In a significant move to strengthen the entrepreneurial backbone of sub-Saharan Africa, the International Trade Centre (ITC) and Visa have launched a regional capacity-building programme designed to uplift women and youth-led businesses in Kenya and South Africa. This latest initiative marks the expansion of the ITC’s SheTrades platform into Africa’s high-potential, yet structurally constrained, entrepreneurship ecosystem.
The partnership, previously active in the Gulf and Asia-Pacific regions, now brings its tailored support to the African continent, where micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), particularly those led by women and youth, remain vital yet under-leveraged drivers of innovation, employment and economic resilience.
Unlocking Africa’s Hidden Growth Engines
Across sub-Saharan Africa, women own nearly 60% of MSMEs, yet they continue to earn 38% less in profits than their male counterparts. Youth, meanwhile, represent the fastest-growing population segment on the continent, yet face systemic barriers to building and scaling businesses, ranging from limited access to finance and technology, to insufficient entrepreneurial education.
If these gaps were addressed, the African Development Bank estimates that regional GDP could grow by as much as 34%, signalling the transformative economic potential of inclusive enterprise development.
“Women and young people are not just part of Africa’s future, they are the future,” said Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director of ITC. “Our partnership with Visa is a long-term investment in building resilient economies through equitable access to markets, capital and knowledge.”
Practical, Digital, Inclusive
The new programme will offer hybrid learning, a combination of in-person and online training, tailored to the real-world needs of entrepreneurs operating in fragmented markets and fast-evolving digital economies. Training topics will include:
- Artificial intelligence for small businesses
- Digital payment solutions
- Financial literacy
- Investment readiness
- Entrepreneurial resilience and innovation strategies
Microsoft Philanthropies has partnered with SheTrades to develop and contribute AI-focused learning modules, which will be made available through the SheTrades Academy as open UN public goods, ensuring free and equitable access.
At the centre of the programme lies Visa’s She’s Next initiative, which provides direct mentorship, funding access and a robust support network. Participants will be integrated into a growing alumni community to facilitate peer learning and ecosystem connectivity.
“Economies that include everyone, uplift everyone,” said Lineshree Moodley, Country Head of Visa South Africa. “By equipping women and youth entrepreneurs with digital tools and financial skills, we are not only enabling business success, we are driving regional economic resilience.”
Anchored in Local Institutions, Backed by Global Expertise
The initiative will be delivered through ITC’s SheTrades Hubs in Kenya and South Africa, hosted by ABSA Bank Kenya and the Small Enterprise and Finance Development Agency (SEFDA) respectively. These institutions serve as local anchors, ensuring that capacity building is locally relevant, culturally informed and sustainably embedded within national enterprise support systems.
Announced during the Global SME Ministerial Meeting, organized by ITC and South Africa’s Department of Small Business Development, the programme signals a renewed global commitment to financing solutions for sustainable MSME growth.
Towards an Entrepreneurial Renaissance
By aligning global expertise with local ambition, this joint initiative aims to reshape the narrative of African entrepreneurship, from one defined by survival to one led by scale, innovation and global competitiveness.
In a region where informal trade dominates and formal access remains elusive, Visa and ITC’s SheTrades are betting on Africa’s entrepreneurs to lead the charge toward inclusive and sustained economic transformation.
Applications are now open, with interested entrepreneurs encouraged to register via the SheTrades website. For women and youth-led businesses in Kenya and South Africa, the opportunity is not just to learn but to lead Africa’s entrepreneurial renaissance.
