Afrishela (her money in Swahili) is a $30M emerging innovative Pan-African impact-investment vehicle that seeks to invest with a gender and climate lens targeting early growth stage women-owned and led businesses in East and Southern Africa. It is currently being incubated by the Graça Machel Trust and supporting the women entrepreneurs we work with to get investor ready and connect them to potential investors. According to studies by The World Bank and other institutions, women-owned businesses face significant challenges in accessing finance. In the past several months, 50 entrepreneurs who are graduates of the Women Creating Wealth programme have had the chance to pitch, learn and refine their business cases, so they have the technical skills and confidence to approach funders/lenders. Afrishela has also been networking and making investors aware of the value of investing in Africa.
Investor showcase highlights graduates of Women Creating Wealth programme
The most recent showcase was held in Johannesburg, South Africa in July, featured presentations from entrepreneurs in diverse sectors such as agribusiness, machinery, electronics, agro-processing, medical and health, tourism, renewable energy, marketing, and education. Participants had the opportunity to pitch their business ideas to potential investors.
The Trust’s Senior Entrepreneurship Manager, Korkor Cudjoe, emphasised the importance of investor showcasing in helping entrepreneurs refine their business cases for funding. She stated, “The exercise itself builds confidence. We are thrilled with the successful collaboration between WCW and our Gender Lens Investment team, Afrishela. We are excited to see our mission of increasing women’s access to capital gradually coming to fruition.” At the Trust, we are committed to these initiatives, which are crucial for women entrepreneurs to help build our economy.
Fiana Matebula, owner of Mintirho Healthcare and Consulting Services, was one of the entrepreneurs who presented their business. Here is what she shared about her experience. Watch here.
Catch up on another one of the South Africa Investor Showcases here.
Investor showcase highlights promising women-owned businesses in Uganda
Â
In April this year 11 Ugandan women business owners who had completed the WCW programme participated in an investor showcase which was hosted in collaboration with our Uganda based WCW team in Kampala. The entrepreneurs presented compelling business cases to financiers and ecosystem players. The session successfully generated enthusiasm and interest, demonstrating that with the right support and guidance, women-owned businesses can offer strong investment opportunities.
Spotlight on women entrepreneurs: successful investor showcase
Â
The Trusts’ Investment Director, Andia Chakava, also the Managing Partner of Afrishela (which is supported by the Graça Machel Trust), was one of the panellists during this year’s Sankalp Forum. Hosted in February this year in Nairobi, Kenya, the Forum was hosted in collaboration with the International Development Research Center (IDRC). She participated in a panel discussion on ‘Redistributing Responsibilities: Gender Mainstreaming in Business through Childcare Support.’ She addressed challenges in labour-intensive sectors, highlighting systemic barriers and the critical role of childcare in boosting women’s participation.
Afrishela also hosted a side event at the Sankalp Forum, amplifying the voices of female entrepreneurs and creating connections with investors. Eight women-led businesses presented their investment cases, showcasing innovative solutions in agriculture technologies among others. Read more here: Spotlight on Women Entrepreneurs: Successful Investor Showcase
Supporting women-Led solutions in climate action
Afrishela is advancing women’s roles in climate action by supporting businesses that offer sustainable solutions. In November 2023, Afrishela and Feminvest hosted a Climate and Digital Technology Roundtable, providing a platform for women entrepreneurs to share their innovative approaches. The discussions, which showcased the creativity and determination of these entrepreneurs, addressed challenges like funding and representation while proposing solutions such as networking, mentoring, and increasing women’s involvement in green technology. Continuing this work, Afrishela partnered with Rallying Cry for a virtual investor showcase in May 2024. Women-led businesses from Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia presented climate solutions focusing on water management, seed multiplication, food processing, and waste management. These initiatives are key to enhancing the resilience of smallholder farmers and low-income communities.
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting childrenâs rights, to carry out advocacy and action across Africa. Special focus is placed on Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia where child marriage continues to be a problem largely driven by poverty, gender inequality, harmful traditional practices, conflict, low levels of literacy, limited opportunities for girls and weak or non-existent protective and preventive legal frameworks.
Education is a fundamental right for all children, which is also a vehicle for social, economic and political transformation in communities, countries and the African continent at large. Recent studies indicate a lack of progress in some of the critical commitments aimed at improving education quality, access, retention and achievement, particularly for girls. In most African countries, girls may face barriers to learning, especially when they reach post-primary levels of education. By implementing multi-dimensional approaches to education which includes core education, personal development, life skills and economic competencies, the Trust partners with funding partners, governments, civil societies and the private sector to improve education access.
The Nutrition and Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition, (RMNCAH+N) of the Childrenâs Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescentsâ health within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. The strategy emphasises on the importance of effective country leadership as a common factor across countries making progress in improving the health of women, children and adolescents.
Through its Early Childhood Development (ECD) plan, The Trust will seek to put into action the new science and evidence Report that was presented by Lancet Series on Good and early development – the right of every child. This will be achieved by mobilising like-minded partners to contribute in the new science and evidence to reach all young children with ECD. The Trustâs goal is to be a catalyst for doing things differently, in particular, to rid fragmentation and lack of coordination across ECD sectors. In response to evidence showing the importance of political will in turning the tide against the current poor access and quality of ECD. Even before conception, starting with a motherâs health and social economic conditions, the early years of a childâs life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.