Women Dominate Africa’s Only Fellowship for Refugee Entrepreneurs

Tolulope Oke

Women account for 63 per cent of the fourth cohort of the Amahoro Fellowship Programme, Africa’s only entrepreneurship fellowship dedicated exclusively to refugee and displaced entrepreneurs, underscoring the growing role of women in driving innovation and economic transformation across the continent.

The Amahoro Coalition announced the selection of 41 entrepreneurs and social impact leaders for the latest cohort of its flagship fellowship, which provides business development support, mentorship, leadership training and access to investment opportunities for displaced founders building businesses across Africa.

Of the 41 fellows selected, 24 are women and 17 are men. The entrepreneurs originate from 15 countries across Africa and the Middle East and are currently operating businesses in 16 African countries.

Their ventures cut across key sectors including agriculture and agribusiness, education, technology, manufacturing, healthcare, climate action, logistics, retail, creative industries and social inclusion, reflecting the diversity and resilience of refugee-led enterprises on the continent.

Speaking on the new cohort, Principal Strategy Custodian of the Amahoro Fellowship Programme, Julia Oduol, described the fellows as visionary leaders who are transforming their communities through entrepreneurship.

According to her, the selected entrepreneurs are not waiting for opportunities but are creating them by building businesses, generating employment and addressing some of Africa’s most pressing socio-economic challenges.

Also commenting, Patricia Barandun, Head of Section, Migration and Forced Displacement at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), said the partnership with Amahoro Coalition reflects Switzerland’s commitment to supporting locally led solutions that enable displaced communities to thrive.

She noted that the announcement is particularly significant as 2026 marks the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, reaffirming Switzerland’s longstanding humanitarian commitment to people forced to flee conflict and persecution.

The 12-month fellowship combines self-paced learning, mentorship, live training sessions, peer learning and direct engagement with investors, employers and private sector leaders. The programme is designed to strengthen leadership capacity, improve investment readiness, expand market opportunities and help entrepreneurs scale sustainable businesses.

A distinguishing feature of the fellowship is access to catalytic funding of up to US$160,000 per fellow, regarded as one of the largest investment opportunities available globally for refugee-led enterprises. The funding supports business expansion, job creation and increased market access.

Since its inception, the fellowship has supported 88 refugee and displaced entrepreneurs across 15 African countries. Businesses participating in the programme have collectively increased employment from 428 workers before joining the fellowship to more than 2,240 jobs, highlighting the significant economic contribution of displaced entrepreneurs when provided with adequate support.

The businesses have also secured over US$2.4 million in funding through the Amahoro Coalition. In addition, the coalition’s initial investments have helped fellows attract more than US$4.1 million in additional financing from external investors, demonstrating growing confidence in refugee-led enterprises.

The fourth cohort comprises entrepreneurs from the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Rwanda, Sudan, Cameroon, Eritrea, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, Ghana, Angola, the Central African Republic, Zambia and Burundi. They are currently operating in Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Egypt, Rwanda, Zambia, South Africa, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Malawi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Côte d’Ivoire and Sudan.

The fellowship is supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Mastercard Foundation, with additional mentorship and industry expertise provided through a partnership with global logistics company PSA BDP.

Through its programmes, the Amahoro Coalition continues to position forcibly displaced people not as beneficiaries of aid, but as entrepreneurs, employers and contributors to Africa’s inclusive economic growth.