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The International Finance Corporation and the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative are expanding She Wins Africa, a program aimed at helping women entrepreneurs raise capital and build investable companies across sub Saharan Africa.
Organizers said the next phase will grow the initiative from 100 participants to 1,000, citing early results from the pilot cohort and stronger institutional backing. The announcement was made at a closing event in Lagos after a year of training, mentorship and investor engagement for women led small and growing businesses.
Participants in the first cohort mobilized more than $4 million in financing, according to the partners, with 17 women led enterprises securing external funding. The results exceeded initial targets and were used to justify the program’s bigger footprint.
She Wins Africa combines training with hands on technical support meant to improve day to day operations and investment readiness. Over the past year, the program delivered 123 hours of targeted assistance and provided tailored advisory services beyond standard training to 22 startups. Organizers also facilitated 275 investor connections in regional and international markets and mobilized 100 mentors across Africa.
Backers said the structured support helped founders sharpen business models, strengthen operations and prepare for fundraising. The program also offered coaching, masterclasses and investment readiness sessions designed to help entrepreneurs present their companies clearly to investors and lenders.
A key feature is the use of catalytic funding to encourage private capital to back women led businesses that often struggle to access finance. The partners said an initial grant envelope of about $100,000 helped mobilize nearly $400,000 in follow on investment through regional and local partners that included Octerra Capital, IMEX, Sahel Capital, Nubia Capital and Convergence Advisory.
Organizers said the follow on funds were used for operational investments such as expanding production capacity, strengthening infrastructure and hiring additional staff. They described the grants as a way to lower perceived risk for investors while giving startups room to grow.
The inaugural cohort included companies at different stages, from early ventures to more established businesses. Program leaders said that mix allowed them to match support to each company’s needs and build a wider pipeline of investment ready women led enterprises.
Marieme Niang Camara, IFC’s regional gender lead for Africa, said the pilot proved the approach could work at scale and that the next phase will segment support from startup to growth and scale up stages. She said the program will provide tailored technical assistance, investment readiness support and access to capital through funds and IFC backed banks.
Dr Ubon Udoh, managing director and chief executive officer of ASR Africa, said expanding the program is intended to extend its reach beyond the 23 countries represented in the first phase. He said lessons from the pilot will shape delivery in the second phase and deepen the program’s impact.
The partners said the expanded rollout is the first of four projects envisioned under the She Wins Africa umbrella. They said the next phase will prioritize ventures that are ready to scale while continuing to support early stage businesses, with the goal of building a stronger pipeline of women led companies positioned to drive inclusive growth across Africa.
