Established in March 2021 by ShEquity in collaboration with its implementation partner, MBC Africa, ShEquity Business Accelerator (SHEBA) addresses the existing gender funding gap by de-risking African female-led businesses, getting them to become investment ready, and equipping the founders with the skill set needed to grow and scale their businesses. The SHEBA program has executed three (3) cohorts of 30 participants each, with participants from the following countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

The 17-week SHEBA program provides venture-building and technical support to African female entrepreneurs across the ECOWAS region who are looking to successfully grow their businesses and become investment ready.

Benefits of the ShEquity Business Accelerator (SHEBA)

• ShEquity seed investment which ranges between US$50K and $250K, with an additional opportunity for post-investment support
• The accelerator programme is designed to address investors’ concerns and investment risks by focusing on the following: Business Development, Finances, Legal & Governance, Human Resources & Leadership, Marketing & Communications as well as Impact Measurement
• Hands-on market testing
• Executive coaching
• Mentorship sessions
• Access to ShEquity and MBC Africa’s pan-African and global networks.

Requirements

• Anglophone applicants with businesses duly registered in West Africa.
• Impactful, innovative, and scalable businesses in agribusiness (agric tech, production, processing, wholesale, retail, all agribusiness value chain aspects), climate-smart businesses, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs), healthcare, mobility/logistics, and tech-enabled businesses (fintech, clean tech, ed tech, etc.).
• Duly registered businesses in ECOWAS countries
• Female-owned and managed with a minimum of 51% female ownership and in operation for at least 24 months.

To apply for the fourth cohort of SHEBA, apply here. Also, you can find more information about the programme here. The deadline for submissions is 21 April 2023.