Zim start-up selected for WE4A programme
LETTICIA MAGOMBO
A Harare-based start-up Artisanal Foods has been selected for the Women Entrepreneurship for Africa (WE4A) programme.
The food processing company makes banana flour and baobab juice.
Kudzai Makaza, the owner of Artisanal Foods, told Business Times that she was selected as one of the 100 women who own a start-up in Africa.
She said the objective of the three programmes, is run by WE4A in collaboration with Swiss Association of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets.
The European Union, the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, also supports the programme, to support women-led enterprises in Sub Saharan Africa to flourish and create employment in their communities.
The selected businesses will access grant funding amounting to
€10 000 or US$ 11 400.
They will also be equipped with technical and marketing skills through numerous coaching sessions throughout the programme.
“They choose women owned enterprises that have an opportunity for high growth, and we fit right into that description.
“We have the potential to grow into Sub-Saharan Africa distributing our products and even as a food technologist myself, designing products for the consumer’s needs is the number one priority to achieve growth,” Makaza told Business Times.
She added: “The opportunity is giving our business hands-on training. (It’s) tailored to help us grow into a global business. The funding will also be utilised to buy much needed equipment especially in a setting where it’s often difficult to get a loan as a young woman.”
She said the participants will be required to pitch at a demo day in front of the investors.
The best 15 participants out of 100 will receive an additional €50 000 or US$57 000 and more growth training from WE4A.
“We earnestly hope to be part of the 15 that will receive additional training and funding,” Makaza told Business Times.
