Fourth edition of ‘The Future is Female Mentorship Programme’ selected 20 African startups
The fourth edition of The Future is Female Mentorship Programme, a PR and communications mentorship program specifically for African female tech founders, has chosen twenty female-founded tech startups from across the continent.
The Future is Female Mentorship Programme was started on Africa Day in 2020 by the African tech-focused PR firm C. Moore Media International PR, which was later acquired by the international firm Allison+Partners. This year, it is being supported by the Women Founders Africa Program of the Google for Startups Accelerator, Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund, and F6S.
490 applications were submitted for this fourth edition, which is a 42% increase from the 2022 edition, from 37 different African nations. The mentoring program supports the underserved market of African women and is complementary to it.
Nine of the selected founders are from Nigeria, namely Al Hassan Keita, founder of EtioneraPay; Jennifer Echenim, founder of Bloccpay; Gold Sylvester, founder of Traddify; Ngozi Nwabueze, founder of PocketLawyers; Sarah Odiavbara, founder of Craftmerce; Olawunmi Akalusi, founder of Rísé NG; Bibi Ikuemonisan, founder of FarmCorps; Joy Akparobore, founder of VAMUZ; and Kemi Ogunkoya, founder of LeaderX.
Celeste Tchetgen Vogel, founder of e-Waka Mobility, Juliet (Shiro) Njoroge, founder of Mosmos Africa, Natasha Makindu, founder of Paydel, Fridah Karani, founder of Hela Money, Jackie Kamau, founder of The Laundry Lady, and Elizabeth Nduta, founder of Gwiji are six of the chosen founders who are all from Kenya.
The remaining founders are Mai Shakweer of Egypt’s AutoMechanic, Jacqui Rogers of South Africa’s My Pregnancy Journey, Sophia Abeid of Tanzania’s Vide, Rym Bourguiba of Tunisia’s WildyNess, and Vwanganji Amatende-Bowa of Zambia’s Mightyfinance.
The 20 finalists will possess knowledge of the foundations of PR and communications for early-stage tech startups once they have finished the Future is Female Mentorship Programme.
Additionally, they will learn how to develop a communications strategy, best practices for telling stories, how to communicate strategically with various stakeholders, how to position their startups for investment opportunities, and more. The mentorship program is delivered virtually, and the mentees are invited to partake in masterclasses and sessions tailored to the unique requirements of their industry and business.
