WomHub Accelerating African Female Founders to Capital Programme 2026

Deadline: August 18, 2026

Applications are open for the WomHub Accelerating African Female Founders to Capital Programme 2026. This is an ambitious business growth and investment readiness programme designed to support high-potential women entrepreneurs across Southern Africa.

Delivered by WomHub, in partnership with AfricaGrow Technical Assistance Facility, KfW DEG Impact, and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the programme supports women-led businesses operating within the STEM sectors (Science, Technology, Engineering and Manufacturing) to become investment-ready, scale sustainably, and access catalytic funding.

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.

Programme Phases

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.

Benefits

• 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.

Eligibility

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

Application

Click here to apply

For more information, visit WomHub Accelerating African Female Founders to Capital Programme.