The International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group, and the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa) have announced the expansion of their She Wins Africa program, scaling support from 100 to 1,000 female entrepreneurs across Sub-Saharan Africa.
The initiative targets women-led startups and growth-stage businesses, providing tailored support from technical advisory to investor matchmaking. “When you look at the impact it created and the kind of access to capital and markets it gave to those women entrepreneurs, you see this is a programme worth scaling,” said Marieme Camara, IFC’s Regional Gender Lead for Africa.
During its first phase, 100 women-led startups collectively mobilized over $4 million in financing through a combination of grants, technical assistance, and investor engagement. The program also delivered 123 hours of structured technical support, facilitated 275 connections between founders and investors, and engaged 100 mentors to guide entrepreneurs directly.
Dr. Ubon Udoh, CEO of ASR Africa, emphasised the initiative’s broader economic impact: “What these women do is not just for individual countries; it strengthens the economy of the whole continent.”
The next phase will support both early-stage ventures and growth-stage businesses through tailored coaching, investment-readiness training, and strategic mentorship, aiming to deepen the regional reach of women-led enterprises and increase the pipeline of investment-ready businesses.
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