Are you a woman entrepreneur ready to move from growth to scale?
The ScaleUp Africa Program is a flagship enterprise development and finance readiness initiative designed to support high-potential women-led SMEs to access capital, expand operations, and accelerate sustainable growth.
Across Africa, women-led SMEs are driving economic growth, job creation, and community resilience. Yet despite their impact, women entrepreneurs continue to face structural barriers to finance, markets, and growth support.
Women-led SMEs experience a persistent financing gap estimated at over $42 billion, alongside limited access to tailored advisory services, investor-readiness support, and strategic networks. Many operate profitable businesses but lack the capital, technical guidance, and institutional access required to scale.
ScaleUp Africa exists to close this gap.
The program is designed to equip women-led SMEs with the Competence, Confidence, Capital, and Connections required to engage financial institutions, attract investment, and grow resilient businesses that contribute meaningfully to local and regional economies.
he ScaleUp Africa Program is a structured, multi-phase enterprise development and finance readiness initiative designed to support women-led SMEs that are ready to scale. The program combines capacity development, technical advisory, and access to growth opportunities to help businesses strengthen their foundations and accelerate sustainable expansion.
Delivered through a cohort- based model, ScaleUp Africa supports participants through a progressive journey that builds business capability, sharpens investment readiness, and creates pathways to capital providers, markets, and strategic partners. The program is intentionally designed to balance rigor with flexibility, recognising the realities of women entrepreneurs who are managing growing businesses alongside other responsibilities.
Strengthened business and leadership capability, including strategic planning, financial management, and operational efficiency required for scalable growth.
Increased confidence and readiness to engage banks, investors, and capital providers, supported by pitch development, storytelling, and technical advisory.
Access to capital opportunities, including debt, equity, and infrastructure grants, aligned to your business growth stage and financing needs.
A strong Pan-African network of women entrepreneurs, advisors, financial institutions, and ecosystem partners that continues beyond the program.
Participants engage in structured masterclasses, mentoring sessions, self-directed learning, assignments, and peer review. The focus is on strengthening business fundamentals, financial literacy, and growth readiness. Top-performing participants progress to Phase 2.
Selected participants receive intensive technical advisory and coaching, including pitch deck preparation, storytelling, and business diagnostics. This phase deepens investment readiness and strategic clarity.
Participants take part in pitching competitions, finance fairs, and curated networking opportunities with financial institutions, investors, and ecosystem partners. Infrastructure grants and capital linkage opportunities are awarded at this stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
ScaleUp Africa is a comprehensive enterprise development and finance facilitation program. We provide the training to make participants funding ready and provide direct access to debt and equity funders.
The program is fully virtual to ensure accessibility for entrepreneurs across Africa.
Participants should plan to dedicate 3–5 hours per week, including live sessions, assignments, and coaching interactions.
This is a free program provided at no cost to participants funded by our partners.
The current phase focuses on women-led SMEs in Nigeria and Uganda.
Behind every number is a woman, a story, and a future transformed. Hear directly from our alumnae.
