Backing Women, Building Resilience
Backing Women, Building Resilience
In 2024, under our Advisory & Capacity Building arm, SANAD partnered with the Womenpreneur Initiative for the third Womenpreneur Tour which was expanded to sub-Saharan Africa, empowering female entrepreneurs.
Impact spotlight
Across the MENA region women entrepreneurs face persistent barriers—limited access to capital, few networking opportunities, and underrepresentation in high-growth sectors like fintech and agritech. These challenges can make it difficult to scale businesses or adapt during times of uncertainty, limiting their potential and resilience.
To address this gap, in 2019 the SANAD fund’s Advisory & Capacity Building arm, partnered with the Womenpreneur Initiative and launched the Womenpreneur Tour. The tour aims to strengthen the MENA region’s startup ecosystem by supporting women and girls with funding, training, mentorship, and resources. In 2024, more than 330 women were trained in MENA under this initiative. Separately, that same year, the Womenpreneur Tour hit the road and expanded its reach to sub-Saharan Africa, engaging over 200 stakeholders, including women entrepreneurs in fintech and agritech.
The high-visibility tours in Ghana and Kenya provided a platform for female entrepreneurs, allowing them to connect, learn, and grow through skill-building sessions, peer exchange, and discussions with investors and ecosystem partners. These programs are providing the tools and networks needed for women to build resilient, future-ready businesses. In doing so, they are helping shape a more inclusive and dynamic economic future.
Just wrapped up an incredible workshop with the Womenpreneur Initiative and SANAD on market analysis and positioning in Fintech and Agritech! I am excited to apply these learnings and gain competitive edge in the market.
Menna Fawzy Mohamed | Ambitious Business Administration
Impact of the partnership
This partnership created a strong platform for connection, learning, and growth across the entrepreneurial landscape. It brought together key players, including SANAD’s partners and potential investees—to share insights into the challenges and innovations shaping women-led fintech and agtech startups. A cross-regional mentorship program paired experienced MENA entrepreneurs with emerging founders from sub-Sahara Africa, exchanging knowledge on business growth, fundraising, and expansion. Building on previous Womenpreneur Tours, the initiative reinforced a more resilient and inclusive network for women entrepreneurs.
Alignment with the fund
The project focused on two core pillars of SANAD’s Advisory & Capacity Building efforts: fostering female entrepreneurship and promoting innovation. By spotlighting women entrepreneurs in these strategic sectors, the initiative showcased the fund’s role in building more inclusive markets, making women-led ventures more attractive to regional partners and investors.
Video highlights from the Womenpreneur Tour 2024 in SSA
