Twenty African female-founded tech startups have been selected for the fourth edition of The Future is Female Mentorship Programme, a PR and communications mentorship programme dedicated exclusively to African female tech founders.
Launched on Africa Day in 2020, by the African tech focused PR agency C. Moore Media International PR, which has since been acquired by global agency Allison+Partners, The Future is Female Mentorship Programme is this year supported by Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders Africa Programme, Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund, and F6S.
For this fourth edition, 490 applications were received from 37 countries across Africa, a 42 per cent increase in applications from the 2022 edition. The mentorship programme is complementary and supports the underserved market of African women.
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.
Six of the selected founders are from Kenya, namely 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.
Mai Shakweer, founder of Egypt’s AutoMechanic; Jacqui Rogers, founder of South Africa’s My Pregnancy Journey; Sophia Abeid, founder of Tanzania’s Vide; Rym Bourguiba, founder of Tunisia’s WildyNess; and Vwanganji Amatende-Bowa, founder of Zambia’s Mightyfinance, complete the cohort.
Once the 20 finalists have completed the Future is Female Mentorship Programme, they will own insights into the fundamentals of PR and communications for early-stage tech startups. They will also learn how to create a communications plan, storytelling best practices, strategic business communications with multiple stakeholders, how to position their startups for investment opportunities and more. The programme is delivered virtually, and the mentees are invited to participate in masterclasses and sessions customised to the specific needs of their sector and business.
