Business
AWIEF Announce the 2023 Academy for Women Entrepreneurs Lesotho, Eswatini and South Africa
The program aims to promote economic growth and prosperity and empowers women to build better futures for their families and communities
PRETORIA, South Africa, May 9, 2023/APO Group/ —
The U.S. Mission to South Africa and the Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) (https://www.AWIEForum.org/) are once again partnering to implement the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs program in South Africa. To expand the reach of this successful program, the U.S. Mission has extended participation to Lesotho and Eswatini for the first time.
The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. It supports the U.S. National Strategy on Gender, Equity and Equality. Implemented in nearly 100 countries since 2019, the program has enabled about 25,000 women entrepreneurs to explore the fundamentals of business and learn new skills, including how to create business plans and raise capital. The program aims to promote economic growth and prosperity and empowers women to build better futures for their families and communities.
The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs Lesotho, Eswatini and South Africa will implement a hybrid program from July to November 2023. The program will select 140 participants to join activities in: Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Maseru, Mbabane and Pretoria. With this expanded 2023 cohort, the total number of women entrepreneurs trained through the U.S Mission to South Africa and AWIEF partnership will surpass 550. The program will combine the DreamBuilder online platform (developed through a partnership between Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management and global copper mining company Freeport-McMoRan) with in-class discussion, mentoring and support from local business experts.
Irene Ochem, AWIEF Founder and Chief Executive Officer, said: “The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs program has been a huge success in South Africa, empowering enterprising young women not only with the knowledge, networks and access they need to launch and scale successful enterprises, but also personal development and growth. We are excited to be continuing in our role as implementing partner and extending the impact to women in Lesotho and Eswatini.”
What do you gain from participating in the AWE LESA program?
We are excited to be continuing in our role as implementing partner and extending the impact to women in Lesotho and Eswatini
- Free entry to the program;
- Enrolment in the DreamBuilder platform and expert-facilitated hybrid business management training and mentorship sessions;
- Networking and peer-learning opportunities with like-minded entrepreneurs;
- A collaboratively developed and refined draft of your business plan;
- A DreamBuilder certificate after completing the program;
- Access to the U.S. alumni network’s robust network of support, including business opportunities, potential seed funding and a vast, global network of like-minded and highly regarded entrepreneurs;
- Membership to the online AWIEF Community (https://AWIEFCommunity.com/), which provides ongoing peer learning and support; and
- Free delegate pass to the 2023 AWIEF Conference in Kigali, Rwanda, from November 9-10, 2023.
What are the criteria to apply?
- Women between 21 and 35 years of age;
- Able to read, write, speak and listen to the program in English;
- Reside in one of the seven program cities or their environs: Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Maseru, Mbabane and Pretoria;
- Must have a viable business idea or have worked in business for less than two years;
- Must not be engaged in full-time employment, excluding self-employment;
- Able to participate in weekly group sessions and commit at least five hours per week to accomplish designated program tasks;
- Must have computer skills, access to a computer, and data to access program content and activities; and
- Able to participate in virtual or in-person training sessions at a designated American Space of the U.S. Missions to Lesotho, Eswatini and South Africa.
Applications Open Now!
Academy for Women Entrepreneurs applications are officially open for highly motivated and self-driven young women from Lesotho, Eswatini and South Africa. THERE IS NO COST TO APPLICANTS AT ANY STAGE.
To submit your application, please follow this link: https://apo-opa.info/42zRWtB
The deadline for submission is May 31, 2023 at 11:59pm Central Africa Time (CAT).
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF).
Business
Africa Launches the First Pan-African Pact for Insurance Inclusion
400 decision-makers gathered in Cotonou to accelerate access to insurance and contribute to doubling insurance penetration by 2040
From July 6 to 8, 2026, the Federation of African National Insurance Companies (FANAF) will organize the General Assembly on Insurance for All at the Sofitel Hotel in Cotonou, Benin, a major pan-African gathering dedicated to inclusive insurance.
The event will bring together nearly 400 African decision-makers from governments, regulatory and supervisory authorities, insurance and reinsurance companies, financial institutions, development banks, technical and financial partners, as well as professional organizations from across the continent.
The ambition is clear: to foster a shared vision and concrete commitments aimed at accelerating access to insurance for African populations while strengthening the sector’s contribution to the continent’s economic and social development priorities.
The discussions will culminate in the adoption of the Pan-African Pact for Insurance Inclusion and a 2026–2030 Strategic Action Plan, designed to structure collective action around an ambitious objective: contributing to the doubling of insurance penetration across the FANAF region by 2040.
An Economic, Social and Development Imperative
Within the CIMA zone, insurance penetration remains below 1% of GDP, compared to more than 6% globally.
As a result, millions of households, farmers, entrepreneurs, SMEs and informal sector actors remain deprived of essential protection mechanisms against health, climate, economic and social risks.
For FANAF, this reality now constitutes a major development challenge.
Africa cannot build sustainable growth without strengthening protection mechanisms for its populations, businesses and investments
“Africa cannot build sustainable growth without strengthening protection mechanisms for its populations, businesses and investments. The Cotonou General Assembly must mark the starting point of a new continental ambition for African insurance and its role in the continent’s economic transformation,” said Mamadou Koné, President of FANAF.
Beyond Insurance: A Driver of Continental Transformation
For FANAF, insurance is no longer merely a risk coverage mechanism. It is also a strategic lever for economic resilience, savings mobilization, investment security, SME financing, support for climate transitions and the strengthening of financial inclusion.
Through this General Assembly, FANAF seeks to reposition insurance as a key stakeholder in Africa’s economic, social and financial transformation.
A Pact to Accelerate Action
The conclusions of the General Assembly will lead to the adoption of the Pan-African Pact for Insurance Inclusion, a reference framework intended to mobilize governments, regulators, market players, financial institutions and development partners around shared objectives.
The Pact will be accompanied by a 2026–2030 Strategic Action Plan defining priority intervention areas, coordination mechanisms and monitoring arrangements for the commitments undertaken.
A broad mobilization of public, private and financial partners will support its implementation in order to translate commitments into tangible results for African populations and economies.
Cotonou 2026: Building a Shared Vision
Beyond the insurance sector, the General Assembly aims to create an unprecedented platform for dialogue between governments, regulators, investors, financial institutions, technical partners and market actors in order to identify the levers needed to accelerate insurance inclusion across the continent.
Holding this event in Benin reflects the country’s broader economic and financial transformation momentum and illustrates the collective determination of African stakeholders to develop solutions tailored to the continent’s realities.
Through this initiative, FANAF intends to make Cotonou 2026 a defining moment for the future of African insurance and the starting point of a lasting continental mobilization in favor of insurance inclusion.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Fédération des Sociétés d’Assurances de Droit National Africaines (FANAF).
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