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<\/p>\nOver the past three years, the Women Creating Wealth (WCW) programme has supported nearly 5,000 women entrepreneurs across six African countries. Together, they have contributed to the creation of over 30,000 jobs, including more than 5,000 new roles in the past three months alone. These businesses span agriculture, logistics, services, and manufacturing, forming a vital part of Africa\u2019s economic backbone.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re seeing how targeted support\u2014skills, coaching, and market access\u2014can shift businesses from surviving to scaling,\u201d says Korkor Cudjoe, Senior Entrepreneurship Manager at the Gra\u00e7a Machel Trust. \u201cEach time a woman secures a contract or hires staff, it strengthens the fabric of her local economy.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Practical tools that strengthen business growth<\/strong><\/p>\n WCW\u2019s approach combines practical skills training, strategic coaching, and access to markets and finance. In Tanzania, entrepreneurs participated in targeted sessions on export processes, freight costing, and value-chain financing\u2014leading to sharper pricing decisions and a 20% rise in successful bids.<\/p>\n One participant reflected: This blend of technical support and mentorship builds the confidence and capability women need to structure for growth and pursue new opportunities.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n From local supply chains to formal markets<\/strong><\/p>\n In Zambia, Josmafu Poultry Farm secured a contract to supply Choppies Supermarkets with 5,000 birds monthly. With WCW\u2019s technical guidance\u2014ranging from upgrading hatchery systems to passing food-safety audits\u2014the business was able to meet the retailer\u2019s strict requirements. The result: an expected 50% revenue increase and the addition of 12 full-time and 40 part-time youth jobs.<\/p>\n \u201cWe weren\u2019t just introduced to buyers\u2014we were supported through every step to meet their standards. That gave us the edge.\u201d<\/p>\n By connecting women-led enterprises to formal markets and helping them meet procurement thresholds, WCW drives tangible business expansion and local employment.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Financing growth, expanding impact<\/strong><\/p>\n In Mbeya, Tanzania, Sebadom Enterprise joined WCW to sharpen its financial planning and market strategy. Through coaching and technical assistance, the founder secured US$70,000 in blended finance\u2014a combination of grant and loan\u2014to scale production and diversify offerings.<\/p>\n The investment enabled: Over 60% of new hires are women and youth, reinforcing WCW\u2019s mission to promote enterprise-led job creation.<\/p>\n \u201cThis wasn\u2019t just about funding\u2014it was about becoming prepared to grow. Now I can speak to investors with confidence, plan ahead, and support more families through decent work.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Policy shifts that open doors<\/strong><\/p>\n WCW\u2019s impact extends beyond the business level. In partnership with national women\u2019s networks, the programme advocates for reforms that dismantle systemic barriers for women entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n In Zambia, WCW and ZFAWIB promoted awareness of the Movable Assets Collateral Registry (MCR), which allows entrepreneurs to use assets like livestock and equipment as loan collateral. Within six weeks of outreach\u2014including radio, roadshows, and community forums\u2014120 women registered on the platform, and local banks reported a 30% increase in lending to women.<\/p>\n In Malawi, WCW\u2019s host partner, COMFWB, contributed to the country\u2019s 2025\u20132030 National Action Plan on Women\u2019s Economic Empowerment, influencing the decision to raise the Women\u2019s Enterprise Fund ceiling from MK 5 million to MK 20 million. This quadrupling expands access to non-collateral finance for women-owned businesses, with an MoU now in progress with the Ministry of Finance.<\/p>\n \u201cFor the first time, I can apply for a loan that matches the scale of my business,\u201d shared a Lilongwe entrepreneur. \u201cThis opens the door to real growth\u2014and more employment.\u201d<\/p>\n These reforms reflect the Gra\u00e7a Machel Trust\u2019s dual approach to entrepreneurship\u2014equipping women with the tools to grow, while shaping the policy and financial systems to work better for them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Looking ahead: Why this work matters<\/strong><\/p>\n The WCW programme continues to demonstrate how women\u2019s entrepreneurship can be a lever for long-term economic and social change. It is not only about building individual businesses, but also about shifting norms, institutions, and ecosystems to create space for women to lead and thrive.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery success story gives us hope\u2014and deepens our understanding of what works,\u201d says Korkor Cudjoe. \u201cEntrepreneurship is a journey of learning, and through it, we are changing the narrative of African women’s contribution to economic and social advancement.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Over the past three years, the Women Creating Wealth (WCW) […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10874,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_rtcl_gb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[742,4,81,95],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11113","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blogs","category-featured","category-highlight","category-womens-economic-and-social-advancement-highlight"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11113","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11113"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11113\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10874"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\u201cBefore the training, I wasn\u2019t confident negotiating cross-border deals or approaching banks. But working step-by-step with our coach, I learned to prepare, practice, and present well. Within six months, I\u2019d expanded into Kenya and Uganda, and doubled my client base.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot-2025-07-10-at-14.14.01.png\")
\n– A 40% boost in yoghurt production capacity
\n– Launch of new products like probiotic yoghurt, artisanal cheese, and sour milk
\n– Growth from 12 to 17 permanent staff, and seasonal workers from 150 to 270<\/p>\n