The Women Entrepreneurship for Africa (WE4A) has announced that 100 female-led startups have been chosen to join its accelerator programme. Of those chosen, there are two Zim startups Artisanal foods (Consumer Products) and Anaya Investments (Agriculture). The former is a food manufacturing company that is headed by Kudzai Makaza and the latter is a vegetable processing enterprise that is led by Kudakwashe Makuzwa.
WE4A is an initiative that seeks to increase access to funding, market opportunities, knowledge enhancement, and technical training for women entrepreneurs in Africa. A program implemented by Swiss Association for Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets (SAFEEM), a member of the Seedstars Group.
WE4A project is also an action jointly supported by the European Union (EU), the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), with implementation from the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) and the German Development Agency GIZ (E4D program). Running the growth and acceleration programs of WE4A is the Swiss Association for Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets (SAFEEM).
To integrate a personalized startup approach into a program that is supporting 100 entrepreneurs, EiR Clusters were created based on the stage and sector of each entrepreneur. Each of the 8 clusters listed below will be led by an expert Entrepreneur in Residence (EiR) that will provide coaching on the sessions delivered throughout the program and support the entrepreneurs in incorporating the concepts into their business.
The selected startups will receive EUR10,000 (US$11,400) in funding and will get three months of technical support through a virtual accelerator programme.
All selected startups for Women Entrepreneurship for Africa (WE4A) Accelerator
| Agriculture 1. Africa Wealth Initiative (Nigeria) The Nut Place (Nigeria) Efuom (Ghana) FarmerTribe Company (Ghana) Farm Innovation (Nigeria) Farm on Wheels (Nigeria) Happy Coffee (Nigeria) Kitovu Technology (Nigeria) Nampya Farmers Market (Uganda) Store2Door (Rwanda) Entrepreneur in Residence – Christos Kritikos, FOUNDER AND STARTUP COACH, EMERGING HUMANITY | Agriculture 2. Anaya Investments Ltd (Zimbabwe) Bwogi Farms (Uganda) Ekanje (Nigeria) Expert Boda (Uganda) Farmio Limited (Ghana) Farms2shelves International Limited (Nigeria) Kwanza Cocoa (Malawi) Laalfi Farms (Nigeria) Plumbee Wholefoods (Kenya) Reine Food Enterprise (Cameroon) Seed Bomb (Ethopia) Entrepreneur in Residence – Funmi Obileye, FOUNDER, ENABLING AFRICA TRADE FORUM (EATF) | Consumer Products 5-A-Day Fruits (Nigeria) AFCO Investments (Tanzania) Ava Group Investments (Tanzania) Everjoy Foods (Ivory Coast) Artisanal Foods (Zimbabwe) Josmak International (Uganda) Kayvey Nutri (Cameroon) kkrele (Uganda) Little Brown Box by Beeds (Nigeria) Loom Craft Chocolate (Nigeria) Nafarm Foods (Nigeria) Ranks Leather (Kenya) Serah Kassim (Nigeria) Uganica Repellents (Uganda) Entrepreneur in Residence – Celia Hofmeister, MANAGING DIRECTOR, TSOLNET MOZAMBIQUE | Eco-Friendly BleagLee (Cameroon) CLosed-Loop System Ventures (Cameroon) Eco Hustle (Mauritius) Eco-Pads Uganda (Uganda) Fenou Packaging (Benin) Kawilab Energy (Kenya) Kuja Eco Production (Cameroon) Libe Green Innovation (Tanzania) Mukuru Clean Stoved (Kenya) Pad-Up Creations (Nigeria) Paper bags by ebees (Nigeria) Pearl Recycling (Nigeria) Redbutton (Nigeria) S A U Dakata Agro Allied Ventures (Nigeria) Soley The Ecobarter Compnay (Nigeria) Zeenatures Home (Nigeria) Entrepreneur in Residence – Cynthia Bavo, DIRECTOR OF PEOPLE AND CULTURE, JAZA ENERGY |
| Education & Training Blue Sands Academy (NIgeria) EduClick (Cameroon) Jbblung Business Portfolio (Cameroon) Leantor (Nigeria) LegsApparel (Nigeria) Quiver Group Limited (Kenya) Sovise Cook & Bank (Nigeria) Styda Culinary Academy (Nigeria) The Safety Chic (Nigeria) Tonzi Skills Traning Centre (Uganda) Tumbu (Madagascar) Women Smiles (Uganda) Entrepreneur in Residence – Debra Ogilvie-Roodt, CMO, DIGITAL FRONTIERS | Health Aisha Patient Medicine Store (Nigeria) Chil Artificial Intelligence Lab (Uganda) Dial A Pad (Kenya) Dromedic (Uganda) eHealth360 (Nigeria) Kosmotive (Rwanda) McComan Furnishings (Nigeria) Natal Cares (Nigeria) OptimumFoodie (Nigeria) Promane and Promade Care App (Nigeria) Rossana health Convoy (Uganda) Smoothie Express Limited (Nigeria) The Smart Way To Be Better (Nigeria) Waiba Helath Services (Uganda) Entrepreneur in Residence – Ruba Nemekh, ADVISING PARTNER AT PROTO I/O | Marketplaces African Things (Nigeria) Farmatrix Agro Allied and Technology Company (Nigeria) Ibeez (Nigeria) MyFoodyShop (Nigeria) Nyayo Moms Sokos Limited (Kenya) ORIKI Global & Synergy Limited (Nigeria) Shanyi Organics (Nigeria) SourceMyGadgets (Nigeria) Taeillo (Nigeria) The Everything Kids Online (Kenya) ZAAF Collection (Ethiopia) Entrepreneur in Residence – Gnagna Mariann Konate, CULTURE & TALENTS DIRECTOR, NEUROTECH SA | Services ABBI Labout Link (Uganda) Afristratup (Benin) Data Girl Technologies (Cameroon) Gamp (Nigeria) Innovate Labs (Ghana) Mamamoni (Nigeria) Moradia (Madagascar) MyStash (Nigeria) ResearchNG (Nigeria) Tempest Gold (Bostwana) Entrepreneur in Residence – Désirée Dosch, MANAGING PARTNER & OWNER, ALVICUS AG |
After the accelerator program is completed the startups will pitch at a demo day in front of investors. Of the 100 initially selected only 15 will receive an additional EUR50,000 (US$57,000) and more growth training from the Women Entrepreneurship for Africa (WE4A) programme.
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