The Graça Machel Trusts’ Women Creating Wealth (WCW) Programme continues to achieve transformative impact, supporting thousands of women entrepreneurs, generating sustainable jobs, and unlocking critical funding and market opportunities across the continent. Here are some of the achievements that the programme has made this quarter.
Driving entrepreneurial impact
By the end of 2024, WCW programme celebrated enrolling over 5,200 women entrepreneurs across six African countries and creating more than 20,000 sustainable jobs through the youth-focused WCW Intergenerational project. With over half of these entrepreneurs under 35, the initiative significantly strengthened the pipeline of young business leaders. Preparations began for entrepreneurs to complete their training certifications in 2025, marking an important milestone in their business journeys. Monthly Connect and Inspire sessions continued to build entrepreneurial networks and advocacy efforts. As we entered 2025, our ambitious goal remained clear: engage 10,000 women entrepreneurs to generate $1 billion in revenue and 200,000 jobs over four years, nurturing a thriving ecosystem for inclusive entrepreneurship.
Building entrepreneurial capacity: Strengthening skills for business growth
A great idea is just the beginning – what turns it into a thriving business is skill, confidence, and support. The WCW is building this foundation through training, mentorship, and community, enabling entrepreneurs to scale and succeed. Weâve started a mentorship programme and have seen interest from entrepreneurs and mentors who are now part of the programme, including industry leaders. Stay tuned for more in the next issue!
Expanding market access: Unlocking new opportunities for entrepreneurs
Market access isnât just about being seen – itâs about getting in. Through strategic partnerships, targeted coaching, and a data-driven approach, WCW is helping entrepreneurs do more than survive. Theyâre stepping into new, high-value markets across Africa – with confidence, clarity, and contracts. Read more.
How WCW is transforming access to finance
In 2024, the joint efforts of the Trust WCW programme and Gender Lens Investment, Afrishela interventions has helped unlock over US$5 million in funding pipelines for women entrepreneursâdemonstrating that with the right support, finance becomes a catalyst for transformation. Read more.
The road to entrepreneurship: A journey of reinvention
Building a successful business takes more than strategy, it takes reinvention. At the heart of the Women Creating Wealth programme are stories of women who are rewriting their futures through resilience, bold thinking, and relentless self-belief. During a recent Connect & Inspire session, we heard first-hand what it really means to become the architect of your own success. Â Entrepreneurs like Kgalelalo Malekane demonstrated remarkable growth, scaling her business significantly in just six months. Read more
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Stories of Impact: Celebrating entrepreneurial journeys
Meet Sandra, whose entrepreneurial journey exemplifies resilience and innovation, transforming her business with the support of the WCW programme. Read Sandra’s story here.
Discover how Neema’s commitment and strategic vision are creating positive change and unlocking new opportunities through the WCW programme. Read Neema’s story here.
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.