An additional 900 women-led businesses across Sub-Saharan Africa are set to benefit from the She Wins Africa initiative, a program designed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the ASR Africa Foundation, chaired by Nigerian billionaire Abdul Samad Rabiu.
The program, which first launched with 100 women entrepreneurs, provided over USD 4 million in start-up financing during its initial phase. Beneficiaries included Herconomy and Eco Charge Limited, among others, who leveraged structured business development support, investor linkages, and targeted mentorship to scale operations and access new markets.
“The impact created by the first cohort demonstrates the program’s potential. Expanding from 100 to 1,000 participants allows us to strategically support start-ups, growth-stage, and scale-up companies across the region,” the IFC and ASR Africa said in a joint statement on 6 February.
Participants in the inaugural phase included a diverse mix of enterprises. Advantage Health Africa, a health-tech company, is using digital platforms and pharmacy networks to expand access to affordable medicines. Sulma Wholefoods, a Kenyan social enterprise, supports smallholder farmers with climate-smart agriculture solutions and market linkages. Onion Doctor provides drought-tolerant seedlings, soil testing, and smart irrigation systems to improve onion and garlic yields in arid regions.
These businesses benefited from technical assistance, investor matchmaking, and advisory support, which helped mobilize financing, strengthen operations, and attract external capital. In total, the first cohort logged 123 hours of structured technical support, facilitated 275 connections between entrepreneurs and investors across regional and international markets, and mobilized 100 mentors to work directly with participating women.
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Seventeen women-led enterprises from the initial cohort secured external financing, while others positioned themselves for further growth, underscoring the program’s tangible impact on investment readiness and business scalability.
Marieme Niang Camara, IFC’s Regional Gender Lead for Africa, said: “The access to capital and markets provided to these women entrepreneurs proves that this is a program worth scaling. Moving from 100 to 1,000 participants allows us to do so strategically across different business stages.”
Dr Ubon Udoh, MD/CEO of ASR Africa, added: “This expansion will create more sustainable impact and extend the program’s geographical reach. What these women do is not just for individual countries; it strengthens the economy of the whole continent.”
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She Wins Africa addresses a wider challenge in African entrepreneurship: while women account for approximately 26 % of entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa and about 58 % of the region’s self-employed population, financing gaps and structural barriers often hinder business growth. Programs like this aim to transform high female entrepreneurial activity into scalable, sustainable enterprises.
The next phase of She Wins Africa will combine tailored business coaching, investment readiness training, advisory services, and strategic mentorship to support both early-stage and growth-stage companies. By deepening regional reach and strengthening the pipeline of investment-ready women-led businesses, the program seeks to accelerate inclusive economic growth and gender equity in African business.
With its expanded scope, She Wins Africa exemplifies how targeted support initiatives can translate entrepreneurial potential into measurable economic impact, ensuring that more women-led businesses thrive in competitive markets across the continent.
