ShEquity Business Accelerator (SHEBA)
Launched in 2021, the ShEquity Business Accelerator (SHEBA) is a curated and customized 17-week program by ShEquity and MBC Africa that aims at providing technical and financial support to African female entrepreneurs primarily based in West Africa, thus preparing them to receive investment. The SHEBA Program is conceived to offer venture building and technical support to de-risk African female entrepreneurs with impactful and scalable businesses in West Africa. SHEBA is the bridge to closing the gender funding gap in Africa.
Every year, the SHEBA program selects and supports women both from anglophone and francophone countries in West Africa, and helps them develop the hard as well as the soft skills required to be successful as entrepreneurs.
Components
Masterclass
The focus is on various aspects of business development, including financial management, go-to-market strategy, branding and marketing, governance structure, HR and team management, leadership development, and soft skills enhancement.
Market Testing
Our experienced advisors are on hand to provide innovative and impactful technical assistance to you and your business.
Coaching & Mentoring
We match our entrepreneurs with industry experts who will guide them throughout the program to ensure the participants master the taught concepts.
Networking
We provide the opportunity for our participants to network, learn from each other, and forge new partnerships that will unlock more growth.
The ShEquity Business Accelerator (SHEBA) focuses on the following sectors:
- Agribusiness (agri-tech, production, processing, wholesale & retailing, any other agribusiness value chain aspects)
- Climate-smart businesses
- Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)
- Healthcare
- Mobility/Logistics
- Tech-enabled businesses (fintech, clean-tech, etc.)
We believe those sectors will promote the creation of jobs, especially for the youth, and will drive the development of West Africa and the entire continent.
The impact we want to make
Requirements
- Women-owned: the business should be at least 51% women-owned
- Women-led: the business should have at least 40% of women in a leadership position
- Full-time entrepreneur: No side hustle
- Legal Status: the business should be legally registered in ECOWAS (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Togo)
- Commitment: Up to 17 weeks program duration (exclusive of orientation, coaching, and mentoring hours)
- Stage: the business should be in operation for at least 24 months
What you gain
- The opportunity to learn how to make your business attractive to investors
- Talk confidently about the finances of your business
- Improve your business strategies and increase your market shares
- Learn best practices in terms of business governance and human resources management