 countries to 1,000 across Africa will help strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems, support job creation, and drive economic inclusion.
A core feature of the initiative is its hybrid model combining capacity-building with access to capital. Organisers said the programme’s catalytic grant envelope of roughly USD 100,000 helped mobilise nearly USD 400,000 in follow-on investment from regional and local partners such as Octerra Capital, IMEX, Sahel Capital, Nubia Capital, and Convergence Advisory. This funding supported operational expansion, infrastructure strengthening, and staff hiring among participating businesses.
She Wins Africa was launched in 2023 as part of IFC’s broader efforts to improve access to finance, networks, and capacity building for women entrepreneurs across sub-Saharan Africa. Organisers cite research showing high levels of entrepreneurial activity among African women but persistent challenges in securing capital and scaling businesses.
The expanded programme is expected to deepen regional reach, strengthen investment pipelines, and accelerate technical support for women-led businesses, contributing to more inclusive private sector growth across Africa.
