The WIA 54 Programme, introduced in 2017, helps boost women entrepreneurship in Africa. Every year, it empowers 54v African women entrepreneurs from 54 African countries with a comprehensive support package consisting of training, communication and networking.
This year, WIA rolled out its 2030 plan, which multiplied the number of beneficiaries of the programme by 10. Before appointing the 54 laureates, the jury will make an initial selection of 10 finalists per country. Thus, 540 women candidates will benefit from training and coaching. Through this initiative, WIA aims at supporting more than 10,000 women entrepreneurs, indirectly contributing to the creation of 100,000 jobs by 2030.
From this pool of entrepreneurs, the jurors will then select the 54 country laureates and 9 sectoral prize winners who will receive a comprehensive package of support to further boost their success.
ELIGIBILITY
Any African woman entrepreneur whose business is in Africa
Business created or led by an African woman
Startup created less than 5 years ago
Be part of one of the 8 categories and applicants can only compete in a category that is their primary business category (Click link below for better understanding)
BENEFITS
Applicants will be mentored. The WIA54 mentor network is made up of people selected from the very large WIA community on an international scale. These mentors have a strong desire to engage with WIA to support the women’s entrepreneurship effort in Africa. They are mainly:
Highly experienced professionals
Business leaders and entrepreneurs
Company executives
Staff members of WIA’s patrons and partners.
Application deadline is May 7, 2021
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