We work with women because promoting gender equality is one of the most effective ways to solve the most challenging social problems facing our world today.
While Africa has the highest concentration of women entrepreneurs in the world, they face many significant challenges – many of which increased due to COVID-19. The greatest challenge for women entrepreneurs is access to financial services. The African Development bank estimates a funding gap of $42 billion between male and female entrepreneurs. In 2019, only 5% of total invested capital in Africa went to women.
yher Africa Invest is a new program for ygap that builds upon our existing ‘yher’ accelerator programs. It addresses a gap we have seen first hand for women entrepreneurs over the past 10 years.
It will support a group of carefully selected African women entrepreneurs on their journey to raising suitable capital. The five participants have been chosen from the alumni participants of previous ygap programs across Kenya, South Africa and Uganda. In order to address the existing gap, the program works on both the demand and supply sides of capital supporting the entrepreneurs, whilst also working with a group of selected funders looking to strengthen their application of gender lens investing.
The program acknowledges the unique challenges that women entrepreneurs face as well as their unique investment profile