The programme, implemented in partnership with Village Capital, will provide women entrepreneurs with essential skills, funding, and access to networks to help them scale their businesses and create long-term impact. This initiative falls under Futuremakers by Standard Chartered, the bank’s global youth economic empowerment programme. With funding from the Standard Chartered Foundation, the accelerator will equip 400 women entrepreneurs with the tools needed to grow microbusinesses, generate employment, and contribute to social and environmental development. Over the next three years, the initiative aims to provide over 32 catalytic grants amounting to nearly $1.9 million and support the creation of more than 1,200 jobs. Botswana is amongst the 12 markets where the programme will continue, alongside Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, and Pakistan. Additionally, it is expanding to two new countries, Uganda and Egypt.
The accelerator will be delivered in collaboration with local expert partners to ensure that participants receive training that aligns with their specific business environments. Standard Chartered aims to provide women entrepreneurs with the necessary skills to develop investment-ready businesses whilst offering opportunities to connect with finance providers, industry leaders, and ecosystem partners. Tanuj Kapilashrami, the chief strategy and talent officer at Standard Chartered, said empowering women is essential for economic growth. She said equitable access to funding and resources is crucial in fostering innovation and driving social impact. She added that through the Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator, the aim is to address systemic challenges that women microbusiness owners face, creating pathways for them to scale their businesses and contribute to their communities.
The bank’s efforts to empower women entrepreneurs go beyond the accelerator, with initiatives such as the SC Women’s International Network and diverse supplier programmes also playing a role in fostering financial inclusion. Village Capital’s Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, Rachel Crawford, described the initiative as a game-changer for women-led start-ups. She said providing critical resources, catalytic capital, and market-level support is key to driving inclusive economic growth and ensuring that women entrepreneurs can scale their businesses and impact communities at a transformative level. Previous participants in the Women in Tech programme have highlighted its impact, with Priscilla, CEO and co-founder of Rhea, a micro business in Kenya, stating that it provided crucial capital, mentorship, and a start-up support system tailored for women entrepreneurs. She said the programme gave her the financial tools and network needed to scale her business with confidence. Applications for the 2025 Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator will open in late April.
Selected participants will benefit from investment-readiness training, mentorship, personalised development plans, and networking opportunities. More than $600,000 in grant funding will be distributed annually across markets. Since its launch over a decade ago, the Women in Tech initiative has supported more than 4,000 women across 17 of Standard Chartered’s markets. Futuremakers, which launched in 2019, has enabled and supported more than 88,900 jobs. This expansion marks another step in Standard Chartered’s efforts to tackle inequality and empower young entrepreneurs globally.
