Accelerating African Female Founders to Capital Programme 2026 for Southern African Female Founders.

Application Deadline: 18 August 2026 @ 23:00pm

Applications are now open for the 2026 Accelerating African Female Founders to Capital Programme. Powered by WomHub and supported by AfricaGrow Technical Assistance Facility, KfW DEG Impact, and the BMZ, the Accelerating African Female Founders to Capital Programme is focused on ensuring that women-led businesses in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Manufacturing are positioned to scale sustainably.

The programme is designed for women entrepreneurs who are building innovative, revenue-generating businesses with strong potential for growth and impact. Through a combination of expert-led training, mentorship, technical assistance, business diagnostics, and investor engagement, participants will strengthen their business foundations, enhance their growth potential, and prepare to attract investment.

The programme is delivered in three progressive phases:
• Phase 1: Pipeline Development – Forty-five (45) women-led businesses will participate in a structured business development programme focused on strengthening business fundamentals, leadership, operations, financial management, sustainability, and growth readiness.
• Phase 2: Investor Readiness – The top twenty (20) businesses will advance to an intensive investment readiness programme covering financial preparedness, due diligence, investor engagement, and pitch refinement.
• Phase 3: Capital Deployment – Businesses that successfully complete the investor readiness journey and due diligence process will become eligible to pitch for catalytic funding, with between five (5) and ten (10) businesses receiving investment together with ongoing post-investment support.

Beyond funding, participants will gain access to a dynamic network of mentors, industry experts, ecosystem partners, and investors committed to supporting the growth of women-led STEM enterprises across the region. The programme seeks to create lasting impact by strengthening founder capabilities, improving investment readiness, enabling access to capital, driving revenue growth, creating quality jobs, and accelerating innovation within the STEM ecosystem.

If you are a woman entrepreneur leading an innovative business in Science, Technology, Engineering or Manufacturing, this programme offers an opportunity to strengthen your business, expand your network, and unlock the capital needed to scale your impact.

Eligibility:

• Must be a female founder
• Participant must be from across Southern Africa*
• Must be investment ready
• Demonstrate a commitment to sustainability in their businesses 
  *Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

For queries, email:  DEGprogramme@womeng.org

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Accelerating African Female Founders to Capital Programme